Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of dysbindin-1, a schizophrenia-related protein, regulates synapsin I expression

Pallidin function in Drosophila surface glia regulates sleep and is dependent on amino acid availability

The Pallidin protein is a central subunit of a multimeric complex called biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex 1 (BLOC1) that regulates specific endosomal functions and has been linked to schizophrenia. We show here that downregulation of Pallidin and other members of BLOC1 in the surface glia, the Drosophila equivalent of the blood-brain barrier, reduces and delays nighttime sleep in a circadian-clock-dependent manner. In agreement with BLOC1 involvement in amino acid transport, downregulation of the large neutral amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1)-like transporters JhI-21 and mnd, as well as of TOR (target of rapamycin) amino acid signaling, phenocopy Pallidin knockdown. Furthermore, supplementing food with leucine normalizes the sleep/wake phenotypes of Pallidin downregulation, and we identify a role for Pallidin in the subcellular trafficking of JhI-21. Finally, we provide evidence that Pallidin in surface glia is required for GABAergic neuronal activity. These data identify a BLOC1 function linking essential amino acid availability and GABAergic sleep/wake regulation.

Nucleocytoplasmic Transport: Regulatory Mechanisms and the Implications in Neurodegeneration

Nucleocytoplasmic transport (NCT) across the nuclear envelope is precisely regulated in eukaryotic cells, and it plays critical roles in maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that dysregulations of NCT are implicated in aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Huntington disease (HD). This is an emerging research field. The molecular mechanisms underlying impaired NCT and the pathogenesis leading to neurodegeneration are not clear. In this review, we comprehensively described the components of NCT machinery, including nuclear envelope (NE), nuclear pore complex (NPC), importins and exportins, RanGTPase and its regulators, and the regulatory mechanisms of nuclear transport of both protein and transcript cargos. Additionally, we discussed the possible molecular mechanisms of impaired NCT underlying aging and neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS/FTD, HD, and AD.

Genetic Effects of the Schizophrenia-Related Gene DTNBP1 in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Recent studies have reported patients who concurrently exhibit conditions of epilepsy and schizophrenia, indicating certain shared pathologies between them. This study aimed to investigate the genetic effects of the schizophrenia-related gene DTNBP1 in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). A total of 496 TLE patients and 528 healthy individuals were successfully genotyped for six DTNBP1 polymorphisms (rs760665, rs1011313, rs2619528, rs2619522, rs909706, and rs2619538), including 335 TLE patients and 325 healthy controls in cohort 1, and 161 TLE patients and 203 healthy controls in cohort 2. The frequency of the TT genotype at rs909706 T > C was lower in TLE patients than in normal controls in the initial cohort (cohort 1), which was confirmed in an independent cohort (cohort 2). However, the intronic T allele failed to be in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with any functional variations nearby; thus, together with the CCAC and TCAT haplotypes (rs1011313-rs2619528-rs2619522-rs909706) observed in the study, this allele acts only as a protective factor against susceptibility to TLE. Meanwhile, a novo mutant allele rs2619538 T > A was exclusively observed in TLE patients, and a dual-luciferase assay revealed that the mutant allele was increased by approximately 22% in the DTNBP2 promoter compared with the wild-type allele. Together with the trend of increasing DTNBP1 expression in epilepsy patients and animal models in this study, these are the first findings to demonstrate the genetic association of DTNBP1 with TLE. Homozygous mutation of rs2619538 T > A likely promotes DTNBP1 expression and facilitates subsequent processes in epilepsy pathologies. Thus, the role of DTNBP1 in TLE deserves further exploration in the future.

