1
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Godoy Muñoz JM, Neset L, Markússon S, Weber S, Krokengen OC, Sutinen A, Christakou E, Lopez AJ, Bramham CR, Kursula P. Structural characterization of two nanobodies targeting the ligand-binding pocket of human Arc. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300453. [PMID: 38683783 PMCID: PMC11057775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300453] [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: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) is a complex regulator of synaptic plasticity in glutamatergic neurons. Understanding its molecular function is key to elucidate the neurobiology of memory and learning, stress regulation, and multiple neurological and psychiatric diseases. The recent development of anti-Arc nanobodies has promoted the characterization of the molecular structure and function of Arc. This study aimed to validate two anti-Arc nanobodies, E5 and H11, as selective modulators of the human Arc N-lobe (Arc-NL), a domain that mediates several molecular functions of Arc through its peptide ligand binding site. The structural characteristics of recombinant Arc-NL-nanobody complexes were solved at atomic resolution using X-ray crystallography. Both anti-Arc nanobodies bind specifically to the multi-peptide binding site of Arc-NL. Isothermal titration calorimetry showed that the Arc-NL-nanobody interactions occur at nanomolar affinity, and that the nanobodies can displace a TARPγ2-derived peptide from the binding site. Thus, both anti-Arc-NL nanobodies could be used as competitive inhibitors of endogenous Arc ligands. Differences in the CDR3 loops between the two nanobodies indicate that the spectrum of short linear motifs recognized by the Arc-NL should be expanded. We provide a robust biochemical background to support the use of anti-Arc nanobodies in attempts to target Arc-dependent synaptic plasticity. Function-blocking anti-Arc nanobodies could eventually help unravel the complex neurobiology of synaptic plasticity and allow to develop diagnostic and treatment tools.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lasse Neset
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Sarah Weber
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Aleksi Sutinen
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine & Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | | | - Andrea J. Lopez
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Petri Kursula
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine & Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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2
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Bohnsack JP, Zhang H, Pandey SC. EZH2-dependent epigenetic reprogramming in the central nucleus of amygdala regulates adult anxiety in both sexes after adolescent alcohol exposure. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:197. [PMID: 38670959 PMCID: PMC11053082 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02906-y] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use and anxiety disorders occur in both males and females, but despite sharing similar presentation and classical symptoms, the prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) is lower in females. While anxiety is a symptom and comorbidity shared by both sexes, the common underlying mechanism that leads to AUD and the subsequent development of anxiety is still understudied. Using a rodent model of adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure in both sexes, we investigated the epigenetic mechanism mediated by enhancer of zeste 2 (EZH2), a histone methyltransferase, in regulating both the expression of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) and an anxiety-like phenotype in adulthood. Here, we report that EZH2 protein levels were significantly higher in PKC-δ positive GABAergic neurons in the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA) of adult male and female rats after AIE. Reducing protein and mRNA levels of EZH2 using siRNA infusion in the CeA prevented AIE-induced anxiety-like behavior, increased H3K27me3, decreased H3K27ac at the Arc synaptic activity response element (SARE) site, and restored deficits in Arc mRNA and protein expression in both male and female adult rats. Our data indicate that an EZH2-mediated epigenetic mechanism in the CeA plays an important role in regulating anxiety-like behavior and Arc expression after AIE in both male and female rats in adulthood. This study suggests that EZH2 may serve as a tractable drug target for the treatment of adult psychopathology after adolescent alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Peyton Bohnsack
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Huaibo Zhang
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
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3
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Mastwal S, Li X, Stowell R, Manion M, Zhang W, Kim NS, Yoon KJ, Song H, Ming GL, Wang KH. Adolescent neurostimulation of dopamine circuit reverses genetic deficits in frontal cortex function. eLife 2023; 12:RP87414. [PMID: 37830916 PMCID: PMC10575630 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87414] [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: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine system dysfunction is implicated in adolescent-onset neuropsychiatric disorders. Although psychosis symptoms can be alleviated by antipsychotics, cognitive symptoms remain unresponsive and novel paradigms investigating the circuit substrates underlying cognitive deficits are critically needed. The frontal cortex and its dopaminergic input from the midbrain are implicated in cognitive functions and undergo maturational changes during adolescence. Here, we used mice carrying mutations in Arc or Disc1 to model mesofrontal dopamine circuit deficiencies and test circuit-based neurostimulation strategies to restore cognitive functions. We found that in a memory-guided spatial navigation task, frontal cortical neurons were activated coordinately at the decision-making point in wild-type but not Arc-/- mice. Chemogenetic stimulation of midbrain dopamine neurons or optogenetic stimulation of frontal cortical dopamine axons in a limited adolescent period consistently reversed genetic defects in mesofrontal innervation, task-coordinated neuronal activity, and memory-guided decision-making at adulthood. Furthermore, adolescent stimulation of dopamine neurons also reversed the same cognitive deficits in Disc1+/- mice. Our findings reveal common mesofrontal circuit alterations underlying the cognitive deficits caused by two different genes and demonstrate the feasibility of adolescent neurostimulation to reverse these circuit and behavioral deficits. These results may suggest developmental windows and circuit targets for treating cognitive deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surjeet Mastwal
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Xinjian Li
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Rianne Stowell
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterUnited States
