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Zeng B, Bendl J, Deng C, Lee D, Misir R, Reach SM, Kleopoulos SP, Auluck P, Marenco S, Lewis DA, Haroutunian V, Ahituv N, Fullard JF, Hoffman GE, Roussos P. Genetic regulation of cell type-specific chromatin accessibility shapes brain disease etiology. Science 2024; 384:eadh4265. [PMID: 38781378 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh4265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Nucleotide variants in cell type-specific gene regulatory elements in the human brain are risk factors for human disease. We measured chromatin accessibility in 1932 aliquots of sorted neurons and non-neurons from 616 human postmortem brains and identified 34,539 open chromatin regions with chromatin accessibility quantitative trait loci (caQTLs). Only 10.4% of caQTLs are shared between neurons and non-neurons, which supports cell type-specific genetic regulation of the brain regulome. Incorporating allele-specific chromatin accessibility improves statistical fine-mapping and refines molecular mechanisms that underlie disease risk. Using massively parallel reporter assays in induced excitatory neurons, we screened 19,893 brain QTLs and identified the functional impact of 476 regulatory variants. Combined, this comprehensive resource captures variation in the human brain regulome and provides insights into disease etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biao Zeng
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jaroslav Bendl
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Chengyu Deng
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Donghoon Lee
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ruth Misir
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Sarah M Reach
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Steven P Kleopoulos
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Pavan Auluck
- Human Brain Collection Core, National Institute of Mental Health-Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Stefano Marenco
- Human Brain Collection Core, National Institute of Mental Health-Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David A Lewis
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Vahram Haroutunian
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
| | - Nadav Ahituv
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - John F Fullard
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Gabriel E Hoffman
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Panos Roussos
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
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2
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Trangle SS, Rosenberg T, Parnas H, Levy G, Bar E, Marco A, Barak B. In individuals with Williams syndrome, dysregulation of methylation in non-coding regions of neuronal and oligodendrocyte DNA is associated with pathology and cortical development. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1112-1127. [PMID: 36577841 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01921-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a heterozygous micro-deletion in the WS critical region (WSCR) and is characterized by hyper-sociability and neurocognitive abnormalities. Nonetheless, whether and to what extent WSCR deletion leads to epigenetic modifications in the brain and induces pathological outcomes remains largely unknown. By examining DNA methylation in frontal cortex, we revealed genome-wide disruption in the methylome of individuals with WS, as compared to typically developed (TD) controls. Surprisingly, differentially methylated sites were predominantly annotated as introns and intergenic loci and were found to be highly enriched around binding sites for transcription factors that regulate neuronal development, plasticity and cognition. Moreover, by utilizing enhancer-promoter interactome data, we confirmed that most of these loci function as active enhancers in the human brain or as target genes of transcriptional networks associated with myelination, oligodendrocyte (OL) differentiation, cognition and social behavior. Cell type-specific methylation analysis revealed aberrant patterns in the methylation of active enhancers in neurons and OLs, and important neuron-glia interactions that might be impaired in individuals with WS. Finally, comparison of methylation profiles from blood samples of individuals with WS and healthy controls, along with other data collected in this study, identified putative targets of endophenotypes associated with WS, which can be used to define brain-risk loci for WS outside the WSCR locus, as well as for other associated pathologies. In conclusion, our study illuminates the brain methylome landscape of individuals with WS and sheds light on how these aberrations might be involved in social behavior and physiological abnormalities. By extension, these results may lead to better diagnostics and more refined therapeutic targets for WS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari Schokoroy Trangle
- The School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Tali Rosenberg
- Neuro-Epigenetics Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Hadar Parnas
- Neuro-Epigenetics Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Gilad Levy
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Ela Bar
- The School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.,The School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry & Biophysics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Asaf Marco
- Neuro-Epigenetics Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
| | - Boaz Barak
- The School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel. .,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
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3
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Thongkorn S, Kanlayaprasit S, Kasitipradit K, Lertpeerapan P, Panjabud P, Hu VW, Jindatip D, Sarachana T. Investigation of autism-related transcription factors underlying sex differences in the effects of bisphenol A on transcriptome profiles and synaptogenesis in the offspring hippocampus. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:8. [PMID: 36803626 PMCID: PMC9940328 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00496-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bisphenol A (BPA) has been linked to susceptibility to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our recent studies have shown that prenatal BPA exposure disrupted ASD-related gene expression in the hippocampus, neurological functions, and behaviors associated with ASD in a sex-specific pattern. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of BPA are still unclear. METHODS Transcriptome data mining and molecular docking analyses were performed to identify ASD-related transcription factors (TFs) and their target genes underlying the sex-specific effects of prenatal BPA exposure. Gene ontology analysis was conducted to predict biological functions associated with these genes. The expression levels of ASD-related TFs and targets in the hippocampus of rat pups prenatally exposed to BPA were measured using qRT-PCR analysis. The role of the androgen receptor (AR) in BPA-mediated regulation of ASD candidate genes was investigated using a human neuronal cell line stably transfected with AR-expression or control plasmid. Synaptogenesis, which is a function associated with genes transcriptionally regulated by ASD-related TFs, was assessed using primary hippocampal neurons isolated from male and female rat pups prenatally exposed to BPA. RESULTS We found that there was a sex difference in ASD-related TFs underlying the effects of prenatal BPA exposure on the transcriptome profiles of the offspring hippocampus. In addition to the known BPA targets AR and ESR1, BPA could directly interact with novel targets (i.e., KDM5B, SMAD4, and TCF7L2). The targets of these TFs were also associated with ASD. Prenatal BPA exposure disrupted the expression of ASD-related TFs and targets in the offspring hippocampus in a sex-dependent manner. Moreover, AR was involved in the BPA-mediated dysregulation of AUTS2, KMT2C, and SMARCC2. Prenatal BPA exposure altered synaptogenesis by increasing synaptic protein levels in males but not in females, but the number of excitatory synapses was increased in female primary neurons only. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that AR and other ASD-related TFs are involved in sex differences in the effects of prenatal BPA exposure on transcriptome profiles and synaptogenesis in the offspring hippocampus. These TFs may play an essential role in an increased ASD susceptibility associated with endocrine-disrupting chemicals, particularly BPA, and the male bias of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surangrat Thongkorn
- grid.7922.e0000 0001 0244 7875Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Songphon Kanlayaprasit
- grid.7922.e0000 0001 0244 7875SYstems Neuroscience of Autism and PSychiatric Disorders (SYNAPS) Research Unit, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, 154 Soi Chula 12, Rama 1 Road, Wangmai, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330 Thailand
| | - Kasidit Kasitipradit
- grid.7922.e0000 0001 0244 7875Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pattanachat Lertpeerapan
- grid.7922.e0000 0001 0244 7875Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pawinee Panjabud
- grid.7922.e0000 0001 0244 7875Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Valerie W. Hu
- grid.253615.60000 0004 1936 9510Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC USA
| | - Depicha Jindatip
- grid.7922.e0000 0001 0244 7875SYstems Neuroscience of Autism and PSychiatric Disorders (SYNAPS) Research Unit, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, 154 Soi Chula 12, Rama 1 Road, Wangmai, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330 Thailand ,grid.7922.e0000 0001 0244 7875Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Tewarit Sarachana
- SYstems Neuroscience of Autism and PSychiatric Disorders (SYNAPS) Research Unit, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, 154 Soi Chula 12, Rama 1 Road, Wangmai, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
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Petazzi P, Jorge-Torres OC, Gomez A, Scognamiglio I, Serra-Musach J, Merkel A, Grases D, Xiol C, O’Callaghan M, Armstrong J, Esteller M, Guil S. Global Impairment of Immediate-Early Genes Expression in Rett Syndrome Models and Patients Linked to Myelination Defects. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021453. [PMID: 36674969 PMCID: PMC9864472 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurodevelopmental disease caused almost exclusively by mutations to the MeCP2 gene. This disease may be regarded as a synaptopathy, with impairments affecting synaptic plasticity, inhibitory and excitatory transmission and network excitability. The complete understanding of the mechanisms behind how the transcription factor MeCP2 so profoundly affects the mammalian brain are yet to be determined. What is known, is that MeCP2 involvement in activity-dependent expression programs is a critical link between this protein and proper neuronal activity, which allows the correct maturation of connections in the brain. By using RNA-sequencing analysis, we found several immediate-early genes (IEGs, key mediators of activity-dependent responses) directly bound by MeCP2 at the chromatin level and upregulated in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the Mecp2-KO mouse. Quantification of the IEGs response to stimulus both in vivo and in vitro detected an aberrant expression pattern in MeCP2-deficient neurons. Furthermore, altered IEGs levels were found in RTT patient's peripheral blood and brain regions of post-mortem samples, correlating with impaired expression of downstream myelination-related genes. Altogether, these data indicate that proper IEGs expression is crucial for correct synaptic development and that MeCP2 has a key role in the regulation of IEGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Petazzi
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Carrer Casanova 143, 400° floor, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- RICORS-TERAV, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Olga Caridad Jorge-Torres
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Badalona, 08916 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: (O.C.J.-T.); (S.G.); Tel.: +34-935572828 (O.C.J.-T. & S.G.)
| | - Antonio Gomez
- Biosciences Department, Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FCT), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), C. de la Laura, 13, 08500 Vic, Spain
| | - Iolanda Scognamiglio
- Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Serra-Musach
- Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Angelika Merkel
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Badalona, 08916 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniela Grases
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Badalona, 08916 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Xiol
- Fundación San Juan de Dios, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
- Servei de Medicina Genètica i Molecular, Institut de Recerca Pediàtrica, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mar O’Callaghan
- Clínica Rett, Neurology Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER-ER (Biomedical Network Research Center for Rare Diseases), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Judith Armstrong
- Servei de Medicina Genètica i Molecular, Institut de Recerca Pediàtrica, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER-ER (Biomedical Network Research Center for Rare Diseases), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Manel Esteller
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Badalona, 08916 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Cancer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
- Physiological Sciences Department, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona (UB), 08907 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sonia Guil
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Badalona, 08916 Barcelona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Health Science Research Institute, Badalona, 08916 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: (O.C.J.-T.); (S.G.); Tel.: +34-935572828 (O.C.J.-T. & S.G.)
