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Dean B, Seymour N, Gibbons A. Lower levels of TRAF1 in Brodmann's area 24, but not 46, in bipolar disorders are not detectable in major depressive disorders. J Affect Disord 2024; 356:316-322. [PMID: 38583598 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Multiple lines of research implicate inflammation-related pathways in the molecular pathology of mood disorders, with our data suggesting a critical role for aberrant cortical tumour necrosis factor α (TNF)-signaling in the molecular pathology of bipolar disorders (BPD) and major depressive disorders (MDD). METHODS To extend our understanding of changes in TNF-signaling pathways in mood disorders we used Western blotting to measure levels of tumour necrosis factor receptor associated factor 1 (TRAF1) and transmembrane TNF receptor superfamily member 1B (tmTNFRSF1B) in Brodmann's areas (BA) 24 and 46 from people with BPD and MDD. These proteins are key rate-limiting components within TNF-signaling pathways. RESULTS Compared to controls, there were higher levels of TRAF1 of large effect size (η = 0.19, Cohen's d = 0.97) in BA 24, but not BA 46, from people with BPD. Levels of TRAF1 were not altered in MDD and levels of tmTNFRSF1B were not altered in either disorder. LIMITATIONS The cases studied had been treated with psychotropic drugs prior to death which is an unresolvable study confound. Cohort sizes are relatively small but not untypical of postmortem CNS studies. CONCLUSIONS To facilitate post-synaptic signaling, TRAF1 is known to associate with tmTNFRSF1B after that receptor takes its activated conformation which occurs predominantly after it binds to transmembrane TNF (tmTNF). Simultaneously, when tmTNFRSF1B binds to tmTNF reverse signaling through tmTNF is activated. Hence our findings in BA 24 argues that bidirectional TNF-signaling may be an important component of the molecular pathology of BPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Dean
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; The University of Melbourne Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Natasha Seymour
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; The University of Melbourne Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Gibbons
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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Chung Y, Dienel SJ, Belch MJ, Fish KN, Ermentrout GB, Lewis DA, Chung DW. Altered Rbfox1-Vamp1 pathway and prefrontal cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1382-1391. [PMID: 38273110 PMCID: PMC11273323 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02417-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Deficient gamma oscillations in prefrontal cortex (PFC) of individuals with schizophrenia appear to involve impaired inhibitory drive from parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PVIs). Inhibitory drive from PVIs is regulated, in part, by RNA binding fox-1 homolog 1 (Rbfox1). Rbfox1 is spliced into nuclear or cytoplasmic isoforms, which regulate alternative splicing or stability of their target transcripts, respectively. One major target of cytoplasmic Rbfox1 is vesicle associated membrane protein 1 (Vamp1). Vamp1 mediates GABA release probability from PVIs, and the loss of Rbfox1 reduces Vamp1 levels which in turn impairs cortical inhibition. In this study, we investigated if the Rbfox1-Vamp1 pathway is altered in PVIs in PFC of individuals with schizophrenia by utilizing a novel strategy that combines multi-label in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. In the PFC of 20 matched pairs of schizophrenia and comparison subjects, cytoplasmic Rbfox1 protein levels were significantly lower in PVIs in schizophrenia and this deficit was not attributable to potential methodological confounds or schizophrenia-associated co-occurring factors. In a subset of this cohort, Vamp1 mRNA levels in PVIs were also significantly lower in schizophrenia and were predicted by lower cytoplasmic Rbfox1 protein levels across individual PVIs. To investigate the functional impact of Rbfox1-Vamp1 alterations in schizophrenia, we simulated the effect of lower GABA release probability from PVIs on gamma power in a computational model network of pyramidal neurons and PVIs. Our simulations showed that lower GABA release probability reduces gamma power by disrupting network synchrony while minimally affecting network activity. Finally, lower GABA release probability synergistically interacted with lower strength of inhibition from PVIs in schizophrenia to reduce gamma power non-linearly. Together, our findings suggest that the Rbfox1-Vamp1 pathway in PVIs is impaired in schizophrenia and that this alteration likely contributes to deficient PFC gamma power in the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjin Chung
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Samuel J Dienel
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Matthew J Belch
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kenneth N Fish
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - G Bard Ermentrout
