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Wu X, Liu L, Xue X, Li X, Zhao K, Zhang J, Li W, Yao W, Ding S, Jia C, Zhu F. Captive ERVWE1 triggers impairment of 5-HT neuronal plasticity in the first-episode schizophrenia by post-transcriptional activation of HTR1B in ALKBH5-m6A dependent epigenetic mechanisms. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:213. [PMID: 37990254 PMCID: PMC10664518 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01167-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormalities in the 5-HT system and synaptic plasticity are hallmark features of schizophrenia. Previous studies suggest that the human endogenous retrovirus W family envelope (ERVWE1) is an influential risk factor for schizophrenia and inversely correlates with 5-HT4 receptor in schizophrenia. To our knowledge, no data describes the effect of ERVWE1 on 5-HT neuronal plasticity. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulates gene expression and impacts synaptic plasticity. Our research aims to systematically investigate the effects of ERVWE1 on 5-HT neuronal plasticity through m6A modification in schizophrenia. RESULTS HTR1B, ALKBH5, and Arc exhibited higher levels in individuals with first-episode schizophrenia compared to the controls and showed a strong positive correlation with ERVWE1. Interestingly, HTR1B was also correlated with ALKBH5 and Arc. Further analyses confirmed that ALKBH5 may be an independent risk factor for schizophrenia. In vitro studies, we discovered that ERVWE1 enhanced HTR1B expression, thereby activating the ERK-ELK1-Arc pathway and reducing the complexity and spine density of 5-HT neurons. Furthermore, ERVWE1 reduced m6A levels through ALKBH5 demethylation. ERVWE1 induced HTR1B upregulation by improving its mRNA stability in ALKBH5-m6A-dependent epigenetic mechanisms. Importantly, ALKBH5 mediated the observed alterations in 5-HT neuronal plasticity induced by ERVWE1. CONCLUSIONS Overall, HTR1B, Arc, and ALKBH5 levels were increased in schizophrenia and positively associated with ERVWE1. Moreover, ALKBH5 was a novel risk gene for schizophrenia. ERVWE1 impaired 5-HT neuronal plasticity in ALKBH5-m6A dependent mechanism by the HTR1B-ERK-ELK1-Arc pathway, which may be an important contributor to aberrant synaptic plasticity in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiulin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | | | - Xing Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xuhang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Kexin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Jiahang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Wenshi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Wei Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Shuang Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Chen Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Fan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy & Immunology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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Vouga Ribeiro N, Tavares V, Bramon E, Toulopoulou T, Valli I, Shergill S, Murray R, Prata D. Effects of psychosis-associated genetic markers on brain volumetry: a systematic review of replicated findings and an independent validation. Psychol Med 2022; 52:1-16. [PMID: 36168994 PMCID: PMC9811278 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722002896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given psychotic illnesses' high heritability and associations with brain structure, numerous neuroimaging-genetics findings have been reported in the last two decades. However, few findings have been replicated. In the present independent sample we aimed to replicate any psychosis-implicated SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms), which had previously shown at least two main effects on brain volume. METHODS A systematic review for SNPs showing a replicated effect on brain volume yielded 25 studies implicating seven SNPs in five genes. Their effect was then tested in 113 subjects with either schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, 'at risk mental state' or healthy state, for whole-brain and region-of-interest (ROI) associations with grey and white matter volume changes, using voxel-based morphometry. RESULTS We found FWER-corrected (Family-wise error rate) (i.e. statistically significant) associations of: (1) CACNA1C-rs769087-A with larger bilateral hippocampus and thalamus white matter, across the whole brain; and (2) CACNA1C-rs769087-A with larger superior frontal gyrus, as ROI. Higher replication concordance with existing literature was found, in decreasing order, for: (1) CACNA1C-rs769087-A, with larger dorsolateral-prefrontal/superior frontal gyrus and hippocampi (both with anatomical and directional concordance); (2) ZNF804A-rs11681373-A, with smaller angular gyrus grey matter and rectus gyri white matter (both with anatomical and directional concordance); and (3) BDNF-rs6265-T with superior frontal and middle cingulate gyri volume change (with anatomical and allelic concordance). CONCLUSIONS Most literature findings were not herein replicated. Nevertheless, high degree/likelihood of replication was found for two genome-wide association studies- and one candidate-implicated SNPs, supporting their involvement in psychosis and brain structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Vouga Ribeiro
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Vânia Tavares
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Elvira Bramon
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’ College London, London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Timothea Toulopoulou
- Department of Psychology & National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Centre (ASBAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Isabel Valli
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’ College London, London, UK
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sukhi Shergill
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’ College London, London, UK
| | - Robin Murray
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’ College London, London, UK
| | - Diana Prata
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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3
