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Jeong JH, Kim SW, Yu JC, Won SH, Lee SH, Kim SH, Kang SH, Kim E, Chung YC, Lee KY. Clinical, cognitive, and functional characteristics of recent-onset psychosis with autistic features: A 2-year longitudinal study. Schizophr Res 2024; 270:304-316. [PMID: 38944977 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.06.009] [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: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Though categorized as separate illnesses, schizophrenia and autism are known to exhibit shared characteristics. This study explored the distinctions in clinical, cognitive, and functional characteristics among individuals with recent-onset psychosis, considering the severity of their autistic symptoms, involving longitudinal examinations. We analyzed 671 patients with recent-onset psychosis from Korean Early Psychosis Cohort Study (KEPS), and used the PANSS Autism Severity Score (PAUSS) to categorize patient into 'autistic', 'moderate', and 'non-autistic' groups. The autistic group had the highest rate of schizophrenia diagnosis, and the lowest incidence of comorbid psychiatric disorders. Schizophrenia diagnosis predicted membership of the autistic group. More severe autistic symptoms correlated with worse overall symptoms and functional outcomes, which significantly predicted membership of the autistic group. Cognitive impairments and emotional recognition difficulties increased with the severity of autistic symptoms. 2-year longitudinal assessments demonstrated that group differences in autistic features and overall symptoms, and functional outcomes remained consistent, and membership of the autistic group significantly predicted symptomatic remission and functional recovery. In conclusion, the presence of autistic symptoms has a significant impact on the overall symptomatology and functional capabilities. They are enduring attributes rather than temporary state variables, and serve as a significant predictor for both symptomatic and functional recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Hoon Jeong
- Department of Psychiatry, Nowon Eulji University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Wan Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Je-Chun Yu
- Department of Psychiatry, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Eulji University Hospital, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hee Won
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hwan Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Inje University College of Medicine, Goyang, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University College of Medicine, Guro Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Shi Hyun Kang
- Department of Social Psychiatry and Rehabilitation, National Center for Mental Health, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Euitae Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Chul Chung
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Republic of Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.
| | - Kyu Young Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Nowon Eulji University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Schill DJ, Attili D, DeLong CJ, McInnis MG, Johnson CN, Murphy GG, O’Shea KS. Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)-Derived GABAergic Neuron Differentiation in Bipolar Disorder. Cells 2024; 13:1194. [PMID: 39056776 PMCID: PMC11275104 DOI: 10.3390/cells13141194] [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: 05/23/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Bipolar disorder (BP) is a recurring psychiatric condition characterized by alternating episodes of low energy (depressions) followed by manias (high energy). Cortical network activity produced by GABAergic interneurons may be critical in maintaining the balance in excitatory/inhibitory activity in the brain during development. Initially, GABAergic signaling is excitatory; with maturation, these cells undergo a functional switch that converts GABAA channels from depolarizing (excitatory) to hyperpolarizing (inhibitory), which is controlled by the intracellular concentration of two chloride transporters. The earliest, NKCC1, promotes chloride entry into the cell and depolarization, while the second (KCC2) stimulates movement of chloride from the neuron, hyperpolarizing it. Perturbations in the timing or expression of NKCC1/KCC2 may affect essential morphogenetic events including cell proliferation, migration, synaptogenesis and plasticity, and thereby the structure and function of the cortex. We derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from BP patients and undiagnosed control (C) individuals, then modified a differentiation protocol to form GABAergic interneurons, harvesting cells at sequential stages of differentiation. qRT-PCR and RNA sequencing indicated that after six weeks of differentiation, controls transiently expressed high levels of NKCC1. Using multi-electrode array (MEA) analysis, we observed that BP neurons exhibit increased firing, network bursting and decreased synchrony compared to C. Understanding GABA signaling in differentiation may identify novel approaches and new targets for treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders such as BP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Schill
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (D.A.); (C.J.D.); (C.N.J.); (K.S.O.)
| | - Durga Attili
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (D.A.); (C.J.D.); (C.N.J.); (K.S.O.)
| | - Cynthia J. DeLong
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (D.A.); (C.J.D.); (C.N.J.); (K.S.O.)
| | - Melvin G. McInnis
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Craig N. Johnson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (D.A.); (C.J.D.); (C.N.J.); (K.S.O.)
| | - Geoffrey G. Murphy
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - K. Sue O’Shea
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (D.A.); (C.J.D.); (C.N.J.); (K.S.O.)
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
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3
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Yang Y, Zhu Z, Hui L, Sun P. Effects of CACNA1C and ANK3 on cognitive function in patients with bipolar disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 133:111016. [PMID: 38657895 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111016] [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: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a complex, severe mental illness with cognitive impairment. Impairments in attention and memory are particularly evident. A large number of previous studies have identified CACNA1C and ANK3 gene variants as risk factors for BD and both affect cognitive function in people with BD. However, it is unclear whether there is an interaction effects between the two genes on cognitive impairment in patients. We used 153 Chinese Han Chinese patients with BD to explore the association of CACNA1C and ANK3 variants with attention and immediate memory using Plink software and and performed a epistatic interaction effects analysis. We found that CACNA1C and ANK3 gene variants respectively affected patients' scores on attention and memory tests. The significant SNP in the CACNA1C and ANK3 genes are rs73042126(P = 3.16 × 10-5,FDR = 0.0253) and rs2393640(P = 1.50 × 10-4,FDR = 0.0353) respectively. And they also interacted to affect cognitive functioning in BD patients (attention: P = 0.0289; immediate memory: P = 0.0398). Follow-up studies should increase the sample size, improve the assessment methods and experimental design, and further explore the pathogenic mechanisms of BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Yang
- Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, China; Qingdao Mental Health Center, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Zhenhua Zhu
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, Suzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Li Hui
- Research Center of Biological Psychiatry, Suzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Ping Sun
- Qingdao Mental Health Center, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
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4
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Copenhaver AE, LeGates TA. Sex-Specific Mechanisms Underlie Long-Term Potentiation at Hippocampus→Medium Spiny Neuron Synapses in the Medial Shell of the Nucleus Accumbens. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0100242024. [PMID: 38806250 PMCID: PMC11223474 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0100-24.2024] [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: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex differences have complicated our understanding of the neurobiological basis of many behaviors that are key for survival. As such, continued elucidation of the similarities and differences between sexes is necessary to gain insight into brain function and vulnerability. The connection between the hippocampus (Hipp) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a crucial site where modulation of neuronal activity mediates reward-related behavior. Our previous work demonstrated that long-term potentiation (LTP) of Hipp→NAc synapses is rewarding, and mice can establish learned associations between LTP of these synapses and the contextual environment in which LTP occurred. Here, we investigated sex differences in the mechanisms underlying Hipp→NAc LTP using whole-cell electrophysiology and pharmacology. We observed similarities in basal synaptic strength between males and females and found that LTP occurs postsynaptically with similar magnitudes in both sexes. However, key sex differences emerged as LTP in males required NMDA receptors (NMDAR), whereas LTP in females utilized an NMDAR-independent mechanism involving L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) and estrogen receptor α (ERα). We also uncovered sex-similar features as LTP in both sexes depended on CaMKII activity and occurred independently of dopamine-1 receptor (D1R) activation. Our results have elucidated sex-specific molecular mechanisms for LTP in an integral pathway that mediates reward-related behaviors, emphasizing the importance of considering sex as a variable in mechanistic studies. Continued characterization of sex-specific mechanisms underlying plasticity will offer novel insight into the neurophysiological basis of behavior, with significant implications for understanding how diverse processes mediate behavior and contribute to vulnerability to developing psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley E Copenhaver
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Baltimore, Maryland 21250
| | - Tara A LeGates
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Baltimore, Maryland 21250
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
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5
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Frei O, Hindley G, Shadrin AA, van der Meer D, Akdeniz BC, Hagen E, Cheng W, O'Connell KS, Bahrami S, Parker N, Smeland OB, Holland D, de Leeuw C, Posthuma D, Andreassen OA, Dale AM. Improved functional mapping of complex trait heritability with GSA-MiXeR implicates biologically specific gene sets. Nat Genet 2024; 56:1310-1318. [PMID: 38831010 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01771-1] [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: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
While genome-wide association studies are increasingly successful in discovering genomic loci associated with complex human traits and disorders, the biological interpretation of these findings remains challenging. Here we developed the GSA-MiXeR analytical tool for gene set analysis (GSA), which fits a model for the heritability of individual genes, accounting for linkage disequilibrium across variants and allowing the quantification of partitioned heritability and fold enrichment for small gene sets. We validated the method using extensive simulations and sensitivity analyses. When applied to a diverse selection of complex traits and disorders, including schizophrenia, GSA-MiXeR prioritizes gene sets with greater biological specificity compared to standard GSA approaches, implicating voltage-gated calcium channel function and dopaminergic signaling for schizophrenia. Such biologically relevant gene sets, often with fewer than ten genes, are more likely to provide insights into the pathobiology of complex diseases and highlight potential drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleksandr Frei
- Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
- Centre for Bioinformatics, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Guy Hindley
- Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Alexey A Shadrin
- Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Bayram C Akdeniz
- Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Centre for Bioinformatics, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Espen Hagen
- Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Weiqiu Cheng
- Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kevin S O'Connell
- Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Shahram Bahrami
- Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nadine Parker
- Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Olav B Smeland
- Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dominic Holland
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christiaan de Leeuw
- Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Centre for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Danielle Posthuma
- Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Centre for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anders M Dale
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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6