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - David A Lewis
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Daniel W Chung
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Holmgren A, Akkouh I, O'Connell KS, Osete JR, Bjørnstad PM, Djurovic S, Hughes T. Bipolar patients display stoichiometric imbalance of gene expression in post-mortem brain samples. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1128-1138. [PMID: 38351171 PMCID: PMC11176081 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02398-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Bipolar disorder is a severe neuro-psychiatric condition where genome-wide association and sequencing studies have pointed to dysregulated gene expression as likely to be causal. We observed strong correlation in expression between GWAS-associated genes and hypothesised that healthy function depends on balance in the relative expression levels of the associated genes and that patients display stoichiometric imbalance. We developed a method for quantifying stoichiometric imbalance and used this to predict each sample's diagnosis probability in four cortical brain RNAseq datasets. The percentage of phenotypic variance on the liability-scale explained by these probabilities ranged from 10.0 to 17.4% (AUC: 69.4-76.4%) which is a multiple of the classification performance achieved using absolute expression levels or GWAS-based polygenic risk scores. Most patients display stoichiometric imbalance in three to ten genes, suggesting that dysregulation of only a small fraction of associated genes can trigger the disorder, with the identity of these genes varying between individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asbjørn Holmgren
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ibrahim Akkouh
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kevin Sean O'Connell
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jordi Requena Osete
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Srdjan Djurovic
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- NORMENT, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Timothy Hughes
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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Schoonover KE, Miller NE, Fish KN, Lewis DA. Scaling of smaller pyramidal neuron size and lower energy production in schizophrenia. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 191:106394. [PMID: 38176569 PMCID: PMC10898364 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) dysfunction in schizophrenia appears to reflect alterations in layer 3 pyramidal neurons (L3PNs), including smaller cell bodies and lower expression of mitochondrial energy production genes. However, prior somal size studies used biased strategies for identifying L3PNs, and somal size and levels of energy production markers have not been assessed in individual L3PNs. STUDY DESIGN We combined fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) of vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1) mRNA and immunohistochemical-labeling of NeuN to determine if the cytoplasmic distribution of VGLUT1 mRNA permits the unbiased identification and somal size quantification of L3PNs. Dual-label FISH for VGLUT1 mRNA and cytochrome C oxidase subunit 4I1 (COX4I1) mRNA, a marker of energy production, was used to assess somal size and COX4I1 transcript levels in individual DLPFC L3PNs from schizophrenia (12 males; 2 females) and unaffected comparison (13 males; 1 female) subjects. STUDY RESULTS Measures of L3PN somal size with NeuN immunohistochemistry or VGLUT1 mRNA provided nearly identical results (ICC = 0.96, p < 0.0001). Mean somal size of VGLUT1-identified L3PNs was 8.7% smaller (p = 0.004) and mean COX4I1 mRNA levels per L3PN were 16.7% lower (p = 0.01) in schizophrenia. These measures were correlated across individual L3PNs in both subject groups (rrm = 0.81-0.86). CONCLUSIONS This preliminary study presents a novel method for combining unbiased neuronal identification with quantitative assessments of somal size and mRNA levels. We replicated findings of smaller somal size and lower COX4I1 mRNA levels in DLPFC L3PNs in schizophrenia. The normal scaling of COX4I1 mRNA levels with somal size in schizophrenia suggests that lower markers of energy production are secondary to L3PN morphological alterations in the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten E Schoonover
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry Biomedical Science Tower, W1653 3811 O'Hara Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States of America
| | - Nora E Miller
- Department of Neuroscience, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry, Biomedical Science Tower W1653 3811 O'Hara Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States of America
| | - Kenneth N Fish
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry Biomedical Science Tower, W1653 3811 O'Hara Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States of America
| | - David A Lewis
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry Biomedical Science Tower, W1653 3811 O'Hara Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States of America.