| | - Matthew Manion
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Wenyu Zhang
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterUnited States
| | - Nam-Shik Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Ki-Jun Yoon
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Kuan Hong Wang
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterUnited States
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4
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Barry SM, Barry GM, Martinez D, Penrod RD, Cowan CW. The activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein, Arc, functions in the nucleus accumbens shell to limit multiple triggers of cocaine-seeking behaviour. Addict Biol 2023; 28:e13335. [PMID: 37753560 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Use of addictive substances like cocaine produces enduring associations between the drug experience and cues in the drug-taking environment. In individuals with a substance use disorder (SUD) and attempting to remain abstinent, these powerful drug-cue associations can trigger a return to active drug use, but the molecular mechanisms regulating drug-cue associations remain poorly understood. The activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) is induced by cocaine in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), an important brain reward region, but Arc's NAc function in SUD-related behaviour remains unclear. We show here that cocaine self-administration (SA) in rats produced a significant upregulation of Arc protein in both the core and shell subregions of the NAc. Subregion-specific Arc reduction (shRNA) in the medial NAc Shell enhanced both context-associated and cue-reinstated cocaine seeking, but without altering the motivation to work for cocaine, the sensitivity to the reinforcing effects of cocaine or the ability of cocaine priming to reinstate drug seeking. In contrast, we observed no effects of Arc knockdown in the NAc core on any aspect of cocaine SA, extinction or reinstated cocaine seeking, suggesting that Arc functions within the medial NAc shell, but not NAc core, to limit the strength of drug-context and drug-cue associations that promote cocaine-seeking behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Barry
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Gabriella M Barry
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Dalia Martinez
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Rachel D Penrod
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Christopher W Cowan
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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5
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Mastwal S, Li X, Stowell R, Manion M, Zhang W, Kim NS, Yoon KJ, Song H, Ming GL, Wang KH. Adolescent neurostimulation of dopamine circuit reverses genetic deficits in frontal cortex function. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.03.526987. [PMID: 36778456 PMCID: PMC9915739 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.03.526987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine system dysfunction is commonly implicated in adolescent-onset neuropsychiatric disorders. Although psychosis symptoms can be alleviated by antipsychotics, cognitive symptoms remain unresponsive to such pharmacological treatments and novel research paradigms investigating the circuit substrates underlying cognitive deficits are critically needed. The frontal cortex and its dopaminergic input from the midbrain are implicated in cognitive functions and undergo maturational changes during adolescence. Here, we used mice carrying mutations in the Arc or DISC1 genes to model mesofrontal dopamine circuit deficiencies and test circuit-based neurostimulation strategies to restore cognitive functions. We found that in a memory-guided spatial navigation task, frontal cortical neurons were activated coordinately at the decision-making point in wild-type but not Arc mutant mice. Chemogenetic stimulation of midbrain dopamine neurons or optogenetic stimulation of frontal cortical dopamine axons in a limited adolescent period consistently reversed genetic defects in mesofrontal innervation, task-coordinated neuronal activity, and memory-guided decision-making at adulthood. Furthermore, adolescent stimulation of dopamine neurons also reversed the same cognitive deficits in DISC1 mutant mice. Our findings reveal common mesofrontal circuit alterations underlying the cognitive deficits caused by two different genes and demonstrate the feasibility of adolescent neurostimulation to reverse these circuit and behavioral deficits. These results may suggest developmental windows and circuit targets for treating cognitive deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surjeet Mastwal
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Xinjian Li
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Rianne Stowell
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Matthew Manion
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Wenyu Zhang
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Nam-Shik Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Ki-jun Yoon
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Guo-li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Kuan Hong Wang
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642
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6
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Ravens A, Stacher-Hörndli CN, Emery J, Steinwand S, Shepherd JD, Gregg C. Arc regulates a second-guessing cognitive bias during naturalistic foraging through effects on discrete behavior modules. iScience 2023; 26:106761. [PMID: 37216088 PMCID: PMC10196573 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106761] [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: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Foraging in animals relies on innate decision-making heuristics that can result in suboptimal cognitive biases in some contexts. The mechanisms underlying these biases are not well understood, but likely involve strong genetic effects. To explore this, we studied fasted mice using a naturalistic foraging paradigm and discovered an innate cognitive bias called "second-guessing." This involves repeatedly investigating an empty former food patch instead of consuming available food, which hinders the mice from maximizing feeding benefits. The synaptic plasticity gene Arc is revealed to play a role in this bias, as Arc-deficient mice did not exhibit second-guessing and consumed more food. In addition, unsupervised machine learning decompositions of foraging identified specific behavior sequences, or "modules", that are affected by Arc. These findings highlight the genetic basis of cognitive biases in decision making, show links between behavior modules and cognitive bias, and provide insight into the ethological roles of Arc in naturalistic foraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Ravens
- University of Utah, Department of Neurobiology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Jared Emery
