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Barretto-de-Souza L, Joseph SA, Lynch FM, Ng AJ, Crestani CC, Christianson JP. Melanin-concentrating hormone and orexin shape social affective behavior via action in the insular cortex of rat. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023:10.1007/s00213-023-06408-5. [PMID: 37369782 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06408-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE In a social context, individuals are able to detect external information from others and coordinate behavioral responses according to the situation, a phenomenon called social decision-making. Social decision-making is multifaceted, influenced by emotional and motivational factors like stress, sickness, and hunger. However, the neurobiological basis for motivational state competition and interaction is not well known. OBJECTIVE We investigated possible neural mechanisms through which internal states could shape social behavior in a social affective preference (SAP) test. In the SAP test, experimental rats given a choice to interact with naïve or stressed conspecifics exhibit an age-dependent preference to interact with stressed juvenile conspecifics, but avoid stressed adult conspecifics. First, we assessed the effect of food and water deprivation on SAP behavior. Behavior in the SAP test requires the insular cortex, which receives input from the ingestion-related peptides melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and orexin neurons of the lateral hypothalamus (LH). This study aimed to evaluate the role of LH and insular MCH and orexin in SAP test. METHODS SAP tests were conducted in rats that were sated, food and water deprived or allowed 1 h of access to food and water after 14 h of deprivation (relieved condition). Separate cohorts of sated rats received cannula implants for microinjection of drugs to inhibit the LH or to block or stimulate MCH or orexin receptors in the insula prior to SAP tests or social interaction tests. RESULTS Food and water deprivation prior to SAP tests with juvenile rats caused a shift in preference away from the stressed rat toward the naïve juveniles. Pharmacological inhibition of LH with muscimol (100 ng/side) abolished the preference for the juvenile-stressed conspecific, as well as the preference for the adult naïve conspecific. The blockade of MCH receptor 1or orexin receptors in the insular cortex with SNAP94847 (50 μM) or TCS1102 (1 μM), respectively, also abolished the preference for the stressed juvenile conspecific, but only the antagonism of orexin receptors was able to abolish the preference for the adult naïve conspecific. Microinjection of increasing doses (50 or 500 nM) of MCH or orexin-A in the insular cortex increased the interaction time in the one-on-one social interaction test with juvenile conspecifics; however, only the microinjection of orexin-A increased the interaction time with adult naïve conspecifics. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results suggest that lateral hypothalamus peptides shape the direction of social approach or avoidance via actions MCH and orexin neurotransmission in the insular cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Barretto-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Shemar A Joseph
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Francesca M Lynch
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Alexandra J Ng
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Carlos C Crestani
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - John P Christianson
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
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Chen KJ, Yoshimura R, Edmundo CA, Truong TM, Civelli O, Alachkar A, Abbott GW. Behavioral and neuro-functional consequences of eliminating the KCNQ3 GABA binding site in mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1192628. [PMID: 37305551 PMCID: PMC10248464 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1192628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels formed by α subunits KCNQ2-5 are important in regulating neuronal excitability. We previously found that GABA directly binds to and activates channels containing KCNQ3, challenging the traditional understanding of inhibitory neurotransmission. To investigate the functional significance and behavioral role of this direct interaction, mice with a mutated KCNQ3 GABA binding site (Kcnq3-W266L) were generated and subjected to behavioral studies. Kcnq3-W266L mice exhibited distinctive behavioral phenotypes, of which reduced nociceptive and stress responses were profound and sex-specific. In female Kcnq3-W266L mice, the phenotype was shifted towards more nociceptive effects, while in male Kcnq3-W266L mice, it was shifted towards the stress response. In addition, female Kcnq3-W266L mice exhibited lower motor activity and reduced working spatial memory. The neuronal activity in the lateral habenula and visual cortex was altered in the female Kcnq3-W266L mice, suggesting that GABAergic activation of KCNQ3 in these regions may play a role in the regulation of the responses. Given the known overlap between the nociceptive and stress brain circuits, our data provide new insights into a sex-dependent role of KCNQ3 in regulating neural circuits involved in nociception and stress, via its GABA binding site. These findings identify new targets for effective treatments for neurological and psychiatric conditions such as pain and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiki J. Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Ryan Yoshimura