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Dickerson MR, Reed J. Pharmacogenetic testing may benefit people receiving low-dose lithium in clinical practice. J Am Assoc Nurse Pract 2024; 36:320-328. [PMID: 37882688 DOI: 10.1097/jxx.0000000000000968] [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: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mental illnesses are leading causes of disability in the United States. Some evidence supports that pharmacogenetic testing may be beneficial in select populations and that lithium is beneficial for treating mood disorders and anxiety in some populations. PURPOSE This research aimed to determine whether low-dose lithium effectively decreases depression and anxiety in adults with a risk allele for CACNA1C genotypes. METHODOLOGY The study design was correlational. Fifty patients were treated at a nurse practitioner-owned clinic in Prairie Village, Kansas. Chart review was used. Adults older than 18 years diagnosed with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder presenting with an abnormality in the CACNA1C gene single-nucleotide polymorphism rs1006737 were included in this research. Assessment tools used were the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression and GAD-7 for anxiety. RESULTS Low-dose lithium significantly decreased depression by 66% ( p < .001) and anxiety by 65% ( p = <.001). There was a significant difference in pretest depression levels based on CACNA1C genotype ( p = .033). The A allele frequency was 60% higher (48%) in this population than found in general population (30%). CONCLUSIONS Low-dose lithium significantly decreased anxiety and depression compared with baseline. People with different versions of the CACNA1C genotype had responses that differed significantly. The A risk allele was 60% more common than in the general population. IMPLICATIONS This study could aid in establishing genetic testing as an effective clinical tool for treating depression and anxiety using lithium, an inexpensive and widely available medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ray Dickerson
- University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri
- Southwest Baptist University, Springfield, Missouri
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7
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Bastos CR, Bevilacqua LM, Mendes LFB, Xavier J, Gruhn K, Kaster MP, Ghisleni G. Amygdala-specific changes in Cacna1c, Nfat5, and Bdnf expression are associated with stress responsivity in mice: A possible mechanism for psychiatric disorders. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 175:259-270. [PMID: 38754148 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The CACNA1C gene encodes the alpha-1c subunit of the Cav1.2 calcium channel, a regulator of neuronal calcium influx involved in neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity. Genetic data show a role for CACNA1C in depressive symptoms underlying different psychiatric diagnoses. However, the mechanisms involved still require further exploration. This study aimed to investigate sex and region-specific changes in the Cacna1c gene and behavioral outcomes in mice exposed to chronic stress. Moreover, we evaluated the Nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5 (Nfat5) and the Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) as potential upstream and downstream Cacna1c targets and their correlation in stressed mice and humans with depression. Male and female Swiss mice were exposed to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) for 21 days. Animal-integrated emotionality was assessed using the sucrose splash test, the tail suspension, the open-field test, and the elevated-plus-maze. Gene expression analysis was performed in the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. Human data for in silico analysis was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus. CUS-induced impairment in integrated emotional regulation was observed in males. Gene expression analysis showed decreased levels of Cacna1c and Nfat5 and increased levels of Bdnf transcripts in the amygdala of stressed male mice. In contrast, there were no major changes in behavioral responses or gene expression in female mice after stress. The expression of the three genes was significantly correlated in the amygdala of mice and humans. The strong and positive correlation between Canac1c and Nfat5 suggests a potential role for this transcription factor in Canac1c expression. These changes could impact amygdala reactivity and emotional responses, making them a potential target for psychiatric intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa Ribeiro Bastos
- Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil; Department of Life and Health Sciences, Catholic University of Pelotas (UCPel), Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Laura Menegatti Bevilacqua
- Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Luiz Filipe Bastos Mendes
- Center of Oxidative Stress Research, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Janaina Xavier
- Department of Life and Health Sciences, Catholic University of Pelotas (UCPel), Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Karen Gruhn
- Department of Life and Health Sciences, Catholic University of Pelotas (UCPel), Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Manuella Pinto Kaster
- Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
| | - Gabriele Ghisleni
- Department of Life and Health Sciences, Catholic University of Pelotas (UCPel), Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
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Dow R, DeLong C, Jiang G, Attili D, Creech J, Kraan R, Campbell K, Saraithong P, O’Shea S, Monteiro da Rocha A, McInnis MG, Herron TJ. Bipolar Patient-Specific In Vitro Diagnostic Test Reveals Underlying Cardiac Arrhythmia Phenotype Caused by Calcium Channel Genetic Risk Factor. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:100296. [PMID: 38560725 PMCID: PMC10978474 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100296] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
A common genetic risk factor for bipolar disorder is CACNA1C, a gene that is also critical for cardiac rhythm. The impact of CACNA1C mutations on bipolar patient cardiac rhythm is unknown. Here, we report the cardiac electrophysiological implications of a bipolar disorder-associated genetic risk factor in CACNA1C using patient induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Results indicate that the CACNA1C bipolar disorder-related mutation causes cardiac electrical impulse conduction slowing mediated by impaired intercellular coupling via connexin 43 gap junctions. In vitro gene therapy to restore connexin 43 expression increased cardiac electrical impulse conduction velocity and protected against thioridazine-induced QT prolongation. Patients positive for bipolar disorder CACNA1C genetic risk factors may have elevated proarrhythmic risk for adverse events in response to psychiatric medications that slow conduction or prolong the QT interval. This in vitro diagnostic tool enables cardiac testing specific to patients with psychiatric disorders to determine their sensitivity to off-target effects of psychiatric medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Dow
- Frankel Cardiovascular Regeneration Core Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Cindy DeLong
- Michigan Medicine, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Guihua Jiang
- Michigan Medicine, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Durga Attili
- Michigan Medicine, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jeffery Creech
- Frankel Cardiovascular Regeneration Core Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Rachel Kraan
- Frankel Cardiovascular Regeneration Core Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Katherine Campbell
- Michigan Medicine, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Prakaimuk Saraithong
- Frankel Cardiovascular Regeneration Core Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Michigan Medicine, Internal Medicine-Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Sue O’Shea
- Michigan Medicine, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Michigan Medicine, Psychiatry Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Andre Monteiro da Rocha
- Frankel Cardiovascular Regeneration Core Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Michigan Medicine, Internal Medicine-Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Melvin G. McInnis
- Michigan Medicine, Psychiatry Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Todd J. Herron
- Frankel Cardiovascular Regeneration Core Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Michigan Medicine, Internal Medicine-Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Michigan Medicine, Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Cipriano L, Piscopo R, Aiello C, Novelli A, Iolascon A, Piscopo C. Expanding the Phenotype of the CACNA1C-Associated Neurological Disorders in Children: Systematic Literature Review and Description of a Novel Mutation. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 11:541. [PMID: 38790536 PMCID: PMC11119747 DOI: 10.3390/children11050541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Background: CACNA1C gene encodes the alpha 1 subunit of the CaV1.2 L-type Ca2+ channel. Pathogenic variants in this gene have been associated with cardiac rhythm disorders such as long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome and Timothy syndrome. Recent evidence has suggested the possible association between CACNA1C mutations and neurologically-isolated (in absence of cardiac involvement) phenotypes in children, giving birth to a wider spectrum of CACNA1C-related clinical presentations. However, to date, little is known about the variety of both neurological and non-neurological signs/symptoms in the neurologically-predominant phenotypes. Methods and Results: We conducted a systematic review of neurologically-predominant presentations without cardiac conduction defects, associated with CACNA1C mutations. We also reported a novel de novo missense pathogenic variant in the CACNA1C gene of a children patient presenting with constructional, dressing and oro-buccal apraxia associated with behavioral abnormalities, mild intellectual disability, dental anomalies, gingival hyperplasia and mild musculoskeletal defects, without cardiac conduction defects. Conclusions: The present study highlights the importance of considering the investigation of the CACNA1C gene in children's neurological isolated syndromes, and expands the phenotype of the CACNA1C related conditions. In addition, the present study highlights that, even in absence of cardiac conduction defects, nuanced clinical manifestations of the Timothy syndrome (e.g., dental and gingival defects) could be found. These findings suggest the high variable expressivity of the CACNA1C gene and remark that the absence of cardiac involvement should not mislead the diagnosis of a CACNA1C related disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Cipriano
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (L.C.); (A.I.)
| | - Raffaele Piscopo
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Chiara Aiello
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Translational Cytogenomics Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (C.A.); (A.N.)
| | - Antonio Novelli
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Translational Cytogenomics Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy; (C.A.); (A.N.)
| | - Achille Iolascon
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (L.C.); (A.I.)
| | - Carmelo Piscopo
- Medical and Laboratory Genetics Unit, A.O.R.N. “Antonio Cardarelli”, 80131 Naples, Italy
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10
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Copenhaver AE, LeGates TA. Sex-specific mechanisms underlie long-term potentiation at hippocampus-nucleus accumbens synapses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.15.575709. [PMID: 38293132 PMCID: PMC10827060 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.15.575709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Sex differences have complicated our understanding of the neurobiological basis of many behaviors that are key for survival. As such, continued elucidation of the similarities and differences between sexes is necessary in order to gain insight into brain function and vulnerability. The connection between the hippocampus (Hipp) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a crucial site where modulation of neuronal activity mediates reward-related behavior. Our previous work demonstrated that long-term potentiation (LTP) of Hipp-NAc synapses is rewarding, and that mice can make learned associations between LTP of these synapses and the contextual environment in which LTP occurred. Here, we investigate sex differences in the mechanisms underlying Hipp-NAc LTP using whole-cell electrophysiology and pharmacology. We found that males and females display similar magnitudes of Hipp-NAc LTP which occurs postsynaptically. However, LTP in females requires L-type voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels (VGCC) for postsynaptic Ca 2+ influx, while males rely on NMDA receptors (NMDAR). Additionally, females require estrogen receptor α (ERα) activity for LTP while males do not. These differential mechanisms converge as LTP in both sexes depends on CAMKII activity and occurs independently of dopamine-1 receptor (D1R) activation. Our results have elucidated sex-specific molecular mechanisms for LTP in an integral excitatory pathway that mediates reward-related behaviors, emphasizing the importance of considering sex as a variable in mechanistic studies. Continued characterization of sex-specific mechanisms underlying plasticity will offer novel insight into the neurophysiological basis of behavior, with significant implications for understanding how diverse processes mediate behavior and contribute to vulnerability to developing psychiatric disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Strengthening of Hipp-NAc synapses drives reward-related behaviors. Male and female mice have similar magnitudes of long-term potentiation (LTP) and both sexes have a predicted postsynaptic locus of plasticity. Despite these similarities, we illustrate here that sex-specific molecular mechanisms are used to elicit LTP. Given the bidirectional relationship between Hipp-NAc synaptic strength in mediating reward-related behaviors, the use of distinct molecular mechanisms may explain sex differences observed in stress susceptibility or response to rewarding stimuli. Discovery and characterization of convergent sex differences provides mechanistic insight into the sex-specific function of Hipp-NAc circuitry and has widespread implications for circuits mediating learning and reward-related behavior.
