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Social Fear Affects Limbic System Neuronal Activity and Gene Expression. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158228. [PMID: 35897794 PMCID: PMC9367789 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a highly prevalent and comorbid anxiety disorder with rather unclear underlying mechanisms. Here, we aimed to characterize neurobiological changes occurring in mice expressing symptoms of social fear and to identify possible therapeutic targets for SAD. Social fear was induced via social fear conditioning (SFC), a validated animal model of SAD. We assessed the expression levels of the immediate early genes (IEGs) cFos, Fosl2 and Arc as markers of neuronal activity and the expression levels of several genes of the GABAergic, serotoninergic, oxytocinergic, vasopressinergic and neuropeptide Y (NPY)-ergic systems in brain regions involved in social behavior or fear-related behavior in SFC+ and SFC− mice 2 h after exposure to a conspecific. SFC+ mice showed a decreased number and density of cFos-positive cells and decreased expression levels of IEGs in the dorsal hippocampus. SFC+ mice also showed alterations in the expression of NPY and serotonin system-related genes in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, basolateral amygdala, septum and dorsal raphe nucleus, but not in the dorsal hippocampus. Our results describe neuronal alterations occurring during the expression of social fear and identify the NPY and serotonergic systems as possible targets in the treatment of SAD.
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Functional ultrasound imaging of recent and remote memory recall in the associative fear neural network in mice. Behav Brain Res 2022; 428:113862. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Xu P, Berto S, Kulkarni A, Jeong B, Joseph C, Cox KH, Greenberg ME, Kim TK, Konopka G, Takahashi JS. NPAS4 regulates the transcriptional response of the suprachiasmatic nucleus to light and circadian behavior. Neuron 2021; 109:3268-3282.e6. [PMID: 34416169 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the master circadian pacemaker in mammals and is entrained by environmental light. However, the molecular basis of the response of the SCN to light is not fully understood. We used RNA/chromatin immunoprecipitation/single-nucleus sequencing with circadian behavioral assays to identify mouse SCN cell types and explore their responses to light. We identified three peptidergic cell types that responded to light in the SCN: arginine vasopressin (AVP), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and cholecystokinin (CCK). In each cell type, light-responsive subgroups were enriched for expression of neuronal Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain protein 4 (NPAS4) target genes. Further, mice lacking Npas4 had a longer circadian period under constant conditions, a damped phase response curve to light, and reduced light-induced gene expression in the SCN. Our data indicate that NPAS4 is necessary for normal transcriptional responses to light in the SCN and critical for photic phase-shifting of circadian behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pin Xu
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Stefano Berto
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ashwinikumar Kulkarni
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Byeongha Jeong
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Chryshanthi Joseph
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Kimberly H Cox
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | | | - Tae-Kyung Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Genevieve Konopka
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Joseph S Takahashi
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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4
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Kaldun JC, Sprecher SG. Initiated by CREB: Resolving Gene Regulatory Programs in Learning and Memory. Bioessays 2019; 41:e1900045. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jenifer C. Kaldun
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Fribourg1700 Fribourg Switzerland
| | - Simon G. Sprecher
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Fribourg1700 Fribourg Switzerland
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5
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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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Rutten BPF, Vermetten E, Vinkers CH, Ursini G, Daskalakis NP, Pishva E, de Nijs L, Houtepen LC, Eijssen L, Jaffe AE, Kenis G, Viechtbauer W, van den Hove D, Schraut KG, Lesch KP, Kleinman JE, Hyde TM, Weinberger DR, Schalkwyk L, Lunnon K, Mill J, Cohen H, Yehuda R, Baker DG, Maihofer AX, Nievergelt CM, Geuze E, Boks MPM. Longitudinal analyses of the DNA methylome in deployed military servicemen identify susceptibility loci for post-traumatic stress disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:1145-1156. [PMID: 28630453 PMCID: PMC5984086 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In order to determine the impact of the epigenetic response to traumatic stress on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this study examined longitudinal changes of genome-wide blood DNA methylation profiles in relation to the development of PTSD symptoms in two prospective military cohorts (one discovery and one replication data set). In the first cohort consisting of male Dutch military servicemen (n=93), the emergence of PTSD symptoms over a deployment period to a combat zone was significantly associated with alterations in DNA methylation levels at 17 genomic positions and 12 genomic regions. Evidence for mediation of the relation between combat trauma and PTSD symptoms by longitudinal changes in DNA methylation was observed at several positions and regions. Bioinformatic analyses of the reported associations identified significant enrichment in several pathways relevant for symptoms of PTSD. Targeted analyses of the significant findings from the discovery sample in an independent prospective cohort of male US marines (n=98) replicated the observed relation between decreases in DNA methylation levels and PTSD symptoms at genomic regions in ZFP57, RNF39 and HIST1H2APS2. Together, our study pinpoints three novel genomic regions where longitudinal decreases in DNA methylation across the period of exposure to combat trauma marks susceptibility for PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- B P F Rutten
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - E Vermetten
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Research Centre for Military Mental Healthcare, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - C H Vinkers
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - G Ursini
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - N P Daskalakis
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Mental Health Patient Care Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - E Pishva
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - L de Nijs
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - L C Houtepen
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - L Eijssen
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - A E Jaffe
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - G Kenis
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - W Viechtbauer
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - D van den Hove
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - K G Schraut
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - K-P Lesch
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - J E Kleinman
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - T M Hyde
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - D R Weinberger
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - L Schalkwyk
- Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Research Group, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - K Lunnon
- University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter University, Exeter, UK
| | - J Mill
- University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter University, Exeter, UK
| | - H Cohen
- Anxiety and Stress Research Unit, Ministry of Health Mental Health Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - R Yehuda
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Mental Health Patient Care Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - D G Baker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego, CA, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - A X Maihofer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego, CA, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - C M Nievergelt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego, CA, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - E Geuze
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Research Centre for Military Mental Healthcare, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - M P M Boks
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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The microbiome regulates amygdala-dependent fear recall. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:1134-1144. [PMID: 28507320 PMCID: PMC5984090 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala is a key brain region that is critically involved in the processing and expression of anxiety and fear-related signals. In parallel, a growing number of preclinical and human studies have implicated the microbiome-gut-brain in regulating anxiety and stress-related responses. However, the role of the microbiome in fear-related behaviours is unclear. To this end we investigated the importance of the host microbiome on amygdala-dependent behavioural readouts using the cued fear conditioning paradigm. We also assessed changes in neuronal transcription and post-transcriptional regulation in the amygdala of naive and stimulated germ-free (GF) mice, using a genome-wide transcriptome profiling approach. Our results reveal that GF mice display reduced freezing during the cued memory retention test. Moreover, we demonstrate that under baseline conditions, GF mice display altered transcriptional profile with a marked increase in immediate-early genes (for example, Fos, Egr2, Fosb, Arc) as well as genes implicated in neural activity, synaptic transmission and nervous system development. We also found a predicted interaction between mRNA and specific microRNAs that are differentially regulated in GF mice. Interestingly, colonized GF mice (ex-GF) were behaviourally comparable to conventionally raised (CON) mice. Together, our data demonstrates a unique transcriptional response in GF animals, likely because of already elevated levels of immediate-early gene expression and the potentially underlying neuronal hyperactivity that in turn primes the amygdala for a different transcriptional response. Thus, we demonstrate for what is to our knowledge the first time that the presence of the host microbiome is crucial for the appropriate behavioural response during amygdala-dependent memory retention.
