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LaCoursiere CM, Ullmann JF, Koh HY, Turner L, Baker CM, Robens B, Shao W, Rotenberg A, McGraw CM, Poduri AH. Zebrafish models of candidate human epilepsy-associated genes provide evidence of hyperexcitability. iScience 2024; 27:110172. [PMID: 39021799 PMCID: PMC11253282 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Hundreds of novel candidate human epilepsy-associated genes have been identified thanks to advancements in next-generation sequencing and large genome-wide association studies, but establishing genetic etiology requires functional validation. We generated a list of >2,200 candidate epilepsy-associated genes, of which 48 were developed into stable loss-of-function (LOF) zebrafish models. Of those 48, evidence of seizure-like behavior was present in 5 (arfgef1, kcnd2, kcnv1, ubr5, and wnt8b). Further characterization provided evidence for epileptiform activity via electrophysiology in kcnd2 and wnt8b mutants. Additionally, arfgef1 and wnt8b mutants showed a decrease in the number of inhibitory interneurons in the optic tectum of larval animals. Further, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) revealed convergent transcriptional abnormalities between mutant lines, consistent with their developmental defects and hyperexcitable phenotypes. These zebrafish models provide strongest experimental evidence supporting the role of ARFGEF1, KCND2, and WNT8B in human epilepsy and further demonstrate the utility of this model system for evaluating candidate human epilepsy genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Mark LaCoursiere
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jeremy F.P. Ullmann
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hyun Yong Koh
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pediatrics, Division of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Laura Turner
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Cristina M. Baker
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7034 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Barbara Robens
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wanqing Shao
- Research Computing, Department of Information Technology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alexander Rotenberg
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Christopher M. McGraw
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Annapurna H. Poduri
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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Orlova SY, Ruzina MN, Emelianova OR, Sergeev AA, Chikurova EA, Orlov AM, Mugue NS. In Search of a Target Gene for a Desirable Phenotype in Aquaculture: Genome Editing of Cyprinidae and Salmonidae Species. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:726. [PMID: 38927661 PMCID: PMC11202958 DOI: 10.3390/genes15060726] [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: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Aquaculture supplies the world food market with a significant amount of valuable protein. Highly productive aquaculture fishes can be derived by utilizing genome-editing methods, and the main problem is to choose a target gene to obtain the desirable phenotype. This paper presents a review of the studies of genome editing for genes controlling body development, growth, pigmentation and sex determination in five key aquaculture Salmonidae and Cyprinidae species, such as rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), goldfish (Carassius auratus), Gibel carp (Carassius gibelio) and the model fish zebrafish (Danio rerio). Among the genes studied, the most applicable for aquaculture are mstnba, pomc, and acvr2, the knockout of which leads to enhanced muscle growth; runx2b, mutants of which do not form bones in myoseptae; lepr, whose lack of function makes fish fast-growing; fads2, Δ6abc/5Mt, and Δ6bcMt, affecting the composition of fatty acids in fish meat; dnd mettl3, and wnt4a, mutants of which are sterile; and disease-susceptibility genes prmt7, gab3, gcJAM-A, and cxcr3.2. Schemes for obtaining common carp populations consisting of only large females are promising for use in aquaculture. The immobilized and uncolored zebrafish line is of interest for laboratory use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Yu. Orlova
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, 105187 Moscow, Russia; (S.Y.O.)
| | - Maria N. Ruzina
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, 105187 Moscow, Russia; (S.Y.O.)
| | - Olga R. Emelianova
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, 105187 Moscow, Russia; (S.Y.O.)
- Department of Biological Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey A. Sergeev
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, 105187 Moscow, Russia; (S.Y.O.)
| | - Evgeniya A. Chikurova
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, 105187 Moscow, Russia; (S.Y.O.)
| | - Alexei M. Orlov
- Laboratory of Oceanic Ichthyofauna, Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117218 Moscow, Russia
- Laboratory of Behavior of Lower Vertebrates, Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Ichthyology, Dagestan State University, 367000 Makhachkala, Russia
| | - Nikolai S. Mugue
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, 105187 Moscow, Russia; (S.Y.O.)
- Laboratory of Genome Evolution and Speciation, Institute of Developmental Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, 117808 Moscow, Russia
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Whyte-Fagundes PA, Vance A, Carroll A, Figueroa F, Manukyan C, Baraban SC. Testing of putative antiseizure medications in a preclinical Dravet syndrome zebrafish model. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae135. [PMID: 38707709 PMCID: PMC11069116 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Dravet syndrome is a severe genetic epilepsy primarily caused by de novo mutations in a voltage-activated sodium channel gene (SCN1A). Patients face life-threatening seizures that are largely resistant to available anti-seizure medications. Preclinical Dravet syndrome animal models are a valuable tool to identify candidate anti-seizure medications for these patients. Among these, scn1lab mutant zebrafish, exhibiting spontaneous seizure-like activity, are particularly amenable to large-scale drug screening. Thus far, we have screened more than 3000 drug candidates in scn1lab zebrafish mutants, identifying valproate, stiripentol, and fenfluramine e.g. Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs, with clinical application in the Dravet syndrome population. Successful phenotypic screening in scn1lab mutant zebrafish is rigorous and consists of two stages: (i) a locomotion-based assay measuring high-velocity convulsive swim behaviour and (ii) an electrophysiology-based assay, using in vivo local field potential recordings, to quantify electrographic seizure-like events. Historically, nearly 90% of drug candidates fail during translation from preclinical models to the clinic. With such a high failure rate, it becomes necessary to address issues of replication and false positive identification. Leveraging our scn1lab zebrafish assays is one approach to address these problems. Here, we curated a list of nine anti-seizure drug candidates recently identified by other groups using preclinical Dravet syndrome models: 1-Ethyl-2-benzimidazolinone, AA43279, chlorzoxazone, donepezil, lisuride, mifepristone, pargyline, soticlestat and vorinostat. First-stage locomotion-based assays in scn1lab mutant zebrafish identified only 1-Ethyl-2-benzimidazolinone, chlorzoxazone and lisuride. However, second-stage local field potential recording assays did not show significant suppression of spontaneous electrographic seizure activity for any of the nine anti-seizure drug candidates. Surprisingly, soticlestat induced frank electrographic seizure-like discharges in wild-type control zebrafish. Taken together, our results failed to replicate clear anti-seizure efficacy for these drug candidates highlighting a necessity for strict scientific standards in preclinical identification of anti-seizure medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige A Whyte-Fagundes
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Anjelica Vance
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Aloe Carroll
- Behavioral Neurosciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Francisco Figueroa
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Catherine Manukyan
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Scott C Baraban
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Wang Y, Ke Z, Li Y, Qiu M, Liu J, Yang Z, Wen S, Liang M, Chen S. De novo variants of IRF2BPL result in developmental epileptic disorder. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2024; 19:121. [PMID: 38481258 PMCID: PMC10938665 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-024-03130-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pathogenic variants of the IRF2BPL gene have been reported to cause neurodevelopmental disorders; however, studies focused on IRF2BPL in zebrafish are limited. RESULTS We reported three probands diagnosed with developmental delay and epilepsy and investigated the role of IRF2BPL in neurodevelopmental disorders in zebrafish. The clinical and genetic characteristics of three patients with neurodevelopmental disorder with regression, abnormal movements, loss of speech and seizures (NEDAMSS) were collected. Three de novo variants (NM_024496.4: c.1171 C > T, p.Arg391Cys; c.1157 C > T, p.Thr386Met; and c.273_307del, p.Ala92Thrfs*29) were detected and classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic according to ACMG guidelines. Zebrafish crispants with disruption of the ortholog gene irf2bpl demonstrated a reduced body length and spontaneous ictal-like and interictal-like discharges in an electrophysiology study. After their spasms were controlled, they gain some development improvements. CONCLUSION We contribute two new pathogenic variants for IRF2BPL related developmental epileptic disorder which provided evidences for genetic counseling. In zebrafish model, we for the first time confirm that disruption of irf2bpl could introduce spontaneous electrographic seizures which mimics key phenotypes in human patients. Our follow-up results suggest that timely cessation of spasmodic seizures can improve the patient's neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No. 29, Xinquan Road, Gulou District, 350001, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
| | - Zhongling Ke
- Department of Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No. 29, Xinquan Road, Gulou District, 350001, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yufen Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Linyi People's Hospital, 276003, Linyi, Shandong, China