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Dowling KF, Dienel SJ, Barile Z, Bazmi HH, Lewis DA. Localization and Diagnostic Specificity of Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Transcript Alterations in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 94:322-331. [PMID: 37061080 PMCID: PMC10524522 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Working memory (WM) deficits in schizophrenia are thought to reflect altered inhibition in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). This interpretation is supported by findings of lower transcript levels of the 2 enzymes, GAD67 and GAD65, which mediate basal and activity-dependent GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) synthesis, respectively. However, the relative magnitude, location within the depth of the DLPFC, and specificity to the disease process of schizophrenia of alterations in GAD67 and/or GAD65 remain unclear. METHODS Levels of GAD67 and GAD65 messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in superficial (layers 2/superficial 3) and deep (deep layer 6/white matter) zones of the DLPFC were quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in subjects with schizophrenia (n = 41), major depression (n = 42), or bipolar disorder (n = 39) and unaffected comparison (n = 43) subjects. RESULTS Relative to the unaffected comparison group, GAD67 and GAD65 mRNA levels in the schizophrenia group were lower (p = .039, effect size = -0.69 and p = .027, effect size = -0.72, respectively) in the superficial zone but were unaltered in the deep zone. In the major depression group, only GAD67 mRNA levels were lower and only in the superficial zone (p = .089, effect size = 0.70). No differences were detected in the bipolar disorder group. Neither GAD67 nor GAD65 mRNA alterations were explained by psychosis, mood disturbance, or common comorbid factors. CONCLUSIONS Alterations in markers of GABA synthesis demonstrated transcript, DLPFC zone, and diagnostic specificity. Given the dependence of WM on GABA neurotransmission in the superficial DLPFC, our findings suggest that limitations to GABA synthesis in this location contribute to WM impairments in schizophrenia, especially during demanding WM tasks, when GABA synthesis requires the activity of both GAD67 and GAD65.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin F Dowling
- Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Neuroscience, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Samuel J Dienel
- Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Neuroscience, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Zackery Barile
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - H Holly Bazmi
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - David A Lewis
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Neuroscience, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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6
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Chung Y, Dienel S, Belch M, Fish K, Ermentrout G, Lewis D, Chung D. Altered Rbfox1-Vamp1 pathway and prefrontal cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2944372. [PMID: 37398467 PMCID: PMC10312957 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2944372/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Deficient gamma oscillations in prefrontal cortex (PFC) of individuals with schizophrenia appear to involve impaired inhibitory drive from parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PVIs). Inhibitory drive from PVIs is regulated, in part, by RNA binding fox-1 homolog 1 (Rbfox1). Rbfox1 is spliced into nuclear or cytoplasmic isoforms, which regulate alternative splicing or stability of their target transcripts, respectively. One major target of cytoplasmic Rbfox1 is vesicle associated membrane protein 1 (Vamp1). Vamp1 mediates GABA release probability from PVIs, and the loss of Rbfox1 reduces Vamp1 levels which in turn impairs cortical inhibition. In this study, we investigated if the Rbfox1-Vamp1 pathway is altered in PVIs in PFC of individuals with schizophrenia by utilizing a novel strategy that combines multi-label in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. In the PFC of 20 matched pairs of schizophrenia and comparison subjects, cytoplasmic Rbfox1 protein levels were significantly lower in PVIs in schizophrenia and this deficit was not attributable to potential methodological confounds or schizophrenia-associated co-occurring factors. In a subset of this cohort, Vamp1 mRNA levels in PVIs were also significantly lower in schizophrenia and were predicted by lower cytoplasmic Rbfox1 protein levels across individual PVIs. To investigate the functional impact of Rbfox1-Vamp1 alterations in schizophrenia, we simulated the effect of lower GABA release probability from PVIs on gamma power in a computational model network of pyramidal neurons and PVIs. Our simulations showed that lower GABA release probability reduces gamma power by disrupting network synchrony while minimally affecting network activity. Finally, lower GABA release probability synergistically interacted with lower strength of inhibition from PVIs in schizophrenia to reduce gamma power non-linearly. Together, our findings suggest that the Rbfox1-Vamp1 pathway in PVIs is impaired in schizophrenia and that this alteration likely contributes to deficient PFC gamma power in the illness.
