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Zaharija B, Bradshaw NJ. Aggregation of Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1 arises from a central region of the protein. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 130:110923. [PMID: 38135095 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
An emerging approach to studying major mental illness is through proteostasis, with the identification of several proteins that form insoluble aggregates in the brains of patients. One of these is Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), a neurodevelopmentally-important scaffold protein, and product of a classic schizophrenia risk gene. DISC1 aggregates have been detected in post mortem brain tissue from patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, as well as various model systems, although the mechanism by which it aggregates is still unclear. Aggregation of two other proteins implicated in mental illness, TRIOBP-1 and NPAS3, was shown to be dependent on very specific structural regions of the protein. We therefore looked at the domain structure of DISC1, and investigated which structural elements are key for its aggregation. While none of the known structured DISC1 regions (named D, I, S and C respectively) formed aggregates individually when expressed in neuroblastoma cells, the combination of the D and I regions, plus the linker region between them, formed visible aggregates. Further refinement revealed that a region of approximately 30 amino acids between these two regions is critical for aggregation, and deletion of this region is sufficient to abolish the aggregation propensity of DISC1. This finding from mammalian cell culture contrasts with the recent determination that the C-region of DISC1 can aggregate in vitro, although some variations of the C-terminal of DISC1 could aggregate in our system. It therefore appears likely that DISC1 aggregation, implicated in mental illness, can occur through at least two distinct mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beti Zaharija
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Nicholas J Bradshaw
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, Croatia.
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2
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Zaharija B, Odorčić M, Hart A, Samardžija B, Marreiros R, Prikulis I, Juković M, Hyde TM, Kleinman JE, Korth C, Bradshaw NJ. TRIOBP-1 Protein Aggregation Exists in Both Major Depressive Disorder and Schizophrenia, and Can Occur through Two Distinct Regions of the Protein. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911048. [PMID: 36232351 PMCID: PMC9569677 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of proteinopathy, the accumulation of specific proteins as aggregates in neurons, is an emerging aspect of the pathology of schizophrenia and other major mental illnesses. Among the initial proteins implicated in forming such aggregates in these conditions is Trio and F-actin Binding Protein isoform 1 (TRIOBP-1), a ubiquitously expressed protein involved in the stabilization of the actin cytoskeleton. Here we investigate the insolubility of TRIOBP-1, as an indicator of aggregation, in brain samples from 25 schizophrenia patients, 25 major depressive disorder patients and 50 control individuals (anterior cingulate cortex, BA23). Strikingly, insoluble TRIOBP-1 is considerably more prevalent in both of these conditions than in controls, further implicating TRIOBP-1 aggregation in schizophrenia and indicating a role in major depressive disorder. These results were only seen using a high stringency insolubility assay (previously used to study DISC1 and other proteins), but not a lower stringency assay that would be expected to also detect functional, actin-bound TRIOBP-1. Previously, we have also determined that a region of 25 amino acids in the center of this protein is critical for its ability to form aggregates. Here we attempt to refine this further, through the expression of various truncated mutant TRIOBP-1 vectors in neuroblastoma cells and examining their aggregation. In this way, it was possible to narrow down the aggregation-critical region of TRIOBP-1 to just 8 amino acids (333–340 of the 652 amino acid-long TRIOBP-1). Surprisingly our results suggested that a second section of TRIOBP-1 is also capable of independently inducing aggregation: the optionally expressed 59 amino acids at the extreme N-terminus of the protein. As a result, the 597 amino acid long version of TRIOBP-1 (also referred to as “Tara” or “TAP68”) has reduced potential to form aggregates. The presence of insoluble TRIOBP-1 in brain samples from patients, combined with insight into the mechanism of aggregation of TRIOBP-1 and generation of an aggregation-resistant mutant TRIOBP-1 that lacks both these regions, will be of significant use in further investigating the mechanism and consequences of TRIOBP-1 aggregation in major mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beti Zaharija
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Maja Odorčić
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Anja Hart
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Bobana Samardžija
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Rita Marreiros
- Department of Neuropathology, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ingrid Prikulis
- Department of Neuropathology, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Maja Juković
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Thomas M. Hyde
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD 21295, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Joel E. Kleinman
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD 21295, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Carsten Korth
- Department of Neuropathology, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Correspondence: (C.K.); (N.J.B.)
| | - Nicholas J. Bradshaw
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
- Department of Neuropathology, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Correspondence: (C.K.); (N.J.B.)
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Chronic N-Acetylcysteine Treatment Prevents Amphetamine-Induced Hyperactivity in Heterozygous Disc1 Mutant Mice, a Putative Prodromal Schizophrenia Animal Model. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169419. [PMID: 36012679 PMCID: PMC9408838 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169419] [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: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Symptoms of schizophrenia (SZ) typically emerge during adolescence to young adulthood, which gives a window before full-blown psychosis for early intervention. Strategies for preventing the conversion from the prodromal phase to the psychotic phase are warranted. Heterozygous (Het) Disc1 mutant mice are considered a prodromal model of SZ, suitable for studying psychotic conversion. We evaluated the preventive effect of chronic N-acetylcysteine (NAC) administration, covering the prenatal era to adulthood, on the reaction following the Amph challenge, which mimics the outbreak or conversion of psychosis, in adult Het Disc1 mice. Biochemical and morphological features were examined in the striatum of NAC-treated mice. Chronic NAC treatment normalized the Amph-induced activity in the Het Disc1 mice. Furthermore, the striatal phenotypes of Het Disc1 mice were rescued by NAC including dopamine receptors, the expression of GSK3s, MSN dendritic impairments, and striatal PV density. The current study demonstrated a potent preventive effect of chronic NAC treatment in Disc1 Het mice on the acute Amph test, which mimics the outbreak of psychosis. Our findings not only support the benefit of NAC as a dietary supplement for SZ prodromes, but also advance our knowledge of striatal dopamine receptors, PV neurons, and GSK3 signaling pathways as therapeutic targets for treating or preventing the pathogenesis of mental disorders.