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5
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Integrative Functional Genomic Analysis in Multiplex Autism Families from Kazakhstan. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:1509994. [PMID: 36199823 PMCID: PMC9529466 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1509994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The study of extended pedigrees containing autism spectrum disorder- (ASD-) related broader autism phenotypes (BAP) offers a promising approach to the search for ASD candidate variants. Here, a total of 650,000 genetic markers were tested in four Kazakhstani multiplex families with ASD and BAP to obtain data on de novo mutations (DNMs), common, and rare inherited variants that may contribute to the genetic risk for developing autistic traits. The variants were analyzed in the context of gene networks and pathways. Several previously well-described enriched pathways were identified, including ion channel activity, regulation of synaptic function, and membrane depolarization. Perhaps these pathways are crucial not only for the development of ASD but also for ВАР. The results also point to several additional biological pathways (circadian entrainment, NCAM and BTN family interactions, and interaction between L1 and Ankyrins) and hub genes (CFTR, NOD2, PPP2R2B, and TTR). The obtained results suggest that further exploration of PPI networks combining ASD and BAP risk genes can be used to identify novel or overlooked ASD molecular mechanisms.
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Kazmierczak de Camargo JP, Prezia GNDB, Shiokawa N, Sato MT, Rosati R, Beate Winter Boldt A. New Insights on the Regulatory Gene Network Disturbed in Central Areolar Choroidal Dystrophy-Beyond Classical Gene Candidates. Front Genet 2022; 13:886461. [PMID: 35656327 PMCID: PMC9152281 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.886461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Central areolar choroidal dystrophy (CACD) is a rare hereditary disease that mainly affects the macula, resulting in progressive and usually profound visual loss. Being part of congenital retinal dystrophies, it may have an autosomal dominant or recessive inheritance and, until now, has no effective treatment. Given the shortage of genotypic information about the disease, this work systematically reviews the literature for CACD-causing genes. Three independent researchers selected 33 articles after carefully searching and filtering the Scielo, Pubmed, Lilacs, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase databases. Mutations of six genes (PRPH2, GUCA1A, GUCY2D, CDHR1, ABCA4, and TTLL5) are implicated in the monogenic dominant inheritance of CACD. They are functionally related to photoreceptors (either in the phototransduction process, as in the case of GUCY2D, or the recovery of retinal photodegradation in photoreceptors for GUCA1A, or the formation and maintenance of specific structures within photoreceptors for PRPH2). The identified genetic variants do not explain all observed clinical features, calling for further whole-genome and functional studies for this disease. A network analysis with the CACD-related genes identified in the systematic review resulted in the identification of another 20 genes that may influence CACD onset and symptoms. Furthermore, an enrichment analysis allowed the identification of 13 transcription factors and 4 long noncoding RNAs interacting with the products of the previously mentioned genes. If mutated or dysregulated, they may be directly involved in CACD development and related disorders. More than half of the genes identified by bioinformatic tools do not appear in commercial gene panels, calling for more studies about their role in the maintenance of the retina and phototransduction process, as well as for a timely update of these gene panels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giovanna Nazaré de Barros Prezia
- Post-Graduation Program in Biotechnology Applied to Child and Adolescent Health, Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe and Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Research Institute, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Naoye Shiokawa
- Retina and Vitreo Consulting Eye Clinic, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Mario Teruo Sato
- Retina and Vitreo Consulting Eye Clinic, Curitiba, Brazil.,Department of Ophthalmol/Otorhinolaryngology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Roberto Rosati
- Post-Graduation Program in Biotechnology Applied to Child and Adolescent Health, Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe and Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Research Institute, Curitiba, Brazil
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Lim HK, Yoon JH, Song M. Autism Spectrum Disorder Genes: Disease-Related Networks and Compensatory Strategies. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:922840. [PMID: 35726297 PMCID: PMC9206533 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.922840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian brain comprises structurally and functionally distinct regions. Each of these regions has characteristic molecular mechanisms that mediate higher-order tasks, such as memory, learning, emotion, impulse, and motor control. Many genes are involved in neuronal signaling and contribute to normal brain development. Dysfunction of essential components of neural signals leads to various types of brain disorders. Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social deficits, communication challenges, and compulsive repetitive behaviors. Long-term genetic studies have uncovered key genes associated with autism spectrum disorder, such as SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3, methyl-CpG binding protein 2, neurexin 1, and chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 8. In addition, disease-associated networks have been identified using animal models, and the understanding of the impact of these genes on disease susceptibility and compensation is deepening. In this review, we examine rescue strategies using key models of autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Kyung Lim
- Department of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - Jong Hyuk Yoon
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Jong Hyuk Yoon,
| | - Minseok Song
- Department of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
- Minseok Song,
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8
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Precision Autism: Genomic Stratification of Disorders Making Up the Broad Spectrum May Demystify Its "Epidemic Rates". J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11111119. [PMID: 34834471 PMCID: PMC8620644 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11111119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, Autism has broadened and often shifted its diagnostics criteria, allowing several neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders of known etiology. This has resulted in a highly heterogeneous spectrum with apparent exponential rates in prevalence. I ask if it is possible to leverage existing genetic information about those disorders making up Autism today and use it to stratify this spectrum. To that end, I combine genes linked to Autism in the SFARI database and genomic information from the DisGeNET portal on 25 diseases, inclusive of non-neurological ones. I use the GTEx data on genes’ expression on 54 human tissues and ask if there are overlapping genes across those associated to these diseases and those from SFARI-Autism. I find a compact set of genes across all brain-disorders which express highly in tissues fundamental for somatic-sensory-motor function, self-regulation, memory, and cognition. Then, I offer a new stratification that provides a distance-based orderly clustering into possible Autism subtypes, amenable to design personalized targeted therapies within the framework of Precision Medicine. I conclude that viewing Autism through this physiological (Precision) lens, rather than viewing it exclusively from a psychological behavioral construct, may make it a more manageable condition and dispel the Autism epidemic myth.
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9
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Fetit R, Hillary RF, Price DJ, Lawrie SM. The neuropathology of autism: A systematic review of post-mortem studies of autism and related disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 129:35-62. [PMID: 34273379 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Post-mortem studies allow for the direct investigation of brain tissue in those with autism and related disorders. Several review articles have focused on aspects of post-mortem abnormalities but none has brought together the entire post-mortem literature. Here, we systematically review the evidence from post-mortem studies of autism, and of related disorders that present with autistic features. The literature consists of a small body of studies with small sample sizes, but several remarkably consistent findings are evident. Cortical layering is largely undisturbed, but there are consistent reductions in minicolumn numbers and aberrant myelination. Transcriptomics repeatedly implicate abberant synaptic, metabolic, proliferation, apoptosis and immune pathways. Sufficient replicated evidence is available to implicate non-coding RNA, aberrant epigenetic profiles, GABAergic, glutamatergic and glial dysfunction in autism pathogenesis. Overall, the cerebellum and frontal cortex are most consistently implicated, sometimes revealing distinct region-specific alterations. The literature on related disorders such as Rett syndrome, Fragile X and copy number variations (CNVs) predisposing to autism is particularly small and inconclusive. Larger studies, matched for gender, developmental stage, co-morbidities and drug treatment are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Fetit
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK.
| | - Robert F Hillary
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - David J Price
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Stephen M Lawrie
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH10 5HF, UK; Patrick Wild Centre, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH10 5HF, UK
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10
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Di Lazzaro G, Magrinelli F, Estevez-Fraga C, Valente EM, Pisani A, Bhatia KP. X-Linked Parkinsonism: Phenotypic and Genetic Heterogeneity. Mov Disord 2021; 36:1511-1525. [PMID: 33960519 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
X-linked parkinsonism encompasses rare heterogeneous disorders mainly inherited as a recessive trait, therefore being more prevalent in males. Recent developments have revealed a complex underlying panorama, including a spectrum of disorders in which parkinsonism is variably associated with additional neurological and non-neurological signs. In particular, a childhood-onset encephalopathy with epilepsy and/or cognitive disability is the most common feature. Their genetic basis is also heterogeneous, with many causative genes and different mutation types ranging from "classical" coding variants to intronic repeat expansions. In this review, we provide an updated overview of the phenotypic and genetic spectrum of the most relevant X-linked parkinsonian syndromes, namely X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP, Lubag disease), fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), beta-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration (BPAN, NBIA/PARK-WDR45), Fabry disease, Waisman syndrome, methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) spectrum disorder, phosphoglycerate kinase-1 deficiency syndrome (PGK1) and X-linked parkinsonism and spasticity (XPDS). All clinical and radiological features reported in the literature have been reviewed. Epilepsy occasionally represents the symptom of onset, predating parkinsonism even by a few years; action tremor is another common feature along with akinetic-rigid parkinsonism. A focus on the genetic background and its pathophysiological implications is provided. The pathogenesis of these disorders ranges from well-defined metabolic alterations (PGK1) to non-specific lysosomal dysfunctions (XPDS) and vesicular trafficking alterations (Waisman syndrome). However, in other cases it still remains poorly defined. Recognition of the phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of X-linked parkinsonism has important implications for diagnosis, management, and genetic counseling. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Di Lazzaro
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Magrinelli
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Carlos Estevez-Fraga
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Enza M Valente
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Antonio Pisani
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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11
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Ahadullah, Yau SY, Lu HX, Lee TMC, Guo H, Chan CCH. PM 2.5 as a potential risk factor for autism spectrum disorder: Its possible link to neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and changes in gene expression. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:534-548. [PMID: 34216652 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by behavioral deficits including impairments in social communication, social interaction, and repetitive behaviors. Because the etiology of ASD is still largely unknown, there is no cure for ASD thus far. Although it has been established that genetic components play a vital role in ASD development, the influence of epigenetic regulation induced by environmental factors could also contribute to ASD susceptibility. Accumulated evidence has suggested that exposure to atmospheric particulate matter (PM) in polluted air could affect neurodevelopment, thus possibly leading to ASD. Particles with a size of 2.5 μm (PM2.5) or less have been shown to have negative effects on human health, and could be linked to ASD symptoms in children. This review summarizes evidence from clinical and animal studies to demonstrate the possible linkage between PM2.5 exposure and the incidence of ASD in children. An attempt was made to explore the possible mechanisms of this linkage, including changes of gene expression, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation induced by PM2.5 exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahadullah
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Suk-Yu Yau
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou 510515, China.