Dysbindin deficiency Alters Cardiac BLOC-1 Complex and Myozap Levels in Mice

Dysbindin, a schizophrenia susceptibility marker and an essential constituent of BLOC-1 (biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex-1), has recently been associated with cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through the activation of Myozap-RhoA-mediated SRF signaling. We employed sandy mice (Dtnbp1_KO), which completely lack Dysbindin protein because of a spontaneous deletion of introns 5-7 of the Dtnbp1 gene, for pathophysiological characterization of the heart. Unlike in vitro, the loss-of-function of Dysbindin did not attenuate cardiac hypertrophy, either in response to transverse aortic constriction stress or upon phenylephrine treatment. Interestingly, however, the levels of hypertrophy-inducing interaction partner Myozap as well as the BLOC-1 partners of Dysbindin like Muted and Pallidin were dramatically reduced in Dtnbp1_KO mouse hearts. Taken together, our data suggest that Dysbindin's role in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy is redundant in vivo, yet essential to maintain the stability of its direct interaction partners like Myozap, Pallidin and Muted.

Retinal biomarkers and pharmacological targets for Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome 7

Deletion of dystrobrevin binding protein 1 has been linked to Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome type 7 (HPS-7), a rare disease characterized by oculocutaneous albinism and retinal dysfunction. We studied dysbindin-1 null mutant mice (Dys^−/−) to shed light on retinal neurodevelopment defects in HPS-7. We analyzed the expression of a focused set of miRNAs in retina of wild type (WT), Dys^+/− and Dys^−/− mice. We also investigated the retinal function of these mice through electroretinography (ERG). We found that miR-101-3p, miR-137, miR-186-5p, miR-326, miR-382-5p and miR-876-5p were up-regulated in Dys^−/−mice retina. Dys^−/− mice showed significant increased b-wave in ERG, compared to WT mice. Bioinformatic analysis highlighted that dysregulated miRNAs target synaptic plasticity and dopaminergic signaling pathways, affecting retinal functions of Dys^−/− mice. Overall, the data indicate potential mechanisms in retinal neurodevelopment of Dys^−/− mice, which may have translational significance in HSP-7 patients, both in terms of diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers and novel pharmacological targets.

Dysbindin-1 Involvement in the Etiology of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric disorder that afflicts about 1% of the world’s population, falling into the top 10 medical disorders causing disability. Existing therapeutic strategies have had limited success on cognitive impairment and long-term disability and are burdened by side effects. Although new antipsychotic medications have been launched in the past decades, there has been a general lack of significant innovation. This lack of significant progress in the pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia is a reflection of the complexity and heterogeneity of the disease. To date, many susceptibility genes have been identified to be associated with schizophrenia. DTNBP1 gene, which encodes dysbindin-1, has been linked to schizophrenia in multiple populations. Studies on genetic variations show that DTNBP1 modulate prefrontal brain functions and psychiatric phenotypes. Dysbindin-1 is enriched in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, while postmortem brain studies of individuals with schizophrenia show decreased levels of dysbindin-1 mRNA and protein in these brain regions. These studies proposed a strong connection between dysbindin-1 function and the pathogenesis of disease. Dysbindin-1 protein was localized at both pre- and post-synaptic sites, where it regulates neurotransmitter release and receptors signaling. Moreover, dysbindin-1 has also been found to be involved in neuronal development. Reduced expression levels of dysbindin-1 mRNA and protein appear to be common in dysfunctional brain areas of schizophrenic patients. The present review addresses our current knowledge of dysbindin-1 with emphasis on its potential role in the schizophrenia pathology. We propose that dysbindin-1 and its signaling pathways may constitute potential therapeutic targets in the therapy of schizophrenia.

The Proteome of BLOC-1 Genetic Defects Identifies the Arp2/3 Actin Polymerization Complex to Function Downstream of the Schizophrenia Susceptibility Factor Dysbindin at the Synapse