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Wang AL, Chao OY, Nikolaus S, Lamounier-Zepter V, Hollenberg CP, Lubec G, Trossbach SV, Korth C, Huston JP. Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 Protein Misassembly Impairs Cognitive Flexibility and Social Behaviors in a Transgenic Rat Model. Neuroscience 2022; 493:41-51. [PMID: 35461978 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.04.013] [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: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in cognitive functions, social behaviors and stress reactions are commonly diagnosed in chronic mental illnesses (CMI). Animal models expressing mutant genes associated to CMI represent either rare mutations or those contributing only minimally to genetic risk. Non-genetic causes of CMI can be modeled by disturbing downstream signaling pathways, for example through inducing protein misassembly or aggregation. The Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) gene was identified to be disrupted and thereby haploinsufficient in a large pedigree where it associated to CMI. The DISC1 protein misassembles to an insoluble protein in a subset of CMI patients and this has been modeled in a rat (tgDISC1 rat) where the full-length, non mutant human transgene was overexpressed and cognitive impairments were observed. Here, we investigated the scope of effects of DISC1 protein misassembly by investigating spatial memory, social behavior and stress resilience. In water maze tasks, the tgDISC1 rats showed intact spatial learning and memory, but were deficient in flexible adaptation to spatial reversal learning compared to littermate controls. They also displayed less social interaction. Additionally, there was a trend towards increased corticosterone levels after restraint stress in the tgDISC1 rats. Our findings suggest that DISC1 protein misassembly leads to disturbances of cognitive flexibility and social behaviors, and might also be involved in stress sensitization. Since the observed behavioral features resemble symptoms of CMI, the tgDISC1 rat may be a valuable model for the investigation of cognitive, social and - possibly - also stress-related symptoms of major mental illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Li Wang
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Owen Y Chao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, USA.
| | - Susanne Nikolaus
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | | | - Cornelis P Hollenberg
- Institute of Microbiology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Paracelsus Private Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Svenja V Trossbach
- Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Carsten Korth
- Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Joseph P Huston
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Gong NJ, Dibb R, Pletnikov M, Benner E, Liu C. Imaging microstructure with diffusion and susceptibility MR: neuronal density correlation in Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia-1 mutant mice. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2020; 33:e4365. [PMID: 32627266 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To probe cerebral microstructural abnormalities and assess changes of neuronal density in Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1) mice using non-Gaussian diffusion and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). MATERIALS AND METHODS Brain specimens of transgenic DISC1 mice (n = 8) and control mice (n = 7) were scanned. Metrics of neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), as well as QSM, were acquired. Cell counting was performed on Nissl-stained sections. Group differences of imaging metrics and cell density were assessed. Pearson correlations between imaging metrics and cell densities were also examined. RESULTS Significant increases of neuronal density were observed in the hippocampus of DISC1 mice. DKI metrics such as mean kurtosis exhibited significant group differences in the caudate putamen (P = 0.015), cerebral cortex (P = 0.021), and hippocampus (P = 0.011). However, DKI metrics did not correlate with cell density. In contrast, significant positive correlation between density of neurons and the neurite density index of NODDI in the hippocampus was observed (r = 0.783, P = 0.007). Significant correlation between density of neurons and susceptibility (r = 0.657, P = 0.039), as well as between density of neuroglia and susceptibility (r = 0.750, P = 0.013), was also observed in the hippocampus. CONCLUSION The imaging metrics derived from DKI were not sensitive specifically to cell density, while NODDI could provide diffusion metrics sensitive to density of neurons. The magnetic susceptibility values derived from the QSM method can serve as a sensitive biomarker for quantifying neuronal density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan-Jie Gong
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai, China
| | - Russell Dibb
- Center for in vivo Microscopy, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Mikhail Pletnikov
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Eric Benner
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Chunlei Liu
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Radiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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6