| | - Hao-Xian Lu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tatia M C Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Human Neuroscience, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hai Guo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Chetwyn C H Chan
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong, China
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12
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Longo F, Klann E. Reciprocal control of translation and transcription in autism spectrum disorder. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e52110. [PMID: 33977633 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202052110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and the presence of restricted patterns of interest and repetitive behaviors. ASD is genetically heterogeneous and is believed to be caused by both inheritable and de novo gene variations. Studies have revealed an extremely complex genetic landscape of ASD, favoring the idea that mutations in different clusters of genes interfere with interconnected downstream signaling pathways and circuitry, resulting in aberrant behavior. In this review, we describe a select group of candidate genes that represent both syndromic and non-syndromic forms of ASD and encode proteins that are important in transcriptional and translational regulation. We focus on the interplay between dysregulated translation and transcription in ASD with the hypothesis that dysregulation of each synthetic process triggers a feedback loop to act on the other, which ultimately exacerbates ASD pathophysiology. Finally, we summarize findings from interdisciplinary studies that pave the way for the investigation of the cooperative impact of different genes and pathways underlying the development of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Longo
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric Klann
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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13
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Shao Y, Bajikar SS, Tirumala HP, Gutierrez MC, Wythe JD, Zoghbi HY. Identification and characterization of conserved noncoding cis-regulatory elements that impact Mecp2 expression and neurological functions. Genes Dev 2021; 35:489-494. [PMID: 33737384 PMCID: PMC8015713 DOI: 10.1101/gad.345397.120] [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: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In this study, Shao et al. investigated the transcriptional regulation of MeCP2, and identified six putative noncoding regulatory elements of Mecp2, two of which are conserved in humans. Their findings provide insight into transcriptional regulation of Mecp2/MECP2 and highlight genomic sites that could serve as diagnostic and therapeutic targets in Rett syndrome (RTT) and MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS). While changes in MeCP2 dosage cause Rett syndrome (RTT) and MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS), its transcriptional regulation is poorly understood. Here, we identified six putative noncoding regulatory elements of Mecp2, two of which are conserved in humans. Upon deletion in mice and human iPSC-derived neurons, these elements altered RNA and protein levels in opposite directions and resulted in a subset of RTT- and MDS-like behavioral deficits in mice. Our discovery provides insight into transcriptional regulation of Mecp2/MECP2 and highlights genomic sites that could serve as diagnostic and therapeutic targets in RTT or MDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingyao Shao
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Sameer S Bajikar
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Harini P Tirumala
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Manuel Cantu Gutierrez
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Joshua D Wythe
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Huda Y Zoghbi
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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14
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Wei M, Zhang C, Tian Y, Du X, Wang Q, Zhao H. Expression and Function of WNT6: From Development to Disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 8:558155. [PMID: 33425886 PMCID: PMC7794017 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.558155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
WNT family member 6 (WNT6) is a member of the highly conserved WNT protein family. It plays an essential role in the normal development process, not only in embryonic morphogenesis, but also in post-natal homeostasis. WNT6 functions in mice and humans. This review summarizes the current findings on the biological functions of WNT6, describing its involvement in regulating embryogenesis, decidualization, and organ development. Aberrant WNT6 signaling is related to various pathologies, such as promoting cancer development, lung tuberculosis, and kidney fibrosis and improving the symptoms of Rett syndrome (RTT). Thus, due to its various functions, WNT6 has great potential for in-depth research. This work not only describes the signaling mechanism and function of WNT6 under physiological and pathological conditions, but also provides a theoretical basis for targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Wei
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Congmin Zhang
- Department of Scientific Research Center, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Yujia Tian
- Department of Scientific Research Center, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Xiaohui Du
- Department of Scientific Research Center, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- The Health Check Up Center, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
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15
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Karunakaran S, Menon RN, Nair SS, Santhakumar S, Nair M, Sundaram S. Clinical and Genetic Profile of Autism Spectrum Disorder-Epilepsy (ASD-E) Phenotype: Two Sides of the Same Coin! Clin EEG Neurosci 2020; 51:390-398. [PMID: 32114799 DOI: 10.1177/1550059420909673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The clinical phenotype of autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy (ASD-E) is a common neurological presentation in various genetic disorders, irrespective of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Here we describe the demographic and clinical profiles, coexistent neurological conditions, type of seizures, epilepsy syndrome, and EEG findings in 11 patients with ASD-E phenotype with proven genetic etiology. The commonest genetic abnormality noted was CDKL5 mutation (3), MECP2 mutation (2), and 1p36 deletion (2). The median age of onset of clinical seizures was 6 months (range, 10 days to 11 years). The most common seizure type was focal onset seizures with impaired awareness, observed in 7 (63.6%) patients followed by epileptic spasms in 4 (30.8%), generalized tonic-clonic and atonic seizures in 3 (27.3%) patients each and tonic seizures in 2 (18.2%) patients and myoclonic seizures in 1 (9.1%) patient. Focal and multifocal interictal epileptiform abnormalities were seen in 6 (54.6%) and 5 (45.5%) patients, respectively. Epileptic encephalopathy and focal epilepsy were seen in 7 (63.6%) and 4 (36.4%) patients, respectively. The diagnostic yield of genetic testing was 44% (11 of 25 patients) and when variants of unknown significance and metabolic defects were included, the yield increased to 60% (15 of 25 patients). We conclude that in patients with ASD-E phenotype with an underlying genetic basis, the clinical seizure type, epilepsy syndrome, and EEG patterns are variable. Next-generation exome sequencing and chromosomal microarray need to be considered in clinical practice as part of evaluation of children with ASD-E phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudhakar Karunakaran
- Department of Neurology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Ramshekhar N Menon
- Department of Neurology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Sruthi S Nair
- Department of Neurology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - S Santhakumar
- Department of Imaging Sciences and Interventional Radiology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Muralidharan Nair
- Department of Neurology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Soumya Sundaram
- Department of Neurology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
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16
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Khoury ES, Sharma A, Ramireddy RR, Thomas AG, Alt J, Fowler A, Rais R, Tsukamoto T, Blue ME, Slusher B, Kannan S, Kannan RM. Dendrimer-conjugated glutaminase inhibitor selectively targets microglial glutaminase in a mouse model of Rett syndrome. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:5736-5748. [PMID: 32483415 PMCID: PMC7254984 DOI: 10.7150/thno.41714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Elevated glutamate production and release from glial cells is a common feature of many CNS disorders. Inhibitors of glutaminase (GLS), the enzyme responsible for converting glutamine to glutamate have been developed to target glutamate overproduction. However, many GLS inhibitors have poor aqueous solubility, are unable to cross the blood brain barrier, or demonstrate significant toxicity when given systemically, precluding translation. Enhanced aqueous solubility and systemic therapy targeted to activated glia may address this challenge. Here we examine the impact of microglial-targeted GLS inhibition in a mouse model of Rett syndrome (RTT), a developmental disorder with no viable therapies, manifesting profound central nervous system effects, in which elevated glutamatergic tone, upregulation of microglial GLS, oxidative stress and neuroimmune dysregulation are key features. Methods: To enable this, we conjugated a potent glutaminase inhibitor, N-(5-{2-[2-(5-amino-[1,3,4]thiadiazol-2-yl)-ethylsulfanyl]-ethyl}-[1,3,4]thiadiazol-2-yl)-2-phenyl-acetamide (JHU29) to a generation 4 hydroxyl PAMAM dendrimer (D-JHU29). We then examined the effect of D-JHU29 in organotypic slice culture on glutamate release. We also examined GLS activity in microglial and non-microglial cells, and neurobehavioral phenotype after systemic administration of D-JHU29 in a mouse model of RTT. Results: We report successful conjugation of JHU29 to dendrimer resulting in enhanced water solubility compared to free JHU29. D-JHU29 reduced the excessive glutamate release observed in tissue culture slices in a clinically relevant Mecp2-knockout (KO) RTT mouse. Microglia isolated from Mecp2-KO mice demonstrated upregulation of GLS activity that normalized to wild-type levels following systemic treatment with D-JHU29. Neurobehavioral assessments in D-JHU29 treated Mecp2-KO mice revealed selective improvements in mobility. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that glutaminase inhibitors conjugated to dendrimers are a viable mechanism to selectively inhibit microglial GLS to reduce glutamate production and improve mobility in a mouse model of RTT, with broader implications for selectively targeting this pathway in other neurodegenerative disorders.