| | - Mingqi Qiu
- Department of Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No. 29, Xinquan Road, Gulou District, 350001, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Cipher Gene LLC, 100089, Beijing, China
| | | | - Shu Wen
- Cipher Gene LLC, 100089, Beijing, China
| | | | - Shan Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No. 29, Xinquan Road, Gulou District, 350001, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
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Locubiche S, Ordóñez V, Abad E, Scotto di Mase M, Di Donato V, De Santis F. A Zebrafish-Based Platform for High-Throughput Epilepsy Modeling and Drug Screening in F0. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2991. [PMID: 38474238 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052991] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish model has emerged as a reference tool for phenotypic drug screening. An increasing number of molecules have been brought from bench to bedside thanks to zebrafish-based assays over the last decade. The high homology between the zebrafish and the human genomes facilitates the generation of zebrafish lines carrying loss-of-function mutations in disease-relevant genes; nonetheless, even using this alternative model, the establishment of isogenic mutant lines requires a long generation time and an elevated number of animals. In this study, we developed a zebrafish-based high-throughput platform for the generation of F0 knock-out (KO) models and the screening of neuroactive compounds. We show that the simultaneous inactivation of a reporter gene (tyrosinase) and a second gene of interest allows the phenotypic selection of F0 somatic mutants (crispants) carrying the highest rates of mutations in both loci. As a proof of principle, we targeted genes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and we efficiently generated de facto F0 mutants in seven genes involved in childhood epilepsy. We employed a high-throughput multiparametric behavioral analysis to characterize the response of these KO models to an epileptogenic stimulus, making it possible to employ kinematic parameters to identify seizure-like events. The combination of these co-injection, screening and phenotyping methods allowed us to generate crispants recapitulating epilepsy features and to test the efficacy of compounds already during the first days post fertilization. Since the strategy can be applied to a wide range of indications, this study paves the ground for high-throughput drug discovery and promotes the use of zebrafish in personalized medicine and neurotoxicity assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sílvia Locubiche
- ZeClinics S.L., Carrer de Laureà Miró, 408-410, 08980 Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Víctor Ordóñez
- ZeClinics S.L., Carrer de Laureà Miró, 408-410, 08980 Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Elena Abad
- ZeClinics S.L., Carrer de Laureà Miró, 408-410, 08980 Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Spain
| | | | - Vincenzo Di Donato
- ZeClinics S.L., Carrer de Laureà Miró, 408-410, 08980 Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Flavia De Santis
- ZeClinics S.L., Carrer de Laureà Miró, 408-410, 08980 Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Spain
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6
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Jiang H, Tang M, Xu Z, Wang Y, Li M, Zheng S, Zhu J, Lin Z, Zhang M. CRISPR/Cas9 system and its applications in nervous system diseases. Genes Dis 2024; 11:675-686. [PMID: 37692518 PMCID: PMC10491921 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2023.03.017] [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: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system is an acquired immune system of many bacteria and archaea, comprising CRISPR loci, Cas genes, and its associated proteins. This system can recognize exogenous DNA and utilize the Cas9 protein's nuclease activity to break DNA double-strand and to achieve base insertion or deletion by subsequent DNA repair. In recent years, multiple laboratory and clinical studies have revealed the therapeutic role of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in neurological diseases. This article reviews the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing technology and its potential for clinical application against neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibin Jiang
- The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Mengyan Tang
- The First School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Zidi Xu
- The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Yanan Wang
- The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Mopu Li
- The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Shuyin Zheng
- The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Jianghu Zhu
- Department of Pediatrics, The Second School of Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
- Key Laboratory of Perinatal Medicine of Wenzhou, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Malformations in Children of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Disease, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
| | - Zhenlang Lin
- Department of Pediatrics, The Second School of Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
- Key Laboratory of Perinatal Medicine of Wenzhou, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Malformations in Children of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Disease, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, The Second School of Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
- Key Laboratory of Perinatal Medicine of Wenzhou, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Malformations in Children of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Disease, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
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7
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LaCoursiere CM, Ullmann JFP, Koh HY, Turner L, Baker CM, Robens B, Shao W, Rotenberg A, McGraw CM, Poduri A. Zebrafish models of candidate human epilepsy-associated genes provide evidence of hyperexcitability. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.07.579190. [PMID: 38370728 PMCID: PMC10871320 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.07.579190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Hundreds of novel candidate human epilepsy-associated genes have been identified thanks to advancements in next-generation sequencing and large genome-wide association studies, but establishing genetic etiology requires functional validation. We generated a list of >2200 candidate epilepsy-associated genes, of which 81 were determined suitable for the generation of loss-of-function zebrafish models via CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Of those 81 crispants, 48 were successfully established as stable mutant lines and assessed for seizure-like swim patterns in a primary F2 screen. Evidence of seizure-like behavior was present in 5 (arfgef1, kcnd2, kcnv1, ubr5, wnt8b) of the 48 mutant lines assessed. Further characterization of those 5 lines provided evidence for epileptiform activity via electrophysiology in kcnd2 and wnt8b mutants. Additionally, arfgef1 and wnt8b mutants showed a decrease in the number of inhibitory interneurons in the optic tectum of larval animals. Furthermore, RNAseq revealed convergent transcriptional abnormalities between mutant lines, consistent with their developmental defects and hyperexcitable phenotypes. These zebrafish models provide strongest experimental evidence supporting the role of ARFGEF1, KCND2, and WNT8B in human epilepsy and further demonstrate the utility of this model system for evaluating candidate human epilepsy genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Mark LaCoursiere
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeremy F P Ullmann
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hyun Yong Koh
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pediatrics, Division of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, BCM, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Laura Turner
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cristina M Baker
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Barbara Robens
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Wanqing Shao
- Research Computing, Department of Information Technology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander Rotenberg
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher M McGraw
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Annapurna Poduri
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
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8
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Nieto-Estevez V, Varma P, Mirsadeghi S, Caballero J, Gamero-Alameda S, Hosseini A, Goswami S, Silvosa MJ, Thodeson DM, Lybrand ZR, Giugliano M, Navara C, Hsieh J. Dual effects of ARX poly-alanine mutations in human cortical and interneuron development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.25.577271. [PMID: 38328230 PMCID: PMC10849640 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.25.577271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Mutations in ARX , an X-linked gene, are implicated in a wide spectrum of neurological disorders including patients who have intellectual disability and epilepsy. Mouse models have shown that Arx is critical for cortical development and interneuron migration, however they do not recapitulate the full phenotype observed in patients. Moreover, the epilepsy in many patients with poly-alanine tract expansion (PAE) mutations in ARX show pharmacoresistance, emphasizing the need to develop new treatments. Here, we used human neural organoid models to study the consequences of PAE mutations, one of the most prevalent mutations in ARX . We found that PAE mutations result in an early increase in radial glia cells and intermediate progenitor cells, and premature differentiation leading to a loss of cortical neurons at later timepoints. Moreover, ARX expression is upregulated in CO derived from patient at 30 DIV which alters the expression of CDKN1C , SFRP1 , DLK1 and FABP7 , among others. We also found a cell autonomously enhanced interneuron migration, which can be rescued by CXCR4 inhibition. Furthermore, ARX PAE assembloids had hyper-activity and synchrony evident from the early stages. These data provide novel insights to the pathogenesis of these and likely related human neurological disorders and identifies a critical window for therapeutic interventions.