- Storyline Health Inc., Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Susan Steinwand
- University of Utah, Department of Neurobiology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jason D. Shepherd
- University of Utah, Department of Neurobiology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- University of Utah, Department of Biochemistry School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- University of Utah, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Christopher Gregg
- University of Utah, Department of Neurobiology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- University of Utah, Department of Human Genetics, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Storyline Health Inc., Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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7
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Savino R, Polito AN, Marsala G, Ventriglio A, Di Salvatore M, De Stefano MI, Valenzano A, Marinaccio L, Bellomo A, Cibelli G, Monda M, Monda V, Messina A, Polito R, Carotenuto M, Messina G. Agomelatine: A Potential Multitarget Compound for Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Brain Sci 2023; 13:734. [PMID: 37239206 PMCID: PMC10216109 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13050734] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Agomelatine (AGM) is one of the latest atypical antidepressants, prescribed exclusively for the treatment of depression in adults. AGM belongs to the pharmaceutical class of melatonin agonist and selective serotonin antagonist ("MASS"), as it acts both as a selective agonist of melatonin receptors MT1 and MT2, and as a selective antagonist of 5-HT2C/5-HT2B receptors. AGM is involved in the resynchronization of interrupted circadian rhythms, with beneficial effects on sleep patterns, while antagonism on serotonin receptors increases the availability of norepinephrine and dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, with an antidepressant and nootropic effect. The use of AGM in the pediatric population is limited by the scarcity of data. In addition, few studies and case reports have been published on the use of AGM in patients with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Considering this evidence, the purpose of this review is to report the potential role of AGM in neurological developmental disorders. AGM would increase the expression of the cytoskeleton-associated protein (ARC) in the prefrontal cortex, with optimization of learning, long-term memory consolidation, and improved survival of neurons. Another important feature of AGM is the ability to modulate glutamatergic neurotransmission in regions associated with mood and cognition. With its synergistic activity a melatoninergic agonist and an antagonist of 5-HT2C, AGM acts as an antidepressant, psychostimulant, and promoter of neuronal plasticity, regulating cognitive symptoms, resynchronizing circadian rhythms in patients with autism, ADHD, anxiety, and depression. Given its good tolerability and good compliance, it could potentially be administered to adolescents and children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Savino
- Department of Woman and Child, Neuropsychiatry for Child and Adolescent Unit, General Hospital "Riuniti" of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Anna Nunzia Polito
- Department of Woman and Child, Neuropsychiatry for Child and Adolescent Unit, General Hospital "Riuniti" of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Ventriglio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Melanie Di Salvatore
- Department of Woman and Child, Neuropsychiatry for Child and Adolescent Unit, General Hospital "Riuniti" of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Maria Ida De Stefano
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Anna Valenzano
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Luigi Marinaccio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Antonello Bellomo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cibelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Marcellino Monda
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetics and Sports Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Monda
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Naples "Parthenope", 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Antonietta Messina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetics and Sports Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Rita Polito
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Marco Carotenuto
- Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Messina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
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8
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Velazquez-Sanchez C, Muresan L, Marti-Prats L, Belin D. The development of compulsive coping behaviour is associated with a downregulation of Arc in a Locus Coeruleus neuronal ensemble. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:653-663. [PMID: 36635597 PMCID: PMC9938202 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01522-y] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Some compulsive disorders have been considered to stem from the loss of control over coping strategies, such as displacement. However, the cellular mechanisms involved in the acquisition of coping behaviours and their subsequent compulsive manifestation in vulnerable individuals have not been elucidated. Considering the role of the locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenaline-dependent system in stress and related excessive behaviours, we hypothesised that neuroplastic changes in the LC may be associated with the acquisition of an adjunctive polydipsic water drinking, a prototypical displacement behaviour, and the ensuing development of compulsion in vulnerable individuals. Thus, male Sprague Dawley rats were characterised for their tendency, or not, to develop compulsive polydipsic drinking in a schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) procedure before their fresh brains were harvested. A new quantification tool for RNAscope assays revealed that the development of compulsive adjunctive behaviour was associated with a low mRNA copy number of the plasticity marker Arc in the LC which appeared to be driven by specific adaptations in an ensemble of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)+, zif268- neurons. This ensemble was specifically engaged by the expression of compulsive adjunctive behaviour, not by stress, because its functional recruitment was not observed in individuals that no longer had access to the water bottle before sacrifice, while it consistently correlated with the levels of polydipsic water drinking only when it had become compulsive. Together these findings suggest that downregulation of Arc mRNA levels in a population of a TH+/zif268- LC neurons represents a signature of the tendency to develop compulsive coping behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Velazquez-Sanchez
- CLIC (Cambridge Laboratory for research on Impulsive/Compulsive disorders), Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Leila Muresan