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17
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Hsu WL, Ma YL, Liu YC, Tai DJC, Lee EHY. Restoring Wnt6 signaling ameliorates behavioral deficits in MeCP2 T158A mouse model of Rett syndrome. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1074. [PMID: 31974426 PMCID: PMC6978308 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-57745-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 gene, MECP2, is an X chromosome-linked gene encoding the MeCP2 protein, and mutations of MECP2 cause Rett syndrome (RTT). Previous study has shown that re-expression of SUMO-modified MeCP2 in Mecp2-null neurons rescues synaptic and behavioral deficits in Mecp2 conditional knockout mice, whereas about 12-fold decrease in Wnt6 mRNA level was found in MeCP2K412R sumo-mutant mice. Here, we examined the role of Wnt6 in MeCP2 T158A mouse model of RTT. Results show that lentiviral delivery of Wnt6 to the amygdala ameliorates locomotor impairment and social behavioral deficits in these animals. MeCP2 T158A mice show decreased level of GSK-3β phosphorylation and increased level of β-catenin phosphorylation. They also show reduced level of MeCP2 SUMOylation. These alterations were also restored by lenti-Wnt6 transduction. Further, both BDNF and IGF-1 expressions are decreased in MeCP2 T158A mice. Overexpression of Wnt6 increases Bdnf and Igf-1 promoter activity in HEK293T cells in a dose-dependent manner. Lenti-Wnt6 transduction to the amygdala similarly increases the mRNA level and protein expression of BDNF and IGF-1 in MeCP2 T158A mice. Moreover, environmental enrichment (EE) similarly ameliorates the locomotor and social behavioral deficits in MeCP2 T158A mice. One of the mechanisms underlying EE is mediated through enhanced MeCP2 SUMOylation and increased Wnt6 expression in these animals by EE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Lun Hsu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Li Ma
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Chen Liu
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Derek J C Tai
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eminy H Y Lee
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
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18
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Bernstein U, Demuth S, Puk O, Eichhorn B, Schulz S. Novel MECP2 Mutation c.1162_1172del; p.Pro388* in Two Patients with Symptoms of Atypical Rett Syndrome. Mol Syndromol 2019; 10:223-228. [PMID: 31602196 DOI: 10.1159/000501183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
We report 2 cases of girls with MECP2 gene variants who do not have typical clinical features of Rett syndrome except for intellectual disability and seizures. Both patients present with adipositas, macrocephalia, precocious puberty, and seizures. They have prominent eyebrows and a short neck as well as short and plump fingers. Sequencing by NGS revealed a novel variant c.1162_1172del; p.Pro388* in both patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Bernstein
- Center of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Solveig Schulz
- Center of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
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19
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Wang R, Lei T, Fu F, Li R, Jing X, Yang X, Liu J, Li D, Liao C. Application of chromosome microarray analysis in patients with unexplained developmental delay/intellectual disability in South China. Pediatr Neonatol 2019; 60:35-42. [PMID: 29631977 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedneo.2018.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2017] [Revised: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND METHODS Chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) is currently the first-tier diagnostic assay for the evaluation of developmental delay (DD) and intellectual disability (ID) with unknown etiology. Here, we present our clinical experience in implementing whole-genome high-resolution single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays to investigate 489 patients with unexplained DD/ID in whom standard karyotyping analyses showed normal karyotypes. This study aimed to assess the usefulness of CMA for clinical diagnostic testing in the Chinese population. RESULTS A total of 489 children were classified into three groups: isolated DD/ID (n = 358), DD/ID with epilepsy (n = 49), and DD/ID with other structural anomalies (n = 82). We identified 126 cases (25.8%, 126/489) of pathogenic copy number variants (CNVs) by CMA, including 89 (24.9%, 89/358) with isolated DD/ID, 13 (26.5%, 13/49) with DD/ID with epilepsy, and 24 (29.3%, 24/82) with DD/ID with other structural anomalies. Among the 126 cases of pathogenic CNVs, 79 cases were identified as microdeletion/microduplication syndromes, among which 76 cases were classified as common syndromes, and 3 cases were classified as rare syndromes, including 15q24 microdeletion syndrome, Xq28 microduplication syndrome and Lowe syndrome. Additionally, there were forty-seven cases of non-syndromic pathogenic CNVs. The ABAT, FTSJ1, DYNC1H1, and SETBP1 genes were identified as DD/ID candidate genes. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest the necessity of CMA as a routine diagnostic test for unexplained DD/ID in South China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongyue Wang
- Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China; The Second Hospital affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tingying Lei
- Department of Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Fang Fu
- Department of Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Ru Li
- Department of Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiangyi Jing
- Department of Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Juan Liu
- Foshan Women and Children's Hospital, Foshan, 528000, Guangdong, China
| | - Dongzhi Li
- Department of Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Can Liao
- Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China; Department of Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China.
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20
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Inhibition of microRNA-124-3p as a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of Gulf War Illness: Evaluation in a rat model. Neurotoxicology 2018; 71:16-30. [PMID: 30503814 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic, multisymptom illness that continues to affect up to 30% of veterans deployed to the Persian Gulf during the 1990-1991 Gulf War. After nearly 30 years, useful treatments for GWI are lacking and underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in its pathobiology remain poorly understood, although exposures to pyridostigmine bromide (PB) and pesticides are consistently identified to be among the strongest risk factors. Alleviation of the broad range of symptoms manifested in GWI, which involve the central nervous system, the neuroendocrine system, and the immune system likely requires therapies that are able to activate and inactivate a large set of orchestrated genes. Previous work in our laboratory using an established rat model of GWI identified persistent elevation of microRNA-124-3p (miR-124) levels in the hippocampus whose numerous gene targets are involved in cognition-associated pathways and neuroendocrine function. This study aimed to investigate the broad effects of miR-124 inhibition in the brain 9 months after completion of a 28-day exposure regimen of PB, DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide), permethrin, and mild stress by profiling the hippocampal expression of genes known to play a critical role in synaptic plasticity, glucocorticoid signaling, and neurogenesis. We determined that intracerebroventricular infusion of a miR-124 antisense oligonucleotide (miR-124 inhibitor; 0.05-0.5 nmol/day/28 days), but not a negative control oligonucleotide, into the lateral ventricle of the brain caused increased protein expression of multiple validated miR-124 targets and increased expression of downstream target genes important for cognition and neuroendocrine signaling in the hippocampus. Off-target cardiotoxic effects were revealed in GWI rats receiving 0.1 nmol/day as indicated by the detection in plasma of 5 highly elevated protein cardiac injury markers and 6 upregulated cardiac-enriched miRNAs in plasma exosomes determined by next-generation sequencing. Results from this study suggest that in vivo inhibition of miR-124 function in the hippocampus is a promising, novel therapeutic approach to improve cognition and neuroendocrine dysfunction in GWI. Additional preclinical studies in animal models to assess feasibility and safety by developing a practical, noninvasive drug delivery system to the brain and exploring potential adverse toxicologic effects of miR-124 inhibition are warranted.
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21
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Sampino S, Stankiewicz AM, Zacchini F, Goscik J, Szostak A, Swiergiel AH, Drago G, Modlinski JA, Ptak GE. Pregnancy at Advanced Maternal Age Affects Behavior and Hippocampal Gene Expression in Mouse Offspring. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2017; 72:1465-1473. [PMID: 28329103 PMCID: PMC5861961 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glx016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that advanced maternal age is a risk factor for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders in offspring. However, it remains unclear whether the altered brain programming induced by advanced maternal age is mediated by pre- or postnatal factors. Here, a mouse model was used to investigate whether pregnancy at advanced age may provoke behavioral and brain gene expression changes in offspring. Swiss Albino mice conceived by 3-month-old males and either 15-18-month-old (n = 11) or 3-month-old control females (n = 5), were delivered by cesarean section, fostered after birth by 3-month-old dams and subjected to a battery of behavioral tests. Furthermore, genome-wide mRNA expression was analyzed in the hippocampi of 4-month-old males offspring using microarrays. Offspring conceived by old mothers exhibited increased ultrasound vocalization activity during separation from the foster mother, increased anxiety-like behaviors in adult life, and altered patterns of hippocampal gene expression, compared to controls. These effects were not reversed by the postnatal maternal care provided by the young foster mothers, suggesting that the altered brain programming is already established at birth, consistent with prenatal effects related to maternal aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvestre Sampino
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, Poland
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Italy
| | - Adrian Mateusz Stankiewicz
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding of The Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Federica Zacchini
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Joanna Goscik
- Faculty of Computer Science, Bialystok University of Technology, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Szostak
- Department of Genomics and Biodiversity, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding of The Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Artur Hugo Swiergiel
- Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Poland
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport
| | - Gaspare Drago
- Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology, National Research Center of Italy, Palermo
| | - Jacek Andrzej Modlinski
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Grazyna Ewa Ptak
- Department of Experimental Embryology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, Poland
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Italy
- Department of Animal Reproduction Biotechnology, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Balice, Poland
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22
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Zhou X, Liao Y, Xu M, Ji Z, Xu Y, Zhou L, Wei X, Hu P, Han P, Yang F, Pan S, Hu Y. A novel mutation R190H in the AT-hook 1 domain of MeCP2 identified in an atypical Rett syndrome. Oncotarget 2017; 8:82156-82164. [PMID: 29137252 PMCID: PMC5669878 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.18955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Mutations in Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) have been identified as the disease-causing mutations in Rett Syndrome (RTT). However, no mutation in the AT-hook 1 domain of MECP2 has been reported in RTT yet. The function of AT-hook 1 domain of MECP2 has not been described either. Methods The clinical and radiological features of a girl with progressive hyperactivity and loss of acquired linguistic and motor functions were presented. Next generation sequencing was used to screen the causative gene. Effect of the mutant protein on histone 3 methylation was assessed in vitro experiment. Results The patient was diagnosed with an atypical RTT at the age of nine. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a loss of whole-brain volume and abnormal myelination. Genetic analysis identified a de novo novel missense mutation of MECP2 (NM_004992, c.570G->A, p.Arg190His). This mutation is located in the AT-hook 1 domain of MeCP2 protein. Overexpression of the mutant MeCP2 in cultured neuroblastoma cells SH-SY5Y revealed increased level of dimethylated histone 3 lysine 9, a transcriptional repressor marker. Conclusion A novel missense mutation in AT-hook 1 domain of MeCP2 was identified in a patient with atypical RTT. Clinical data and in vitro experiment result imply that R190H mutation in AT-hook1 may cause dysfunction of MeCP2 and be a pathogenic variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, The Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yuangao Liao
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, The Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, Chenzhou, China
| | - Miaojing Xu
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, The Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhong Ji
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, The Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunqi Xu
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, The Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, The Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | | | - Peiqian Hu