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7
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Ketchesin KD, Zong W, Hildebrand MA, Scott MR, Seney ML, Cahill KM, Shankar VG, Glausier JR, Lewis DA, Tseng GC, McClung CA. Diurnal Alterations in Gene Expression Across Striatal Subregions in Psychosis. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:137-148. [PMID: 36302706 PMCID: PMC10411997 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychosis is a defining feature of schizophrenia and highly prevalent in bipolar disorder. Notably, individuals with these illnesses also have major disruptions in sleep and circadian rhythms, and disturbances of sleep and circadian rhythms can precipitate or exacerbate psychotic symptoms. Psychosis is associated with the striatum, though to our knowledge, no study to date has directly measured molecular rhythms and determined how they are altered in the striatum of subjects with psychosis. METHODS We performed RNA sequencing and both differential expression and rhythmicity analyses to investigate diurnal alterations in gene expression in human postmortem striatal subregions (nucleus accumbens, caudate, and putamen) in subjects with psychosis (n = 36) relative to unaffected comparison subjects (n = 36). RESULTS Across regions, we found differential expression of immune-related transcripts and a substantial loss of rhythmicity in core circadian clock genes in subjects with psychosis. In the nucleus accumbens, mitochondrial-related transcripts had decreased expression in subjects with psychosis, but only in those who died at night. Additionally, we found a loss of rhythmicity in small nucleolar RNAs and a gain of rhythmicity in glutamatergic signaling in the nucleus accumbens of subjects with psychosis. Between-region comparisons indicated that rhythmicity in the caudate and putamen was far more similar in subjects with psychosis than in matched comparison subjects. CONCLUSIONS Together, these findings reveal differential and rhythmic gene expression differences across the striatum that may contribute to striatal dysfunction and psychosis in psychotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle D Ketchesin
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Wei Zong
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Mariah A Hildebrand
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Madeline R Scott
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Marianne L Seney
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Kelly M Cahill
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Vaishnavi G Shankar
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Jill R Glausier
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - David A Lewis
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - George C Tseng
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| | - Colleen A McClung
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Ardesch DJ, Libedinsky I, Scholtens LH, Wei Y, van den Heuvel MP. Convergence of brain transcriptomic and neuroimaging patterns in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder and major depression disorder. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Alnafisah RS, Reigle J, Eladawi MA, O'Donovan SM, Funk AJ, Meller J, Mccullumsmith RE, Shukla R. Assessing the effects of antipsychotic medications on schizophrenia functional analysis: a postmortem proteome study. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:2033-2041. [PMID: 35354897 PMCID: PMC9556610 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01310-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Antipsychotic drugs (APDs) are effective in treating positive symptoms of schizophrenia (SCZ). However, they have a substantial impact on postmortem studies. As most cohorts lack samples from drug-naive patients, many studies, rather than understanding SCZ pathophysiology, are analyzing the drug effects. We hypothesized that comparing SCZ-altered and APD-influenced signatures derived from the same cohort can provide better insight into SCZ pathophysiology. For this, we performed LCMS-based proteomics on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) samples from control and SCZ subjects and used statistical approaches to identify SCZ-altered and APD-influenced proteomes, validated experimentally using independent cohorts and published datasets. Functional analysis of both proteomes was contrasted at the biological-pathway, cell-type, subcellular-synaptic, and drug-target levels. In silico validation revealed that the SCZ-altered proteome was conserved across several studies from the DLPFC and other brain areas. At the pathway level, SCZ influenced changes in homeostasis, signal-transduction, cytoskeleton, and dendrites, whereas APD influenced changes in synaptic-signaling, neurotransmitter-regulation, and immune-system processes. At the cell-type level, the SCZ-altered and APD-influenced proteomes were associated with two distinct striatum-projecting layer-5 pyramidal neurons regulating dopaminergic-secretion. At the subcellular synaptic level, compensatory pre- and postsynaptic events were observed. At the drug-target level, dopaminergic processes influenced the SCZ-altered upregulated-proteome, whereas nondopaminergic and a diverse array of non-neuromodulatory mechanisms influenced the downregulated-proteome. Previous findings were not independent of the APD effect and thus require re-evaluation. We identified a hyperdopaminergic cortex and drugs targeting the cognitive SCZ-symptoms and discussed their influence on SCZ pathology in the context of the cortico-striatal pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rawan S Alnafisah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - James Reigle
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | | | - Sinead M O'Donovan
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Adam J Funk
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Jaroslaw Meller
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Robert E Mccullumsmith
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
- Neurosciences Institute, ProMedica, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Rammohan Shukla
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA.