Proteome modifications downstream of monogenic or polygenic disorders have the potential to uncover novel molecular mechanisms participating in pathogenesis and/or extragenic modification of phenotypic expression. We tested this idea by determining the proteome sensitive to genetic defects in a locus encoding dysbindin, a protein required for synapse biology and implicated in schizophrenia risk. We applied quantitative mass spectrometry to identify proteins expressed in neuronal cells the abundance of which was altered after downregulation of the schizophrenia susceptibility factor dysbindin (Bloc1s8) or two other dysbindin-interacting polypeptides, which assemble into the octameric biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex 1 (BLOC-1). We found 491 proteins sensitive to dysbindin and BLOC-1 loss of function. Gene ontology of these 491 proteins singled out the actin cytoskeleton and the actin polymerization factor, the Arp2/3 complex, as top statistical molecular pathways contained within the BLOC-1-sensitive proteome. Subunits of the Arp2/3 complex were downregulated by BLOC-1 loss of function, thus affecting actin dynamics in early endosomes of BLOC-1-deficient cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Arp2/3, dysbindin, and subunits of the BLOC-1 complex biochemically and genetically interact, modulating Drosophila melanogaster synapse morphology and homeostatic synaptic plasticity. Our results indicate that ontologically prioritized proteomics identifies novel pathways that modify synaptic phenotypes associated with neurodevelopmental disorder gene defects.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

The mechanisms associated with schizophrenia are mostly unknown despite the increasing number of genetic loci identified that increase disease risk. We present an experimental strategy that impartially and comprehensively interrogates the proteome of neurons to identify effects of genetic mutations in a schizophrenia risk factor, dysbindin. We find that the expression of the actin polymerization complex Arp2/3 is reduced in dysbindin-deficient cells, thus affecting actin-dependent phenotypes in two cellular compartments where dysbindin resides, endosomes and presynapses. Our studies indicate that a central cellular structure affected by schizophrenia susceptibility loci is the actin cytoskeleton, an organelle necessary for synaptic function in the presynaptic and postsynaptic compartment.

TRIM24 protein promotes and TRIM32 protein inhibits cardiomyocyte hypertrophy via regulation of dysbindin protein levels

We have previously shown that dysbindin is a potent inducer of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy via activation of Rho-dependent serum-response factor (SRF) signaling. We have now performed a yeast two-hybrid screen using dysbindin as bait against a cardiac cDNA library to identify the cardiac dysbindin interactome. Among several putative binding proteins, we identified tripartite motif-containing protein 24 (TRIM24) and confirmed this interaction by co-immunoprecipitation and co-immunostaining. Another tripartite motif (TRIM) family protein, TRIM32, has been reported earlier as an E3 ubiquitin ligase for dysbindin in skeletal muscle. Consistently, we found that TRIM32 also degraded dysbindin in neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes as well. Surprisingly, however, TRIM24 did not promote dysbindin decay but rather protected dysbindin against degradation by TRIM32. Correspondingly, TRIM32 attenuated the activation of SRF signaling and hypertrophy due to dysbindin, whereas TRIM24 promoted these effects in neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. This study also implies that TRIM32 is a key regulator of cell viability and apoptosis in cardiomyocytes via simultaneous activation of p53 and caspase-3/-7 and inhibition of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis. In conclusion, we provide here a novel mechanism of post-translational regulation of dysbindin and hypertrophy via TRIM24 and TRIM32 and show the importance of TRIM32 in cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vitro.

Schizophrenia susceptibility gene product dysbindin-1 regulates the homeostasis of cyclin D1

Dysbindin-1 (dystrobrevin binding protein-1, DTNBP1) is now widely accepted as a potential schizophrenia susceptibility gene and accumulating evidence indicates its functions in the neural development. In this study, we tried to identify new binding partners for dysbindin-1 to clarify the novel function of this molecule. When consulted with BioGRID protein interaction database, cyclin D3 was found to be a possible binding partner for dysbindin-1. We then examined the interaction between various dysbindin-1 isoforms (dysbindin-1A, -1B and -1C) and all three D-type cyclins (cyclin D1, D2, and D3) by immunoprecipitation with the COS7 cell expression system, and found that dysbindin-1A preferentially interacts with cyclin D1. The mode of interaction between these molecules was considered as direct binding since recombinant dysbindin-1A and cyclin D1 formed a complex in vitro. Mapping analyses revealed that the C-terminal region of dysbindin-1A binds to the C-terminal of cyclin D1. Consistent with the results of the biochemical analyses, endogenous dysbindin-1was partially colocalized with cyclin D1 in NIH3T3 fibroblast cells and in neuronal stem and/or progenitor cells in embryonic mouse brain. While co-expression of dysbindin-1A with cyclin D1 changed the localization of the latter from the nucleus to cytosol, cyclin D1-binding partner CDK4 inhibited the dysbindin-cyclin D1 interaction. Meanwhile, depletion of endogenous dysbindin-1A increased cyclin D1 expression. These results indicate that dysbindin-1A may control the cyclin D1 function spatiotemporally and might contribute to better understanding of the pathophysiology of dysbindin-1-associated disorders.