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Nani JV, Fonseca MC, Engi SA, Perillo MG, Dias CS, Gazarini ML, Korth C, Cruz FC, Hayashi MA. Decreased nuclear distribution nudE-like 1 enzyme activity in an animal model with dysfunctional disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 signaling featuring aberrant neurodevelopment and amphetamine-supersensitivity. J Psychopharmacol 2020; 34:467-477. [PMID: 31916893 DOI: 10.1177/0269881119897562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Interaction of nuclear-distribution element-like 1 with disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 protein is crucial for neurite outgrowth/neuronal migration, and this interaction competitively inhibits nuclear-distribution element-like 1 peptidase activity. Nuclear-distribution element-like 1 activity is reduced in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode psychosis and in medicated chronic schizophrenia, with even lower activity in treatment-resistant schizophrenia. AIMS The purpose of this study was to investigate in a rat model overexpressing human non-mutant disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1, with consequent dysfunctional disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 signaling, the relation of nuclear-distribution element-like 1 activity with neurodevelopment and dopamine-related phenotypes. METHODS We measured cell distribution in striatum and cortex by histology and microtomography, and quantified the basal and amphetamine-stimulated locomotion and nuclear-distribution element-like 1 activity (in blood and brain) of transgenic disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 rat vs wild-type littermate controls. RESULTS 3D assessment of neuronal cell body number and spatial organization of mercury-impregnated neurons showed defective neuronal positioning, characteristic of impaired cell migration, in striatum/nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex of transgenic disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 compared to wild-type brains. Basal nuclear-distribution element-like 1 activity was lower in the blood and also in several brain regions of transgenic disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 compared to wild-type. Locomotion and nuclear-distribution element-like 1 activity were both significantly increased by amphetamine in transgenic disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1, but not in wild-type. CONCLUSIONS Our findings in the transgenic disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 rat allow us to state that decreased nuclear-distribution element-like 1 activity reflects both a trait (neurodevelopmental phenotype) and a state (amphetamine-induced dopamine release). We thus define here a role for decreased nuclear-distribution element-like 1 peptidase activity both for the developing brain (the neurodevelopmental phenotype) and for the adult (interaction with dopaminergic responses), and present nuclear-distribution element-like 1 activity in a novel way, as unifying neurodevelopmental with dysfunctional dopamine response phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- João V Nani
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.,National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq/FAPESP/CAPES), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Matheus C Fonseca
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Sheila A Engi
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mayara G Perillo
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Sb Dias
- Laboratório Nacional de Luz Síncrotron (LNLS), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Marcos L Gazarini
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos, Brazil
| | - Carsten Korth
- Department of Neuropathology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Fábio C Cruz
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mirian Af Hayashi
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Neuropathology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Ijomone OM, Aluko OM, Okoh COA, Martins AC, Aschner M. Role for calcium signaling in manganese neurotoxicity. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2019; 56:146-155. [PMID: 31470248 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2019.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Calcium is an essential macronutrient that is involved in many cellular processes. Homeostatic control of intracellular levels of calcium ions [Ca2+] is vital to maintaining cellular structure and function. Several signaling molecules are involved in regulating Ca2+ levels in cells and perturbation of calcium signaling processes is implicated in several neurodegenerative and neurologic conditions. Manganese [Mn] is a metal which is essential for basic physiological functions. However, overexposure to Mn from environmental contamination and workplace hazards is a global concern. Mn overexposure leads to its accumulation in several human organs particularly the brain. Mn accumulation in the brain results in a manganism, a Parkinsonian-like syndrome. Additionally, Mn is a risk factor for several neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Mn neurotoxicity also affects several neurotransmitter systems including dopaminergic, cholinergic and GABAergic. The mechanisms of Mn neurotoxicity are still being elucidated. AIM The review will highlight a potential role for calcium signaling molecules in the mechanisms of Mn neurotoxicity. CONCLUSION Ca2+ regulation influences the neurodegenerative process and there is possible role for perturbed calcium signaling in Mn neurotoxicity. Mechanisms implicated in Mn-induced neurodegeneration include oxidative stress, generation of free radicals, and apoptosis. These are influenced by mitochondrial integrity which can be dependent on intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Nevertheless, further elucidation of the direct effects of calcium signaling dysfunction and calcium-binding proteins activities in Mn neurotoxicity is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omamuyovwi M Ijomone
- The Neuro- Lab, Department of Human Anatomy, Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo, Nigeria.
| | - Oritoke M Aluko
- Department of Physiology, Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo, Nigeria
| | - Comfort O A Okoh
- The Neuro- Lab, Department of Human Anatomy, Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo, Nigeria
| | - Airton Cunha Martins
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States.