- Cambridge Advanced Imaging Centre, Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience of the University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Lucia Marti-Prats
- CLIC (Cambridge Laboratory for research on Impulsive/Compulsive disorders), Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - David Belin
- CLIC (Cambridge Laboratory for research on Impulsive/Compulsive disorders), Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
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Hughes BW, Siemsen BM, Tsvetkov E, Berto S, Kumar J, Cornbrooks RG, Akiki RM, Cho JY, Carter JS, Snyder KK, Assali A, Scofield MD, Cowan CW, Taniguchi M. NPAS4 in the medial prefrontal cortex mediates chronic social defeat stress-induced anhedonia-like behavior and reductions in excitatory synapses. eLife 2023; 12:e75631. [PMID: 36780219 PMCID: PMC9925055 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress can produce reward system deficits (i.e., anhedonia) and other common symptoms associated with depressive disorders, as well as neural circuit hypofunction in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). However, the molecular mechanisms by which chronic stress promotes depressive-like behavior and hypofrontality remain unclear. We show here that the neuronal activity-regulated transcription factor, NPAS4, in the mPFC is regulated by chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), and it is required in this brain region for CSDS-induced changes in sucrose preference and natural reward motivation in the mice. Interestingly, NPAS4 is not required for CSDS-induced social avoidance or anxiety-like behavior. We also find that mPFC NPAS4 is required for CSDS-induced reductions in pyramidal neuron dendritic spine density, excitatory synaptic transmission, and presynaptic function, revealing a relationship between perturbation in excitatory synaptic transmission and the expression of anhedonia-like behavior in the mice. Finally, analysis of the mice mPFC tissues revealed that NPAS4 regulates the expression of numerous genes linked to glutamatergic synapses and ribosomal function, the expression of upregulated genes in CSDS-susceptible animals, and differentially expressed genes in postmortem human brains of patients with common neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression. Together, our findings position NPAS4 as a key mediator of chronic stress-induced hypofrontal states and anhedonia-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon W Hughes
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Benjamin M Siemsen
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Evgeny Tsvetkov
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Stefano Berto
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Jaswinder Kumar
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical SchoolBelmontUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Rebecca G Cornbrooks
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Rose Marie Akiki
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Jennifer Y Cho
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Jordan S Carter
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Kirsten K Snyder
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Ahlem Assali
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Michael D Scofield
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Christopher W Cowan
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical SchoolBelmontUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Makoto Taniguchi
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical SchoolBelmontUnited States
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10
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Pagano R, Salamian A, Zielinski J, Beroun A, Nalberczak-Skóra M, Skonieczna E, Cały A, Tay N, Banaschewski T, Desrivières S, Grigis A, Garavan H, Heinz A, Brühl R, Martinot JL, Martinot MLP, Artiges E, Nees F, Orfanos DP, Poustka L, Hohmann S, Fröhner JH, Smolka MN, Vaidya N, Walter H, Whelan R, Kalita K, Bito H, Müller CP, Schumann G, Okuno H, Radwanska K. Arc controls alcohol cue relapse by a central amygdala mechanism. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:733-745. [PMID: 36357670 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01849-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic and fatal disease. The main impediment of the AUD therapy is a high probability of relapse to alcohol abuse even after prolonged abstinence. The molecular mechanisms of cue-induced relapse are not well established, despite the fact that they may offer new targets for the treatment of AUD. Using a comprehensive animal model of AUD, virally-mediated and amygdala-targeted genetic manipulations by CRISPR/Cas9 technology and ex vivo electrophysiology, we identify a mechanism that selectively controls cue-induced alcohol relapse and AUD symptom severity. This mechanism is based on activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc)/ARG3.1-dependent plasticity of the amygdala synapses. In humans, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in the ARC gene and their methylation predicting not only amygdala size, but also frequency of alcohol use, even at the onset of regular consumption. Targeting Arc during alcohol cue exposure may thus be a selective new mechanism for relapse prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Pagano
- Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Behavior, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ahmad Salamian
- Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Behavior, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Janusz Zielinski
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Anna Beroun
- Laboratory of Neuronal Plasticity, BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maria Nalberczak-Skóra
- Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Behavior, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Edyta Skonieczna
- Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Behavior, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Cały
- Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Behavior, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Nicole Tay
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, SGDP Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Antoine Grigis
- NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Brühl
- Braunschweig and Berlin, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- INSERM U1299 "Trajectoires développementales en psychiatrie, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- AP-HP. Sorbonne Université, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
- Psychiatry Department, EPS Barthélémy Durand, Etampes, France
- Ecole Normale supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Centre Borelli, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot
- INSERM U1299 "Trajectoires développementales en psychiatrie, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- AP-HP. Sorbonne Université, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
- Psychiatry Department, EPS Barthélémy Durand, Etampes, France
