1
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Pottmeier P, Nikolantonaki D, Lanner F, Peuckert C, Jazin E. Sex-biased gene expression during neural differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1341373. [PMID: 38764741 PMCID: PMC11101176 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1341373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in the developing human brain are primarily attributed to hormonal influence. Recently however, genetic differences and their impact on the developing nervous system have attracted increased attention. To understand genetically driven sexual dimorphisms in neurodevelopment, we investigated genome-wide gene expression in an in vitro differentiation model of male and female human embryonic stem cell lines (hESC), independent of the effects of human sex hormones. Four male and four female-derived hESC lines were differentiated into a population of mixed neurons over 37 days. Differential gene expression and gene set enrichment analyses were conducted on bulk RNA sequencing data. While similar differentiation tendencies in all cell lines demonstrated the robustness and reproducibility of our differentiation protocol, we found sex-biased gene expression already in undifferentiated ESCs at day 0, but most profoundly after 37 days of differentiation. Male and female cell lines exhibited sex-biased expression of genes involved in neurodevelopment, suggesting that sex influences the differentiation trajectory. Interestingly, the highest contribution to sex differences was found to arise from the male transcriptome, involving both Y chromosome and autosomal genes. We propose 13 sex-biased candidate genes (10 upregulated in male cell lines and 3 in female lines) that are likely to affect neuronal development. Additionally, we confirmed gene dosage compensation of X/Y homologs escaping X chromosome inactivation through their Y homologs and identified a significant overexpression of the Y-linked demethylase UTY and KDM5D in male hESC during neuron development, confirming previous results in neural stem cells. Our results suggest that genetic sex differences affect neuronal differentiation trajectories, which could ultimately contribute to sex biases during human brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Pottmeier
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Danai Nikolantonaki
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Lanner
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institute and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christiane Peuckert
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- The Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elena Jazin
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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2
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Szelenyi ER, Fisenne D, Knox JE, Harris JA, Gornet JA, Palaniswamy R, Kim Y, Venkataraju KU, Osten P. Distributed X chromosome inactivation in brain circuitry is associated with X-linked disease penetrance of behavior. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114068. [PMID: 38614085 PMCID: PMC11107803 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The precise anatomical degree of brain X chromosome inactivation (XCI) that is sufficient to alter X-linked disorders in females is unclear. Here, we quantify whole-brain XCI at single-cell resolution to discover a prevalent activation ratio of maternal to paternal X at 60:40 across all divisions of the adult brain. This modest, non-random XCI influences X-linked disease penetrance: maternal transmission of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (Fmr1)-knockout (KO) allele confers 55% of total brain cells with mutant X-active, which is sufficient for behavioral penetrance, while 40% produced from paternal transmission is tolerated. Local XCI mosaicism within affected maternal Fmr1-KO mice further specifies sensorimotor versus social anxiety phenotypes depending on which distinct brain circuitry is most affected, with only a 50%-55% mutant X-active threshold determining penetrance. Thus, our results define a model of X-linked disease penetrance in females whereby distributed XCI among single cells populating brain circuitries can regulate the behavioral penetrance of an X-linked mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R Szelenyi
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Stony Brook University, Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
| | - Danielle Fisenne
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA; Certerra, Inc., Farmingdale, NY 11735, USA
| | - Joseph E Knox
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Julie A Harris
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - James A Gornet
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | | | - Yongsoo Kim
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; College of Medicine, Penn State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | | | - Pavel Osten
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
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3
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Kim D, Yadav D, Song M. An updated review on animal models to study attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:187. [PMID: 38605002 PMCID: PMC11009407 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02893-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder affecting both children and adolescents. Individuals with ADHD experience heterogeneous problems, such as difficulty in attention, behavioral hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Recent studies have shown that complex genetic factors play a role in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders. Animal models with clear hereditary traits are crucial for studying the molecular, biological, and brain circuit mechanisms underlying ADHD. Owing to their well-managed genetic origins and the relative simplicity with which the function of neuronal circuits is clearly established, models of mice can help learn the mechanisms involved in ADHD. Therefore, in this review, we highlighting the important genetic animal models that can be used to study ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daegeon Kim
- Department of Life Science, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan-si, South Korea
| | - Dhananjay Yadav
- Department of Life Science, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan-si, South Korea
| | - Minseok Song
- Department of Life Science, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan-si, South Korea.
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4
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Harris M, Kim BY, Garud N. Enrichment of hard sweeps on the X chromosome compared to autosomes in six Drosophila species. Genetics 2024; 226:iyae019. [PMID: 38366786 PMCID: PMC10990427 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The X chromosome, being hemizygous in males, is exposed one-third of the time increasing the visibility of new mutations to natural selection, potentially leading to different evolutionary dynamics than autosomes. Recently, we found an enrichment of hard selective sweeps over soft selective sweeps on the X chromosome relative to the autosomes in a North American population of Drosophila melanogaster. To understand whether this enrichment is a universal feature of evolution on the X chromosome, we analyze diversity patterns across 6 commonly studied Drosophila species. We find an increased proportion of regions with steep reductions in diversity and elevated homozygosity on the X chromosome compared to autosomes. To assess if these signatures are consistent with positive selection, we simulate a wide variety of evolutionary scenarios spanning variations in demography, mutation rate, recombination rate, background selection, hard sweeps, and soft sweeps and find that the diversity patterns observed on the X are most consistent with hard sweeps. Our findings highlight the importance of sex chromosomes in driving evolutionary processes and suggest that hard sweeps have played a significant role in shaping diversity patterns on the X chromosome across multiple Drosophila species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Harris
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Bernard Y Kim
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Nandita Garud
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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5
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Lafta MS, Mwinyi J, Affatato O, Rukh G, Dang J, Andersson G, Schiöth HB. Exploring sex differences: insights into gene expression, neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cognition, and pathology. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1340108. [PMID: 38449735 PMCID: PMC10915038 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1340108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Increased knowledge about sex differences is important for development of individualized treatments against many diseases as well as understanding behavioral and pathological differences. This review summarizes sex chromosome effects on gene expression, epigenetics, and hormones in relation to the brain. We explore neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cognition, and brain pathology aiming to explain the current state of the art. While some domains exhibit strong differences, others reveal subtle differences whose overall significance warrants clarification. We hope that the current review increases awareness and serves as a basis for the planning of future studies that consider both sexes equally regarding similarities and differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muataz S. Lafta
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jessica Mwinyi
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Women’s Mental Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Oreste Affatato
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Women’s Mental Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gull Rukh
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Junhua Dang
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gerhard Andersson
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helgi B. Schiöth
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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6
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Harris M, Kim B, Garud N. Enrichment of hard sweeps on the X chromosome compared to autosomes in six Drosophila species. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.21.545888. [PMID: 38106201 PMCID: PMC10723260 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.21.545888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The X chromosome, being hemizygous in males, is exposed one third of the time increasing the visibility of new mutations to natural selection, potentially leading to different evolutionary dynamics than autosomes. Recently, we found an enrichment of hard selective sweeps over soft selective sweeps on the X chromosome relative to the autosomes in a North American population of Drosophila melanogaster. To understand whether this enrichment is a universal feature of evolution on the X chromosome, we analyze diversity patterns across six commonly studied Drosophila species. We find an increased proportion of regions with steep reductions in diversity and elevated homozygosity on the X chromosome compared to autosomes. To assess if these signatures are consistent with positive selection, we simulate a wide variety of evolutionary scenarios spanning variations in demography, mutation rate, recombination rate, background selection, hard sweeps, and soft sweeps, and find that the diversity patterns observed on the X are most consistent with hard sweeps. Our findings highlight the importance of sex chromosomes in driving evolutionary processes and suggest that hard sweeps have played a significant role in shaping diversity patterns on the X chromosome across multiple Drosophila species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Harris
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles California, United States of America
| | - Bernard Kim
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Nandita Garud
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles California, United States of America
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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7
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Rocks D, Jaric I, Bellia F, Cham H, Greally JM, Suzuki M, Kundakovic M. Early-life stress and ovarian hormones alter transcriptional regulation in the nucleus accumbens resulting in sex-specific responses to cocaine. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113187. [PMID: 37777968 PMCID: PMC10753961 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress and ovarian hormones contribute to increased female vulnerability to cocaine addiction. Here, we reveal molecular substrates in the reward area, the nucleus accumbens, through which these female-specific factors affect immediate and conditioning responses to cocaine. We find shared involvement of X chromosome inactivation-related and estrogen signaling-related gene regulation in enhanced conditioning responses following early-life stress and during the low-estrogenic state in females. Low-estrogenic females respond to acute cocaine by opening neuronal chromatin enriched for the sites of ΔFosB, a transcription factor implicated in chronic cocaine response and addiction. Conversely, high-estrogenic females respond to cocaine by preferential chromatin closing, providing a mechanism for limiting cocaine-driven chromatin and synaptic plasticity. We find that physiological estrogen withdrawal, early-life stress, and absence of one X chromosome all nullify the protective effect of a high-estrogenic state on cocaine conditioning in females. Our findings offer a molecular framework to enable understanding of sex-specific neuronal mechanisms underlying cocaine use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin Rocks
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Ivana Jaric
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Fabio Bellia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Heining Cham
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - John M Greally
- Center for Epigenomics, Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Masako Suzuki
- Center for Epigenomics, Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Marija Kundakovic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA.