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Hypoxia-Induced MicroRNA-210 Targets Neurodegenerative Pathways. Noncoding RNA 2018; 4:ncrna4020010. [PMID: 29657306 PMCID: PMC6027187 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna4020010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia-regulated microRNA-210 (miR-210) is a highly conserved microRNA, known to regulate various processes under hypoxic conditions. Previously we found that miR-210 is also involved in honeybee learning and memory, raising the questions of how neural activity may induce hypoxia-regulated genes and how miR-210 may regulate plasticity in more complex mammalian systems. Using a pull-down approach, we identified 620 unique target genes of miR-210 in humans, among which there was a significant enrichment of age-related neurodegenerative pathways, including Huntington's, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's diseases. We have also validated that miR-210 directly regulates various identified target genes of interest involved with neuronal plasticity, neurodegenerative diseases, and miR-210-associated cancers. This data suggests a potentially novel mechanism for how metabolic changes may couple plasticity to neuronal activity through hypoxia-regulated genes such as miR-210.
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9
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de Solis CA, Morales AA, Hosek MP, Partin AC, Ploski JE. Is Arc mRNA Unique: A Search for mRNAs That Localize to the Distal Dendrites of Dentate Gyrus Granule Cells Following Neural Activity. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:314. [PMID: 29066948 PMCID: PMC5641362 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00314] [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] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
There have been several attempts to identify which RNAs are localized to dendrites; however, no study has determined which RNAs localize to the dendrites following the induction of synaptic activity. We sought to identify all RNA transcripts that localize to the distal dendrites of dentate gyrus granule cells following unilateral high frequency stimulation of the perforant pathway (pp-HFS) using Sprague Dawley rats. We then utilized laser microdissection (LMD) to very accurately dissect out the distal 2/3rds of the molecular layer (ML), which contains these dendrites, without contamination from the granule cell layer, 2 and 4 h post pp-HFS. Next, we purified and amplified RNA from the ML and performed an unbiased screen for 27,000 RNA transcripts using Affymetrix microarrays. We determined that Activity Regulated Cytoskeletal Protein (Arc/Arg3.1) mRNA, exhibited the greatest fold increase in the ML at both timepoints (2 and 4 h). In total, we identified 31 transcripts that increased their levels within the ML following pp-HFS across the two timepoints. Of particular interest is that one of these identified transcripts was an unprocessed micro-RNA (pri-miR132). Fluorescent in situ hybridization and qRT-PCR were used to confirm some of these candidate transcripts. Our data indicate Arc is a unique activity dependent gene, due to the magnitude that its activity dependent transcript localizes to the dendrites. Our study determined other activity dependent transcripts likely localize to the dendrites following neural activity, but do so with lower efficiency compared to Arc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A. de Solis
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Anna A. Morales
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Matthew P. Hosek
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Alex C. Partin
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Jonathan E. Ploski
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
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10
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Donley MP, Rosen JB. Novelty and fear conditioning induced gene expression in high and low states of anxiety. Learn Mem 2017; 24:449-461. [PMID: 28814471 PMCID: PMC5580523 DOI: 10.1101/lm.044289.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Emotional states influence how stimuli are interpreted. High anxiety states in humans lead to more negative, threatening interpretations of novel information, typically accompanied by activation of the amygdala. We developed a handling protocol that induces long-lasting high and low anxiety-like states in rats to explore the role of state anxiety on brain activation during exposure to a novel environment and fear conditioning. In situ hybridization of the inducible transcription factor Egr-1 found increased gene expression in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA) following exposure to a novel environment and contextual fear conditioning in high anxiety-like rats. In contrast, low state anxiety-like rats did not generate Egr-1 increases in LA when placed in a novel chamber. Egr-1 expression was also examined in the dorsal hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. In CA1 of the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), Egr-1 expression increased in response to novel context exposure and fear conditioning, independent of state anxiety level. Furthermore, in mPFC, Egr-1 in low anxiety-like rats was increased more with fear conditioning than novel exposure. The current series of experiments show that brain areas involved in fear and anxiety-like states do not respond uniformly to novelty during high and low states of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie P Donley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Jeffrey B Rosen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
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11
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Circadian Rhythms in Fear Conditioning: An Overview of Behavioral, Brain System, and Molecular Interactions. Neural Plast 2017; 2017:3750307. [PMID: 28698810 PMCID: PMC5494081 DOI: 10.1155/2017/3750307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation of fear memories is a powerful and highly evolutionary conserved mechanism that serves the behavioral adaptation to environmental threats. Accordingly, classical fear conditioning paradigms have been employed to investigate fundamental molecular processes of memory formation. Evidence suggests that a circadian regulation mechanism allows for a timestamping of such fear memories and controlling memory salience during both their acquisition and their modification after retrieval. These mechanisms include an expression of molecular clocks in neurons of the amygdala, hippocampus, and medial prefrontal cortex and their tight interaction with the intracellular signaling pathways that mediate neural plasticity and information storage. The cellular activities are coordinated across different brain regions and neural circuits through the release of glucocorticoids and neuromodulators such as acetylcholine, which integrate circadian and memory-related activation. Disturbance of this interplay by circadian phase shifts or traumatic experience appears to be an important factor in the development of stress-related psychopathology, considering these circadian components are of critical importance for optimizing therapeutic approaches to these disorders.
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12
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Scofield MD, Heinsbroek JA, Gipson CD, Kupchik YM, Spencer S, Smith ACW, Roberts-Wolfe D, Kalivas PW. The Nucleus Accumbens: Mechanisms of Addiction across Drug Classes Reflect the Importance of Glutamate Homeostasis. Pharmacol Rev 2017; 68:816-71. [PMID: 27363441 DOI: 10.1124/pr.116.012484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 356] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens is a major input structure of the basal ganglia and integrates information from cortical and limbic structures to mediate goal-directed behaviors. Chronic exposure to several classes of drugs of abuse disrupts plasticity in this region, allowing drug-associated cues to engender a pathologic motivation for drug seeking. A number of alterations in glutamatergic transmission occur within the nucleus accumbens after withdrawal from chronic drug exposure. These drug-induced neuroadaptations serve as the molecular basis for relapse vulnerability. In this review, we focus on the role that glutamate signal transduction in the nucleus accumbens plays in addiction-related behaviors. First, we explore the nucleus accumbens, including the cell types and neuronal populations present as well as afferent and efferent connections. Next we discuss rodent models of addiction and assess the viability of these models for testing candidate pharmacotherapies for the prevention of relapse. Then we provide a review of the literature describing how synaptic plasticity in the accumbens is altered after exposure to drugs of abuse and withdrawal and also how pharmacological manipulation of glutamate systems in the accumbens can inhibit drug seeking in the laboratory setting. Finally, we examine results from clinical trials in which pharmacotherapies designed to manipulate glutamate systems have been effective in treating relapse in human patients. Further elucidation of how drugs of abuse alter glutamatergic plasticity within the accumbens will be necessary for the development of new therapeutics for the treatment of addiction across all classes of addictive substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Scofield
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina (M.D.S., J.A.H., S.S., D.R.-W., P.W.K.); Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (C.D.G.); Department of Neuroscience, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel (Y.M.K.); and Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (A.C.W.S.)
