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Imamura F. Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the olfactory system development. Front Neural Circuits 2024; 18:1408187. [PMID: 38818309 PMCID: PMC11138157 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2024.1408187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), resulting from maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy, are a prominent non-genetic cause of physical disabilities and brain damage in children. Alongside common symptoms like distinct facial features and neurocognitive deficits, sensory anomalies, including olfactory dysfunction, are frequently noted in FASD-afflicted children. However, the precise mechanisms underpinning the olfactory abnormalities induced by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) remain elusive. Utilizing rodents as a model organism with varying timing, duration, dosage, and administration routes of alcohol exposure, prior studies have documented impairments in olfactory system development caused by PAE. Many reported a reduction in the olfactory bulb (OB) volume accompanied by reduced OB neuron counts, suggesting the OB is a brain region vulnerable to PAE. In contrast, no significant olfactory system defects were observed in some studies, though subtle alterations might exist. These findings suggest that the timing, duration, and extent of fetal alcohol exposure can yield diverse effects on olfactory system development. To enhance comprehension of PAE-induced olfactory dysfunctions, this review summarizes key findings from previous research on the olfactory systems of offspring prenatally exposed to alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumiaki Imamura
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
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2
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Andrade-Brito DE, Núñez-Ríos DL, Martínez-Magaña JJ, Nagamatsu ST, Rompala G, Zillich L, Witt SH, Clark SL, Lattig MC, Montalvo-Ortiz JL. Neuronal-specific methylome and hydroxymethylome analysis reveal significant loci associated with alcohol use disorder. Front Genet 2024; 15:1345410. [PMID: 38633406 PMCID: PMC11021708 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1345410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex condition associated with adverse health consequences that affect millions of individuals worldwide. Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation (5 mC), have been associated with AUD and other alcohol-related traits. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) have identified differentially methylated genes associated with AUD in human peripheral and brain tissue. More recently, epigenetic studies of AUD have also evaluated DNA hydroxymethylation (5 hmC) in the human brain. However, most of the epigenetic work in postmortem brain tissue has examined bulk tissue. In this study, we investigated neuronal-specific 5 mC and 5 hmC alterations at CpG sites associated with AUD in the human orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Methods: Neuronal nuclei from the OFC were evaluated in 34 human postmortem brain samples (10 AUD, 24 non-AUD). Reduced representation oxidative bisulfite sequencing was used to assess 5 mC and 5 hmC at the genome-wide level. Differential 5 mC and 5 hmC were evaluated using the methylKit R package and significance was set at false discovery rate < 0.05 and differential methylation > 2. Functional enrichment analyses were performed, and gene-level convergence was evaluated in an independent dataset that assessed 5 mC and 5 hmC of AUD in bulk cortical tissue. Results: We identified 417 5 mC and 363 5hmC significant differential CpG sites associated with AUD, with 59% in gene promoters. Some of the identified genes have been previously implicated in alcohol consumption, including SYK, DNMT3A for 5 mC, GAD1, DLX1, DLX2, for 5 hmC and GATA4 in both. Convergence with a previous AUD 5 mC and 5 hmC study was observed for 28 genes. We also identified 5 and 35 differential regions for 5 mC and 5 hmC, respectively. Lastly, GWAS enrichment analysis showed an association with AUD for differential 5 mC genes. Discussion: This study reveals neuronal-specific methylome and hydroxymethylome dysregulation associated with AUD, identifying both previously reported and potentially novel gene associations with AUD. Our findings provide new insights into the epigenomic dysregulation of AUD in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego E. Andrade-Brito
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Diana L. Núñez-Ríos
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - José Jaime Martínez-Magaña
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Sheila T. Nagamatsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Gregory Rompala
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Lea Zillich
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie H. Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Shaunna L. Clark
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Maria C. Lattig
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Janitza L. Montalvo-Ortiz
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