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8
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Zhong L, Liu C, Lin L. Infantile spasms caused by NEXMIF mutation: A case report and literature review. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. CHILD 2023; 12:380-385. [PMID: 37313861 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2023.2220459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infantile spasms are rare epileptic syndromes associated with neurodevelopment and genes. The NEXMIF gene, identified as KIDLIA, KIAA2022 or Xpn, is a gene of unknown biological identity located on the q13.2 X chromosome. CASE DESCRIPTION We presented a 4-month-old infant with a diagnosis of infantile spasms with NEXMIF mutation. Clinical manifestations include psychomotor retardation, loss of consciousness, and seizures. After oral therapy with vigabatrin, sodium valproate, and levetiracetam, the syndrome was alleviated and no recurrence was observed during one month of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS A loss-of-function mutation in the NEXMIF gene has been reported. There are few reports on this mutation worldwide. This study provides a new idea for the clinical treatment of infantile spasms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuming Zhong
- Department of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, Meizhou People's Hospital, Meizhou, China
| | - Caihui Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, Meizhou People's Hospital, Meizhou, China
| | - Liang Lin
- Department of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, Meizhou People's Hospital, Meizhou, China
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9
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Xing Z, Zhang Y, Tian Z, Wang M, Xiao W, Zhu C, Zhao S, Zhu Y, Hu L, Kong X. Escaping but not the inactive X-linked protein complex coding genes may achieve X-chromosome dosage compensation and underlie X chromosome inactivation-related diseases. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17721. [PMID: 37449161 PMCID: PMC10336589 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17721] [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: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
X chromosome dosage compensation (XDC) refers to the process by which X-linked genes acquire expression equivalence between two sexes. Ohno proposed that XDC is achieved by two-fold upregulations of X-linked genes in both sexes and by silencing one X chromosome (X chromosome inactivation, XCI) in females. However, genes subject to two-fold upregulations as well as the underlying mechanism remain unclear. It's reported that gene dosage changes may only affect X-linked dosage-sensitive genes, such as protein complex coding genes (PCGs). Our results showed that in human PCGs are more likely to escape XCI and escaping PCGs (EsP) show two-fold higher expression than inactivated PCGs (InP) or other X-linked genes at RNA and protein levels in both sexes, which suggest that EsP may achieve upregulations and XDC. The higher expressions of EsP possibly result from the upregulations of the single active X chromosome (Xa), rather than escaping expressions from the inactive X chromosome (Xi). EsP genes have relatively high expression levels in humans and lower dN/dS ratios, suggesting that they are likely under stronger selection pressure over evolutionary time. Our study also suggests that SP1 transcription factor is significantly enriched in EsP and may be involved in the up-regulations of EsP on the active X. Finally, human EsP genes in this study are enriched in the toll-like receptor pathway, NF-kB pathway, apoptotic pathway, and abnormal mental, developmental and reproductive phenotypes. These findings suggest misregulations of EsP may be involved in autoimmune, reproductive, and neurological diseases, providing insight for the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Xing
- Clinical Laboratory, Institute of Pediatrics, Shenzhen Children’s' Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Yuchao Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Zhongyuan Tian
- Zhoukou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Zhoukou, Henan, China
| | - Meng Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Weiwei Xiao
- Clinical Laboratory, Institute of Pediatrics, Shenzhen Children’s' Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chunqing Zhu
- Clinical Laboratory, Institute of Pediatrics, Shenzhen Children’s' Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Songhui Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Yufei Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Landian Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Xiangyin Kong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
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10
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Omelková M, Fenger CD, Murray M, Hammer TB, Pravata VM, Bartual SG, Czajewski I, Bayat A, Ferenbach AT, Stavridis MP, van Aalten DMF. An O-GlcNAc transferase pathogenic variant linked to intellectual disability affects pluripotent stem cell self-renewal. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:dmm049132. [PMID: 37334838 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) transferase (OGT) is an essential enzyme that modifies proteins with O-GlcNAc. Inborn OGT genetic variants were recently shown to mediate a novel type of congenital disorder of glycosylation (OGT-CDG), which is characterised by X-linked intellectual disability (XLID) and developmental delay. Here, we report an OGTC921Y variant that co-segregates with XLID and epileptic seizures, and results in loss of catalytic activity. Colonies formed by mouse embryonic stem cells carrying OGTC921Y showed decreased levels of protein O-GlcNAcylation accompanied by decreased levels of Oct4 (encoded by Pou5f1), Sox2 and extracellular alkaline phosphatase (ALP), implying reduced self-renewal capacity. These data establish a link between OGT-CDG and embryonic stem cell self-renewal, providing a foundation for examining the developmental aetiology of this syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Omelková
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Christina Dühring Fenger
- Department of Epilepsy Genetics, Filadelfia Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund 4293, Denmark
- Amplexa Genetics A/S, Odense 5000, Denmark
| | - Marta Murray
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Trine Bjørg Hammer
- Department of Epilepsy Genetics, Filadelfia Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund 4293, Denmark
| | - Veronica M Pravata
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Sergio Galan Bartual
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Ignacy Czajewski
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Allan Bayat
- Department of Epilepsy Genetics, Filadelfia Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund 4293, Denmark
| | - Andrew T Ferenbach
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Marios P Stavridis
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Daan M F van Aalten
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
- Institute of Molecular Precision Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
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11
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Harris M, Garud NR. Enrichment of Hard Sweeps on the X Chromosome in Drosophila melanogaster. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 40:6955808. [PMID: 36546413 PMCID: PMC9825254 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The characteristic properties of the X chromosome, such as male hemizygosity and its unique inheritance pattern, expose it to natural selection in a way that can be different from the autosomes. Here, we investigate the differences in the tempo and mode of adaptation on the X chromosome and autosomes in a population of Drosophila melanogaster. Specifically, we test the hypothesis that due to hemizygosity and a lower effective population size on the X, the relative proportion of hard sweeps, which are expected when adaptation is gradual, compared with soft sweeps, which are expected when adaptation is rapid, is greater on the X than on the autosomes. We quantify the incidence of hard versus soft sweeps in North American D. melanogaster population genomic data with haplotype homozygosity statistics and find an enrichment of the proportion of hard versus soft sweeps on the X chromosome compared with the autosomes, confirming predictions we make from simulations. Understanding these differences may enable a deeper understanding of how important phenotypes arise as well as the impact of fundamental evolutionary parameters on adaptation, such as dominance, sex-specific selection, and sex-biased demography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Harris
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
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12
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Grimm NB, Lee JT. Selective Xi reactivation and alternative methods to restore MECP2 function in Rett syndrome. Trends Genet 2022; 38:920-943. [PMID: 35248405 PMCID: PMC9915138 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The human X-chromosome harbors only 4% of our genome but carries over 20% of genes associated with intellectual disability. Given that they inherit only one X-chromosome, males are more frequently affected by X-linked neurodevelopmental genetic disorders than females. However, despite inheriting two X-chromosomes, females can also be affected because X-chromosome inactivation enables only one of two X-chromosomes to be expressed per cell. For Rett syndrome and similar X-linked disorders affecting females, disease-specific treatments have remained elusive. However, a cure may be found within their own cells because every sick cell carries a healthy copy of the affected gene on the inactive X (Xi). Therefore, selective Xi reactivation may be a viable approach that would address the root cause of various X-linked disorders. Here, we discuss Rett syndrome and compare current approaches in the pharmaceutical pipeline to restore MECP2 function. We then focus on Xi reactivation and review available methods, lessons learned, and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas-Benedikt Grimm
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Genetics, The Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jeannie T Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Genetics, The Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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13
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Casciaro F, Persico G, Rusin M, Amatori S, Montgomery C, Rutkowsky JR, Ramsey JJ, Cortopassi G, Fanelli M, Giorgio M. The Histone H3 K4me3, K27me3, and K27ac Genome-Wide Distributions Are Differently Influenced by Sex in Brain Cortexes and Gastrocnemius of the Alzheimer’s Disease PSAPP Mouse Model. EPIGENOMES 2021; 5:epigenomes5040026. [PMID: 34968250 PMCID: PMC8715457 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes5040026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Women represent the majority of Alzheimer’s disease patients and show typical symptoms. Genetic, hormonal, and behavioral mechanisms have been proposed to explain sex differences in dementia prevalence. However, whether sex differences exist in the epigenetic landscape of neuronal tissue during the progression of the disease is still unknown. Methods: To investigate the differences of histone H3 modifications involved in transcription, we determined the genome-wide profiles of H3K4me3, H3K27ac, and H3K27me3 in brain cortexes of an Alzheimer mouse model (PSAPP). Gastrocnemius muscles were also tested since they are known to be different in the two sexes and are affected during the disease progression. Results: Correlation analysis distinguished the samples based on sex for H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 but not for H3K27ac. The analysis of transcription starting sites (TSS) signal distribution, and analysis of bounding sites revealed that gastrocnemius is more influenced than brain by sex for the three histone modifications considered, exception made for H3K27me3 distribution on the X chromosome which showed sex-related differences in promoters belonging to behavior and cellular or neuronal spheres in mice cortexes. Conclusions: H3K4me3, H3K27ac, and H3K27me3 signals are slightly affected by sex in brain, with the exception of H3K27me3, while a higher number of differences can be found in gastrocnemius.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Casciaro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Persico
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS—European Institute of Oncology, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milano, Italy; (G.P.); (M.R.)
| | - Martina Rusin
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS—European Institute of Oncology, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milano, Italy; (G.P.); (M.R.)