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11
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Fan B, Zhao JV. Genetic proxies for antihypertensive drugs and mental disorders: Mendelian randomization study in European and East Asian populations. BMC Med 2024; 22:6. [PMID: 38166843 PMCID: PMC10763027 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-03218-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mental disorders are among the top causes of disease burden worldwide. Existing evidence regarding the repurposing of antihypertensives for mental disorders treatment is conflicting and cannot establish causation. METHODS We used Mendelian randomization to assess the effects of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), beta blockers (BBs), and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) on risk of bipolar disorder (BD), major depression disorder (MDD), and schizophrenia (SCZ). We used published genetic variants which are in antihypertensive drugs target genes and correspond to systolic blood pressure (SBP) in Europeans and East Asians, and applied them to summary statistics of BD (cases = 41,917; controls = 371,549 in Europeans), MDD (cases = 170,756; controls = 329,443 in Europeans and cases = 15,771; controls = 178,777 in East Asians), and SCZ (cases = 53,386; controls = 77,258 in Europeans and cases = 22,778; controls = 35,362 in East Asians) from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. We used inverse variance weighting with MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and Mendelian Randomization Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier. We performed gene-specific analysis and utilized various methods to address potential pleiotropy. RESULTS After multiple testing correction, genetically proxied ACEIs were associated with an increased risk of SCZ in Europeans (odds ratio (OR) per 5 mmHg lower in SBP 2.10, 95% CI 1.54 to 2.87) and East Asians (OR per 5 mmHg lower in SBP 2.51, 95% CI 1.38 to 4.58). Genetically proxied BBs were not associated with any mental disorders in both populations. Genetically proxied CCBs showed no benefits on mental disorders. CONCLUSIONS Antihypertensive drugs have no protection for mental disorders but potential harm. Their long-term use among hypertensive patients with, or with high susceptibility to, psychiatric illness needs careful evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bohan Fan
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 1/F, Patrick Manson Building, 7 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jie V Zhao
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 1/F, Patrick Manson Building, 7 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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12
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Meyer K, Ling KH, Yeo PL, Spathopoulou A, Drake D, Choi J, Aron L, Garcia-Corral M, Ko T, Lee EA, Tam JM, Perlis RH, Church GM, Tsai LH, Yankner BA. Impaired neural stress resistance and loss of REST in bipolar disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:153-164. [PMID: 37938767 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02313-7] [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: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental changes and impaired stress resistance have been implicated in the pathogenesis of bipolar disorder (BD), but the underlying regulatory mechanisms are unresolved. Here we describe a human cerebral organoid model of BD that exhibits altered neural development, elevated neural network activity, and a major shift in the transcriptome. These phenotypic changes were reproduced in cerebral organoids generated from iPS cell lines derived in different laboratories. The BD cerebral organoid transcriptome showed highly significant enrichment for gene targets of the transcriptional repressor REST. This was associated with reduced nuclear REST and REST binding to target gene recognition sites. Reducing the oxygen concentration in organoid cultures to a physiological range ameliorated the developmental phenotype and restored REST expression. These effects were mimicked by treatment with lithium. Reduced nuclear REST and derepression of REST targets genes were also observed in the prefrontal cortex of BD patients. Thus, an impaired cellular stress response in BD cerebral organoids leads to altered neural development and transcriptional dysregulation associated with downregulation of REST. These findings provide a new model and conceptual framework for exploring the molecular basis of BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Meyer
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - King-Hwa Ling
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Pei-Ling Yeo
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | | | - Derek Drake
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jaejoon Choi
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Liviu Aron
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Mariana Garcia-Corral
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Tak Ko
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Eunjung Alice Lee
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jenny M Tam
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Roy H Perlis
- Center for Quantitative Health, Center for Genomic Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - George M Church
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Li-Huei Tsai
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Bruce A Yankner
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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13
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Baker MR, Lee AS, Rajadhyaksha AM. L-type calcium channels and neuropsychiatric diseases: Insights into genetic risk variant-associated genomic regulation and impact on brain development. Channels (Austin) 2023; 17:2176984. [PMID: 36803254 PMCID: PMC9980663 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2023.2176984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent human genetic studies have linked a variety of genetic variants in the CACNA1C and CACNA1D genes to neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. This is not surprising given the work from multiple laboratories using cell and animal models that have established that Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 L-type calcium channels (LTCCs), encoded by CACNA1C and CACNA1D, respectively, play a key role in various neuronal processes that are essential for normal brain development, connectivity, and experience-dependent plasticity. Of the multiple genetic aberrations reported, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CACNA1C and CACNA1D that are present within introns, in accordance with the growing body of literature establishing that large numbers of SNPs associated with complex diseases, including neuropsychiatric disorders, are present within non-coding regions. How these intronic SNPs affect gene expression has remained a question. Here, we review recent studies that are beginning to shed light on how neuropsychiatric-linked non-coding genetic variants can impact gene expression via regulation at the genomic and chromatin levels. We additionally review recent studies that are uncovering how altered calcium signaling through LTCCs impact some of the neuronal developmental processes, such as neurogenesis, neuron migration, and neuron differentiation. Together, the described changes in genomic regulation and disruptions in neurodevelopment provide possible mechanisms by which genetic variants of LTCC genes contribute to neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelyn R. Baker
- Neuroscience Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Andrew S. Lee
- Neuroscience Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, USA
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, USA
| | - Anjali M. Rajadhyaksha
- Neuroscience Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, USA
- Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA
- Weill Cornell Autism Research Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA
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14
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Kaiser J, Nay K, Horne CR, McAloon LM, Fuller OK, Muller AG, Whyte DG, Means AR, Walder K, Berk M, Hannan AJ, Murphy JM, Febbraio MA, Gundlach AL, Scott JW. CaMKK2 as an emerging treatment target for bipolar disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4500-4511. [PMID: 37730845 PMCID: PMC10914626 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02260-3] [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: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Current pharmacological treatments for bipolar disorder are inadequate and based on serendipitously discovered drugs often with limited efficacy, burdensome side-effects, and unclear mechanisms of action. Advances in drug development for the treatment of bipolar disorder remain incremental and have come largely from repurposing drugs used for other psychiatric conditions, a strategy that has failed to find truly revolutionary therapies, as it does not target the mood instability that characterises the condition. The lack of therapeutic innovation in the bipolar disorder field is largely due to a poor understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms and the consequent absence of validated drug targets. A compelling new treatment target is the Ca2+-calmodulin dependent protein kinase kinase-2 (CaMKK2) enzyme. CaMKK2 is highly enriched in brain neurons and regulates energy metabolism and neuronal processes that underpin higher order functions such as long-term memory, mood, and other affective functions. Loss-of-function polymorphisms and a rare missense mutation in human CAMKK2 are associated with bipolar disorder, and genetic deletion of Camkk2 in mice causes bipolar-like behaviours similar to those in patients. Furthermore, these behaviours are ameliorated by lithium, which increases CaMKK2 activity. In this review, we discuss multiple convergent lines of evidence that support targeting of CaMKK2 as a new treatment strategy for bipolar disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Kaiser
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia
- School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia
| | - Kevin Nay
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Christopher R Horne
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Luke M McAloon
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia
- School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia
| | - Oliver K Fuller
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Abbey G Muller
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Douglas G Whyte
- School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia
| | - Anthony R Means
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ken Walder
- The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Michael Berk
- The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - James M Murphy
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Mark A Febbraio
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Andrew L Gundlach
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - John W Scott
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
- St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia.
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
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15
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Docherty AR. Pleiotropic CACNA1C Variants and Neuronal Function in Psychosis. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:1095-1096. [PMID: 37431924 PMCID: PMC10483443 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna R Docherty
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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16
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Wang Z, Lin X, Luo X, Xiao J, Zhang Y, Xu J, Wang S, Zhao F, Wang H, Zheng H, Zhang W, Lin C, Tan Z, Cao L, Wang Z, Tan Y, Chen W, Cao Y, Guo X, Pittenger C, Luo X. Pleiotropic Association of CACNA1C Variants With Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:1174-1184. [PMID: 37306960 PMCID: PMC10483336 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad073] [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] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuropsychiatric disorders are highly heritable and have overlapping genetic underpinnings. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene CACNA1C have been associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders, across multiple genome-wide association studies. METHOD A total of 70,711 subjects from 37 independent cohorts with 13 different neuropsychiatric disorders were meta-analyzed to identify overlap of disorder-associated SNPs within CACNA1C. The differential expression of CACNA1C mRNA in five independent postmortem brain cohorts was examined. Finally, the associations of disease-sharing risk alleles with total intracranial volume (ICV), gray matter volumes (GMVs) of subcortical structures, cortical surface area (SA), and average cortical thickness (TH) were tested. RESULTS Eighteen SNPs within CACNA1C were nominally associated with more than one neuropsychiatric disorder (P < .05); the associations shared among schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and alcohol use disorder survived false discovery rate correction (five SNPs with P < 7.3 × 10-4 and q < 0.05). CACNA1C mRNA was differentially expressed in brains from individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and Parkinson's disease, relative to controls (three SNPs with P < .01). Risk alleles shared by schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, substance dependence, and Parkinson's disease were significantly associated with ICV, GMVs, SA, or TH (one SNP with P ≤ 7.1 × 10-3 and q < 0.05). CONCLUSION Integrating multiple levels of analyses, we identified CACNA1C variants associated with multiple psychiatric disorders, and schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were most strongly implicated. CACNA1C variants may contribute to shared risk and pathophysiology in these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuxing Wang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Xiandong Lin
- Laboratory of Radiation Oncology and Radiobiology, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, the Teaching Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350014, China
| | - Xinqun Luo
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Jun Xiao
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Tianjin Mental Health Center, Tianjin 300180, China
| | - Jianying Xu
- Zhuhai Center for Maternal and Child Health Care, Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China
| | - Shibin Wang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Fen Zhao
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Huifen Wang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Hangxiao Zheng
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, P. R. China
| | - Chen Lin
- Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Peking University Huilongguan School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Zewen Tan
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510370, China
| | - Liping Cao
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510370, China
| | - Zhiren Wang
- Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Peking University Huilongguan School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Yunlong Tan
- Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Peking University Huilongguan School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Wenzhong Chen
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yuping Cao
- Department of Psychiatry, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China
| | - Xiaoyun Guo
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, US
| | - Christopher Pittenger
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, US
| | - Xingguang Luo
- Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Peking University Huilongguan School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing 100096, China
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17
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Li M, Yuan N, Nurnberger JI, Alliey-Rodriguez N, Zhou J, Duan F, Dai J, Chen Y, Lu J, Xie L, Liu F, Yang X, Tapon P, Gorrepati V, Liu X, Chen C, Liu C, Gershon ES. A pilot pharmacogenetic study of calcium channel blocker treatment of bipolar mania. Psychiatry Res 2023; 326:115281. [PMID: 37270865 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115281] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Common genetic variants located in calcium channel genes are important markers of genetic susceptibility for bipolar disorder (BD). Previous clinical trials with Calcium Channel Blocker (CCB) medication improved mood stability for some BD patients. We hypothesize that manic patients who carried calcium channel risk variants would differentially benefit from treatment with CCBs. In this pilot study, 50 BD patients (Chinese: 39; US: 11) who were hospitalized for manic episodes were given add-on CCB treatment. We determined genotypes for each patient. There was a significant decrease in the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) after add-on medication treatment. Of note, two intronic variants of the Calcium Voltage-Gated Channel Subunit Alpha1 B (CACNA1B) were associated with treatment outcomes for manic patients: rs2739258 and rs2739260. BD rs2739258/rs2739260 AG-allele carriers had a better treatment response with add-on CCB than those carrying the AA or GG genotypes by survival analysis. Although these findings did not pass multiple testing correction, this study suggests that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) residing in calcium channel genes could be predictors for response to add-on CCB treatment of bipolar mania patients, and that calcium channel genes may be involved in treatment responses for BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Li
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ning Yuan
- Department of Psychiatry, Hunan Provincial Brain Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - John I Nurnberger
- Departments of Psychiatry and Medical and Molecular Genetics, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Ney Alliey-Rodriguez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Harlingen, TX, USA
| | - Jiaqi Zhou
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Human Phenome Institute, and School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fangyuan Duan
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiacheng Dai
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Human Phenome Institute, and School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA
| | - Jiaqi Lu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Li Xie
- Department of Psychiatry, Hunan Provincial Brain Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Fang Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Hunan Provincial Brain Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xuli Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Hunan Provincial Brain Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Philippe Tapon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vijay Gorrepati
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Xuejun Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Hunan Provincial Brain Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Chao Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
| | - Elliot S Gershon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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18
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Chen JF, Lin M, Li X, Lin JB. PAI1 inhibits the pathogenesis of primary focal hyperhidrosis by targeting CHRNA1. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2023; 18:205. [PMID: 37542348 PMCID: PMC10403875 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-023-02808-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary focal hyperhidrosis (PFH) may be attributed to the up-regulation of the cholinergic receptor nicotinic alpha 1 subunit (CHRNA1) in eccrine glands. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI1, encoded by SERPINE1) is reported to inhibit the expression of CHRNA1, while the role of PAI1 in hyperhidrosis is unknown. METHODS Serpine1 KO mice, Serpine1-Tg mice, and wild type BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally injected with pilocarpine hydrochloride to induce PFH. Cisatracurium (CIS, antagonist of CHRNA1) or PAI-039 (small-molecule inhibitor of PAI1) was pre-administrated before the induction of hyperhidrosis. On the other hand, Chrna1-expressing AAV was constructed and administered to Serpine1-Tg mice with hydrochloride stimulation. Hydrochloride-related biomarkers, such as acetylcholine (ACH) in the serum, calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 C (CACNA1C), and aquaporin 5 (AQP5) in sweat glands of mice were assayed with ELISA, RT-PCR, and Western blot. RESULTS The administration of PAI-039 or Pai1 knock-out increased Chrna1 expression, sweat secretion, and hydrochloride-related biomarkers (ACH, CACNA1C, and AQP5) expression. On the other hand, CIS administration diminished the strengthened hyperhidrosis phenotype induced by Pai1 knock-out with decreased sweat gland secretion. CONCLUSION PAI1 inhibits CHRNA1-mediated hydrochloride-induced hyperhidrosis, with decreased sweat gland secretion and diminished ACH, AQP5, and CACNA1C expression. These results indicate the potential to utilize PAI1 to alleviate PFH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Feng Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Fuzhou, 350005, Fujian, China
| | - Min Lin
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Fuzhou, 350005, Fujian, China
| | - Xu Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Fuzhou, 350005, Fujian, China
| | - Jian-Bo Lin
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Fuzhou, 350005, Fujian, China.
