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Wang R, Huang K, Feng Y, Duan J, Ying H, Shi Q, Zhang Y, Jiang R, Yang L. Exo-miR-144-3p as a promising diagnostic biomarker for depressive symptoms in heart failure. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 192:106415. [PMID: 38266934 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106415] [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: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS The prevalence of depression is higher in heart failure (HF) patients. Early screening of depressive symptoms in HF patients and timely intervention can help to improve patients' quality of life and prognosis. This study aims to explore diagnostic biomarkers by examining the expression profile of serum exosomal miRNAs in HF patients with depressive symptoms. METHODS Serum exosomal RNA was isolated and extracted from 6 HF patients with depressive symptoms (HF-DS) and 6 HF patients without depressive symptoms (HF-NDS). High-throughput sequencing was performed to obtain miRNA expression profiles and target genes were predicted for the screened differentially expressed miRNAs. Biological functions of the target genes were analyzed through Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Subsequently, we collected serum exosomal RNAs from HF-DS (n = 20) and HF-NDS (n = 20). The differentially expressed miRNAs selected from the sequencing results were validated using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Finally, the diagnostic efficacy of the differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs for HF-DS was evaluated by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS A total of 19 significantly differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs were screened by high-throughput sequencing, consisting of 12 up-regulated and 7 down-regulated exosomal miRNAs. RT-qPCR validation demonstrated that the expression level of exo-miR-144-3p was significantly down-regulated in the HF-DS group, and the expression levels of exo-miR-625-3p and exo-miR-7856-5p were significantly up-regulated. In addition, the expression level of exo-miR-144-3p was negatively correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms in HF patients, and that the area under the curve (AUC) of exo-miR-144-3p for diagnosing HF-DS was 0.763. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we examined the serum exosomal miRNA expression profiles of HF patients with depressive symptoms and found that lower level of exo-miR-144-3p was associated with more severe depressive symptoms. Exo-miR-144-3p is a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of HF-DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruting Wang
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Kai Huang
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Yuehua Feng
- Clinical Medical Research Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Jiahao Duan
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Hangfeng Ying
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Qianyuan Shi
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Riyue Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
| | - Ling Yang
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China.
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2
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Yuan M, Yang B, Rothschild G, Mann JJ, Sanford LD, Tang X, Huang C, Wang C, Zhang W. Epigenetic regulation in major depression and other stress-related disorders: molecular mechanisms, clinical relevance and therapeutic potential. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:309. [PMID: 37644009 PMCID: PMC10465587 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01519-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic, generally episodic and debilitating disease that affects an estimated 300 million people worldwide, but its pathogenesis is poorly understood. The heritability estimate of MDD is 30-40%, suggesting that genetics alone do not account for most of the risk of major depression. Another factor known to associate with MDD involves environmental stressors such as childhood adversity and recent life stress. Recent studies have emerged to show that the biological impact of environmental factors in MDD and other stress-related disorders is mediated by a variety of epigenetic modifications. These epigenetic modification alterations contribute to abnormal neuroendocrine responses, neuroplasticity impairment, neurotransmission and neuroglia dysfunction, which are involved in the pathophysiology of MDD. Furthermore, epigenetic marks have been associated with the diagnosis and treatment of MDD. The evaluation of epigenetic modifications holds promise for further understanding of the heterogeneous etiology and complex phenotypes of MDD, and may identify new therapeutic targets. Here, we review preclinical and clinical epigenetic findings, including DNA methylation, histone modification, noncoding RNA, RNA modification, and chromatin remodeling factor in MDD. In addition, we elaborate on the contribution of these epigenetic mechanisms to the pathological trait variability in depression and discuss how such mechanisms can be exploited for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minlan Yuan
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Biao Yang
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Gerson Rothschild
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - J John Mann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Larry D Sanford
- Sleep Research Laboratory, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases, Pathology and Anatomy, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Xiangdong Tang
- Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Mental Health Center, Translational Neuroscience Center, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Canhua Huang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Chuang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, and Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology in School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Medical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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3
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Kennedy CL, Price EM, Mifsud KR, Salatino S, Sharma E, Engledow S, Broxholme J, Goss HM, Reul JM. Genomic regulation of Krüppel-like-factor family members by corticosteroid receptors in the rat brain. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 23:100532. [PMID: 36942087 PMCID: PMC10024234 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) mediate glucocorticoid hormone (GC) action in the hippocampus. These receptors bind to glucocorticoid responsive elements (GREs) within target genes, eliciting transcriptional effects in response to stress and circadian variation. Until recently, little was known about the genome-wide targets of hippocampal MRs and GRs under physiological conditions. Following on from our genome-wide MR and GR ChIP-seq and Ribo-Zero RNA-seq studies on rat hippocampus, we investigated the Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) as targets of MRs and GRs throughout the brain under circadian variation and after acute stress. In particular, Klf2, Klf9 and Klf15 are known to be stress and/or GC responsive and play a role in neurobiological processes including synaptic plasticity and neuronal differentiation. We found increased binding of MR and GR to GREs within Klf2, Klf9 and Klf15 in the hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and neocortex after acute stress and resulting from circadian variation, which was accompanied by upregulation of corresponding hnRNA and mRNA levels. Adrenalectomy abolished transcriptional upregulation of specific Klf genes. These results show that MRs and GRs regulate Klf gene expression throughout the brain following exposure to acute stress or in response to circadian variation, likely alongside other transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare L.M. Kennedy
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol, BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Emily M. Price
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol, BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Karen R. Mifsud
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol, BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Salatino
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Eshita Sharma
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Engledow
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - John Broxholme
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah M. Goss
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol, BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Johannes M.H.M. Reul
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol, BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
- Corresponding author.
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4
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Effect of the dietary intake of fish oil on psycho-social behavioral disorder caused by social-defeat stress. Physiol Behav 2022; 254:113913. [PMID: 35835180 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113913] [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: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to psychosocial stress is a risk factor for human diseases such as depression. Social defeat stress (SDS) is a well-known rodent model of human psychosocial stress, and animals exposed to SDS show social avoidance behavior. Fish oil, which is rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), is expected to decrease the risk of depressive disorders. In this study, we determined whether fish oil affects the social behavior of SDS-exposed mice and measured serotonin levels and expression of genes related to tryptophan (TRP) metabolism in the hippocampus. The experimental animals were fed a diet containing fish oil during SDS exposure. For the fish oil treatment, experimental mice were fed a diet containing fish oil at low (L-FO), middle (M-FO), and high (H-FO) concentrations. The control group was supplemented with an equivalent amount of canola oil (no fish oil: N-FO). After the SDS protocol, we performed a social interaction test and assessed the sociality of experimental mice. In the N-FO group, SDS-exposed mice showed negative social interactions compared with non-stressed mice. The L-FO and H-FO groups showed negative social interactions after SDS exposure; however, the M-FO group did not exhibit negative social behavior. The serotonin levels of SDS-exposed mice were lower than those of non-stressed mice in the N-FO group. In contrast with these results in the N-FO group, there was no difference in serotonin levels between SDS-exposed and non-stressed mice in the FO groups. In addition, the expression of genes related to TRP metabolism in SDS-exposed mice increased in the N-FO group, but not in the FO group. These results suggest that fish oil improves the psychosocial behavioral disorders caused by SDS. This improvement could be explained by the increase in serotonin synthesis in the hippocampus.
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5
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Wu MS, Li XJ, Liu CY, Xu Q, Huang JQ, Gu S, Chen JX. Effects of Histone Modification in Major Depressive Disorder. Curr Neuropharmacol 2022; 20:1261-1277. [PMID: 34551699 PMCID: PMC9881074 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x19666210922150043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a disease associated with many factors; specifically, environmental, genetic, psychological, and biological factors play critical roles. Recent studies have demonstrated that histone modification may occur in the human brain in response to severely stressful events, resulting in transcriptional changes and the development of MDD. In this review, we discuss five different histone modifications, histone methylation, histone acetylation, histone phosphorylation, histone crotonylation and histone β-hydroxybutyrylation, and their relationships with MDD. The utility of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors (HDACis) for MDD treatment is also discussed. As a large number of MDD patients in China have been treated with traditional Chineses medicine (TCM), we also discuss some TCM therapies, such as Xiaoyaosan (XYS), and their effects on histone modification. In summary, targeting histone modification may be a new strategy for elucidating the mechanism of MDD and a new direction for MDD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man-Si Wu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Formula-Pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China;
| | - Xiao-Juan Li
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Formula-Pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China;
| | - Chen-Yue Liu
- Traditional Chinese Medicine School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China;
| | - Qiuyue Xu
- Department of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China;
| | - Jun-Qing Huang
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Formula-Pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China;
| | - Simeng Gu
- Department of Psychology, Jiangsu University Medical School, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Jia-Xu Chen
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Formula-Pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; ,Address correspondence to this author at the Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Formula-Pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; E-mail:
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6
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Caradonna SG, Zhang TY, O’Toole N, Shen MJ, Khalil H, Einhorn NR, Wen X, Parent C, Lee FS, Akil H, Meaney MJ, McEwen BS, Marrocco J. Genomic modules and intramodular network concordance in susceptible and resilient male mice across models of stress. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:987-999. [PMID: 34848858 PMCID: PMC8938529 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01219-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The multifactorial etiology of stress-related disorders necessitates a constant interrogation of the molecular convergences in preclinical models of stress that use disparate paradigms as stressors spanning from environmental challenges to genetic predisposition to hormonal signaling. Using RNA-sequencing, we investigated the genomic signatures in the ventral hippocampus common to mouse models of stress. Chronic oral corticosterone (CORT) induced increased anxiety- and depression-like behavior in wild-type male mice and male mice heterozygous for the gene coding for brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met, a variant associated with genetic susceptibility to stress. In a separate set of male mice, chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) led to a susceptible or a resilient population, whose proportion was dependent on housing conditions, namely standard housing or enriched environment. Rank-rank-hypergeometric overlap (RRHO), a threshold-free approach that ranks genes by their p value and effect size direction, was used to identify genes from a continuous gradient of significancy that were concordant across groups. In mice treated with CORT and in standard-housed susceptible mice, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were concordant for gene networks involved in neurotransmission, cytoskeleton function, and vascularization. Weighted gene co-expression analysis generated 54 gene hub modules and revealed two modules in which both CORT and CSDS-induced enrichment in DEGs, whose function was concordant with the RRHO predictions, and correlated with behavioral resilience or susceptibility. These data showed transcriptional concordance across models in which the stress coping depends upon hormonal, environmental, or genetic factors revealing common genomic drivers that embody the multifaceted nature of stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore G. Caradonna
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Tie-Yuan Zhang
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Nicholas O’Toole
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Mo-Jun Shen
- grid.452264.30000 0004 0530 269XSingapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Huzefa Khalil
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Nathan R. Einhorn
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Xianglan Wen
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Carine Parent
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Francis S. Lee
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Psychiatry, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY USA
| | - Huda Akil
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Michael J. Meaney
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada ,grid.452264.30000 0004 0530 269XSingapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Singapore, Singapore ,grid.4280.e0000 0001 2180 6431Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore, Singapore ,grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Sackler Program for Epigenetics & Psychobiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Bruce S. McEwen
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Jordan Marrocco
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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7
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Corticosterone induces discrete epigenetic signatures in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus that depend upon sex and genotype: focus on methylated Nr3c1 gene. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:109. [PMID: 35296634 PMCID: PMC8927334 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01864-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The genomic effects of circulating glucocorticoids are particularly relevant in cortico-limbic structures, which express a high concentration of steroid hormone receptors. To date, no studies have investigated genomic differences in hippocampal subregions, namely the dorsal (dHPC) and ventral (vHPC) hippocampus, in preclinical models treated with exogenous glucocorticoids. Chronic oral corticosterone (CORT) in mouse is a pharmacological approach that disrupts the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, increases affective behavior, and induces genomic changes after stress in the HPC of wildtype (WT) mice and mice heterozygous for the gene coding for brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met (hMet), a variant associated with genetic susceptibility to stress. Using RNA-sequencing, we investigated the genomic signatures of oral CORT in the dHPC and vHPC of WT and hMet male and female mice, and examined sex and genotype differences in response to oral CORT. Males under CORT showed lower glycemia and increased anxiety- and depression-like behavior compared to females that showed instead opposite affective behavior in response to CORT. Rank-rank-hypergeometric overlap (RRHO) was used to identify genes from a continuous gradient of significancy that were concordant across groups. RRHO showed that CORT-induced differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in WT mice and hMet mice converged in the dHPC of males and females, while in the vHPC, DEGs converged in males and diverged in females. The vHPC showed a higher number of DEGs compared to the dHPC and exhibited sex differences related to glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-binding genes and epigenetic modifiers. Methyl-DNA-immunoprecipitation in the vHPC revealed differential methylation of the exons 1C and 1F of the GR gene (Nr3c1) in hMet females. Together, we report behavioral and endocrinological sex differences in response to CORT, as well as epigenetic signatures that i) differ in the dHPC and vHPC,ii) are distinct in males and females, and iii) implicate differential methylation of Nr3c1 selectively in hMet females.
