1
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Paylar B, Pramanik S, Bezabhe YH, Olsson PE. Temporal sex specific brain gene expression pattern during early rat embryonic development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1343800. [PMID: 38961864 PMCID: PMC11219815 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1343800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: The classical concept of brain sex differentiation suggests that steroid hormones released from the gonads program male and female brains differently. However, several studies indicate that steroid hormones are not the only determinant of brain sex differentiation and that genetic differences could also be involved. Methods: In this study, we have performed RNA sequencing of rat brains at embryonic days 12 (E12), E13, and E14. The aim was to identify differentially expressed genes between male and female rat brains during early development. Results: Analysis of genes expressed with the highest sex differences showed that Xist was highly expressed in females having XX genotype with an increasing expression over time. Analysis of genes expressed with the highest male expression identified three early genes, Sry2, Eif2s3y, and Ddx3y. Discussion: The observed sex-specific expression of genes at early development confirms that the rat brain is sexually dimorphic prior to gonadal action on the brain and identifies Sry2 and Eif2s3y as early genes contributing to male brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Per-Erik Olsson
- Biology, The Life Science Center, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
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2
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Kim DH, Loke H, Thompson J, Hill R, Sundram S, Lee J. The dopamine D2-like receptor and the Y-chromosome gene, SRY, are reciprocally regulated in the human male neuroblastoma M17 cell line. Neuropharmacology 2024; 251:109928. [PMID: 38552780 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Hyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia
| | - Hannah Loke
- Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia
| | - James Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia
| | - Rachel Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia
| | - Suresh Sundram
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia; Mental Health Program, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia
| | - Joohyung Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia; Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia.
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3
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Grissom NM, Glewwe N, Chen C, Giglio E. Sex mechanisms as nonbinary influences on cognitive diversity. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105544. [PMID: 38643533 PMCID: PMC11338071 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Essentially all neuropsychiatric diagnoses show some degree of sex and/or gender differences in their etiology, diagnosis, or prognosis. As a result, the roles of sex-related variables in behavior and cognition are of strong interest to many, with several lines of research showing effects on executive functions and value-based decision making in particular. These findings are often framed within a sex binary, with behavior of females described as less optimal than male "defaults"-- a framing that pits males and females against each other and deemphasizes the enormous overlap in fundamental neural mechanisms across sexes. Here, we propose an alternative framework in which sex-related factors encompass just one subset of many sources of valuable diversity in cognition. First, we review literature establishing multidimensional, nonbinary impacts of factors related to sex chromosomes and endocrine mechanisms on cognition, focusing on value- based decision-making tasks. Next, we present two suggestions for nonbinary interpretations and analyses of sex-related data that can be implemented by behavioral neuroscientists without devoting laboratory resources to delving into mechanisms underlying sex differences. We recommend (1) shifting interpretations of behavior away from performance metrics and towards strategy assessments to avoid the fallacy that the performance of one sex is worse than another; and (2) asking how much variance sex explains in measures and whether any differences are mosaic rather than binary, to avoid assuming that sex differences in separate measures are inextricably correlated. Nonbinary frameworks in research on cognition will allow neuroscience to represent the full spectrum of brains and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola M Grissom
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, United States of America.
| | - Nic Glewwe
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Cathy Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Erin Giglio
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, United States of America
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4
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Lafta MS, Mwinyi J, Affatato O, Rukh G, Dang J, Andersson G, Schiöth HB. Exploring sex differences: insights into gene expression, neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cognition, and pathology. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1340108. [PMID: 38449735 PMCID: PMC10915038 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1340108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Increased knowledge about sex differences is important for development of individualized treatments against many diseases as well as understanding behavioral and pathological differences. This review summarizes sex chromosome effects on gene expression, epigenetics, and hormones in relation to the brain. We explore neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cognition, and brain pathology aiming to explain the current state of the art. While some domains exhibit strong differences, others reveal subtle differences whose overall significance warrants clarification. We hope that the current review increases awareness and serves as a basis for the planning of future studies that consider both sexes equally regarding similarities and differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muataz S. Lafta
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jessica Mwinyi
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Women’s Mental Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Oreste Affatato
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Women’s Mental Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gull Rukh
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Junhua Dang
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gerhard Andersson
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helgi B. Schiöth
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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5
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Fenske SJ, Liu J, Chen H, Diniz MA, Stephens RL, Cornea E, Gilmore JH, Gao W. Sex differences in brain-behavior relationships in the first two years of life. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.31.578147. [PMID: 38352542 PMCID: PMC10862872 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.31.578147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Background Evidence for sex differences in cognition in childhood is established, but less is known about the underlying neural mechanisms for these differences. Recent findings suggest the existence of brain-behavior relationship heterogeneities during infancy; however, it remains unclear whether sex underlies these heterogeneities during this critical period when sex-related behavioral differences arise. Methods A sample of 316 infants was included with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans at neonate (3 weeks), 1, and 2 years of age. We used multiple linear regression to test interactions between sex and resting-state functional connectivity on behavioral scores of working memory, inhibitory self-control, intelligence, and anxiety collected at 4 years of age. Results We found six age-specific, intra-hemispheric connections showing significant and robust sex differences in functional connectivity-behavior relationships. All connections are either with the prefrontal cortex or the temporal pole, which has direct anatomical pathways to the prefrontal cortex. Sex differences in functional connectivity only emerge when associated with behavior, and not in functional connectivity alone. Furthermore, at neonate and 2 years of age, these age-specific connections displayed greater connectivity in males and lower connectivity in females in association with better behavioral scores. Conclusions Taken together, we critically capture robust and conserved brain mechanisms that are distinct to sex and are defined by their relationship to behavioral outcomes. Our results establish brain-behavior mechanisms as an important feature in the search for sex differences during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja J Fenske
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
| | - Janelle Liu
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
| | - Haitao Chen
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90025
| | - Marcio A Diniz
- The Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Research Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
| | - Rebecca L Stephens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599
| | - Emil Cornea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599
| | - Wei Gao
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90025
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6
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Pathak D, Baksi A, Vasan SS, Dighe RR. Molecular and Functional Characterization of Human Sex-Determining Region on the Y Chromosome Variants Using Protamine 1 Promoter. DNA Cell Biol 2024; 43:12-25. [PMID: 38170186 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2022.0619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The male sex-determining gene, sex-determining region on the Y chromosome (SRY), is expressed in adult testicular germ cells; however, its role in regulating spermatogenesis remains unclear. The role of SRY in the postmeiotic gene expression was investigated by determining the effect of SRY on the promoter of the haploid-specific Protamine 1 (PRM1) gene, which harbors five distinct SRY-binding motifs. In a luciferase reporter assay system, SRY upregulates PRM1 promoter activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. Through a gel-shift assay involving a 31-bp DNA fragment encompassing the SRY element within the PRM1 promoter, the third SRY-binding site on the sense strand (-373/-367) was identified as crucial for PRM1 promoter activation. This assay was extended to analyze 9 SRY variants found in the testicular DNA of 44 azoospermia patients. The findings suggest that SRY regulates PRM1 promoter activity by directly binding to its specific motif within the PRM1 promoter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepali Pathak
- School of Sciences, Jain (Deemed-to-Be University), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Arka Baksi
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU-Dresden, Saxony, Germany
| | - S S Vasan
- Manipal Ankur Fertility, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Rajan R Dighe
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
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7
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Terrin F, Tesoriere A, Plotegher N, Dalla Valle L. Sex and Brain: The Role of Sex Chromosomes and Hormones in Brain Development and Parkinson's Disease. Cells 2023; 12:1486. [PMID: 37296608 PMCID: PMC10252697 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex hormones and genes on the sex chromosomes are not only key factors in the regulation of sexual differentiation and reproduction but they are also deeply involved in brain homeostasis. Their action is crucial for the development of the brain, which presents different characteristics depending on the sex of individuals. The role of these players in the brain is fundamental in the maintenance of brain function during adulthood as well, thus being important also with respect to age-related neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we explore the role of biological sex in the development of the brain and analyze its impact on the predisposition toward and the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, we focus on Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that has a higher incidence in the male population. We report how sex hormones and genes encoded by the sex chromosomes could protect from the disease or alternatively predispose toward its development. We finally underline the importance of considering sex when studying brain physiology and pathology in cellular and animal models in order to better understand disease etiology and develop novel tailored therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nicoletta Plotegher
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (F.T.); (A.T.)
| | - Luisa Dalla Valle
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (F.T.); (A.T.)