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Favoretto CA, Pagliusi M, Morais-Silva G. Involvement of brain cell phenotypes in stress-vulnerability and resilience. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1175514. [PMID: 37476833 PMCID: PMC10354562 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1175514] [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: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-related disorders' prevalence is epidemically increasing in modern society, leading to a severe impact on individuals' well-being and a great economic burden on public resources. Based on this, it is critical to understand the mechanisms by which stress induces these disorders. The study of stress made great progress in the past decades, from deeper into the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to the understanding of the involvement of a single cell subtype on stress outcomes. In fact, many studies have used state-of-the-art tools such as chemogenetic, optogenetic, genetic manipulation, electrophysiology, pharmacology, and immunohistochemistry to investigate the role of specific cell subtypes in the stress response. In this review, we aim to gather studies addressing the involvement of specific brain cell subtypes in stress-related responses, exploring possible mechanisms associated with stress vulnerability versus resilience in preclinical models. We particularly focus on the involvement of the astrocytes, microglia, medium spiny neurons, parvalbumin neurons, pyramidal neurons, serotonergic neurons, and interneurons of different brain areas in stress-induced outcomes, resilience, and vulnerability to stress. We believe that this review can shed light on how diverse molecular mechanisms, involving specific receptors, neurotrophic factors, epigenetic enzymes, and miRNAs, among others, within these brain cell subtypes, are associated with the expression of a stress-susceptible or resilient phenotype, advancing the understanding/knowledge on the specific machinery implicate in those events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiane Aparecida Favoretto
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marco Pagliusi
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gessynger Morais-Silva
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drugs and Medicines, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
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Kessi M, Chen B, Pan L, Yang L, Yang L, Peng J, He F, Yin F. Disruption of mitochondrial and lysosomal functions by human CACNA1C variants expressed in HEK 293 and CHO cells. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1209760. [PMID: 37448958 PMCID: PMC10336228 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1209760] [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: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To investigate the pathogenesis of three novel de novo CACNA1C variants (p.E411D, p.V622G, and p.A272V) in causing neurodevelopmental disorders and arrhythmia. Methods Several molecular experiments were carried out on transfected human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK 293) and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells to explore the effects of p.E411D, p.V622G, and p.A272V variants on electrophysiology, mitochondrial and lysosomal functions. Electrophysiological studies, RT-qPCR, western blot, apoptosis assay, mito-tracker fluorescence intensity, lyso-tracker fluorescence intensity, mitochondrial calcium concentration test, and cell viability assay were performed. Besides, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, ATP levels, mitochondrial copy numbers, mitochondrial complex I, II, and cytochrome c functions were measured. Results The p.E411D variant was found in a patient with attention deficit-hyperactive disorder (ADHD), and moderate intellectual disability (ID). This mutant demonstrated reduced calcium current density, mRNA, and protein expression, and it was localized in the nucleus, cytoplasm, lysosome, and mitochondria. It exhibited an accelerated apoptosis rate, impaired autophagy, and mitophagy. It also demonstrated compromised mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase, complex I, and II enzymes, abnormal mitochondrial copy numbers, low ATP levels, abnormal mitochondria fluorescence intensity, impaired mitochondrial fusion and fission, and elevated mitochondrial calcium ions. The p.V622G variant was identified in a patient who presented with West syndrome and moderate global developmental delay. The p.A272V variant was found in a patient who presented with epilepsy and mild ID. Both mutants (p.V622G and p.A272V) exhibited reduced calcium current densities, decreased mRNA and protein expressions, and they were localized in the nucleus, cytoplasm, lysosome, and mitochondria. They exhibited accelerated apoptosis and proliferation rates, impaired autophagy, and mitophagy. They also exhibited abnormal mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase, complex I and II enzymes, abnormal mitochondrial copy numbers, low ATP, high ROS levels, abnormal mitochondria fluorescence intensity, impaired mitochondrial fusion and fission, as well as elevated mitochondrial calcium ions. Conclusion The p.E411D, p.V622G and p.A272V mutations of human CACNA1C reduce the expression level of CACNA1C proteins, and impair mitochondrial and lysosomal functions. These effects induced by CACNA1C variants may contribute to the pathogenesis of CACNA1C-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Kessi
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Children Neurodevelopmental Disabilities of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Baiyu Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Children Neurodevelopmental Disabilities of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Langui Pan
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Children Neurodevelopmental Disabilities of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Children Neurodevelopmental Disabilities of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lifen Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Children Neurodevelopmental Disabilities of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jing Peng
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Children Neurodevelopmental Disabilities of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Fang He
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Children Neurodevelopmental Disabilities of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Fei Yin
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Children Neurodevelopmental Disabilities of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Shen Y. Mental health and labor supply: Evidence from Canada. SSM Popul Health 2023; 22:101414. [PMID: 37168248 PMCID: PMC10165450 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101414] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the relationship between mental health and employment using an instrumental variable approach with the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health. Using a family member's mental health problem(s) as an instrument for poor mental health, the estimates reveal that poor mental health significantly reduces employment outcomes. These findings are robust to various specifications, such as an alternative instrument and a relaxation of the exclusion restriction assumption. In addition, the relationship is driven mainly by men and younger workers. Moreover, the findings suggest that the relationship is mediated by a decline in cognitive abilities, such as difficulties in concentration and motivation, and social relations with acquaintances and friends. Finally, the estimates show that this phenomenon is contagious: poor mental health has a significant spillover effect on coworkers' mental health in workplaces. This study demonstrates the importance of mental health illness in Canada and other developed countries.
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Gasalla P, Manahan-Vaughan D, Dwyer DM, Hall J, Méndez-Couz M. Characterisation of the neural basis underlying appetitive extinction & renewal in Cacna1c rats. Neuropharmacology 2023; 227:109444. [PMID: 36724867 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have revealed impairments in Cacna1c ± heterozygous animals (a gene that encodes the Cav 1.2 L-type voltage-gated calcium channels and is implicated in risk for multiple neuropsychiatric disorders) in aversive forms of learning, such as latent inhibition, reversal learning or context discrimination. However, the role of Cav 1.2 L-type voltage-gated calcium channels in extinction of appetitive associations remains under-investigated. Here, we used an appetitive Pavlovian conditioning task and evaluated extinction learning (EL) with a change of context from that of training and test (ABA) and without such a change (AAA) in Cacna1c ± male rats versus their wild-type (WT) littermates. In addition, we used fluorescence in situ hybridization of somatic immediate early genes (IEGs) Arc and Homer1a expression to scrutinize associated changes in the medial prefrontal cortex and the amygdala. Cacna1c ± animals successfully adapt their responses by engaging in appetitive EL and renewal. However, the regional IEG expression profile changed. For the EL occurring in the same context, Cacna1c ± animals presented higher IEG expression in the infralimbic cortex and the central amygdala than controls. The prelimbic region presented a larger neural ensemble in Cacna1c ± than WT animals, co-labelled for the time window of EL in the original context and prolonged exposure to the unrewarded context. With a context change, the Cacna1c ± infralimbic region displayed higher IEG expression during renewal than controls. Taken together, our findings provide novel evidence of distinct brain activation patterns occurring in Cacna1c ± rats after appetitive extinction and renewal despite preserved behavioral responses. This article is part of the Special Issue on "L-type calcium channel mechanisms in neuropsychiatric disorders".
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Gasalla
- Neuroscience & Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK; School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Denise Manahan-Vaughan
- Dept. Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, Building MA 4/158, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Dominic Michael Dwyer
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Neuroscience & Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Marta Méndez-Couz
- Dept. Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, Building MA 4/158, 44780, Bochum, Germany.
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Santarriaga S, Gerlovin K, Layadi Y, Karmacharya R. Human stem cell-based models to study synaptic dysfunction and cognition in schizophrenia: A narrative review. Schizophr Res 2023:S0920-9964(23)00084-1. [PMID: 36925354 PMCID: PMC10500041 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.02.029] [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: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is the strongest predictor of functional outcomes in schizophrenia and is hypothesized to result from synaptic dysfunction. However, targeting synaptic plasticity and cognitive deficits in patients remains a significant clinical challenge. A comprehensive understanding of synaptic plasticity and the molecular basis of learning and memory in a disease context can provide specific targets for the development of novel therapeutics targeting cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. Here, we describe the role of synaptic plasticity in cognition, summarize evidence for synaptic dysfunction in schizophrenia and demonstrate the use of patient derived induced-pluripotent stem cells for studying synaptic plasticity in vitro. Lastly, we discuss current advances and future technologies for bridging basic science research of synaptic dysfunction with clinical and translational research that can be used to predict treatment response and develop novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Santarriaga
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Chemical Biology and Therapeutic Science Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kaia Gerlovin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Chemical Biology and Therapeutic Science Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yasmine Layadi
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Chimie ParisTech, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Paris, France
| | - Rakesh Karmacharya
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Chemical Biology and Therapeutic Science Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
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24
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Novaes de Oliveira Roldan AC, Fernandes Júnior LCC, de Oliveira CEC, Nunes SOV. Impact of ZNF804A rs1344706 or CACNA1C rs1006737 polymorphisms on cognition in patients with severe mental disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World J Biol Psychiatry 2023; 24:195-208. [PMID: 35786202 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2022.2097308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This systematic review and meta-analysis focussed on insights into the relationship between CACNA1C-rs1006737 and ZNF804A-rs1344706 polymorphisms and cognitive performance in schizophrenia (SCZ) spectrum and bipolar disorder (BD) and provide some contributions for clinical practice. METHODS We searched the websites databases (PubMED, PsycINFO, Web of Science, EMBASE and Cochrane Library) using eligibility and exclusion criteria to capture all potential studies, based on PICO model and according to the PRISMA. RESULTS Eight articles were included in this systematic review (five referring to CACNA1C-rs1006737 and three related to ZNF804A-rs1344706 polymorphisms), with a total of 5759 participants (1751 SCZ patients, 348 BD patients, 3626 controls and 34 first-degree relatives). The results demonstrated that the pooled effect of CACNA1C-rs1006737 (risk difference RD = 0.08; 95% CI 0.02-0.15) was associated with altered cognitive function in patients with severe mental disorders, but not ZNF804A-rs1344706 polymorphism (RD = 0.19; 95% CI 0.09-0.48. CONCLUSION The present meta-analysis provides evidence regarding slight association between CACNA1C-rs1006737 polymorphisms and cognitive performance in severe mental disorders, indicating that cognitive impairment in severe mental disorders associated with the CACNA1C rs1006737 risk variants could only be expressed when interacting with environmental exposures. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42021246726.
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Integrative Roles of Dopamine Pathway and Calcium Channels Reveal a Link between Schizophrenia and Opioid Use Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24044088. [PMID: 36835497 PMCID: PMC9966501 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24044088] [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: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Several theories have been proposed to explain the mechanisms of substance use in schizophrenia. Brain neurons pose a potential to provide novel insights into the association between opioid addiction, withdrawal, and schizophrenia. Thus, we exposed zebrafish larvae at 2 days post-fertilization (dpf) to domperidone (DPM) and morphine, followed by morphine withdrawal. Drug-induced locomotion and social preference were assessed, while the level of dopamine and the number of dopaminergic neurons were quantified. In the brain tissue, the expression levels of genes associated with schizophrenia were measured. The effects of DMP and morphine were compared to vehicle control and MK-801, a positive control to mimic schizophrenia. Gene expression analysis revealed that α1C, α1Sa, α1Aa, drd2a, and th1 were up-regulated after 10 days of exposure to DMP and morphine, while th2 was down-regulated. These two drugs also increased the number of positive dopaminergic neurons and the total dopamine level but reduced the locomotion and social preference. The termination of morphine exposure led to the up-regulation of th2, drd2a, and c-fos during the withdrawal phase. Our integrated data implicate that the dopamine system plays a key role in the deficits in social behavior and locomotion that are common in the schizophrenia-like symptoms and opioid dependence.