- Molecular Pathology Laboratory “PaoLa”, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Via Arco d’Augusto 2, 61032 Fano (PU), Italy; (S.A.); (M.F.)
| | - Stefano Amatori
- Molecular Pathology Laboratory “PaoLa”, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Via Arco d’Augusto 2, 61032 Fano (PU), Italy; (S.A.); (M.F.)
| | - Claire Montgomery
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (C.M.); (J.R.R.); (J.J.R.); (G.C.)
| | - Jennifer R. Rutkowsky
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (C.M.); (J.R.R.); (J.J.R.); (G.C.)
| | - Jon J. Ramsey
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (C.M.); (J.R.R.); (J.J.R.); (G.C.)
| | - Gino Cortopassi
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (C.M.); (J.R.R.); (J.J.R.); (G.C.)
| | - Mirco Fanelli
- Molecular Pathology Laboratory “PaoLa”, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Via Arco d’Augusto 2, 61032 Fano (PU), Italy; (S.A.); (M.F.)
| | - Marco Giorgio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS—European Institute of Oncology, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milano, Italy; (G.P.); (M.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-04-9827-6060
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14
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Abstract
Nuclei are central hubs for information processing in eukaryotic cells. The need to fit large genomes into small nuclei imposes severe restrictions on genome organization and the mechanisms that drive genome-wide regulatory processes. How a disordered polymer such as chromatin, which has vast heterogeneity in its DNA and histone modification profiles, folds into discernibly consistent patterns is a fundamental question in biology. Outstanding questions include how genomes are spatially and temporally organized to regulate cellular processes with high precision and whether genome organization is causally linked to transcription regulation. The advent of next-generation sequencing, super-resolution imaging, multiplexed fluorescent in situ hybridization, and single-molecule imaging in individual living cells has caused a resurgence in efforts to understand the spatiotemporal organization of the genome. In this review, we discuss structural and mechanistic properties of genome organization at different length scales and examine changes in higher-order chromatin organization during important developmental transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajarshi P Ghosh
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA; ,
| | - Barbara J Meyer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA; ,
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15
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Davis EJ, Solsberg CW, White CC, Miñones-Moyano E, Sirota M, Chibnik L, Bennett DA, De Jager PL, Yokoyama JS, Dubal DB. Sex-Specific Association of the X Chromosome With Cognitive Change and Tau Pathology in Aging and Alzheimer Disease. JAMA Neurol 2021; 78:1249-1254. [PMID: 34424272 PMCID: PMC8383157 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.2806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Importance The X chromosome represents 5% of the human genome in women and men, and its influence on cognitive aging and Alzheimer disease (AD) is largely unknown. Objective To determine whether the X chromosome is associated with sex-specific cognitive change and tau pathology in aging and AD. Design, Setting, Participants This study examined differential gene expression profiling of the X chromosome from an RNA sequencing data set of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex obtained from autopsied, elderly individuals enrolled in the Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project joint cohorts. Samples were collected from the cohort study with enrollment from 1994 to 2017. Data were last analyzed in May 2021. Main Outcomes and Measures The main analysis examined whether X chromosome gene expression measured by RNA sequencing of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was associated with cognitive change during aging and AD, independent of AD pathology and at the transcriptome-wide level in women and men. Whether X chromosome gene expression was associated with neurofibrillary tangle burden, a measure of tau pathology that influences cognition, in women and men was also explored. Results Samples for RNA sequencing of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were obtained from 508 individuals (mean [SD] age at death, 88.4 [6.6] years; 315 [62.0%] were female; 197 [38.8%] had clinical diagnosis of AD at death; 293 [58.2%] had pathological diagnosis of AD at death) enrolled in the Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project joint cohorts and were followed up annually for a mean (SD) of 6.3 (3.9) years. X chromosome gene expression (29 genes), adjusted for age at death, education, and AD pathology, was significantly associated with cognitive change at the genome-wide level in women but not men. In the majority of identified X genes (19 genes), increased expression was associated with slower cognitive decline in women. In contrast with cognition, X chromosome gene expression (3 genes), adjusted for age at death and education, was associated with neuropathological tau burden at the genome-wide level in men but not women. Conclusions and Relevance In this study, the X chromosome was associated with cognitive trajectories and neuropathological tau burden in aging and AD in a sex-specific manner. This is important because specific X chromosome factors could contribute risk or resilience to biological pathways of aging and AD in women, men, or both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Davis
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Caroline W. Solsberg
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenetics Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Charles C. White
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Elena Miñones-Moyano
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Marina Sirota
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Lori Chibnik
- Biostatistics Center, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - David A. Bennett
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Philip L. De Jager
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Jennifer S. Yokoyama
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Dena B. Dubal
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
- Associate Editor, JAMA Neurology
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16
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Klabunde M, Piccirilli A, Bruno J, Gendron M, Reiss AL. Empathic Accuracy in Adolescent Girls with Turner Syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:2203-2212. [PMID: 34081302 PMCID: PMC9021071 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05089-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
To examine the potential mechanisms underlying social deficits in Turner Syndrome, we administered the empathic accuracy task (EAT) -a naturalistic social cognition task- and a (control) visual-motor line-tracking task to 14 girls with TS was compared to 12 age-matched typically developing girls (TD; ages 12 to 17). Empathic accuracy was compared across positive and negative emotionally valanced videos. We found that TS differs from TD on empathic accuracy ratings for negative videos; no differences were detected for the positive videos or for the control line tracking task. Thus, our findings suggest impaired detection of negatively valanced empathic interactions in TS and may help inform the future development of social-cognition treatment strategies for girls with TS.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Klabunde
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Brain Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, C04 3SQ, UK.
| | - A Piccirilli
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - J Bruno
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - M Gendron
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - A L Reiss
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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17
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Barthelson K, Baer L, Dong Y, Hand M, Pujic Z, Newman M, Goodhill GJ, Richards RI, Pederson SM, Lardelli M. Zebrafish Chromosome 14 Gene Differential Expression in the fmr1 h u2787 Model of Fragile X Syndrome. Front Genet 2021; 12:625466. [PMID: 34135935 PMCID: PMC8203322 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.625466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish represent a valuable model for investigating the molecular and cellular basis of Fragile X syndrome (FXS). Reduced expression of the zebrafish FMR1 orthologous gene, fmr1, causes developmental and behavioural phenotypes related to FXS. Zebrafish homozygous for the hu2787 non-sense mutation allele of fmr1 are widely used to model FXS, although FXS-relevant phenotypes seen from morpholino antisense oligonucleotide (morpholino) suppression of fmr1 transcript translation were not observed when hu2787 was first described. The subsequent discovery of transcriptional adaptation (a form of genetic compensation), whereby mutations causing non-sense-mediated decay of transcripts can drive compensatory upregulation of homologous transcripts independent of protein feedback loops, suggested an explanation for the differences reported. We examined the whole-embryo transcriptome effects of homozygosity for fmr1 h u2787 at 2 days post fertilisation. We observed statistically significant changes in expression of a number of gene transcripts, but none from genes showing sequence homology to fmr1. Enrichment testing of differentially expressed genes implied effects on lysosome function and glycosphingolipid biosynthesis. The majority of the differentially expressed genes are located, like fmr1, on Chromosome 14. Quantitative PCR tests did not support that this was artefactual due to changes in relative chromosome abundance. Enrichment testing of the "leading edge" differentially expressed genes from Chromosome 14 revealed that their co-location on this chromosome may be associated with roles in brain development and function. The differential expression of functionally related genes due to mutation of fmr1, and located on the same chromosome as fmr1, is consistent with R.A. Fisher's assertion that the selective advantage of co-segregation of particular combinations of alleles of genes will favour, during evolution, chromosomal rearrangements that place them in linkage disequilibrium on the same chromosome. However, we cannot exclude that the apparent differential expression of genes on Chromosome 14 genes was, (if only in part), caused by differences between the expression of alleles of genes unrelated to the effects of the fmr1 h u2787 mutation and made manifest due to the limited, but non-zero, allelic diversity between the genotypes compared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karissa Barthelson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Lachlan Baer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Yang Dong
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Melanie Hand
- Bioinformatics Hub, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Zac Pujic
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Morgan Newman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Geoffrey J. Goodhill
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Robert I. Richards
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | | | - Michael Lardelli
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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18
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Qi S, Al Mamun A, Ngwa C, Romana S, Ritzel R, Arnold AP, McCullough LD, Liu F. X chromosome escapee genes are involved in ischemic sexual dimorphism through epigenetic modification of inflammatory signals. J Neuroinflammation 2021; 18:70. [PMID: 33712031 PMCID: PMC7953638 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-021-02120-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stroke is a sexually dimorphic disease. Previous studies have found that young females are protected against ischemia compared to males, partially due to the protective effect of ovarian hormones, particularly estrogen (E2). However, there are also genetic and epigenetic effects of X chromosome dosage that contribute to stroke sensitivity and neuroinflammation after injury, especially in the aged. Genes that escape from X chromosome inactivation (XCI) contribute to sex-specific phenotypes in many disorders. Kdm5c and kdm6a are X escapee genes that demethylate H3K4me3 and H3K27me3, respectively. We hypothesized that the two demethylases play critical roles in mediating the stroke sensitivity. METHODS To identify the X escapee genes involved in stroke, we performed RNA-seq in flow-sorted microglia from aged male and female wild type (WT) mice subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The expression of these genes (kdm5c/kdm6a) were confirmed in four core genotypes (FCG) mice and in post-mortem human stroke brains by immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blot, and RT-PCR. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were conducted to detect DNA levels of inflammatory interferon regulatory factor (IRF) 4/5 precipitated by histone H3K4 and H3K27 antibodies. Manipulation of kdm5c/kdm6a expression with siRNA or lentivirus was performed in microglial culture, to determine downstream pathways and examine the regulatory roles in inflammatory cytokine production. RESULTS Kdm5c and kdm6a mRNA levels were significantly higher in aged WT female vs. male microglia, and the sex difference also existed in ischemic brains from FCG mice and human stroke patients. The ChIP assay showed the IRF 4/5 had higher binding levels to demethylated H3K4 or H3K27, respectively, in female vs. male ischemic microglia. Knockdown or over expression of kdm5c/kdm6a with siRNA or lentivirus altered the methylation of H3K4 or H3K27 at the IRF4/5 genes, which in turn, impacted the production of inflammatory cytokines. CONCLUSIONS The KDM-Histone-IRF pathways are suggested to mediate sex differences in cerebral ischemia. Epigenetic modification of stroke-related genes constitutes an important mechanism underlying the ischemic sexual dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaohua Qi