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Jiang W, King TZ, Turner JA. Imaging Genetics Towards a Refined Diagnosis of Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:494. [PMID: 31354550 PMCID: PMC6639711 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Current diagnoses of schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders are classified by phenomenological principles and clinical descriptions while ruling out other symptoms and conditions. Specific biomarkers are needed to assist the current diagnostic system. However, complicated gene and environment interactions induce great disease heterogeneity. This unclear etiology and heterogeneity raise difficulties in distinguishing schizophrenia-related effects. Simultaneously, the overlap in symptoms, genetic variations, and brain alterations in schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders raises similar difficulties in determining disease-specific effects. Imaging genetics is a unique methodology to assess the impact of genetic factors on both brain structure and function. More importantly, imaging genetics builds a bridge to understand the behavioral and clinical implications of genetics and neuroimaging. By characterizing and quantifying the brain measures affected in psychiatric disorders, imaging genetics is contributing to identifying potential biomarkers for schizophrenia and related disorders. To date, candidate gene analysis, genome-wide association studies, polygenetic risk score analysis, and large-scale collaborative studies have made contributions to the understanding of schizophrenia with the potential to serve as biomarkers. Despite limitations, imaging genetics remains promising as more aggregative, clustering methods and imaging genetics-compatible clinical assessments are employed in future studies. We review imaging genetics' contribution to our understanding of the heterogeneity within schizophrenia and the commonalities across schizophrenia and other diagnostic borders, and we will discuss whether imaging genetics is ready to form its own diagnostic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhao Jiang
- Department of Psychology and the Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Tricia Z King
- Department of Psychology and the Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jessica A Turner
- Department of Psychology and the Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, United States
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4
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Murphy E, Benítez-Burraco A. Toward the Language Oscillogenome. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1999. [PMID: 30405489 PMCID: PMC6206218 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Language has been argued to arise, both ontogenetically and phylogenetically, from specific patterns of brain wiring. We argue that it can further be shown that core features of language processing emerge from particular phasal and cross-frequency coupling properties of neural oscillations; what has been referred to as the language ‘oscillome.’ It is expected that basic aspects of the language oscillome result from genetic guidance, what we will here call the language ‘oscillogenome,’ for which we will put forward a list of candidate genes. We have considered genes for altered brain rhythmicity in conditions involving language deficits: autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, specific language impairment and dyslexia. These selected genes map on to aspects of brain function, particularly on to neurotransmitter function. We stress that caution should be adopted in the construction of any oscillogenome, given the range of potential roles particular localized frequency bands have in cognition. Our aim is to propose a set of genome-to-language linking hypotheses that, given testing, would grant explanatory power to brain rhythms with respect to language processing and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Murphy
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish Language, Linguistics and Literary Theory, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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5
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Abstract
Imaging genetics is a research methodology studying the effect of genetic variation on brain structure, function, behavior, and risk for psychopathology. Since the early 2000s, imaging genetics has been increasingly used in the research of schizophrenia (SZ). SZ is a severe mental disorder with no precise knowledge of its underlying neurobiology, however, new genetic and neurobiological data generate a climate for new avenues. The accumulating data of genome wide association studies (GWAS) continuously decode SZ risk genes. Global neuroimaging consortia produce collections of brain phenotypes from tens of thousands of people. In this context, imaging genetics will be strategically important both for the validation and discovery of SZ related findings. Thus, the study of GWAS supported risk variants as candidate genes to validate by neuroimaging is one trend. The study of epigenetic differences in relation to variations of brain phenotypes and the study of large scale multivariate analysis of genome wide and brain wide associations are other trends. While these studies hold a big potential for understanding the neurobiology of SZ, the problem of reproducibility appears as a major challenge, which requires standardizations in study designs and compensations of methodological limitations such as sensitivity and specificity. On the other hand, advancements of neuroimaging, optical and electron microscopy along with the use of genetically encoded fluorescent probes and robust statistical approaches will not only catalyze integrative methodologies but also will help better design the imaging genetics studies. In this invited paper, I will discuss the current perspective of imaging genetics and emerging opportunities of SZ research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayla Arslan
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, International University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Uskudar University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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6
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Maggioni E, Crespo-Facorro B, Nenadic I, Benedetti F, Gaser C, Sauer H, Roiz-Santiañez R, Poletti S, Marinelli V, Bellani M, Perlini C, Ruggeri M, Altamura AC, Diwadkar VA, Brambilla P. Common and distinct structural features of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: The European Network on Psychosis, Affective disorders and Cognitive Trajectory (ENPACT) study. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188000. [PMID: 29136642 PMCID: PMC5685634 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Although schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) share elements of pathology, their neural underpinnings are still under investigation. Here, structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data collected from a large sample of BD and SCZ patients and healthy controls (HC) were analyzed in terms of gray matter volume (GMV) using both voxel based morphometry (VBM) and a region of interest (ROI) approach. METHODS The analysis was conducted on two datasets, Dataset1 (802 subjects: 243 SCZ, 176 BD, 383 HC) and Dataset2, a homogeneous subset of Dataset1 (301 subjects: 107 HC, 85 BD and 109 SCZ). General Linear Model analyses were performed 1) at the voxel-level in the whole brain (VBM study), 2) at the regional level in the anatomical regions emerged from the VBM study (ROI study). The GMV comparison across groups was integrated with the analysis of GMV correlates of different clinical dimensions. RESULTS The VBM results of Dataset1 showed 1) in BD compared to HC, GMV deficits in right cingulate, superior temporal and calcarine cortices, 2) in SCZ compared to HC, GMV deficits in widespread cortical and subcortical areas, 3) in SCZ compared to BD, GMV deficits in insula and thalamus (p<0.05, cluster family wise error corrected). The regions showing GMV deficits in the BD group were mostly included in the SCZ ones. The ROI analyses confirmed the VBM results at the regional level in most of the clusters from the SCZ vs. HC comparison (p<0.05, Bonferroni corrected). The VBM and ROI analyses of Dataset2 provided further evidence for the enhanced GMV deficits characterizing SCZ. Based on the clinical-neuroanatomical analyses, we cannot exclude possible confounding effects due to 1) age of onset and medication in BD patients, 2) symptoms severity in SCZ patients. CONCLUSION Our study reported both shared and specific neuroanatomical characteristics between the two disorders, suggesting more severe and generalized GMV deficits in SCZ, with a specific role for insula and thalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Maggioni
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, IRCCS Fondazione Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Benedicto Crespo-Facorro
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria-IDIVAL, Santander, Spain
- CIBERSAM, Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red Salud Mental, Santander, Spain
| | - Igor Nenadic
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg / Marburg University Hospital UKGM, Marburg, Germany
| | - Francesco Benedetti
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Centro di Eccellenza Risonanza Magnetica ad Alto Campo, Scientific Institute and University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Christian Gaser
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Heinrich Sauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Roberto Roiz-Santiañez
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria-IDIVAL, Santander, Spain
- CIBERSAM, Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red Salud Mental, Santander, Spain
| | - Sara Poletti
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Centro di Eccellenza Risonanza Magnetica ad Alto Campo, Scientific Institute and University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Veronica Marinelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medical Sciences (DISM), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Marcella Bellani
- Section of Psychiatry, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Cinzia Perlini
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Clinical Psychology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Mirella Ruggeri
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - A. Carlo Altamura
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, IRCCS Fondazione Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Vaibhav A. Diwadkar
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States of America
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- IRCCS Scientific Institute “E. Medea”, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Zhang Z, Huang J, Shen Y, Li R. BACE1-Dependent Neuregulin-1 Signaling: An Implication for Schizophrenia. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:302. [PMID: 28993723 PMCID: PMC5622153 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder with a lifetime prevalence of about 1% in the general population. Recent studies have shown that Neuregulin-1 (Nrg1) is a candidate gene for schizophrenia. At least 15 alternative splicing of NRG1 isoforms all contain an extracellular epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain, which is sufficient for Nrg1 biological activity including the formation of myelin sheaths and the regulation of synaptic plasticity. It is known that Nrg1 can be cleaved by β-secretase (BACE1) and the resulting N-terminal fragment (Nrg1-ntf) binds to receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB4, which activates Nrg1/ErbB4 signaling. While changes in Nrg1 expression levels in schizophrenia still remain controversial, understanding the BACE1-cleaved Nrg1-ntf and Nrg1/ErbB4 signaling in schizophrenia neuropathogenesis is essential and important. In this review paper, we included three major parts: (1) Nrg1 structure and cleavage pattern by BACE1; (2) BACE1-dependent Nrg1 cleavage associated with schizophrenia in human studies; and (3) Animal studies of Nrg1 and BACE1 mutations with behavioral observations. Our review will provide a better understanding of Nrg1 in schizophrenia and a potential strategy for using BACE1 cleavage of Nrg1 as a unique biomarker for diagnosis, as well as a new therapeutic target, of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengrong Zhang
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijing, China
| | - Jing Huang
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijing, China
| | - Yong Shen
- Neurodegenerative Disorder Research Center, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei, China.,Center for Therapeutic Strategies for Brain Disorders, Roskamp Institute, SarasotaFL, United States.,Center for Hormone Advanced Science and Education, Roskamp Institute, SarasotaFL, United States
| | - Rena Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityBeijing, China.,Center for Therapeutic Strategies for Brain Disorders, Roskamp Institute, SarasotaFL, United States.,Center for Hormone Advanced Science and Education, Roskamp Institute, SarasotaFL, United States.,Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical UniversityBeijing, China
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8