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9
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Freibauer A, Wohlleben M, Boelman C. STXBP1-Related Disorders: Clinical Presentation, Molecular Function, Treatment, and Future Directions. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2179. [PMID: 38137001 PMCID: PMC10742812 DOI: 10.3390/genes14122179] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the affordability and availability of genetic testing have led to its increased use in clinical care. The increased frequency of testing has led to STXBP1 variants being identified as one of the more common variants associated with neurological disorders. In this review, we aim to summarize the common clinical phenotypes associated with STXBP1 pathogenic variants, provide an overview of their known natural history, and discuss current research into the genotype to phenotype correlation. We will also provide an overview of the suspected normal function of the STXBP1-encoded Munc18-1 protein, animal models, and experimental techniques that have been developed to study its function and use this information to try to explain the diverse phenotypes associated with STXBP1-related disorders. Finally, we will explore current therapies for STXBP1 disorders, including an overview of treatment goals for STXBP1-related disorders, a discussion of the current evidence for therapies, and future directions of personalized medications for STXBP1-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Freibauer
- Division of Neurology, BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1, Canada;
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Mikayla Wohlleben
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Cyrus Boelman
- Division of Neurology, BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1, Canada;
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
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10
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Whyte-Fagundes P, Vance A, Carroll A, Figueroa F, Manukyan C, Baraban SC. Testing of putative antiseizure drugs in a preclinical Dravet syndrome zebrafish model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.11.566723. [PMID: 38014342 PMCID: PMC10680609 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.11.566723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Dravet syndrome (DS) is a severe genetic epilepsy primarily caused by de novo mutations in a voltage-activated sodium channel gene (SCN1A). Patients face life-threatening seizures that are largely resistant to available anti-seizure medications (ASM). Preclinical DS animal models are a valuable tool to identify candidate ASMs for these patients. Among these, scn1lab mutant zebrafish exhibiting spontaneous seizure-like activity are particularly amenable to large-scale drug screening. Prior screening in a scn1lab mutant zebrafish line generated using N-ethyl-Nnitrosourea (ENU) identified valproate, stiripentol, and fenfluramine e.g., Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs with clinical application in the DS population. Successful phenotypic screening in scn1lab mutant zebrafish consists of two stages: (i) a locomotion-based assay measuring high-velocity convulsive swim behavior and (ii) an electrophysiology-based assay, using in vivo local field potential (LFP) recordings, to quantify electrographic seizure-like events. Using this strategy more than 3000 drug candidates have been screened in scn1lab zebrafish mutants. Here, we curated a list of nine additional anti-seizure drug candidates recently identified in preclinical models: 1-EBIO, AA43279, chlorzoxazone, donepezil, lisuride, mifepristone, pargyline, soticlestat and vorinostat. First-stage locomotion-based assays in scn1lab mutant zebrafish identified only 1-EBIO, chlorzoxazone and lisuride. However, second-stage LFP recording assays did not show significant suppression of spontaneous electrographic seizure activity for any of the nine anti-seizure drug candidates. Surprisingly, soticlestat induced frank electrographic seizure-like discharges in wild-type control zebrafish. Taken together, our results failed to replicate clear anti-seizure efficacy for these drug candidates highlighting a necessity for strict scientific standards in preclinical identification of ASMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Whyte-Fagundes
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - A Vance
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - A Carroll
- Behavioral Neurosciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - F Figueroa
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - C Manukyan
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - S C Baraban
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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11
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Cai Y, Guo H, Zhou J, Zhu G, Qu H, Liu L, Shi T, Ge S, Qu Y. An alternative extension of telomeres related prognostic model to predict survival in lower grade glioma. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:13575-13589. [PMID: 37515613 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05155-6] [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: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The alternative extension of the telomeres (ALT) mechanism is activated in lower grade glioma (LGG), but the role of the ALT mechanism has not been well discussed. The primary purpose was to demonstrate the significance of the ALT mechanism in prognosis estimation for LGG patients. METHOD Gene expression and clinical data of LGG patients were collected from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, respectively. ALT-related genes obtained from the TelNet database and potential prognostic genes related to ALT were selected by LASSO regression to calculate an ALT-related risk score. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to construct a prognosis signature, and a nomogram was used to represent this signature. Possible pathways of the ALT-related risk score are explored by enrichment analysis. RESULT The ALT-related risk score was calculated based on the LASSO regression coefficients of 22 genes and then divided into high-risk and low-risk groups according to the median. The ALT-related risk score is an independent predictor of LGG (HR and 95% CI in CGGA cohort: 5.70 (3.79, 8.58); in TCGA cohort: 1.96 (1.09, 3.54)). ROC analysis indicated that the model contained ALT-related risk score was superior to conventional clinical features (AUC: 0.818 vs 0.729) in CGGA cohorts. The results in the TCGA cohort also shown a powerful ability of ALT-related risk score (AUC: 0.766 vs 0.691). The predicted probability and actual probability of the nomogram are consistent. Enrichment analysis demonstrated that the ALT mechanism was involved in the cell cycle, DNA repair, immune processes, and others. CONCLUSION ALT-related risk score based on the 22-gene is an important factor in predicting the prognosis of LGG patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaning Cai
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, China
| | - Hao Guo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, China
| | - JinPeng Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, China
| | - Gang Zhu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, China
| | - Hongwen Qu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, China
| | - Lingyu Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, China
| | - Tao Shi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, China
| | - Shunnan Ge
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, China.
| | - Yan Qu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an 710038, China.