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Arzua T, Yan Y, Liu X, Dash RK, Liu QS, Bai X. Synaptic and mitochondrial mechanisms behind alcohol-induced imbalance of excitatory/inhibitory synaptic activity and associated cognitive and behavioral abnormalities. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:51. [PMID: 38253552 PMCID: PMC10803756 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02748-8] [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: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can significantly impact the brain development of the fetus, leading to long-term cognitive and behavioral problems. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the acute and chronic effects of binge-like alcohol exposure during the third trimester equivalent in postnatal day 7 (P7) mice on brain cell viability, synapse activity, cognitive and behavioral performance, and gene expression profiles at P60. Our results showed that alcohol exposure caused neuroapoptosis in P7 mouse brains immediately after a 6-hour exposure. In addition, P60 mice exposed to alcohol during P7 displayed impaired learning and memory abilities and anxiety-like behaviors. Electrophysiological analysis of hippocampal neurons revealed an excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in alcohol-treated P60 mice compared to controls, with decreased excitation and increased inhibition. Furthermore, our bioinformatic analysis of 376 dysregulated genes in P60 mouse brains following alcohol exposure identified 50 synapse-related and 23 mitochondria-related genes. These genes encoded proteins located in various parts of the synapse, synaptic cleft, extra-synaptic space, synaptic membranes, or mitochondria, and were associated with different biological processes and functions, including the regulation of synaptic transmission, transport, synaptic vesicle cycle, metabolism, synaptogenesis, mitochondrial activity, cognition, and behavior. The dysregulated synapse and mitochondrial genes were predicted to interact in overlapping networks. Our findings suggest that altered synaptic activities and signaling networks may contribute to alcohol-induced long-term cognitive and behavioral impairments in mice, providing new insights into the underlying synaptic and mitochondrial molecular mechanisms and potential neuroprotective strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Arzua
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Yasheng Yan
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Xiaojie Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, WI, USA
| | - Ranjan K Dash
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, WI, USA
| | - Qing-Song Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, WI, USA
| | - Xiaowen Bai
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.
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Andrade-Brito DE, Núñez-Ríos DL, Martínez-Magaña JJ, Nagamatsu ST, Rompala G, Zillich L, Witt SH, Clark SL, Latig MC, Montalvo-Ortiz JL. Neuronal-specific methylome and hydroxymethylome analysis reveal replicated and novel loci associated with alcohol use disorder. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.11.28.23299094. [PMID: 38105948 PMCID: PMC10725575 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.28.23299094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex condition associated with adverse health consequences that affect millions of individuals worldwide. Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation (5mC), have been associated with AUD and other alcohol-related traits. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) have identified differentially methylated genes associated with AUD in human peripheral and brain tissue. More recently, epigenetic studies of AUD have also evaluated DNA hydroxymethylation (5hmC) in the human brain. However, most of the epigenetic work in postmortem brain tissue has examined bulk tissue. In this study, we investigated neuronal-specific 5mC and 5hmC alterations at CpG sites associated with AUD in the human orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Neuronal nuclei from the OFC were evaluated in 34 human postmortem brain samples (10 AUD, 24 non-AUD). Reduced representation oxidative bisulfite sequencing was used to assess 5mC and 5hmC at the genome-wide level. Differential 5mC and 5hmC were evaluated using the methylKit R package and significance was set at false discovery rate <0.05 and differential methylation >2. Functional enrichment analyses were performed and replication was evaluated replication in an independent dataset that assessed 5mC and 5hmC of AUD in bulk cortical tissue. We identified 417 5mC and 363 5hmC genome-wide significant differential CpG sites associated with AUD, with 59% in gene promoters. We also identified genes previously implicated in alcohol consumption, such as SYK, CHRM2, DNMT3A, and GATA4, for 5mC and GATA4, and GAD1, GATA4, DLX1 for 5hmC. Replication was observed for 28 CpG sites from a previous AUD 5mC and 5hmC study, including FOXP1. Lastly, GWAS enrichment analysis showed an association with AUD for differential 5mC genes. This study reveals neuronal-specific methylome and hydroxymethylome dysregulation associated with AUD. We replicated previous findings and identified novel associations with AUD for both 5mC and 5hmC marks within the OFC. Our findings provide new insights into the epigenomic dysregulation of AUD in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego E. Andrade-Brito
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Diana L. Núñez-Ríos
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - José Jaime Martínez-Magaña
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sheila T. Nagamatsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Gregory Rompala
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Lea Zillich
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie H. Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Shaunna L. Clark
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Maria C. Latig
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Janitza L. Montalvo-Ortiz
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