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8
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Ocañas SR, Ansere VA, Kellogg CM, Isola JVV, Chucair-Elliott AJ, Freeman WM. Chromosomal and gonadal factors regulate microglial sex effects in the aging brain. Brain Res Bull 2023; 195:157-171. [PMID: 36804773 PMCID: PMC10810555 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Biological sex contributes to phenotypic sex effects through genetic (sex chromosomal) and hormonal (gonadal) mechanisms. There are profound sex differences in the prevalence and progression of age-related brain diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases. Inflammation of neural tissue is one of the most consistent age-related phenotypes seen with healthy aging and disease. The pro-inflammatory environment of the aging brain has primarily been attributed to microglial reactivity and adoption of heterogeneous reactive states dependent upon intrinsic (i.e., sex) and extrinsic (i.e., age, disease state) factors. Here, we review sex effects in microglia across the lifespan, explore potential genetic and hormonal molecular mechanisms of microglial sex effects, and discuss currently available models and methods to study sex effects in the aging brain. Despite recent attention to this area, significant further research is needed to mechanistically understand the regulation of microglial sex effects across the lifespan, which may open new avenues for sex informed prevention and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Ocañas
- Genes & Human Disease Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
| | - Victor A Ansere
- Genes & Human Disease Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Collyn M Kellogg
- Genes & Human Disease Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Jose V V Isola
- Aging & Metabolism Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Ana J Chucair-Elliott
- Genes & Human Disease Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Willard M Freeman
- Genes & Human Disease Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
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9
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Ihara T, Hamada M, Furuse M. The Greater Impact of Paternal, Compared to Maternal, Hereditary Background on Depressive-Like Behavior in Wistar Kyoto Rats with Different Amino Acid Metabolism in the Pup Brain. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24044199. [PMID: 36835609 PMCID: PMC9966018 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24044199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In the pathogenesis of depression, heredity is believed to be a major factor. However, the mechanism by which heredity contributes to the onset of depression is not fully understood. Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats have been used as an animal model for depression because of their increased depression-like behavior compared to Wistar (WIS) rats. In the present study, pups crossbred from WKY × WIS rats were used to evaluate locomotor activity in an open field test (OFT) and depression-like behavior in a forced swimming test (FST), with a focus on amino acid metabolism. Pups in the WKY♂ × WKY♀ group showed lower locomotor activity in the OFT and higher depression-like behavior in the FST than those in the WIS♂ × WIS♀ group. In addition, multiple regression analysis showed that the paternal strain had a greater effect than the maternal strain on locomotor activity and depression-like behavior in OFT and FST, respectively. Several amino acids in the brainstem, hippocampus, and striatum were significantly decreased through the influence of the WKY paternal strain, but not the WKY maternal strain. Based on these data from comparing WKY and WIS rats, we hypothesize that the hereditary effects of the WKY paternal strain on behavioral tests are partially caused by dysregulation of the amino acid metabolism in the brain.
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10
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Zhu GY, Zhang JG, Yuan TS, Chen YC, Liu DF, Ma RY, Zhang X, Du TT. Sex modulates the outcome of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Neural Regen Res 2023; 18:901-907. [DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.353506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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11
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Sex Differences in Dopaminergic Vulnerability to Environmental Toxicants - Implications for Parkinson's Disease. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:563-573. [PMID: 36201109 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00380-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Sex dimorphism in Parkinson's disease (PD) is an ostensible feature of the neurological disorder, particularly as men are 1.5-2 times more likely to develop PD than women. Clinical features of the disease, such as presentation at onset, most prevalent symptoms, and response to treatment, are also affected by sex. Despite these well-known sex differences in PD risk and phenotype, the mechanisms that impart sex dimorphisms in PD remain poorly understood. RECENT FINDINGS As PD incidence is influenced by environmental factors, an intriguing pattern has recently emerged in research studies suggesting a male-specific vulnerability to dopaminergic neurodegeneration caused by neurotoxicant exposure, with relative protection in females. These new experimental data have uncovered potential mechanisms that provide clues to the source of sex differences in dopaminergic neurodegeneration and other PD pathology such as alpha-synuclein toxicity. In this review, we discuss the emerging evidence of increased male sensitivity to neurodegeneration from environmental exposures. We examine mechanisms underlying dopaminergic neurodegeneration and PD-related pathologies with evidence supporting the roles of estrogen, SRY expression, the vesicular glutamate transporter VGLUT2, and the microbiome as prospective catalysts for male vulnerability. We also highlight the importance of including sex as a biological variable, particularly when evaluating dopaminergic neurotoxicity in the context of PD.
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12
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The role of maternal immune activation in the immunological and neurological pathogenesis of autism. JOURNAL OF NEURORESTORATOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnrt.2022.100030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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13
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Pallier PN, Ferrara M, Romagnolo F, Ferretti MT, Soreq H, Cerase A. Chromosomal and environmental contributions to sex differences in the vulnerability to neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders: Implications for therapeutic interventions. Prog Neurobiol 2022; 219:102353. [PMID: 36100191 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders affect men and women differently. Multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety disorders, depression, meningiomas and late-onset schizophrenia affect women more frequently than men. By contrast, Parkinson's disease, autism spectrum condition, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Tourette's syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and early-onset schizophrenia are more prevalent in men. Women have been historically under-recruited or excluded from clinical trials, and most basic research uses male rodent cells or animals as disease models, rarely studying both sexes and factoring sex as a potential source of variation, resulting in a poor understanding of the underlying biological reasons for sex and gender differences in the development of such diseases. Putative pathophysiological contributors include hormones and epigenetics regulators but additional biological and non-biological influences may be at play. We review here the evidence for the underpinning role of the sex chromosome complement, X chromosome inactivation, and environmental and epigenetic regulators in sex differences in the vulnerability to brain disease. We conclude that there is a pressing need for a better understanding of the genetic, epigenetic and environmental mechanisms sustaining sex differences in such diseases, which is critical for developing a precision medicine approach based on sex-tailored prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick N Pallier
- Blizard Institute, Centre for Neuroscience, Surgery and Trauma, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK.
| | - Maria Ferrara
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Women's Brain Project (WBP), Switzerland
| | - Francesca Romagnolo
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | | | - Hermona Soreq
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center of Brain Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Andrea Cerase
- EMBL-Rome, Via Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo, RM, Italy; Blizard Institute, Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK; Department of Biology, University of Pisa, SS12 Abetone e Brennero 4, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
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14
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Cīrulis A, Hansson B, Abbott JK. Sex-limited chromosomes and non-reproductive traits. BMC Biol 2022; 20:156. [PMID: 35794589 PMCID: PMC9261002 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01357-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosomes are typically viewed as having originated from a pair of autosomes, and differentiated as the sex-limited chromosome (e.g. Y) has degenerated by losing most genes through cessation of recombination. While often thought that degenerated sex-limited chromosomes primarily affect traits involved in sex determination and sex cell production, accumulating evidence suggests they also influence traits not sex-limited or directly involved in reproduction. Here, we provide an overview of the effects of sex-limited chromosomes on non-reproductive traits in XY, ZW or UV sex determination systems, and discuss evolutionary processes maintaining variation at sex-limited chromosomes and molecular mechanisms affecting non-reproductive traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aivars Cīrulis
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Bengt Hansson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
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15
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Sumien N, Cunningham JT, Davis DL, Engelland R, Fadeyibi O, Farmer GE, Mabry S, Mensah-Kane P, Trinh OTP, Vann PH, Wilson EN, Cunningham RL. Neurodegenerative Disease: Roles for Sex, Hormones, and Oxidative Stress. Endocrinology 2021; 162:6360925. [PMID: 34467976 PMCID: PMC8462383 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases cause severe impairments in cognitive and motor function. With an increasing aging population and the onset of these diseases between 50 and 70 years, the consequences are bound to be devastating. While age and longevity are the main risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases, sex is also an important risk factor. The characteristic of sex is multifaceted, encompassing sex chromosome complement, sex hormones (estrogens and androgens), and sex hormone receptors. Sex hormone receptors can induce various signaling cascades, ranging from genomic transcription to intracellular signaling pathways that are dependent on the health of the cell. Oxidative stress, associated with aging, can impact the health of the cell. Sex hormones can be neuroprotective under low oxidative stress conditions but not in high oxidative stress conditions. An understudied sex hormone receptor that can induce activation of oxidative stress signaling is the membrane androgen receptor (mAR). mAR can mediate nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-phosphate (NADPH) oxidase (NOX)-generated oxidative stress that is associated with several neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease. Further complicating this is that aging can alter sex hormone signaling. Prior to menopause, women experience more estrogens than androgens. During menopause, this sex hormone profile switches in women due to the dramatic ovarian loss of 17β-estradiol with maintained ovarian androgen (testosterone, androstenedione) production. Indeed, aging men have higher estrogens than aging women due to aromatization of androgens to estrogens. Therefore, higher activation of mAR-NOX signaling could occur in menopausal women compared with aged men, mediating the observed sex differences. Understanding of these signaling cascades could provide therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Sumien
- Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Center for Healthy Aging, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - J Thomas Cunningham
- Department of Physiology & Anatomy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Delaney L Davis
- Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Center for Healthy Aging, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Rachel Engelland
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Oluwadarasimi Fadeyibi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - George E Farmer
- Department of Physiology & Anatomy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Steve Mabry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Paapa Mensah-Kane
- Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Center for Healthy Aging, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Oanh T P Trinh
- Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Center for Healthy Aging, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Philip H Vann
- Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Center for Healthy Aging, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - E Nicole Wilson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Rebecca L Cunningham
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
- Correspondence: Rebecca L. Cunningham, PhD, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3400 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, USA, 76107-2699.