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Baskaran R, Lai C, Li W, Tuan L, Wang C, Lee LJ, Liu C, Hwu H, Lee L. Characterization of striatal phenotypes in heterozygous
Disc1
mutant mice, a model of haploinsufficiency. J Comp Neurol 2019; 528:1157-1172. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rathinasamy Baskaran
- Graduate Institute of Anatomy and Cell BiologyNational Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan ROC
| | - Chuan‐Ching Lai
- Graduate Institute of Anatomy and Cell BiologyNational Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan ROC
| | - Wai‐Yu Li
- Graduate Institute of Anatomy and Cell BiologyNational Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan ROC
| | - Li‐Heng Tuan
- Graduate Institute of Anatomy and Cell BiologyNational Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan ROC
| | - Chia‐Chuan Wang
- School of MedicineFu Jen Catholic University New Taipei Taiwan ROC
| | - Lukas J.‐H. Lee
- Division of Environmental Health and Occupational MedicineNational Health Research Institutes Miaoli Taiwan ROC
| | - Chih‐Min Liu
- Department of PsychiatryNational Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine Taipei Taiwan ROC
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science CenterNational Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan ROC
| | - Hai‐Gwo Hwu
- Department of PsychiatryNational Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine Taipei Taiwan ROC
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science CenterNational Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan ROC
- Institute of Brain and Mind SciencesNational Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan ROC
| | - Li‐Jen Lee
- Graduate Institute of Anatomy and Cell BiologyNational Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan ROC
- Department of PsychiatryNational Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine Taipei Taiwan ROC
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science CenterNational Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan ROC
- Institute of Brain and Mind SciencesNational Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan ROC
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9
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Doostdar N, Kim E, Grayson B, Harte MK, Neill JC, Vernon AC. Global brain volume reductions in a sub-chronic phencyclidine animal model for schizophrenia and their relationship to recognition memory. J Psychopharmacol 2019; 33:1274-1287. [PMID: 31060435 DOI: 10.1177/0269881119844196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive deficits and structural brain changes co-occur in patients with schizophrenia. Improving our understanding of the relationship between these is important to develop improved therapeutic strategies. Back-translation of these findings into rodent models for schizophrenia offers a potential means to achieve this goal. AIMS The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of structural brain changes and how these relate to cognitive behaviour in a sub-chronic phencyclidine rat model. METHODS Performance in the novel object recognition task was examined in female Lister Hooded rats at one and six weeks after sub-chronic phencyclidine (2 mg/kg intra-peritoneal, n=15) and saline controls (1 ml/kg intra-peritoneal, n=15). Locomotor activity following acute phencyclidine challenge was also measured. Brain volume changes were assessed in the same animals using ex vivo structural magnetic resonance imaging and computational neuroanatomical analysis at six weeks. RESULTS Female sub-chronic phencyclidine-treated Lister Hooded rats spent significantly less time exploring novel objects (p<0.05) at both time-points and had significantly greater locomotor activity response to an acute phencyclidine challenge (p<0.01) at 3-4 weeks of washout. At six weeks, sub-chronic phencyclidine-treated Lister Hooded rats displayed significant global brain volume reductions (p<0.05; q<0.05), without apparent regional specificity. Relative volumes of the perirhinal cortex however were positively correlated with novel object exploration time only in sub-chronic phencyclidine rats at this time-point. CONCLUSION A sustained sub-chronic phencyclidine-induced cognitive deficit in novel object recognition is accompanied by global brain volume reductions in female Lister Hooded rats. The relative volumes of the perirhinal cortex however are positively correlated with novel object exploration, indicating some functional relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazanin Doostdar
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Eugene Kim
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ben Grayson
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Michael K Harte
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Joanna C Neill
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
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10
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Pereira M, Birtele M, Rylander Ottosson D. Direct reprogramming into interneurons: potential for brain repair. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:3953-3967. [PMID: 31250034 PMCID: PMC6785593 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03193-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The brain tissue has only a limited capacity for generating new neurons. Therefore, to treat neurological diseases, there is a need of other cell sources for brain repair. Different sources of cells have been subject of intense research over the years, including cells from primary tissue, stem cell-derived cells and reprogrammed cells. As an alternative, direct reprogramming of resident brain cells into neurons is a recent approach that could provide an attractive method for treating brain injuries or diseases as it uses the patient's own cells for generating novel neurons inside the brain. In vivo reprogramming is still in its early stages but holds great promise as an option for cell therapy. To date, both inhibitory and excitatory neurons have been obtained via in vivo reprogramming, but the precise phenotype or functionality of these cells has not been analysed in detail in most of the studies. Recent data shows that in vivo reprogrammed neurons are able to functionally mature and integrate into the existing brain circuitry, and compose interneuron phenotypes that seem to correlate to their endogenous counterparts. Interneurons are of particular importance as they are essential in physiological brain function and when disturbed lead to several neurological disorders. In this review, we describe a comprehensive overview of the existing studies involving brain repair, including in vivo reprogramming, with a focus on interneurons, along with an overview on current efforts to generate interneurons for cell therapy for a number of neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pereira
- Department of Experimental Medical Science and Lund Stem Cell Center BMC, Lund University, 22141, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marcella Birtele
- Department of Experimental Medical Science and Lund Stem Cell Center BMC, Lund University, 22141, Lund, Sweden
| | - Daniella Rylander Ottosson
- Department of Experimental Medical Science and Lund Stem Cell Center BMC, Lund University, 22141, Lund, Sweden.
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11
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Protein misassembly and aggregation as potential convergence points for non-genetic causes of chronic mental illness. Mol Psychiatry 2019; 24:936-951. [PMID: 30089789 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0133-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Chronic mental illnesses (CMI), such as schizophrenia or recurrent affective disorders, are complex conditions with both genetic and non-genetic elements. In many other chronic brain conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, sporadic instances of the disease are more common than gene-driven familial cases. Yet, the pathology of these conditions can be characterized by the presence of aberrant protein homeostasis, proteostasis, resulting in misfolded or aggregated proteins in the brains of patients that predominantly do not derive from genetic mutations. While visible deposits of aggregated protein have not yet been detected in CMI patients, we propose the existence of more subtle protein misassembly in these conditions, which form a continuum with the psychiatric phenotypes found in the early stages of many neurodegenerative conditions. Such proteinopathies need not rely on genetic variation. In a similar manner to the established aberrant neurotransmitter homeostasis in CMI, aberrant homeostasis of proteins is a functional statement that can only partially be explained by, but is certainly complementary to, genetic approaches. Here, we review evidence for aberrant proteostasis signatures from post mortem human cases, in vivo animal work, and in vitro analysis of candidate proteins misassembled in CMI. The five best-characterized proteins in this respect are currently DISC1, dysbindin-1, CRMP1, TRIOBP-1, and NPAS3. Misassembly of these proteins with inherently unstructured domains is triggered by extracellular stressors and thus provides a converging point for non-genetic causes of CMI.