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8
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Faucher P, Huguet C, Mons N, Micheau J. Acute pre-learning stress selectively impairs hippocampus-dependent fear memory consolidation: Behavioral and molecular evidence. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 188:107585. [PMID: 35021061 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107585] [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: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite compelling evidence that stress or stress-related hormones influence fear memory consolidation processes, the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of stress is still fragmentary. The release of corticosterone in response to pre-learning stress exposure has been demonstrated to modulate positively or negatively memory encoding and/or consolidation according to many variables such as stress intensity, the emotional valence of the learned material or the interval between stressful episode and learning experience. Here, we report that contextual but not cued fear memory consolidation was selectively impaired in male mice exposed to a 50 min-period of restraint stress just before the unpaired fear conditioning session. In addition to behavioral impairment, acute stress down-regulated activated/phosphorylated ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) in dorsal hippocampal area CA1 in mice sacrificed 60 min and 9 h after unpaired conditioning. In lateral amygdala, although acute stress by itself increased the level of pERK1/2 it nevertheless blocked the peak of pERK1/2 that was normally observed 15 min after unpaired conditioning. To examine whether stress-induced corticosterone overflow was responsible of these detrimental effects, the corticosterone synthesis inhibitor, metyrapone, was administered 30 min before stress exposure. Metyrapone abrogated the stress-induced contextual fear memory deficits but did not alleviate the effects of stress on pERK1/2 and its downstream target phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) in hippocampus CA1 and lateral amygdala. Collectively, our observations suggest that consolidation of hippocampus-dependent memory and the associated signaling pathway are particularly sensitive to stress. However, behavioral normalization by preventive metyrapone treatment was not accompanied by renormalization of the canonical signaling pathway. A new avenue would be to consider surrogate mechanisms involving proper metyrapone influence on both nongenomic and genomic actions of glucocorticoid receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Faucher
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Célia Huguet
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Nicole Mons
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Jacques Micheau
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
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9
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Torres-Perez JV, Irfan J, Febrianto MR, Di Giovanni S, Nagy I. Histone post-translational modifications as potential therapeutic targets for pain management. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2021; 42:897-911. [PMID: 34565578 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Effective pharmacological management of pain associated with tissue pathology is an unmet medical need. Transcriptional modifications in nociceptive pathways are pivotal for the development and the maintenance of pain associated with tissue damage. Accumulating evidence has shown the importance of the epigenetic control of transcription in nociceptive pathways via histone post-translational modifications (PTMs). Hence, histone PTMs could be targets for novel effective analgesics. Here, we discuss the current understanding of histone PTMs in the modulation of gene expression affecting nociception and pain phenotypes following tissue injury. We also provide a critical view of the translational implications of preclinical models and discuss opportunities and challenges of targeting histone PTMs to relieve pain in clinically relevant tissue injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose V Torres-Perez
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College London and Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, 86 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, UK.
| | - Jahanzaib Irfan
- Nociception Group, Division of Anaesthesia, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus, 369 Fulham Road, London SW10 9FJ, UK
| | - Muhammad Rizki Febrianto
- Nociception Group, Division of Anaesthesia, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus, 369 Fulham Road, London SW10 9FJ, UK
| | - Simone Di Giovanni
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, E505, Burlington Danes, Du Cane Road, London W12 ONN, UK.
| | - Istvan Nagy
- Nociception Group, Division of Anaesthesia, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus, 369 Fulham Road, London SW10 9FJ, UK.
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Faillace MP, Bernabeu RO. Epigenetic Mechanisms Mediate Nicotine-Induced Reward and Behaviour in Zebrafish. Curr Neuropharmacol 2021; 20:510-523. [PMID: 34279203 PMCID: PMC9608226 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x19666210716112351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotine induces long-term changes in the neural activity of the mesocorticolimbic reward pathway structures. The mechanisms involved in this process have not been fully characterized. The hypothesis discussed here proposed that epigenetic regulation participates in the installation of persistent adaptations and long-lasting synaptic plasticity generated by nicotine action on the mesolimbic dopamine neurons of zebrafish. The epigenetic mechanisms induced by nicotine entail histone and DNA chemical modifications, which have been described to lead to changes in gene expression. Among the enzymes that catalyze epigenetic chemical modifications, histone deacetylases (HDACs) remove acetyl groups from histones, thereby facilitating DNA relaxation and making DNA more accessible to gene transcription. DNA methylation, which is dependent on DNA methyltransferase (DNMTs) activity, inhibits gene expression by recruiting several methyl binding proteins that prevent RNA polymerase binding to DNA. In zebrafish, phenylbutyrate (PhB), an HDAC inhibitor, abolishes nicotine rewarding properties together with a series of typical reward-associated behaviors. Furthermore, PhB and nicotine alter long- and short-term object recognition memory in zebrafish, respectively. Regarding DNA methylation effects, a methyl group donor L-methionine (L-met) was found to dramatically reduce nicotine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in zebrafish. Simultaneous treatment with DNMT inhibitor 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine (AZA) was found to reverse the L-met effect on nicotine-induced CPP as well as nicotine reward-specific effects on genetic expression in zebrafish. Therefore, pharmacological interventions that modulate epigenetic regulation of gene expression should be considered as a potential therapeutic method to treat nicotine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Paula Faillace
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina e Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Profesor Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO-Houssay, CONICET-UBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ramón O Bernabeu
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina e Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Profesor Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO-Houssay, CONICET-UBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Razavi Y, Karimi S, Karimi-Haghighi S, Hesam S, Haghparast A. Changes in c-fos and p-CREB signaling following exposure to forced swim stress or exogenous corticosterone during morphine-induced place preference are dependent on glucocorticoid receptor in the basolateral amygdala. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2020; 98:741-752. [PMID: 32574519 DOI: 10.1139/cjpp-2019-0712] [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] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Neural circuitry comprising the nucleus accumbens (NAc), prefrontal cortex (PFC), amygdala (AMY), and hippocampus (HIP) are the main components of the reward circuit. Our previous behavioral data showed that forced swim stress (FSS) and corticosterone administration could inhibit the acquisition of morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP), and this effect was blocked by intra-basolateral amygdala (BLA) administration of RU38486, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist. Therefore, we tried to evaluate the effect of intra-BLA administration of the GR antagonist during the conditioning phase on the c-fos and p-CREB/CREB ratio expression in the AMY, NAc, PFC, and HIP of rats that underwent FSS or received exogenous corticosterone (10 mg/kg; i.p.) before morphine injection (5 mg/kg; s.c.) during 3 conditioning days. Our results showed that morphine-induced CPP could increase c-fos level and p-CREB/CREB ratio in all regions (except in the HIP). In addition, c-fos expression was elevated by FSS in all regions and blockade of GR decreased this effect. In the PFC, in addition to FSS, corticosterone could raise c-fos expression, which was blocked by RU38486. In conclusion, it seems that the intra-BLA administration of RU38486 differently modulates the effect of morphine-induced CPP on the expression of c-fos and p-CREB/CREB ratio in animals that underwent FSS or corticosterone administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasaman Razavi
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Karimi
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeideh Karimi-Haghighi
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soghra Hesam
- Department of Neuroscience, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Abbas Haghparast
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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12
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de Queiroz KB, Cavalcante-Silva V, Lopes FL, Rocha GA, D'Almeida V, Coimbra RS. Vitamin B 12 is neuroprotective in experimental pneumococcal meningitis through modulation of hippocampal DNA methylation. J Neuroinflammation 2020; 17:96. [PMID: 32238192 PMCID: PMC7115084 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-020-01763-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Bacterial meningitis (BM) causes apoptotic damage to the hippocampus and homocysteine (Hcy) accumulation to neurotoxic levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of children. The Hcy pathway controls bioavailability of methyl, and its homeostasis can be modulated by vitamin B12, a cofactor of the methionine synthase enzyme. Herein, the neuroprotective potential and the underlying mode of action of vitamin B12 adjuvant therapy were assessed in an infant rat model of BM. Methods Eleven-day old rats were intracysternally infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3, or saline, treated with B12 or placebo, and, 24 h after infection, their hippocampi were analyzed for apoptosis in the dentate gyrus, sulfur amino acids content, global DNA methylation, transcription, and proximal promoter methylation of candidate genes. Differences between groups were compared using 2-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc test. Correlations were tested with Spearman’s test. Results B12 attenuated BM-induced hippocampal apoptosis in a Hcy-dependent manner (r = 0.80, P < 0.05). BM caused global DNA hypomethylation; however, B12 restored this parameter. Accordingly, B12 increased the methylation capacity of hippocampal cells from infected animals, as inferred from the ratio S-adenosylmethionine (SAM):S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) in infected animals. BM upregulated selected pro-inflammatory genes, and this effect was counteracted by B12, which also increased methylation of CpGs at the promoter of Ccl3 of infected animals. Conclusion Hcy is likely to play a central role in hippocampal damage in the infant rat model of BM, and B12 shows an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective action through methyl-dependent epigenetic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Barbosa de Queiroz
- Neurogenômica/Imunopatologia, Instituto René Rachou (IRR), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Av. Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP 30190-002, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Cavalcante-Silva
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP-EPM), Rua Botucatu, 740, São Paulo, SP, CEP 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Flávia Lombardi Lopes
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária de Araçatuba, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), R. Clóvis Pestana, 793, Araçatuba, SP, CEP 16050-680, Brazil
| | - Gifone Aguiar Rocha
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Bacteriologia, Departamento de Propedêutica Complementar, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP 30130-100, Brazil
| | - Vânia D'Almeida
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP-EPM), Rua Botucatu, 740, São Paulo, SP, CEP 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Roney Santos Coimbra
- Neurogenômica/Imunopatologia, Instituto René Rachou (IRR), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Av. Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP 30190-002, Brazil.