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Altamura AC, Delvecchio G, Marotta G, Oldani L, Pigoni A, Ciappolino V, Caletti E, Rovera C, Dobrea C, Arici C, Benatti B, Camuri G, Prunas C, Paoli RA, Dell'osso B, Cinnante C, Triulzi FM, Brambilla P. Structural and metabolic differentiation between bipolar disorder with psychosis and substance-induced psychosis: An integrated MRI/PET study. Eur Psychiatry 2016; 41:85-94. [PMID: 28049086 DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder (BD) may be characterized by the presence of psychotic symptoms and comorbid substance abuse. In this context, structural and metabolic dysfunctions have been reported in both BD with psychosis and addiction, separately. In this study, we aimed at identifying neural substrates differentiating psychotic BD, with or without substance abuse, versus substance-induced psychosis (SIP) by coupling, for the first time, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). METHODS Twenty-seven BD type I psychotic patients with (n=10) or without (n=17) substance abuse, 16 SIP patients and 54 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. 3T MRI and 18-FDG-PET scanning were acquired. RESULTS Gray matter (GM) volume and cerebral metabolism reductions in temporal cortices were observed in all patients compared to healthy controls. Moreover, a distinct pattern of fronto-limbic alterations were found in patients with substance abuse. Specifically, BD patients with substance abuse showed volume reductions in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, insula and thalamus, whereas SIP patients in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate. Common alterations in cerebellum, parahippocampus and posterior cingulate were found in both BD with substance abuse and SIP. Finally, a unique pattern of GM volumes reduction, with concomitant increased of striatal metabolism, were observed in SIP patients. CONCLUSIONS These findings contribute to shed light on the identification of common and distinct neural markers associated with bipolar psychosis and substance abuse. Future longitudinal studies should explore the effect of single substances of abuse in patients at the first-episode of BD and substance-induced psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C Altamura
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - G Delvecchio
- Scientific Institute IRCCS "E. Medea", San Vito al Tagliamento (PN), Italy
| | - G Marotta
- Department of Services, Neuroradiology Unit, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - L Oldani
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - A Pigoni
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - V Ciappolino
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - E Caletti
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - C Rovera
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - C Dobrea
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - C Arici
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - B Benatti
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - G Camuri
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - C Prunas
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - R A Paoli
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - B Dell'osso
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Psychiatry, Bipolar Disorders Clinic, Stanford University, CA, USA
| | - C Cinnante
- Department of Services, Neuroradiology Unit, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - F M Triulzi
- Department of Services, Neuroradiology Unit, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - P Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, University of Texas at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
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9
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Gassó P, Sánchez-Gistau V, Mas S, Sugranyes G, Rodríguez N, Boloc D, de la Serna E, Romero S, Moreno D, Moreno C, Díaz-Caneja CM, Lafuente A, Castro-Fornieles J. Association of CACNA1C and SYNE1 in offspring of patients with psychiatric disorders. Psychiatry Res 2016; 245:427-435. [PMID: 27620326 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.08.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Revised: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) are severe mental diseases associated with cognitive impairment, mood disturbance, and psychosis. Both disorders are highly heritable and share a common genetic background. The present study assesses, for the first time, differences in genotype frequencies of polymorphisms located in genes involved in neurodevelopment and synaptic plasticity between genetic high-risk individuals (offspring of patients with SZ or BD; N=100: 31 and 69, respectively) and control subjects (offspring of community controls; N=96). Individuals from both groups had similar ages, around 12 years. A higher percentage of men were included in the genetic high-risk group (58%) compared with the control group (40.6%). A total of 244 validated SNPs located in 35 candidate gene regions were analyzed in 196 participants. Multivariate methods based on logistic regression analysis were performed to assess differences in genotype frequencies. Bonferroni correction was applied for the multiple comparisons performed. Two polymorphisms, CACNA1C rs10848683 and SYNE1 rs214950, showed significant differences. The frequency of heterozygotes for CACNA1C rs10848683 in genetic high-risk individuals was double that in controls (OR=3.15; P=0.00016). For SYNE1 rs214950, higher frequencies of heterozygotes (OR=1.97) and homozygotes for the minor allele (OR=17.89; P=0.00020) were found in the genetic high-risk group than in the control group. In conclusion, polymorphisms in CACNA1C and SYNE1 could confer a greater risk of developing SZ and BD in individuals who are already at high risk because of their family history. This could help identify subjects with a very high genetic risk, in whom early detection and early intervention could lead to better prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Gassó
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Pharmacology and Microbiology, University of Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Vanessa Sánchez-Gistau
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Sergi Mas
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Pharmacology and Microbiology, University of Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gisela Sugranyes
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Natalia Rodríguez
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Pharmacology and Microbiology, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Boloc
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Pharmacology and Microbiology, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena de la Serna
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Soledad Romero
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Dolores Moreno
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Moreno
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Covadonga M Díaz-Caneja
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Amalia Lafuente
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Pharmacology and Microbiology, University of Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josefina Castro-Fornieles
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
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10
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Mostaid MS, Lloyd D, Liberg B, Sundram S, Pereira A, Pantelis C, Karl T, Weickert CS, Everall IP, Bousman CA. Neuregulin-1 and schizophrenia in the genome-wide association study era. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 68:387-409. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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11