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16
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Joue G, Chakroun K, Bayer J, Gläscher J, Zhang L, Fuss J, Hennies N, Sommer T. Sex Differences and Exogenous Estrogen Influence Learning and Brain Responses to Prediction Errors. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:2022-2036. [PMID: 34649284 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal studies show marked sex differences as well as effects of estrogen (E2) in the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic (DA) pathways, which play a critical role in reward processing and reinforcement learning and are also implicated in drug addiction. In this computational pharmacological fMRI study, we investigate the effects of both factors, sex and estrogen, on reinforcement learning and the dopaminergic system in humans; 67 male and 64 naturally cycling female volunteers, the latter in their low-hormone phase, were randomly assigned, double-blind, to take E2 or placebo. They completed a reinforcement learning task in the MRI scanner for which we have previously shown reward prediction error (RPE)-related activity to be dopaminergic. We found RPE-related brain activity to be enhanced in women compared with men and to a greater extent when E2 levels were elevated in both sexes. However, both factors, female sex and E2, slowed adaptation to RPEs (smaller learning rate). This discrepancy of larger RPE-related activity yet smaller learning rates can be explained by organizational sex differences and activational effects of circulating E2, which both affect DA release differently to DA receptor binding capacities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Joue
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Karima Chakroun
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Janine Bayer
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Gläscher
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lei Zhang
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Fuss
- Institute for Sex Research, Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nora Hennies
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Sommer
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
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17
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Solarz A, Majcher-Maślanka I, Chocyk A. Effects of early-life stress and sex on blood-brain barrier permeability and integrity in juvenile and adult rats. Dev Neurobiol 2021; 81:861-876. [PMID: 34320279 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Early-life stress (ELS) is considered a relevant etiological factor for neurodegenerative and mental disorders. In the present study, we hypothesized that ELS may persistently and sex dependently influence blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity and function during critical periods of brain development and consequently determine susceptibility to and sex-related prevalence of chronic diseases in adult life. We used the maternal separation (MS) procedure in rats to model ELS and evaluated BBB permeability and gene expression of selected tight junction (TJ) proteins, glucose transporter type 1 (Slc2a1) and aquaporin 4 (Aqp4) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), dorsal striatum (dSTR) and hippocampus of juvenile and adult rats. Serum concentrations of a peripheral marker of BBB function (S100β) and proinflammatory cytokines were also assessed. We observed developmental sealing of the BBB and sex differences in the permeability of the BBB and the mRNA expression of TJ proteins and Slc2a1. Adult females showed lower BBB permeability and higher levels of Cldn3, Cldn5, Ocln, and Slc2a1 in the mPFC and dSTR than males. MS temporarily increased BBB permeability in the dSTR of juvenile males and affected mRNA expression of the majority of studied proteins related to BBB function in age-, region- and sex-dependent manners. Additionally, MS sex dependently decreased serum S100β levels and did not affect proinflammatory cytokine concentrations. In general, our study did not reveal a clear or strong negative effect of MS on BBB integrity. However, the results suggest that ELS may induce adaptive/maladaptive changes or compensatory mechanisms within the BBB of unknown yet consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Solarz
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Iwona Majcher-Maślanka
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Chocyk
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
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18
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Chowen JA, Garcia-Segura LM. Role of glial cells in the generation of sex differences in neurodegenerative diseases and brain aging. Mech Ageing Dev 2021; 196:111473. [PMID: 33766745 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2021.111473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Diseases and aging-associated alterations of the nervous system often show sex-specific characteristics. Glial cells play a major role in the endogenous homeostatic response of neural tissue, and sex differences in the glial transcriptome and function have been described. Therefore, the possible role of these cells in the generation of sex differences in pathological alterations of the nervous system is reviewed here. Studies have shown that glia react to pathological insults with sex-specific neuroprotective and regenerative effects. At least three factors determine this sex-specific response of glia: sex chromosome genes, gonadal hormones and neuroactive steroid hormone metabolites. The sex chromosome complement determines differences in the transcriptional responses in glia after brain injury, while gonadal hormones and their metabolites activate sex-specific neuroprotective mechanisms in these cells. Since the sex-specific neuroprotective and regenerative activity of glial cells causes sex differences in the pathological alterations of the nervous system, glia may represent a relevant target for sex-specific therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Chowen
- Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Instituto de Investigación la Princesa, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutriciόn (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and IMDEA Food Institute, CEIUAM+CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Luis M Garcia-Segura
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
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19
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Nalvarte I, Varshney M, Inzunza J, Gustafsson JÅ. Estrogen receptor beta and neural development. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2021; 116:313-326. [PMID: 33752823 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2021.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The female sex hormone estradiol (E2, 17β-estradiol) has important functions in the developing brain. In addition to regulating sexual differentiation of the brain, E2 participates in the development of brain areas involved in functions unrelated to reproduction, such as cognition. E2 signals mainly thorough two estrogen receptors; estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and beta (ERβ). While ERα has distinct functions for sexual imprinting of the developing brain, ERβ is considered to participate in the development of brain areas related to cognitive function. In this chapter we will focus on ERβ's role during neural development. We will discuss the contributions of sex chromosomal and sex hormonal effects in this process and place it in relation to recent data on ERβ obtained from stem cell models. Finally, we will discuss the lessons learned from mouse and stem cell models in understanding ERβ's role in neural development and how new stem cell models, by addressing the human relevance, may help to advance our progress in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Nalvarte
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
| | - Mukesh Varshney
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jose Inzunza
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jan-Åke Gustafsson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden; Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
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20
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Minkley M, MacLeod P, Anderson CK, Nashmi R, Walter PB. Loss of tyrosine hydroxylase, motor deficits and elevated iron in a mouse model of phospholipase A2G6-associated neurodegeneration (PLAN). Brain Res 2020; 1748:147066. [PMID: 32818532 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.147066] [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: 10/12/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Phospholipase A2G6-associated neurodegeneration (PLAN) is a rare early-onset monogenic neurodegenerative movement disorder which targets the basal ganglia and other regions in the central and peripheral nervous system; presenting as a series of heterogenous subtypes in patients. We describe here a B6.C3-Pla2g6m1J/CxRwb mouse model of PLAN which presents with early-onset neurodegeneration at 90 days which is analogous of the disease progression that is observed in PLAN patients. Homozygous mice had a progressively worsening motor deficit, which presented as tremors starting at 65 days and progressed to severe motor dysfunction and increased falls on the wire hang test at 90 days. This motor deficit positively correlated with a reduction in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) protein expression in dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra (SN) without any neuronal loss. Fluorescence imaging of Thy1-YFP revealed spheroid formation in the SN. The spheroids in homozygous mice strongly mirrors those observed in patients and were demonstrated to correlate strongly with the motor deficits as measured by the wire hang test. The appearance of spheroids preceded TH loss and increased spheroid numbers negatively correlated with TH expression. Perls/DAB staining revealed the presence of iron accumulation within the SN of mice. This mouse model captures many of the major hallmarks of PLAN including severe-early onset neurodegeneration, a motor deficit that correlates directly to TH levels, spheroid formation and iron accumulation within the basal ganglia. Thus, this mouse line is a useful tool for further research efforts to improve understanding of how these disease mechanisms give rise to the disease presentations seen in PLAN patients as well as to test novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Minkley
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Victoria, Canada
| | - Patrick MacLeod
- Division of Medical Genetics, Vancouver Island Health Authority, Victoria, BC, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Raad Nashmi
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Victoria, Canada.
| | - Patrick B Walter
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Victoria, Canada; Hematology/Oncology, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, Oakland, USA.