- Department of Radiology, Nanfang Hospital, The Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Han
- Beijing Genomics Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fanghan Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Suyue Pan
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, The Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yafang Hu
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, The Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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23
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Matsumoto M, Walton NM, Yamada H, Kondo Y, Marek GJ, Tajinda K. The impact of genetics on future drug discovery in schizophrenia. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2017; 12:673-686. [PMID: 28521526 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2017.1324419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Failures of investigational new drugs (INDs) for schizophrenia have left huge unmet medical needs for patients. Given the recent lackluster results, it is imperative that new drug discovery approaches (and resultant drug candidates) target pathophysiological alterations that are shared in specific, stratified patient populations that are selected based on pre-identified biological signatures. One path to implementing this paradigm is achievable by leveraging recent advances in genetic information and technologies. Genome-wide exome sequencing and meta-analysis of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based association studies have already revealed rare deleterious variants and SNPs in patient populations. Areas covered: Herein, the authors review the impact that genetics have on the future of schizophrenia drug discovery. The high polygenicity of schizophrenia strongly indicates that this disease is biologically heterogeneous so the identification of unique subgroups (by patient stratification) is becoming increasingly necessary for future investigational new drugs. Expert opinion: The authors propose a pathophysiology-based stratification of genetically-defined subgroups that share deficits in particular biological pathways. Existing tools, including lower-cost genomic sequencing and advanced gene-editing technology render this strategy ever more feasible. Genetically complex psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia may also benefit from synergistic research with simpler monogenic disorders that share perturbations in similar biological pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuyuki Matsumoto
- a Unit 2, Candidate Discovery Science Labs., Drug Discovery Research , Astellas Pharma Inc. , Tsukuba , Ibaraki , Japan
| | - Noah M Walton
- b La Jolla Laboratory , Astellas Research Institute of America LLC , San Diego , CA , USA
| | - Hiroshi Yamada
- b La Jolla Laboratory , Astellas Research Institute of America LLC , San Diego , CA , USA
| | - Yuji Kondo
- a Unit 2, Candidate Discovery Science Labs., Drug Discovery Research , Astellas Pharma Inc. , Tsukuba , Ibaraki , Japan
| | - Gerard J Marek
- c Development Medical Sciences, Astellas Pharma Global Development , Northbrook , IL , USA
| | - Katsunori Tajinda
- b La Jolla Laboratory , Astellas Research Institute of America LLC , San Diego , CA , USA
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24
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Heilig M, Barbier E, Johnstone AL, Tapocik J, Meinhardt MW, Pfarr S, Wahlestedt C, Sommer WH. Reprogramming of mPFC transcriptome and function in alcohol dependence. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2017; 16:86-100. [PMID: 27657733 PMCID: PMC5555395 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite its limited immediate reinforcement value, alcohol has a potent ability to induce neuroadaptations that promote its incentive salience, escalation of voluntary alcohol intake and aversion-resistant alcohol seeking. A constellation of these traits, collectively called 'post-dependent', emerges following brain exposure to repeated cycles of intoxication and withdrawal. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and its subdivisions exert top-down regulation of approach and avoidance behaviors, including those that lead to alcohol intake. Here, we review an emerging literature which indicates that a reprogramming of mPFC function occurs with prolonged exposure of the brain to cycles of alcohol intoxication and withdrawal. This reprogramming results in molecular dysregulations that contribute to the post-dependent syndrome. Convergent evidence has identified neuroadaptations resulting in altered glutamatergic and BDNF-mediated signaling, and for these pathways, direct evidence for a mechanistic role has been obtained. Additional evidence points to a dysregulation of pathways involving calcium homeostasis and neurotransmitter release. Recent findings indicate that global DNA hypermethylation is a key factor in reprogramming the mPFC genome after a history of dependence. As one of the results of this epigenetic remodeling, several histone modifying epigenetic enzymes are repressed. Among these, PR-domain zinc-finger protein 2, a methyltransferase that selectively mono-methylates histone H3 at lysine 9 has been functionally validated to drive several of the molecular and behavioral long-term consequences of alcohol dependence. Information processing within the mPFC involves formation of dynamic neuronal networks, or functional ensembles that are shaped by transcriptional responses. The epigenetic dysregulations identified by our molecular studies are likely to alter this dynamic processing in multiple ways. In summary, epigenetic molecular switches in the mPFC appear to be turned on as alcoholism develops. Strategies to reverse these processes may offer targets for disease-modifying treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Heilig
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - E. Barbier
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - A. L. Johnstone
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - J. Tapocik
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - M. W. Meinhardt
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - S. Pfarr
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - C. Wahlestedt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - W. H. Sommer
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
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25
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26
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Lin YC, Frei JA, Kilander MBC, Shen W, Blatt GJ. A Subset of Autism-Associated Genes Regulate the Structural Stability of Neurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:263. [PMID: 27909399 PMCID: PMC5112273 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises a range of neurological conditions that affect individuals’ ability to communicate and interact with others. People with ASD often exhibit marked qualitative difficulties in social interaction, communication, and behavior. Alterations in neurite arborization and dendritic spine morphology, including size, shape, and number, are hallmarks of almost all neurological conditions, including ASD. As experimental evidence emerges in recent years, it becomes clear that although there is broad heterogeneity of identified autism risk genes, many of them converge into similar cellular pathways, including those regulating neurite outgrowth, synapse formation and spine stability, and synaptic plasticity. These mechanisms together regulate the structural stability of neurons and are vulnerable targets in ASD. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of those autism risk genes that affect the structural connectivity of neurons. We sub-categorize them into (1) cytoskeletal regulators, e.g., motors and small RhoGTPase regulators; (2) adhesion molecules, e.g., cadherins, NCAM, and neurexin superfamily; (3) cell surface receptors, e.g., glutamatergic receptors and receptor tyrosine kinases; (4) signaling molecules, e.g., protein kinases and phosphatases; and (5) synaptic proteins, e.g., vesicle and scaffolding proteins. Although the roles of some of these genes in maintaining neuronal structural stability are well studied, how mutations contribute to the autism phenotype is still largely unknown. Investigating whether and how the neuronal structure and function are affected when these genes are mutated will provide insights toward developing effective interventions aimed at improving the lives of people with autism and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chih Lin
- Laboratory of Neuronal Connectivity, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Jeannine A Frei
- Laboratory of Neuronal Connectivity, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Michaela B C Kilander
- Laboratory of Neuronal Connectivity, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Wenjuan Shen
- Laboratory of Neuronal Connectivity, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Gene J Blatt
- Laboratory of Autism Neurocircuitry, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
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27
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Multiple genes, especially immune-regulating genes, contribute to disease susceptibility in systemic sclerosis. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2016; 28:595-605. [DOI: 10.1097/bor.0000000000000334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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28
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Firouzabadi SG, Kariminejad R, Vameghi R, Darvish H, Ghaedi H, Banihashemi S, Firouzkouhi Moghaddam M, Jamali P, Mofidi Tehrani HF, Dehghani H, Narooie-Nejad M, Jamshidi J, Tafakhori A, Sadabadi S, Najmabadi H, Behjati F. Copy Number Variants in Patients with Autism and Additional Clinical Features: Report of VIPR2 Duplication and a Novel Microduplication Syndrome. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 54:7019-7027. [PMID: 27796743 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-016-0202-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a common neurodevelopmental disorder estimated to affect 1 in 68 children. Many studies have shown the role of copy number variants (CNVs) as a major contributor in the etiology of autism with the overall detection rate of about 10-15 % and over 20 % when syndromic forms of autism exist. In this study, we used array CGH to identify CNVs in 15 Iranian patients with autism. To elevate our diagnostic yield, we selected the sporadic patients who had additional clinical features including intellectual disability (ID), craniofacial anomaly, and seizure. Six out of 15 patients showed clinically relevant CNVs including pathogenic and likely pathogenic copy number gains or losses. We report a novel gene duplication syndrome (10q21.2q21.3 microduplication) and present a new evidence for VIPR2 duplication, as a candidate gene for autism. Furthermore, we describe the first manifesting carrier female with deletion of SLC6A8 and BCAP31 genes on Xq28. Our findings suggest that there might be a higher prevalence of clinically significant CNVs in patients with autism and additional clinical manifestations. The CNV analysis in such patients could lead to the discovery of novel syndromes as well as unraveling the etiology of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Roshanak Vameghi
- Pediatric Neurorehabilitation Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Darvish
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Ghaedi
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Susan Banihashemi
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahboubeh Firouzkouhi Moghaddam
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.,Research Center for Children and Adolescents Health, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
| | | | | | - Hossein Dehghani
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehrnaz Narooie-Nejad
- Genetics of Non-communicable Disease Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Javad Jamshidi
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Abbas Tafakhori
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Imam Khomeini Hospital and Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeid Sadabadi
- Bahar Education and Rehabilitation Center for the handicapped, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Najmabadi
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Kariminejad-Najmabadi Pathology and Genetics Center, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farkhondeh Behjati
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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29
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Liu X, Han D, Somel M, Jiang X, Hu H, Guijarro P, Zhang N, Mitchell A, Halene T, Ely JJ, Sherwood CC, Hof PR, Qiu Z, Pääbo S, Akbarian S, Khaitovich P. Disruption of an Evolutionarily Novel Synaptic Expression Pattern in Autism. PLoS Biol 2016; 14:e1002558. [PMID: 27685936 PMCID: PMC5042529 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive defects in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) include socialization and communication: key behavioral capacities that separate humans from other species. Here, we analyze gene expression in the prefrontal cortex of 63 autism patients and control individuals, as well as 62 chimpanzees and macaques, from natal to adult age. We show that among all aberrant expression changes seen in ASD brains, a single aberrant expression pattern overrepresented in genes involved synaptic-related pathways is enriched in nucleotide variants linked to autism. Furthermore, only this pattern contains an excess of developmental expression features unique to humans, thus resulting in the disruption of human-specific developmental programs in autism. Several members of the early growth response (EGR) transcription factor family can be implicated in regulation of this aberrant developmental change. Our study draws a connection between the genetic risk architecture of autism and molecular features of cortical development unique to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiling Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai, China
- Big Data Decision Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Forensic Sciences, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, China
| | - Dingding Han