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13
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Pantic I, Jeremic R, Dacic S, Pekovic S, Pantic S, Djelic M, Vitic Z, Brkic P, Brodski C. Gray-Level Co-Occurrence Matrix Analysis of Granule Neurons of the Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus Following Cortical Injury. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2020; 26:166-172. [PMID: 31948501 DOI: 10.1017/s143192762000001x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a main cause of death and disabilities in young adults. Although learning and memory impairments are a major clinical manifestation of TBI, the consequences of TBI on the hippocampus are still not well understood. In particular, how lesions to the sensorimotor cortex damage the hippocampus, to which it is not directly connected, is still elusive. Here, we study the effects of sensorimotor cortex ablation (SCA) on the hippocampal dentate gyrus, by applying a highly sensitive gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) analysis. Using GLCM analysis of granule neurons, we discovered, in our TBI paradigm, subtle changes in granule cell (GC) morphology, including textual uniformity, contrast, and variance, which is not detected by conventional microscopy. We conclude that sensorimotor cortex trauma leads to specific changes in the hippocampus that advance our understanding of the cellular underpinnings of cognitive impairments in TBI. Moreover, we identified GLCM analysis as a highly sensitive method to detect subtle changes in the GC layers that is expected to significantly improve further studies investigating the impact of TBI on hippocampal neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Pantic
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Physiology, University of Belgrade, Visegradska 26/II, RS-11129Belgrade, Serbia
- University of Haifa, 199 Abba Hushi Blvd., Mount Carmel, Haifa, IL-3498838, Israel
| | - Rada Jeremic
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Physiology, University of Belgrade, Visegradska 26/II, RS-11129Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Sanja Dacic
- Department for General Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry "Ivan Djaja", Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Sanja Pekovic
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute for Biological Research "Sinisa Stankovic"- National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Blvd despota Stefana 142, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Senka Pantic
- School of Medicine, Institute of Histology and Embryology, University of Belgrade, Visegradska 26/II, RS-11129Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marina Djelic
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Physiology, University of Belgrade, Visegradska 26/II, RS-11129Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Zagorka Vitic
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Predrag Brkic
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Physiology, University of Belgrade, Visegradska 26/II, RS-11129Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Claude Brodski
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
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14
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Chen M, Zhang X, Hao W. H3K4 dimethylation at FosB promoter in the striatum of chronic stressed rats promotes morphine-induced conditioned place preference. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221506. [PMID: 31442272 PMCID: PMC6707596 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of FosB gene in striatum is essential in addiction establishment. Activated glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) induce FosB gene expression in response to stressor. Therefore, elevation of FosB expression in striatum serves as one mechanism by which stress increases risk for addiction. In this study, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to investigate whether chronic stress result in histone modifications at FosB gene promoter in striatum and how these histone modifications affect FosB expression and the establishment of addiction behavior after administration of drugs of abuse. Animals were randomly assigned to three groups: Electric foot shock (EFS) group received 7-day EFS to induce chronic stress; electric foot shock plus mifepristone (EFS + Mif) group were injected with mifepristone, a nonspecific GRs antagonist, before EFS; control group did not receive any EFS. All groups then received 2-day conditioned place preference (CPP) training with morphine (5 mg/kg body weight) to test vulnerability to drug addiction. Before and after morphine administration, FosB mRNA in striatum was quantified by real-time RT-PCR. Levels of histone H3/H4 acetylation and histone H3K4 dimethylation at FosB promoter in striatum after morphine administration were measured by using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) plus real-time PCR. EFS group had stronger place preference to morphine and had significantly higher level of FosB mRNA in striatum than the other two groups. H3K4 dimethylation was 2.6-fold higher in EFS group than control group, while no statistical difference in H3/H4 acetylation. Mifepristone administration before EFS decreased histone H3K4 dimethylation and FosB mRNA in striatum, and also diminished morphine-induced conditioned place preference. Altogether, increased level of H3K4 dimethylation at FosB promoter in striatum is partially dependent on the activation of GR and responsible for the elevated level of morphine-induced FosB mRNA in chronic stressed animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaojie Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Wei Hao
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, Hunan, China
- * E-mail:
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15
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Rigillo G, Vilella A, Benatti C, Schaeffer L, Brunello N, Blom JMC, Zoli M, Tascedda F. LPS-induced histone H3 phospho(Ser10)-acetylation(Lys14) regulates neuronal and microglial neuroinflammatory response. Brain Behav Immun 2018; 74:277-290. [PMID: 30244035 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications of DNA and histone proteins are emerging as fundamental mechanisms by which neural cells adapt their transcriptional response to environmental cues, such as, immune stimuli or stress. In particular, histone H3 phospho(Ser10)-acetylation(Lys14) (H3S10phK14ac) has been linked to activation of specific gene expression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of H3S10phK14ac in a neuroinflammatory condition. Adult male rats received a intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (830 μg/Kg/i.p., n = 6) or vehicle (saline 1 mL/kg/i.p., n = 6) and were sacrificed 2 or 6 h later. We showed marked region- and time-specific increases in H3S10phK14ac in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, two principal target regions of LPS. These changes were accompanied by a marked transcriptional activation of interleukin (IL) 1β, IL-6, Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF) α, the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the immediate early gene c-Fos. By means of chromatin immunoprecipitation, we demonstrated an increased region- and time-specific association of H3S10phK14ac with the promoters of IL-6, c-Fos and iNOS genes, suggesting that part of the LPS-induced transcriptional activation of these genes is regulated by H3S10phK14ac. Finally, by means of multiple immunofluorescence approach, we showed that increased H3S10phK14ac is cell type-specific, being neurons and reactive microglia, the principal histological types involved in this response. Present data point to H3S10phK14ac as a principal epigenetic regulator of neural cell response to systemic LPS and underline the importance of distinct time-, region- and cell-specific epigenetic mechanisms that regulate gene transcription to understand the mechanistic complexity of neuroinflammatory response to immune challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Rigillo
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Antonietta Vilella
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, 41125 Modena, Italy; Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Cristina Benatti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, 41125 Modena, Italy; Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Laurent Schaeffer
- Institut NeuroMyoGene, CNRS UMR5310, INSERM U1217, Université Lyon1, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Nicoletta Brunello
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, 41125 Modena, Italy; Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Johanna M C Blom
- Department of Education and Human Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, viale Antonio Allegri 9, 42121 Reggio Emilia, Italy; Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Michele Zoli
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, 41125 Modena, Italy; Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Fabio Tascedda
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, 41125 Modena, Italy; Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
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16
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Floriou-Servou A, von Ziegler L, Stalder L, Sturman O, Privitera M, Rassi A, Cremonesi A, Thöny B, Bohacek J. Distinct Proteomic, Transcriptomic, and Epigenetic Stress Responses in Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampus. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:531-541. [PMID: 29605177 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Revised: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acutely stressful experiences can trigger neuropsychiatric disorders and impair cognitive processes by altering hippocampal function. Although the intrinsic organization of the hippocampus is highly conserved throughout its long dorsal-ventral axis, the dorsal (anterior) hippocampus mediates spatial navigation and memory formation, whereas the ventral (posterior) hippocampus is involved in emotion regulation. To understand the molecular consequences of stress, detailed genome-wide screens are necessary and need to distinguish between dorsal and ventral hippocampal regions. While transcriptomic screens have become a mainstay in basic and clinical research, proteomic methods are rapidly evolving and hold even greater promise to reveal biologically and clinically relevant biomarkers. METHODS Here, we provide the first combined transcriptomic (RNA sequencing) and proteomic (sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra [SWATH-MS]) profiling of dorsal and ventral hippocampus in mice. We used three different acute stressors (novelty, swim, and restraint) to assess the impact of stress on both regions. RESULTS We demonstrated that both hippocampal regions display radically distinct molecular responses and that the ventral hippocampus is particularly sensitive to the effects of stress. Separately analyzing these structures greatly increased the sensitivity to detect stress-induced changes. For example, protein interaction cluster analyses revealed a stress-responsive epigenetic network around histone demethylase Kdm6b restricted to the ventral hippocampus, and acute stress reduced methylation of its enzymatic target H3K27me3. Selective Kdm6b knockdown in the ventral hippocampus led to behavioral hyperactivity/hyperresponsiveness. CONCLUSIONS These findings underscore the importance of considering dorsal and ventral hippocampus separately when conducting high-throughput molecular analyses, which has important implications for fundamental research as well as clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Floriou-Servou
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zurich, Institute for Neuroscience, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas von Ziegler
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zurich, Institute for Neuroscience, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Medical Faculty of the University Zürich and Department of Health Science and Technology of the ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luzia Stalder
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Medical Faculty of the University Zürich and Department of Health Science and Technology of the ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Sturman
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zurich, Institute for Neuroscience, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mattia Privitera
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zurich, Institute for Neuroscience, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anahita Rassi
- Division of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alessio Cremonesi
- Division of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beat Thöny
- Division of Metabolism, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Bohacek
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zurich, Institute for Neuroscience, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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17
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Kim GS, Smith AK, Nievergelt CM, Uddin M. Neuroepigenetics of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2018; 158:227-253. [PMID: 30072055 PMCID: PMC6474244 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
While diagnosis of PTSD is based on behavioral symptom clusters that are most directly associated with brain function, epigenetic studies of PTSD in humans to date have been limited to peripheral tissues. Animal models of PTSD have been key for understanding the epigenetic alterations in the brain most directly relevant to endophenotypes of PTSD, in particular those pertaining to fear memory and stress response. This chapter provides an overview of neuroepigenetic studies based on animal models of PTSD, with an emphasis on the effect of stress on fear memory. Where relevant, we also describe human-based studies with relevance to neuroepigenetic insights gleaned from animal work and suggest promising directions for future studies of PTSD neuroepigenetics in living humans that combine peripheral epigenetic measures with measures of central nervous system activity, structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace S Kim
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States; Medical Scholars Program, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Alicia K Smith
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Caroline M Nievergelt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Monica Uddin
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States.