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26
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Jiang X, Sultan AA, Dimick MK, Zai CC, Kennedy JL, MacIntosh BJ, Goldstein BI. The association of genetic variation in CACNA1C with resting-state functional connectivity in youth bipolar disorder. Int J Bipolar Disord 2023; 11:3. [PMID: 36637564 PMCID: PMC9839925 DOI: 10.1186/s40345-022-00281-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CACNA1C rs1006737 A allele, identified as a genetic risk variant for bipolar disorder (BD), is associated with anomalous functional connectivity in adults with and without BD. Studies have yet to investigate the association of CACNA1C rs1006737 with resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in youth BD. METHODS Participants included 139 youth with BD-I, -II, or -not otherwise specified, ages 13-20 years, including 27 BD A-carriers, 41 BD non-carriers, 32 healthy controls (HC) A-carriers, and 39 HC non-carriers. Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), amygdala, and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) were examined as regions-of-interest in seed-to-voxel analyses. General linear models included main effects of diagnosis and rs1006737, and an interaction term, controlling for age, sex, and race. RESULTS We observed a main effect of BD diagnosis on rsFC between the right amygdala and the right occipital pole (p = 0.02), and a main effect of rs1006737 genotypes on rsFC between the right OFC and bilateral occipital cortex (p < 0.001). Two significant BD diagnosis-by-CACNA1C rs1006737 interactions were also identified. The A allele was associated with positive rsFC between the right ACC and right amygdala in BD but negative rsFC in HC (p = 0.01), and negative rsFC between the left OFC and left putamen in BD but positive rsFC in HC (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION This study found that the rs1006737 A allele, identified as a genetic risk variant for BD in adults, was differentially associated with rsFC in youth with BD in regions relevant to emotion, executive function, and reward. Future task-based approaches are warranted to better understand brain connectivity in relation to CACNA1C in BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Jiang
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Alysha A. Sultan
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Mikaela K. Dimick
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Clement C. Zai
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Psychiatric Neurogenetics Section, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - James L. Kennedy
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Psychiatric Neurogenetics Section, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Bradley J. MacIntosh
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Heart and Stroke Foundation, Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Benjamin I. Goldstein
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Morii M, Ohka S, Nishizawa D, Hasegawa J, Nakayama K, Ebata Y, Soeda M, Fukuda KI, Yoshida K, Koshika K, Ichinohe T, Ikeda K. The rs216009 single-nucleotide polymorphism of the CACNA1C gene is associated with phantom tooth pain. Mol Pain 2023; 19:17448069231193383. [PMID: 37489644 PMCID: PMC10437699 DOI: 10.1177/17448069231193383] [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] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Phantom tooth pain (PTP) is a rare and specific neuropathic pain that occurs after pulpectomy and tooth extraction, but its cause is not understood. We hypothesized that there is a genetic contribution to PTP. The present study focused on the CACNA1C gene, which encodes the α1C subunit of the Cav1.2 L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) that has been reported to be associated with neuropathic pain in previous studies. We investigated genetic polymorphisms that contribute to PTP. We statistically examined the association between genetic polymorphisms and PTP vulnerability in 33 patients with PTP and 118 patients without PTP but with pain or dysesthesia in the orofacial region. From within and around the CACNA1C gene, 155 polymorphisms were selected and analyzed for associations with clinical data. We found that the rs216009 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the CACNA1C gene in the recessive model was significantly associated with the vulnerability to PTP. Homozygote carriers of the minor C allele of rs216009 had a higher rate of PTP. Nociceptive transmission in neuropathic pain has been reported to involve Ca2+ influx from LTCCs, and the rs216009 polymorphism may be involved in CACNA1C expression, which regulates intracellular Ca2+ levels, leading to the vulnerability to PTP. Furthermore, psychological factors may lead to the development of PTP by modulating the descending pain inhibitory system. Altogether, homozygous C-allele carriers of the rs216009 SNP were more likely to be vulnerable to PTP, possibly through the regulation of intracellular Ca2+ levels and affective pain systems, such as those that mediate fear memory recall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masako Morii
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Tokyo Dental College,Tokyo, Japan
| | - Seii Ohka
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Nishizawa
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junko Hasegawa
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kyoko Nakayama
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuko Ebata
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Moe Soeda
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Oral Health and Clinical Science, Tokyo Dental College, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ken-ichi Fukuda
- Department of Oral Health and Clinical Science, Tokyo Dental College, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kaori Yoshida
- Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Tokyo Dental College,Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kyotaro Koshika
- Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Tokyo Dental College,Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Ichinohe
- Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Tokyo Dental College,Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Ikeda
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
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Levy RJ, Timothy KW, Underwood JFG, Hall J, Bernstein JA, Pașca SP. A Cross-Sectional Study of the Neuropsychiatric Phenotype of CACNA1C-Related Disorder. Pediatr Neurol 2023; 138:101-106. [PMID: 36436328 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2022.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND CACNA1C encodes the voltage-gated L-type calcium channel CaV1.2. A specific gain-of-function pathogenic variant in CACNA1C causes Timothy syndrome type 1 (TS1) with cardiac long QT syndrome, syndactyly, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Our previous work found that the TS1 mutation alters neuronal activity-dependent signaling and interneuron migration. Recent case series highlighted a broader spectrum of CACNA1C-related disorder (CRD) that includes isolated cardiac disease, isolated neurologic deficits, and TS, but it is unknown how the clinical presentation of other CRD variants relates to neural defects. We surveyed individuals with CRD to define the neuropsychiatric and developmental phenotype in an effort to guide future research into the role of calcium channels in neural development. METHODS Caregivers of and individuals with CRD completed an online survey of pre- and perinatal events, cardiac events, developmental milestones, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and neuropsychiatric diagnoses. Multiple Mann-Whitney tests were used for comparison of categorical values and Fisher exact test for comparison of categorical variables between participants with and without cardiac arrhythmia. RESULTS Twenty-four participants with germline CACNA1C variants including TS1 completed the survey. The most common neuropsychiatric symptoms and/or diagnoses were developmental delay in 92%, incoordination in 71%, hypotonia in 67%, autism spectrum disorder in 50% (autistic features in 92%), seizures in 37.5%, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in 21% of participants. There were no significant differences in symptoms between participants with and without arrhythmia. CONCLUSIONS In our CRD cohort, there was an increased prevalence of multiple neuropsychiatric symptoms compared with the general population. These findings indicate the key role of CaV1.2 in brain development and the clinical importance of screening and therapeutically addressing neuropsychiatric symptoms in all individuals with CRD. Future directions include deep phenotyping of neuropsychiatric symptoms and efforts to relate these symptoms to cellular defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Levy
- Division of Medical Genetics in the Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, California; Division of Child Neurology in the Department of Neurology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | | | - Jack F G Underwood
- Neuroscience & Mental Health Innovation Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Neuroscience & Mental Health Innovation Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Jonathan A Bernstein
- Division of Medical Genetics in the Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
| | - Sergiu P Pașca
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California; Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
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El Karkafi R, Gebara T, Salem M, Kamel J, El Khoury G, Zalal M, Fakhoury M. Ketogenic Diet and Inflammation: Implications for Mood and Anxiety Disorders. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1411:537-554. [PMID: 36949325 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-19-7376-5_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
The ketogenic diet, known as a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, and high-fat diet, drastically restrains the major source of energy for the body, forcing it to burn all excess fat through a process called ketosis-the breaking down of fat into ketone bodies. First suggested as a medical treatment for children suffering from epilepsy, this diet has gained increased popularity as a rapid weight loss strategy. Over the past few years, there have been numerous studies suggesting that the ketogenic diet may provide therapeutic effects for several psychiatric conditions such as mood- and anxiety-related disorders. However, despite significant progress in research, the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects remain largely unexplored and are yet to be fully elucidated. This chapter provides an in-depth overview of preclinical and clinical evidence supporting the use of a ketogenic diet in the management of mood and anxiety disorders and discusses its relationship with inflammatory processes and potential mechanisms of actions for its therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy El Karkafi
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Tammy Gebara
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Michael Salem
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Jessica Kamel
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Ghinwa El Khoury
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Marilynn Zalal
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Marc Fakhoury
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon.
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Levchenko A, Plotnikova M. Genomic regulatory sequences in the pathogenesis of bipolar disorder. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1115924. [PMID: 36824672 PMCID: PMC9941178 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1115924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The lifetime prevalence of bipolar disorder is estimated to be about 2%. Epigenetics defines regulatory mechanisms that determine relatively stable patterns of gene expression by controlling all key steps, from DNA to messenger RNA to protein. This Mini Review highlights recent discoveries of modified epigenetic control resulting from genetic variants associated with bipolar disorder in genome-wide association studies. The revealed epigenetic abnormalities implicate gene transcription and post-transcriptional regulation. In the light of these discoveries, the Mini Review focuses on the genes PACS1, MCHR1, DCLK3, HAPLN4, LMAN2L, TMEM258, GNL3, LRRC57, CACNA1C, CACNA1D, and NOVA2 and their potential biological role in the pathogenesis of bipolar disorder. Molecular mechanisms under control of these genes do not translate into a unified picture and substantially more research is needed to fill the gaps in knowledge and to solve current limitations in prognosis and treatment of bipolar disorder. In conclusion, the genetic and functional studies confirm the complex nature of bipolar disorder and indicate future research directions to explore possible targeted treatment options, eventually working toward a personalized approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Levchenko
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Maria Plotnikova
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Center for Genetics and Life Science, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
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Genome-wide Mendelian randomization identifies actionable novel drug targets for psychiatric disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:270-280. [PMID: 36114287 PMCID: PMC9483418 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01456-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders impose tremendous economic burden on society and are leading causes of disability worldwide. However, only limited drugs are available for psychiatric disorders and the efficacy of most currently used drugs is poor for many patients. To identify novel therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders, we performed genome-wide Mendelian randomization analyses by integrating brain-derived molecular quantitative trait loci (mRNA expression and protein abundance quantitative trait loci) of 1263 actionable proteins (targeted by approved drugs or drugs in clinical phase of development) and genetic findings from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWASs). Using transcriptome data, we identified 25 potential drug targets for psychiatric disorders, including 12 genes for schizophrenia, 7 for bipolar disorder, 7 for depression, and 1 (TIE1) for attention deficit and hyperactivity. We also identified 10 actionable drug targets by using brain proteome data, including 4 (HLA-DRB1, CAMKK2, P2RX7, and MAPK3) for schizophrenia, 1 (PRKCB) for bipolar disorder, 6 (PSMB4, IMPDH2, SERPINC1, GRIA1, P2RX7 and TAOK3) for depression. Of note, MAPK3 and HLA-DRB1 were supported by both transcriptome and proteome-wide MR analyses, suggesting that these two proteins are promising therapeutic targets for schizophrenia. Our study shows the power of integrating large-scale GWAS findings and transcriptomic and proteomic data in identifying actionable drug targets. Besides, our findings prioritize actionable novel drug targets for development of new therapeutics and provide critical drug-repurposing opportunities for psychiatric disorders.