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12
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Dysregulation of a specific immune-related network of genes biologically defines a subset of schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:156. [PMID: 31150013 PMCID: PMC6544656 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0486-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, the clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia relies solely on self-reporting and clinical interview, and likely comprises heterogeneous biological subsets. Such subsets may be defined by an underlying biology leading to solid biomarkers. A transgenic rat model modestly overexpressing the full-length, non-mutant Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) protein (tgDISC1 rat) was generated that defines such a subset, inspired by our previous identification of insoluble DISC1 protein in post mortem brains from patients with chronic mental illness. Besides specific phenotypes such as DISC1 protein pathology, abnormal dopamine homeostasis, and changes in neuroanatomy and behavior, this animal model also shows subtle disturbances in overarching signaling pathways relevant for schizophrenia. In a reverse-translational approach, assuming that both the animal model and a patient subset share common disturbed signaling pathways, we identified differentially expressed transcripts from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of tgDISC1 rats that revealed an interconnected set of dysregulated genes, led by decreased expression of regulator of G-protein signaling 1 (RGS1), chemokine (C-C) ligand 4 (CCL4), and other immune-related transcripts enriched in T-cell and macrophage signaling and converging in one module after weighted gene correlation network analysis. Testing expression of this gene network in two independent cohorts of patients with schizophrenia versus healthy controls (n = 16/50 and n = 54/45) demonstrated similar expression changes. The two top markers RGS1 and CCL4 defined a subset of 27% of patients with 97% specificity. Thus, analogous aberrant signaling pathways can be identified by a blood test in an animal model and a corresponding schizophrenia patient subset, suggesting that in this animal model tailored pharmacotherapies for this patient subset could be achieved.
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Wang AL, Chao OY, Yang YM, Trossbach SV, Müller CP, Korth C, Huston JP, de Souza Silva MA. Anxiogenic-like behavior and deficient attention/working memory in rats expressing the human DISC1 gene. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2019; 179:73-79. [PMID: 30779934 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In humans, mutations in the Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) gene have been related to psychiatric disorders, including symptoms of abnormal cognitive and emotional behaviors. In our previous studies, overexpression of the human DISC1 gene in rats resulted in schizophrenia-like phenotypes showing deficits in motor learning, impaired cognitive function and dysfunctions of the dopamine system. Here we asked, whether the DISC1 overexpression affects locomotor activity in the open field (OF), anxiety in the elevated plus-maze (EPM), depression-related behavior in the forced swim test (FST), and attention-like/short-term working-memory in the spontaneous alternation behavior (SAB) in the T-maze in transgenic DISC1 (tgDISC1) rats and littermate controls (WT). TgDISC1 rats showed enhanced anxiety behavior in the EPM and an impairment in attention-like/short-term working-memory in the SAB. However, tgDISC1 animals showed no locomotor impairments or depression-like behavior in the OF and FST. These results suggest that DISC1 overexpression leads to higher anxiety level and an attention-like/working-memory deficit. These findings may expand the causal role of DISC1 in its contribution to multiple symptom dimensions of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Li Wang
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Owen Y Chao
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN, USA.
| | - Yi-Mei Yang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN, USA.
| | - Svenja V Trossbach
- Department Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Christian P Müller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Carsten Korth
- Department Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Joseph P Huston
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Maria Angelica de Souza Silva
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Kaefer K, Malagon-Vina H, Dickerson DD, O'Neill J, Trossbach SV, Korth C, Csicsvari J. Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 overexpression disrupts hippocampal coding and oscillatory synchronization. Hippocampus 2019; 29:802-816. [PMID: 30723982 PMCID: PMC6767395 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 12/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant proteostasis of protein aggregation may lead to behavior disorders including chronic mental illnesses (CMI). Furthermore, the neuronal activity alterations that underlie CMI are not well understood. We recorded the local field potential and single‐unit activity of the hippocampal CA1 region in vivo in rats transgenically overexpressing the Disrupted‐in‐Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) gene (tgDISC1), modeling sporadic CMI. These tgDISC1 rats have previously been shown to exhibit DISC1 protein aggregation, disturbances in the dopaminergic system and attention‐related deficits. Recordings were performed during exploration of familiar and novel open field environments and during sleep, allowing investigation of neuronal abnormalities in unconstrained behavior. Compared to controls, tgDISC1 place cells exhibited smaller place fields and decreased speed‐modulation of their firing rates, demonstrating altered spatial coding and deficits in encoding location‐independent sensory inputs. Oscillation analyses showed that tgDISC1 pyramidal neurons had higher theta phase locking strength during novelty, limiting their phase coding ability. However, their mean theta phases were more variable at the population level, reducing oscillatory network synchronization. Finally, tgDISC1 pyramidal neurons showed a lack of novelty‐induced shift in their preferred theta and gamma firing phases, indicating deficits in coding of novel environments with oscillatory firing. By combining single cell and neuronal population analyses, we link DISC1 protein pathology with abnormal hippocampal neural coding and network synchrony, and thereby gain a more comprehensive understanding of CMI mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karola Kaefer
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Hugo Malagon-Vina
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Desiree D Dickerson
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Joseph O'Neill
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Svenja V Trossbach
- Department Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Carsten Korth
- Department Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jozsef Csicsvari
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, Austria
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15