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai, China
| | - Mehmet Somel
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Xi Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai, China
| | - Haiyang Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai, China
| | - Patricia Guijarro
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai, China
| | - Amanda Mitchell
- Department of Psychiatry and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Tobias Halene
- Department of Psychiatry and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - John J. Ely
- MAEBIOS-TM, Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Chet C. Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Zilong Qiu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Svante Pääbo
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Psychiatry and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Philipp Khaitovich
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai, China
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Skolkovo Institute for Science and Technology, Skolkovo, Russia
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30
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Tai DJC, Liu YC, Hsu WL, Ma YL, Cheng SJ, Liu SY, Lee EHY. MeCP2 SUMOylation rescues Mecp2-mutant-induced behavioural deficits in a mouse model of Rett syndrome. Nat Commun 2016; 7:10552. [PMID: 26842955 PMCID: PMC4743023 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) gene, MECP2, is an X-linked gene encoding the MeCP2 protein, and mutations of MECP2 cause Rett syndrome (RTT). However, the molecular mechanism of MECP2-mutation-caused RTT is less known. Here we find that MeCP2 could be SUMO-modified by the E3 ligase PIAS1 at Lys-412. MeCP2 phosphorylation (at Ser-421 and Thr-308) facilitates MeCP2 SUMOylation, and MeCP2 SUMOylation is induced by NMDA, IGF-1 and CRF in the rat brain. MeCP2 SUMOylation releases CREB from the repressor complex and enhances Bdnf mRNA expression. Several MECP2 mutations identified in RTT patients show decreased MeCP2 SUMOylation. Re-expression of wild-type MeCP2 or SUMO-modified MeCP2 in Mecp2-null neurons rescues the deficits of social interaction, fear memory and LTP observed in Mecp2 conditional knockout (cKO) mice. These results together reveal an important role of MeCP2 SUMOylation in social interaction, memory and synaptic plasticity, and that abnormal MeCP2 SUMOylation is implicated in RTT. Post-translational modifications of methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) are important for its function and dysfunction in Rett syndrome. Here, Tai et al. show a functional interaction between MeCP2 SUMOylation and phosphorylation in rodent behavior and synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek J C Tai
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Yen C Liu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan
| | - Wei L Hsu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Yun L Ma
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Sin J Cheng
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan.,Neuroscience Program in Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Shau Y Liu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Eminy H Y Lee
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
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31
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Hu TM, Chen CH, Chuang YA, Hsu SH, Cheng MC. Resequencing of early growth response 2 (EGR2) gene revealed a recurrent patient-specific mutation in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2015; 228:958-60. [PMID: 26119399 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Revised: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal myelination is considered as part of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. We resequenced the genomic DNA of the EGR2, which has a specific function in the myelination of peripheral nervous system, in 543 schizophrenic patients and 554 non-psychotic controls. We identified six known SNPs, which were not associated with schizophrenia. Nevertheless, we discovered 24 rare mutations, some of them were patient-specific, including a recurrent mutation (p.P173_Y174insP), which might be associated with the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsung-Ming Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yuli Mental Health Research Center, Yuli Branch, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hsiang Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and Department and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yang-An Chuang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yuli Mental Health Research Center, Yuli Branch, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Hsin Hsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yuli Mental Health Research Center, Yuli Branch, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Min-Chih Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, Yuli Mental Health Research Center, Yuli Branch, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan; Center for General Education, St. Mary׳s Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Yilan County, Taiwan.
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32
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Gold WA, Christodoulou J. The Utility of Next-Generation Sequencing in Gene Discovery for Mutation-Negative Patients with Rett Syndrome. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:266. [PMID: 26236194 PMCID: PMC4500929 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare, severe disorder of neuronal plasticity that predominantly affects girls. Girls with RTT usually appear asymptomatic in the first 6–18 months of life, but gradually develop severe motor, cognitive, and behavioral abnormalities that persist for life. A predominance of neuronal and synaptic dysfunction, with altered excitatory–inhibitory neuronal synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity, are overarching features of RTT in children and in mouse models. Over 90% of patients with classical RTT have mutations in the X-linked methyl-CpG-binding (MECP2) gene, while other genes, including cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5), Forkhead box protein G1 (FOXG1), myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C), and transcription factor 4 (TCF4), have been associated with phenotypes overlapping with RTT. However, there remain a proportion of patients who carry a clinical diagnosis of RTT, but who are mutation negative. In recent years, next-generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized approaches to genetic studies, making whole-exome and even whole-genome sequencing possible strategies for the detection of rare and de novo mutations, aiding the discovery of novel disease genes. Here, we review the recent progress that is emerging in identifying pathogenic variations, specifically from exome sequencing in RTT patients, and emphasize the need for the use of this technology to identify known and new disease genes in RTT patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Anne Gold
- Western Sydney Genetics Program, New South Wales Centre for Rett Syndrome Research, Children's Hospital at Westmead , Sydney, NSW , Australia ; Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW , Australia
| | - John Christodoulou
- Western Sydney Genetics Program, New South Wales Centre for Rett Syndrome Research, Children's Hospital at Westmead , Sydney, NSW , Australia ; Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW , Australia ; Discipline of Genetic Medicine, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW , Australia
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Neuromolecular responses to social challenge: common mechanisms across mouse, stickleback fish, and honey bee. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:17929-34. [PMID: 25453090 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1420369111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Certain complex phenotypes appear repeatedly across diverse species due to processes of evolutionary conservation and convergence. In some contexts like developmental body patterning, there is increased appreciation that common molecular mechanisms underlie common phenotypes; these molecular mechanisms include highly conserved genes and networks that may be modified by lineage-specific mutations. However, the existence of deeply conserved mechanisms for social behaviors has not yet been demonstrated. We used a comparative genomics approach to determine whether shared neuromolecular mechanisms could underlie behavioral response to territory intrusion across species spanning a broad phylogenetic range: house mouse (Mus musculus), stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus), and honey bee (Apis mellifera). Territory intrusion modulated similar brain functional processes in each species, including those associated with hormone-mediated signal transduction and neurodevelopment. Changes in chromosome organization and energy metabolism appear to be core, conserved processes involved in the response to territory intrusion. We also found that several homologous transcription factors that are typically associated with neural development were modulated across all three species, suggesting that shared neuronal effects may involve transcriptional cascades of evolutionarily conserved genes. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analyses of a subset of these transcription factors in mouse again implicated modulation of energy metabolism in the behavioral response. These results provide support for conserved genetic "toolkits" that are used in independent evolutions of the response to social challenge in diverse taxa.
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Jin J, Chou C, Lima M, Zhou D, Zhou X. Systemic Sclerosis is a Complex Disease Associated Mainly with Immune Regulatory and Inflammatory Genes. Open Rheumatol J 2014; 8:29-42. [PMID: 25328554 PMCID: PMC4200700 DOI: 10.2174/1874312901408010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Revised: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a fibrotic and autoimmune disease characterized clinically by skin and internal organ fibrosis and vascular damage, and serologically by the presence of circulating autoantibodies. Although etiopathogenesis is not yet well understood, the results of numerous genetic association studies support genetic contributions as an important factor to SSc. In this paper, the major genes of SSc are reviewed. The most recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are taken into account along with robust candidate gene studies. The literature search was performed on genetic association studies of SSc in PubMed between January 2000 and March 2014 while eligible studies generally had over 600 total participants with replication. A few genetic association studies with related functional changes in SSc patients were also included. A total of forty seven genes or specific genetic regions were reported to be associated with SSc, although some are controversial. These genes include HLA genes, STAT4, CD247, TBX21, PTPN22, TNFSF4, IL23R, IL2RA, IL-21, SCHIP1/IL12A, CD226, BANK1, C8orf13-BLK, PLD4, TLR-2, NLRP1, ATG5, IRF5, IRF8, TNFAIP3, IRAK1, NFKB1, TNIP1, FAS, MIF, HGF, OPN, IL-6, CXCL8, CCR6, CTGF, ITGAM, CAV1, MECP2, SOX5, JAZF1, DNASEIL3, XRCC1, XRCC4, PXK, CSK, GRB10, NOTCH4, RHOB, KIAA0319, PSD3 and PSOR1C1. These genes encode proteins mainly involved in immune regulation and inflammation, and some of them function in transcription, kinase activity, DNA cleavage and repair. The discovery of various SSc-associated genes is important in understanding the genetics of SSc and potential pathogenesis that contribute to the development of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxiao Jin
- University of Texas Medical School at Houston, USA ; Duke University, USA
| | - Chou Chou
- University of Texas Medical School at Houston, USA
| | - Maria Lima
- University of Texas Medical School at Houston, USA ; Rice University, USA
| | - Danielle Zhou
- University of Texas Medical School at Houston, USA ; Washington University, USA
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Prenatal maternal immune activation causes epigenetic differences in adolescent mouse brain. Transl Psychiatry 2014; 4:e434. [PMID: 25180573 PMCID: PMC4203009 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2014.80] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Revised: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation have been implicated in the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders including schizophrenia and autism. Epigenetic changes can be induced by environmental exposures such as inflammation. Here we tested the hypothesis that prenatal inflammation, a recognized risk factor for schizophrenia and related neurodevelopmental conditions, alters DNA methylation in key brain regions linked to schizophrenia, namely the dopamine rich striatum and endocrine regulatory centre, the hypothalamus. DNA methylation across highly repetitive elements (long interspersed element 1 (LINE1) and intracisternal A-particles (IAPs)) were used to proxy global DNA methylation. We also investigated the Mecp2 gene because it regulates transcription of LINE1 and has a known association with neurodevelopmental disorders. Brain tissue was harvested from 6 week old offspring of mice exposed to the viral analog PolyI:C or saline on gestation day 9. We used Sequenom EpiTYPER assay to quantitatively analyze differences in DNA methylation at IAPs, LINE1 elements and the promoter region of Mecp2. In the hypothalamus, prenatal exposure to PolyI:C caused significant global DNA hypomethylation (t=2.44, P=0.019, PolyI:C mean 69.67%, saline mean 70.19%), especially in females, and significant hypomethylation of the promoter region of Mecp2, (t=3.32, P=0.002; PolyI:C mean 26.57%, saline mean 34.63%). IAP methylation was unaltered. DNA methylation in the striatum was not significantly altered. This study provides the first experimental evidence that exposure to inflammation during prenatal life is associated with epigenetic changes, including Mecp2 promoter hypomethylation. This suggests that environmental and genetic risk factors associated with neurodevelopmental disorders may act upon similar pathways. This is important because epigenetic changes are potentially modifiable and their investigation may open new avenues for treatment.