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Murphy E, Benítez-Burraco A. Bridging the Gap between Genes and Language Deficits in Schizophrenia: An Oscillopathic Approach. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:422. [PMID: 27601987 PMCID: PMC4993770 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is characterized by marked language deficits, but it is not clear how these deficits arise from the alteration of genes related to the disease. The goal of this paper is to aid the bridging of the gap between genes and schizophrenia and, ultimately, give support to the view that the abnormal presentation of language in this condition is heavily rooted in the evolutionary processes that brought about modern language. To that end we will focus on how the schizophrenic brain processes language and, particularly, on its distinctive oscillatory profile during language processing. Additionally, we will show that candidate genes for schizophrenia are overrepresented among the set of genes that are believed to be important for the evolution of the human faculty of language. These genes crucially include (and are related to) genes involved in brain rhythmicity. We will claim that this translational effort and the links we uncover may help develop an understanding of language evolution, along with the etiology of schizophrenia, its clinical/linguistic profile, and its high prevalence among modern populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Murphy
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London London, UK
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12
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Murphy E, Benítez-Burraco A. Language deficits in schizophrenia and autism as related oscillatory connectomopathies: An evolutionary account. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 83:742-764. [PMID: 27475632 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterised by marked language deficits, but it is not clear how these arise from gene mutations associated with the disorders. Our goal is to narrow the gap between SZ and ASD and, ultimately, give support to the view that they represent abnormal (but related) ontogenetic itineraries for the human faculty of language. We will focus on the distinctive oscillatory profiles of the SZ and ASD brains, in turn using these insights to refine our understanding of how the brain implements linguistic computations by exploring a novel model of linguistic feature-set composition. We will argue that brain rhythms constitute the best route to interpreting language deficits in both conditions and mapping them to neural dysfunction and risk alleles of the genes. Importantly, candidate genes for SZ and ASD are overrepresented among the gene sets believed to be important for language evolution. This translational effort may help develop an understanding of the aetiology of SZ and ASD and their high prevalence among modern populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Murphy
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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13
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Buttigieg J, Julie BM, Sharma A, Halawa A. Induction Immunosuppression in High-risk Kidney Transplant Recipients. EXP CLIN TRANSPLANT 2016; 14:367-76. [PMID: 27041548 DOI: 10.6002/ect.2015.0328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Kidney transplant remains the best type of renal replacement therapy in most patients with end-stage kidney disease, even in those with high immunologic risk. Immunosuppression in these patients is regarded as more complex, owing to the higher risk of both acute and chronic rejection. The advent of induction immunosuppression has resulted in a lower incidence of acute rejection and consequently improved short-term patient and allograft outcomes. Indeed, the use of these agents, especially in high-risk recipients, has become standard of care at most transplant centers. Transplant physicians are constantly faced with the challenge of estimating the recipients' immunologic risk and tailoring their immunosuppression accordingly. This review article aims to provide an up-to-date evaluation of the various studies available, which investigated the use of induction agents in kidney transplant, specifically in high-risk recipients. It evaluates the use of the most frequently used polyclonal antibody (rabbit antithymocyte globulin) versus the less commonly used monoclonal antibody alemtuzumab, superseded agents such as muromonab-CD3, and potentially emerging agents such as rituximab, bortezomib, and eculizumab. With this systematic review, we hope to inform the scientific community and facilitate this controversial decision through the implementation of robust scientific evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesmar Buttigieg
- From the Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Mater Dei Hospital, Malta; and the Faculty of Health and Science, Institute of Learning and Teaching, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Hashimoto R, Ohi K, Yamamori H, Yasuda Y, Fujimoto M, Umeda-Yano S, Watanabe Y, Fukunaga M, Takeda M. Imaging genetics and psychiatric disorders. Curr Mol Med 2015; 15:168-75. [PMID: 25732148 PMCID: PMC4460286 DOI: 10.2174/1566524015666150303104159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2014] [Revised: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Imaging genetics is an integrated research method that uses neuroimaging and genetics to assess the impact of genetic variation on brain function and structure. Imaging genetics is both a tool for the discovery of risk genes for psychiatric disorders and a strategy for characterizing the neural systems affected by risk gene variants to elucidate quantitative and mechanistic aspects of brain function implicated in psychiatric disease. Early studies of imaging genetics included association analyses between brain morphology and single nucleotide polymorphisms whose function is well known, such as catechol-Omethyltransferase (COMT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). GWAS of psychiatric disorders have identified genes with unknown functions, such as ZNF804A, and imaging genetics has been used to investigate clues of the biological function of these genes. The difficulty in replicating the findings of studies with small sample sizes has motivated the creation of largescale collaborative consortiums, such as ENIGMA, CHARGE and IMAGEN, to collect thousands of images. In a genome-wide association study, the ENIGMA consortium successfully identified common variants in the genome associated with hippocampal volume at 12q24, and the CHARGE consortium replicated this finding. The new era of imaging genetics has just begun, and the next challenge we face is the discovery of small effect size signals from large data sets obtained from genetics and neuroimaging. New methods and technologies for data reduction with appropriate statistical thresholds, such as polygenic analysis and parallel independent component analysis (ICA), are warranted. Future advances in imaging genetics will aid in the discovery of genes and provide mechanistic insight into psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - M Takeda