| | - J A Heinsbroek
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina (M.D.S., J.A.H., S.S., D.R.-W., P.W.K.); Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (C.D.G.); Department of Neuroscience, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel (Y.M.K.); and Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (A.C.W.S.)
| | - C D Gipson
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina (M.D.S., J.A.H., S.S., D.R.-W., P.W.K.); Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (C.D.G.); Department of Neuroscience, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel (Y.M.K.); and Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (A.C.W.S.)
| | - Y M Kupchik
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina (M.D.S., J.A.H., S.S., D.R.-W., P.W.K.); Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (C.D.G.); Department of Neuroscience, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel (Y.M.K.); and Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (A.C.W.S.)
| | - S Spencer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina (M.D.S., J.A.H., S.S., D.R.-W., P.W.K.); Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (C.D.G.); Department of Neuroscience, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel (Y.M.K.); and Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (A.C.W.S.)
| | - A C W Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina (M.D.S., J.A.H., S.S., D.R.-W., P.W.K.); Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (C.D.G.); Department of Neuroscience, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel (Y.M.K.); and Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (A.C.W.S.)
| | - D Roberts-Wolfe
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina (M.D.S., J.A.H., S.S., D.R.-W., P.W.K.); Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (C.D.G.); Department of Neuroscience, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel (Y.M.K.); and Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (A.C.W.S.)
| | - P W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina (M.D.S., J.A.H., S.S., D.R.-W., P.W.K.); Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (C.D.G.); Department of Neuroscience, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel (Y.M.K.); and Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (A.C.W.S.)
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13
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Damborsky JC, Slaton GS, Winzer-Serhan UH. Expression of Npas4 mRNA in Telencephalic Areas of Adult and Postnatal Mouse Brain. Front Neuroanat 2015; 9:145. [PMID: 26633966 PMCID: PMC4649027 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2015.00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor neuronal PAS domain-containing protein 4 (Npas4) is an inducible immediate early gene which regulates the formation of inhibitory synapses, and could have a significant regulatory role during cortical circuit formation. However, little is known about basal Npas4 mRNA expression during postnatal development. Here, postnatal and adult mouse brain sections were processed for isotopic in situ hybridization using an Npas4 specific cRNA antisense probe. In adults, Npas4 mRNA was found in the telencephalon with very restricted or no expression in diencephalon or mesencephalon. In most telencephalic areas, including the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), piriform cortex, neocortex, hippocampus, dorsal caudate putamen (CPu), septum and basolateral amygdala nucleus (BLA), basal Npas4 expression was detected in scattered cells which exhibited strong hybridization signal. In embryonic and neonatal brain sections, Npas4 mRNA expression signals were very low. Starting at postnatal day 5 (P5), transcripts for Npas4 were detected in the AON, CPu and piriform cortex. At P8, additional Npas4 hybridization was found in CA1 and CA3 pyramidal layer, and in primary motor cortex. By P13, robust mRNA expression was located in layers IV and VI of all sensory cortices, frontal cortex and cingulate cortex. After onset of expression, postnatal spatial mRNA distribution was similar to that in adults, with the exception of the CPu, where Npas4 transcripts became gradually restricted to the most dorsal part. In conclusion, the spatial distribution of Npas4 mRNA is mostly restricted to telencephalic areas, and the temporal expression increases with developmental age during postnatal development, which seem to correlate with the onset of activity-driven excitatory transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne C Damborsky
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center Bryan, TX, USA
| | - G Simona Slaton
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Ursula H Winzer-Serhan
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center Bryan, TX, USA
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14
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de Solis CA, Holehonnur R, Banerjee A, Luong JA, Lella SK, Ho A, Pahlavan B, Ploski JE. Viral delivery of shRNA to amygdala neurons leads to neurotoxicity and deficits in Pavlovian fear conditioning. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 124:34-47. [PMID: 26182988 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The use of viral vector technology to deliver short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) to cells of the nervous system of many model organisms has been widely utilized by neuroscientists to study the influence of genes on behavior. However, there have been numerous reports that delivering shRNAs to the nervous system can lead to neurotoxicity. Here we report the results of a series of experiments where adeno-associated viruses (AAV), that were engineered to express shRNAs designed to target known plasticity associated genes (i.e. Arc, Egr1 and GluN2A) or control shRNAs that were designed not to target any rat gene product for depletion, were delivered to the rat basal and lateral nuclei of the amygdala (BLA), and auditory Pavlovian fear conditioning was examined. In our first set of experiments we found that animals that received AAV (3.16E13-1E13 GC/mL; 1 μl/side), designed to knockdown Arc (shArc), or control shRNAs targeting either luciferase (shLuc), or nothing (shCntrl), exhibited impaired fear conditioning compared to animals that received viruses that did not express shRNAs. Notably, animals that received shArc did not exhibit differences in fear conditioning compared to animals that received control shRNAs despite gene knockdown of Arc. Viruses designed to harbor shRNAs did not induce obvious morphological changes to the cells/tissue of the BLA at any dose of virus tested, but at the highest dose of shRNA virus examined (3.16E13 GC/mL; 1 μl/side), a significant increase in microglia activation occurred as measured by an increase in IBA1 immunoreactivity. In our final set of experiments we infused viruses into the BLA at a titer of (1.60E+12 GC/mL; 1 μl/side), designed to express shArc, shLuc, shCntrl or shRNAs designed to target Egr1 (shEgr1), or GluN2A (shGluN2A), or no shRNA, and found that all groups exhibited impaired fear conditioning compared to the group which received a virus that did not express an shRNA. The shEgr1 and shGluN2A groups exhibited gene knockdown of Egr1 and GluN2A compared to the other groups examined respectively, but Arc was not knocked down in the shArc group under these conditions. Differences in fear conditioning among the shLuc, shCntrl, shArc and shEgr1 groups were not detected under these circumstances; however, the shGluN2A group exhibited significantly impaired fear conditioning compared to most of the groups, indicating that gene specific deficits in fear conditioning could be observed utilizing viral mediated delivery of shRNA. Collectively, these data indicate that viral mediated shRNA expression was toxic to neurons in vivo, under all viral titers examined and this toxicity in some cases may be masking gene specific changes in learning. Therefore, the use of this technology in behavioral neuroscience warrants a heightened level of careful consideration and potential methods to alleviate shRNA induced toxicity are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A de Solis
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, United States
| | - Roopashri Holehonnur
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, United States
| | - Anwesha Banerjee
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, United States
| | - Jonathan A Luong
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, United States
| | - Srihari K Lella
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, United States
| | - Anthony Ho
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, United States
| | - Bahram Pahlavan
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, United States
| | - Jonathan E Ploski
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, United States.