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12
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Chitolina R, Gallas-Lopes M, Reis CG, Benvenutti R, Stahlhofer-Buss T, Calcagnotto ME, Herrmann AP, Piato A. Chemically-induced epileptic seizures in zebrafish: A systematic review. Epilepsy Res 2023; 197:107236. [PMID: 37801749 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2023.107236] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
The use of zebrafish as a model organism is gaining evidence in the field of epilepsy as it may help to understand the mechanisms underlying epileptic seizures. As zebrafish assays became popular, the heterogeneity between protocols increased, making it hard to choose a standard protocol to conduct research while also impairing the comparison of results between studies. We conducted a systematic review to comprehensively profile the chemically-induced seizure models in zebrafish. Literature searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, followed by a two-step screening process based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. Qualitative data were extracted, and a sample of 100 studies was randomly selected for risk of bias assessment. Out of the 1058 studies identified after removing duplicates, 201 met the inclusion criteria. We found that the most common chemoconvulsants used in the reviewed studies were pentylenetetrazole (n = 180), kainic acid (n = 11), and pilocarpine (n = 10), which increase seizure severity in a dose-dependent manner. The main outcomes assessed were seizure scores and locomotion. Significant variability between the protocols was observed for administration route, duration of exposure, and dose/concentration. Of the studies subjected to risk of bias assessment, most were rated as low risk of bias for selective reporting (94%), baseline characteristics of the animals (67%), and blinded outcome assessment (54%). Randomization procedures and incomplete data were rated unclear in 81% and 68% of the studies, respectively. None of the studies reported the sample size calculation. Overall, these findings underscore the need for improved methodological and reporting practices to enhance the reproducibility and reliability of zebrafish models for studying epilepsy. Our study offers a comprehensive overview of the current state of chemically-induced seizure models in zebrafish, highlighting the common chemoconvulsants used and the variability in protocol parameters. This may be particularly valuable to researchers interested in understanding the underlying mechanisms of epileptic seizures and screening potential drug candidates in zebrafish models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Chitolina
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Psicofarmacologia e Comportamento (LAPCOM), Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Matheus Gallas-Lopes
- Brazilian Reproducibility Initiative in Preclinical Systematic Review and meta-Analysis (BRISA) Collaboration, Brazil; Laboratório de Neurobiologia e Psicofarmacologia Experimental (PsychoLab), Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Carlos G Reis
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Psicofarmacologia e Comportamento (LAPCOM), Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Radharani Benvenutti
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Thailana Stahlhofer-Buss
- Laboratório de Psicofarmacologia e Comportamento (LAPCOM), Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Maria Elisa Calcagnotto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Neurobiologia e Neuroquímica da Excitabilidade Neuronal e Plasticidade Sináptica (NNNESP Lab), Departamento de bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Ana P Herrmann
- Brazilian Reproducibility Initiative in Preclinical Systematic Review and meta-Analysis (BRISA) Collaboration, Brazil; Laboratório de Neurobiologia e Psicofarmacologia Experimental (PsychoLab), Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Angelo Piato
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Psicofarmacologia e Comportamento (LAPCOM), Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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13
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Sumathipala SH, Khan S, Kozol RA, Araki Y, Syed S, Huganir RL, Dallman JE. Context-dependent hyperactivity in syngap1a and syngap1b zebrafish autism models. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.20.557316. [PMID: 37786701 PMCID: PMC10541574 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.20.557316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Background and Aims SYNGAP1 disorder is a prevalent genetic form of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability (ASD/ID) and is caused by de novo or inherited mutations in one copy of the SYNGAP1 gene. In addition to ASD/ID, SYNGAP1 disorder is associated with comorbid symptoms including treatment-resistant-epilepsy, sleep disturbances, and gastrointestinal distress. Mechanistic links between these diverse symptoms and SYNGAP1 variants remain obscure, therefore, our goal was to generate a zebrafish model in which this range of symptoms can be studied. Methods We used CRISPR/Cas9 to introduce frameshift mutations in the syngap1a and syngap1b zebrafish duplicates (syngap1ab) and validated these stable models for Syngap1 loss-of-function. Because SYNGAP1 is extensively spliced, we mapped splice variants to the two zebrafish syngap1a and b genes and identified mammalian-like isoforms. We then quantified locomotory behaviors in zebrafish syngap1ab larvae under three conditions that normally evoke different arousal states in wild type larvae: aversive, high-arousal acoustic, medium-arousal dark, and low-arousal light stimuli. Results We show that CRISPR/Cas9 indels in zebrafish syngap1a and syngap1b produced loss-of-function alleles at RNA and protein levels. Our analyses of zebrafish Syngap1 isoforms showed that, as in mammals, zebrafish Syngap1 N- and C-termini are extensively spliced. We identified a zebrafish syngap1 α1-like variant that maps exclusively to the syngap1b gene. Quantifying locomotor behaviors showed that syngap1ab larvae are hyperactive compared to wild type but to differing degrees depending on the stimulus. Hyperactivity was most pronounced in low arousal settings, with overall movement increasing with the number of mutant syngap1 alleles. Conclusions Our data support mutations in zebrafish syngap1ab as causal for hyperactivity associated with elevated arousal that is especially pronounced in low-arousal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sureni H. Sumathipala
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Suha Khan
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL USA
| | - Robert A. Kozol
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL USA
- Jupiter Life Science Initiative, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter FL, USA
| | - Yoichi Araki
- Department of Neuroscience and Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Sheyum Syed
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL USA
| | - Richard L. Huganir
- Department of Neuroscience and Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Julia E. Dallman
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL USA
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14
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Miguel Sanz C, Martinez Navarro M, Caballero Diaz D, Sanchez-Elexpuru G, Di Donato V. Toward the use of novel alternative methods in epilepsy modeling and drug discovery. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1213969. [PMID: 37719765 PMCID: PMC10501616 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1213969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease and, considering the amount of people affected of all ages worldwide, one of the most common neurological disorders. Over 20 novel antiseizure medications (ASMs) have been released since 1993, yet despite substantial advancements in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind epileptogenesis, over one-third of patients continue to be resistant to available therapies. This is partially explained by the fact that the majority of existing medicines only address seizure suppression rather than underlying processes. Understanding the origin of this neurological illness requires conducting human neurological and genetic studies. However, the limitation of sample sizes, ethical concerns, and the requirement for appropriate controls (many patients have already had anti-epileptic medication exposure) in human clinical trials underscore the requirement for supplemental models. So far, mammalian models of epilepsy have helped to shed light on the underlying causes of the condition, but the high costs related to breeding of the animals, low throughput, and regulatory restrictions on their research limit their usefulness in drug screening. Here, we present an overview of the state of art in epilepsy modeling describing gold standard animal models used up to date and review the possible alternatives for this research field. Our focus will be mainly on ex vivo, in vitro, and in vivo larval zebrafish models contributing to the 3R in epilepsy modeling and drug screening. We provide a description of pharmacological and genetic methods currently available but also on the possibilities offered by the continued development in gene editing methodologies, especially CRISPR/Cas9-based, for high-throughput disease modeling and anti-epileptic drugs testing.