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
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15
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Blair LM, Pickler RH, Anderson C. Integrative Review of Genetic Factors Influencing Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Preterm Infants. Biol Res Nurs 2015; 18:127-37. [PMID: 26374169 DOI: 10.1177/1099800415605379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Preterm infants are at elevated risk for a host of neurodevelopmental problems, including disorders that appear later in life. Gene-environment interactions and prematurity may combine to increase the risk for poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. Increasing evidence supports a genetic link to risk for atypical development; however, no genomic risk profiles are currently used for infants without apparent genetic disorders. The purpose of this review was to synthesize recent evidence of genetic associations with atypical neurodevelopmental outcomes that may affect preterm infants who do not have a rare genetic disease. Electronic and hand-search strategies were used to find relevant articles that were English-language, peer-reviewed primary research or meta-analysis reports published between July 2009 and July 2014, involving human participants. Articles included in the analysis (N = 29) used a wide range of study designs and methodologies, complicating the analysis. An integrative-review design was used to synthesize the data. Numerous genes (n = 43) and additional large deletion copy number variants were associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes, including cognition, attention, perception, psychiatric disease, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, infant behavior, and alterations in brain architecture. The creation of genetic risk profiles for complex disorders of neurodevelopment is presently hindered by inconsistent genetic-association evidence, methodological considerations, reporting problems, and lack of replication. However, several avenues of investigation offer promise, including large (>100 kb) copy number variants and the candidate genes MET, NRG3, and SLC6A4, each of which were reported to have associations with neurodevelopmental outcomes in multiple, high-quality studies.
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16
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Suárez-Pinilla P, Roíz-Santiañez R, Mata I, Ortiz-García de la Foz V, Brambilla P, Fañanas L, Valle-San Román N, Crespo-Facorro B. Progressive Structural Brain Changes and NRG1 Gene Variants in First-Episode Nonaffective Psychosis. Neuropsychobiology 2015; 71:103-111. [PMID: 25871612 DOI: 10.1159/000370075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Structural brain abnormalities are already present during the early phases of psychosis, but factors underlying brain volume changes are still not well understood. The neuregulin 1 gene (NRG1), influencing neurodevelopment and neuroplasticity, has been associated with schizophrenia. Our aim was to examine whether variations in the NRG1 gene (SNP8NRG221132, SNP8NRG6221533 and SNP8NRG243177 polymorphisms) influence longitudinal changes in the brain during a first episode of psychosis (FEP). METHODS A 3-year follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study was performed. Fifty-nine minimally medicated patients who were experiencing FEP and 14 healthy control individuals underwent genotyping and structural brain MRI at baseline and at 1- and 3-year follow-up. A comparison of brain volumes, gray matter, white matter (WM), lateral ventricles (LV), cortical cerebrospinal fluid, and thalamus and caudate was made between the groups according to their genotype. RESULTS In patients, the SNP8NRG6221533 risk C allele was significantly associated with increased LV volume across time. C allele carriers had significantly less WM compared with subjects homozygous for the T allele after the follow-up. No other significant differences were observed among subgroups. No significant changes according to the genotypes were found in healthy individuals. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that variations of neurodevelopment-related genes, such as the NRG1 gene, can contribute to brain abnormalities described in early phases of schizophrenia and progressive changes during the initial years of the illness. To our knowledge, it is the first time that a relation between NRG1 polymorphisms and longitudinal brain changes is reported. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Suárez-Pinilla
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
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17
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Deng C, Pan B, Hu CH, Han M, Huang XF. Differential effects of short- and long-term antipsychotic treatment on the expression of neuregulin-1 and ErbB4 receptors in the rat brain. Psychiatry Res 2015; 225:347-54. [PMID: 25576368 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Revised: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) and ErbB4 genes have been identified as candidate genes for schizophrenia. Post-mortem studies indicated that NRG1-ErbB4 signalling is impaired in schizophrenia subjects. This study investigated whether short- or long-term antipsychotic treatment has different effects on the expression of NRG1 and ErbB4 receptors. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated orally with either aripiprazole (0.75 mg/kg), haloperidol (0.1 mg/kg), olanzapine (0.5 mg/kg), or vehicle, 3 times/day for 1 or 12 weeks. Western blotting was performed to examine the expression of NRG1 isoforms (135 kDa, 70 kDa and 40 kDa) and ErbB4 receptors. Both 1-week haloperidol and olanzapine treatment increased NRG1-70kDa expression in the hippocampus; haloperidol also up-regulated ErbB4 levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). In the 12-week group, aripiprazole decreased the expression of all three NRG1 isoforms and ErbB4 receptors in the PFC, NRG1-70 kDa and -40 kDa in the cingulate cortex (Cg), and NRG1-135 kDa, -70 kDa and ErbB4 receptors in the hippocampus; haloperidol reduced NRG1-135 kDa in the PFC, NRG1-40 kDa in all three brain regions, and ErbB4 receptor levels in the PFC and hippocampus; NRG1-40 kDa in the PFC and Cg was also down-regulated by olanzapine. These results suggest that the time-dependent and region-specific effects of antipsychotics on NRG1-ErbB4 signalling may contribute to the efficacy of antipsychotics to treat schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Deng
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Centre for Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia.