- Ecole Normale supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Centre Borelli, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Eric Artiges
- INSERM U1299 "Trajectoires développementales en psychiatrie, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- AP-HP. Sorbonne Université, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
- Psychiatry Department, EPS Barthélémy Durand, Etampes, France
- Ecole Normale supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Centre Borelli, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Hohmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Juliane H Fröhner
- Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nilakshi Vaidya
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, SGDP Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Whelan
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Katarzyna Kalita
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Haruhiko Bito
- Department of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Christian P Müller
- Section of Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Clinic, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute for Science and Technology of Brain-inspired Intelligence (ISTBI), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hiroyuki Okuno
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Kasia Radwanska
- Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Behavior, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
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11
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Pinus halepensis Essential Oil Ameliorates Aβ1-42-Induced Brain Injury by Diminishing Anxiety, Oxidative Stress, and Neuroinflammation in Rats. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10092300. [PMID: 36140401 PMCID: PMC9496595 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10092300] [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: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The Pinus L. genus comprises around 250 species, being popular worldwide for their medicinal and aromatic properties. The present study aimed to evaluate the P. halepensis Mill. essential oil (PNO) in an Alzheimer’s disease (AD) environment as an anxiolytic and antidepressant agent. The AD-like symptoms were induced in Wistar male rats by intracerebroventricular administration of amyloid beta1-42 (Aβ1-42), and PNO (1% and 3%) was delivered to Aβ1-42 pre-treated rats via inhalation route for 21 consecutive days, 30 min before behavioral assessments. The obtained results indicate PNO’s potential to relieve anxious–depressive features and to restore redox imbalance in the rats exhibiting AD-like neuropsychiatric impairments. Moreover, PNO presented beneficial effects against neuroinflammation and neuroapoptosis in the Aβ1-42 rat AD model.
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12
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Yu S, Wang G, Yao B, Xiao L, Tuo H. Arc and Homer1 are involved in comorbid epilepsy and depression: A microarray data analysis. Epilepsy Behav 2022; 132:108738. [PMID: 35665606 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2022.108738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is one of the most common comorbid psychiatric condition associated with epilepsy. It has a negative impact on the patient's quality of life. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms leading to depression are currently unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the hub genes associated with epilepsy and depression. METHODS Gene expression profiles (GSE47752 and GSE20388) were downloaded from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for epilepsy and depression groups were separately searched. Subsequently, network analyses methods were employed to establish protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, and to perform Gene Ontology (GO) terms and pathway enrichment analyses for co-expressed DEGs. RESULTS A total of 772 genes were upregulated in patients with epilepsy whereas 91 genes were up-regulated in patients with depression. In addition, 1304 genes were down-regulated in epilepsy whereas 141 genes were down-regulated in patients with depression. Among co-expressed DEGs, 5 DEGs were up-regulated and 19 were down-regulated. Further analysis revealed that the co-expressed DEGs were involved in regulation of vasculature development, regulation of angiogenesis, glutamate receptor signaling pathway, cellular response to interleukin-1 and positive regulation of protein kinase B signaling. The Arc and Homer1 genes were identified as the common candidate genes involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy and depression. CONCLUSIONS Arc and Homer1 may contribute to the comorbidity of epilepsy and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqian Yu
- Department of Pediatrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Gaohua Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
| | - Baozhen Yao
- Department of Pediatrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ling Xiao
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hu Tuo
- Department of Pediatrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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13
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Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis of CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated ARC-Knockout HEK293 Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094498. [PMID: 35562887 PMCID: PMC9101110 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Arc/Arg3.1 (activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (ARC)) is a critical regulator of long-term synaptic plasticity and is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The functions and mechanisms of human ARC action are poorly understood and worthy of further investigation. To investigate the function of the ARC gene in vitro, we generated an ARC-knockout (KO) HEK293 cell line via CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing and conducted RNA sequencing and label-free LC-MS/MS analysis to identify the differentially expressed genes and proteins in isogenic ARC-KO HEK293 cells. Furthermore, we used bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assays to detect interactions between the ARC protein and differentially expressed proteins. Genetic deletion of ARC disturbed multiple genes involved in the extracellular matrix and synaptic membrane. Seven proteins (HSPA1A, ENO1, VCP, HMGCS1, ALDH1B1, FSCN1, and HINT2) were found to be differentially expressed between ARC-KO cells and ARC wild-type cells. BRET assay results showed that ARC interacted with PSD95 and HSPA1A. Overall, we found that ARC regulates the differential expression of genes involved in the extracellular matrix, synaptic membrane, and heat shock protein family. The transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of ARC-KO HEK293 cells presented here provide new evidence for the mechanisms underlying the effects of ARC and molecular pathways involved in schizophrenia pathophysiology.