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Fuentes-Beals C, Olivares-Costa M, Andrés ME, Haeger PA, Riadi G, Oliva C, Faunes F. Bioinformatic analysis predicts that ethanol exposure during early development causes alternative splicing alterations of genes involved in RNA post-transcriptional regulation. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0284357. [PMID: 37053190 PMCID: PMC10101408 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal ethanol exposure is associated with neurodevelopmental defects and long-lasting cognitive deficits, which are grouped as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The molecular mechanisms underlying FASD are incompletely characterized. Alternative splicing, including the insertion of microexons (exons of less than 30 nucleotides in length), is highly prevalent in the nervous system. However, whether ethanol exposure can have acute or chronic deleterious effects in this process is poorly understood. In this work, we used the bioinformatic tools VAST-TOOLS, rMATS, MAJIQ, and MicroExonator to predict alternative splicing events affected by ethanol from available RNA sequencing data. Experimental protocols of ethanol exposure included human cortical tissue development, human embryoid body differentiation, and mouse development. We found common genes with predicted differential alternative splicing using distinct bioinformatic tools in different experimental designs. Notably, Gene Ontology and KEGG analysis revealed that the alternative splicing of genes related to RNA processing and protein synthesis was commonly affected in the different ethanol exposure schemes. In addition, the inclusion of microexons was also affected by ethanol. This bioinformatic analysis provides a reliable list of candidate genes whose splicing is affected by ethanol during nervous system development. Furthermore, our results suggest that ethanol particularly modifies the alternative splicing of genes related to post-transcriptional regulation, which probably affects neuronal proteome complexity and brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo Fuentes-Beals
- Ph.D. Program in Sciences Mention Modeling of Chemical and Biological Systems, School of Bioinformatics Engineering, Center for Bioinformatics, Simulation, and Modeling, CBSM, Department of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Engineering, University of Talca, Campus Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Montserrat Olivares-Costa
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - María Estela Andrés
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paola A Haeger
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Gonzalo Riadi
- ANID-Millennium Science Initiative Program Millennium Nucleus of Ion Channels-Associated Diseases (MiNICAD), Center for Bioinformatics, Simulation and Modeling, CBSM, Department of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Engineering, University of Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Carlos Oliva
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernando Faunes
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Viña del Mar, Chile
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Sambo D, Gohel C, Yuan Q, Sukumar G, Alba C, Dalgard CL, Goldman D. Cell type-specific changes in Wnt signaling and neuronal differentiation in the developing mouse cortex after prenatal alcohol exposure during neurogenesis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1011974. [PMID: 36544903 PMCID: PMC9761331 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1011974] [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: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) encompasses an array of effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), including physical abnormalities and cognitive and behavioral deficits. Disruptions of cortical development have been implicated in multiple PAE studies, with deficits including decreased progenitor proliferation, disrupted neuronal differentiation, aberrant radial migration of pyramidal neurons, and decreased cortical thickness. While several mechanisms of alcohol teratogenicity have been explored, how specific cell types in the brain at different developmental time points may be differentially affected by PAE is still poorly understood. In this study, we used single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNAseq) to investigate whether moderate PAE from neurulation through peak cortical neurogenesis induces cell type-specific transcriptomic changes in the developing murine brain. Cluster analysis identified 25 neuronal cell types, including subtypes of radial glial cells (RGCs), intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs), projection neurons, and interneurons. Only Wnt-expressing cortical hem RGCs showed a significant decrease in the percentage of cells after PAE, with no cell types showing PAE-induced apoptosis as measured by caspase expression. Cell cycle analysis revealed only a subtype of RGCs expressing the downstream Wnt signaling transcription factor Tcf7l2 had a decreased percentage of cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, suggesting decreased proliferation in this RGC subtype and further implicating disrupted Wnt signaling after PAE at this early developmental timepoint. An increased pseudotime score in IPC and projection neuron cell types indicated that PAE led to increased or premature differentiation of these cells. Biological processes affected by PAE included the upregulation of pathways related to synaptic activity and neuronal differentiation and downregulation of pathways related to chromosome structure and the cell cycle. Several cell types showed a decrease in Wnt signaling pathways, with several genes related to Wnt signaling altered by PAE in multiple cell types. As Wnt has been shown to promote proliferation and inhibit differentiation at earlier stages in development, the downregulation of Wnt signaling may have resulted in premature neuronal maturation of projection neurons and their intermediate progenitors. Overall, these findings provide further insight into the cell type-specific effects of PAE during early corticogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Sambo
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Chiraag Gohel
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Qiaoping Yuan
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Gauthaman Sukumar
- The American Genome Center, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Camille Alba
- The American Genome Center, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Clifton L. Dalgard