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Clarissa Adriana Edmundo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Tri Minh Truong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Olivier Civelli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Amal Alachkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- UC Irvine Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Geoffrey W. Abbott
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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Wong TS, Li G, Li S, Gao W, Chen G, Gan S, Zhang M, Li H, Wu S, Du Y. G protein-coupled receptors in neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:177. [PMID: 37137892 PMCID: PMC10154768 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01427-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders are multifactorial disorders with diverse aetiological factors. Identifying treatment targets is challenging because the diseases are resulting from heterogeneous biological, genetic, and environmental factors. Nevertheless, the increasing understanding of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) opens a new possibility in drug discovery. Harnessing our knowledge of molecular mechanisms and structural information of GPCRs will be advantageous for developing effective drugs. This review provides an overview of the role of GPCRs in various neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. Besides, we highlight the emerging opportunities of novel GPCR targets and address recent progress in GPCR drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thian-Sze Wong
- Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Steroid Drug Discovery and Development, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 518172, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Guangzhi Li
- Institute of Urology, The Affiliated Luohu Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen University, 518000, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Shiliang Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 200237, Shanghai, China
- Innovation Center for AI and Drug Discovery, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Steroid Drug Discovery and Development, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 518172, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Innovation Center for AI and Drug Discovery, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Geng Chen
- Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Steroid Drug Discovery and Development, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 518172, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Shiyi Gan
- Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Steroid Drug Discovery and Development, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 518172, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Manzhan Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 200237, Shanghai, China
- Innovation Center for AI and Drug Discovery, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China
| | - Honglin Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 200237, Shanghai, China.
- Innovation Center for AI and Drug Discovery, East China Normal University, 200062, Shanghai, China.
| | - Song Wu
- Institute of Urology, The Affiliated Luohu Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen University, 518000, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Urology, South China Hospital, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, 518116, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yang Du
- Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Steroid Drug Discovery and Development, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 518172, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
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Miller CL. The Epigenetics of Psychosis: A Structured Review with Representative Loci. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10030561. [PMID: 35327363 PMCID: PMC8945330 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10030561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The evidence for an environmental component in chronic psychotic disorders is strong and research on the epigenetic manifestations of these environmental impacts has commenced in earnest. In reviewing this research, the focus is on three genes as models for differential methylation, MCHR1, AKT1 and TDO2, each of which have been investigated for genetic association with psychotic disorders. Environmental factors associated with psychotic disorders, and which interact with these model genes, are explored in depth. The location of transcription factor motifs relative to key methylation sites is evaluated for predicted gene expression results, and for other sites, evidence is presented for methylation directing alternative splicing. Experimental results from key studies show differential methylation: for MCHR1, in psychosis cases versus controls; for AKT1, as a pre-existing methylation pattern influencing brain activation following acute administration of a psychosis-eliciting environmental stimulus; and for TDO2, in a pattern associated with a developmental factor of risk for psychosis, in all cases the predicted expression impact being highly dependent on location. Methylation induced by smoking, a confounding variable, exhibits an intriguing pattern for all three genes. Finally, how differential methylation meshes with Darwinian principles is examined, in particular as it relates to the “flexible stem” theory of evolution.