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A family-based study of genetic and epigenetic effects across multiple neurocognitive, motor, social-cognitive and social-behavioral functions. Behav Brain Funct 2022; 18:14. [PMID: 36457050 PMCID: PMC9714039 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-022-00198-0] [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: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Many psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders are known to be heritable, but studies trying to elucidate the genetic architecture of such traits often lag behind studies of somatic traits and diseases. The reasons as to why relatively few genome-wide significant associations have been reported for such traits have to do with the sample sizes needed for the detection of small effects, the difficulty in defining and characterizing the phenotypes, partially due to overlaps in affected underlying domains (which is especially true for cognitive phenotypes), and the complex genetic architectures of the phenotypes, which are not wholly captured in traditional case-control GWAS designs. We aimed to tackle the last two issues by performing GWASs of eight quantitative neurocognitive, motor, social-cognitive and social-behavioral traits, which may be considered endophenotypes for a variety of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions, and for which we employed models capturing both general genetic association and parent-of-origin effects, in a family-based sample comprising 402 children and their parents (mostly family trios). We identified 48 genome-wide significant associations across several traits, of which 3 also survived our strict study-wide quality criteria. We additionally performed a functional annotation of implicated genes, as most of the 48 associations were with variants within protein-coding genes. In total, our study highlighted associations with five genes (TGM3, CACNB4, ANKS1B, CSMD1 and SYNE1) associated with measures of working memory, processing speed and social behavior. Our results thus identify novel associations, including previously unreported parent-of-origin associations with relevant genes, and our top results illustrate new potential gene → endophenotype → disorder pathways.
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Taraschi A, Cimini C, Colosimo A, Ramal-Sanchez M, Valbonetti L, Bernabò N, Barboni B. An interactive analysis of the mouse oviductal miRNA profiles. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1015360. [PMID: 36340025 PMCID: PMC9627480 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1015360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs are small non-coding molecules that control several cellular functions and act as negative post-transcriptional regulators of the mRNA. While their implication in several biological functions is already known, an important role as regulators of different physiological and pathological processes in fertilization and embryo development is currently emerging. Indeed, miRNAs have been found in the oviductal fluid packaged within the extracellular vesicles, which might act as natural nanoshuttles by transporting lipids, proteins, RNA molecules and miRNAs from the oviduct to the gametes or embryos. Here, an exhaustive bibliography search was carried out, followed by the construction of a computational model based on the networks theory in an attempt to recreate and elucidate the pathways potentially activated by the oviductal miRNA. The omics data published to date were gathered to create the Oviductal MiRNome, in which the miRNA target genes and their interactions are represented by using stringApp and the Network analyzer from Cytoscape 3.7.2. Then, the hyperlinked nodes were identified to investigate the pathways in which they are involved using the gene ontology enrichment analysis. To study the phenotypical effects after the removal of key genes on the reproductive system and embryo, knockout mouse lines for every protein-coding gene were investigated by using the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium database. The creation of the Oviductal MiRNome revealed the presence of important genes and their interactions within the network. The functional enrichment analysis revealed that the hyperlinked nodes are involved in fundamental cellular functions, both structural and regulatory/signaling, suggesting their implication in fertilization and early embryo development. This fact was as well evidenced by the effects of the gene deletion in KO mice on the reproductive system and embryo development. The present study highlights the importance of studying the miRNA profiles and their enormous potential as tools to improve the assisted reproductive techniques currently used in human and animal reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Taraschi
- Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Dell’Abruzzo e Del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Costanza Cimini
- Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Alessia Colosimo
- Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Marina Ramal-Sanchez
- Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Luca Valbonetti
- Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (CNR-IBBC/EMMA/Infrafrontier/IMPC), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Bernabò
- Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (CNR-IBBC/EMMA/Infrafrontier/IMPC), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Nicola Bernabò,
| | - Barbara Barboni
- Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
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Hou H, Chan C, Yuki KE, Sokolowski D, Roy A, Qu R, Uusküla-Reimand L, Faykoo-Martinez M, Hudson M, Corre C, Goldenberg A, Zhang Z, Palmert MR, Wilson MD. Postnatal developmental trajectory of sex-biased gene expression in the mouse pituitary gland. Biol Sex Differ 2022; 13:57. [PMID: 36221127 PMCID: PMC9552479 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-022-00467-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pituitary gland regulates essential physiological processes such as growth, pubertal onset, stress response, metabolism, reproduction, and lactation. While sex biases in these functions and hormone production have been described, the underlying identity, temporal deployment, and cell-type specificity of sex-biased pituitary gene regulatory networks are not fully understood. METHODS To capture sex differences in pituitary gene regulation dynamics during postnatal development, we performed 3' untranslated region sequencing and small RNA sequencing to ascertain gene and microRNA expression, respectively, across five postnatal ages (postnatal days 12, 22, 27, 32, 37) that span the pubertal transition in female and male C57BL/6J mouse pituitaries (n = 5-6 biological replicates for each sex at each age). RESULTS We observed over 900 instances of sex-biased gene expression and 17 sex-biased microRNAs, with the majority of sex differences occurring with puberty. Using miRNA-gene target interaction databases, we identified 18 sex-biased genes that were putative targets of 5 sex-biased microRNAs. In addition, by combining our bulk RNA-seq with publicly available male and female mouse pituitary single-nuclei RNA-seq data, we obtained evidence that cell-type proportion sex differences exist prior to puberty and persist post-puberty for three major hormone-producing cell types: somatotropes, lactotropes, and gonadotropes. Finally, we identified sex-biased genes in these three pituitary cell types after accounting for cell-type proportion differences between sexes. CONCLUSION Our study reveals the identity and postnatal developmental trajectory of sex-biased gene expression in the mouse pituitary. This work also highlights the importance of considering sex biases in cell-type composition when understanding sex differences in the processes regulated by the pituitary gland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huayun Hou
- Genetics and Genome Biology, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Cadia Chan
- Genetics and Genome Biology, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kyoko E Yuki
- Genetics and Genome Biology, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dustin Sokolowski
- Genetics and Genome Biology, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anna Roy
- Genetics and Genome Biology, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rihao Qu
- Interdepartmental Program of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Mariela Faykoo-Martinez
- Genetics and Genome Biology, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Matt Hudson
- Genetics and Genome Biology, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Christina Corre
- Genetics and Genome Biology, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Endocrinology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Departments of Pediatrics and Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anna Goldenberg
- Genetics and Genome Biology, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Zhaolei Zhang
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mark R Palmert
- Genetics and Genome Biology, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Division of Endocrinology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Departments of Pediatrics and Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Michael D Wilson
- Genetics and Genome Biology, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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35
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Cai Y, Li Y. LncRNA Gm43843 Promotes Cardiac Hypertrophy via miR-153-3p/Cacna1c Axis. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2022; 2022:2160804. [PMID: 36262165 PMCID: PMC9576395 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2160804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to engage in many human diseases, including cardiac hypertrophy. Cardiac hypertrophy was mainly caused by excessive pressure load, which can eventually lead to a decline in myocardial contractility. Gm43843, a novel lncRNA, has not been well explored in cardiac hypertrophy so far. Herein, we are going to search the function and the underlying molecular mechanism of Gm43843 in cardiac hypertrophy. Gm43843 levels were measured via qRT-PCR in mouse myocardial cells when they are treated with angiogenin II (Ang II) or transfected with different plasmids. Western blot assay was implemented to detect the cardiac hypertrophy-related protein markers, while the cell was analyzed via immunofluorescence (IF) assay to evaluate the hypertrophy. Meanwhile, the binding of Gm43843 and the putative targets was examined based on mechanistic assay results. We found that Gm43843 expression was increased with the elevated concentration of Ang II. Inhibited Gm43843 was detected to reduce the hypertrophy of mouse myocardial cells. Meanwhile, Gm43843/miR-153-3p/Cacna1c axis was found to modulate cardiac hypertrophy. In short, Gm43843 promotes cardiac hypertrophy via miR-153-3p/Cacna1c axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhua Cai
- Department of Cardiology, Jingzhou First Municipal Hospital, Jingzhou 434000, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yunpeng Li
- Department of Cardiovasology, Dongfeng Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, Hubei Province, China
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Hodges SL, Bouza AA, Isom LL. Therapeutic Potential of Targeting Regulated Intramembrane Proteolysis Mechanisms of Voltage-Gated Ion Channel Subunits and Cell Adhesion Molecules. Pharmacol Rev 2022; 74:1028-1048. [PMID: 36113879 PMCID: PMC9553118 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.121.000340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Several integral membrane proteins undergo regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP), a tightly controlled process through which cells transmit information across and between intracellular compartments. RIP generates biologically active peptides by a series of proteolytic cleavage events carried out by two primary groups of enzymes: sheddases and intramembrane-cleaving proteases (iCLiPs). Following RIP, fragments of both pore-forming and non-pore-forming ion channel subunits, as well as immunoglobulin super family (IgSF) members, have been shown to translocate to the nucleus to function in transcriptional regulation. As an example, the voltage-gated sodium channel β1 subunit, which is also an IgSF-cell adhesion molecule (CAM), is a substrate for RIP. β1 RIP results in generation of a soluble intracellular domain, which can regulate gene expression in the nucleus. In this review, we discuss the proposed RIP mechanisms of voltage-gated sodium, potassium, and calcium channel subunits as well as the roles of their generated proteolytic products in the nucleus. We also discuss other RIP substrates that are cleaved by similar sheddases and iCLiPs, such as IgSF macromolecules, including CAMs, whose proteolytically generated fragments function in the nucleus. Importantly, dysfunctional RIP mechanisms are linked to human disease. Thus, we will also review how understanding RIP events and subsequent signaling processes involving ion channel subunits and IgSF proteins may lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic targets. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Several ion channel subunits and immunoglobulin superfamily molecules have been identified as substrates of regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP). This signal transduction mechanism, which generates polypeptide fragments that translocate to the nucleus, is an important regulator of gene transcription. RIP may impact diseases of excitability, including epilepsy, cardiac arrhythmia, and sudden death syndromes. A thorough understanding of the role of RIP in gene regulation is critical as it may reveal novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of previously intractable diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Hodges
- Departments of Pharmacology (S.L.H., A.A.B., L.L.I.), Neurology (L.L.I.), and Molecular & Integrative Physiology (L.L.I.), University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Alexandra A Bouza
- Departments of Pharmacology (S.L.H., A.A.B., L.L.I.), Neurology (L.L.I.), and Molecular & Integrative Physiology (L.L.I.), University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Lori L Isom
- Departments of Pharmacology (S.L.H., A.A.B., L.L.I.), Neurology (L.L.I.), and Molecular & Integrative Physiology (L.L.I.), University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Harrison PJ, Husain SM, Lee H, Los Angeles AD, Colbourne L, Mould A, Hall NAL, Haerty W, Tunbridge EM. CACNA1C (Ca V1.2) and other L-type calcium channels in the pathophysiology and treatment of psychiatric disorders: Advances from functional genomics and pharmacoepidemiology. Neuropharmacology 2022; 220:109262. [PMID: 36154842 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A role for voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) in psychiatric disorders has long been postulated as part of a broader involvement of intracellular calcium signalling. However, the data were inconclusive and hard to interpret. We review three areas of research that have markedly advanced the field. First, there is now robust genomic evidence that common variants in VGCC subunit genes, notably CACNA1C which encodes the L-type calcium channel (LTCC) CaV1.2 subunit, are trans-diagnostically associated with psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Rare variants in these genes also contribute to the risk. Second, pharmacoepidemiological evidence supports the possibility that calcium channel blockers, which target LTCCs, might have beneficial effects on the onset or course of these disorders. This is especially true for calcium channel blockers that are brain penetrant. Third, long-range sequencing is revealing the repertoire of full-length LTCC transcript isoforms. Many novel and abundant CACNA1C isoforms have been identified in human and mouse brain, including some which are enriched compared to heart or aorta, and predicted to encode channels with differing functional and pharmacological properties. These isoforms may contribute to the molecular mechanisms of genetic association to psychiatric disorders. They may also enable development of therapeutic agents that can preferentially target brain LTCC isoforms and be of potential value for psychiatric indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Harrison
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK; Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK.