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21
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22
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Pan H, Wang Y, Zhao Y, Jiang L, Zeng Q, He Y, Fang Z, Wang Z, Xu Q, Sun Q, Tan J, Yan X, Li J, Tang B, Guo J. No relationship between SRY variants and risk of Parkinson's disease in Chinese population. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 100:119.e3-119.e6. [PMID: 33041088 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease with inherent sex differences, and sex-determining region Y (SRY) is a gene located in the Y chromosome which encodes a transcription factor involving the regulation of the dopamine system. In this study, we investigated whether SRY variants were associated with PD in Chinese population. A total of 2058 male patients with PD and 1650 male control participants were recruited, and variants in SRY transcript and flanking regions were genotyped by whole-exome sequencing or whole-genome sequencing. Analysis of rare variants by the optimal sequence kernel association test showed no difference in variant burden of coding, 5'-noncoding and 3'-noncoding between the case and control group. In addition, of the 6 common variants identified, none showed a significant effect in altering PD risk in our population using logistic regression. Our results suggested SRY variants were not associated with the risk of PD in Chinese population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxu Pan
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yige Wang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yuwen Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Li Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qian Zeng
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yan He
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhenghuan Fang
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Centre for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qian Xu
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qiying Sun
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Department of Geriatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jieqiong Tan
- Centre for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xinxiang Yan
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jinchen Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Centre for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Department of Geriatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Beisha Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Centre for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Department of Geriatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jifeng Guo
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Centre for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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23
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Cardinal T, Bergeron KF, Soret R, Souchkova O, Faure C, Guillon A, Pilon N. Male-biased aganglionic megacolon in the TashT mouse model of Hirschsprung disease involves upregulation of p53 protein activity and Ddx3y gene expression. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1009008. [PMID: 32898154 PMCID: PMC7500598 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a complex genetic disorder of neural crest development resulting in incomplete formation of the enteric nervous system (ENS). This life-threatening neurocristopathy affects 1/5000 live births, with a currently unexplained male-biased ratio. To address this lack of knowledge, we took advantage of the TashT mutant mouse line, which is the only HSCR model to display a robust male bias. Our prior work revealed that the TashT insertional mutation perturbs a Chr.10 silencer-enriched non-coding region, leading to transcriptional dysregulation of hundreds of genes in neural crest-derived ENS progenitors of both sexes. Here, through sex-stratified transcriptome analyses and targeted overexpression in ENS progenitors, we show that male-biased ENS malformation in TashT embryos is not due to upregulation of Sry-the murine ortholog of a candidate gene for the HSCR male bias in humans-but instead involves upregulation of another Y-linked gene, Ddx3y. This discovery might be clinically relevant since we further found that the DDX3Y protein is also expressed in the ENS of a subset of male HSCR patients. Mechanistically, other data including chromosome conformation captured-based assays and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletions suggest that Ddx3y upregulation in male TashT ENS progenitors is due to increased transactivation by p53, which appears especially active in these cells yet without triggering apoptosis. Accordingly, in utero treatment of TashT embryos with the p53 inhibitor pifithrin-α decreased Ddx3y expression and abolished the otherwise more severe ENS defect in TashT males. Our data thus highlight novel pathogenic roles for p53 and DDX3Y during ENS formation in mice, a finding that might help to explain the intriguing male bias of HSCR in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Cardinal
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre d'excellence en recherche sur les maladies orphelines-Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Karl-Frédérik Bergeron
- Centre d'excellence en recherche sur les maladies orphelines-Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Lipid Metabolism Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Rodolphe Soret
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre d'excellence en recherche sur les maladies orphelines-Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Ouliana Souchkova
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre d'excellence en recherche sur les maladies orphelines-Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Christophe Faure
- Centre d'excellence en recherche sur les maladies orphelines-Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département de pédiatrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Division de gastroentérologie, hépatologie et nutrition pédiatrique, Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Amélina Guillon
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Nicolas Pilon
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre d'excellence en recherche sur les maladies orphelines-Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département de pédiatrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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24
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Awogbindin IO, Adedara IA, Adeniyi PA, Agedah AE, Oyetunde BF, Olorunkalu PD, Ogbuewu E, Akindoyeni IA, Mustapha YE, Ezekiel OG, Farombi EO. Nigral and ventral tegmental area lesioning induces testicular and sperm morphological abnormalities in a rotenone model of Parkinson's disease. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2020; 78:103412. [PMID: 32439558 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2020.103412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Although sexual health is affected by Parkinson's disease (PD), the effect on testicular health and/or sperm quality is not well discussed. After 21 days of rotenone lesioning, we observed dopaminergic neuronal degeneration in the substantia nigra and hypothalamus. There were minimal SPACA-1-expressing epididymal spermatozoa with morphological abnormalities, scanty luminal spermatozoa and reduced testicular spermatids and post-meiotic germ cells indicating hypospermatogenesis. Occludin-expressing sertoli cells were dispersed over a wide area indicating compromised blood-testes barrier. Activated caspase-3 expression was intense while immunoreactivity of spermatogenic-enhancing SRY and GADD45 g was weak. Although serum follicle stimulating hormone level was not affected, the lesion was associated with reduced serum testosterone level, testicular oxidative damage and inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity, even when rotenone was not detected in the testes. Together, dopaminergic lesions may mediate testicular and sperm abnormalities via the brain-hypothalamic-testicular circuit independent of the pituitary, thereby establishing a causal link between Parkinsonism and reproductive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ifeoluwa O Awogbindin
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Isaac A Adedara
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Philip A Adeniyi
- Cell Biology and Neurotoxicity Unit, Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
| | - Alberta E Agedah
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Bisola F Oyetunde
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Precious D Olorunkalu
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Emmanuel Ogbuewu
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Inioluwa A Akindoyeni
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Yusuf E Mustapha
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Oluwatoyin G Ezekiel
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Ebenezer O Farombi
- Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
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25
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De Miranda BR, Fazzari M, Rocha EM, Castro S, Greenamyre JT. Sex Differences in Rotenone Sensitivity Reflect the Male-to-Female Ratio in Human Parkinson's Disease Incidence. Toxicol Sci 2020; 170:133-143. [PMID: 30907971 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfz082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a critical need to include female subjects in disease research; however, in Parkinson's disease, where the male-to-female incidence is about 1.5-to-1, the majority of preclinical research is conducted in male animals. The mitochondrial complex I inhibitor, rotenone, is selectively toxic to dopaminergic neurons, and reproduces several neuropathological features of Parkinson's disease, including α-synuclein pathology. Rotenone has been primarily utilized in male Lewis rats; however, pilot studies in age-matched female Lewis rats revealed that our usual dose (2.8 mg/kg/day intraperitoneal [i.p.]) did not cause dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Therefore, we compared rotenone-treated males (2.8 mg/kg/day, i.p.) to females at increasing doses (2.8 mg/kg/day, 3.2 mg/kg/day, 3.6 mg/kg/day, and 1.6 mg/kg bis in die, i.p.). Female rats receiving 3.2 mg/kg, and 3.6 mg/kg rotenone displayed significant loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra as assessed by stereology, which was accompanied by a loss of striatal dopaminergic terminals. Even at these higher doses, however, females showed less inflammation, and less accumulation of α-synuclein and transferrin, possibly as a result of preserved autophagy. Thus, the bias toward increased male incidence of human Parkinson's disease is reflected in the rotenone model. Whether such sex differences will translate into differences in responses to mechanism-driven therapeutic interventions remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana R De Miranda
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases.,Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213
| | - Marco Fazzari
- Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15261.,Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15261.,Fondazione Ri.MED, Via Bandiera 11, Palermo 90133, Italy
| | - Emily M Rocha
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases.,Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213
| | - Sandra Castro
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases.,Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213
| | - J Timothy Greenamyre
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases.,Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213
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26
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Tower J, Pomatto LCD, Davies KJA. Sex differences in the response to oxidative and proteolytic stress. Redox Biol 2020; 31:101488. [PMID: 32201219 PMCID: PMC7212483 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in diseases involving oxidative and proteolytic stress are common, including greater ischemic heart disease, Parkinson disease and stroke in men, and greater Alzheimer disease in women. Sex differences are also observed in stress response of cells and tissues, where female cells are generally more resistant to heat and oxidative stress-induced cell death. Studies implicate beneficial effects of estrogen, as well as cell-autonomous effects including superior mitochondrial function and increased expression of stress response genes in female cells relative to male cells. The p53 and forkhead box (FOX)-family genes, heat shock proteins (HSPs), and the apoptosis and autophagy pathways appear particularly important in mediating sex differences in stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Tower
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089, USA.