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15
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Lakhina V, Arey RN, Kaletsky R, Kauffman A, Stein G, Keyes W, Xu D, Murphy CT. Genome-wide functional analysis of CREB/long-term memory-dependent transcription reveals distinct basal and memory gene expression programs. Neuron 2015; 85:330-45. [PMID: 25611510 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.12.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Induced CREB activity is a hallmark of long-term memory, but the full repertoire of CREB transcriptional targets required specifically for memory is not known in any system. To obtain a more complete picture of the mechanisms involved in memory, we combined memory training with genome-wide transcriptional analysis of C. elegans CREB mutants. This approach identified 757 significant CREB/memory-induced targets and confirmed the involvement of known memory genes from other organisms, but also suggested new mechanisms and novel components that may be conserved through mammals. CREB mediates distinct basal and memory transcriptional programs at least partially through spatial restriction of CREB activity: basal targets are regulated primarily in nonneuronal tissues, while memory targets are enriched for neuronal expression, emanating from CREB activity in AIM neurons. This suite of novel memory-associated genes will provide a platform for the discovery of orthologous mammalian long-term memory components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanisha Lakhina
- Department of Molecular Biology & LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Rachel N Arey
- Department of Molecular Biology & LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Rachel Kaletsky
- Department of Molecular Biology & LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Amanda Kauffman
- Department of Molecular Biology & LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Geneva Stein
- Department of Molecular Biology & LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - William Keyes
- Department of Molecular Biology & LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Daniel Xu
- Department of Molecular Biology & LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Coleen T Murphy
- Department of Molecular Biology & LSI Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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16
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Bowers ME, Xia B, Carreiro S, Ressler KJ. The Class I HDAC inhibitor RGFP963 enhances consolidation of cued fear extinction. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 22:225-31. [PMID: 25776040 PMCID: PMC4371170 DOI: 10.1101/lm.036699.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Evidence indicates that broad, nonspecific histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition enhances learning and memory, however, the contribution of the various HDACs to specific forms of learning is incompletely understood. Here, we show that the Class I HDAC inhibitor, RGFP963, enhances consolidation of cued fear extinction. However, RGFP966, a strong inhibitor of HDAC3, does not significantly enhance consolidation of cued fear extinction. These data extend previous evidence that demonstrate the Class I HDACs play a role in the consolidation of long-term memory, suggesting that HDAC1 and/or HDAC2, but less likely HDAC3, may function as negative regulators of extinction retention. The development of specific HDAC inhibitors, such as RGFP963, will further illuminate the role of specific HDACs in various types of learning and memory. Moreover, HDAC inhibitors that enhance cued fear extinction may show translational promise for the treatment of fear-related disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mallory E Bowers
- Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, USA
| | - Bing Xia
- RepliGen Waltham, Massachusetts 02453, USA
| | | | - Kerry J Ressler
- Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, USA Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815, USA
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17
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Expression of p53 target genes in the early phase of long-term potentiation in the rat hippocampal CA1 area. Neural Plast 2015; 2015:242158. [PMID: 25767724 PMCID: PMC4341845 DOI: 10.1155/2015/242158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene expression plays an important role in the mechanisms of long-term potentiation (LTP), which is a widely accepted experimental model of synaptic plasticity. We have studied the expression of at least 50 genes that are transcriptionally regulated by p53, as well as other genes that are related to p53-dependent processes, in the early phase of LTP. Within 30 min after Schaffer collaterals (SC) tetanization, increases in the mRNA and protein levels of Bax, which are upregulated by p53, and a decrease in the mRNA and protein levels of Bcl2, which are downregulated by p53, were observed. The inhibition of Mdm2 by nutlin-3 increased the basal p53 protein level and rescued its tetanization-induced depletion, which suggested the involvement of Mdm2 in the control over p53 during LTP. Furthermore, nutlin-3 caused an increase in the basal expression of Bax and a decrease in the basal expression of Bcl2, whereas tetanization-induced changes in their expression were occluded. These results support the hypothesis that p53 may be involved in transcriptional regulation during the early phase of LTP. We hope that the presented data may aid in the understanding of the contribution of p53 and related genes in the processes that are associated with synaptic plasticity.
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18
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Wallace R. Poised for survival: criticality, natural selection, and excitation-transcription coupling. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2015; 61:1-7. [PMID: 25622558 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2015.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2014] [Revised: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Neurologically-complex species utilize two intricately coupled information-processing systems to adapt to their social and natural environments. Action potentials (APs) facilitate rapid responses to the nearly continuous fluctuations in the animal's surroundings. By contrast, genetic encodings comprise a molecular memory of ancient adaptive responses expressed as cognitive, emotional, or behavioral phenotypes. The linking of the two systems via intracellular Ca(2+) networks which address transcription factors - e.g., cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) - is an appropriate focus for the biology of human behavior. Computational modeling utilizing Boolean networks (BNs) is a suitable qualitative method, requiring no kinetic information, for eliciting the systems' architectural properties. In particular, BNs can reveal critical intracellular regimes of possible evolutionary significance. As a platform for future research, we propose that those networks sufficiently robust to attenuate damaging intracellular noise and deleterious mutations, yet sufficiently close to chaos to permit or amplify adaptive noise and favorable mutations, would be favored by natural selection. Critical regimes of this type would be, literally, "poised for survival", and would stabilize and promote the survival of their correlated cultural phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ron Wallace
- Department of Anthropology, University of Central Florida, PO Box 25000, Orlando, FL 32816 USA.
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19
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Francis C, Natarajan S, Lee MT, Khaladkar M, Buckley PT, Sul JY, Eberwine J, Kim J. Divergence of RNA localization between rat and mouse neurons reveals the potential for rapid brain evolution. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:883. [PMID: 25301173 PMCID: PMC4203888 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 09/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neurons display a highly polarized architecture. Their ability to modify their features under intracellular and extracellular stimuli, known as synaptic plasticity, is a key component of the neurochemical basis of learning and memory. A key feature of synaptic plasticity involves the delivery of mRNAs to distinct sub-cellular domains where they are locally translated. Regulatory coordination of these spatio-temporal events is critical for synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity as defects in these processes can lead to neurological diseases. In this work, using microdissected dendrites from primary cultures of hippocampal neurons of two mouse strains (C57BL/6 and Balb/c) and one rat strain (Sprague–Dawley), we investigate via microarrays, subcellular localization of mRNAs in dendrites of neurons to assay the evolutionary differences in subcellular dendritic transcripts localization. Results Our microarray analysis highlighted significantly greater evolutionary diversification of RNA localization in the dendritic transcriptomes (81% gene identity difference among the top 5% highly expressed genes) compared to the transcriptomes of 11 different central nervous system (CNS) and non-CNS tissues (average of 44% gene identity difference among the top 5% highly expressed genes). Differentially localized genes include many genes involved in CNS function. Conclusions Species differences in sub-cellular localization may reflect non-functional neutral drift. However, the functional categories of mRNA showing differential localization suggest that at least part of the divergence may reflect activity-dependent functional differences of neurons, mediated by species-specific RNA subcellular localization mechanisms. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-883) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - James Eberwine
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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20
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The neuronal activity-driven transcriptome. Mol Neurobiol 2014; 51:1071-88. [PMID: 24935719 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-8772-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 06/01/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Activity-driven transcription is a key event associated with long-lasting forms of neuronal plasticity. Despite the efforts to investigate the regulatory mechanisms that control this complex process and the important advances in the knowledge of the function of many activity-induced genes in neurons, as well as the specific contribution of activity-regulated transcription factors, our understanding of how activity-driven transcription operates at the systems biology level is still very limited. This review focuses on the research of neuronal activity-driven transcription from an "omics" perspective. We will discuss the different high-throughput approaches undertaken to characterize the gene programs downstream of specific activity-regulated transcription factors, including CREB, SRF, MeCP2, Fos, Npas4, and others, and the interplay between epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms underlying neuronal plasticity changes. Although basic questions remain unanswered and important challenges still lie ahead, the refinement of genome-wide techniques for investigating the neuronal transcriptome and epigenome promises great advances.