| | - Syed M Husain
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Hami Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | | | - Lucy Colbourne
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK; Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Arne Mould
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK; Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Nicola A L Hall
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Wilfried Haerty
- Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Elizabeth M Tunbridge
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK; Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
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Genetic Polymorphisms in miR-137 and Its Target Genes, TCF4 and CACNA1C, Contribute to the Risk of Bipolar Disorder: A Preliminary Case-Control Study and Bioinformatics Analysis. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:1886658. [PMID: 36193501 PMCID: PMC9526595 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1886658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence has suggested that miR-137 and its target genes, CACNA1C, and TCF4, are amongst the most robustly implicated genes in psychiatric disorders. This preliminary study is aimed at investigating the effects of genetic variations in miR-137 (rs1625579A/C), TCF4 (rs1261084C/T), and CACNA1C (rs10774053A/G and rs10466907G/T) on BD susceptibility. We recruited 252 BD patients and 213 healthy subjects as the control group. Genotyping was performed using PCR-RFLP and ARMS-PCR methods. Enhanced risk of BD was found under the codominant homozygous, dominant, and allelic models of TCF4 rs1261084C/T, codominant homozygous and allelic models of CACNA1C rs10466907G/T polymorphisms, as well as codominant homozygous, dominant, recessive, and allelic models of the CACNA1C rs10774053A/G. Moreover, both TT/AG/GT/AA and TT/GG/GT/AC genotype combinations strongly increased the risk of BD in the participants. The bioinformatics analyses revealed that rs1261084C/T and rs10466907G/T created and disrupted binding sites of some miRNAs in the 3′-untranslated region of TCF4 and CACNA1C genes. In contrast, the rs10774053A/G created a new binding site for a major splicing factor and might have an effective role in the function of the CACNA1C protein. We have found that all the studied SNPs are positively associated with BD susceptibility. Replicated studies on different ethnicities are required to confirm these findings.
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Purushotham SS, Reddy NMN, D'Souza MN, Choudhury NR, Ganguly A, Gopalakrishna N, Muddashetty R, Clement JP. A perspective on molecular signalling dysfunction, its clinical relevance and therapeutics in autism spectrum disorder. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:2525-2567. [PMID: 36063192 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06448-x] [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: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders that have become a primary clinical and social concern, with a prevalence of 2-3% in the population. Neuronal function and behaviour undergo significant malleability during the critical period of development that is found to be impaired in ID/ASD. Human genome sequencing studies have revealed many genetic variations associated with ASD/ID that are further verified by many approaches, including many mouse and other models. These models have facilitated the identification of fundamental mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of ASD/ID, and several studies have proposed converging molecular pathways in ASD/ID. However, linking the mechanisms of the pathogenic genes and their molecular characteristics that lead to ID/ASD has progressed slowly, hampering the development of potential therapeutic strategies. This review discusses the possibility of recognising the common molecular causes for most ASD/ID based on studies from the available models that may enable a better therapeutic strategy to treat ID/ASD. We also reviewed the potential biomarkers to detect ASD/ID at early stages that may aid in diagnosis and initiating medical treatment, the concerns with drug failure in clinical trials, and developing therapeutic strategies that can be applied beyond a particular mutation associated with ASD/ID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushmitha S Purushotham
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Neeharika M N Reddy
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Michelle Ninochka D'Souza
- Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science Campus, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, 560 012, India.,The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bangalore, 560064, India
| | - Nilpawan Roy Choudhury
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Anusa Ganguly
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Niharika Gopalakrishna
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Ravi Muddashetty
- Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science Campus, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, 560 012, India.,The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bangalore, 560064, India
| | - James P Clement
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India.
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40
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Hindley G, O'Connell KS, Rahman Z, Frei O, Bahrami S, Shadrin A, Høegh MC, Cheng W, Karadag N, Lin A, Rødevand L, Fan CC, Djurovic S, Lagerberg TV, Dale AM, Smeland OB, Andreassen OA. The shared genetic basis of mood instability and psychiatric disorders: A cross-trait genome-wide association analysis. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2022; 189:207-218. [PMID: 35841185 PMCID: PMC9541703 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent genome-wide association studies of mood instability (MOOD) have found significant positive genetic correlation with major depression (DEP) and weak correlations with other psychiatric disorders. We investigated the polygenic overlap between MOOD and psychiatric disorders beyond genetic correlation to better characterize putative shared genetic determinants. GWAS summary statistics for schizophrenia (SCZ, n = 105,318), bipolar disorder (BIP, n = 413,466), DEP (n = 450,619), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, n = 53,293), and MOOD (n = 363,705) were analyzed using the bivariate causal mixture model and conjunctional false discovery rate methods. MOOD correlated positively with all psychiatric disorders, but with wide variation in strength (rg = 0.10-0.62). Of 10.4 K genomic variants influencing MOOD, 4 K-9.4 K influenced psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, MOOD was jointly associated with DEP at 163 loci, SCZ at 110, BIP at 60 and ADHD at 25. Fifty-three jointly associated loci were overlapping across two or more disorders, seven of which had discordant effect directions on psychiatric disorders. Genes mapped to loci associated with MOOD and all four disorders were enriched in a single gene-set, "synapse organization." The extensive polygenic overlap indicates shared molecular underpinnings across MOOD and psychiatric disorders. However, distinct patterns of genetic correlation and effect directions may relate to differences in the core clinical features of each disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Hindley
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Kevin S O'Connell
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Zillur Rahman
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Oleksandr Frei
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Center for Bioinformatics, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Shahram Bahrami
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Alexey Shadrin
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Margrethe C Høegh
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Weiqiu Cheng
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Naz Karadag
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Aihua Lin
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Linn Rødevand
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Chun C Fan
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,Multimodal Imaging Laboratory, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Srdjan Djurovic
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,NORMENT Centre, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Trine V Lagerberg
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anders M Dale
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,Multimodal Imaging Laboratory, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Olav B Smeland
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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41
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Reay WR, Geaghan MP, Atkins JR, Carr VJ, Green MJ, Cairns MJ. Genetics-informed precision treatment formulation in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Am J Hum Genet 2022; 109:1620-1637. [PMID: 36055211 PMCID: PMC9502060 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.07.011] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetically informed drug development and repurposing is an attractive prospect for improving patient outcomes in psychiatry; however, the effectiveness of these endeavors is confounded by heterogeneity. We propose an approach that links interventions implicated by disorder-associated genetic risk, at the population level, to a framework that can target these compounds to individuals. Specifically, results from genome-wide association studies are integrated with expression data to prioritize individual "directional anchor" genes for which the predicted risk-increasing direction of expression could be counteracted by an existing drug. While these compounds represent plausible therapeutic candidates, they are not likely to be equally efficacious for all individuals. To account for this heterogeneity, we constructed polygenic scores restricted to variants annotated to the network of genes that interact with each directional anchor gene. These metrics, which we call a pharmagenic enrichment score (PES), identify individuals with a higher burden of genetic risk, localized in biological processes related to the candidate drug target, to inform precision drug repurposing. We used this approach to investigate schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and reveal several compounds targeting specific directional anchor genes that could be plausibly repurposed. These genetic risk scores, mapped to the networks associated with target genes, revealed biological insights that cannot be observed in undifferentiated genome-wide polygenic risk score (PRS). For example, an enrichment of these partitioned scores in schizophrenia cases with otherwise low PRS. In summary, genetic risk could be used more specifically to direct drug repurposing candidates that target particular genes implicated in psychiatric and other complex disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R Reay
- Centre for Complex Disease and Precision Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Precision Medicine Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael P Geaghan
- Kinghorn Centre for Clinical Genomics, Garvan Medical Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
| | - Joshua R Atkins
- Centre for Complex Disease and Precision Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Vaughan J Carr
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Melissa J Green
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Murray J Cairns
- Centre for Complex Disease and Precision Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Precision Medicine Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
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42
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Zhou J, Chen Q, Braun PR, Perzel Mandell KA, Jaffe AE, Tan HY, Hyde TM, Kleinman JE, Potash JB, Shinozaki G, Weinberger DR, Han S. Deep learning predicts DNA methylation regulatory variants in the human brain and elucidates the genetics of psychiatric disorders. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206069119. [PMID: 35969790 PMCID: PMC9407663 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206069119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence for the role of DNA methylation (DNAm) quantitative trait loci (mQTLs) in the genetics of complex traits, including psychiatric disorders. However, due to extensive linkage disequilibrium (LD) of the genome, it is challenging to identify causal genetic variations that drive DNAm levels by population-based genetic association studies. This limits the utility of mQTLs for fine-mapping risk loci underlying psychiatric disorders identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Here we present INTERACT, a deep learning model that integrates convolutional neural networks with transformer, to predict effects of genetic variations on DNAm levels at CpG sites in the human brain. We show that INTERACT-derived DNAm regulatory variants are not confounded by LD, are concentrated in regulatory genomic regions in the human brain, and are convergent with mQTL evidence from genetic association analysis. We further demonstrate that predicted DNAm regulatory variants are enriched for heritability of brain-related traits and improve polygenic risk prediction for schizophrenia across diverse ancestry samples. Finally, we applied predicted DNAm regulatory variants for fine-mapping schizophrenia GWAS risk loci to identify potential novel risk genes. Our study shows the power of a deep learning approach to identify functional regulatory variants that may elucidate the genetic basis of complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyun Zhou
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, The Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Qiang Chen
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, The Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Patricia R. Braun
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Kira A. Perzel Mandell
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, The Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Genetic Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Andrew E. Jaffe
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, The Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Genetic Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Department of Mental Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Department of Biostatistics, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Hao Yang Tan
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, The Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Thomas M. Hyde
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, The Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Joel E. Kleinman
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, The Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - James B. Potash
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Gen Shinozaki
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94305
| | - Daniel R. Weinberger
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, The Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Genetic Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Shizhong Han
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, The Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Genetic Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
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43
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The Cannabis-Induced Epigenetic Regulation of Genes Associated with Major Depressive Disorder. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13081435. [PMID: 36011346 PMCID: PMC9407536 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of depression is increasing worldwide, as is the number of people suffering from treatment-resistant depression; these patients constitute 30% of those treated. Unfortunately, there have not been significant advances in the treatment of this disorder in the past few decades. Exposure to cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds impacts depression symptomatology in different ways, with evidence indicating that cannabidiol has antidepressant effects; there have been mixed results with medical cannabis. Even though the exact molecular mechanisms of the action underlying changes in depression symptomatology upon exposure to cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds are still unknown, there is strong evidence that these agents have a widespread impact on epigenetic regulation. We hypothesized that exposure to cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds changes the DNA methylation levels of genes associated with depression. To test this hypothesis, we first performed a literature search to identify genes that are differentially methylated upon exposure to cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds, as reported in methylome-wide association studies. We next checked whether genes residing in loci associated with depression, as identified in the largest currently available genome-wide association study of depression, were reported to be epigenetically regulated by cannabis or cannabis-related compounds. Multiple genes residing in loci associated with depression were found to be epigenetically regulated by exposure to cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds. This epigenomic regulation of depression-associated genes by cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds was reported across diverse organisms, tissues, and developmental stages and occurred in genes crucial for neuronal development, functioning, survival, and synapse functioning, as well as in genes previously implicated in other mental disorders.