| | - Laura C D Pomatto
- National Institute on General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Kelvin J A Davies
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089, USA; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, USA
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27
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Vegeto E, Villa A, Della Torre S, Crippa V, Rusmini P, Cristofani R, Galbiati M, Maggi A, Poletti A. The Role of Sex and Sex Hormones in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Endocr Rev 2020; 41:5572525. [PMID: 31544208 PMCID: PMC7156855 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnz005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a wide class of disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) with unknown etiology. Several factors were hypothesized to be involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases, including genetic and environmental factors. Many of these diseases show a sex prevalence and sex steroids were shown to have a role in the progression of specific forms of neurodegeneration. Estrogens were reported to be neuroprotective through their action on cognate nuclear and membrane receptors, while adverse effects of male hormones have been described on neuronal cells, although some data also suggest neuroprotective activities. The response of the CNS to sex steroids is a complex and integrated process that depends on (i) the type and amount of the cognate steroid receptor and (ii) the target cell type-either neurons, glia, or microglia. Moreover, the levels of sex steroids in the CNS fluctuate due to gonadal activities and to local metabolism and synthesis. Importantly, biochemical processes involved in the pathogenesis of NDs are increasingly being recognized as different between the two sexes and as influenced by sex steroids. The aim of this review is to present current state-of-the-art understanding on the potential role of sex steroids and their receptors on the onset and progression of major neurodegenerative disorders, namely, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and the peculiar motoneuron disease spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, in which hormonal therapy is potentially useful as disease modifier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Vegeto
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Villa
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute (DiSS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Sara Della Torre
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Valeria Crippa
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Rusmini
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Riccardo Cristofani
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Mariarita Galbiati
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Adriana Maggi
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Angelo Poletti
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
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28
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González CR, González B. Exploring the Stress Impact in the Paternal Germ Cells Epigenome: Can Catecholamines Induce Epigenetic Reprogramming? Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:630948. [PMID: 33679612 PMCID: PMC7933579 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.630948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is characterized by unique epigenetic programs that enable chromatin remodeling and transcriptional regulation for proper meiotic divisions and germ cells maturation. Paternal lifestyle stressors such as diet, drug abuse, or psychological trauma can directly impact the germ cell epigenome and transmit phenotypes to the next generation, pointing to the importance of epigenetic regulation during spermatogenesis. It is established that environmental perturbations can affect the development and behavior of the offspring through epigenetic inheritance, including changes in small non-coding RNAs, DNA methylation, and histones post-translational modifications. But how male germ cells react to lifestyle stressors and encode them in the paternal epigenome is still a research gap. Most lifestyle stressors activate catecholamine circuits leading to both acute and long-term changes in neural functions, and epigenetic mechanisms show strong links to both long-term and rapid, dynamic gene expression regulation during stress. Importantly, the testis shares a molecular and transcriptional signature with the brain tissue, including a rich expression of catecholaminergic elements in germ cells that seem to respond to stressors with similar epigenetic and transcriptional profiles. In this minireview, we put on stage the action of catecholamines as possible mediators between paternal stress responses and epigenetic marks alterations during spermatogenesis. Understanding the epigenetic regulation in spermatogenesis will contribute to unravel the coding mechanisms in the transmission of the biological impacts of stress between generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candela R. González
- Centro de Estudios Biomédicos Básicos, Aplicados y Desarrollo (CEBBAD), Universidad Maimónides, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Betina González
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (Universidad de Buenos Aires–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- *Correspondence: Betina González,
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29
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Sigurdardottir HL, Lanzenberger R, Kranz GS. Genetics of sex differences in neuroanatomy and function. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 175:179-193. [PMID: 33008524 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64123-6.00013-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences are observed at many distinct biologic levels, such as in the anatomy and functioning of the brain, behavior, and susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders. Previously, these differences were believed to entirely result from the secretion of gonadal hormones; however, recent research has demonstrated that differences are also the consequence of direct or nonhormonal effects of genes located on the sex chromosomes. This chapter reviews the four core genotype model that separates the effects of hormones and sex chromosomes and highlights a few genes that are believed to be partly responsible for sex dimorphism of the brain, in particular, the Sry gene. Genetics of the brain's neurochemistry is discussed and the susceptibility to certain neurologic and psychiatric disorders is reviewed. Lastly, we discuss the sex-specific genetic contribution in disorders of sexual development. The precise molecular mechanisms underlying these differences are currently not entirely known. An increased knowledge and understanding of the role of candidate genes will undeniably be of great aid in elucidating the molecular basis of sex-biased disorders and potentially allow for more sex-specific therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen L Sigurdardottir
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg S Kranz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China; The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
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30
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Pearse RV, Young-Pearse TL. Lost in translational biology: Understanding sex differences to inform studies of diseases of the nervous system. Brain Res 2019; 1722:146352. [PMID: 31351977 PMCID: PMC6755063 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Female and male humans are different. As simple and obvious as that statement is, in biomedical research there has been an historical tendency to either not consider sex at all or to only use males in clinical and in preclinical model system studies. The result is a large volume of research that reflects the average biology and pathology of males even though we know that disease risk, presentation, and response to therapies can be different between females and males. This is true, albeit to differing degrees, for virtually all neurological and psychiatric diseases. However, the days of ignoring sex as a biological variable are over - both because of the realization that genetic sex impacts brain function, and because of the 2014 mandate by the U.S. National Institutes of Health that requires that "sex as a biological variable" be addressed in each grant application. This review is written for neuroscientists who may not have considered sex as a biological variable previously but who now are navigating the best way to adapt their research programs to consider this important biology. We first provide a brief overview of the evidence that male versus female differences in the brain are biologically and clinically meaningful. We then present some fundamental principles that have been forged by a dedicated but small group of ground-breaking researchers along with a description of tools and model systems for incorporating a sex differences component into a research project. Finally, we will highlight some key technologies that, in the coming years, are likely to provide critical information about sex differences in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard V Pearse
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Tracy L Young-Pearse
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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31
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Tahira AC, Barbosa AR, Feltrin AS, Gastaldi VD, de Toledo VHC, de Carvalho Pereira JG, Lisboa BCG, de Souza Reis VN, dos Santos ACF, Maschietto M, Brentani H. Putative contributions of the sex chromosome proteins SOX3 and SRY to neurodevelopmental disorders. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2019; 180:390-414. [PMID: 30537354 PMCID: PMC6767407 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The male-biased prevalence of certain neurodevelopmental disorders and the sex-biased outcomes associated with stress exposure during gestation have been previously described. Here, we hypothesized that genes distinctively targeted by only one or both homologous proteins highly conserved across therian mammals, SOX3 and SRY, could induce sexual adaptive changes that result in a differential risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. ChIP-seq/chip data showed that SOX3/SRY gene targets were expressed in different brain cell types in mice. We used orthologous human genes in rodent genomes to extend the number of SOX3/SRY set (1,721). These genes were later found to be enriched in five modules of coexpressed genes during the early and mid-gestation periods (FDR < 0.05), independent of sexual hormones. Genes with differential expression (24, p < 0.0001) and methylation (40, p < 0.047) between sexes were overrepresented in this set. Exclusive SOX3 or SRY target genes were more associated with the late gestational and postnatal periods. Using autism as a model sex-biased disorder, the SOX3/SRY set was enriched in autism gene databases (FDR ≤ 0.05), and there were more de novo variations from the male autism spectrum disorder (ASD) samples under the SRY peaks compared to the random peaks (p < 0.024). The comparison of coexpressed networks of SOX3/SRY target genes between male autism and control samples revealed low preservation in gene modules related to stress response (99 genes) and neurogenesis (78 genes). This study provides evidence that while SOX3 is a regulatory mechanism for both sexes, the male-exclusive SRY also plays a role in gene regulation, suggesting a potential mechanism for sex bias in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Tahira
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
| | - André Rocha Barbosa
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
- Inter‐institutional Grad Program on BioinformaticsUniversity of São PauloSão PauloSPBrazil
| | | | - Vinicius Daguano Gastaldi
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
| | - Victor Hugo Calegari de Toledo
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
| | | | - Bianca Cristina Garcia Lisboa
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
| | - Viviane Neri de Souza Reis
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
| | - Ana Cecília Feio dos Santos
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
- Laboratório de Pesquisas Básicas em Malária – EntomologiaSeção de Parasitologia – Instituto Evandro Chagas/SVS/MSAnanindeuaPABrazil
| | - Mariana Maschietto
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio)Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM)CampinasSPBrazil
| | - Helena Brentani
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
- Inter‐institutional Grad Program on BioinformaticsUniversity of São PauloSão PauloSPBrazil
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSPBrazil
- National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents (INPD)Sao PauloSPBrazil
- Faculdade de Medicina FMUSPUniversidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
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32
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Sex-specific neuroprotection by inhibition of the Y-chromosome gene, SRY, in experimental Parkinson's disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:16577-16582. [PMID: 31371505 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1900406116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder caused by the loss of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons. While the cause of DA cell loss in PD is unknown, male sex is a strong risk factor. Aside from the protective actions of sex hormones in females, emerging evidence suggests that sex-chromosome genes contribute to the male bias in PD. We previously showed that the Y-chromosome gene, SRY, directly regulates adult brain function in males independent of gonadal hormone influence. SRY protein colocalizes with DA neurons in the male substantia nigra, where it regulates DA biosynthesis and voluntary movement. Here we demonstrate that nigral SRY expression is highly and persistently up-regulated in animal and human cell culture models of PD. Remarkably, lowering nigral SRY expression with antisense oligonucleotides in male rats diminished motor deficits and nigral DA cell loss in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced and rotenone-induced rat models of PD. The protective effect of the SRY antisense oligonucleotides was associated with male-specific attenuation of DNA damage, mitochondrial degradation, and neuroinflammation in the toxin-induced rat models of PD. Moreover, reducing nigral SRY expression diminished or removed the male bias in nigrostriatal degeneration, mitochondrial degradation, DNA damage, and neuroinflammation in the 6-OHDA rat model of PD, suggesting that SRY directly contributes to the sex differences in PD. These findings demonstrate that SRY directs a previously unrecognized male-specific mechanism of DA cell death and suggests that suppressing nigral Sry synthesis represents a sex-specific strategy to slow or prevent DA cell loss in PD.