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14
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Chen Z, Ding Y, Zeng Y, Zhang XP, Chen JY. Dexmedetomidine reduces propofol-induced hippocampal neuron injury by modulating the miR-377-5p/Arc pathway. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol 2022; 23:18. [PMID: 35337381 PMCID: PMC8957152 DOI: 10.1186/s40360-022-00555-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Propofol and dexmedetomidine (DEX) are widely used in general anesthesia, and exert toxic and protective effects on hippocampal neurons, respectively. The study sought to investigate the molecular mechanisms of DEX-mediated neuroprotection against propofol-induced hippocampal neuron injury in mouse brains. METHODS Hippocampal neurons of mice and HT22 cells were treated with propofol, DEX, and propofol+DEX. In addition, transfection of miR-377-5p mimics or inhibitors was performed in HT22 cells. Neuronal apoptosis was evaluated by a means of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) or Hochest 33,258 staining; Arc positive expression in hippocampus tissues was detected using a microscope in immunohistochemistry assays; miRNA-377-5p expression was quantified by RT-qPCR; the protein levels of Arc, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B were determined using western blot; Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to detect the viability and apoptotic rate of the neurons; methylation analysis in the miR-377-5p promoter was performed through methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) assay; dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to confirm whether Arc was under targeted regulation of miR-377-5p. RESULTS In the current study, both in vitro and in vivo, propofol treatment induced hippocampal neuron apoptosis and suppressed cell viability. DNMT3A and DNMT3B expression levels were decreased following propofol treatment, resulting in lowered methylation in the miR-377-5p promoter region and then enhanced expression of miR-377-5p, leading to a decrease in the expression of downstream Arc. Conversely, the expression levels of DNMT3A and DNMT3B were increased following DEX treatment, thus methylation in miR-377-5p promoter region was improved, and miR-377-5p expression was decreased, leading to an increase in the expression of downstream Arc. Eventually, DEX pretreatment protected hippocampal neurons against propofol-induced neurotoxicity by recovering the expression levels of DNMT3A, miR-377-5p, and Arc to the normal levels. Additionally, DNMT3A knockdown improved miR-377-5p expression but reduced Arc expression, and DNMT3A overexpression exerted the opposite effects. Dual luciferase reporter assay revealed a binding target between miR-377-5p and Arc 3'UTR. The neuroprotective effect of DEX against propofol-induced neuronal apoptosis was diminished after Arc knockdown. Silencing Arc independently triggered the apoptosis of HT22 cells, which was alleviated through transfection of miR-377-5p inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS DEX reduced propofol-induced hippocampal neuron injury via the miR-377-5p/Arc signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zong Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, NO.19 Nonglin Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yong Ding
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, NO.19 Nonglin Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ying Zeng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Shajin Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xue-Ping Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen Anesthesiology Engineering Center, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, NO. 1017 Dongmen North Road, Luohu District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Jian-Yan Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, NO.19 Nonglin Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Shajin Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University, Shenzhen, China.