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Alhassen W, Kobayashi Y, Su J, Robbins B, Nguyen H, Myint T, Yu M, Nauli SM, Saito Y, Alachkar A. Regulation of Brain Primary Cilia Length by MCH Signaling: Evidence from Pharmacological, Genetic, Optogenetic, and Chemogenic Manipulations. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 59:245-265. [PMID: 34665407 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02511-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) system is involved in numerous functions, including energy homeostasis, food intake, sleep, stress, mood, aggression, reward, maternal behavior, social behavior, and cognition. In rodents, MCH acts on MCHR1, a G protein-coupled receptor, which is widely expressed in the brain and abundantly localized to neuronal primary cilia. Cilia act as cells' antennas and play crucial roles in cell signaling to detect and transduce external stimuli to regulate cell differentiation and migration. Cilia are highly dynamic in terms of their length and morphology; however, it is not known if cilia length is causally regulated by MCH system activation in vivo. In the current work, we examined the effects of activation and inactivation of MCH system on cilia lengths by using different experimental models and methodologies, including organotypic brain slice cultures from rat prefrontal cortex (PFC) and caudate-putamen (CPu), in vivo pharmacological (MCHR1 agonist and antagonist GW803430), germline and conditional genetic deletion of MCHR1 and MCH, optogenetic, and chemogenetic (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD)) approaches. We found that stimulation of MCH system either directly through MCHR1 activation or indirectly through optogenetic and chemogenetic-mediated excitation of MCH-neuron, caused cilia shortening, detected by the quantification of the presence of ADCY3 protein, a known primary cilia marker. In contrast, inactivation of MCH signaling through pharmacological MCHR1 blockade or through genetic manipulations - germline deletion of MCHR1 and conditional ablation of MCH neurons - induced cilia lengthening. Our study is the first to uncover the causal effects of the MCH system in the regulation of the length of brain neuronal primary cilia. These findings place MCH system at a unique position in the ciliary signaling in physiological and pathological conditions and implicate MCHR1 present at primary cilia as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of pathological conditions characterized by impaired primary cilia function associated with the modification of its length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wedad Alhassen
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Yuki Kobayashi
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-7-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8521, Japan
| | - Jessica Su
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Brianna Robbins
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Henry Nguyen
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Thant Myint
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Micah Yu
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Surya M Nauli
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Chapman University, Health Science Campus, Chapman University, Irvine, CA, 92618, USA
| | - Yumiko Saito
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-7-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8521, Japan
| | - Amal Alachkar
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA. .,Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
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6
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Alhassen S, Chen S, Alhassen L, Phan A, Khoudari M, De Silva A, Barhoosh H, Wang Z, Parrocha C, Shapiro E, Henrich C, Wang Z, Mutesa L, Baldi P, Abbott GW, Alachkar A. Intergenerational trauma transmission is associated with brain metabotranscriptome remodeling and mitochondrial dysfunction. Commun Biol 2021; 4:783. [PMID: 34168265 PMCID: PMC8225861 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02255-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Intergenerational trauma increases lifetime susceptibility to depression and other psychiatric disorders. Whether intergenerational trauma transmission is a consequence of in-utero neurodevelopmental disruptions versus early-life mother–infant interaction is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that trauma exposure during pregnancy induces in mouse offspring social deficits and depressive-like behavior. Normal pups raised by traumatized mothers exhibited similar behavioral deficits to those induced in pups raised by their biological traumatized mothers. Good caregiving by normal mothers did not reverse prenatal trauma-induced behaviors, indicating a two-hit stress mechanism comprising both in-utero abnormalities and early-life poor parenting. The behavioral deficits were associated with profound changes in the brain metabotranscriptome. Striking increases in the mitochondrial hypoxia marker and epigenetic modifier 2-hydroxyglutaric acid in the brains of neonates and adults exposed prenatally to trauma indicated mitochondrial dysfunction and epigenetic mechanisms. Bioinformatic analyses revealed stress- and hypoxia-response metabolic pathways in the neonates, which produced long-lasting alterations in mitochondrial energy metabolism and epigenetic processes (DNA and chromatin modifications). Most strikingly, early pharmacological interventions with acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) supplementation produced long-lasting protection against intergenerational trauma-induced depression. Sammy Alhassen, Siwei Chen, et al. use mouse models to examine the effects of prenatal and postnatal stress on metabolomic and transcriptomic pathways in the brain. Their results suggest that altered mitochondrial metabolism may underlie trauma-induced behavioral deficits, and that correcting metabolism with ALCAR supplementation may protect against intergenerational transmission of traumatic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sammy Alhassen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Siwei Chen