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33
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Ullah MF, Ahmad A, Bhat SH, Abu-Duhier FM, Barreto GE, Ashraf GM. Impact of sex differences and gender specificity on behavioral characteristics and pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 102:95-105. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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34
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Bayles RG, Tran J, Olivas A, Woodward WR, Fei SS, Gao L, Habecker BA. Sex differences in sympathetic gene expression and cardiac neurochemistry in Wistar Kyoto rats. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218133. [PMID: 31194790 PMCID: PMC6564003 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The stellate ganglia are the predominant source of sympathetic innervation to the heart. Remodeling of sympathetic nerves projecting to the heart has been observed in several cardiovascular diseases, and sympathetic dysfunction contributes to cardiac pathology. Wistar Kyoto rats are a common model for the study of cardiovascular diseases, but we lack a profile of the baseline transcriptomic and neurochemical characteristics of their cardiac sympathetic neurons. Most studies of cardiovascular disease have used male animals only, but in the future both male and female animals will be used for these types of studies; therefore, we sought to characterize the transcriptome of male and female stellate ganglia and to correlate that with catecholamine and acetylcholine content in the heart. We have generated a dataset of baseline RNA expression in male and female Wistar Kyoto rat stellate ganglia using RNA-seq, and have measured neurotransmitter levels in heart and stellate ganglia using HPLC and mass spectrometry. We identified numerous gene expression differences between male and female stellates, including genes encoding important developmental factors, receptors and neuropeptides. Female hearts had significantly higher neurotransmitter content than male hearts; however, no significant differences were detected in expression of the genes encoding neurotransmitter synthetic enzymes. Similarly, no statistically significant differences were identified between the sexes in cardiac tyrosine hydroxylase levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard G. Bayles
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Joanne Tran
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Antoinette Olivas
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - William R. Woodward
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Suzanne S. Fei
- Bioinformatics & Biostatistics Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Lina Gao
- Bioinformatics & Biostatistics Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Beth A. Habecker
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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35
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Arambula SE, Reinl EL, El Demerdash N, McCarthy MM, Robertson CL. Sex differences in pediatric traumatic brain injury. Exp Neurol 2019; 317:168-179. [PMID: 30831070 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2019.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The response of the developing brain to traumatic injury is different from the response of the mature, adult brain. There are critical developmental trajectories in the young brain, whereby injury can lead to long term functional abnormalities. Emerging preclinical and clinical literature supports the presence of significant sex differences in both the response to and the recovery from pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). These sex differences are seen at all pediatric ages, including neonates/infants, pre-pubertal children, and adolescents. As importantly, the response to neuroprotective therapies or treatments can differ between male and females subjects. These sex differences can result from several biologic origins, and may manifest differently during the various phases of brain and body development. Recognizing and understanding these potential sex differences is crucial, and should be considered in both preclinical and clinical studies of pediatric TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheryl E Arambula
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Erin L Reinl
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Nagat El Demerdash
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Margaret M McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Courtney L Robertson
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
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36
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Becker JB, Chartoff E. Sex differences in neural mechanisms mediating reward and addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:166-183. [PMID: 29946108 PMCID: PMC6235836 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0125-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 270] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence in humans and laboratory animals for biologically based sex differences in every phase of drug addiction: acute reinforcing effects, transition from occasional to compulsive use, withdrawal-associated negative affective states, craving, and relapse. There is also evidence that many qualitative aspects of the addiction phases do not differ significantly between males and females, but one sex may be more likely to exhibit a trait than the other, resulting in population differences. The conceptual framework of this review is to focus on hormonal, chromosomal, and epigenetic organizational and contingent, sex-dependent mechanisms of four neural systems that are known-primarily in males-to be key players in addiction: dopamine, mu-opioid receptors (MOR), kappa opioid receptors (KOR), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). We highlight data demonstrating sex differences in development, expression, and function of these neural systems as they relate-directly or indirectly-to processes of reward and addictive behavior, with a focus on psychostimulants and opioids. We identify gaps in knowledge about how these neural systems interact with sex to influence addictive behavior, emphasizing throughout that the impact of sex can be highly nuanced and male/female data should be reported regardless of the outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill B Becker
- Department of Psychology and the Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Elena Chartoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
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37
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Bache WK, DeLisi LE. The Sex Chromosome Hypothesis of Schizophrenia: Alive, Dead, or Forgotten? A Commentary and Review. MOLECULAR NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2018; 4:83-89. [PMID: 30397596 DOI: 10.1159/000491489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The X chromosome has long been an intriguing site for harboring genes that have importance in brain development and function. It has received the most attention for having specific genes underlying the X-linked inherited intellectual disabilities, but has also been associated with schizophrenia in a number of early studies. An X chromosome hypothesis for a genetic predisposition for schizophrenia initially came from the X chromosome anomaly population data showing an excess of schizophrenia in Klinefelter's (XXY) males and triple X (XXX) females. Crow and colleagues later expanded the X chromosome hypothesis to include the possibility of a locus on the Y chromosome and, specifically, genes on X that escaped inactivation and are X-Y homologous loci. Some new information about possible risk loci on these chromosomes has come from the current large genetic consortia genome-wide association studies, suggesting that perhaps this hypothesis needs to be revisited for some schizophrenias. The following commentary reviews the early and more recent literature supporting or refuting this dormant hypothesis and emphasizes the possible candidate genes still of interest that could be explored in further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- William K Bache
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard South Shore Residency Program, Brockton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lynn E DeLisi
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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38
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Genes and Pathways Regulated by Androgens in Human Neural Cells, Potential Candidates for the Male Excess in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:239-252. [PMID: 29428674 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to androgens during brain development in male individuals may participate to increase their susceptibility to develop neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability. However, little is known about the action of androgens in human neural cells. METHODS We used human neural stem cells differentiated from embryonic stem cells to investigate targets of androgens. RESULTS RNA sequencing revealed that treatment with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) leads to subtle but significant changes in the expression of about 200 genes, encoding proteins of extracellular matrix or involved in signal transduction of growth factors (e.g., insulin/insulin growth factor 1). We showed that the most differentially expressed genes (DEGs), RGCC, RNF144B, NRCAM, TRIM22, FAM107A, IGFBP5, and LAMA2, are reproducibly regulated by different androgens in different genetic backgrounds. We showed, by overexpressing the androgen receptor in neuroblastoma cells SH-SY5Y or knocking it down in human neural stem cells, that this regulation involves the androgen receptor. A chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with direct sequencing analysis identified androgen receptor-bound sequences in nearly half of the DHT-DEGs and in numerous other genes. DHT-DEGs appear enriched in genes involved in ASD (ASXL3, NLGN4X, etc.), associated with ASD (NRCAM), or differentially expressed in patients with ASD (FAM107A, IGFBP5). Androgens increase human neural stem cell proliferation and survival in nutrient-deprived culture conditions, with no detectable effect on regulation of neurite outgrowth. CONCLUSIONS We characterized androgen action in neural progenitor cells, identifying DHT-DEGs that appear to be enriched in genes related to ASD. We also showed that androgens increase proliferation of neuronal precursors and protect them from death during their differentiation in nutrient-deprived conditions.