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Kimoto S, Hashimoto T, Berry KJ, Tsubomoto M, Yamaguchi Y, Enwright JF, Chen K, Kawabata R, Kikuchi M, Kishimoto T, Lewis DA. Expression of actin- and oxidative phosphorylation-related transcripts across the cortical visuospatial working memory network in unaffected comparison and schizophrenia subjects. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:2061-2070. [PMID: 35034100 PMCID: PMC9556568 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01274-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Visuospatial working memory (vsWM), which is impaired in schizophrenia (SZ), is mediated by a distributed cortical network. In one node of this network, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), altered expression of transcripts for actin assembly and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) have been reported in SZ. To understand the relationship between these processes, and the extent to which similar alterations are present in other regions of vsWM network in SZ, a subset of actin- (CDC42, BAIAP2, ARPC3, and ARPC4) and OXPHOS-related (ATP5H, COX4I1, COX7B, and NDUFB3) transcripts were quantified in DLPFC by RNA sequencing in 139 SZ and unaffected comparison (UC) subjects, and in DLPFC and three other regions of the cortical vsWM network by qPCR in 20 pairs of SZ and UC subjects. By RNA sequencing, levels of actin- and OXPHOS-related transcripts were significantly altered in SZ, and robustly correlated in both UC and SZ subject groups. By qPCR, cross-regional expression patterns of these transcripts in UC subjects were consistent with greater actin assembly in DLPFC and higher OXPHOS activity in primary visual cortex (V1). In SZ, CDC42 and ARPC4 levels were lower in all regions, BAIAP2 levels higher only in V1, and ARPC3 levels unaltered across regions. All OXPHOS-related transcript levels were lower in SZ, with the disease effect decreasing from posterior to anterior regions. The differential alterations in markers of actin assembly and energy production across regions of the cortical vsWM network in SZ suggest that each region may make specific contributions to vsWM impairments in the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohei Kimoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Kashihara, 634-8521, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, Wakayama, 641-8509, Japan
| | - Takanori Hashimoto
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, 920-8640, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Research Center for Child Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Kimberly J Berry
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Makoto Tsubomoto
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Yasunari Yamaguchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Kashihara, 634-8521, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, Wakayama, 641-8509, Japan
| | - John F Enwright
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Kehui Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Department of Statistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Rika Kawabata
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Kikuchi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, 920-8640, Japan
- Research Center for Child Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Toshifumi Kishimoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Kashihara, 634-8521, Japan
| | - David A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
- Department of Statistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
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Das SC, Hjelm BE, Rollins BL, Sequeira A, Morgan L, Omidsalar AA, Schatzberg AF, Barchas JD, Lee FS, Myers RM, Watson SJ, Akil H, Bunney WE, Vawter MP. Mitochondria DNA copy number, mitochondria DNA total somatic deletions, Complex I activity, synapse number, and synaptic mitochondria number are altered in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:353. [PMID: 36042222 PMCID: PMC9427957 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02127-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction is a neurobiological phenomenon implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder that can synergistically affect synaptic neurotransmission. We hypothesized that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share molecular alterations at the mitochondrial and synaptic levels. Mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) copy number (CN), mtDNA common deletion (CD), mtDNA total deletion, complex I activity, synapse number, and synaptic mitochondria number were studied in the postmortem human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), superior temporal gyrus (STG), primary visual cortex (V1), and nucleus accumbens (NAc) of controls (CON), and subjects with schizophrenia (SZ), and bipolar disorder (BD). The results showed (i) the mtDNA CN is significantly higher in DLPFC of both SZ and BD, decreased in the STG of BD, and unaltered in V1 and NAc of both SZ and BD; (ii) the mtDNA CD is significantly higher in DLPFC of BD while unaltered in STG, V1, and NAc of both SZ and BD; (iii) The total deletion burden is significantly higher in DLPFC in both SZ and BD while unaltered in STG, V1, and NAc of SZ and BD; (iv) Complex I activity is significantly lower in DLPFC of both SZ and BD, which is driven by the presence of medications, with no alteration in STG, V1, and NAc. In addition, complex I protein concentration, by ELISA, was decreased across three cortical regions of SZ and BD subjects; (v) The number of synapses is decreased in DLPFC of both SZ and BD, while the synaptic mitochondria number was significantly lower in female SZ and female BD compared to female controls. Overall, these findings will pave the way to understand better the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujan C. Das
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA USA
| | - Brooke E. Hjelm
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Translational Genomics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Health Sciences Campus, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Brandi L. Rollins
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA USA
| | - Adolfo Sequeira
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA USA
| | - Ling Morgan
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA USA
| | - Audrey A. Omidsalar
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Translational Genomics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Health Sciences Campus, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Alan F. Schatzberg
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Jack D. Barchas
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, Ithaca, NJ USA