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15
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Hadjiabadi D, Soltesz I. From single-neuron dynamics to higher-order circuit motifs in control and pathological brain networks. J Physiol 2023; 601:3011-3024. [PMID: 35815823 PMCID: PMC10655857 DOI: 10.1113/jp282749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The convergence of advanced single-cell in vivo functional imaging techniques, computational modelling tools and graph-based network analytics has heralded new opportunities to study single-cell dynamics across large-scale networks, providing novel insights into principles of brain communication and pointing towards potential new strategies for treating neurological disorders. A major recent finding has been the identification of unusually richly connected hub cells that have capacity to synchronize networks and may also be critical in network dysfunction. While hub neurons are traditionally defined by measures that consider solely the number and strength of connections, novel higher-order graph analytics now enables the mining of massive networks for repeating subgraph patterns called motifs. As an illustration of the power offered by higher-order analysis of neuronal networks, we highlight how recent methodological advances uncovered a new functional cell type, the superhub, that is predicted to play a major role in regulating network dynamics. Finally, we discuss open questions that will be critical for assessing the importance of higher-order cellular-scale network analytics in understanding brain function in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darian Hadjiabadi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ivan Soltesz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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16
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Gschwind T, Zeine A, Raikov I, Markowitz JE, Gillis WF, Felong S, Isom LL, Datta SR, Soltesz I. Hidden behavioral fingerprints in epilepsy. Neuron 2023; 111:1440-1452.e5. [PMID: 36841241 PMCID: PMC10164063 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy is a major disorder affecting millions of people. Although modern electrophysiological and imaging approaches provide high-resolution access to the multi-scale brain circuit malfunctions in epilepsy, our understanding of how behavior changes with epilepsy has remained rudimentary. As a result, screening for new therapies for children and adults with devastating epilepsies still relies on the inherently subjective, semi-quantitative assessment of a handful of pre-selected behavioral signs of epilepsy in animal models. Here, we use machine learning-assisted 3D video analysis to reveal hidden behavioral phenotypes in mice with acquired and genetic epilepsies and track their alterations during post-insult epileptogenesis and in response to anti-epileptic drugs. These results show the persistent reconfiguration of behavioral fingerprints in epilepsy and indicate that they can be employed for rapid, automated anti-epileptic drug testing at scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tilo Gschwind
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Ayman Zeine
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ivan Raikov
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Winthrop F Gillis
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sylwia Felong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Lori L Isom
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Ivan Soltesz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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17
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D'Amora M, Galgani A, Marchese M, Tantussi F, Faraguna U, De Angelis F, Giorgi FS. Zebrafish as an Innovative Tool for Epilepsy Modeling: State of the Art and Potential Future Directions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24097702. [PMID: 37175408 PMCID: PMC10177843 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097702] [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: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
This article discusses the potential of Zebrafish (ZF) (Danio Rerio), as a model for epilepsy research. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder affecting both children and adults, and many aspects of this disease are still poorly understood. In vivo and in vitro models derived from rodents are the most widely used for studying both epilepsy pathophysiology and novel drug treatments. However, researchers have recently obtained several valuable insights into these two fields of investigation by studying ZF. Despite the relatively simple brain structure of these animals, researchers can collect large amounts of data in a much shorter period and at lower costs compared to classical rodent models. This is particularly useful when a large number of candidate antiseizure drugs need to be screened, and ethical issues are minimized. In ZF, seizures have been induced through a variety of chemoconvulsants, primarily pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), kainic acid (KA), and pilocarpine. Furthermore, ZF can be easily genetically modified to test specific aspects of monogenic forms of human epilepsy, as well as to discover potential convulsive phenotypes in monogenic mutants. The article reports on the state-of-the-art and potential new fields of application of ZF research, including its potential role in revealing epileptogenic mechanisms, rather than merely assessing iatrogenic acute seizure modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta D'Amora
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, 56125 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Galgani
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Marchese
- Molecular Medicine and Neurobiology-ZebraLab, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Ugo Faraguna
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Filippo Sean Giorgi
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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Veenstra-VanderWeele J, O'Reilly KC, Dennis MY, Uribe-Salazar JM, Amaral DG. Translational Neuroscience Approaches to Understanding Autism. Am J Psychiatry 2023; 180:265-276. [PMID: 37002692 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
While autism spectrum disorder affects nearly 2% of children in the United States, little is known with certainty concerning the etiologies and brain systems involved. This is due, in part, to the substantial heterogeneity in the presentation of the core symptoms of autism as well as the great number of co-occurring conditions that are common in autistic individuals. Understanding the neurobiology of autism is further hampered by the limited availability of postmortem brain tissue to determine the cellular and molecular alterations that take place in the autistic brain. Animal models therefore provide great translational value in helping to define the neural systems that constitute the social brain and mediate repetitive behaviors or interests. If they are based on genetic or environmental factors that contribute to autism, organisms from flies to nonhuman primates may serve as models of the neural structure or function of the autistic brain. Ultimately, successful models can also be employed to test the safety and effectiveness of potential therapeutics. This is an overview of the major animal species that are currently used as models of autism, including an appraisal of the advantages and limitations of each.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York (Veenstra-VanderWeele, O'Reilly); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Genome Center (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar), MIND Institute (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar, Amaral), and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Amaral), University of California, Davis
| | - Kally C O'Reilly
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York (Veenstra-VanderWeele, O'Reilly); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Genome Center (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar), MIND Institute (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar, Amaral), and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Amaral), University of California, Davis
| | - Megan Y Dennis
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York (Veenstra-VanderWeele, O'Reilly); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Genome Center (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar), MIND Institute (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar, Amaral), and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Amaral), University of California, Davis
| | - José M Uribe-Salazar
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York (Veenstra-VanderWeele, O'Reilly); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Genome Center (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar), MIND Institute (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar, Amaral), and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Amaral), University of California, Davis
| | - David G Amaral
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York (Veenstra-VanderWeele, O'Reilly); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Genome Center (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar), MIND Institute (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar, Amaral), and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Amaral), University of California, Davis
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19
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Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) causes seizure activity in larval zebrafish via antagonism of γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor α1β2γ2. Arch Toxicol 2023; 97:1355-1365. [PMID: 36912926 PMCID: PMC10110628 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-023-03475-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine, or Royal Demolition Explosive (RDX), is a major component of plastic explosives such as C-4. Acute exposures from intentional or accidental ingestion are a documented clinical concern, especially among young male U.S. service members in the armed forces. When ingested in large enough quantity, RDX causes tonic-clonic seizures. Previous in silico and in vitro experiments predict that RDX causes seizures by inhibiting α1β2γ2 γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor-mediated chloride currents. To determine whether this mechanism translates in vivo, we established a larval zebrafish model of RDX-induced seizures. After a 3 h of exposure to 300 µM RDX, larval zebrafish exhibited a significant increase in motility in comparison to vehicle controls. Researchers blinded to experimental group manually scored a 20-min segment of video starting at 3.5 h post-exposure and found significant seizure behavior that correlated with automated seizure scores. Midazolam (MDZ), an nonselective GABAAR positive allosteric modulator (PAM), and a combination of Zolpidem (α1 selective PAM) and compound 2-261 (β2/3-selective PAM) were effective in mitigating RDX-triggered behavioral and electrographic seizures. These findings confirm that RDX induces seizure activity via inhibition of the α1β2γ2 GABAAR and support the use of GABAAR-targeted anti-seizure drugs for the treatment of RDX-induced seizures.