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18
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Carter SD, Mifsud KR, Reul JMHM. Acute Stress Enhances Epigenetic Modifications But Does Not Affect the Constitutive Binding of pCREB to Immediate-Early Gene Promoters in the Rat Hippocampus. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:416. [PMID: 29311809 PMCID: PMC5742222 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The immediate early genes (IEGs) c-Fos and Egr-1 are rapidly and transiently induced in sparse neurons within the hippocampus after exposure to an acute stressor. The induction of these genes is a critical part of the molecular mechanisms underlying successful behavioral adaptation to stress. Our previous work has shown that transcriptional activation of c-Fos and Egr-1 in the hippocampus requires formation of a dual histone mark within their promoter regions, the phosphorylation of serine 10 and acetylation of lysine 9/14 of histone H3. In the present study, using chromatin immuno-precipitation (ChIP), we found that an increase in the formation of H3K9ac-S10p occurs within the c-Fos and Egr-1 promoters after FS stress in vivo and that these histone modifications were located to promoter regions containing cAMP Responsive Elements (CREs), but not in neighboring regions containing only Serum Responsive Elements (SREs). Surprisingly, however, subsequent ChIP analyses showed no changes in the binding of pCREB or CREB-binding protein (CBP) to the CREs after FS. In fact, pCREB binding to the c-Fos and Egr-1 promoters was already highly enriched under baseline conditions and did not increase further after stress. We suggest that constitutive pCREB binding may keep c-Fos and Egr-1 in a poised state for activation. Possibly, the formation of H3K9ac-S10p in the vicinity of CRE sites may participate in unblocking transcriptional elongation through recruitment of additional epigenetic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Johannes M. H. M. Reul
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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19
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Trollope AF, Mifsud KR, Saunderson EA, Reul JMHM. Molecular and Epigenetic Mechanisms Underlying Cognitive and Adaptive Responses to Stress. EPIGENOMES 2017; 1:17. [PMID: 31921466 PMCID: PMC6952278 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes1030017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Consolidation of contextual memories after a stressful encounter is essential for the survival of an organism and in allowing a more appropriate response to be elicited should the perceived threat reoccur. Recent evidence has explored the complex role that epigenetic mechanisms play in the formation of such memories, and the underlying signaling pathways are becoming more apparent. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) has been shown to play a key role in these events having both genomic and non-genomic actions in the brain. GR has been shown to interact with the extracellular signal-regulated kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK MAPK) signaling pathway which, in concert, drives epigenetic modifications and chromatin remodeling, resulting in gene induction and memory consolidation. Evidence indicates that stressful events can have an effect on the offspring in utero, and that epigenetic marks altered early in life may persist into adulthood. A new and controversial area of research, however, suggests that epigenetic modifications could be inherited through the germline, a concept known as transgenerational epigenetics. This review explores the role that epigenetic processes play in the central nervous system, specifically in the consolidation of stress-induced memories, the concept of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, and the potential role of epigenetics in revolutionizing the treatment of stress-related disorders through the emerging field of pharmacoepigenetics and personalized medical treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra F. Trollope
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville 4811, Australia
| | - Karen R. Mifsud
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK
| | - Emily A. Saunderson
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Johannes M. H. M. Reul
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK
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20
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Voikar V, Krackow S, Lipp HP, Rau A, Colacicco G, Wolfer DP. Automated dissection of permanent effects of hippocampal or prefrontal lesions on performance at spatial, working memory and circadian timing tasks of C57BL/6 mice in IntelliCage. Behav Brain Res 2017; 352:8-22. [PMID: 28927717 PMCID: PMC6102415 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.08.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
To evaluate permanent effects of hippocampal and prefrontal cortex lesion on spatial tasks, lesioned and sham-operated female C57BL/6 mice were exposed to a series of conditioning schemes in IntelliCages housing 8–10 transponder-tagged mice from each treatment group. Sequential testing started at 51–172 days after bilateral lesions and lasted for 154 and 218 days in two batches of mice, respectively. Spontaneous undisturbed behavioral patterns clearly separated the three groups, hippocampals being characterized by more erratic hyperactivity, and strongly impaired circadian synchronization ability. Hippocampal lesions led to deficits in spatial passive avoidance, as well as in spatial reference and working memory tasks. Impairment was minimal in rewarded preference/reversal schemes, but prominent if behavioral responses required precise circadian timing or included punishment of wrong spatial choices. No differences between sham-operated and prefrontally lesioned subjects in conditioning success were discernible. These results corroborate the view that hippocampal dysfunction spares simple spatial learning tasks but impairs the ability to cope with conflicting task-inherent spatial, temporal or emotional cues. Methodologically, the results show that automated testing and data analysis of socially kept mice is a powerful, efficient and animal-friendly tool for dissecting complex features and behavioral profiles of hippocampal dysfunction characterizing many transgenic or pharmacological mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vootele Voikar
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sven Krackow
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; XBehavior GmbH, Bänk, Dägerlen, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Peter Lipp
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zürich, Switzerland; School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Anton Rau
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Chair of Entrepreneurial Risks, Department of Management, Technology, and Economics, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
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21
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Dirven BCJ, Homberg JR, Kozicz T, Henckens MJAG. Epigenetic programming of the neuroendocrine stress response by adult life stress. J Mol Endocrinol 2017; 59:R11-R31. [PMID: 28400482 DOI: 10.1530/jme-17-0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is critically involved in the neuroendocrine regulation of stress adaptation, and the restoration of homeostasis following stress exposure. Dysregulation of this axis is associated with stress-related pathologies like major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder and chronic anxiety. It has long been understood that stress during early life can have a significant lasting influence on the development of the neuroendocrine system and its neural regulators, partially by modifying epigenetic regulation of gene expression, with implications for health and well-being in later life. Evidence is accumulating that epigenetic plasticity also extends to adulthood, proposing it as a mechanism by which psychological trauma later in life can long-lastingly affect HPA axis function, brain plasticity, neuronal function and behavioural adaptation to neuropsychological stress. Further corroborating this claim is the phenomenon that these epigenetic changes correlate with the behavioural consequences of trauma exposure. Thereby, epigenetic modifications provide a putative molecular mechanism by which the behavioural phenotype and transcriptional/translational potential of genes involved in HPA axis regulation can change drastically in response to environmental challenges, and appear an important target for treatment of stress-related disorders. However, improved insight is required to increase their therapeutic (drug) potential. Here, we provide an overview of the growing body of literature describing the epigenetic modulation of the (primarily neuroendocrine) stress response as a consequence of adult life stress and interpret the implications for, and the challenges involved in applying this knowledge to, the identification and treatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Anxiety/genetics
- Anxiety/metabolism
- Anxiety/physiopathology
- Brain/metabolism
- Brain/physiopathology
- DNA Methylation
- Depressive Disorder, Major/genetics
- Depressive Disorder, Major/metabolism
- Depressive Disorder, Major/physiopathology
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Histones/genetics
- Histones/metabolism
- Homeostasis
- Humans
- Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/metabolism
- Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/physiopathology
- MicroRNAs/genetics
- MicroRNAs/metabolism
- Neurons/metabolism
- Neurons/pathology
- Neurotransmitter Agents/metabolism
- Pituitary-Adrenal System/metabolism
- Pituitary-Adrenal System/physiopathology
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/genetics
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/metabolism
- Receptors, Mineralocorticoid/genetics
- Receptors, Mineralocorticoid/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/genetics
- Stress, Psychological/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/physiopathology
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Affiliation(s)
- B C J Dirven
- Department of AnatomyDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive NeuroscienceDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - J R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive NeuroscienceDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - T Kozicz
- Department of AnatomyDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - M J A G Henckens
- Department of Cognitive NeuroscienceDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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22
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Wang SE, Ko SY, Jo S, Choi M, Lee SH, Jo HR, Seo JY, Lee SH, Kim YS, Jung SJ, Son H. TRPV1 Regulates Stress Responses through HDAC2. Cell Rep 2017; 19:401-412. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.03.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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23
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Torres-Pérez JV, Sántha P, Varga A, Szucs P, Sousa-Valente J, Gaal B, Sivadó M, Andreou AP, Beattie S, Nagy B, Matesz K, C Arthur JS, Jancsó G, Nagy I. Phosphorylated Histone 3 at Serine 10 Identifies Activated Spinal Neurons and Contributes to the Development of Tissue Injury-Associated Pain. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41221. [PMID: 28120884 PMCID: PMC5264160 DOI: 10.1038/srep41221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional changes in superficial spinal dorsal horn neurons (SSDHN) are essential in the development and maintenance of prolonged pain. Epigenetic mechanisms including post-translational modifications in histones are pivotal in regulating transcription. Here, we report that phosphorylation of serine 10 (S10) in histone 3 (H3) specifically occurs in a group of rat SSDHN following the activation of nociceptive primary sensory neurons by burn injury, capsaicin application or sustained electrical activation of nociceptive primary sensory nerve fibres. In contrast, brief thermal or mechanical nociceptive stimuli, which fail to induce tissue injury or inflammation, do not produce the same effect. Blocking N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors or activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2, or blocking or deleting the mitogen- and stress-activated kinases 1 and 2 (MSK1/2), which phosphorylate S10 in H3, inhibit up-regulation in phosphorylated S10 in H3 (p-S10H3) as well as fos transcription, a down-stream effect of p-S10H3. Deleting MSK1/2 also inhibits the development of carrageenan-induced inflammatory heat hyperalgesia in mice. We propose that p-S10H3 is a novel marker for nociceptive processing in SSDHN with high relevance to transcriptional changes and the development of prolonged pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Vicente Torres-Pérez
- Nociception Group, Section of Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, SW10 9NH, United Kingdom
| | - Péter Sántha
- Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, H-6720, Hungary
| | - Angelika Varga
- MTA-DE-NAP B-Pain Control Research Group, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4012, Hungary
| | - Peter Szucs
- MTA-DE-NAP B-Pain Control Research Group, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4012, Hungary.,Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4012, Hungary
| | - Joao Sousa-Valente
- Nociception Group, Section of Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, SW10 9NH, United Kingdom
| | - Botond Gaal
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4012, Hungary
| | - Miklós Sivadó
- MTA-DE-NAP B-Pain Control Research Group, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4012, Hungary.,Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4012, Hungary
| | - Anna P Andreou
- Nociception Group, Section of Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, SW10 9NH, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Beattie
- Nociception Group, Section of Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, SW10 9NH, United Kingdom
| | - Bence Nagy
- The Ipswich Hospital, Ipswich, IP4 5PD, United Kingdom
| | - Klara Matesz
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4012, Hungary
| | - J Simon C Arthur
- Division of Cell Signalling and Immunology, College of Life Sciences, Sir James Black Centre, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Gábor Jancsó
- Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, H-6720, Hungary
| | - Istvan Nagy
- Nociception Group, Section of Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, SW10 9NH, United Kingdom
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24