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21
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Partin AC, Hosek MP, Luong JA, Lella SK, Sharma SAR, Ploski JE. Amygdala nuclei critical for emotional learning exhibit unique gene expression patterns. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2013; 104:110-21. [PMID: 23831498 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2013.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2013] [Revised: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 06/25/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is a heterogeneous, medial temporal lobe structure that has been implicated in the formation, expression and extinction of emotional memories. This structure is composed of numerous nuclei that vary in cytoarchitectonics and neural connections. In particular the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA), central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), and the basal (B) nucleus contribute an essential role to emotional learning. However, to date it is still unclear to what extent these nuclei differ at the molecular level. Therefore we have performed whole genome gene expression analysis on these nuclei to gain a better understanding of the molecular differences and similarities among these nuclei. Specifically the LA, CeA and B nuclei were laser microdissected from the rat brain, and total RNA was isolated from these nuclei and subjected to RNA amplification. Amplified RNA was analyzed by whole genome microarray analysis which revealed that 129 genes are differentially expressed among these nuclei. Notably gene expression patterns differed between the CeA nucleus and the LA and B nuclei. However gene expression differences were not considerably different between the LA and B nuclei. Secondary confirmation of numerous genes was performed by in situ hybridization to validate the microarray findings, which also revealed that for many genes, expression differences among these nuclei were consistent with the embryological origins of these nuclei. Knowing the stable gene expression differences among these nuclei will provide novel avenues of investigation into how these nuclei contribute to emotional arousal and emotional learning, and potentially offer new genetic targets to manipulate emotional learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C Partin
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences,Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, USA
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22
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Díaz-Morán S, Palència M, Mont-Cardona C, Cañete T, Blázquez G, Martínez-Membrives E, López-Aumatell R, Sabariego M, Donaire R, Morón I, Torres C, Martínez-Conejero JA, Tobeña A, Esteban FJ, Fernández-Teruel A. Gene expression in amygdala as a function of differential trait anxiety levels in genetically heterogeneous NIH-HS rats. Behav Brain Res 2013; 252:422-31. [PMID: 23777796 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.05.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2013] [Revised: 05/07/2013] [Accepted: 05/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
To identify genes involved in anxiety/fear traits, we analyzed the gene expression profile in the amygdala of genetically heterogeneous NIH-HS rats. The NIH-HS rat stock has revealed to be a unique genetic resource for the fine mapping of Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) to very small genomic regions, due to the high amount of genetic recombinants accumulated along more than 50 breeding generations, and for the same reason it can be expected that those genetically heterogeneous rats should be especially useful for studying differential gene expression as a function of anxiety-(or other)-related traits. We selected high- and low-anxious NIH-HS rats differing in their number of avoidances in a single 50-trial session of the two-way active avoidance task. Rats were also tested in unconditioned anxiety tests (e.g., elevated zero-maze). Three weeks after behavioural testing, the amygdala was dissected and prepared for the microarray study. There appeared 6 significantly down-regulated and 28 up-regulated genes (fold-change >|2|, FDR<0.05) between the low- and high-anxious groups, with central nervous system-related functions. Regression analyses (stepwise) revealed that differential expression of some genes could be predictive of anxiety/fear responses. Among those genes for which the present results suggest a link with individual differences in trait anxiety, six relevant genes were examined with qRT-PCR, four of which (Ucn3, Tacr3, H2-M9 and Arr3) were validated. Remarkably, some of them are characterized by sharing known functions related with hormonal HPA-axis responses to (and/or modulation of) stress, anxiety or fear, and putative involvement in related neurobehavioural functions. The results confirm the usefulness of NIH-HS rats as a good animal model for research on the neurogenetic basis of anxiety and fear, while suggesting the involvement of some neuropeptide/neuroendocrine pathways on the development of differential anxiety profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sira Díaz-Morán
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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23
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Giachero M, Bustos SG, Calfa G, Molina VA. A BDNF sensitive mechanism is involved in the fear memory resulting from the interaction between stress and the retrieval of an established trace. Learn Mem 2013; 20:245-55. [PMID: 23589091 DOI: 10.1101/lm.029306.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigates the fear memory resulting from the interaction of a stressful experience and the retrieval of an established fear memory trace. Such a combination enhanced both fear expression and fear retention in adult Wistar rats. Likewise, midazolam intra-basolateral amygdala (BLA) infusion prior to stress attenuated the enhancement of fear memory thus suggesting the involvement of a stress-induced reduction of the GABAergic transmission in BLA in the stress-induced enhancing effect. It has been suggested that, unlike the immediate-early gene Zif268 which is related to the reconsolidation process, the expression of hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is highly correlated with consolidation. We therefore evaluate the relative contribution of these two neurobiological processes to the fear memory resulting from the above-mentioned interaction. Intra-dorsal hippocampus (DH) infusions of either the antisense Zif268 or the inhibitor of the protein degradation (Clasto-Lactacystin β-Lactone), suggested to be involved in the retrieval-dependent destabilization process, did not affect the resulting contextual memory. In contrast, the knockdown of hippocampal BDNF mitigated the stress-induced facilitating influence on fear retention. In addition, the retrieval experience elevated BDNF level in DH at 60 min after recall exclusively in stressed animals. These findings suggest the involvement of a hippocampal BDNF sensitive mechanism in the stress-promoting influence on the fear memory following retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Giachero
- IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, (5000) Córdoba, Argentina
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24
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Hong I, Kang T, Yun KN, Yoo Y, Park S, Kim J, An B, Song S, Lee S, Kim J, Song B, Kwon KH, Kim JY, Park YM, Choi S. Quantitative proteomics of auditory fear conditioning. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2013; 434:87-94. [PMID: 23542466 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.03.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Auditory fear conditioning is a well-characterized rodent learning model where a neutral auditory cue is paired with an aversive outcome to induce associative fear memory. The storage of long-term auditory fear memory requires long-term potentiation (LTP) in the lateral amygdala and de novo protein synthesis. Although many studies focused on individual proteins have shown their contribution to LTP and fear conditioning, non-biased genome-wide studies have only recently been possible with microarrays, which nevertheless fall short of measuring changes at the level of proteins. Here we employed quantitative proteomics to examine the expression of hundreds of proteins in the lateral amygdala in response to auditory fear conditioning. We found that various proteins previously implicated in LTP, learning and axon/dendrite growth were regulated by fear conditioning. A substantial number of proteins that were regulated by fear conditioning have not yet been studied specifically in learning or synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingie Hong
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, South Korea
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25