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44
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Gene Dysregulation in the Adult Rat Paraventricular Nucleus and Amygdala by Prenatal Exposure to Dexamethasone. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12071077. [PMID: 35888164 PMCID: PMC9316520 DOI: 10.3390/life12071077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Fetal programming is the concept that maternal stressors during critical periods of fetal development can alter offspring phenotypes postnatally. Excess glucocorticoids can interact with the fetus to effect genetic and epigenetic changes implicated in adverse developmental outcomes. The present study investigates how chronic exposure to the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone during late gestation alters the expression of genes related to behavior in brain areas relevant to the regulation and function of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Pregnant Wistar Kyoto rats received subcutaneous injections of dexamethasone (100 μg/kg) daily from gestational day 15–21 or vehicle only as sham controls. The amygdala and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) were micro-punched to extract mRNA for reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reaction for the analysis of the expression of specific genes. In the PVN, the expression of the glucocorticoid receptor NR3C1 was downregulated in female rats in response to programming. The expression of CACNA1C encoding the Cav1.2 pore subunit of L-type voltage-gated calcium channels was downregulated in male and female rats prenatally exposed to dexamethasone. Collectively, the results suggest that prenatal exposure to elevated levels of glucocorticoids plays a role in the dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and potentially learning and memory by altering the expression of specific genes within the amygdala and PVN.
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45
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Ji Y, Wei Q, Chen R, Wang Q, Tao R, Li B. Integration of multidimensional splicing data and GWAS summary statistics for risk gene discovery. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1009814. [PMID: 35771864 PMCID: PMC9278751 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A common strategy for the functional interpretation of genome-wide association study (GWAS) findings has been the integrative analysis of GWAS and expression data. Using this strategy, many association methods (e.g., PrediXcan and FUSION) have been successful in identifying trait-associated genes via mediating effects on RNA expression. However, these approaches often ignore the effects of splicing, which can carry as much disease risk as expression. Compared to expression data, one challenge to detect associations using splicing data is the large multiple testing burden due to multidimensional splicing events within genes. Here, we introduce a multidimensional splicing gene (MSG) approach, which consists of two stages: 1) we use sparse canonical correlation analysis (sCCA) to construct latent canonical vectors (CVs) by identifying sparse linear combinations of genetic variants and splicing events that are maximally correlated with each other; and 2) we test for the association between the genetically regulated splicing CVs and the trait of interest using GWAS summary statistics. Simulations show that MSG has proper type I error control and substantial power gains over existing multidimensional expression analysis methods (i.e., S-MultiXcan, UTMOST, and sCCA+ACAT) under diverse scenarios. When applied to the Genotype-Tissue Expression Project data and GWAS summary statistics of 14 complex human traits, MSG identified on average 83%, 115%, and 223% more significant genes than sCCA+ACAT, S-MultiXcan, and UTMOST, respectively. We highlight MSG's applications to Alzheimer's disease, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and schizophrenia, and found that the majority of MSG-identified genes would have been missed from expression-based analyses. Our results demonstrate that aggregating splicing data through MSG can improve power in identifying gene-trait associations and help better understand the genetic risk of complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Ji
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Qiang Wei
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Rui Chen
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Quan Wang
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Ran Tao
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- * E-mail: (RT); (BL)
| | - Bingshan Li
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- * E-mail: (RT); (BL)
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O’Brien BS, Mokry RL, Schumacher ML, Pulakanti K, Rao S, Terhune SS, Ebert AD. Downregulation of neurodevelopmental gene expression in iPSC-derived cerebral organoids upon infection by human cytomegalovirus. iScience 2022; 25:104098. [PMID: 35391828 PMCID: PMC8980761 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a betaherpesvirus that can cause severe birth defects including vision and hearing loss, microcephaly, and seizures. Currently, no approved treatment options exist for in utero infections. Here, we aimed to determine the impact of HCMV infection on the transcriptome of developing neurons in an organoid model system. Cell populations isolated from organoids based on a marker for infection and transcriptomes were defined. We uncovered downregulation in key cortical, neurodevelopmental, and functional gene pathways which occurred regardless of the degree of infection. To test the contributions of specific HCMV immediate early proteins known to disrupt neural differentiation, we infected NPCs using a recombinant virus harboring a destabilization domain. Despite suppressing their expression, HCMV-mediated transcriptional downregulation still occurred. Together, our studies have revealed that HCMV infection causes a profound downregulation of neurodevelopmental genes and suggest a role for other viral factors in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S. O’Brien
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Rebekah L. Mokry
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Megan L. Schumacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | | | - Sridhar Rao
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Scott S. Terhune
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Allison D. Ebert
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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47
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Jutla A, Foss-Feig J, Veenstra-VanderWeele J. Autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia: An updated conceptual review. Autism Res 2022; 15:384-412. [PMID: 34967130 PMCID: PMC8931527 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) are separate disorders, with distinct clinical profiles and natural histories. ASD, typically diagnosed in childhood, is characterized by restricted or repetitive interests or behaviors and impaired social communication, and it tends to have a stable course. SCZ, typically diagnosed in adolescence or adulthood, is characterized by hallucinations and delusions, and tends to be associated with declining function. However, youth with ASD are three to six times more likely to develop SCZ than their neurotypical counterparts, and increasingly, research has shown that ASD and SCZ converge at several levels. We conducted a systematic review of studies since 2013 relevant to understanding this convergence, and present here a narrative synthesis of key findings, which we have organized into four broad categories: symptoms and behavior, perception and cognition, biomarkers, and genetic and environmental risk. We then discuss opportunities for future research into the phenomenology and neurobiology of overlap between ASD and SCZ. Understanding this overlap will allow for researchers, and eventually clinicians, to understand the factors that may make a child with ASD vulnerable to developing SCZ. LAY SUMMARY: Autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia are distinct diagnoses, but people with autism and people with schizophrena share several characteristics. We review recent studies that have examined these areas of overlap, and discuss the kinds of studies we will need to better understand how these disorders are related. Understanding this will be important to help us identify which autistic children are at risk of developing schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandeep Jutla
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, 630 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032, United States
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside
Drive, Mail Unit 78, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - Jennifer Foss-Feig
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn
School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Psychiatry, 1 Gustave L. Levy
Place, Box 1230, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, 630 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032, United States
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside
Drive, Mail Unit 78, New York, NY 10032, United States
- Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, New
York-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White
Plains, NY 10605, United States
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48
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Identification of ultra-rare disruptive variants in voltage-gated calcium channel-encoding genes in Japanese samples of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:84. [PMID: 35220405 PMCID: PMC8882172 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01851-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Several large-scale whole-exome sequencing studies in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have identified rare variants with modest or strong effect size as genetic risk factors. Dysregulation of cellular calcium homeostasis might be involved in SCZ/ASD pathogenesis, and genes encoding L-type voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) subunits Cav1.1 (CACNA1S), Cav1.2 (CACNA1C), Cav1.3 (CACNA1D), and T-type VGCC subunit Cav3.3 (CACNA1I) recently were identified as risk loci for psychiatric disorders. We performed a screening study, using the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine (PGM), of exon regions of these four candidate genes (CACNA1C, CACNA1D, CACNA1S, CACNA1I) in 370 Japanese patients with SCZ and 192 with ASD. Variant filtering was applied to identify biologically relevant mutations that were not registered in the dbSNP database or that have a minor allele frequency of less than 1% in East-Asian samples from databases; and are potentially disruptive, including nonsense, frameshift, canonical splicing site single nucleotide variants (SNVs), and non-synonymous SNVs predicted as damaging by five different in silico analyses. Each of these filtered mutations were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. If parental samples were available, segregation analysis was employed for measuring the inheritance pattern. Using our filter, we discovered one nonsense SNV (p.C1451* in CACNA1D), one de novo SNV (p.A36V in CACNA1C), one rare short deletion (p.E1675del in CACNA1D), and 14 NSstrict SNVs (non-synonymous SNV predicted as damaging by all of five in silico analyses). Neither p.A36V in CACNA1C nor p.C1451* in CACNA1D were found in 1871 SCZ cases, 380 ASD cases, or 1916 healthy controls in the independent sample set, suggesting that these SNVs might be ultra-rare SNVs in the Japanese population. The neuronal splicing isoform of Cav1.2 with the p.A36V mutation, discovered in the present study, showed reduced Ca2+-dependent inhibition, resulting in excessive Ca2+ entry through the mutant channel. These results suggested that this de novo SNV in CACNA1C might predispose to SCZ by affecting Ca2+ homeostasis. Thus, our analysis successfully identified several ultra-rare and potentially disruptive gene variants, lending partial support to the hypothesis that VGCC-encoding genes may contribute to the risk of SCZ/ASD.
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Li Y, Yang H, He T, Zhang L, Liu C. Post-Translational Modification of Cav1.2 and its Role in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Pharmacol 2022; 12:775087. [PMID: 35111050 PMCID: PMC8802068 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.775087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cav1.2 plays an essential role in learning and memory, drug addiction, and neuronal development. Intracellular calcium homeostasis is disrupted in neurodegenerative diseases because of abnormal Cav1.2 channel activity and modification of downstream Ca2+ signaling pathways. Multiple post-translational modifications of Cav1.2 have been observed and seem to be closely related to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. The specific molecular mechanisms by which Cav1.2 channel activity is regulated remain incompletely understood. Dihydropyridines (DHPs), which are commonly used for hypertension and myocardial ischemia, have been repurposed to treat PD and AD and show protective effects. However, further studies are needed to improve delivery strategies and drug selectivity. Better knowledge of channel modulation and more specific methods for altering Cav1.2 channel function may lead to better therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Li
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Hong Yang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Tianhan He
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
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Woodbury-Smith M, Lamoureux S, Begum G, Nassir N, Akter H, O’Rielly DD, Rahman P, Wintle RF, Scherer SW, Uddin M. Mutational Landscape of Autism Spectrum Disorder Brain Tissue. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13020207. [PMID: 35205252 PMCID: PMC8871846 DOI: 10.3390/genes13020207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rare post-zygotic mutations in the brain are now known to contribute to several neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, due to the limited availability of brain tissue, most studies rely on estimates of mosaicism from peripheral samples. In this study, we undertook whole exome sequencing on brain tissue from 26 ASD brain donors from the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (HBTRC) and ascertained the presence of post-zygotic and germline mutations categorized as pathological, including those impacting known ASD-implicated genes. Although quantification did not reveal enrichment for post-zygotic mutations compared with the controls (n = 15), a small number of pathogenic, potentially ASD-implicated mutations were identified, notably in TRAK1 and CLSTN3. Furthermore, germline mutations were identified in the same tissue samples in several key ASD genes, including PTEN, SC1A, CDH13, and CACNA1C. The establishment of tissue resources that are available to the scientific community will facilitate the discovery of new mutations for ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Woodbury-Smith
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK;
| | - Sylvia Lamoureux
- The Centre for Applied Genomics (TCAG), The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; (S.L.); (R.F.W.); (S.W.S.)
| | - Ghausia Begum
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai 505055, United Arab Emirates; (G.B.); (N.N.)
| | - Nasna Nassir
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai 505055, United Arab Emirates; (G.B.); (N.N.)
| | - Hosneara Akter
- Genetics and Genomics Medicine Centre, NeuroGen Healthcare, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh;
| | - Darren D. O’Rielly
- Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL A1B 3V6, Canada; (D.D.O.); (P.R.)
| | - Proton Rahman
- Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL A1B 3V6, Canada; (D.D.O.); (P.R.)
| | - Richard F. Wintle
- The Centre for Applied Genomics (TCAG), The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; (S.L.); (R.F.W.); (S.W.S.)
| | - Stephen W. Scherer
- The Centre for Applied Genomics (TCAG), The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; (S.L.); (R.F.W.); (S.W.S.)
- Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Mohammed Uddin
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai 505055, United Arab Emirates; (G.B.); (N.N.)
- Cellular Intelligence (Ci) Lab, GenomeArc Inc., Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Correspondence:
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