| | - Bo Pan
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Centre for Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Chang-Hua Hu
- Centre for Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Institute of Modern Biopharmaceuticals, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, People׳s Republic of China
| | - Mei Han
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Centre for Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
| | - Xu-Feng Huang
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Centre for Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
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18
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Russell TA, Blizinsky KD, Cobia DJ, Cahill ME, Xie Z, Sweet RA, Duan J, Gejman PV, Wang L, Csernansky JG, Penzes P. A sequence variant in human KALRN impairs protein function and coincides with reduced cortical thickness. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4858. [PMID: 25224588 PMCID: PMC4166532 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Dendritic spine pathology is a key feature of several neuropsychiatric disorders. The Rac1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor kalirin-7 is critical for spine morphogenesis on cortical pyramidal neurons. Here we identify a rare coding variant in the KALRN gene region that encodes the catalytic domain, in a schizophrenia patient and his sibling with major depressive disorder. The D1338N substitution significantly diminished the protein's ability to catalyse the activation of Rac1. Contrary to wild-type kalirin-7, kalirin-7-D1338N failed to increase spine size and density. Both subjects carrying the polymorphism displayed reduced cortical volume in the superior temporal sulcus (STS), a region implicated in schizophrenia. Consistent with this, mice with reduced kalirin expression showed reduced neuropil volume in the rodent homologue of the STS. These data suggest that single amino acid changes in proteins involved in dendritic spine function can have significant effects on the structure and function of the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theron A Russell
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Katherine D Blizinsky
- 1] Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA [2] Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Derin J Cobia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Michael E Cahill
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Zhong Xie
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Robert A Sweet
- 1] Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA [2] Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
| | - Jubao Duan
- 1] Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA [2] Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Pablo V Gejman
- 1] Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA [2] Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Lei Wang
- 1] Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA [2] Department of Radiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - John G Csernansky
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
| | - Peter Penzes
- 1] Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA [2] Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
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Knickmeyer RC, Wang J, Zhu H, Geng X, Woolson S, Hamer RM, Konneker T, Lin W, Styner M, Gilmore JH. Common variants in psychiatric risk genes predict brain structure at birth. Cereb Cortex 2014; 24:1230-46. [PMID: 23283688 PMCID: PMC3977618 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhs401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies in adolescents and adults have demonstrated that polymorphisms in putative psychiatric risk genes are associated with differences in brain structure, but cannot address when in development these relationships arise. To determine if common genetic variants in disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1 (DISC1; rs821616 and rs6675281), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT; rs4680), neuregulin 1 (NRG1; rs35753505 and rs6994992), apolipoprotein E (APOE; ε3ε4 vs. ε3ε3), estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1; rs9340799 and rs2234693), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF; rs6265), and glutamate decarboxylase 1 (GAD1; rs2270335) are associated with individual differences in brain tissue volumes in neonates, we applied both automated region-of-interest volumetry and tensor-based morphometry to a sample of 272 neonates who had received high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging scans. ESR1 (rs9340799) predicted intracranial volume. Local variation in gray matter (GM) volume was significantly associated with polymorphisms in DISC1 (rs821616), COMT, NRG1, APOE, ESR1 (rs9340799), and BDNF. No associations were identified for DISC1 (rs6675281), ESR1 (rs2234693), or GAD1. Of note, neonates homozygous for the DISC1 (rs821616) serine allele exhibited numerous large clusters of reduced GM in the frontal lobes, and neonates homozygous for the COMT valine allele exhibited reduced GM in the temporal cortex and hippocampus, mirroring findings in adults. The results highlight the importance of prenatal brain development in mediating psychiatric risk.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Thomas Konneker
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | - Martin Styner
- Department of Psychiatry
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA and