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Maddox SA, Watts CS, Schafe GE. p300/CBP histone acetyltransferase activity is required for newly acquired and reactivated fear memories in the lateral amygdala. Learn Mem 2013; 20:109-19. [PMID: 23328899 DOI: 10.1101/lm.029157.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Modifications in chromatin structure have been widely implicated in memory and cognition, most notably using hippocampal-dependent memory paradigms including object recognition, spatial memory, and contextual fear memory. Relatively little is known, however, about the role of chromatin-modifying enzymes in amygdala-dependent memory formation. Here, we use a combination of biochemical, behavioral, and neurophysiological methods to systematically examine the role of p300/CBP histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity in the consolidation and reconsolidation of auditory Pavlovian fear memories. We show that local infusions of c646, a selective pharmacological inhibitor of p300/CBP activity, shortly following either fear conditioning or fear memory retrieval impair training and retrieval-related regulation of histone acetylation in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA). Furthermore, we show that intra-LA infusion of c646 significantly impairs fear memory consolidation, reconsolidation, and associated neural plasticity in the LA. Our findings collectively suggest that p300/CBP HAT activity is critical for the consolidation and reconsolidation of amygdala-dependent Pavlovian fear memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A Maddox
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
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26
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Maddox SA, Schafe GE, Ressler KJ. Exploring epigenetic regulation of fear memory and biomarkers associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. Front Psychiatry 2013; 4:62. [PMID: 23847551 PMCID: PMC3697031 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [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: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This review examines recent work on epigenetic mechanisms underlying animal models of fear learning as well as its translational implications in disorders of fear regulation, such as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Specifically, we will examine work outlining roles of differential histone acetylation and DNA-methylation associated with consolidation, reconsolidation, and extinction in Pavlovian fear paradigms. We then focus on the numerous studies examining the epigenetic modifications of the Brain-derived neurotrophin factor (BDNF) pathway and the extension of these findings from animal models to recent work in human clinical populations. We will also review recently published data on FKBP5 regulation of glucocorticoid receptor function, and how this is modulated in animal models of PTSD and in human clinical populations via epigenetic mechanisms. As glucocorticoid regulation of memory consolidation is well established in fear models, we examine how these recent data contribute to our broader understanding of fear memory formation. The combined recent progress in epigenetic modulation of memory with the advances in fear neurobiology suggest that this area may be critical to progress in our understanding of fear-related disorders with implications for new approaches to treatment and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A Maddox
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center , Atlanta, GA , USA ; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
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Upregulation of Npas4 protein expression by chronic administration of amphetamine in rat nucleus accumbens in vivo. Neurosci Lett 2012; 528:210-4. [PMID: 22884934 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2012.07.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2012] [Accepted: 07/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The neuronal PAS domain protein 4 (Npas4) is a transcription factor that is almost exclusively expressed in the mammalian brain. As an activity-dependent transcription factor, Npas4 regulates the transcription of discrete genes and transcriptionally controls the experience-dependent learning and memory. In this study, we explored the impact of the psychostimulant amphetamine (AMPH) on Npas4 protein expression in the rat striatum. We found that acute systemic injection of AMPH had a minimal effect on protein levels of Npas4 in the caudate putamen (CPu) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), while AMPH readily increased protein products of the immediate early gene c-Fos in these regions. In contrast, repeated administration of AMPH (5mg/kg, once daily for 5 days) triggered a significant increase in Npas4 expression in the NAc, although repeated AMPH did not alter Npas4 in the CPu. These data demonstrate that Npas4 is an AMPH-sensitive transcription factor. It is inducible selectively in the NAc in response to repeated AMPH administration.
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Orsini CA, Maren S. Neural and cellular mechanisms of fear and extinction memory formation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2012; 36:1773-802. [PMID: 22230704 PMCID: PMC3345303 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 316] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2011] [Revised: 12/16/2011] [Accepted: 12/23/2011] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Over the course of natural history, countless animal species have evolved adaptive behavioral systems to cope with dangerous situations and promote survival. Emotional memories are central to these defense systems because they are rapidly acquired and prepare organisms for future threat. Unfortunately, the persistence and intrusion of memories of fearful experiences are quite common and can lead to pathogenic conditions, such as anxiety and phobias. Over the course of the last 30 years, neuroscientists and psychologists alike have attempted to understand the mechanisms by which the brain encodes and maintains these aversive memories. Of equal interest, though, is the neurobiology of extinction memory formation as this may shape current therapeutic techniques. Here we review the extant literature on the neurobiology of fear and extinction memory formation, with a strong focus on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A. Orsini
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1043, USA
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1043, USA
- Department of Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1043, USA
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29
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Epigenetic modulation of Homer1a transcription regulation in amygdala and hippocampus with pavlovian fear conditioning. J Neurosci 2012; 32:4651-9. [PMID: 22457511 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3308-11.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The consolidation of conditioned fear involves upregulation of genes necessary for long-term memory formation. An important question remains as to whether this results in part from epigenetic regulation and chromatin modulation. We examined whether Homer1a, which is required for memory formation, is necessary for Pavlovian cued fear conditioning, whether it is downstream of BDNF-TrkB activation, and whether this pathway utilizes histone modifications for activity-dependent transcriptional regulation. We initially found that Homer1a knock-out mice exhibited deficits in cued fear conditioning (5 tone-shock presentations with 70 dB, 6 kHz tones and 0.5 s, 0.6 mA footshocks). We then demonstrated that: (1) Homer1a mRNA increases after fear conditioning in vivo within both amygdala and hippocampus of wild-type mice; (2) it increases after BDNF application to primary hippocampal and amygdala cultures in vitro; and (3) these increases are dependent on transcription and MAPK signaling. Furthermore, using chromatin immunoprecipitation we found that both in vitro and in vivo manipulations result in decreases in Homer1 promoter H3K9 methylation in amygdala cells but increases in Homer1 promoter H3 acetylation in hippocampal cells. However, no changes were observed in H4 acetylation or H3K27 dimethylation. Inhibition of histone deacetylation by sodium butyrate enhanced contextual but not cued fear conditioning and enhanced Homer1 H3 acetylation in the hippocampus. These data provide evidence for dynamic epigenetic regulation of Homer1a following BDNF-induced plasticity and during a BDNF-dependent learning process. Furthermore, upregulation of this gene may be regulated through distinct epigenetic modifications in the hippocampus and amygdala.
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cAMP response element-binding protein is a primary hub of activity-driven neuronal gene expression. J Neurosci 2012; 31:18237-50. [PMID: 22171029 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4554-11.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-lasting forms of neuronal plasticity require de novo gene expression, but relatively little is known about the events that occur genome-wide in response to activity in a neuronal network. Here, we unveil the gene expression programs initiated in mouse hippocampal neurons in response to different stimuli and explore the contribution of four prominent plasticity-related transcription factors (CREB, SRF, EGR1, and FOS) to these programs. Our study provides a comprehensive view of the intricate genetic networks and interactions elicited by neuronal stimulation identifying hundreds of novel downstream targets, including novel stimulus-associated miRNAs and candidate genes that may be differentially regulated at the exon/promoter level. Our analyses indicate that these four transcription factors impinge on similar biological processes through primarily non-overlapping gene-expression programs. Meta-analysis of the datasets generated in our study and comparison with publicly available transcriptomics data revealed the individual and collective contribution of these transcription factors to different activity-driven genetic programs. In addition, both gain- and loss-of-function experiments support a pivotal role for CREB in membrane-to-nucleus signal transduction in neurons. Our data provide a novel resource for researchers wanting to explore the genetic pathways associated with activity-regulated neuronal functions.