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Liang W, Wang J, Sui J, Yun F, Shen Y, Zhou J, Wu Y, Shen D, Zhang Q. Inflammation as a target for the treatment of fever-associated epilepsy in zebrafish larvae. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 116:109802. [PMID: 36738682 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.109802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Inflammation is considered to be involved in epileptogenesis. However, the relationship between fever and inflammation as well as the mechanisms of fever in the occurrence and development of childhood epilepsy need further investigation. Here, we described an in vivo model of hyperthermia-induced seizures in zebrafish larvae with pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) exposure. Hyperthermia increased the susceptibility to seizure and the production of pro-inflammatory factors in PTZ-induced zebrafish larvae. As mutations in GABRG2 have been associated with fever-associated epilepsy, we used a Tg(hGABRG2F343L) zebrafish model expressing mutant human GABRG2(F343L) to further investigate the involvement of inflammation in fever-induced seizures. Our data indicated that hyperthermia also increased the locomotor activity in Tg(hGABRG2F343L) zebrafish larvae. Although the production of pro-inflammatory factors was upregulated by GABRG2 mutation, hyperthermia did not change the production of pro-inflammatory factors significantly. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation was sufficient to increase the locomotor activity in zebrafish larvae, suggesting that inflammation contributed to fever-associated epilepsy. The expression of GABRG2 was increased with PTZ induction, especially at a higher temperature. Moreover, inhibition of inflammation by dexamethasone (DEX) reduced the excitability of zebrafish larvae, especially at a higher temperature. Finally, in vitro experiments proved that LPS stimulation increased the production of IL-1β and IL-6 in GABRG2(F343L) transfected cells. Collectively, our study demonstrated that neuroinflammation was induced in febrile seizures, and the increased expression of IL-1β and IL-6 might be responsible for epileptogenesis. The vicious cycle between fever and inflammation might induce seizure onset, and anti-inflammatory strategies might be a potential treatment for fever-associated epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenpeng Liang
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Jiangsu Clinical Medicine Center of Tissue Engineering and Nerve Injury Repair, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Jiangsu Clinical Medicine Center of Tissue Engineering and Nerve Injury Repair, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jiahui Sui
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Jiangsu Clinical Medicine Center of Tissue Engineering and Nerve Injury Repair, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Feng Yun
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Jiangsu Clinical Medicine Center of Tissue Engineering and Nerve Injury Repair, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yuntian Shen
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Jiangsu Clinical Medicine Center of Tissue Engineering and Nerve Injury Repair, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jing Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Jiangsu Clinical Medicine Center of Tissue Engineering and Nerve Injury Repair, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Youjia Wu
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Dingding Shen
- Department of Neurology & Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Qi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Jiangsu Clinical Medicine Center of Tissue Engineering and Nerve Injury Repair, Nantong University, Nantong, China.
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21
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Sun S, Wang H. Clocking Epilepsies: A Chronomodulated Strategy-Based Therapy for Rhythmic Seizures. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24044223. [PMID: 36835631 PMCID: PMC9962262 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24044223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by hypersynchronous recurrent neuronal activities and seizures, as well as loss of muscular control and sometimes awareness. Clinically, seizures have been reported to display daily variations. Conversely, circadian misalignment and circadian clock gene variants contribute to epileptic pathogenesis. Elucidation of the genetic bases of epilepsy is of great importance because the genetic variability of the patients affects the efficacies of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). For this narrative review, we compiled 661 epilepsy-related genes from the PHGKB and OMIM databases and classified them into 3 groups: driver genes, passenger genes, and undetermined genes. We discuss the potential roles of some epilepsy driver genes based on GO and KEGG analyses, the circadian rhythmicity of human and animal epilepsies, and the mutual effects between epilepsy and sleep. We review the advantages and challenges of rodents and zebrafish as animal models for epileptic studies. Finally, we posit chronomodulated strategy-based chronotherapy for rhythmic epilepsies, integrating several lines of investigation for unraveling circadian mechanisms underpinning epileptogenesis, chronopharmacokinetic and chronopharmacodynamic examinations of AEDs, as well as mathematical/computational modeling to help develop time-of-day-specific AED dosing schedules for rhythmic epilepsy patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Sun
- Center for Circadian Clocks, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
- School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Han Wang
- Center for Circadian Clocks, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
- School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +86-186-0512-8971
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22
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Developing Novel Experimental Models of m-TORopathic Epilepsy and Related Neuropathologies: Translational Insights from Zebrafish. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021530. [PMID: 36675042 PMCID: PMC9866103 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is an important molecular regulator of cell growth and proliferation. Brain mTOR activity plays a crucial role in synaptic plasticity, cell development, migration and proliferation, as well as memory storage, protein synthesis, autophagy, ion channel expression and axonal regeneration. Aberrant mTOR signaling causes a diverse group of neurological disorders, termed 'mTORopathies'. Typically arising from mutations within the mTOR signaling pathway, these disorders are characterized by cortical malformations and other neuromorphological abnormalities that usually co-occur with severe, often treatment-resistant, epilepsy. Here, we discuss recent advances and current challenges in developing experimental models of mTOR-dependent epilepsy and other related mTORopathies, including using zebrafish models for studying these disorders, as well as outline future directions of research in this field.