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Abdullah Al Mamun
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Conelius Ngwa
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sharmeen Romana
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Rodney Ritzel
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Arthur P Arnold
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, 610 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Louise D McCullough
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Fudong Liu
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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19
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Singh RS, Singh KK, Singh SM. Origin of Sex-Biased Mental Disorders: An Evolutionary Perspective. J Mol Evol 2021; 89:195-213. [PMID: 33630117 PMCID: PMC8116267 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-021-09999-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism or sex bias in diseases and mental disorders have two biological causes: sexual selection and sex hormones. We review the role of sexual selection theory and bring together decades of molecular studies on the variation and evolution of sex-biased genes and provide a theoretical basis for the causes of sex bias in disease and health. We present a Sexual Selection-Sex Hormone theory and show that male-driven evolution, including sexual selection, leads to: (1) increased male vulnerability due to negative pleiotropic effects associated with male-driven sexual selection and evolution; (2) increased rates of male-driven mutations and epimutations in response to early fitness gains and at the cost of late fitness; and (3) enhanced female immunity due to antagonistic responses to mutations that are beneficial to males but harmful to females, reducing female vulnerability to diseases and increasing the thresholds for disorders such as autism. Female-driven evolution, such as reproduction-related fluctuation in female sex hormones in association with stress and social condition, has been shown to be associated with increased risk of certain mental disorders such as major depression disorder in women. Bodies have history, cells have memories. An evolutionary framework, such as the Sexual Selection–Sex Hormone theory, provides a historical perspective for understanding how the differences in the sex-biased diseases and mental disorders have evolved over time. It has the potential to direct the development of novel preventive and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rama S Singh
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
| | - Karun K Singh
- Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.,Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Shiva M Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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20
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Linher-Melville K, Shah A, Singh G. Sex differences in neuro(auto)immunity and chronic sciatic nerve pain. Biol Sex Differ 2020; 11:62. [PMID: 33183347 PMCID: PMC7661171 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-020-00339-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain occurs with greater frequency in women, with a parallel sexually dimorphic trend reported in sufferers of many autoimmune diseases. There is a need to continue examining neuro-immune-endocrine crosstalk in the context of sexual dimorphisms in chronic pain. Several phenomena in particular need to be further explored. In patients, autoantibodies to neural antigens have been associated with sensory pathway hyper-excitability, and the role of self-antigens released by damaged nerves remains to be defined. In addition, specific immune cells release pro-nociceptive cytokines that directly influence neural firing, while T lymphocytes activated by specific antigens secrete factors that either support nerve repair or exacerbate the damage. Modulating specific immune cell populations could therefore be a means to promote nerve recovery, with sex-specific outcomes. Understanding biological sex differences that maintain, or fail to maintain, neuroimmune homeostasis may inform the selection of sex-specific treatment regimens, improving chronic pain management by rebalancing neuroimmune feedback. Given the significance of interactions between nerves and immune cells in the generation and maintenance of neuropathic pain, this review focuses on sex differences and possible links with persistent autoimmune activity using sciatica as an example.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Linher-Melville
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anita Shah
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gurmit Singh
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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21
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Davis EJ, Broestl L, Abdulai-Saiku S, Worden K, Bonham LW, Miñones-Moyano E, Moreno AJ, Wang D, Chang K, Williams G, Garay BI, Lobach I, Devidze N, Kim D, Anderson-Bergman C, Yu GQ, White CC, Harris JA, Miller BL, Bennett DA, Arnold AP, De Jager PL, Palop JJ, Panning B, Yokoyama JS, Mucke L, Dubal DB. A second X chromosome contributes to resilience in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Sci Transl Med 2020; 12:eaaz5677. [PMID: 32848093 PMCID: PMC8409261 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaz5677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
A major sex difference in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is that men with the disease die earlier than do women. In aging and preclinical AD, men also show more cognitive deficits. Here, we show that the X chromosome affects AD-related vulnerability in mice expressing the human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP), a model of AD. XY-hAPP mice genetically modified to develop testicles or ovaries showed worse mortality and deficits than did XX-hAPP mice with either gonad, indicating a sex chromosome effect. To dissect whether the absence of a second X chromosome or the presence of a Y chromosome conferred a disadvantage on male mice, we varied sex chromosome dosage. With or without a Y chromosome, hAPP mice with one X chromosome showed worse mortality and deficits than did those with two X chromosomes. Thus, adding a second X chromosome conferred resilience to XY males and XO females. In addition, the Y chromosome, its sex-determining region Y gene (Sry), or testicular development modified mortality in hAPP mice with one X chromosome such that XY males with testicles survived longer than did XY or XO females with ovaries. Furthermore, a second X chromosome conferred resilience potentially through the candidate gene Kdm6a, which does not undergo X-linked inactivation. In humans, genetic variation in KDM6A was linked to higher brain expression and associated with less cognitive decline in aging and preclinical AD, suggesting its relevance to human brain health. Our study suggests a potential role for sex chromosomes in modulating disease vulnerability related to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Davis
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Lauren Broestl
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Samira Abdulai-Saiku
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kurtresha Worden
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Luke W Bonham
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Elena Miñones-Moyano
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Arturo J Moreno
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Dan Wang
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kevin Chang
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Gina Williams
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Bayardo I Garay
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Iryna Lobach
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Nino Devidze
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Daniel Kim
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | | | - Gui-Qiu Yu
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Charles C White
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Julie A Harris
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Bruce L Miller
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - David A Bennett
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Arthur P Arnold
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Phil L De Jager
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jorge J Palop
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Barbara Panning
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jennifer S Yokoyama
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Lennart Mucke
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Dena B Dubal
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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22
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Nguyen TA, Lehr AW, Roche KW. Neuroligins and Neurodevelopmental Disorders: X-Linked Genetics. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2020; 12:33. [PMID: 32848696 PMCID: PMC7431521 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2020.00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that results in social-communication impairments, as well as restricted and repetitive behaviors. Moreover, ASD is more prevalent in males, with a male to female ratio of 4 to 1. Although the underlying etiology of ASD is generally unknown, recent advances in genome sequencing have facilitated the identification of a host of associated genes. Among these, synaptic proteins such as cell adhesion molecules have been strongly linked with ASD. Interestingly, many large genome sequencing studies exclude sex chromosomes, which leads to a shift in focus toward autosomal genes as targets for ASD research. However, there are many genes on the X chromosome that encode synaptic proteins, including strong candidate genes. Here, we review findings regarding two members of the neuroligin (NLGN) family of postsynaptic adhesion molecules, NLGN3 and NLGN4. Neuroligins have multiple isoforms (NLGN1-4), which are both autosomal and sex-linked. The sex-linked genes, NLGN3 and NLGN4, are both on the X chromosome and were among the first few genes to be linked with ASD and intellectual disability (ID). In addition, there is a less studied human neuroligin on the Y chromosome, NLGN4Y, which forms an X-Y pair with NLGN4X. We will discuss recent findings of these neuroligin isoforms regarding function at the synapse in both rodent models and human-derived differentiated neurons, and highlight the exciting challenges moving forward to a better understanding of ASD/ID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thien A. Nguyen
- Receptor Biology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Alexander W. Lehr
- Receptor Biology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Katherine W. Roche
- Receptor Biology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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23
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Lopes PC, König B. Wild mice with different social network sizes vary in brain gene expression. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:506. [PMID: 32698762 PMCID: PMC7374831 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-06911-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Appropriate social interactions influence animal fitness by impacting several processes, such as mating, territory defense, and offspring care. Many studies shedding light on the neurobiological underpinnings of social behavior have focused on nonapeptides (vasopressin, oxytocin, and homologues) and on sexual or parent-offspring interactions. Furthermore, animals have been studied under artificial laboratory conditions, where the consequences of behavioral responses may not be as critical as when expressed under natural environments, therefore obscuring certain physiological responses. We used automated recording of social interactions of wild house mice outside of the breeding season to detect individuals at both tails of a distribution of egocentric network sizes (characterized by number of different partners encountered per day). We then used RNA-seq to perform an unbiased assessment of neural differences in gene expression in the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus and the hypothalamus between these mice with naturally occurring extreme differences in social network size. Results We found that the neurogenomic pathways associated with having extreme social network sizes differed between the sexes. In females, hundreds of genes were differentially expressed between animals with small and large social network sizes, whereas in males very few were. In males, X-chromosome inactivation pathways in the prefrontal cortex were the ones that better differentiated animals with small from those with large social network sizes animals. In females, animals with small network size showed up-regulation of dopaminergic production and transport pathways in the hypothalamus. Additionally, in females, extracellular matrix deposition on hippocampal neurons was higher in individuals with small relative to large social network size. Conclusions Studying neural substrates of natural variation in social behavior in traditional model organisms in their habitat can open new targets of research for understanding variation in social behavior in other taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia C Lopes
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA.