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31
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Johansen JP, Cain CK, Ostroff LE, LeDoux JE. Molecular mechanisms of fear learning and memory. Cell 2011; 147:509-24. [PMID: 22036561 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 703] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Pavlovian fear conditioning is a particularly useful behavioral paradigm for exploring the molecular mechanisms of learning and memory because a well-defined response to a specific environmental stimulus is produced through associative learning processes. Synaptic plasticity in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA) underlies this form of associative learning. Here, we summarize the molecular mechanisms that contribute to this synaptic plasticity in the context of auditory fear conditioning, the form of fear conditioning best understood at the molecular level. We discuss the neurotransmitter systems and signaling cascades that contribute to three phases of auditory fear conditioning: acquisition, consolidation, and reconsolidation. These studies suggest that multiple intracellular signaling pathways, including those triggered by activation of Hebbian processes and neuromodulatory receptors, interact to produce neural plasticity in the LA and behavioral fear conditioning. Collectively, this body of research illustrates the power of fear conditioning as a model system for characterizing the mechanisms of learning and memory in mammals and potentially for understanding fear-related disorders, such as PTSD and phobias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P Johansen
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
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33
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Ploski JE, Monsey MS, Nguyen T, DiLeone RJ, Schafe GE. The neuronal PAS domain protein 4 (Npas4) is required for new and reactivated fear memories. PLoS One 2011; 6:e23760. [PMID: 21887312 PMCID: PMC3161786 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2011] [Accepted: 07/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Neuronal PAS domain protein 4 (Npas4) is a neuronal activity-dependent immediate early gene that has recently been identified as a transcription factor which regulates the transcription of genes that control inhibitory synapse development and synaptic plasticity. The role Npas4 in learning and memory, however, is currently unknown. Here, we systematically examine the role of Npas4 in auditory Pavlovian fear conditioning, an amygdala-dependent form of emotional learning. In our first series of experiments, we show that Npas4 mRNA and protein are regulated in the rat lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA) in a learning-dependent manner. Further, knockdown of Npas4 protein in the LA via adeno-associated viral (AAV) mediated gene delivery of RNAi was observed to impair fear memory formation, while innate fear and the expression of fear memory were not affected. In our second series of experiments, we show that Npas4 protein is regulated in the LA by retrieval of an auditory fear memory and that knockdown of Npas4 in the LA impairs retention of a reactivated, but not a non-reactivated, fear memory. Collectively, our findings provide the first comprehensive look at the functional role of Npas4 in learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan E. Ploski
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, United States of America
| | - Melissa S. Monsey
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Tam Nguyen
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Ralph J. DiLeone
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Glenn E. Schafe
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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The activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc/Arg3.1) is required for reconsolidation of a Pavlovian fear memory. J Neurosci 2011; 31:7073-82. [PMID: 21562269 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1120-11.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc/Arg3.1) is an immediate-early gene that has been widely implicated in synaptic plasticity and in the consolidation of a variety of hippocampal- and amygdala-dependent memory tasks. The functional role of Arc/Arg3.1 in memory reconsolidation processes, however, has not been systematically studied. In the present study, we examined the role of Arc/Arg3.1 in the reconsolidation of an amygdala-dependent auditory pavlovian fear memory. We show that Arc/Arg3.1 protein is regulated in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA) by retrieval of an auditory fear memory. Next, we show that antisense knockdown of Arc/Arg3.1 in the LA impairs fear memory reconsolidation of both a recent (1-d-old) as well as a well-consolidated (2-week-old) fear memory; that is, post-retrieval short-term memory, tested at 3 h after retrieval, is intact, whereas post-retrieval long-term memory, tested approximately 24 h after retrieval, is significantly impaired. The effect of Arc/Arg3.1 knockdown was observed to be time limited and specific to an actively reactivated fear memory. Moreover, the reconsolidation deficit induced by Arc/Arg3.1 knockdown was not found to be sensitive to spontaneous recovery, reinstatement, or a shift in the testing context, suggesting that our behavioral effects are not attributable to facilitated extinction. Collectively, our findings provide the first comprehensive look at the functional role of Arc/Arg3.1 in memory reconsolidation processes in the mammalian brain.
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Johnson LR, McGuire J, Lazarus R, Palmer AA. Pavlovian fear memory circuits and phenotype models of PTSD. Neuropharmacology 2011; 62:638-46. [PMID: 21782833 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2011] [Revised: 06/07/2011] [Accepted: 07/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Pavlovian fear conditioning, also known as classical fear conditioning is an important model in the study of the neurobiology of normal and pathological fear. Progress in the neurobiology of Pavlovian fear also enhances our understanding of disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and with developing effective treatment strategies. Here we describe how Pavlovian fear conditioning is a key tool for understanding both the neurobiology of fear and the mechanisms underlying variations in fear memory strength observed across different phenotypes. First we discuss how Pavlovian fear models aspects of PTSD. Second, we describe the neural circuits of Pavlovian fear and the molecular mechanisms within these circuits that regulate fear memory. Finally, we show how fear memory strength is heritable; and describe genes which are specifically linked to both changes in Pavlovian fear behavior and to its underlying neural circuitry. These emerging data begin to define the essential genes, cells and circuits that contribute to normal and pathological fear. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke R Johnson
- Psychiatry and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University (USU), Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
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36
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Abstract
Learning to contend with threats in the environment is essential to survival, but dysregulation of memories for traumatic events can lead to disabling psychopathology. Recent years have witnessed an impressive growth in our understanding of the neural systems and synaptic mechanisms underlying emotional memory formation. As a consequence, interest has emerged in developing strategies for suppressing, if not eliminating, fear memories. Here, I review recent work employing sophisticated behavioral, pharmacological, and molecular tools to target fear memories, placing these memories firmly behind the crosshairs of neurobiologically informed interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043, USA.