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Tochiki KK, Maiarú M, Norris C, Hunt SP, Géranton SM. The mitogen and stress-activated protein kinase 1 regulates the rapid epigenetic tagging of dorsal horn neurons and nocifensive behaviour. Pain 2016; 157:2594-2604. [PMID: 27482631 PMCID: PMC5065054 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Revised: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Phosphorylation of histone H3 at serine 10 (p-H3S10) is a marker of active gene transcription. Using cognitive models of neural plasticity, p-H3S10 was shown to be downstream of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signalling in the hippocampus. In this study, we show that nociceptive signalling after peripheral formalin injection increased p-H3S10 expression in the ipsilateral dorsal horn. This increase was maximal 30 minutes after formalin injection and occurred mainly within p-ERK-positive neurons. Spinal p-H3S10-enhanced expression was also observed in neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R), c-Fos, and Zif268 positive neurons and was inhibited by ablation of serotonergic descending controls. The mitogen and stress-activated protein kinase 1 (MSK1) is downstream of ERK and can induce p-H3S10. We found that, after formalin injection, most phospho-MSK1 (p-MSK1)-positive cells (87% ± 3%) expressed p-ERK and the majority of p-H3S10-positive cells (85% ± 5%) expressed p-MSK1. Inhibition of ERK activity with the MEK inhibitor SL327 reduced formalin-induced p-ERK, p-MSK1, and p-H3S10, demonstrating that spinal p-MSK1 and p-H3S10 were at least partly downstream of ERK signalling. Crucially, pharmacological blockade of spinal MSK1 activity with the novel MSK1 inhibitor SB727651A inhibited formalin-induced spinal p-H3S10 and nocifensive behaviour. These findings are the first to establish the involvement of p-H3S10 and its main kinase, MSK1, in ERK regulation of nociception. Given the general importance of ERK signalling in pain processing, our results suggest that p-H3S10 could play a role in the response to injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keri K. Tochiki
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Maiarú
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Caspar Norris
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen P. Hunt
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sandrine M. Géranton
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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25
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Abstract
In this review, nonassociative learning is advanced as an organizing principle to draw together findings from both sympathetic-adrenal medullary and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis responses to chronic intermittent exposure to a variety of stressors. Studies of habituation, facilitation and sensitization of stress effector systems are reviewed and linked to an animal's prior experience with a given stressor, the intensity of the stressor and the appraisal by the animal of its ability to mobilize physiological systems to adapt to the stressor. Brain pathways that regulate physiological and behavioral responses to stress are discussed, especially in light of their regulation of nonassociative processes in chronic intermittent stress. These findings may have special relevance to various psychiatric diseases, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard McCarty
- a Department of Psychology , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , TN , USA
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26
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Lipp HP, Bonfanti L. Adult Neurogenesis in Mammals: Variations and Confusions. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2016; 87:205-221. [DOI: 10.1159/000446905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian adult neurogenesis has remained enigmatic. Two lines of research have emerged. One focuses on a potential repair mechanism in the human brain. The other aims at elucidating its functional role in the hippocampal formation, chiefly in cognitive processes; however, thus far it has been unsuccessful. Here, we try to recognize the sources of errors and conceptual confusion in comparative studies and neurobehavioral approaches with a focus on mice. Evolutionarily, mammalian adult neurogenesis appears as protracted juvenile neurogenesis originating from precursor cells in the secondary proliferation zones, from where newly formed cells migrate to target regions in the forebrain. This late developmental process is downregulated differentially in various brain structures depending on species and age. Adult neurogenesis declines substantially during early adulthood and persists at low levels into senescence. Short-lasting episodes in proliferation or reduction of adult neurogenesis may reflect a multitude of factors, and have been studied chiefly in mice and rats. Comparative studies face both species-specific variations in staining and technical abilities of laboratories, lacking quantification of important reference measures (e.g. granule cell number) and evaluation of maturational markers whose persistence might be functionally more relevant than proliferation rates. Likewise, the confusion about the functional role of variations in adult hippocampal neurogenesis has many causes. Prominent is an inferential statistical approach, usually with low statistical power. Interpretation is complicated by multiple theories about hippocampal function, often unrealistically extrapolating from humans to rodents. We believe that the field of mammalian adult neurogenesis needs more critical thinking, more sophisticated hypotheses, better statistical, technical and behavioral approaches, and a broader conceptual perspective incorporating comparative aspects rather than neglecting them.
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27
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Saunderson EA, Spiers H, Mifsud KR, Gutierrez-Mecinas M, Trollope AF, Shaikh A, Mill J, Reul JMHM. Stress-induced gene expression and behavior are controlled by DNA methylation and methyl donor availability in the dentate gyrus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:4830-5. [PMID: 27078100 PMCID: PMC4855538 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1524857113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Stressful events evoke long-term changes in behavioral responses; however, the underlying mechanisms in the brain are not well understood. Previous work has shown that epigenetic changes and immediate-early gene (IEG) induction in stress-activated dentate gyrus (DG) granule neurons play a crucial role in these behavioral responses. Here, we show that an acute stressful challenge [i.e., forced swimming (FS)] results in DNA demethylation at specific CpG (5'-cytosine-phosphate-guanine-3') sites close to the c-Fos (FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog) transcriptional start site and within the gene promoter region of Egr-1 (early growth response protein 1) specifically in the DG. Administration of the (endogenous) methyl donor S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) did not affect CpG methylation and IEG gene expression at baseline. However, administration of SAM before the FS challenge resulted in an enhanced CpG methylation at the IEG loci and suppression of IEG induction specifically in the DG and an impaired behavioral immobility response 24 h later. The stressor also specifically increased the expression of the de novo DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3a [DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 3 alpha] in this hippocampus region. Moreover, stress resulted in an increased association of Dnmt3a enzyme with the affected CpG loci within the IEG genes. No effects of SAM were observed on stress-evoked histone modifications, including H3S10p-K14ac (histone H3, phosphorylated serine 10 and acetylated lysine-14), H3K4me3 (histone H3, trimethylated lysine-4), H3K9me3 (histone H3, trimethylated lysine-9), and H3K27me3 (histone H3, trimethylated lysine-27). We conclude that the DNA methylation status of IEGs plays a crucial role in FS-induced IEG induction in DG granule neurons and associated behavioral responses. In addition, the concentration of available methyl donor, possibly in conjunction with Dnmt3a, is critical for the responsiveness of dentate neurons to environmental stimuli in terms of gene expression and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Saunderson
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Spiers
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Karen R Mifsud
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | | | - Alexandra F Trollope
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Abeera Shaikh
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Mill
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom; University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter EX2 5DW, United Kingdom
| | - Johannes M H M Reul
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom;
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28
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Mifsud KR, Saunderson EA, Spiers H, Carter SD, Trollope AF, Mill J, Reul JMHM. Rapid Down-Regulation of Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene Expression in the Dentate Gyrus after Acute Stress in vivo: Role of DNA Methylation and MicroRNA Activity. Neuroendocrinology 2016; 104:157-169. [PMID: 27054829 DOI: 10.1159/000445875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the hippocampus play a vital role in the regulation of physiological and behavioural responses to stress, the regulation of receptor expression remains unclear. This work investigates the molecular mechanisms underpinning stress-induced changes in hippocampal GR mRNA levels in vivo. METHODS Male Wistar rats were killed either under baseline conditions or after forced swim stress (FSS; 15 min in 25°C water). Rat hippocampi were micro-dissected (for mRNA, microRNA, and DNA methylation analysis) or frozen whole (for chromatin immunoprecipitation). In an additional experiment, rats were pre-treated with RU486 (a GR antagonist) or vehicle. RESULTS FSS evoked a dentate gyrus-specific reduction in GR mRNA levels. This was related to an increased DNMT3a protein association with a discreet region of the Nr3c1 (GR gene) promoter, shown here to undergo increased DNA methylation after FSS. FSS also caused a time-dependent increase in the expression of miR-124a, a microRNA known to reduce GR mRNA expression, which was inversely correlated with a reduction in GR mRNA levels 30 min after FSS. FSS did not affect GR binding to a putative negative glucocorticoid response element within the Nr3c1 gene. CONCLUSIONS Acute stress results in decreased GR mRNA expression specifically in the dentate gyrus. Our results indicate that a complex interplay of multiple molecular mechanisms - including increased DNA methylation of discrete CpG residues within the Nr3c1 gene, most likely facilitated by DNMT3a, and increased expression of miR-124a - could be responsible for these changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen R Mifsud
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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29
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de Kloet ER, Molendijk ML. Coping with the Forced Swim Stressor: Towards Understanding an Adaptive Mechanism. Neural Plast 2016; 2016:6503162. [PMID: 27034848 PMCID: PMC4806646 DOI: 10.1155/2016/6503162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 225] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the forced swim test (FST) rodents progressively show increased episodes of immobility if immersed in a beaker with water from where escape is not possible. In this test, a compound qualifies as a potential antidepressant if it prevents or delays the transition to this passive (energy conserving) behavioural style. In the past decade however the switch from active to passive "coping" was used increasingly to describe the phenotype of an animal that has been exposed to a stressful history and/or genetic modification. A PubMed analysis revealed that in a rapidly increasing number of papers (currently more than 2,000) stress-related immobility in the FST is labeled as a depression-like phenotype. In this contribution we will examine the different phases of information processing during coping with the forced swim stressor. For this purpose we focus on the action of corticosterone that is mediated by the closely related mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in the limbic brain. The evidence available suggests a model in which we propose that the limbic MR-mediated response selection operates in complementary fashion with dopaminergic accumbens/prefrontal executive functions to regulate the transition between active and passive coping styles. Upon rescue from the beaker the preferred, mostly passive, coping style is stored in the memory via a GR-dependent action in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. It is concluded that the rodent's behavioural response to a forced swim stressor does not reflect depression. Rather the forced swim experience provides a unique paradigm to investigate the mechanistic underpinning of stress coping and adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. R. de Kloet
- Division of Medical Pharmacology and Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, Netherlands
- Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - M. L. Molendijk
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
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30
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Role of hippocampal β-adrenergic and glucocorticoid receptors in the novelty-induced enhancement of fear extinction. J Neurosci 2015; 35:8308-21. [PMID: 26019344 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0005-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear extinction forms a new memory but does not erase the original fear memory. Exposure to novelty facilitates transfer of short-term extinction memory to long-lasting memory. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are still unclear. Using a classical contextual fear-conditioning model, we investigated the effect of novelty on long-lasting extinction memory in rats. We found that exposure to a novel environment but not familiar environment 1 h before or after extinction enhanced extinction long-term memory (LTM) and reduced fear reinstatement. However, exploring novelty 6 h before or after extinction had no such effect. Infusion of the β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) inhibitor propranolol and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) inhibitor RU486 into the CA1 area of the dorsal hippocampus before novelty exposure blocked the effect of novelty on extinction memory. Propranolol prevented activation of the hippocampal PKA-CREB pathway, and RU486 prevented activation of the hippocampal extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2)-CREB pathway induced by novelty exposure. These results indicate that the hippocampal βAR-PKA-CREB and GR-Erk1/2-CREB pathways mediate the extinction-enhancing effect of novelty exposure. Infusion of RU486 or the Erk1/2 inhibitor U0126, but not propranolol or the PKA inhibitor Rp-cAMPS, into the CA1 before extinction disrupted the formation of extinction LTM, suggesting that hippocampal GR and Erk1/2 but not βAR or PKA play critical roles in this process. These results indicate that novelty promotes extinction memory via hippocampal βAR- and GR-dependent pathways, and Erk1/2 may serve as a behavioral tag of extinction.