| | - Barbara König
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
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24
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Merikangas AK, Almasy L. Using the tools of genetic epidemiology to understand sex differences in neuropsychiatric disorders. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 19:e12660. [PMID: 32348611 PMCID: PMC7507200 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Many neuropsychiatric disorders exhibit differences in prevalence, age of onset, symptoms or course of illness between males and females. For the most part, the origins of these differences are not well understood. In this article, we provide an overview of sex differences in psychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, alcohol and substance abuse, schizophrenia, eating disorders and risk of suicide. We discuss both genetic and nongenetic mechanisms that have been hypothesized to underlie these differences, including ascertainment bias, environmental stressors, X‐ or Y‐linked risk loci, and differential liability thresholds in males and females. We then review the use of twin, family and genome‐wide association approaches to study potential genetic mechanisms of sex differences and the extent to which these designs have been employed in studies of psychiatric disorders. We describe the utility of genetic epidemiologic study designs, including classical twin and family studies, large‐scale studies of population registries, derived recurrence risks, and molecular genetic analyses of genome‐wide variation that may enhance our understanding sex differences in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison K Merikangas
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Laura Almasy
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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25
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Pravata VM, Omelková M, Stavridis MP, Desbiens CM, Stephen HM, Lefeber DJ, Gecz J, Gundogdu M, Õunap K, Joss S, Schwartz CE, Wells L, van Aalten DMF. An intellectual disability syndrome with single-nucleotide variants in O-GlcNAc transferase. Eur J Hum Genet 2020; 28:706-714. [PMID: 32080367 PMCID: PMC7253464 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-020-0589-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects ~1% of the world population. In total 5-10% of ID cases are due to variants in genes located on the X chromosome. Recently, variants in OGT have been shown to co-segregate with X-linked intellectual disability (XLID) in multiple families. OGT encodes O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), an essential enzyme that catalyses O-linked glycosylation with β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) on serine/threonine residues of thousands of nuclear and cytosolic proteins. In this review, we compile the work from the last few years that clearly delineates a new syndromic form of ID, which we propose to classify as a novel Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation (OGT-CDG). We discuss potential hypotheses for the underpinning molecular mechanism(s) that provide impetus for future research studies geared towards informed interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica M. Pravata
- 0000 0004 0397 2876grid.8241.fDivision of Gene Regulation and Expression and School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Michaela Omelková
- 0000 0004 0397 2876grid.8241.fDivision of Gene Regulation and Expression and School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Marios P. Stavridis
- 0000 0004 0397 2876grid.8241.fDivision of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Chelsea M. Desbiens
- 0000 0004 1936 738Xgrid.213876.9Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
| | - Hannah M. Stephen
- 0000 0004 1936 738Xgrid.213876.9Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
| | - Dirk J. Lefeber
- 0000 0004 0444 9382grid.10417.33Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jozef Gecz
- 0000 0004 1936 7304grid.1010.0Adelaide Medical School and the Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA Australia
| | - Mehmet Gundogdu
- 0000 0001 2193 314Xgrid.8756.cInstitute of Molecular Cell and System Biology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Katrin Õunap
- 0000 0001 0585 7044grid.412269.aDepartment of Clinical Genetics, United Laboratories, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia ,0000 0001 0943 7661grid.10939.32Department of Clinical Genetics, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Shelagh Joss
- West of Scotland Genetic Service, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, UK
| | - Charles E. Schwartz
- 0000 0000 8571 0933grid.418307.9Greenwood Genetic Center, Greenwood, SC 29646 USA
| | - Lance Wells
- 0000 0004 1936 738Xgrid.213876.9Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
| | - Daan M. F. van Aalten
- 0000 0004 0397 2876grid.8241.fDivision of Gene Regulation and Expression and School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK ,0000 0001 0379 7164grid.216417.7Institute of Molecular Precision Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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26
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De Luca C, Race V, Keldermans L, Bauters M, Van Esch H. Challenges in molecular diagnosis of X-linked Intellectual disability. Br Med Bull 2020; 133:36-48. [PMID: 32043524 DOI: 10.1093/bmb/ldz039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intellectual disability (ID) affects 1-3% of the Western population and is heterogeneous in origin. Mutations in X-linked genes represent 5-10% of ID in males. Fragile X syndrome, due to the silencing of the FMR1 gene, is the most common form of ID, with a prevalence of around 1:5000 males. Females are usually non- or mildly affected carriers, and in a few rare cases, the only gender affected. Array comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) have dramatically changed the nature of human genome analysis leading to the identification of new X-linked intellectual disability syndromes and disease-causing genes. SOURCES OF DATA Original papers, reviews, guidelines and experiences of the diagnostic laboratories. AREAS OF AGREEMENT Family history and clinical examination still are essential to choose the appropriate diagnostic tests, including, a disease-specific genetic test, aCGH or FMR1 molecular analysis. If negative, NGS approaches like well-defined gene panels, whole exome, or even whole genome sequencing, are increasingly being used, improving diagnostics and leading to the identification of novel disease mechanisms. AREAS OF CONTROVERSY The main challenge in the era of NGS is filtering and interpretation of the data generated by the analysis of a single individual. In X-linked cases, assessing pathogenicity is particularly challenging, even more when the variant is found to be inherited from a healthy carrier mother or when a heterozygous X-linked mutation is found in an impaired female. GROWING POINTS At present, variant interpretation remains a challenging task, especially in X-linked disorders. We review the main difficulties and propose a comprehensive overview that might aid in variant interpretation. Establishing a genetic diagnosis facilitates counseling and allows better delineation of clinical phenotypes. AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH To improve variant interpretation, there is need to refine in silico predictions with specific criteria for each gene, and to develop cost-effective functional tools, which can be easily transferred to diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara De Luca
- Center for Human Genetics, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valérie Race
- Center for Human Genetics, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Liesbeth Keldermans
- Center for Human Genetics, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marijke Bauters
- Center for Human Genetics, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hilde Van Esch
- Center for Human Genetics, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.,Laboratory for the Genetics of Cognition, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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27
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Bajic VP, Essack M, Zivkovic L, Stewart A, Zafirovic S, Bajic VB, Gojobori T, Isenovic E, Spremo-Potparevic B. The X Files: "The Mystery of X Chromosome Instability in Alzheimer's Disease". Front Genet 2020; 10:1368. [PMID: 32047510 PMCID: PMC6997486 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects millions of individuals worldwide and can occur relatively early or later in life. It is well known that genetic components, such as the amyloid precursor protein gene on chromosome 21, are fundamental in early-onset AD (EOAD). To date, however, only the apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) gene has been proved to be a genetic risk factor for late-onset AD (LOAD). In recent years, despite the hypothesis that many additional unidentified genes are likely to play a role in AD development, it is surprising that additional gene polymorphisms associated with LOAD have failed to come to light. In this review, we examine the role of X chromosome epigenetics and, based upon GWAS studies, the PCDHX11 gene. Furthermore, we explore other genetic risk factors of AD that involve X-chromosome epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladan P Bajic
- Laboratory for Radiobiology and Molecular Genetics, Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Magbubah Essack
- Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lada Zivkovic
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Alan Stewart
- School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Sonja Zafirovic
- Laboratory for Radiobiology and Molecular Genetics, Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vladimir B Bajic
- Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Takashi Gojobori
- Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Esma Isenovic
- Laboratory for Radiobiology and Molecular Genetics, Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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28