Genome-wide investigation of schizophrenia associated plasma Ndel1 enzyme activity

Ndel1 is a DISC1-interacting oligopeptidase that cleaves in vitro neuropeptides as neurotensin and bradykinin, and which has been associated with both neuronal migration and neurite outgrowth. We previously reported that plasma Ndel1 enzyme activity is lower in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) compared to healthy controls (HCs). To our knowledge, no previous study has investigated the genetic factors associated with the plasma Ndel1 enzyme activity. In the current analyses, samples from 83 SCZ patients and 92 control subjects that were assayed for plasma Ndel1 enzyme activity were genotyped on Illumina Omni Express arrays. A genetic relationship matrix using genome-wide information was then used for ancestry correction, and association statistics were calculated genome-wide. Ndel1 enzyme activity was significantly lower in patients with SCZ (t=4.9; p<0.001) and was found to be associated with CAMK1D, MAGI2, CCDC25, and GABGR3, at a level of suggestive significance (p<10(-6)), independent of the clinical status. Then, we performed a model to investigate the observed differences for case/control measures. 2 SNPs at region 1p22.2 reached the p<10(-7) level. ZFPM2 and MAD1L1 were the only two genes with more than one hit at 10(-6) order of p value. Therefore, Ndel1 enzyme activity is a complex trait influenced by many different genetic variants that may contribute to SCZ physiopathology.

The Schizophrenia-Related Protein Dysbindin-1A Is Degraded and Facilitates NF-Kappa B Activity in the Nucleus

Dystrobrevin-binding protein 1 (DTNBP1), a gene encoding dysbindin-1, has been identified as a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia. Functioning with partners in synapses or the cytoplasm, this gene regulates neurite outgrowth and neurotransmitter release. Loss of dysbindin-1 affects schizophrenia pathology. Dysbindin-1 is also found in the nucleus, however, the characteristics of dysbindin in the nucleus are not fully understood. Here, we found that dysbindin-1A is degraded in the nucleus via the ubiquitin-proteasome system and that amino acids 2-41 at the N-terminus are required for this process. By interacting with p65, dysbindin-1A promotes the transcriptional activity of NF-kappa B in the nucleus and positively regulates MMP-9 expression. Taken together, the data obtained in this study demonstrate that dysbindin-1A protein levels are highly regulated in the nucleus and that dysbindin-1A regulates transcription factor NF-kappa B activity to promote the expression of MMP-9 and TNF-α.

Molecular evolution and functional divergence of zebrafish (Danio rerio) cryptochrome genes

Cryptochromes function in animal circadian regulation. Zebrafish are known to have six cryptochrome (cry) genes but their evolutionary relationships are not yet fully resolved. Here, comparative genomic analyses revealed that a local duplication of ancestral chordate Cry occurred likely before the first round of vertebrate genome duplication (VGD); following two successive rounds of VGD and subsequent gene losses, coelacanths retained cry1a, cry1b, cry2 and cry3; and following the third-round teleost genome duplication (TGD) and subsequent gene losses, zebrafish retained six cry genes, renamed as cry1aa (zcry1a in the old nomenclature), cry1ab (zcry1b), cry1ba (zcry2a), cry1bb (zcry2b), cry2 (zcry3) and cry3 (zcry4). Molecular evolutionary analyses suggested that zebrafish cry genes have evolved divergent functions, which is further supported by their distinct and rhythmic expression patterns as shown by both in situ hybridization and quantitative real-time PCR. Systematic cell transfection assays divided six Cry proteins into repressive Cry1aa, Cry1ab, Cry1ba and Cry1bb, and non-repressive Cry2 and Cry3. Cry2 is non-repressive because it lacks an effective protein-protein interaction domain although it does possess a nuclear localization signal (NLS) motif, whilst Cry3 lacks both an NLS motif and a protein-protein interaction domain. These findings provide a better understanding of evolution of zebrafish cry genes.