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31
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Carter SD, Mifsud KR, Reul JMHM. Distinct epigenetic and gene expression changes in rat hippocampal neurons after Morris water maze training. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:156. [PMID: 26136669 PMCID: PMC4468857 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene transcription and translation in the hippocampus is of critical importance in hippocampus-dependent memory formation, including during Morris water maze (MWM) learning. Previous work using gene deletion models has shown that the immediate-early genes (IEGs) c-Fos, Egr-1, and Arc are crucial for such learning. Recently, we reported that induction of IEGs in sparse dentate gyrus neurons requires ERK MAPK signaling and downstream formation of a distinct epigenetic histone mark (i.e., phospho-acetylated histone H3). Until now, this signaling, epigenetic and gene transcriptional pathway has not been comprehensively studied in the MWM model. Therefore, we conducted a detailed study of the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and serine10 in histone H3 (H3S10p) and induction of IEGs in the hippocampus of MWM trained rats and matched controls. MWM training evoked consecutive waves of ERK1/2 phosphorylation and H3S10 phosphorylation, as well as c-Fos, Egr-1, and Arc induction in sparse hippocampal neurons. The observed effects were most pronounced in the dentate gyrus. A positive correlation was found between the average latency to find the platform and the number of H3S10p-positive dentate gyrus neurons. Furthermore, chromatin immuno-precipitation (ChIP) revealed a significantly increased association of phospho-acetylated histone H3 (H3K9ac-S10p) with the gene promoters of c-Fos and Egr-1, but not Arc, after MWM exposure compared with controls. Surprisingly, however, we found very little difference between IEG responses (regarding both protein and mRNA) in MWM-trained rats compared with matched swim controls. We conclude that exposure to the water maze evokes ERK MAPK activation, distinct epigenetic changes and IEG induction predominantly in sparse dentate gyrus neurons. It appears, however, that a specific role for IEGs in the learning aspect of MWM training may become apparent in downstream AP-1- and Egr-1-regulated (second wave) genes and Arc-dependent effector mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Johannes M. H. M. Reul
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences, University of BristolBristol, UK
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32
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Ieraci A, Mallei A, Musazzi L, Popoli M. Physical exercise and acute restraint stress differentially modulate hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor transcripts and epigenetic mechanisms in mice. Hippocampus 2015; 25:1380-92. [PMID: 25820928 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Physical exercise and stressful experiences have been shown to exert opposite effects on behavioral functions and brain plasticity, partly by involving the action of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Although epigenetic modifications are known to play a pivotal role in the regulation of the different BDNF transcripts, it is poorly understood whether epigenetic mechanisms are also implied in the BDNF modulation induced by physical exercise and stress. Here, we show that total BDNF mRNA levels and BDNF transcripts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 were reduced immediately after acute restraint stress (RS) in the hippocampus of mice, and returned to control levels 24 h after the stress session. On the contrary, exercise increased BDNF mRNA expression and counteracted the stress-induced decrease of BDNF transcripts. Physical exercise-induced up-regulation of BDNF transcripts was accounted for by increase in histone H3 acetylated levels at specific BDNF promoters, whereas the histone H3 trimethylated lysine 27 and dimethylated lysine 9 levels were unaffected. Acute RS did not change the levels of acetylated and methylated histone H3 at the BDNF promoters. Furthermore, we found that physical exercise and RS were able to differentially modulate the histone deacetylases mRNA levels. Finally, we report that a single treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitors, prior to acute stress exposure, prevented the down-regulation of total BDNF and BDNF transcripts 1, 2, 3, and 6, partially reproducing the effect of physical exercise. Overall, these results suggest that physical exercise and stress are able to differentially modulate the expression of BDNF transcripts by possible different epigenetic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Ieraci
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari and CEND, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Mallei
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari and CEND, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Laura Musazzi
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari and CEND, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari and CEND, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
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Roth ED, Roth TL, Money KM, SenGupta S, Eason DE, Sweatt JD. DNA methylation regulates neurophysiological spatial representation in memory formation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 2:1-8. [PMID: 25960947 DOI: 10.1016/j.nepig.2015.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms including altered DNA methylation are critical for altered gene transcription subserving synaptic plasticity and the retention of learned behavior. Here we tested the idea that one role for activity-dependent altered DNA methylation is stabilization of cognition-associated hippocampal place cell firing in response to novel place learning. We observed that a behavioral protocol (spatial exploration of a novel environment) known to induce hippocampal place cell remapping resulted in alterations of hippocampal Bdnf DNA methylation. Further studies using neurophysiological in vivo single unit recordings revealed that pharmacological manipulations of DNA methylation decreased long-term but not short-term place field stability. Together our data highlight a role for DNA methylation in regulating neurophysiological spatial representation and memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric D Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brian Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 ; Department of Neurobiology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294
| | - Tania L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brian Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 ; Department of Neurobiology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294
| | - Kelli M Money
- Department of Neurobiology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294
| | - Sonda SenGupta
- Department of Neurobiology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294
| | - Dawn E Eason
- Department of Neurobiology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294
| | - J David Sweatt
- Department of Neurobiology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294
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Wang X, Zhang D, Lu XY. Dentate gyrus-CA3 glutamate release/NMDA transmission mediates behavioral despair and antidepressant-like responses to leptin. Mol Psychiatry 2015; 20:509-19. [PMID: 25092243 PMCID: PMC4362753 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2014.75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Revised: 04/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/19/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Compelling evidence supports the important role of the glutamatergic system in the pathophysiology of major depression and also as a target for rapid-acting antidepressants. However, the functional role of glutamate release/transmission in behavioral processes related to depression and antidepressant efficacy remains to be elucidated. In this study, glutamate release and behavioral responses to tail suspension, a procedure commonly used for inducing behavioral despair, were simultaneously monitored in real time. The onset of tail suspension stress evoked a rapid increase in glutamate release in hippocampal field CA3, which declined gradually after its offset. Blockade of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors by intra-CA3 infusion of MK-801, a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, reversed behavioral despair. A subpopulation of granule neurons that innervated the CA3 region expressed leptin receptors and these cells were not activated by stress. Leptin treatment dampened tail suspension-evoked glutamate release in CA3. On the other hand, intra-CA3 infusion of NMDA blocked the antidepressant-like effect of leptin in reversing behavioral despair in both the tail suspension and forced swim tests, which involved activation of Akt signaling in DG. Taken together, these results suggest that the DG-CA3 glutamatergic pathway is critical for mediating behavioral despair and antidepressant-like responses to leptin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuezhen Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA,Institute for Metabolic and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University, China
| | - Di Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Xin-Yun Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA, Correspondence: Xin-Yun Lu, M.D., Ph.D. Department of Pharmacology University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 7703 Floyd Curl Drive San Antonio, TX 78229, USA Phone: 210-567-0803 Fax: 210-567-4303
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Wei JY, Lu QN, Li WM, He W. Intracellular translocation of histone deacetylase 5 regulates neuronal cell apoptosis. Brain Res 2015; 1604:15-24. [PMID: 25661252 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.01.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2014] [Revised: 01/08/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) undergoes signal-dependent shuttling between the nucleus and cytoplasm, which is regulated in part by calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaMK)-mediated phosphorylation. Here, we report that HDAC5 regulates the survival of cortical neurons in pathological conditions. HDAC5 was evenly localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm in cultured cortical neurons. However, in response to 50μM NMDA conditions that induced neuronal cell apoptosis, nuclear-distributed HDAC5 was rapidly phosphorylated and translocated into cytoplasm of the cultured cortical neurons. Treatment with a CaMKII inhibitor KN93 suppressed HDAC5 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation induced by NMDA, whereas constitutively active CaMKIIα (T286D) stimulated HDAC5 nuclear export. Importantly, we showed that ectopic expression of nuclear-localized HDAC5 in cortical neurons suppressed NMDA-induced apoptosis. Finally, inactivation of HDAC5 by treatment with the class II-specific HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) promoted NMDA-induced neuronal cell apoptosis. Altogether, these data identify HDAC5 and its intracellular translocation as key effectors of multiple pathways that regulate neuronal cell apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Yi Wei
- Department of Developmental Biology, Key Lab of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, 92 Beier Road, Heping District, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Qiu-Nan Lu
- Department of Developmental Biology, Key Lab of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, 92 Beier Road, Heping District, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Wan-Ming Li
- Department of Developmental Biology, Key Lab of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, 92 Beier Road, Heping District, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Wei He
- Department of Developmental Biology, Key Lab of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, and Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, 92 Beier Road, Heping District, Shenyang 110001, China.