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Della Sala G, Pizzorusso T. Synaptic plasticity and signaling in Rett syndrome. Dev Neurobiol 2013; 74:178-96. [PMID: 23908158 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2012] [Revised: 06/28/2013] [Accepted: 07/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Rett syndrome (RTT) is a disorder that is caused in the majority of cases by mutations in the gene methyl-CpG-binding protein-2 (MeCP2). Children with RTT are generally characterized by normal development up to the first year and a half of age, after which they undergo a rapid regression marked by a deceleration of head growth, the onset of stereotyped hand movements, irregular breathing, and seizures. Animal models of RTT with good construct and face validity are available. Their analysis showed that homeostatic regulation of MeCP2 gene is necessary for normal CNS functioning and that multiple complex pathways involving different neuronal and glial cell types are disrupted in RTT models. However, it is increasingly clear that RTT pathogenetic mechanisms converge at synaptic level impairing synaptic transmission and plasticity. We review novel findings showing how specific synaptic mechanisms and related signaling pathways are affected in RTT models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazia Della Sala
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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37
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Plummer JT, Evgrafov OV, Bergman MY, Friez M, Haiman CA, Levitt P, Aldinger KA. Transcriptional regulation of the MET receptor tyrosine kinase gene by MeCP2 and sex-specific expression in autism and Rett syndrome. Transl Psychiatry 2013; 3:e316. [PMID: 24150225 PMCID: PMC3818007 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2013.91] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2013] [Revised: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 09/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Single nucleotide variants (SNV) in the gene encoding the MET receptor tyrosine kinase have been associated with an increased risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The MET promoter SNV rs1858830 C 'low activity' allele is enriched in ASD, associated with reduced protein expression, and impacts functional and structural circuit connectivity in humans. To gain insight into the transcriptional regulation of MET on ASD-risk etiology, we examined an interaction between the methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) and the MET 5' promoter region. Mutations in MeCP2 cause Rett syndrome (RTT), a predominantly female neurodevelopmental disorder sharing some ASD clinical symptoms. MeCP2 binds to a region of the MET promoter containing the ASD-risk SNV, and displays rs1858830 genotype-specific binding in human neural progenitor cells derived from the olfactory neuroepithelium. MeCP2 binding enhances MET expression in the presence of the rs1858830 C allele, but MET transcription is attenuated by RTT-specific mutations in MeCP2. In the postmortem temporal cortex, a region normally enriched in MET, gene expression is reduced dramatically in females with RTT, although not due to enrichment of the rs1858830 C 'low activity' allele. We newly identified a sex-based reduction in MET expression, with male ASD cases, but not female ASD cases compared with sex-matched controls. The experimental data reveal a prominent allele-specific regulation of MET transcription by MeCP2. The mechanisms underlying the pronounced reduction of MET in ASD and RTT temporal cortex are distinct and likely related to factors unique to each disorder, including a noted sex bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- J T Plummer
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - O V Evgrafov
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - M Y Bergman
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - M Friez
- Greenwood Genetic Center, Greenwood, SC, USA
| | - C A Haiman
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - P Levitt
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA,Department of Cell & Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - K A Aldinger
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA,Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 9th Avenue, Seattle, 98101 WA, USA. E-mail:
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Balan S, Yamada K, Iwayama Y, Toyota T, Ohnishi T, Maekawa M, Toyoshima M, Iwata Y, Suzuki K, Kikuchi M, Ujike H, Inada T, Kunugi H, Ozaki N, Iwata N, Nanko S, Kato T, Yoshikawa T. Lack of association of EGR2 variants with bipolar disorder in Japanese population. Gene 2013; 526:246-50. [PMID: 23747400 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2013.05.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2013] [Revised: 04/05/2013] [Accepted: 05/17/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The early growth response gene 2 (EGR2) has been recently reported to be associated with bipolar disorder in the Korean population. However replication studies in independent cohorts of same and different ethnicities are essential for establishing the credibility of a genotype-phenotype association. With this notion, in the present study we have performed a replication study of the reported association of SNPs in EGR2 in a case-control study comprising of 867 unrelated Japanese bipolar disorder patients and 895 age-, sex- and ethnicity-matched controls. Results showed no significant differences in allele and genotype frequencies of EGR2 SNPs between bipolar disorder patients and controls and also in a sex-stratified genetic analysis. The haplotype and meta-analyses also showed no significant association with bipolar disorder. In conclusion, this is the first replication study of the previously reported association of EGR2 with bipolar disorder in a larger sample set and the results showed that the EGR2 gene is unlikely to contribute to the susceptibility of bipolar disorder in a Japanese cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabeesh Balan
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
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Flashner BM, Russo ME, Boileau JE, Leong DW, Gallicano GI. Epigenetic factors and autism spectrum disorders. Neuromolecular Med 2013; 15:339-50. [PMID: 23468062 DOI: 10.1007/s12017-013-8222-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2012] [Accepted: 02/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that has significant phenotypic overlap with several diseases, many of which fall within the broader category of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The etiology of the disorder is unclear and seems to involve a complex interplay of polygenic as well as environmental factors. We discuss evidence that suggests that epigenetic dysregulation is highly implicated as a contributing cause of ASDs and autism. Specifically, we examine neurodevelopmental disorders that share significant phenotypic overlap with ASDs and feature the dysregulation of epigenetically modified genes including UBE3A, GABA receptor genes, and RELN. We then look at the dysregulated expression of implicated epigenetic modifiers, namely MeCP2, that yield complex and varied downstream pleiotropic effects. Finally, we examine epigenetically mediated parent-of-origin effects through which paternal gene expression dominates that of maternal contributing to contrasting phenotypes implicated in ASDs. Such preliminary evidence suggests that elucidating the complex role of epigenetic regulations involved in ASDs could prove vital in furthering our understanding of the complex etiology of autism and ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bess M Flashner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, 3900 Reservoir Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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Iqbal Z, Vandeweyer G, van der Voet M, Waryah AM, Zahoor MY, Besseling JA, Roca LT, Vulto-van Silfhout AT, Nijhof B, Kramer JM, Van der Aa N, Ansar M, Peeters H, Helsmoortel C, Gilissen C, Vissers LELM, Veltman JA, de Brouwer APM, Frank Kooy R, Riazuddin S, Schenck A, van Bokhoven H, Rooms L. Homozygous and heterozygous disruptions of ANK3: at the crossroads of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Hum Mol Genet 2013; 22:1960-70. [PMID: 23390136 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AnkyrinG, encoded by the ANK3 gene, is involved in neuronal development and signaling. It has previously been implicated in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia by association studies. Most recently, de novo missense mutations in this gene were identified in autistic patients. However, the causative nature of these mutations remained controversial. Here, we report inactivating mutations in the Ankyrin 3 (ANK3) gene in patients with severe cognitive deficits. In a patient with a borderline intelligence, severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism and sleeping problems, all isoforms of the ANK3 gene, were disrupted by a balanced translocation. Furthermore, in a consanguineous family with moderate intellectual disability (ID), an ADHD-like phenotype and behavioral problems, we identified a homozygous truncating frameshift mutation in the longest isoform of the same gene, which represents the first reported familial mutation in the ANK3 gene. The causality of ANK3 mutations in the two families and the role of the gene in cognitive function were supported by memory defects in a Drosophila knockdown model. Thus we demonstrated that ANK3 plays a role in intellectual functioning. In addition, our findings support the suggested association of ANK3 with various neuropsychiatric disorders and illustrate the genetic and molecular relation between a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zafar Iqbal
- Department of Human Genetics, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognitionand Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, TheNetherlands
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Yasui DH, Xu H, Dunaway KW, Lasalle JM, Jin LW, Maezawa I. MeCP2 modulates gene expression pathways in astrocytes. Mol Autism 2013; 4:3. [PMID: 23351786 PMCID: PMC3561260 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-4-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2012] [Accepted: 01/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mutations in MECP2 encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) cause the X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome. Rett syndrome patients exhibit neurological symptoms that include irregular breathing, impaired mobility, stereotypic hand movements, and loss of speech. MeCP2 protein epigenetically modulates gene expression through genome-wide binding to methylated CpG dinucleotides. While neurons have the highest level of MeCP2 expression, astrocytes and other cell types also express detectable levels of MeCP2. Recent studies suggest that astrocytes likely control the progression of Rett syndrome. Thus, the object of these studies was to identify gene targets that are affected by loss of MeCP2 binding in astrocytes. Methods To identify gene targets of MeCP2 in astrocytes, combined approaches of expression microarray and chromatin immunoprecipitation of MeCP2 followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) were compared between wild-type and MeCP2-deficient astrocytes. MeCP2 gene targets were compared with genes in the top 10% of MeCP2 binding levels in gene windows either within 2 kb upstream of the transcription start site, or the ‘gene body’ that extended from transcription start to end site, or 2 kb downstream of the transcription end site. Results A total of 118 gene transcripts surpassed the highly significant threshold (P < 0.005, fold change > 1.2) in expression microarray analysis from triplicate cultures. The top 10% of genes with the highest levels of MeCP2 binding were identified in two independent ChIP-seq experiments. Together this integrated, genome-wide screen for MeCP2 target genes provided an overlapping list of 19 high-confidence MeCP2-responsive gene transcripts in astrocytes. Validation of candidate target gene transcripts by RT-PCR revealed that expression of Apoc2, Cdon, Csrp and Nrep were consistently responsive to MeCP2 deficiency in astrocytes. Conclusions The first MeCP2 ChIP-seq and gene expression microarray analysis in astrocytes reveals a set of potential MeCP2 target genes that may contribute to normal astrocyte signaling, cell division and neuronal support functions, the loss of which may contribute to the Rett syndrome phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dag H Yasui
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, UC Davis Genome Center, University of California Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