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Gegenhuber B, Tollkuhn J. Signatures of sex: Sex differences in gene expression in the vertebrate brain. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2020; 9:e348. [PMID: 31106965 PMCID: PMC6864223 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Women and men differ in disease prevalence, symptoms, and progression rates for many psychiatric and neurological disorders. As more preclinical studies include both sexes in experimental design, an increasing number of sex differences in physiology and behavior have been reported. In the brain, sex-typical behaviors are thought to result from sex-specific patterns of neural activity in response to the same sensory stimulus or context. These differential firing patterns likely arise as a consequence of underlying anatomic or molecular sex differences. Accordingly, gene expression in the brains of females and males has been extensively investigated, with the goal of identifying biological pathways that specify or modulate sex differences in brain function. However, there is surprisingly little consensus on sex-biased genes across studies and only a handful of robust candidates have been pursued in the follow-up experiments. Furthermore, it is not known how or when sex-biased gene expression originates, as few studies have been performed in the developing brain. Here we integrate molecular genetic and neural circuit perspectives to provide a conceptual framework of how sex differences in gene expression can arise in the brain. We detail mechanisms of gene regulation by steroid hormones, highlight landmark studies in rodents and humans, identify emerging themes, and offer recommendations for future research. This article is categorized under: Nervous System Development > Vertebrates: General Principles Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Regulatory Mechanisms Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Sex Determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Gegenhuber
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York
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29
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Yu S, Chen C, Pan Y, Kurz MC, Datner E, Hendry PL, Velilla MA, Lewandowski C, Pearson C, Domeier R, McLean SA, Linnstaedt SD. Genes known to escape X chromosome inactivation predict co-morbid chronic musculoskeletal pain and posttraumatic stress symptom development in women following trauma exposure. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2019; 180:415-427. [PMID: 30537437 PMCID: PMC7138464 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32706] [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] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Co-morbid chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMSP) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are frequent sequelae of motor vehicle collision, are associated with greater disability than either outcome alone, and are more prevalent in women than men. In the current study we assessed for evidence that gene transcripts originating from the X chromosome contribute to sex differences in vulnerability to CMSP and PTSS after motor vehicle collision. Nested samples were drawn from a longitudinal study of African American individuals, and CMSP (0-10 numeric rating scale) and PTSS (impact of events scale, revised) outcomes were assessed 6 months following motor vehicle collision. Blood RNA were sequenced (n = 101) and the relationship between X chromosome mRNA expression levels and co-morbid CMSP and PTSS outcomes was evaluated using logistic regression analyses. A disproportionate number of peritraumatic X chromosome mRNA predicting CMSP and PTSS in women were genes previously found to escape X chromosome inactivation (11/40, z = -2.9, p = .004). Secondary analyses assessing gene ontology relationships between these genes identified an enrichment in genes known to influence neuronal plasticity. Further, the relationship of expression of two critical regulators of X chromosome inactivation, X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) and Yin Yang 1 (YY1), was different in women developing CMSP and PTSS. Together, these data suggest that X chromosome genes that escape inactivation may contribute to sex differences in vulnerability to CMSP and PTSS after motor vehicle collision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Yu
- Institute for Trauma Recovery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Constance Chen
- Institute for Trauma Recovery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Yue Pan
- Institute for Trauma Recovery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Michael C. Kurz
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Elizabeth Datner
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Phyllis L. Hendry
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL
| | | | | | - Claire Pearson
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Detroit Receiving, Detroit, MI
| | - Robert Domeier
- Department of Emergency Medicine, St Joseph Mercy Health System, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Samuel A. McLean
- Institute for Trauma Recovery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Sarah D. Linnstaedt
- Institute for Trauma Recovery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
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30
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Genómica Social: Relaciones entre teoría de la mente y cariotipo en mujeres con diagnóstico de Síndrome de Turner. REVISTA IBEROAMERICANA DE PSICOLOGÍA 2019. [DOI: 10.33881/2027-1786.rip.12207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Introducción: La teoría de la mente refiere a la capacidad cognitiva de atribuir mente a los demás y de predecir y comprender su comportamiento en términos de entidades mentales como creencias, deseos e intenciones. Investigaciones recientes sugieren una distinción entre una teoría de la mente afectiva y una cognitiva, asignándoles un sustrato neuroanatómico específico. El Síndrome de Turner es un trastorno genético determinado por la deleción total o parcial del cromosoma X en el sexo femenino. Dadas las características biológicas, psicológicas y sociales encontradas en estas mujeres, pueden ser consideradas como una población relevante para el estudio de la teoría de la mente según parámetros biológicos como la expresión diferencial de los genes del cromosoma X. Objetivos y métodos: los objetivos de este estudio fueron describir la teoría de la mente cognitiva y afectiva en 22 mujeres con diagnóstico de Síndrome de Turner y determinar si existen perfiles distintivos de teoría de la mente asociados al cariotipo. Resultados y discusión: Los resultados indicaron que las mujeres con diagnóstico de Síndrome de Turner presentan dificultades generales en teoría de la mente, observándose un menor rendimiento en el aspecto cognitivo de esta capacidad. Asimismo, se encontró que un mayor daño genético se encuentra relacionado a mayores dificultades en la teoría de la mente cognitiva, vinculada a zonas corticales de procesamiento no automático.
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31
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Mir YR, Kuchay RAH. Advances in identification of genes involved in autosomal recessive intellectual disability: a brief review. J Med Genet 2019; 56:567-573. [PMID: 30842223 DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2018-105821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Intellectual disability (ID) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorder, affecting 1%-3% of the general population. The number of ID-causing genes is high. Many X-linked genes have been implicated in ID. Autosomal dominant genes have recently been the focus of several large-scale studies. The total number of autosomal recessive ID (ARID) genes is estimated to be very high, and most are still unknown. Although research into the genetic causes of ID has recently gained momentum, identification of pathogenic mutations that cause ARID has lagged behind, predominantly due to non-availability of sizeable families. A commonly used approach to identify genetic loci for recessive disorders in consanguineous families is autozygosity mapping and whole-exome sequencing. Combination of these two approaches has recently led to identification of many genes involved in ID. These genes have diverse function and control various biological processes. In this review, we will present an update regarding genes that have been recently implicated in ID with focus on ARID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaser Rafiq Mir
- Department of Biotechnology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Raja Amir Hassan Kuchay
- Department of Biotechnology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, India
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32
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Sex differences and the neurobiology of affective disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:111-128. [PMID: 30061743 PMCID: PMC6235863 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0148-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Observations of the disproportionate incidence of depression in women compared with men have long preceded the recent explosion of interest in sex differences. Nonetheless, the source and implications of this epidemiologic sex difference remain unclear, as does the practical significance of the multitude of sex differences that have been reported in brain structure and function. In this article, we attempt to provide a framework for thinking about how sex and reproductive hormones (particularly estradiol as an example) might contribute to affective illness. After briefly reviewing some observed sex differences in depression, we discuss how sex might alter brain function through hormonal effects (both organizational (programmed) and activational (acute)), sex chromosome effects, and the interaction of sex with the environment. We next review sex differences in the brain at the structural, cellular, and network levels. We then focus on how sex and reproductive hormones regulate systems implicated in the pathophysiology of depression, including neuroplasticity, genetic and neural networks, the stress axis, and immune function. Finally, we suggest several models that might explain a sex-dependent differential regulation of affect and susceptibility to affective illness. As a disclaimer, the studies cited in this review are not intended to be comprehensive but rather serve as examples of the multitude of levels at which sex and reproductive hormones regulate brain structure and function. As such and despite our current ignorance regarding both the ontogeny of affective illness and the impact of sex on that ontogeny, sex differences may provide a lens through which we may better view the mechanisms underlying affective regulation and dysfunction.