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15
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Knipper M, Singer W, Schwabe K, Hagberg GE, Li Hegner Y, Rüttiger L, Braun C, Land R. Disturbed Balance of Inhibitory Signaling Links Hearing Loss and Cognition. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 15:785603. [PMID: 35069123 PMCID: PMC8770933 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.785603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal hyperexcitability in the central auditory pathway linked to reduced inhibitory activity is associated with numerous forms of hearing loss, including noise damage, age-dependent hearing loss, and deafness, as well as tinnitus or auditory processing deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In most cases, the reduced central inhibitory activity and the accompanying hyperexcitability are interpreted as an active compensatory response to the absence of synaptic activity, linked to increased central neural gain control (increased output activity relative to reduced input). We here suggest that hyperexcitability also could be related to an immaturity or impairment of tonic inhibitory strength that typically develops in an activity-dependent process in the ascending auditory pathway with auditory experience. In these cases, high-SR auditory nerve fibers, which are critical for the shortest latencies and lowest sound thresholds, may have either not matured (possibly in congenital deafness or autism) or are dysfunctional (possibly after sudden, stressful auditory trauma or age-dependent hearing loss linked with cognitive decline). Fast auditory processing deficits can occur despite maintained basal hearing. In that case, tonic inhibitory strength is reduced in ascending auditory nuclei, and fast inhibitory parvalbumin positive interneuron (PV-IN) dendrites are diminished in auditory and frontal brain regions. This leads to deficits in central neural gain control linked to hippocampal LTP/LTD deficiencies, cognitive deficits, and unbalanced extra-hypothalamic stress control. Under these conditions, a diminished inhibitory strength may weaken local neuronal coupling to homeostatic vascular responses required for the metabolic support of auditory adjustment processes. We emphasize the need to distinguish these two states of excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in hearing disorders: (i) Under conditions of preserved fast auditory processing and sustained tonic inhibitory strength, an excitatory/inhibitory imbalance following auditory deprivation can maintain precise hearing through a memory linked, transient disinhibition that leads to enhanced spiking fidelity (central neural gain⇑) (ii) Under conditions of critically diminished fast auditory processing and reduced tonic inhibitory strength, hyperexcitability can be part of an increased synchronization over a broader frequency range, linked to reduced spiking reliability (central neural gain⇓). This latter stage mutually reinforces diminished metabolic support for auditory adjustment processes, increasing the risks for canonical dementia syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlies Knipper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Center (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Marlies Knipper,
| | - Wibke Singer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Center (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Kerstin Schwabe
- Experimental Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Gisela E. Hagberg
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University Hospital Tübingen (UKT), Tübingen, Germany
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yiwen Li Hegner
- MEG Center, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Center of Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lukas Rüttiger
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Center (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Braun
- MEG Center, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Center of Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Land
- Department of Experimental Otology, Institute for Audioneurotechnology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
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16
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Panayotis N, Freund PA, Marvaldi L, Shalit T, Brandis A, Mehlman T, Tsoory MM, Fainzilber M. β-sitosterol reduces anxiety and synergizes with established anxiolytic drugs in mice. Cell Rep Med 2021; 2:100281. [PMID: 34095883 PMCID: PMC8149471 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety and stress-related conditions represent a significant health burden in modern society. Unfortunately, most anxiolytic drugs are prone to side effects, limiting their long-term usage. Here, we employ a bioinformatics screen to identify drugs for repurposing as anxiolytics. Comparison of drug-induced gene-expression profiles with the hippocampal transcriptome of an importin α5 mutant mouse model with reduced anxiety identifies the hypocholesterolemic agent β-sitosterol as a promising candidate. β-sitosterol activity is validated by both intraperitoneal and oral application in mice, revealing it as the only clear anxiolytic from five closely related phytosterols. β-sitosterol injection reduces the effects of restraint stress, contextual fear memory, and c-Fos activation in the prefrontal cortex and dentate gyrus. Moreover, synergistic anxiolysis is observed when combining sub-efficacious doses of β-sitosterol with the SSRI fluoxetine. These preclinical findings support further development of β-sitosterol, either as a standalone anxiolytic or in combination with low-dose SSRIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Panayotis
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Philip A. Freund
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Letizia Marvaldi
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tali Shalit
- Ilana and Pascal Mantoux Institute for Bioinformatics, The Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alexander Brandis
- Life Science Core Facility, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tevie Mehlman
- Life Science Core Facility, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Michael M. Tsoory
- Department of Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Mike Fainzilber
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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17
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Piatkowska-Chmiel I, Herbet M, Gawronska-Grzywacz M, Ostrowska-Lesko M, Dudka J. The Role of Molecular and Inflammatory Indicators in the Assessment of Cognitive Dysfunction in a Mouse Model of Diabetes. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:3878. [PMID: 33918576 PMCID: PMC8069936 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22083878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain is the most vulnerable organ to glucose fluctuations, as well as inflammation. Considering that cognitive impairment might occur at the early stage of diabetes, it is very important to identify key markers of early neuronal dysfunction. Our overall goal was to identify neuroinflammatory and molecular indicators of early cognitive impairment in diabetic mice. To confirm cognitive impairment in diabetic mice, series of behavioral tests were conducted. The markers related to cognitive decline were classified into the following two groups: Neuroinflammatory markers: IL-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and genetic markers (Bdnf, Arc, Egr1) which were estimated in brain regions. Our studies showed a strong association between hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, neuroinflammation, and cognitive dysfunction in T2DM mice model. Cognitive impairment recorded in diabetes mice were associated not only with increased levels of cytokines but also decreased Arc and Egr1 mRNA expression level in brain regions associated with learning process and memory formation. The results of our research show that these indicators may be useful to test new forms of treatment of early cognitive dysfunction associated not only with diabetes but other diseases manifesting this type of disorders. The significant changes in Arc and Egr1 gene expression in early stage diabetes create opportunities it possible to use them to track the progression of CNS dysfunction and also to differential disease diagnosis running with cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwona Piatkowska-Chmiel
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland; (M.H.); (M.G.-G.); (M.O.-L.); (J.D.)