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23
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Myren‐Svelstad S, Jamali A, Ophus SS, D'gama PP, Ostenrath AM, Mutlu AK, Hoffshagen HH, Hotz AL, Neuhauss SCF, Jurisch‐Yaksi N, Yaksi E. Elevated photic response is followed by a rapid decay and depressed state in ictogenic networks. Epilepsia 2022; 63:2543-2560. [PMID: 36222083 PMCID: PMC9804334 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17380] [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: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The switch between nonseizure and seizure states involves profound alterations in network excitability and synchrony. In this study, we aimed to identify and compare features of neural excitability and dynamics across multiple zebrafish seizure and epilepsy models. METHODS Inspired by video-electroencephalographic recordings in patients, we developed a framework to study spontaneous and photically evoked neural and locomotor activity in zebrafish larvae, by combining high-throughput behavioral tracking and whole-brain in vivo two-photon calcium imaging. RESULTS Our setup allowed us to dissect behavioral and physiological features that are divergent or convergent across multiple models. We observed that spontaneous locomotor and neural activity exhibit great diversity across models. Nonetheless, during photic stimulation, hyperexcitability and rapid response dynamics were well conserved across multiple models, highlighting the reliability of photically evoked activity for high-throughput assays. Intriguingly, in several models, we observed that the initial elevated photic response is often followed by rapid decay of neural activity and a prominent depressed state. Elevated photic response and following depressed state in seizure-prone networks are significantly reduced by the antiseizure medication valproic acid. Finally, rapid decay and depression of neural activity following photic stimulation temporally overlap with slow recruitment of astroglial calcium signals that are enhanced in seizure-prone networks. SIGNIFICANCE We argue that fast decay of neural activity and depressed states following photic response are likely due to homeostatic mechanisms triggered by excessive neural activity. An improved understanding of the interplay between elevated and depressed excitability states might suggest tailored epilepsy therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sverre Myren‐Svelstad
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway,Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway,Department of Neurology and Clinical NeurophysiologySt Olav's University HospitalTrondheimNorway
| | - Ahmed Jamali
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway,Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway,Department of Neurology and Clinical NeurophysiologySt Olav's University HospitalTrondheimNorway
| | - Sunniva S. Ophus
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | - Percival P. D'gama
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway,Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | - Anna M. Ostenrath
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | - Aytac Kadir Mutlu
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | - Helene Homme Hoffshagen
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | - Adriana L. Hotz
- Department of Molecular Life SciencesUniversity of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | | | - Nathalie Jurisch‐Yaksi
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway,Department of Neurology and Clinical NeurophysiologySt Olav's University HospitalTrondheimNorway,Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | - Emre Yaksi
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway,Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine, Department of NeurologyKoç University School of MedicineIstanbulTurkey
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24
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De Meulemeester AS, Heylen L, Siekierska A, Mills JD, Romagnolo A, Van Der Wel NN, Aronica E, de Witte PAM. Hyperactivation of mTORC1 in a double hit mutant zebrafish model of tuberous sclerosis complex causes increased seizure susceptibility and neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:952832. [PMID: 36238691 PMCID: PMC9552079 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.952832] [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: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a multisystem genetic disorder caused by pathogenic variants in TSC1 and TSC2 genes. TSC patients present with seizures and brain abnormalities such as tubers and subependymal giant cells astrocytoma (SEGA). Despite common molecular and clinical features, the severity of the disease varies greatly, even intrafamilially. The second hit hypothesis suggests that an additional, inactivating mutation in the remaining functional allele causes a more severe phenotype and therefore explains the phenotypic variability. Recently, second hit mutations have been detected frequently in mTORopathies. To investigate the pathophysiological effects of second hit mutations, several mouse models have been developed. Here, we opted for a double mutant zebrafish model that carries a LOF mutation both in the tsc2 and the depdc5 gene. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a second-hit model has been studied in zebrafish. Significantly, the DEP domain-containing protein 5 (DEPDC5) gene has an important role in the regulation of mTORC1, and the combination of a germline TSC2 and somatic DEPDC5 mutation has been described in a TSC patient with intractable epilepsy. Our depdc5−/−x tsc2−/− double mutant zebrafish line displayed greatly increased levels of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTORC1) activity, augmented seizure susceptibility, and early lethality which could be rescued by rapamycin. Histological analysis of the brain revealed ventricular dilatation in the tsc2 and double homozygotes. RNA-sequencing showed a linear relation between the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the degree of mTORC1 hyperactivity. Enrichment analysis of their transcriptomes revealed that many genes associated with neurological developmental processes were downregulated and mitochondrial genes were upregulated. In particular, the transcriptome of human SEGA lesions overlapped strongly with the double homozygous zebrafish larvae. The data highlight the clinical relevance of the depdc5−/− x tsc2−/− double mutant zebrafish larvae that showed a more severe phenotype compared to the single mutants. Finally, analysis of gene-drug interactions identified interesting pharmacological targets for SEGA, underscoring the value of our small zebrafish vertebrate model for future drug discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lise Heylen
- Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - James D. Mills
- Department of (Neuro)Pathology Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
- Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy, Chalfont St Peter, United Kingdom
| | - Alessia Romagnolo
- Department of (Neuro)Pathology Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Nicole N. Van Der Wel
- Department of Medical Biology, Electron Microscopy Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Eleonora Aronica
- Department of (Neuro)Pathology Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Stichting Epilepsie Instelling Nederland (SEIN), Heemstede, Netherlands
| | - Peter A. M. de Witte
- Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Peter A. M. de Witte,
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25
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Robens BK, Yang X, McGraw CM, Turner LH, Robens C, Thyme S, Rotenberg A, Poduri A. Mosaic and non-mosaic protocadherin 19 mutation leads to neuronal hyperexcitability in zebrafish. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 169:105738. [PMID: 35460869 PMCID: PMC9284424 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders. The X-linked gene PCDH19 is associated with sporadic and familial epilepsy in humans, typically with early-onset clustering seizures and intellectual disability in females but not in so-called 'carrier' males, suggesting that mosaic PCDH19 expression is required to produce epilepsy. To characterize the role of loss of PCDH19 function in epilepsy, we generated zebrafish with truncating pcdh19 variants. Evaluating zebrafish larvae for electrophysiological abnormalities, we observed hyperexcitability phenotypes in both mosaic and non-mosaic pcdh19+/- and pcdh19-/- mutant larvae. Thus, we demonstrate that the key feature of epilepsy-network hyperexcitability-can be modeled effectively in zebrafish, even though overt spontaneous seizure-like swim patterns were not observed. Further, zebrafish with non-mosaic pcdh19 mutation displayed reduced numbers of inhibitory interneurons suggesting a potential cellular basis for the observed hyperexcitability. Our findings in both mosaic and non-mosaic pcdh19 mutant zebrafish challenge the prevailing theory that mosaicism governs all PCDH19-related phenotypes and point to interneuron-mediated mechanisms underlying these phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara K Robens
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xinzhu Yang
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher M McGraw
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Epilepsy, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura H Turner
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carsten Robens
- MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms, Research Laboratory of Electronics, and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Summer Thyme
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Alexander Rotenberg
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Annapurna Poduri
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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26
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Whyte-Fagundes P, Taskina D, Safarian N, Zoidl C, Carlen PL, Donaldson LW, Zoidl GR. Panx1 channels promote both anti- and pro-seizure-like activities in the zebrafish via p2rx7 receptors and ATP signaling. Commun Biol 2022; 5:472. [PMID: 35585187 PMCID: PMC9117279 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03356-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms of excitation/inhibition imbalances promoting seizure generation in epilepsy patients are not fully understood. Evidence suggests that Pannexin1 (Panx1), an ATP release channel, modulates the excitability of the brain. In this report, we performed electrophysiological, behavioral, and molecular phenotyping experiments on zebrafish larvae bearing genetic or pharmacological knockouts of Panx1a and Panx1b channels, each homologous to human PANX1. When Panx1a function is lost, or both channels are under pharmacological blockade, seizures with ictal-like events and seizure-like locomotion are reduced in the presence of pentylenetetrazol. Transcriptome profiling by RNA-seq demonstrates a spectrum of distinct metabolic and cell signaling states which correlate with the loss of Panx1a. Furthermore, the pro- and anticonvulsant activities of both Panx1 channels affect ATP release and involve the purinergic receptor P2rx7. Our findings suggest a subfunctionalization of Panx1 enabling dual roles in seizures, providing a unique and comprehensive perspective to understanding seizure mechanisms in the context of this channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige Whyte-Fagundes
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J1P3, Canada.