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Pinares-Garcia P, Stratikopoulos M, Zagato A, Loke H, Lee J. Sex: A Significant Risk Factor for Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Disorders. Brain Sci 2018; 8:E154. [PMID: 30104506 PMCID: PMC6120011 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci8080154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Males and females sometimes significantly differ in their propensity to develop neurological disorders. Females suffer more from mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, whereas males are more susceptible to deficits in the dopamine system including Parkinson's disease (PD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism. Despite this, biological sex is rarely considered when making treatment decisions in neurological disorders. A better understanding of the molecular mechanism(s) underlying sex differences in the healthy and diseased brain will help to devise diagnostic and therapeutic strategies optimal for each sex. Thus, the aim of this review is to discuss the available evidence on sex differences in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders regarding prevalence, progression, symptoms and response to therapy. We also discuss the sex-related factors such as gonadal sex hormones and sex chromosome genes and how these might help to explain some of the clinically observed sex differences in these disorders. In particular, we highlight the emerging role of the Y-chromosome gene, SRY, in the male brain and its potential role as a male-specific risk factor for disorders such as PD, autism, and ADHD in many individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Pinares-Garcia
- Brain and Gender laboratory, Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.
| | - Marielle Stratikopoulos
- Brain and Gender laboratory, Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.
| | - Alice Zagato
- Brain and Gender laboratory, Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia.
| | - Hannah Loke
- Brain and Gender laboratory, Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.
| | - Joohyung Lee
- Brain and Gender laboratory, Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.
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Jurado-Coronel JC, Cabezas R, Ávila Rodríguez MF, Echeverria V, García-Segura LM, Barreto GE. Sex differences in Parkinson's disease: Features on clinical symptoms, treatment outcome, sexual hormones and genetics. Front Neuroendocrinol 2018; 50:18-30. [PMID: 28974386 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most frequent age-related neurodegenerative disorder. Sex is an important factor in the development of PD, as reflected by the fact that it is more common in men than in women by an approximate ratio of 2:1. Our hypothesis is that differences in PD among men and women are highly determined by sex-dependent differences in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system, which arise from environmental, hormonal and genetic influences. Sex hormones, specifically estrogens, influence PD pathogenesis and might play an important role in PD differences between men and women. The objective of this review was to discuss the PD physiopathology and point out sex differences in nigrostriatal degeneration, symptoms, genetics, responsiveness to treatments and biochemical and molecular mechanisms among patients suffering from this disease. Finally, we discuss the role estrogens may have on PD sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Camilo Jurado-Coronel
- Departamento de Nutrición y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
| | - Ricardo Cabezas
- Departamento de Nutrición y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
| | | | - Valentina Echeverria
- Universidad San Sebastián, Fac. Cs de la Salud, Lientur 1457, Concepción, 4080871, Chile; Research & Development Service, Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, Bay Pines, FL 33744, USA
| | - Luis Miguel García-Segura
- Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - George E Barreto
- Departamento de Nutrición y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., Colombia; Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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Ohta Y, Soucy G, Phaneuf D, Audet JN, Gros-Louis F, Rouleau GA, Blasco H, Corcia P, Andersen PM, Nordin F, Yamashita T, Abe K, Julien JP. Sex-dependent effects of chromogranin B P413L allelic variant as disease modifier in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Hum Mol Genet 2018; 25:4771-4786. [PMID: 28175304 PMCID: PMC5418737 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent genetic studies yielded conflicting results regarding a role for the variant chromogranin B (CHGB)P413L allele as a disease modifier in ALS. Moreover, potential deleterious effects of the CHGBP413L variant in ALS pathology have not been investigated. Here we report that in transfected cultured cells, the variant CHGBL413 protein exhibited aberrant properties including mislocalization, failure to interact with mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and defective secretion. The CHGBL413 transgene in SOD1G37R mice precipitated disease onset and pathological changes related to misfolded SOD1 specifically in female mice. However, the CHGBL413 variant also slowed down disease progression in SOD1G37R mice, which is in line with a very slow disease progression that we report for a Swedish woman with ALS who is carrier of two mutant SOD1D90A alleles and two variant CHGBP413L and CHGBR458Q alleles. In contrast, overexpression of the common CHGBP413 allele in SOD1G37R mice did not affect disease onset but significantly accelerated disease progression and pathological changes. As in transgenic mice, the CHGBP413L allele conferred an earlier ALS disease onset in women of Japanese and French Canadian origins with less effect in men. Evidence is presented that the sex-dependent effects of CHGBL413 allelic variant in ALS may arise from enhanced neuronal expression of CHGB in females because of a sex-determining region Y element in the gene promoter. Thus, our results suggest that CHGB variants may act as modifiers of onset and progression in some ALS populations and especially in females because of higher expression levels compared to males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuyuki Ohta
- Research Centre of Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada,Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Genevieve Soucy
- Research Centre of Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada,Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Daniel Phaneuf
- Research Centre of Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada,Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Nicolas Audet
- Research Centre of Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada,Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - François Gros-Louis
- CHU de Québec Research Center, LOEX Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Guy A Rouleau
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Hélène Blasco
- Centre de Ressources et Compétences SLA (CRCSLA), Federation des CRCSLA Tours-Limoges LITORALS, INSERM U 930, Université François-Rabelais de Tours, France
| | - Philippe Corcia
- Centre de Ressources et Compétences SLA (CRCSLA), Federation des CRCSLA Tours-Limoges LITORALS, INSERM U 930, Université François-Rabelais de Tours, France
| | - Peter M Andersen
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden,Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Frida Nordin
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Toru Yamashita
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Koji Abe
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Jean-Pierre Julien
- Research Centre of Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada,Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
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42
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Gaignard P, Liere P, Thérond P, Schumacher M, Slama A, Guennoun R. Role of Sex Hormones on Brain Mitochondrial Function, with Special Reference to Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Aging Neurosci 2017; 9:406. [PMID: 29270123 PMCID: PMC5725410 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The mitochondria have a fundamental role in both cellular energy supply and oxidative stress regulation and are target of the effects of sex steroids, particularly the neuroprotective ones. Aging is associated with a decline in the levels of different steroid hormones, and this decrease may underline some neural dysfunctions. Besides, modifications in mitochondrial functions associated with aging processes are also well documented. In this review, we will discuss studies that describe the modifications of brain mitochondrial function and of steroid levels associated with physiological aging and with neurodegenerative diseases. A special emphasis will be placed on describing and discussing our recent findings concerning the concomitant study of mitochondrial function (oxidative phosphorylation, oxidative stress) and brain steroid levels in both young (3-month-old) and aged (20-month-old) male and female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Gaignard
- U1195 Inserm and University Paris-Sud and University Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- Biochemistry Laboratory, Bicêtre Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Philippe Liere
- U1195 Inserm and University Paris-Sud and University Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Patrice Thérond
- Biochemistry Laboratory, Bicêtre Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Michael Schumacher
- U1195 Inserm and University Paris-Sud and University Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Abdelhamid Slama
- Biochemistry Laboratory, Bicêtre Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Rachida Guennoun
- U1195 Inserm and University Paris-Sud and University Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
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Abstract
Gender-specific medicine is a new discipline. It has made significant progress over the last couple of decades, which has the potential to transform not only medicine but also the pharmaceutical industry and global healthcare. This article explores some of the most important ethical and legal aspects associated with implementing the principles of gender-specific medicine. This will require that the biopharmaceutical industry focuses on biological sex differences that play an important role in human disease and will mandate changes in global healthcare systems as well. Since drug discovery and development is a very complex, expensive, and time-consuming process that involves not only the biopharmaceutical industry but also entrepreneurs, regulatory bodies, federal funding agencies, private investors, advocacy groups, and nongovernmental/philanthropic organizations, this commentary analyzes how gender-specific research can move from the laboratory bench to the patient's bedside. We will also explore the disease areas most suitable for investigation to begin this translational process. We will discuss the ethical considerations involved in the genetic manipulation of human embryos. Finally, we summarize the driving forces for the full incorporation of gender-specific medicine into clinical practice.