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33
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Strandqvist A, Herlitz A, Nordenskjöld A, Örtqvist L, Frisén L, Hirschberg AL, Nordenström A. Letter to the editor: Sex and the eye test. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 98:242-243. [PMID: 30115488 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Strandqvist
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Agneta Herlitz
- Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Agneta Nordenskjöld
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Pediatric Surgery, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lisa Örtqvist
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Pediatric Surgery, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Louise Frisén
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Research Center, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angelica Lindén Hirschberg
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Nordenström
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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Bache WK, DeLisi LE. The Sex Chromosome Hypothesis of Schizophrenia: Alive, Dead, or Forgotten? A Commentary and Review. MOLECULAR NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2018; 4:83-89. [PMID: 30397596 DOI: 10.1159/000491489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The X chromosome has long been an intriguing site for harboring genes that have importance in brain development and function. It has received the most attention for having specific genes underlying the X-linked inherited intellectual disabilities, but has also been associated with schizophrenia in a number of early studies. An X chromosome hypothesis for a genetic predisposition for schizophrenia initially came from the X chromosome anomaly population data showing an excess of schizophrenia in Klinefelter's (XXY) males and triple X (XXX) females. Crow and colleagues later expanded the X chromosome hypothesis to include the possibility of a locus on the Y chromosome and, specifically, genes on X that escaped inactivation and are X-Y homologous loci. Some new information about possible risk loci on these chromosomes has come from the current large genetic consortia genome-wide association studies, suggesting that perhaps this hypothesis needs to be revisited for some schizophrenias. The following commentary reviews the early and more recent literature supporting or refuting this dormant hypothesis and emphasizes the possible candidate genes still of interest that could be explored in further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- William K Bache
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard South Shore Residency Program, Brockton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lynn E DeLisi
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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35
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Tzschach A. X-chromosomale Intelligenzminderung. MED GENET-BERLIN 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11825-018-0207-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Zusammenfassung
X-chromosomale Intelligenzminderung („X-linked intellectual disability“, XLID) ist eine heterogene Krankheitsgruppe; inzwischen sind mehr als 100 XLID-Gene identifiziert worden. Das Fragile-X-Syndrom mit CGG-Repeatexpansion in der 5’-UTR des FMR1-Gens ist die häufigste monogene Ursache für Intelligenzminderung. Weitere X‑chromosomale Gene mit vergleichsweise hohen Mutationsprävalenzen sind ATRX, RPS6KA3, GPC3, SLC16A2, SLC6A8 und ARX. Die Ursachen für XLID verteilen sich zu ca. 90 % auf molekulargenetisch nachweisbare Mutationen und zu ca. 10 % auf chromosomale Kopienzahlvarianten („copy-number variants“, CNVs). Häufige CNVs sind Duplikationen in Xq28 unter Einschluss von MECP2 sowie das Xp11.22-Duplikations-Syndrom mit Überexpression von HUWE1. Mit den aktuellen Untersuchungsmethoden kann bei ca. 10 % der männlichen Patienten mit Intelligenzminderung eine X‑chromosomale Ursache nachgewiesen werden. Neue Erkenntnisse zu XLID sind für die nächsten Jahre am ehesten in den nicht kodierenden Regionen zu erwarten, wo wahrscheinlich ein weiterer Teil der Ursachen für das bislang nicht vollständig erklärte Überwiegen männlicher Patienten zu suchen ist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Tzschach
- Aff1 0000 0001 2111 7257 grid.4488.0 Institut für Klinische Genetik Technische Universität Dresden Fetscherstr. 74 01307 Dresden Deutschland
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Manoli DS, Tollkuhn J. Gene regulatory mechanisms underlying sex differences in brain development and psychiatric disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1420:26-45. [PMID: 29363776 PMCID: PMC5991992 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The sexual differentiation of the mammalian nervous system requires the precise coordination of the temporal and spatial regulation of gene expression in diverse cell types. Sex hormones act at multiple developmental time points to specify sex-typical differentiation during embryonic and early development and to coordinate subsequent responses to gonadal hormones later in life by establishing sex-typical patterns of epigenetic modifications across the genome. Thus, mutations associated with neuropsychiatric conditions may result in sexually dimorphic symptoms by acting on different neural substrates or chromatin landscapes in males and females. Finally, as stress hormone signaling may directly alter the molecular machinery that interacts with sex hormone receptors to regulate gene expression, the contribution of chronic stress to the pathogenesis or presentation of mental illness may be additionally different between the sexes. Here, we review the mechanisms that contribute to sexual differentiation in the mammalian nervous system and consider some of the implications of these processes for sex differences in neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devanand S. Manoli
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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37
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Printzlau F, Wolstencroft J, Skuse DH. Cognitive, behavioral, and neural consequences of sex chromosome aneuploidy. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:311-319. [PMID: 27870409 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The X chromosome has played a critical role in the development of sexually selected characteristics for over 300 million years, and during that time it has accumulated a disproportionate number of genes concerned with mental functions. There are relatively specific effects of X-linked genes on social cognition, language, emotional regulation, visuospatial, and numerical skills. Many human X-linked genes outside the X-Y pairing pseudoautosomal regions escape X-inactivation. Dosage differences in the expression of such genes (which constitute at least 15% of the total) are likely to play an important role in male-female neural differentiation, and in cognitive deficits and behavioral characteristics, particularly in the realm of social communication, that are associated with sex chromosome aneuploidies. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frida Printzlau
- Great Ormond Street Hospital Institute of Child Health, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Jeanne Wolstencroft
- Great Ormond Street Hospital Institute of Child Health, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - David H Skuse
- Great Ormond Street Hospital Institute of Child Health, University College London, United Kingdom
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Ratnu VS, Emami MR, Bredy TW. Genetic and epigenetic factors underlying sex differences in the regulation of gene expression in the brain. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:301-310. [PMID: 27870402 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There are inherent biological differences between males and females that contribute to sex differences in brain function and to many sex-specific illnesses and disorders. Traditionally, it has been thought that such differences are due largely to hormonal regulation; however, there are also genetic and epigenetic effects caused by the inheritance and unequal dosage of genes located on the X and Y chromosomes. Here we discuss the evidence in favor of a genetic and epigenetic basis for sexually dimorphic behavior, as a consequence of underlying differences in the regulation of genes that drive brain function. A better understanding of sex-specific molecular processes in the brain will provide further insight for the development of novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by sex differences. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikram S Ratnu
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michael R Emami
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California
| | - Timothy W Bredy
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California
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39
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Zhao C, Gong G. Mapping the effect of the X chromosome on the human brain: Neuroimaging evidence from Turner syndrome. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 80:263-275. [PMID: 28591595 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In addition to determining sex, the X chromosome has long been considered to play a crucial role in brain development and intelligence. Turner syndrome (TS) is caused by the congenital absence of all or part of one of the X chromosomes in females. Thus, Turner syndrome provides a unique "knock-out model" for investigating how the X chromosome influences the human brain in vivo. Numerous cutting-edge neuroimaging techniques and analyses have been applied to investigate various brain phenotypes in women with TS, which have yielded valuable evidence toward elucidating the causal relationship between the X chromosome and human brain structure and function. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the recent progress made in TS-related neuroimaging studies and emphasize how these findings have enhanced our understanding of X chromosome function with respect to the human brain. Future investigations are encouraged to address the issues of previous TS neuroimaging studies and to further identify the biological mechanisms that underlie the function of specific X-linked genes in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Gaolang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
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Culen C, Ertl DA, Schubert K, Bartha-Doering L, Haeusler G. Care of girls and women with Turner syndrome: beyond growth and hormones. Endocr Connect 2017; 6:R39-R51. [PMID: 28336768 PMCID: PMC5434744 DOI: 10.1530/ec-17-0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Turner syndrome (TS), although considered a rare disease, is the most common sex chromosome abnormality in women, with an incident of 1 in 2500 female births. TS is characterized by distinctive physical features such as short stature, ovarian dysgenesis, an increased risk for heart and renal defects as well as a specific cognitive and psychosocial phenotype. Given the complexity of the condition, patients face manifold difficulties which increase over the lifespan. Furthermore, failures during the transitional phase to adult care result in moderate health outcomes and decreased quality of life. Guidelines on the optimal screening procedures and medical treatment are easy to find. However, recommendations for the treatment of the incriminating psychosocial aspects in TS are scarce. In this work, we first reviewed the literature on the cognitive and psychosocial development of girls with TS compared with normal development, from disclosure to young adulthood, and then introduce a psychosocial approach to counseling and treating patients with TS, including recommendations for age-appropriate psychological diagnostics. With this work, we aim to facilitate the integration of emphasized psychosocial care in state-of-the-art treatment for girls and women with TS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Culen
- University Clinic of Pediatrics and Adolescent MedicineMedical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Diana-Alexandra Ertl
- University Clinic of Pediatrics and Adolescent MedicineMedical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Schubert
- University Clinic of Pediatrics and Adolescent MedicineMedical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Bartha-Doering
- University Clinic of Pediatrics and Adolescent MedicineMedical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabriele Haeusler
- University Clinic of Pediatrics and Adolescent MedicineMedical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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41
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Min B, Park JS, Jeon K, Kang YK. Characterization of X-Chromosome Gene Expression in Bovine Blastocysts Derived by In vitro Fertilization and Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer. Front Genet 2017; 8:42. [PMID: 28443134 PMCID: PMC5385346 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2017.00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
To better understand X-chromosome reactivation (XCR) during early development, we analyzed transcriptomic data obtained from bovine male and female blastocysts derived by in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). We found that X-linked genes were upregulated by almost two-fold in female compared with male IVF blastocysts. The upregulation of X-linked genes in female IVFs indicated a transcriptional dimorphism between the sexes, because the mean autosomal gene expression levels were relatively constant, regardless of sex. X-linked genes were expressed equivalently in the inner-cell mass and the trophectoderm parts of female blastocysts, indicating no imprinted inactivation of paternal X in the trophectoderm. All these features of X-linked gene expression observed in IVFs were also detected in SCNT blastocysts, although to a lesser extent. A heatmap of X-linked gene expression revealed that the initial resemblance of X-linked gene expression patterns between male and female donor cells turned sexually divergent in host SCNTs, ultimately resembling the patterns of male and female IVFs. Additionally, we found that sham SCNT blastocysts, which underwent the same nuclear-transfer procedures, but retained their embryonic genome, closely mimicked IVFs for X-linked gene expression, which indicated that the embryo manipulation procedure itself does not interfere with XCR in SCNT blastocysts. Our findings indicated that female SCNTs have less efficient XCR, suggesting that clonal reprogramming of X chromosomes is incomplete and occurs variably among blastocysts, and even among cells in a single blastocyst.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byungkuk Min