Impaired autophagy in hilar mossy cells of the dentate gyrus and its implication in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a complex disease that has been regarded as a neurodevelopmental, synaptic or epigenetic disorder. Here we provide evidence that neurodegeneration is implicated in SCZ. The DTNBP1 (dystrobrevin-binding protein 1) gene encodes dysbindin-1 and is a leading susceptibility gene of SCZ. We previously reported that the dysbindin-1C isoform regulates the survival of the hilar glutamatergic mossy cells in the dentate gyrus, which controls the adult hippocampal neurogenesis. However, the underlying mechanism of hilar mossy cell loss in the dysbindin-1-deficient sandy (sdy) mice (a mouse model of SCZ) is unknown. In this study, we did not observe the apoptotic signals in the hilar mossy cells of the sdy mice by using the TUNEL assay and immunostaining of cleaved caspase-3 or necdin, a dysbindin-1- and p53-interacting protein required for neuronal survival. However, we found that the steady-state level of LC3-II, a marker of autophagosomes, was decreased in the hippocampal formation in the mice lacking dysbindin-1C. Furthermore, we observed a significant reduction of the cytosolic LC3-II puncta in the mossy cells of sdy mice. In addition, overexpression of dysbindin-1C, but not 1A, in cultured cells increased LC3-II level and the LC3 puncta in the transfected cells. These results suggest that dysbindin-1C deficiency causes impaired autophagy, which is likely implicated in the pathogenesis of SCZ.

Dysbindin-1C is required for the survival of hilar mossy cells and the maturation of adult newborn neurons in dentate gyrus

DTNBP1 (dystrobrevin-binding protein 1), which encodes dysbindin-1, is one of the leading susceptibility genes for schizophrenia. Both dysbindin-1B and -1C isoforms are decreased, but the dysbindin-1A isoform is unchanged in schizophrenic hippocampal formation, suggesting dysbindin-1 isoforms may have distinct roles in schizophrenia. We found that mouse dysbindin-1C, but not dysbindin-1A, is localized in the hilar glutamatergic mossy cells of the dentate gyrus. The maturation rate of newborn neurons in sandy (sdy) mice, in which both dysbindin-1A and -1C are deleted, is significantly delayed when compared with that in wild-type mice or with that in muted (mu) mice in which dysbindin-1A is destabilized but dysbindin-1C is unaltered. Dysbindin-1C deficiency leads to a decrease in mossy cells, which causes the delayed maturation of newborn neurons. This suggests that dysbindin-1C, rather than dysbindin-1A, regulates adult hippocampal neurogenesis in a non-cell autonomous manner.

The schizophrenia susceptibility gene DTNBP1 modulates AMPAR synaptic transmission and plasticity in the hippocampus of juvenile DBA/2J mice

The dystrobrevin binding protein (DTNBP) 1 gene has emerged over the last decade as a potential susceptibility locus for schizophrenia. While no causative mutations have been found, reduced expression of the encoded protein, dysbindin, was reported in patients. Dysbindin likely plays a role in the neuronal trafficking of proteins including receptors. One important pathway suspected to be affected in schizophrenia is the fast excitatory glutamatergic transmission mediated by AMPA receptors. Here, we investigated excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity in hippocampal neurons from dysbindin-deficient sandy mice bred on the DBA/2J strain. In cultured neurons an enhancement of AMPAR responses was observed. The enhancement of AMPAR-mediated transmission was confirmed in hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses, and was not associated with changes in the expression of GluA1-4 subunits or an increase in GluR2-lacking receptor complexes. Lastly, an enhancement in LTP was also found in these mice. These data provide compelling evidence that dysbindin, a widely suspected susceptibility protein in schizophrenia, is important for AMPAR-mediated synaptic transmission and plasticity in the developing hippocampus.