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Uzuneser TC, Speidel J, Kogias G, Wang AL, de Souza Silva MA, Huston JP, Zoicas I, von Hörsten S, Kornhuber J, Korth C, Müller CP. Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) Overexpression and Juvenile Immune Activation Cause Sex-Specific Schizophrenia-Related Psychopathology in Rats. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:222. [PMID: 31057438 PMCID: PMC6465888 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic pruning is a critical refinement step during neurodevelopment, and schizophrenia has been associated with overpruning of cortical dendritic spines. Both human studies and animal models implicate disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) gene as a strong susceptibility factor for schizophrenia. Accumulating evidence supports the involvement of DISC1 protein in the modulation of synaptic elimination during critical periods of neurodevelopment and of dopamine D2-receptor-mediated signaling during adulthood. In many species, synaptic pruning occurs during juvenile and adolescent periods and is mediated by microglia, which can be over-activated by an immune challenge, giving rise to overpruning. Therefore, we sought to investigate possible interactions between a transgenic DISC1 model (tgDISC1) and juvenile immune activation (JIA) by the bacterial cell wall endotoxin lipopolysaccharide on the induction of schizophrenia-related behavioral and neurochemical disruptions in adult female and male rats. We examined possible behavioral aberrations along three major symptom dimensions of schizophrenia including psychosis, social and emotional disruptions, and cognitive impairments. We detected significant gene-environment interactions in the amphetamine-induced locomotion in female animals and in the amphetamine-induced anxiety in male animals. Surprisingly, gene-environment interactions improved social memory in both male and female animals. JIA alone disrupted spatial memory and recognition memory, but only in male animals. DISC1 overexpression alone induced an improvement in sensorimotor gating, but only in female animals. Our neurochemical analyses detected sex- and manipulation-dependent changes in the postmortem monoamine content of animals. Taken together, we here report sex-specific effects of environment and genotype as well as their interaction on behavioral phenotypes and neurochemical profiles relevant for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taygun C Uzuneser
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jil Speidel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Georgios Kogias
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - An-Li Wang
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Maria A de Souza Silva
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Joseph P Huston
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Iulia Zoicas
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Stephan von Hörsten
- Department of Experimental Therapy, Preclinical Experimental Center, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Carsten Korth
- Department of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christian P Müller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Sialana FJ, Wang AL, Fazari B, Kristofova M, Smidak R, Trossbach SV, Korth C, Huston JP, de Souza Silva MA, Lubec G. Quantitative Proteomics of Synaptosomal Fractions in a Rat Overexpressing Human DISC1 Gene Indicates Profound Synaptic Dysregulation in the Dorsal Striatum. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:26. [PMID: 29467617 PMCID: PMC5808171 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is a key protein involved in behavioral processes and various mental disorders, including schizophrenia and major depression. A transgenic rat overexpressing non-mutant human DISC1, modeling aberrant proteostasis of the DISC1 protein, displays behavioral, biochemical and anatomical deficits consistent with aspects of mental disorders, including changes in the dorsal striatum, an anatomical region critical in the development of behavioral disorders. Herein, dorsal striatum of 10 transgenic DISC1 (tgDISC1) and 10 wild type (WT) littermate control rats was used for synaptosomal preparations and for performing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based quantitative proteomics, using isobaric labeling (TMT10plex). Functional enrichment analysis was generated from proteins with level changes. The increase in DISC1 expression leads to changes in proteins and synaptic-associated processes including membrane trafficking, ion transport, synaptic organization and neurodevelopment. Canonical pathway analysis assigned proteins with level changes to actin cytoskeleton, Gαq, Rho family GTPase and Rho GDI, axonal guidance, ephrin receptor and dopamine-DARPP32 feedback in cAMP signaling. DISC1-regulated proteins proposed in the current study are also highly associated with neurodevelopmental and mental disorders. Bioinformatics analyses from the current study predicted that the following biological processes may be activated by overexpression of DISC1, i.e., regulation of cell quantities, neuronal and axonal extension and long term potentiation. Our findings demonstrate that the effects of overexpression of non-mutant DISC1 or its misassembly has profound consequences on protein networks essential for behavioral control. These results are also relevant for the interpretation of previous as well as for the design of future studies on DISC1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando J Sialana
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - An-Li Wang
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Benedetta Fazari
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Martina Kristofova
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roman Smidak
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Svenja V Trossbach
- Department of Neuropathology, Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Carsten Korth
- Department of Neuropathology, Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Joseph P Huston
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Paracelsus Private Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
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17
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Intra-nasal dopamine alleviates cognitive deficits in tgDISC1 rats which overexpress the human DISC1 gene. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 146:12-20. [PMID: 29107702 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2017.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) gene has been associated with mental illnesses such as major depression and schizophrenia. The transgenic DISC1 (tgDISC1) rat, which overexpresses the human DISC1 gene, is known to exhibit deficient dopamine (DA) homeostasis. To ascertain whether the DISC1 gene also impacts cognitive functions, 14-15 months old male tgDISC1 rats and wild-type controls were subjected to the novel object preference (NOP) test and the object-based attention test (OBAT) in order to assess short-term memory (1 h), long-term memory (24 h), and attention. RESULTS The tgDISC1 group exhibited intact short-term memory, but deficient long-term-memory in the NOP test and deficient attention-related behavior in the OBAT. In a different group of tgDISC1 rats, 3 mg/kg intranasally applied dopamine (IN-DA) or its vehicle was applied prior to the NOP or the OBAT test. IN-DA reversed cognitive deficits in both the NOP and OBAT tests. In a further cohort of tgDISC1 rats, post-mortem levels of DA, noradrenaline, serotonin and acetylcholine were determined in a variety of brain regions. The tgDISC1 group had less DA in the neostriatum, hippocampus and amygdala, less acetylcholine in neostriatum, nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, and amygdala, more serotonin in the nucleus accumbens, and less serotonin and noradrenaline in the amygdala. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that DISC1 overexpression and misassembly is associated with deficits in long-term memory and attention-related behavior. Since behavioral impairments in tgDISC1 rats were reversed by IN-DA, DA deficiency may be a major cause for the behavioral deficits expressed in this model.