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Genes and environments in schizophrenia: The different pieces of a manifold puzzle. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:2424-37. [PMID: 23628741 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2013] [Accepted: 04/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Genetic research targeting schizophrenia has undergone tremendous development during recent years. Supported by recently developed high-throughput genotyping technologies, both rare and common genetic variants have been identified that show consistent association with schizophrenia. These results have been replicated by independent studies and refined in meta-analyses. The genetic variation uncovered consists of common alleles, i.e. single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) conveying small effects (odds ratios below 1.1) on disease risk. The source of rare variants is copy number variations (CNVs), only detectable in a small proportion of patients (3-5% for all known CNVs) with schizophrenia, furthermore extremely rare de novo mutations captured by next generation sequencing, the most recent technological advancement in the field. Despite these findings, the search for the genetic architecture underlying schizophrenia continues since these variants explain only a small proportion of the overall phenotypic variance. Gene-environment interactions provide a compelling model for resolving this paradox and interpreting the risk factors of schizophrenia. Epidemiologically proven risk factors, such as prenatal infection, obstetric complications, urbanicity, cannabis, and trauma have been demonstrated to interact with genetic risk, giving rise to higher prevalence rates or more severe symptomatology in individuals with direct or indirect genetic predisposition for schizophrenia. Further research will have to explain how the different forms of genetic variation interact and how environmental factors modulate their effects. Moreover, the challenging question lying ahead of us is how genetic and environmental factors translate to molecular disease pathways. New approaches, including animal studies and in vitro disease modeling, as well as innovative real-world environment assessment methods, will help to understand the complex etiology of schizophrenia.
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Vita A, De Peri L, Deste G, Sacchetti E. Progressive loss of cortical gray matter in schizophrenia: a meta-analysis and meta-regression of longitudinal MRI studies. Transl Psychiatry 2012; 2:e190. [PMID: 23168990 PMCID: PMC3565772 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2012.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 292] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical gray matter deficits have been found in patients with schizophrenia, with evidence of progression over time. The aim of this study was to determine the extent of progressive cortical gray matter volume changes over time in schizophrenia, their site and time of occurrence, and the role of potential moderators of brain changes. English language articles published between 1 January 1983 and 31 March 2012 in the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched. Longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging studies comparing changes in cortical gray matter volume over time between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls were included. Hedges g was calculated for each study. Analyses were performed using fixed- and random-effects models. A subgroup analysis was run to explore the pattern of brain changes in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. A meta-regression statistic was adopted to investigate the role of potential moderators of the effect sizes (ESs). A total of 19 studies, analyzing 813 patients with schizophrenia and 718 healthy controls, were included. Over time, patients with schizophrenia showed a significantly higher volume loss of total cortical gray matter, left superior temporal gyrus (STG), left anterior STG, left Heschl gyrus, left planum temporale and posterior STG bilaterally. Meta-analysis of first-episode schizophrenic patients showed a more significant pattern of progressive loss of whole cerebral gray matter volume involving the frontal, temporal and parietal lobes, and left Heschl gyrus compared with healthy controls. Clinical, pharmacologic and neuroradiological variables were found to be significant moderators of brain volume changes in patients with schizophrenia. The meta-analysis demonstrates that progressive cortical gray matter changes in schizophrenia occur with regional and temporal specificity. The underlying pathological process appears to be especially active in the first stages of the disease, affects the left hemisphere and the superior temporal structures more and is at least partly moderated by the type of pharmacological treatment received.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Vita
- School of Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
| | - L De Peri
- School of Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - G Deste
- Department of Mental Health, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - E Sacchetti
- School of Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy,Department of Mental Health, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy,Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders and EULO, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this overview study is to translate the technical terminology regarding structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (sMRI) post-processing analysis into a clinical clear description. METHOD We resumed and explained the most popular post-processing methods for structural MRI (sMRI) data applied in psychiatry and their main contributions to the comprehension of the biological basis of schizophrenia. RESULTS The region-of-interest (ROI) technique allows to investigate specific brain region size by manual tracing; it is anatomically precise and requires a priori hypothesis, but also it is time-consuming and operator-dependent. The voxel-based morphometry (VBM) detects gray matter density across the whole brain by comparing voxel to voxel; it is operator-independent, does not require a priori hypothesis, and is relatively fast; however, it is limited by multiple comparisons and poor anatomical definition. Finally, computational neuroanatomical analyses have recently been applied to automatically discriminate subjects with schizophrenia from healthy subjects on the basis of MRI images. CONCLUSION Structural MRI represents a useful tool in understanding the biological underpinnings of schizophrenia and in planning focused interventions, thus assisting clinicians especially in the early phases of the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Perlini
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, InterUniversity Centre for Behavioural Neurosciences, University of Verona, Italy
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