- The American Genome Center, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - David Goldman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States,*Correspondence: David Goldman,
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Zheng Y, Yang M, Chen X, Zhang G, Wan S, Zhang B, Huo J, Liu H. Decreased tubulin-binding cofactor B was involved in the formation disorder of nascent astrocyte processes by regulating microtubule plus-end growth through binding with end-binding proteins 1 and 3 after chronic alcohol exposure. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:989945. [PMID: 36385945 PMCID: PMC9641617 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.989945] [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: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a neurological disease caused by excessive drinking during pregnancy and characterized by congenital abnormalities in the structure and function of the fetal brain. This study was proposed to provide new insights into the pathogenesis of FAS by revealing the possible mechanisms of alcohol-induced astrocyte injury. First, a chronic alcohol exposure model of astrocytes was established, and the formation disorder was found in astrocyte processes where tubulin-binding cofactor B (TBCB) was decreased or lost, accompanied by disorganized microtubules (MT). Second, to understand the relationship between TBCB reduction and the formation disorder of astrocyte processes, TBCB was silenced or overexpressed. It caused astrocyte processes to retract or lose after silencing, while the processes increased with expending basal part and obtuse tips after overexpressing. It confirmed that TBCB was one of the critical factors for the formation of astrocyte processes through regulating MT plus-end and provided a new view on the pathogenesis of FAS. Third, to explore the mechanism of TBCB regulating MT plus-ends, we first proved end-binding proteins 1 and 3 (EB1/3) were bound at MT plus-ends in astrocytes. Then, through interference experiments, we found that both EB1 and EB3, which formed in heterodimers, were necessary to mediate TBCB binding to MT plus-ends and thus regulated the formation of astrocyte processes. Finally, the regulatory mechanism was studied and the ERK1/2 signaling pathway was found as one of the main pathways regulating the expression of TBCB in astrocytes after alcohol injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Zheng
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Basic Medicine, Chongqing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, China
| | - Mei Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoqiao Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Gaoli Zhang
- Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shanshan Wan
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Chengdu, China
| | - Bingqiu Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiechao Huo
- Fujian Province University Engineering Research Center of Mindong She Medicine, Medical College, Ningde Normal University, Ningde, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Hui Liu
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Zheng Y, Huo J, Yang M, Zhang G, Wan S, Chen X, Zhang B, Liu H. ERK1/2 Signalling Pathway Regulates Tubulin-Binding Cofactor B Expression and Affects Astrocyte Process Formation after Acute Foetal Alcohol Exposure. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12070813. [PMID: 35884621 PMCID: PMC9312805 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12070813] [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: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a spectrum of neurological disorders whose neurological symptoms, besides the neuronal damage caused by alcohol, may also be associated with neuroglial damage. Tubulin-binding cofactor B (TBCB) may be involved in the pathogenesis of FASD. To understand the mechanism and provide new insights into the pathogenesis of FASD, acute foetal alcohol exposure model on astrocytes was established and the interference experiments were carried out. First, after alcohol exposure, the nascent astrocyte processes were reduced or lost, accompanied by the absence of TBCB expression and the disruption of microtubules (MTs) in processes. Subsequently, TBCB was silenced with siRNA. It was severely reduced or lost in nascent astrocyte processes, with a dramatic reduction in astrocyte processes, indicating that TBCB plays a vital role in astrocyte process formation. Finally, the regulating mechanism was studied and it was found that the extracellular signal-regulated protease 1/2 (ERK1/2) signalling pathway was one of the main pathways regulating TBCB expression in astrocytes after alcohol injury. In summary, after acute foetal alcohol exposure, the decreased TBCB in nascent astrocyte processes, regulated by the ERK1/2 signalling pathway, was the main factor leading to the disorder of astrocyte process formation, which could contribute to the neurological symptoms of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Zheng
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China; (M.Y.); (X.C.); (B.Z.); (H.L.)
- Correspondence: (Y.Z.); (J.H.)
| | - Jiechao Huo
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China; (M.Y.); (X.C.); (B.Z.); (H.L.)
- Correspondence: (Y.Z.); (J.H.)
| | - Mei Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China; (M.Y.); (X.C.); (B.Z.); (H.L.)
| | - Gaoli Zhang
- Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400063, China;
| | - Shanshan Wan
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Chengdu 610044, China;
| | - Xiaoqiao Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China; (M.Y.); (X.C.); (B.Z.); (H.L.)
| | - Bingqiu Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China; (M.Y.); (X.C.); (B.Z.); (H.L.)
| | - Hui Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China; (M.Y.); (X.C.); (B.Z.); (H.L.)
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