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Reul JM, Collins A, Saliba RS, Mifsud KR, Carter SD, Gutierrez-Mecinas M, Qian X, Linthorst AC. Glucocorticoids, epigenetic control and stress resilience. Neurobiol Stress 2015; 1:44-59. [PMID: 27589660 PMCID: PMC4721318 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2014.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 10/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoid hormones play a pivotal role in the response to stressful challenges. The surge in glucocorticoid hormone secretion after stress needs to be tightly controlled with characteristics like peak height, curvature and duration depending on the nature and severity of the challenge. This is important as chronic hyper- or hypo-responses are detrimental to health due to increasing the risk for developing a stress-related mental disorder. Proper glucocorticoid responses to stress are critical for adaptation. Therefore, the tight control of baseline and stress-evoked glucocorticoid secretion are important constituents of an organism's resilience. Here, we address a number of mechanisms that illustrate the multitude and complexity of measures safeguarding the control of glucocorticoid function. These mechanisms include the control of mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) occupancy and concentration, the dynamic control of free glucocorticoid hormone availability by corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), and the control exerted by glucocorticoids at the signaling, epigenetic and genomic level on gene transcriptional responses to stress. We review the beneficial effects of regular exercise on HPA axis and sleep physiology, and cognitive and anxiety-related behavior. Furthermore, we describe that, possibly through changes in the GABAergic system, exercise reduces the impact of stress on a signaling pathway specifically in the dentate gyrus that is strongly implicated in the behavioral response to that stressor. These observations underline the impact of life style on stress resilience. Finally, we address how single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affecting glucocorticoid action can compromise stress resilience, which becomes most apparent under conditions of childhood abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes M.H.M. Reul
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Collins
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Richard S. Saliba
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Karen R. Mifsud
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvia D. Carter
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Gutierrez-Mecinas
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaoxiao Qian
- Neurobiology of Stress and Behaviour Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Astrid C.E. Linthorst
- Neurobiology of Stress and Behaviour Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
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Desplats PA. Perinatal programming of neurodevelopment: epigenetic mechanisms and the prenatal shaping of the brain. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2015; 10:335-61. [PMID: 25287548 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1372-5_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The recent years have witnessed an exponential growth in the knowledge of epigenetic mechanisms, and piling evidence now links DNA methylation and histone modifications with a wide range of physiological processes from embryonic development to memory formation and behavior. Not surprisingly, deregulation of epigenetic modifications is associated with human diseases as well.An important feature of epigenetics is the ability of transducing environmental input into biological signaling, mainly by modulation of the transcriptome in response to a particular scenario. This characteristic generates developmental plasticity and allows the manifestation of a variety of phenotypes from the same genome.The early-life years represent a period of particular susceptibility to epigenetic alteration, as active changes in DNA methylation and histone marks are occurring as part of developmental programs and in response to environmental cues, which notably include psychosocial stimulation and maternal behavior. Memory formation and storage, response to stress in adult life, behavior, and manifestation of neurodegenerative conditions can all be imprinted in the organism by epigenetic modifications that contribute to shape the brain during prenatal or early postnatal life. Moreover, if these epigenetic alterations are preserved in the germ line, changes induced in one generation are likely inherited by future offspring. Programming by transgenerational inheritance thus represents a central mechanism by which environmental conditions may influence disease risk across multiple generations.As novel techniques emerge and as genome-wide profiling of disease-associated methylomes is achieved, epigenetic marks open a new source for biomarker discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula A Desplats
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA,
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Ferland CL, Harris EP, Lam M, Schrader LA. Facilitation of the HPA axis to a novel acute stress following chronic stress exposure modulates histone acetylation and the ERK/MAPK pathway in the dentate gyrus of male rats. Endocrinology 2014; 155:2942-52. [PMID: 24693964 PMCID: PMC4098008 DOI: 10.1210/en.2013-1918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that when presented with novel acute stress, animals previously exposed to chronic homotypic or heterotypic stressors exhibit normal or enhanced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) response compared with animals exposed solely to that acute stressor. The molecular mechanisms involved in this effect remain unknown. The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is one of the key pathways regulated in the hippocampus in both acute and chronic stress. The aim of this study was to examine the interaction of prior chronic stress, using the chronic variable stress model (CVS), with exposure to a novel acute stressor (2,5-dihydro-2,4,5-trimethyl thiazoline; TMT) on ERK activation, expression of the downstream protein BCL-2, and the glucocorticoid receptor co-chaperone BAG-1 in control and chronically stressed male rats. TMT exposure after chronic stress resulted in a significant interaction of chronic and acute stress in all 3 hippocampus subregions on ERK activation and BCL-2 expression. Significantly, acute stress increased ERK activation, BCL-2 and BAG-1 protein expression in the dentate gyrus (DG) of CVS-treated rats compared with control, CVS-treated alone, and TMT-only animals. Furthermore, CVS significantly increased ERK activation in medial prefrontal cortex, but acute stress had no significant effect. Inhibition of corticosterone synthesis with metyrapone had no significant effect on ERK activation in the hippocampus; therefore, glucocorticoids alone do not mediate the molecular effects. Finally, because post-translational modifications of histones are believed to play an important role in the stress response, we examined changes in histone acetylation. We found that, in general, chronic stress decreased K12H4 acetylation, whereas acute stress increased acetylation. These results indicate a molecular mechanism by which chronic stress-induced HPA axis plasticity can lead to neurochemical alterations in the hippocampus that influence reactivity to subsequent stress exposure. This may represent an important site of dysfunction that contributes to stress-induced pathology such as depression, anxiety disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantelle L Ferland
- Neuroscience Program (C.L.F., E.P.H., L.A.S.), and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (M.L., L.A.S.), Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118
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FGF2 is a target and a trigger of epigenetic mechanisms associated with differences in emotionality: partnership with H3K9me3. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:11834-9. [PMID: 25071177 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1411618111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications of histone tails in chromatin template can result from environmental experiences such as stress and substance abuse. However, the role of epigenetic modifications as potential predisposing factors in affective behavior is less well established. To address this question, we used our selectively bred lines of high responder (bHR) and low responder (bLR) rats that show profound and stable differences in affective responses, with bLRs being prone to anxiety- and depression-like behavior and bHRs prone to addictive behavior. We first asked whether these phenotypes are associated with basal differences in epigenetic profiles. Our results reveal broad between-group differences in basal levels of trimethylated histone protein H3 at lysine 9 (H3K9me3) in hippocampus (HC), amygdala, and nucleus accumbens. Moreover, levels of association of H3K9me3 at Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) and Fibroblast growth Factor 2 (FGF2) promoters differ reciprocally between bHRs and bLRs in these regions, consistent with these genes' opposing levels of expression and roles in modulating anxiety behavior. Importantly, this basal epigenetic pattern is modifiable by FGF2, a factor that modulates anxiety behavior. Thus, early-life FGF2, which decreases anxiety, altered the levels of H3K9me3 and its binding at FGF2 and GR promoters of bLRs rendering them more similar to bHRs. Conversely, knockdown of HC FGF2 altered both anxiety behavior and levels of H3K9me3 in bHRs, rendering them more bLR-like. These findings implicate FGF2 as a modifier of epigenetic mechanisms associated with emotional responsiveness, and point to H3K9me3 as a key player in the regulation of affective vulnerability.
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Levina AS, Shiryaeva NV, Vaido AI, Dyuzhikova NA. Effect of NMDA receptor activity on histone H3 methylation and its asymmetry in the hippocampal pyramidal neurons of rats with different excitability thresholds under normal and stress conditions. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2014. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093013060091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Rapid changes in histone deacetylases and inflammatory gene expression in expert meditators. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 40:96-107. [PMID: 24485481 PMCID: PMC4039194 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Revised: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing body of research shows that mindfulness meditation can alter neural, behavioral and biochemical processes. However, the mechanisms responsible for such clinically relevant effects remain elusive. METHODS Here we explored the impact of a day of intensive practice of mindfulness meditation in experienced subjects (n=19) on the expression of circadian, chromatin modulatory and inflammatory genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). In parallel, we analyzed a control group of subjects with no meditation experience who engaged in leisure activities in the same environment (n=21). PBMC from all participants were obtained before (t1) and after (t2) the intervention (t2-t1=8h) and gene expression was analyzed using custom pathway focused quantitative-real time PCR assays. Both groups were also presented with the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). RESULTS Core clock gene expression at baseline (t1) was similar between groups and their rhythmicity was not influenced in meditators by the intensive day of practice. Similarly, we found that all the epigenetic regulatory enzymes and inflammatory genes analyzed exhibited similar basal expression levels in the two groups. In contrast, after the brief intervention we detected reduced expression of histone deacetylase genes (HDAC 2, 3 and 9), alterations in global modification of histones (H4ac; H3K4me3) and decreased expression of pro-inflammatory genes (RIPK2 and COX2) in meditators compared with controls. We found that the expression of RIPK2 and HDAC2 genes was associated with a faster cortisol recovery to the TSST in both groups. CONCLUSIONS The regulation of HDACs and inflammatory pathways may represent some of the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic potential of mindfulness-based interventions. Our findings set the foundation for future studies to further assess meditation strategies for the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions.
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Ciccarelli A, Giustetto M. Role of ERK signaling in activity-dependent modifications of histone proteins. Neuropharmacology 2014; 80:34-44. [PMID: 24486378 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.01.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
It is well-established that neuronal intracellular signaling governed by the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK/MAPK) plays a crucial role in long-term adaptive changes that occur during cognitive processes. ERK is a downstream component of a conserved signaling module that is activated by the serine/threonine kinase, Raf, which activates the MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK)1/2 protein kinases, which, in turn, activate ERK1/2. This signaling pathway has been reported to be activated in numerous physiological conditions due to a variety of stimuli, ranging from the activation of ionotropic glutamatergic receptors to metabotropic dopaminergic receptors and neurotrophin receptors. Interestingly, activated ERK can have early and late downstream effects at both the nuclear and synaptic levels. Locally, ERK signaling results in transient changes in the efficacy of synaptic transmission by modifying both pre- and post-synaptic targets. Once translocated into the nucleus, ERK signaling may control transcription by targeting several different regulators of gene expression such as transcription factors and histone proteins. ERK function is considered fundamental in processes such as long-term memory storage and drug addiction, by means of its role in activity-dependent epigenetic modifications that occur in the brain. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of ERK action in the neuroepigenetic processes underlying physiological responses, cognitive processes and drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Ciccarelli
- University of Turin, Department of Neuroscience, C.so M. D'Azeglio 52, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Maurizio Giustetto
- University of Turin, Department of Neuroscience, C.so M. D'Azeglio 52, 10126 Turin, Italy; National Institute of Neuroscience-Italy, C.so M. D'Azeglio 52, 10126 Turin, Italy.