- Center of Vision Research (CVR), York University, Toronto, ON, M3J1P3, Canada.
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON, M5T 1M8, Canada.
| | - Daria Taskina
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J1P3, Canada
- Center of Vision Research (CVR), York University, Toronto, ON, M3J1P3, Canada
| | - Nickie Safarian
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J1P3, Canada
- Center of Vision Research (CVR), York University, Toronto, ON, M3J1P3, Canada
| | - Christiane Zoidl
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J1P3, Canada
- Center of Vision Research (CVR), York University, Toronto, ON, M3J1P3, Canada
| | - Peter L Carlen
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON, M5T 1M8, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Physiology and BME, University of Toronto, 399 Bathurst St., 5w442, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada
| | | | - Georg R Zoidl
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J1P3, Canada.
- Center of Vision Research (CVR), York University, Toronto, ON, M3J1P3, Canada.
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON, M5T 1M8, Canada.
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27
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Differential Electrographic Signatures Generated by Mechanistically-Diverse Seizurogenic Compounds in the Larval Zebrafish Brain. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0337-21.2022. [PMID: 35228313 PMCID: PMC8970338 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0337-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We assessed similarities and differences in the electrographic signatures of local field potentials (LFPs) evoked by different pharmacological agents in zebrafish larvae. We then compared and contrasted these characteristics with what is known from electrophysiological studies of seizures and epilepsy in mammals, including humans. Ultimately, our aim was to phenotype neurophysiological features of drug-induced seizures in larval zebrafish for expanding knowledge on the translational potential of this valuable alternative to mammalian models. LFPs were recorded from the midbrain of 4-d-old zebrafish larvae exposed to a pharmacologically diverse panel of seizurogenic compounds, and the outputs of these recordings were assessed using frequency domain analysis. This included analysis of changes occurring within various spectral frequency bands of relevance to mammalian CNS circuit pathophysiology. From these analyses, there were clear differences in the frequency spectra of drug-exposed LFPs, relative to controls, many of which shared notable similarities with the signatures exhibited by mammalian CNS circuits. These similarities included the presence of specific frequency components comparable to those observed in mammalian studies of seizures and epilepsy. Collectively, the data presented provide important information to support the value of larval zebrafish as an alternative model for the study of seizures and epilepsy. These data also provide further insight into the electrophysiological characteristics of seizures generated in nonmammalian species by the action of neuroactive drugs.
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28
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Barnaby W, Dorman Barclay HE, Nagarkar A, Perkins M, Teicher G, Trapani JG, Downes GB. GABAA α subunit control of hyperactive behavior in developing zebrafish. Genetics 2022; 220:6519832. [PMID: 35106556 PMCID: PMC8982038 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
GABAA receptors mediate rapid responses to the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid and are robust regulators of the brain and spinal cord neural networks that control locomotor behaviors, such as walking and swimming. In developing zebrafish, gross pharmacological blockade of these receptors causes hyperactive swimming, which is also a feature of many zebrafish epilepsy models. Although GABAA receptors are important to control locomotor behavior, the large number of subunits and homeostatic compensatory mechanisms have challenged efforts to determine subunit-selective roles. To address this issue, we mutated each of the 8 zebrafish GABAA α subunit genes individually and in pairs using a CRISPR-Cas9 somatic inactivation approach and, then, we examined the swimming behavior of the mutants at 2 developmental stages, 48 and 96 h postfertilization. We found that disrupting the expression of specific pairs of subunits resulted in different abnormalities in swimming behavior at 48 h postfertilization. Mutation of α4 and α5 selectively resulted in longer duration swimming episodes, mutations in α3 and α4 selectively caused excess, large-amplitude body flexions (C-bends), and mutation of α3 and α5 resulted in increases in both of these measures of hyperactivity. At 96 h postfertilization, hyperactive phenotypes were nearly absent, suggesting that homeostatic compensation was able to overcome the disruption of even multiple subunits. Taken together, our results identify subunit-selective roles for GABAA α3, α4, and α5 in regulating locomotion. Given that these subunits exhibit spatially restricted expression patterns, these results provide a foundation to identify neurons and GABAergic networks that control discrete aspects of locomotor behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne Barnaby
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA,Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | | | - Akanksha Nagarkar
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Matthew Perkins
- Biology Department and Neuroscience Program, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Gregory Teicher
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA,Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Josef G Trapani
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA,Biology Department and Neuroscience Program, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Gerald B Downes
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA,Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA,Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA,Corresponding author: Biology Department, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, and Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, 611 North Pleasant St., Morrill Science Center, Building 4 North, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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29
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Genetic and Functional Differences between Duplicated Zebrafish Genes for Human SCN1A. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030454. [PMID: 35159264 PMCID: PMC8834172 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030454] [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: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
There are currently seven different zebrafish strains that model Dravet Syndrome, a severe childhood form of epilepsy. These models are based on a set of duplicated genes, scn1laa and scn1lab, which are the homologs for human SCN1A. Disrupting one of the genes would mimic a heterozygous disease state in humans, as the paralog gene is still present. While this ‘disease-state model’ is widely accepted, there is also evidence that the function of these genes might not be completely the same. By analyzing the functional domains, we discovered several hotspots in the protein that are not conserved, indicating a functional difference. Based on this, we generated scn1Laa knockout zebrafish and compared their phenotype to scn1lab knockouts. The genetic and functional differences we discovered can have implications for the use of zebrafish as a model for Dravet Syndrome.
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Shcheglovitov A, Peterson RT. Screening Platforms for Genetic Epilepsies-Zebrafish, iPSC-Derived Neurons, and Organoids. Neurotherapeutics 2021; 18:1478-1489. [PMID: 34595731 PMCID: PMC8608971 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-021-01115-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in molecular and cellular engineering, such as human cell reprogramming, genome editing, and patient-specific organoids, have provided unprecedented opportunities for investigating human disorders in both animals and human-based models at an improved pace and precision. This progress will inevitably lead to the development of innovative drug-screening platforms and new patient-specific therapeutics. In this review, we discuss recent advances that have been made using zebrafish and human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons and organoids for modeling genetic epilepsies. We also provide our prospective on how these models can potentially be combined to build new screening platforms for antiseizure and antiepileptogenic drug discovery that harness the robustness and tractability of zebrafish models as well as the patient-specific genetics and biology of iPSC-derived neurons and organoids.
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