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44
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Rosenfeld CS. Brain Sexual Differentiation and Requirement of SRY: Why or Why Not? Front Neurosci 2017; 11:632. [PMID: 29200993 PMCID: PMC5696354 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain sexual differentiation is orchestrated by precise coordination of sex steroid hormones. In some species, programming of select male brain regions is dependent upon aromatization of testosterone to estrogen. In mammals, these hormones surge during the organizational and activational periods that occur during perinatal development and adulthood, respectively. In various fish and reptiles, incubation temperature during a critical embryonic period results in male or female sexual differentiation, but this can be overridden in males by early exposure to estrogenic chemicals. Testes development in mammals requires a Y chromosome and testis determining gene SRY (in humans)/Sry (all other therian mammals), although there are notable exceptions. Two species of spiny rats: Amami spiny rat (Tokudaia osimensis) and Tokunoshima spiny rat (Tokudaia tokunoshimensis) and two species of mole voles (Ellobius lutescens and Ellobius tancrei), lack a Y chromosome/Sry and possess an XO chromosome system in both sexes. Such rodent species, prototherians (monotremes, who also lack Sry), and fish and reptile species that demonstrate temperature sex determination (TSD) seemingly call into question the requirement of Sry for brain sexual differentiation. This review will consider brain regions expressing SRY/Sry in humans and rodents, respectively, and potential roles of SRY/Sry in the brain will be discussed. The evidence from various taxa disputing the requirement of Sry for brain sexual differentiation in mammals (therians and prototherians) and certain fish and reptilian species will be examined. A comparative approach to address this question may elucidate other genes, pathways, and epigenetic modifications stimulating brain sexual differentiation in vertebrate species, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl S Rosenfeld
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States.,Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States.,Thompson Center for Autism and Neurobehavioral Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States.,Genetics Area Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
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45
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Meyfour A, Pooyan P, Pahlavan S, Rezaei-Tavirani M, Gourabi H, Baharvand H, Salekdeh GH. Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project Allies with Developmental Biology: A Case Study of the Role of Y Chromosome Genes in Organ Development. J Proteome Res 2017; 16:4259-4272. [PMID: 28914051 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.7b00446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
One of the main goals of Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project is to identify protein evidence for missing proteins (MPs). Here, we present a case study of the role of Y chromosome genes in organ development and how to overcome the challenges facing MPs identification by employing human pluripotent stem cell differentiation into cells of different organs yielding unprecedented biological insight into adult silenced proteins. Y chromosome is a male-specific sex chromosome which escapes meiotic recombination. From an evolutionary perspective, Y chromosome has preserved 3% of ancestral genes compared to 98% preservation of the X chromosome based on Ohno's law. Male specific region of Y chromosome (MSY) contains genes that contribute to central dogma and govern the expression of various targets throughout the genome. One of the most well-known functions of MSY genes is to decide the male-specific characteristics including sex, testis formation, and spermatogenesis, which are majorly formed by ampliconic gene families. Beyond its role in sex-specific gonad development, MSY genes in coexpression with their X counterparts, as single copy and broadly expressed genes, inhibit haplolethality and play a key role in embryogenesis. The role of X-Y related gene mutations in the development of hereditary syndromes suggests an essential contribution of sex chromosome genes to development. MSY genes, solely and independent of their X counterparts and/or in association with sex hormones, have a considerable impact on organ development. In this Review, we present major recent findings on the contribution of MSY genes to gonad formation, spermatogenesis, and the brain, heart, and kidney development and discuss how Y chromosome proteome project may exploit developmental biology to find missing proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Meyfour
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research , 81589-68433 Tehran, Iran.,Proteomics Research Center, Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , 19839-63113 Tehran, Iran
| | - Paria Pooyan
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research , 81589-68433 Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Pahlavan
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research , 81589-68433 Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Rezaei-Tavirani
- Proteomics Research Center, Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , 19839-63113 Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Gourabi
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute , 19395-4644 Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Baharvand
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research , 81589-68433 Tehran, Iran.,Department of Developmental Biology, University of Science and Culture , 19395-4644 Tehran, Iran
| | - Ghasem Hosseini Salekdeh
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research , 81589-68433 Tehran, Iran.,Department of Systems Biology, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran , 31535-1897 Karaj, Iran
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46
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Vertebrate sex determination: evolutionary plasticity of a fundamental switch. Nat Rev Genet 2017; 18:675-689. [DOI: 10.1038/nrg.2017.60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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47
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Aberrant activation of the human sex-determining gene in early embryonic development results in postnatal growth retardation and lethality in mice. Sci Rep 2017. [PMID: 28646221 PMCID: PMC5482865 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04117-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphisms are prevalent in development, physiology and diseases in humans. Currently, the contributions of the genes on the male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) in these processes are uncertain. Using a transgene activation system, the human sex-determining gene hSRY is activated in the single-cell embryos of the mouse. Pups with hSRY activated (hSRYON) are born of similar sizes as those of non-activated controls. However, they retard significantly in postnatal growth and development and all die of multi-organ failure before two weeks of age. Pathological and molecular analyses indicate that hSRYON pups lack innate suckling activities, and develop fatty liver disease, arrested alveologenesis in the lung, impaired neurogenesis in the brain and occasional myocardial fibrosis and minimized thymus development. Transcriptome analysis shows that, in addition to those unique to the respective organs, various cell growth and survival pathways and functions are differentially affected in the transgenic mice. These observations suggest that ectopic activation of a Y-located SRY gene could exert male-specific effects in development and physiology of multiple organs, thereby contributing to sexual dimorphisms in normal biological functions and disease processes in affected individuals.
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48
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Neuroimmunology and neuroepigenetics in the establishment of sex differences in the brain. Nat Rev Neurosci 2017. [PMID: 28638119 DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2017.61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The study of sex differences in the brain is a topic of neuroscientific study that has broad reaching implications for culture, society and biomedical science. Recent research in rodent models has led to dramatic shifts in our views of the mechanisms underlying the sexual differentiation of the brain. These include the surprising discoveries of a role for immune cells and inflammatory mediators in brain masculinization and a role for epigenetic suppression in brain feminization. How and to what degree these findings will translate to human brain development will be questions of central importance in future research in this field.
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49
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Bradshaw NJ, Hayashi MAF. NDE1 and NDEL1 from genes to (mal)functions: parallel but distinct roles impacting on neurodevelopmental disorders and psychiatric illness. Cell Mol Life Sci 2017; 74:1191-1210. [PMID: 27742926 PMCID: PMC11107680 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2395-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
NDE1 (Nuclear Distribution Element 1, also known as NudE) and NDEL1 (NDE-Like 1, also known as NudEL) are the mammalian homologues of the fungus nudE gene, with important and at least partially overlapping roles for brain development. While a large number of studies describe the various properties and functions of these proteins, many do not directly compare the similarities and differences between NDE1 and NDEL1. Although sharing a high degree structural similarity and multiple common cellular roles, each protein presents several distinct features that justify their parallel but also unique functions. Notably both proteins have key binding partners in dynein, LIS1 and DISC1, which impact on neurodevelopmental and psychiatric illnesses. Both are implicated in schizophrenia through genetic and functional evidence, with NDE1 also strongly implicated in microcephaly, as well as other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions through copy number variation, while NDEL1 possesses an oligopeptidase activity with a unique potential as a biomarker in schizophrenia. In this review, we aim to give a comprehensive overview of the various cellular roles of these proteins in a "bottom-up" manner, from their biochemistry and protein-protein interactions on the molecular level, up to the consequences for neuronal differentiation, and ultimately to their importance for correct cortical development, with direct consequences for the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental and mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Bradshaw
- Department of Neuropathology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Mirian A F Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
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50
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Genes, Gender, Environment, and Novel Functions of Estrogen Receptor Beta in the Susceptibility to Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Brain Sci 2017; 7:brainsci7030024. [PMID: 28241485 PMCID: PMC5366823 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7030024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Many neurological disorders affect men and women differently regarding prevalence, progression, and severity. It is clear that many of these disorders may originate from defective signaling during fetal or perinatal brain development, which may affect males and females differently. Such sex-specific differences may originate from chromosomal or sex-hormone specific effects. This short review will focus on the estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) signaling during perinatal brain development and put it in the context of sex-specific differences in neurodevelopmental disorders. We will discuss ERβ’s recent discovery in directing DNA de-methylation to specific sites, of which one such site may bear consequences for the susceptibility to the neurological reading disorder dyslexia. We will also discuss how dysregulations in sex-hormone signaling, like those evoked by endocrine disruptive chemicals, may affect this and other neurodevelopmental disorders in a sex-specific manner through ERβ.
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