| | - Francis S. Lee
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, Ithaca, NJ USA
| | - Richard M. Myers
- grid.417691.c0000 0004 0408 3720HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806 USA
| | - Stanley J. Watson
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370The Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Huda Akil
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370The Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - William E. Bunney
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA USA
| | - Marquis P. Vawter
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA USA
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12
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Fish KN, Joffe ME. Targeting prefrontal cortex GABAergic microcircuits for the treatment of alcohol use disorder. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 14:936911. [PMID: 36105666 PMCID: PMC9465392 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2022.936911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Developing novel treatments for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) is of paramount importance for improving patient outcomes and alleviating the suffering related to the disease. A better understanding of the molecular and neurocircuit mechanisms through which alcohol alters brain function will be instrumental in the rational development of new efficacious treatments. Clinical studies have consistently associated the prefrontal cortex (PFC) function with symptoms of AUDs. Population-level analyses have linked the PFC structure and function with heavy drinking and/or AUD diagnosis. Thus, targeting specific PFC cell types and neural circuits holds promise for the development of new treatments. Here, we overview the tremendous diversity in the form and function of inhibitory neuron subtypes within PFC and describe their therapeutic potential. We then summarize AUD population genetics studies, clinical neurophysiology findings, and translational neuroscience discoveries. This study collectively suggests that changes in fast transmission through PFC inhibitory microcircuits are a central component of the neurobiological effects of ethanol and the core symptoms of AUDs. Finally, we submit that there is a significant and timely need to examine sex as a biological variable and human postmortem brain tissue to maximize the efforts in translating findings to new clinical treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Max E. Joffe
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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13
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Smucny J, Dienel SJ, Lewis DA, Carter CS. Mechanisms underlying dorsolateral prefrontal cortex contributions to cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:292-308. [PMID: 34285373 PMCID: PMC8617156 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01089-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Kraepelin, in his early descriptions of schizophrenia (SZ), characterized the illness as having "an orchestra without a conductor." Kraepelin further speculated that this "conductor" was situated in the frontal lobes. Findings from multiple studies over the following decades have clearly implicated pathology of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) as playing a central role in the pathophysiology of SZ, particularly with regard to key cognitive features such as deficits in working memory and cognitive control. Following an overview of the cognitive mechanisms associated with DLPFC function and how they are altered in SZ, we review evidence from an array of neuroscientific approaches addressing how these cognitive impairments may reflect the underlying pathophysiology of the illness. Specifically, we present evidence suggesting that alterations of the DLPFC in SZ are evident across a range of spatial and temporal resolutions: from its cellular and molecular architecture, to its gross structural and functional integrity, and from millisecond to longer timescales. We then present an integrative model based upon how microscale changes in neuronal signaling in the DLPFC can influence synchronized patterns of neural activity to produce macrocircuit-level alterations in DLPFC activation that ultimately influence cognition and behavior. We conclude with a discussion of initial efforts aimed at targeting DLPFC function in SZ, the clinical implications of those efforts, and potential avenues for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Smucny
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Samuel J Dienel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - David A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA.
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
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14
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Shao X, Liao Y, Gu L, Chen W, Tang J. The Etiology of Auditory Hallucinations in Schizophrenia: From Multidimensional Levels. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:755870. [PMID: 34858129 PMCID: PMC8632545 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.755870] [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: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Enormous efforts have been made to unveil the etiology of auditory hallucinations (AHs), and multiple genetic and neural factors have already been shown to have their own roles. Previous studies have shown that AHs in schizophrenia vary from those in other disorders, suggesting that they have unique features and possibly distinguishable mechanisms worthy of further investigation. In this review, we intend to offer a comprehensive summary of current findings related to AHs in schizophrenia from aspects of genetics and transcriptome, neurophysiology (neurometabolic and electroencephalogram studies), and neuroimaging (structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies and transcriptome–neuroimaging association study). Main findings include gene polymorphisms, glutamate level change, electroencephalographic alterations, and abnormalities of white matter fasciculi, cortical structure, and cerebral activities, especially in multiple regions, including auditory and language networks. More solid and comparable research is needed to replicate and integrate ongoing findings from multidimensional levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Shao
- Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanhui Liao
- Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lin Gu
- RIKEN AIP, Tokyo, Japan.,Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jinsong Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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