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18
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Eckert P, Marchetta P, Manthey MK, Walter MH, Jovanovic S, Savitska D, Singer W, Jacob MH, Rüttiger L, Schimmang T, Milenkovic I, Pilz PKD, Knipper M. Deletion of BDNF in Pax2 Lineage-Derived Interneuron Precursors in the Hindbrain Hampers the Proportion of Excitation/Inhibition, Learning, and Behavior. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:642679. [PMID: 33841098 PMCID: PMC8033028 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.642679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies indicate that deficits in the proper integration or migration of specific GABAergic precursor cells from the subpallium to the cortex can lead to severe cognitive dysfunctions and neurodevelopmental pathogenesis linked to intellectual disabilities. A different set of GABAergic precursors cells that express Pax2 migrate to hindbrain regions, targeting, for example auditory or somatosensory brainstem regions. We demonstrate that the absence of BDNF in Pax2-lineage descendants of BdnfPax2KOs causes severe cognitive disabilities. In BdnfPax2KOs, a normal number of parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PV-INs) was found in the auditory cortex (AC) and hippocampal regions, which went hand in hand with reduced PV-labeling in neuropil domains and elevated activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc/Arg3.1; here: Arc) levels in pyramidal neurons in these same regions. This immaturity in the inhibitory/excitatory balance of the AC and hippocampus was accompanied by elevated LTP, reduced (sound-induced) LTP/LTD adjustment, impaired learning, elevated anxiety, and deficits in social behavior, overall representing an autistic-like phenotype. Reduced tonic inhibitory strength and elevated spontaneous firing rates in dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) brainstem neurons in otherwise nearly normal hearing BdnfPax2KOs suggests that diminished fine-grained auditory-specific brainstem activity has hampered activity-driven integration of inhibitory networks of the AC in functional (hippocampal) circuits. This leads to an inability to scale hippocampal post-synapses during LTP/LTD plasticity. BDNF in Pax2-lineage descendants in lower brain regions should thus be considered as a novel candidate for contributing to the development of brain disorders, including autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Eckert
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philine Marchetta
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marie K Manthey
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Neuroscience, Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Michael H Walter
- Department for Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sasa Jovanovic
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Daria Savitska
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wibke Singer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michele H Jacob
- Department of Neuroscience, Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lukas Rüttiger
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Schimmang
- Instituto de Biología y Genética Molecular, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Ivan Milenkovic
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Peter K D Pilz
- Department for Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Yakout DW, Shree N, Mabb AM. Effect of pharmacological manipulations on Arc function. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PHARMACOLOGY AND DRUG DISCOVERY 2020; 2:100013. [PMID: 34909648 PMCID: PMC8663979 DOI: 10.1016/j.crphar.2020.100013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) is a brain-enriched immediate early gene that regulates important mechanisms implicated in learning and memory. Arc levels are controlled through a balance of induction and degradation in an activity-dependent manner. Arc further undergoes multiple post-translational modifications that regulate its stability, localization and function. Recent studies demonstrate that these features of Arc can be pharmacologically manipulated. In this review, we discuss some of these compounds, with an emphasis on drugs of abuse and psychotropic drugs. We also discuss inflammatory states that regulate Arc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina W. Yakout
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Nitheyaa Shree
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Angela M. Mabb
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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Penrod RD, Thomsen M, Taniguchi M, Guo Y, Cowan CW, Smith LN. The activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein, Arc/Arg3.1, influences mouse cocaine self-administration. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2019; 188:172818. [PMID: 31682894 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.172818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc, also known as Arg3.1), an immediate early gene and synaptic regulator, is upregulated following a single cocaine exposure. However, there is not much known regarding Arc/Arg3.1's potential contribution to addiction-relevant behaviors. Despite known learning and memory deficits in contextual fear and water-maze reversal learning tasks, we find that mice lacking Arc/Arg3.1 perform conditioned place preference and operant conditioning involving positive reinforcers (food and cocaine) with little-to-no impairment. However, following normal saline-extinction, wild type (WT) mice show a classic inverted-U dose-response function, while Arc/Arg3.1 knockout (KO) mice fail to adjust their intake across multiple doses. Importantly, Arc/Arg3.1 KO and WT mice behave comparably on an increasing cost task (FR1-FR3; acquisition dose), providing evidence that both groups find cocaine reinforcing. Differences in individuals that drive variations in use patterns and particularly, drug intake levels, are critical as they influence the likelihood of developing dependence. Our data suggest that Arc/Arg3.1 may contribute to addiction as a regulator of drug-taking vulnerability under different drug availability conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel D Penrod
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, United States of America
| | - Morgane Thomsen
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, United States of America
| | - Makoto Taniguchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, United States of America
| | - Yuhong Guo
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, United States of America
| | - Christopher W Cowan
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, United States of America
| | - Laura N Smith
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, United States of America.
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