- Department of Computer Science, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.,Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Lamees Alhassen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Alvin Phan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Mohammad Khoudari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Angele De Silva
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Huda Barhoosh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Zitong Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Chelsea Parrocha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Emily Shapiro
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Charity Henrich
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Zicheng Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Leon Mutesa
- Center for Human Genetics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Pierre Baldi
- Department of Computer Science, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.,Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Geoffrey W Abbott
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Amal Alachkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA. .,Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
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Phan J, Alhassen L, Argelagos A, Alhassen W, Vachirakorntong B, Lin Z, Sanathara N, Alachkar A. Mating and parenting experiences sculpture mood-modulating effects of oxytocin-MCH signaling. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13611. [PMID: 32788646 PMCID: PMC7423941 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70667-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The two hypothalamic neuropeptides oxytocin and melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) share several physiological actions such as the control of maternal care, sexual behavior, and emotions. In this study, we uncover the role for the oxytocin-MCH signaling pathway in mood regulation. We identify discrete effects of oxytocin-MCH signaling on depressive behavior and demonstrate that parenting and mating experiences shape these effects. We show that the selective deletion of OXT receptors from MCH neurons increases and decreases depressive behavior in sexually naïve and late postpartum female mice respectively, with no effect on sexually naïve male mice. We demonstrate that both parenting experience and mood-regulating effects of oxytocin-MCH are associated with synaptic plasticity in the reward and fear circuits revealed by the alterations of Arc expressions, which are associated with the depressive behavior. Finally, we uncover the sex-dependent effects of mating on depressive behavior; while the sexual activity reduces the basal levels of depressive behavior in male mice, it reduces in female mice evoked-depression only. We demonstrate that the oxytocin-MCH pathway mediates the effects of sexual activity on depressive behavior. Our data suggest that the oxytocin-MCH pathway can serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of major depression and postpartum mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Phan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 356A Med Surge II, Irvine, CA, 92697-4625, USA
| | - Lamees Alhassen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 356A Med Surge II, Irvine, CA, 92697-4625, USA
| | - Allan Argelagos
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 356A Med Surge II, Irvine, CA, 92697-4625, USA
| | - Wedad Alhassen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 356A Med Surge II, Irvine, CA, 92697-4625, USA
| | - Benjamin Vachirakorntong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 356A Med Surge II, Irvine, CA, 92697-4625, USA
| | - Zitong Lin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 356A Med Surge II, Irvine, CA, 92697-4625, USA
| | - Nayna Sanathara
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 356A Med Surge II, Irvine, CA, 92697-4625, USA
| | - Amal Alachkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 356A Med Surge II, Irvine, CA, 92697-4625, USA. .,Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
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Metabolomic and transcriptomic signatures of prenatal excessive methionine support nature rather than nurture in schizophrenia pathogenesis. Commun Biol 2020; 3:409. [PMID: 32732995 PMCID: PMC7393105 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01124-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The imbalance of prenatal micronutrients may perturb one-carbon (C1) metabolism and increase the risk for neuropsychiatric disorders. Prenatal excessive methionine (MET) produces in mice behavioral phenotypes reminiscent of human schizophrenia. Whether in-utero programming or early life caregiving mediate these effects is, however, unknown. Here, we show that the behavioral deficits of MET are independent of the early life mother-infant interaction. We also show that MET produces in early life profound changes in the brain C1 pathway components as well as glutamate transmission, mitochondrial function, and lipid metabolism. Bioinformatics analysis integrating metabolomics and transcriptomic data reveal dysregulations of glutamate transmission and lipid metabolism, and identify perturbed pathways of methylation and redox reactions. Our transcriptomics Linkage analysis of MET mice and schizophrenia subjects reveals master genes involved in inflammation and myelination. Finally, we identify potential metabolites as early biomarkers for neurodevelopmental defects and suggest therapeutic targets for schizophrenia. Chen, Alhassen et al. show that schizophrenia-like behavioral deficits induced by excessive prenatal methionine administration are due to in-uterus aberrations rather than through early life mother-infant interaction in mice. This study identifies the brain metabolites and transcriptomic signatures, which potentially serve as early biomarkers for schizophrenia-like behaviors.
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