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Cheng MC, Chuang YA, Lu CL, Chen YJ, Luu SU, Li JM, Hsu SH, Chen CH. Genetic and functional analyses of early growth response (EGR) family genes in schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2012; 39:149-55. [PMID: 22691714 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2012.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2012] [Revised: 06/01/2012] [Accepted: 06/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Early growth response genes (EGR1, 2, 3, and 4) encode a family of nuclear proteins that function as transcriptional regulators. They are involved in the regulation of synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory, and are implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. METHODS We conducted a genetic association analysis of 14 SNPs selected from the EGR1, 2, 3, and 4 genes of 564 patients with schizophrenia and 564 control subjects. We also conducted Western blot analysis and promoter activity assay to characterize the EGR genes associated with schizophrenia RESULTS We did not detect a true genetic association of these 14 SNPs with schizophrenia in this sample. However, we observed a nominal over-representation of C/C genotype of rs9990 of EGR2 in female schizophrenia as compared to female control subjects (p=0.012, uncorrected for multiple testing). Further study showed that the average mRNA level of the EGR2 gene in the lymphoblastoid cell lines of female schizophrenia patients was significantly higher than that in female control subjects (p=0.002). We also detected a nominal association of 4 SNPs (rs6747506, rs6718289, rs2229294, and rs3813226) of the EGR4 gene that form strong linkage disequilibrium with schizophrenia in males. Reporter gene assay showed that the haplotype T-A derived from rs6747506 and rs6718289 at the promoter region had significantly reduced promoter activity compared with the haplotype A-G. CONCLUSION Our data suggest a tendency of gender-specific association of EGR2 and EGR4 in schizophrenia, with an elevated expression of EGR2 in lympoblastoid cell lines of female schizophrenia patients and a reduced EGR4 gene expression in male schizophrenia patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Chih Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, Yuli Mental Health Research Center, Yuli Veterans Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
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Zocchi L, Sassone-Corsi P. SIRT1-mediated deacetylation of MeCP2 contributes to BDNF expression. Epigenetics 2012; 7:695-700. [PMID: 22677942 PMCID: PMC3414390 DOI: 10.4161/epi.20733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) binds methylated cytosines at CpG sites on DNA and it is thought to function as a critical epigenetic regulator. Mutations in the MeCP2 gene have been associated to Rett syndrome, a human neurodevelopmental disorder. Here we show that MeCP2 is acetylated by p300 and that SIRT1 mediates its deacetylation. SIRT1, the mammalian homologue of Sir2 in yeast, is a nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+))-dependent histone deacetylase that belongs to the family of HDAC class III sirtuins. Importantly, SIRT1 has been shown to play a critical role in synaptic plasticity and memory formation. This study reveals a functional interplay between two critical epigenetic regulators, MeCP2 and SIRT1, which controls MeCP2 binding activity to the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promoter in a specific region of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Zocchi
- Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, School of Medicine, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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Abstract
Rett syndrome is an X-linked autism-spectrum disorder caused by mutations in MECP2, encoding methyl CpG-binding protein 2. Since the discovery of MECP2 mutations as the genetic cause of Rett syndrome, the understanding of MeCP2 function has evolved. Although MeCP2 was predicted to be a global transcriptional repressor of methylated promoters, large-scale combined epigenomic approaches of MeCP2 binding, methylation and gene expression have demonstrated that MeCP2 binds preferentially to intergenic and intronic regions, and sparsely methylated promoters of active genes. This review compares the evolution of thought within two ‘classic’ epigenetic mechanisms of parental imprinting and X chromosome inactivation to that of the MeCP2 field, and considers the future relevance of integrated epigenomic databases to understanding autism and Rett syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine M LaSalle
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology and Rowe Program in Human Genetics, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Phosphorylation of distinct sites in MeCP2 modifies cofactor associations and the dynamics of transcriptional regulation. Mol Cell Biol 2012; 32:2894-903. [PMID: 22615490 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.06728-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the gene encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) lead to disrupted neuronal function and can cause the neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome. MeCP2 is a transcriptional regulator that binds to methylated DNA and is most abundant in neuronal nuclei. The mechanisms by which MeCP2 regulates gene expression remain ambiguous, as it has been reported to function as a transcriptional silencer or activator and to execute these activities through both gene-specific and genome-wide mechanisms. We hypothesized that posttranslational modifications of MeCP2 may be important for reconciling these apparently contradictory functions. Our results demonstrate that MeCP2 contains multiple posttranslational modifications, including phosphorylation, acetylation, and ubiquitylation. Phosphorylation of MeCP2 at S229 or S80 influenced selective in vivo interactions with the chromatin factors HP1 and SMC3 and the cofactors Sin3A and YB-1. pS229 MeCP2 was specifically enriched at the RET promoter, and phosphorylation of MeCP2 was necessary for differentiation-induced activation and repression of the MeCP2 target genes RET and EGR2. These results demonstrate that phosphorylation is one of several factors that are important for interpreting the complexities of MeCP2 transcriptional modulation.
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Perche O, Laudier B, Menuet A, Odent S, Laumonnier F, Briault S. FG syndrome: The FGS2 locus revisited. Am J Med Genet A 2012; 158A:1489-92. [DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.35322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2011] [Accepted: 01/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Kim SH, Song JY, Joo EJ, Lee KY, Shin SY, Lee YH, Ahn YM, Kim YS. Genetic association of the EGR2 gene with bipolar disorder in Korea. Exp Mol Med 2012; 44:121-9. [PMID: 22089088 PMCID: PMC3296808 DOI: 10.3858/emm.2012.44.2.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/10/2011] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The early growth response gene 2 (EGR2) is located at chromosome 10q21, one of the susceptibility loci in bipolar disorder (BD). EGR2 is involved in cognitive function, myelination, and signal transduction related to neuregulin-ErbB receptor, Bcl-2 family proteins, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This study investigated the genetic association of the EGR2 gene with BD and schizophrenia (SPR) in Korea. In 946 subjects (350 healthy controls, 352 patients with BD, and 244 with SPR), nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the EGR2 gene region were genotyped. Five SNPs showed nominally significant allelic associations with BD (rs2295814, rs61865882, rs10995315, rs2297488, and rs2297489), and the positive associations of all except rs2297488 remained significant after multiple testing correction. Linkage disequilibrium structure analysis revealed two haplotype blocks. Among the common identified haplotypes (frequency > 5%), 'T-G-A-C-T (block 1)' and 'A-A-G-C (block 2)' haplotypes were over-represented, while 'C-G-G-T-T (block 1)' haplotype was under-represented in BD. In contrast, no significant associations were found with SPR. Although an extended analysis with a larger sample size or independent replication is required, these findings suggest a genetic association of EGR2 with BD. Combined with a plausible biological function of EGR2, the EGR2 gene is a possible susceptibility gene in BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se Hyun Kim
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea
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Wolf C, Linden DEJ. Biological pathways to adaptability - interactions between genome, epigenome, nervous system and environment for adaptive behavior. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2011; 11:3-28. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2011.00752.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Li C, Dong S, Wang H, Hu Y. Microarray analysis of gene expression changes in the brains of NR2B-induced memory-enhanced mice. Neuroscience 2011; 197:121-31. [PMID: 21925573 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2011] [Revised: 08/11/2011] [Accepted: 08/13/2011] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors play a pivotal role in different forms of memory. The dysfunction of NMDA receptors contributes to the pathology of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. To further investigate the role of the NMDA receptors in brain processes, we analyzed and compared the gene expression profiles in the hippocampus of NR2B overexpression-induced memory-enhanced mice (Tg mice) with those of their wild-type littermates. Results reveal that 249 genes, which are mainly involved in neurotransmission, signal transduction, cytoskeletal structure, hormone activity, and transcription, were significantly affected in Tg mice. Interestingly, the intracellular calcium channel proteins ryanodine receptor (RyR) 1 and 3, as well as functionally related proteins such as the histidine-rich calcium-binding protein and triadin 2, were upregulated. The Homer-1c protein was also increased in Tg mice and formed a complex with the RyR protein in the mouse brain, suggesting that Homer-1c is an important modulator in both intracellular calcium signaling and overall neuronal signaling by simultaneously interacting with the NMDA receptors and RyR. Western blot and real-time PCR results show that the expression of phospho-CREB, c-fos, and the immediate-early genes Egr2 and Egr4 were also upregulated in Tg mice. The current study demonstrates that a chronic increase in the activation of NMDA receptors affected the expression of a large number of genes and may provide important clues for a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of NMDA receptor-modulated learning and memory, as well as of CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Li
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, MOE & STCSM, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
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O'Hare TH, Delany ME. Molecular and cellular evidence for the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanism in chicken. Cytogenet Genome Res 2011; 135:65-78. [PMID: 21822009 DOI: 10.1159/000330125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/26/2011] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere maintenance is an important genetic mechanism controlling cellular proliferation. Normally, telomeres are maintained by telomerase which is downregulated upon cellular differentiation in most somatic cell lineages. Telomerase activity is upregulated in immortalized cells and cancers to support an infinite lifespan and uncontrolled cell growth; however, some immortalized and transformed cells lack telomerase activity. Telomerase-negative tumors and immortalized cells utilize an alternative mechanism for maintaining telomeres termed alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). This research explored evidence for the ALT pathway in chicken cell lines by studying nontransformed immortalized cell lines (DF-1 and OU2) and comparing them to a normal (mortal) cell line and a transformed cell line (DT40). The research consisted of molecular and cellular analyses including profiling of telomeric DNA (array sizing and total content), telomerase activity, and expression of genes involved in the telomerase, recombination, and ALT pathways. In addition, an immunofluorescence analysis for an ALT marker, i.e. ALT-associated promyelocytic leukemia bodies (APBs), was conducted. Evidence for ALT was observed in the telomerase-negative immortalized cell lines. Additionally, the APB marker was also found in the other cell systems. The attributes of the chicken provide an additional vertebrate model for investigation of the ALT pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- T H O'Hare
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, USA
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