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience BiotechnologyDaejeon, South Korea
| | - Jung Sun Park
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience BiotechnologyDaejeon, South Korea
| | - Kyuheum Jeon
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience BiotechnologyDaejeon, South Korea
| | - Yong-Kook Kang
- Development and Differentiation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience BiotechnologyDaejeon, South Korea
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Xie S, Yang J, Zhang Z, Zhao C, Bi Y, Zhao Q, Pan H, Gong G. The Effects of the X Chromosome on Intrinsic Functional Connectivity in the Human Brain: Evidence from Turner Syndrome Patients. Cereb Cortex 2017; 27:474-484. [PMID: 26494797 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Turner syndrome (TS), a disorder caused by the congenital absence of one of the 2 X chromosomes in female humans, provides a valuable human "knockout model" for studying the functions of the X chromosome. At present, it remains unknown whether and how the loss of the X chromosome influences intrinsic functional connectivity (FC), a fundamental phenotype of the human brain. To address this, we performed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and specific cognitive assessments on 22 TS patients and 17 age-matched control girls. A novel data-driven approach was applied to identify the disrupted patterns of intrinsic FC in TS. The TS girls exhibited significantly reduced whole-brain FC strength within the bilateral postcentral gyrus/intraparietal sulcus, angular gyrus, and cuneus and the right cerebellum. Furthermore, a specific functional subnetwork was identified in which the intrinsic FC between nodes was mostly reduced in TS patients. Particularly, this subnetwork is composed of 3 functional modules, and the disruption of intrinsic FC within one of these modules was associated with the deficits of TS patients in math-related cognition. Taken together, these findings provide novel insight into how the X chromosome affects the human brain and cognition, and emphasize an important role of X-linked genes in intrinsic neural coupling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jiaotian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zhixin Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Chenxi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yanchao Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Qiuling Zhao
- Department of Pediatrics, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hui Pan
- Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Gaolang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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43
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The X-Linked Autism Protein KIAA2022/KIDLIA Regulates Neurite Outgrowth via N-Cadherin and δ-Catenin Signaling. eNeuro 2016; 3:eN-NWR-0238-16. [PMID: 27822498 PMCID: PMC5083950 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0238-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Our previous work showed that loss of the KIAA2022 gene protein results in intellectual disability with language impairment and autistic behavior (KIDLIA, also referred to as XPN). However, the cellular and molecular alterations resulting from a loss of function of KIDLIA and its role in autism with severe intellectual disability remain unknown. Here, we show that KIDLIA plays a key role in neuron migration and morphogenesis. We found that KIDLIA is distributed exclusively in the nucleus. In the developing rat brain, it is expressed only in the cortical plate and subplate region but not in the intermediate or ventricular zone. Using in utero electroporation, we found that short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown of KIDLIA leads to altered neuron migration and a reduction in dendritic growth and disorganized apical dendrite projections in layer II/III mouse cortical neurons. Consistent with this, in cultured rat neurons, a loss of KIDLIA expression also leads to suppression of dendritic growth and branching. At the molecular level, we found that KIDLIA suppression leads to an increase in cell-surface N-cadherin and an elevated association of N-cadherin with δ-catenin, resulting in depletion of free δ-catenin in the cytosolic compartment. The reduced availability of cytosolic δ-catenin leads to elevated RhoA activity and reduced actin dynamics at the dendritic growth cone. Furthermore, in neurons with KIDLIA knockdown, overexpression of δ-catenin or inhibition of RhoA rescues actin dynamics, dendritic growth, and branching. These findings provide the first evidence on the role of the novel protein KIDLIA in neurodevelopment and autism with severe intellectual disability.
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Disteche CM. Dosage compensation of the sex chromosomes and autosomes. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 56:9-18. [PMID: 27112542 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Males are XY and females are XX in most mammalian species. Other species such as birds have a different sex chromosome make-up: ZZ in males and ZW in females. In both types of organisms one of the sex chromosomes, Y or W, has degenerated due to lack of recombination with its respective homolog X or Z. Since autosomes are present in two copies in diploid organisms the heterogametic sex has become a natural "aneuploid" with haploinsufficiency for X- or Z-linked genes. Specific mechanisms have evolved to restore a balance between critical gene products throughout the genome and between males and females. Some of these mechanisms were co-opted from and/or added to compensatory processes that alleviate autosomal aneuploidy. Surprisingly, several modes of dosage compensation have evolved. In this review we will consider the evidence for dosage compensation and the molecular mechanisms implicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Disteche
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St. Seattle, WA 98115, USA; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St. Seattle, WA 98115, USA.
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Abstract
Intellectual disability is the most common developmental disorder characterized by a congenital limitation in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior. It often co-occurs with other mental conditions like attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder, and can be part of a malformation syndrome that affects other organs. Considering the heterogeneity of its causes (environmental and genetic), its frequency worldwide varies greatly. This review focuses on known genes underlying (syndromic and non-syndromic) intellectual disability, it provides a succinct analysis of their Gene Ontology, and it suggests the use of transcriptional profiling for the prioritization of candidate genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Chiurazzi
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy
| | - Filomena Pirozzi
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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46
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Wu C, Sun Z. X chromosome abnormal inactivation: a unique factor for women's diseases? Epigenomics 2016; 8:447-50. [DOI: 10.2217/epi.16.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cuijiao Wu
- Department of Histology & Embryology, Qingdao University Medical School, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Zhifu Sun
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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Vacca M, Della Ragione F, Scalabrì F, D'Esposito M. X inactivation and reactivation in X-linked diseases. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 56:78-87. [PMID: 26994527 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
X chromosome inactivation (XCI) is the phenomenon by which mammals compensate for dosage of X-linked genes in females (XX) versus males (XY). XCI patterns can be random or show extreme skewing, and can modify the mode of inheritance of X-driven phenotypes, which contributes to the variability of human pathologies. Recent findings have shown reversibility of the XCI process, which has opened new avenues in the approaches used for the treatment of X-linked diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcella Vacca
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "A. Buzzati Traverso", CNR, via Pietro Castellino, 111, 80131, Naples, Italy.
| | - Floriana Della Ragione
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "A. Buzzati Traverso", CNR, via Pietro Castellino, 111, 80131, Naples, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy
| | | | - Maurizio D'Esposito
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "A. Buzzati Traverso", CNR, via Pietro Castellino, 111, 80131, Naples, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy
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48
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Saunders PA, Franco T, Sottas C, Maurice T, Ganem G, Veyrunes F. Masculinised Behaviour of XY Females in a Mammal with Naturally Occuring Sex Reversal. Sci Rep 2016; 6:22881. [PMID: 26964761 PMCID: PMC4786791 DOI: 10.1038/srep22881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Most sex differences in phenotype are controlled by gonadal hormones, but recent work on laboratory strain mice that present discordant chromosomal and gonadal sex showed that sex chromosome complement can have a direct influence on the establishment of sex-specific behaviours, independently from gonads. In this study, we analyse the behaviour of a rodent with naturally occurring sex reversal: the African pygmy mouse Mus minutoides, in which all males are XY, while females are of three types: XX, XX* or X*Y (the asterisk represents an unknown X-linked mutation preventing masculinisation of X*Y embryos). X*Y females show typical female anatomy and, interestingly, have greater breeding performances. We investigate the link between sex chromosome complement, behaviour and reproductive success in females by analysing several behavioural features that could potentially influence their fitness: female attractiveness, aggressiveness and anxiety. Despite sex chromosome complement was not found to impact male mate preferences, it does influence some aspects of both aggressiveness and anxiety: X*Y females are more aggressive than the XX and XX*, and show lower anxiogenic response to novelty, like males. We discuss how these behavioural differences might impact the breeding performances of females, and how the sex chromosome complement could shape the differences observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Saunders
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5554, IRD, EPHE, France
| | - Thomas Franco
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5554, IRD, EPHE, France
| | - Camille Sottas
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5554, IRD, EPHE, France
| | - Tangui Maurice
- INSERM U1198, Université de Montpellier, Inserm, EPHE, France
| | - Guila Ganem
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5554, IRD, EPHE, France
| | - Frédéric Veyrunes
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5554, IRD, EPHE, France
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Geens M, Seriola A, Barbé L, Santalo J, Veiga A, Dée K, Van Haute L, Sermon K, Spits C. Female human pluripotent stem cells rapidly lose X chromosome inactivation marks and progress to a skewed methylation pattern during culture. Mol Hum Reprod 2016; 22:285-98. [DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaw004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
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Li SY, Xie YQ, Li H, Li XW, Zhang ZX, Zhao QL, Xie S, Gong GL. Morphological Changes of Amygdala in Turner Syndrome Patients. CNS Neurosci Ther 2016; 22:194-9. [PMID: 26778543 DOI: 10.1111/cns.12482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2015] [Revised: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Turner's syndrome (TS) losts one of the X chromosomes and exhibits social cognition deficits. Previous studies have reported that women with TS demonstrated structural and functional abnormalities in brain, including increased volume in amygdala. However, most studies regarded the amygdala as a whole, and the abnormalities in the specific subregions of amygdala in TS have not been studied. Here, we aimed to investigate the local morphological changes of amygdala in TS using the surface morphology analysis method. METHODS A total of 19 adolescents with 45XO TS and 20 matched adolescents with typical development were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging. The amygdalae of all participants were manually delineated. 3D surface remodeling and parameterization were performed based on the outlined boundaries of amygdalae. We extracted two surface metrics, namely direct Euclidean displacement and normal projection that were used to represent the morphology of amygdala. RESULTS Statistical analysis showed significant outward deformation in the laterobasal subregion of left amygdala in patients with TS, compared with the controls using either direct Euclidean displacement or normal displacement. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide novel insight into the pathological changes in the amygdala of patients with TS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Yu Li
- School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Yong-Qi Xie
- School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Han Li
- School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Wei Li
- School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Xin Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Qiu-Ling Zhao
- Department of Pediatrics, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Sheng Xie
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Gao-Lang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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