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Reul JMHM. Making memories of stressful events: a journey along epigenetic, gene transcription, and signaling pathways. Front Psychiatry 2014; 5:5. [PMID: 24478733 PMCID: PMC3897878 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2013] [Accepted: 01/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Strong psychologically stressful events are known to have a long-lasting impact on behavior. The consolidation of such, largely adaptive, behavioral responses to stressful events involves changes in gene expression in limbic brain regions such as the hippocampus and amygdala. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms were until recently unresolved. More than a decade ago, we started to investigate the role of these hormones in signaling and epigenetic mechanisms participating in the effects of stress on gene transcription in hippocampal neurons. We discovered a novel, rapid non-genomic mechanism in which glucocorticoids via glucocorticoid receptors facilitate signaling of the ERK-MAPK signaling pathway to the downstream nuclear kinases MSK1 and Elk-1 in dentate gyrus granule neurons. Activation of this signaling pathway results in serine10 (S10) phosphorylation and lysine14 (K14) acetylation at histone H3 (H3S10p-K14ac), leading to the induction of the immediate-early genes c-Fos and Egr-1. In addition, we found a role of the DNA methylation status of gene promoters. A series of studies showed that these molecular mechanisms play a critical role in the long-lasting consolidation of behavioral responses in the forced swim test and Morris water maze. Furthermore, an important role of GABA was found in controlling the epigenetic and gene transcriptional responses to psychological stress. Thus, psychologically stressful events evoke a long-term impact on behavior through changes in hippocampal function brought about by distinct glutamatergic and glucocorticoid-driven changes in epigenetic regulation of gene transcription, which are modulated by (local) GABAergic interneurons and limbic afferent inputs. These epigenetic processes may play an important role in the etiology of stress-related mental disorders such as major depressive and anxiety disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes M. H. M. Reul
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Hou N, Gong M, Bi Y, Zhang Y, Tan B, Liu Y, Wei X, Chen J, Li T. Spatiotemporal expression of HDAC2 during the postnatal development of the rat hippocampus. Int J Med Sci 2014; 11:788-95. [PMID: 24936141 PMCID: PMC4057485 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.8417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2013] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Histone acetylation, which is a chromatin modification of histone tails, can dynamically regulate the expression of various genes in normal development. HDAC2 is a negative regulatory factor of acetylation and closely related to learning and memory. NSE is a nerve marker and vital for maintaining physiological functions in nervous system. Currently, few studies associated with the expression pattern of HDAC2 in postnatal rat hippocampus have been reported. This study aimed to explore the temporal and spatial expression pattern of HDAC2, helping to reveal the expression characteristics of HDAC2 during postnatal neuronal maturation. MATERIALS AND METHODS With NSE as a biomarker of neuronal maturation at postnatal days 1, 3, 7 and weeks 2, 4, and 8 (P1D, P3D, P7D, P2W, P4W, P8W), the expression patterns of HDAC2 in rat hippocampus were examined using real-time PCR and western blotting. Additionally, the subcellular distribution of HDAC2 was analysed by immunofluorescence. RESULTS We found that HDAC2 was highly expressed in the neonatal period and decreased gradually. HDAC2 expression was widely distributed in neurons of hippocampal CA1, CA3 and DG regions and gradually shifted from the nucleus to the cytoplasm during postnatal development. Altogether, the expression of HDAC2 decreased gradually with different subcellular localizations throughout development. CONCLUSIONS The observed results indicate that the expression levels of HDAC2 become lower and with different subcellular localizations in neurons during hippocampal neuronal maturation, suggesting the specific expression characteristics of HDAC2 might play an important role during postnatal learning-memory function and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nali Hou
- 1. Children Nutrition Research Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; ; 2. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Learning and Memory Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Min Gong
- 1. Children Nutrition Research Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; ; 2. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Learning and Memory Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Yang Bi
- 1. Children Nutrition Research Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; ; 2. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Learning and Memory Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Yun Zhang
- 1. Children Nutrition Research Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; ; 2. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Learning and Memory Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Bin Tan
- 2. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Learning and Memory Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Youxue Liu
- 1. Children Nutrition Research Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; ; 2. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Learning and Memory Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Xiaoping Wei
- 1. Children Nutrition Research Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; ; 2. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Learning and Memory Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Jie Chen
- 1. Children Nutrition Research Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; ; 2. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Learning and Memory Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Tingyu Li
- 1. Children Nutrition Research Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China; ; 2. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Learning and Memory Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
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Abstract
Stress response is considered to have adaptive value for organisms faced with stressful condition. Chronic stress however adversely affects the physiology and may lead to neuropsychiatric disorders. Repeated stressful events in animal models have been shown to cause long-lasting changes in neural circuitries at molecular, cellular, and physiological level, leading to disorders of mood as well as cognition. Molecular studies in recent years have implicated diverse epigenetic mechanisms, including histone modifications, DNA methylation, and noncoding RNAs, that underlie dysregulation of genes in the affected neural circuitries in chronic stress-induced pathophysiology. A review of the myriad epigenetic regulatory mechanisms associated with neural and behavioral responses in animal models of stress-induced neuropsychiatric disorders is presented here. The review also deals with clinical evidence of the epigenetic dysregulation of genes in psychiatric disorders where chronic stress appears to underlie the etiopathology.
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White AO, Wood MA. Does stress remove the HDAC brakes for the formation and persistence of long-term memory? Neurobiol Learn Mem 2013; 112:61-7. [PMID: 24149059 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2013.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2013] [Revised: 10/10/2013] [Accepted: 10/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
It has been known for numerous decades that gene expression is required for long-lasting forms of memory. In the past decade, the study of epigenetic mechanisms in memory processes has revealed yet another layer of complexity in the regulation of gene expression. Epigenetic mechanisms do not only provide complexity in the protein regulatory complexes that control coordinate transcription for specific cell function, but the epigenome encodes critical information that integrates experience and cellular history for specific cell functions as well. Thus, epigenetic mechanisms provide a unique mechanism of gene expression regulation for memory processes. This may be why critical negative regulators of gene expression, such as histone deacetylases (HDACs), have powerful effects on the formation and persistence of memory. For example, HDAC inhibition has been shown to transform a subthreshold learning event into robust long-term memory and also generate a form of long-term memory that persists beyond the point at which normal long-term memory fails. A key question that is explored in this review, from a learning and memory perspective, is whether stress-dependent signaling drives the formation and persistence of long-term memory via HDAC-dependent mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- André O White
- University of California, Irvine, Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Irvine, CA, United States; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Marcelo A Wood
- University of California, Irvine, Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Irvine, CA, United States; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, Irvine, CA, United States.
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Increased histone H3 phosphorylation in neurons in specific brain structures after induction of status epilepticus in mice. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77710. [PMID: 24147063 PMCID: PMC3797699 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2013] [Accepted: 09/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Status epilepticus (SE) induces pathological and morphological changes in the brain. Recently, it has become clear that excessive neuronal excitation, stress and drug abuse induce chromatin remodeling in neurons, thereby altering gene expression. Chromatin remodeling is a key mechanism of epigenetic gene regulation. Histone H3 phosphorylation is frequently used as a marker of chromatin remodeling and is closely related to the upregulation of mRNA transcription. In the present study, we analyzed H3 phosphorylation levels in vivo using immunohistochemistry in the brains of mice with pilocarpine-induced SE. A substantial increase in H3 phosphorylation was detected in neurons in specific brain structures. Increased H3 phosphorylation was dependent on neuronal excitation. In particular, a robust upregulation of H3 phosphorylation was detected in the caudate putamen, and there was a gradient of phosphorylated H3+ (PH3+) neurons along the medio-lateral axis. After unilateral ablation of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra by injection of 6-hydroxydopamine, the distribution of PH3+ neurons changed in the caudate putamen. Moreover, our histological analysis suggested that, in addition to the well-known MSK1 (mitogen and stress-activated kinase)/H3 phosphorylation/c-fos pathway, other signaling pathways were also activated. Together, our findings suggest that a number of genes involved in the pathology of epileptogenesis are upregulated in PH3+ brain regions, and that H3 phosphorylation is a suitable indicator of strong neuronal excitation.
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Abstract
Spinal cord injury results from an insult inflicted on the spinal cord that usually encompasses its 4 major functions (motor, sensory, autonomic, and reflex). The type of deficits resulting from spinal cord injury arise from primary insult, but their long-term severity is due to a multitude of pathophysiological processes during the secondary phase of injury. The failure of the mammalian spinal cord to regenerate and repair is often attributed to the very feature that makes the central nervous system special-it becomes so highly specialized to perform higher functions that it cannot effectively reactivate developmental programs to re-build novel circuitry to restore function after injury. Added to this is an extensive gliotic and immune response that is essential for clearance of cellular debris, but also lays down many obstacles that are detrimental to regeneration. Here, we discuss how the mature chromatin state of different central nervous system cells (neural, glial, and immune) may contribute to secondary pathophysiology, and how restoring silenced developmental gene expression by altering histone acetylation could stall secondary damage and contribute to novel approaches to stimulate endogenous repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa M. York
- Department of Zoology (Life Sciences Institute), Brain Research Institute and International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (iCORD), University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Blvd, V6T 1Z3 Vancouver, Canada
| | - Audrey Petit
- Department of Zoology (Life Sciences Institute), Brain Research Institute and International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (iCORD), University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Blvd, V6T 1Z3 Vancouver, Canada
| | - A. Jane Roskams
- Department of Zoology (Life Sciences Institute), Brain Research Institute and International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (iCORD), University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Blvd, V6T 1Z3 Vancouver, Canada
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Hunter RG, McEwen BS. Stress and anxiety across the lifespan: structural plasticity and epigenetic regulation. Epigenomics 2013; 5:177-94. [PMID: 23566095 DOI: 10.2217/epi.13.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain is the central organ of the body's response to and perception of stress. Both the juvenile and the adult brain show a significant capacity for lasting physiological, structural and behavioral plasticity as a consequence of stress exposure. The hypothesis that epigenetic mechanisms might lie behind the lasting effects of stress upon the brain has proven a fruitful one. In this review, we examine the growing literature showing that stress has a direct impact on epigenetic marks at all life history stages thus far examined and how, in turn, epigenetic mechanisms play a role in altering stress responsiveness, anxiety and brain plasticity across the lifespan and beyond to succeeding generations. In addition, we will examine our own recent findings that stress interacts with the epigenome to regulate the expression of transposable elements in a regionally specific fashion, a finding with significant implications for a portion of the genome which is tenfold larger than that occupied by the genes themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard G Hunter
- Harold & Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Ottaviani E, Accorsi A, Rigillo G, Malagoli D, Blom JMC, Tascedda F. Epigenetic modification in neurons of the mollusc Pomacea canaliculata after immune challenge. Brain Res 2013; 1537:18-26. [PMID: 24041774 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Revised: 09/02/2013] [Accepted: 09/07/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In human and rodents, the transcriptional response of neurons to stress is related to epigenetic modifications of both DNA and histone proteins. To assess the suitability of simple invertebrate models in studying the basic mechanisms of stress-related epigenetic modifications, we analyzed epigenetic modifications in neurons of the freshwater snail Pomacea canaliculata after the injection of Escherichia coli-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The phospho-acetylation of histone H3, together with the induction of stress-related factors, c-Fos and HSP70, were evaluated in large and small neurons of the pedal ganglia of sham- and LPS-injected snails. Immunocytochemical investigations showed that after LPS injection, the immunopositivity towards phospho (Ser10)-acetyl (Lys14)-histone H3 and c-Fos increases in the nuclei of small gangliar neurons. Western blot analysis confirmed a significant increase of phospho (Ser10)-acetyl (Lys14)-histone H3 in nuclear extracts from 2h LPS-injected animals. c-Fos protein levels were significantly augmented 6h after LPS injection. Immunocytochemistry and western blot indicated that no changes occurred in HSP70 distribution and protein levels. To our knowledge this is the first demonstration of epigenetic changes in molluscan neurons after an immune challenge and indicate the gastropod P. canaliculata as a suitable model for evolutionary and translational studies on stress-related epigenetic modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enzo Ottaviani
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
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