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Crum WR, Sawiak SJ, Chege W, Cooper JD, Williams SC, Vernon AC. Evolution of structural abnormalities in the rat brain following in utero exposure to maternal immune activation: A longitudinal in vivo MRI study. Brain Behav Immun 2017; 63:50-59. [PMID: 27940258 PMCID: PMC5441572 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic and environmental risk factors for psychiatric disorders are suggested to disrupt the trajectory of brain maturation during adolescence, leading to the development of psychopathology in adulthood. Rodent models are powerful tools to dissect the specific effects of such risk factors on brain maturational profiles, particularly when combined with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI; clinically comparable technology). We therefore investigated the effect of maternal immune activation (MIA), an epidemiological risk factor for adult-onset psychiatric disorders, on rat brain maturation using atlas and tensor-based morphometry analysis of longitudinal in vivo MR images. Exposure to MIA resulted in decreases in the volume of several cortical regions, the hippocampus, amygdala, striatum, nucleus accumbens and unexpectedly, the lateral ventricles, relative to controls. In contrast, the volumes of the thalamus, ventral mesencephalon, brain stem and major white matter tracts were larger, relative to controls. These volumetric changes were maximal between post-natal day 50 and 100 with no differences between the groups thereafter. These data are consistent with and extend prior studies of brain structure in MIA-exposed rodents. Apart from the ventricular findings, these data have robust face validity to clinical imaging findings reported in studies of individuals at high clinical risk for a psychiatric disorder. Further work is now required to address the relationship of these MRI changes to behavioral dysfunction and to establish thier cellular correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R. Crum
- Department of Neuroimaging Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Stephen J. Sawiak
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Winfred Chege
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Jonathan D. Cooper
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RT, UK
| | - Steven C.R. Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Anthony C. Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RT, UK,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK,Corresponding author at: Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RT, UK.Department of Basic and Clinical NeuroscienceInstitute of PsychiatryPsychology and NeuroscienceKing’s College LondonMaurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute5 Cutcombe RoadLondonSE5 9RTUK
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Hanamsagar R, Alter MD, Block CS, Sullivan H, Bolton JL, Bilbo SD. Generation of a microglial developmental index in mice and in humans reveals a sex difference in maturation and immune reactivity. Glia 2017; 65:1504-1520. [PMID: 28618077 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 264] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests many neurological disorders emerge when normal neurodevelopmental trajectories are disrupted, i.e., when circuits or cells do not reach their fully mature state. Microglia play a critical role in normal neurodevelopment and are hypothesized to contribute to brain disease. We used whole transcriptome profiling with Next Generation sequencing of purified developing microglia to identify a microglial developmental gene expression program involving thousands of genes whose expression levels change monotonically (up or down) across development. Importantly, the gene expression program was delayed in males relative to females and exposure of adult male mice to LPS, a potent immune activator, accelerated microglial development in males. Next, a microglial developmental index (MDI) generated from gene expression patterns obtained from purified mouse microglia, was applied to human brain transcriptome datasets to test the hypothesis that variability in microglial development is associated with human diseases such as Alzheimer's and autism where microglia have been suggested to play a role. MDI was significantly increased in both Alzheimer's Disease and in autism, suggesting that accelerated microglial development may contribute to neuropathology. In conclusion, we identified a microglia-specific gene expression program in mice that was used to create a microglia developmental index, which was applied to human datasets containing heterogeneous cell types to reveal differences between healthy and diseased brain samples, and between males and females. This powerful tool has wide ranging applicability to examine microglial development within the context of disease and in response to other variables such as stress and pharmacological treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richa Hanamsagar
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02129
| | - Mark D Alter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
| | - Carina S Block
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
| | - Haley Sullivan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
| | - Jessica L Bolton
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
| | - Staci D Bilbo
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02129.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
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Alkam T, Mamiya T, Kimura N, Yoshida A, Kihara D, Tsunoda Y, Aoyama Y, Hiramatsu M, Kim HC, Nabeshima T. Prenatal nicotine exposure decreases the release of dopamine in the medial frontal cortex and induces atomoxetine-responsive neurobehavioral deficits in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:1853-1869. [PMID: 28332006 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4591-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Increased risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) is partly associated with the early developmental exposure to nicotine in tobacco smoke. Emerging reports link tobacco smoke exposure or prenatal nicotine exposure (PNE) with AD/HD-like behaviors in rodent models. We have previously reported that PNE induces cognitive behavioral deficits in offspring and decreases the contents of dopamine (DA) and its turnover in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of offspring It is well known that the dysfunction of DAergic system in the brain is one of the core factors in the pathophysiology of AD/HD. Therefore, we examined whether the effects of PNE on the DAergic system underlie the AD/HD-related behavioral changes in mouse offspring. PNE reduced the release of DA in the medial PFC (mPFC) in mouse offspring. PNE reduced the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive varicosities in the mPFC and in the core as well as the shell of nucleus accumbens, but not in the striatum. PNE also induced behavioral deficits in cliff avoidance, object-based attention, and sensorimotor gating in offspring. These behavioral deficits were attenuated by acute treatment with atomoxetine (3 mg/kg, s.c.) or partially attenuated by acute treatment with MPH (1 mg/kg, s.c.). Taken together, our findings support the notion that PNE induces neurobehavioral abnormalities in mouse offspring by disrupting the DAergic system and improve our understanding about the incidence of AD/HD in children whose mothers were exposed to nicotine during their pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tursun Alkam
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Takayoshi Mamiya
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
- Japanese Drug Organization of Appropriate Use and Research, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Nami Kimura
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Aya Yoshida
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kihara
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuki Tsunoda
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuki Aoyama
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masayuki Hiramatsu
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
- Japanese Drug Organization of Appropriate Use and Research, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hyoung-Chun Kim
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Toxicology Program, College of Pharmacy, Kangwon National University, Chunchon, South Korea
| | - Toshitaka Nabeshima
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan.