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37
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Monsey MS, Ota KT, Akingbade IF, Hong ES, Schafe GE. Epigenetic alterations are critical for fear memory consolidation and synaptic plasticity in the lateral amygdala. PLoS One 2011; 6:e19958. [PMID: 21625500 PMCID: PMC3098856 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0019958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2011] [Accepted: 04/16/2011] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms, including histone acetylation and DNA methylation, have been widely implicated in hippocampal-dependent learning paradigms. Here, we have examined the role of epigenetic alterations in amygdala-dependent auditory Pavlovian fear conditioning and associated synaptic plasticity in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA) in the rat. Using Western blotting, we first show that auditory fear conditioning is associated with an increase in histone H3 acetylation and DNMT3A expression in the LA, and that training-related alterations in histone acetylation and DNMT3A expression in the LA are downstream of ERK/MAPK signaling. Next, we show that intra-LA infusion of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor TSA increases H3 acetylation and enhances fear memory consolidation; that is, long-term memory (LTM) is enhanced, while short-term memory (STM) is unaffected. Conversely, intra-LA infusion of the DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor 5-AZA impairs fear memory consolidation. Further, intra-LA infusion of 5-AZA was observed to impair training-related increases in H3 acetylation, and pre-treatment with TSA was observed to rescue the memory consolidation deficit induced by 5-AZA. In our final series of experiments, we show that bath application of either 5-AZA or TSA to amygdala slices results in significant impairment or enhancement, respectively, of long-term potentiation (LTP) at both thalamic and cortical inputs to the LA. Further, the deficit in LTP following treatment with 5-AZA was observed to be rescued at both inputs by co-application of TSA. Collectively, these findings provide strong support that histone acetylation and DNA methylation work in concert to regulate memory consolidation of auditory fear conditioning and associated synaptic plasticity in the LA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa S. Monsey
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Kristie T. Ota
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Irene F. Akingbade
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Ellie S. Hong
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Glenn E. Schafe
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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38
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Maddox SA, Monsey MS, Schafe GE. Early growth response gene 1 (Egr-1) is required for new and reactivated fear memories in the lateral amygdala. Learn Mem 2011; 18:24-38. [PMID: 21177377 PMCID: PMC3023969 DOI: 10.1101/lm.1980211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2010] [Accepted: 10/13/2010] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The immediate-early gene early growth response gene-1 (EGR-1, zif-268) has been extensively studied in synaptic plasticity and memory formation in a variety of memory systems. However, a convincing role for EGR-1 in amygdala-dependent memory consolidation processes has yet to emerge. In the present study, we have examined the role of EGR-1 in the consolidation and reconsolidation of amygdala-dependent auditory Pavlovian fear conditioning. In our first series of experiments, we show that EGR-1 is regulated following auditory fear conditioning in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA). Next, we use antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) knockdown of EGR-1 in the LA to show that training-induced expression of EGR-1 is required for memory consolidation of auditory fear conditioning; that is, long-term memory (LTM) is significantly impaired while acquisition and short-term memory (STM) are intact. In a second set of experiments, we show that EGR-1 is regulated in the LA by retrieval of an auditory fear memory. We then show that retrieval-induced expression of EGR-1 in the LA is required for memory reconsolidation of auditory fear conditioning; that is, post-retrieval (PR)-LTM is significantly impaired while memory retrieval and PR-STM are intact. Additional experiments show these effects to be restricted to the LA, to be temporally graded, and unlikely to be due to nonspecific toxicity within the LA. Collectively, our findings strongly implicate a role for EGR-1 in both the initial consolidation and in the reconsolidation of auditory fear memories in the LA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A. Maddox
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| | - Melissa S. Monsey
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| | - Glenn E. Schafe
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
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Nuclear protein phosphatase-1: an epigenetic regulator of fear memory and amygdala long-term potentiation. Neuroscience 2010; 173:30-6. [PMID: 21093547 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2010] [Revised: 11/10/2010] [Accepted: 11/10/2010] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Complex brain diseases and neurological disorders in human generally result from the disturbance of multiple genes and signaling pathways. These disturbances may derive from mutations, deletions, translocations or rearrangements of specific gene(s). However, over the past years, it has become clear that such disturbances may also derive from alterations in the epigenome affecting several genes simultaneously. Our work recently demonstrated that epigenetic mechanisms in the adult brain are in part regulated by protein phosphatase 1 (PP1), a protein Ser/Thr phosphatase that negatively regulates hippocampus-dependent long-term memory (LTM) and synaptic plasticity. PP1 is abundant in brain structures involved in emotional processing like the amygdala, it may therefore be involved in the regulation of fear memory, a form of memory related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in human. Here, we demonstrate that PP1 is a molecular suppressor of fear memory and synaptic plasticity in the amygdala that can control chromatin remodeling in neurons. We show that the selective inhibition of the nuclear pool of PP1 in amygdala neurons significantly alters posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of histones and the expression of several memory-associated genes. These alterations correlate with enhanced fear memory, and with an increase in long-term potentiation (LTP) that is transcription-dependent. Our results underscore the importance of nuclear PP1 in the amygdala as an epigenetic regulator of emotional memory, and the relevance of protein phosphatases as potential targets for therapeutic treatment of brain disorders like PTSD.
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40
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Valor LM, Barco A. Hippocampal gene profiling: toward a systems biology of the hippocampus. Hippocampus 2010; 22:929-41. [PMID: 21080408 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/24/2010] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptomics and proteomics approaches give a unique perspective for understanding brain and hippocampal functions but also pose unique challenges because of the singular complexity of the nervous system. The proliferation of genome-wide expression studies during the last decade has provided important insight into the molecular underpinnings of brain anatomy, neural plasticity, and neurological diseases. Microarray technology has dominated transcriptomics research, but this situation is rapidly changing with the recent technological advances in high-throughput sequencing. The full potential of transcriptomics in the neurosciences will be achieved as a result of its integration with other "-omics" disciplines as well as the development of novel analytical bioinformatics and systems biology tools for meta-analysis. Here, we review some of the most relevant advances in the gene profiling of the hippocampus, its relationship with proteomics approaches, and the promising perspectives for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M Valor
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Campus de Sant Joan, Apt. 18, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550, Alicante, Spain
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Kadar E, Aldavert-Vera L, Huguet G, Costa-Miserachs D, Morgado-Bernal I, Segura-Torres P. Intracranial self-stimulation induces expression of learning and memory-related genes in rat amygdala. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2010; 10:69-77. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2010.00609.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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42
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Radwańska K, Tudor-Jones AA, Mizuno K, Pereira GS, Lucchesi W, Alfano I, Łach A, Kaczmarek L, Knapp S, Giese KP. Differential regulation of CaMKII inhibitor beta protein expression after exposure to a novel context and during contextual fear memory formation. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2010; 9:648-57. [PMID: 20487031 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2010.00595.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Understanding of the molecular basis of long-term fear memory (fear LTM) formation provides targets in the treatment of emotional disorders. Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is one of the key synaptic molecules involved in fear LTM formation. There are two endogenous inhibitor proteins of CaMKII, CaMKII N alpha and N beta, which can regulate CaMKII activity in vitro. However, the physiological role of these endogenous inhibitors is not known. Here, we have investigated whether CaMKII N beta protein expression is regulated after contextual fear conditioning or exposure to a novel context. Using a novel CaMKII N beta-specific antibody, CaMKII N beta expression was analysed in the naïve mouse brain as well as in the amygdala and hippocampus after conditioning and context exposure. We show that in naïve mouse forebrain CaMKII N beta protein is expressed at its highest levels in olfactory bulb, prefrontal and piriform cortices, amygdala and thalamus. The protein is expressed both in dendrites and cell bodies. CaMKII N beta expression is rapidly and transiently up-regulated in the hippocampus after context exposure. In the amygdala, its expression is regulated only by contextual fear conditioning and not by exposure to a novel context. In conclusion, we show that CaMKII N beta expression is differentially regulated by novelty and contextual fear conditioning, providing further insight into molecular basis of fear LTM.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Radwańska
- Centre for the Cellular Basis of Behaviour, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
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