Animal models of schizophrenia emphasizing construct validity

Achieving animal models of schizophrenia which are representative of clear aspects of the illness is critical to understanding pathophysiology and developing novel treatments for the complex syndrome. This chapter reviews the various approaches that have been used in the past to create animal models of schizophrenia, including pharmacological approaches, environmental risk conditions and schizophrenia risk genes. In addition, we present a new animal model which derives directly from human tissue and brain imaging data used to develop a human schizophrenia model. This chapter emphasizes the crucial need for construct validity and of modeling discrete elements of schizophrenia's illness presentation as the way to successful advances.

Schizophrenia susceptibility gene dysbindin regulates glutamatergic and dopaminergic functions via distinctive mechanisms in Drosophila

The dysfunction of multiple neurotransmitter systems is a striking pathophysiological feature of many mental disorders, schizophrenia in particular, but delineating the underlying mechanisms has been challenging. Here we show that manipulation of a single schizophrenia susceptibility gene, dysbindin, is capable of regulating both glutamatergic and dopaminergic functions through two independent mechanisms, consequently leading to two categories of clinically relevant behavioral phenotypes. Dysbindin has been reported to affect glutamatergic and dopaminergic functions as well as a range of clinically relevant behaviors in vertebrates and invertebrates but has been thought to have a mainly neuronal origin. We find that reduced expression of Drosophila dysbindin (Ddysb) in presynaptic neurons significantly suppresses glutamatergic synaptic transmission and that this glutamatergic defect is responsible for impaired memory. However, only the reduced expression of Ddysb in glial cells is the cause of hyperdopaminergic activities that lead to abnormal locomotion and altered mating orientation. This effect is attributable to the altered expression of a dopamine metabolic enzyme, Ebony, in glial cells. Thus, Ddysb regulates glutamatergic transmission through its neuronal function and regulates dopamine metabolism by regulating Ebony expression in glial cells.

Cell biology of the BLOC-1 complex subunit dysbindin, a schizophrenia susceptibility gene

There is growing interest in the biology of dysbindin and its genetic locus (DTNBP1) due to genetic variants associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia. Reduced levels of dysbindin mRNA and protein in the hippocampal formation of schizophrenia patients further support involvement of this locus in disease risk. Here, we discuss phylogenetically conserved dysbindin molecular interactions that define its contribution to the assembly of the biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex-1 (BLOC-1). We explore fundamental cellular processes where dysbindin and the dysbindin-containing BLOC-1 complex are implicated. We propose that cellular, tissue, and system neurological phenotypes from dysbindin deficiencies in model genetic organisms, and likely individuals affected with schizophrenia, emerge from abnormalities in few core cellular mechanisms controlled by BLOC-1-dysbindin-containing complex rather than from defects in dysbindin itself.

Dysbindin-containing complexes and their proposed functions in brain: from zero to (too) many in a decade

Dysbindin (also known as dysbindin-1 or dystrobrevin-binding protein 1) was identified 10 years ago as a ubiquitously expressed protein of unknown function. In the following years, the protein and its encoding gene, DTNBP1, have become the focus of intensive research owing to genetic and histopathological evidence suggesting a potential role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. In this review, we discuss published results demonstrating that dysbindin function is required for normal physiology of the mammalian central nervous system. In tissues other than brain and in non-neuronal cell types, the protein has been characterized as a stable component of a multi-subunit complex, named BLOC-1 (biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex-1), which has been implicated in intracellular protein trafficking and the biogenesis of specialized organelles of the endosomal-lysosomal system. In the brain, however, dysbindin has been proposed to associate into multiple complexes with alternative binding partners, and to play a surprisingly wide variety of functions including transcriptional regulation, neurite and dendritic spine formation, synaptic vesicle biogenesis and exocytosis, and trafficking of glutamate and dopamine receptors. This puzzling array of molecular and functional properties ascribed to the dysbindin protein from brain underscores the need of further research aimed at ascertaining its biological significance in health and disease.