- Japanese Drug Organization of Appropriate Use and Research, Nagoya, Japan.
- Advanced Diagnostic System Research Laboratory, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, 470-1192, Japan.
- Aino University, Ibaraki, Japan.
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Tanaka M, Ishizuka K, Nekooki-Machida Y, Endo R, Takashima N, Sasaki H, Komi Y, Gathercole A, Huston E, Ishii K, Hui KKW, Kurosawa M, Kim SH, Nukina N, Takimoto E, Houslay MD, Sawa A. Aggregation of scaffolding protein DISC1 dysregulates phosphodiesterase 4 in Huntington's disease. J Clin Invest 2017; 127:1438-1450. [PMID: 28263187 DOI: 10.1172/jci85594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a polyglutamine (polyQ) disease caused by aberrant expansion of the polyQ tract in Huntingtin (HTT). While motor impairment mediated by polyQ-expanded HTT has been intensively studied, molecular mechanisms for nonmotor symptoms in HD, such as psychiatric manifestations, remain elusive. Here we have demonstrated that HTT forms a ternary protein complex with the scaffolding protein DISC1 and cAMP-degrading phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) to regulate PDE4 activity. We observed pathological cross-seeding between DISC1 and mutant HTT aggregates in the brains of HD patients as well as in a murine model that recapitulates the polyQ pathology of HD (R6/2 mice). In R6/2 mice, consequent reductions in soluble DISC1 led to dysregulation of DISC1-PDE4 complexes, aberrantly increasing the activity of PDE4. Importantly, exogenous expression of a modified DISC1, which binds to PDE4 but not mutant HTT, normalized PDE4 activity and ameliorated anhedonia in the R6/2 mice. We propose that cross-seeding of mutant HTT and DISC1 and the resultant changes in PDE4 activity may underlie the pathology of a specific subset of mental manifestations of HD, which may provide an insight into molecular signaling in mental illness in general.
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Dahoun T, Trossbach SV, Brandon NJ, Korth C, Howes OD. The impact of Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) on the dopaminergic system: a systematic review. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:e1015. [PMID: 28140405 PMCID: PMC5299392 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is a gene known as a risk factor for mental illnesses possibly associated with dopamine impairments. DISC1 is a scaffold protein interacting with proteins involved in the dopamine system. Here we summarise the impact of DISC1 disruption on the dopamine system in animal models, considering its effects on presynaptic dopaminergic function (tyrosine hydroxylase levels, dopamine transporter levels, dopamine levels at baseline and after amphetamine administration) and postsynaptic dopaminergic function (dopamine D1 and D2 receptor levels, dopamine receptor-binding potential and locomotor activity after amphetamine administration). Our findings show that many but not all DISC1 models display (1) increased locomotion after amphetamine administration, (2) increased dopamine levels after amphetamine administration in the nucleus accumbens, and (3) inconsistent basal dopamine levels, dopamine receptor levels and binding potentials. There is also limited evidence for decreased tyrosine hydroxylase levels in the frontal cortex and increased dopamine transporter levels in the striatum but not nucleus accumbens, but these conclusions warrant further replication. The main dopaminergic findings are seen across different DISC1 models, providing convergent evidence that DISC1 has a role in regulating dopaminergic function. These results implicate dopaminergic dysregulation as a mechanism underlying the increased rate of schizophrenia seen in DISC1 variant carriers, and provide insights into how DISC1, and potentially DISC1-interacting proteins such as AKT and GSK-3, could be used as novel therapeutic targets for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Dahoun
- Psychiatric Imaging Group MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
- Department of the Institute of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Imperial College-Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - S V Trossbach
- Department of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - N J Brandon
- AstraZeneca Neuroscience, Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit, R&D Boston, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - C Korth
- Department of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - O D Howes
- Psychiatric Imaging Group MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
- Department of the Institute of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Imperial College-Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK
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