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Zaharija B, Bradshaw NJ. Aggregation of Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1 arises from a central region of the protein. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 130:110923. [PMID: 38135095 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
An emerging approach to studying major mental illness is through proteostasis, with the identification of several proteins that form insoluble aggregates in the brains of patients. One of these is Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), a neurodevelopmentally-important scaffold protein, and product of a classic schizophrenia risk gene. DISC1 aggregates have been detected in post mortem brain tissue from patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, as well as various model systems, although the mechanism by which it aggregates is still unclear. Aggregation of two other proteins implicated in mental illness, TRIOBP-1 and NPAS3, was shown to be dependent on very specific structural regions of the protein. We therefore looked at the domain structure of DISC1, and investigated which structural elements are key for its aggregation. While none of the known structured DISC1 regions (named D, I, S and C respectively) formed aggregates individually when expressed in neuroblastoma cells, the combination of the D and I regions, plus the linker region between them, formed visible aggregates. Further refinement revealed that a region of approximately 30 amino acids between these two regions is critical for aggregation, and deletion of this region is sufficient to abolish the aggregation propensity of DISC1. This finding from mammalian cell culture contrasts with the recent determination that the C-region of DISC1 can aggregate in vitro, although some variations of the C-terminal of DISC1 could aggregate in our system. It therefore appears likely that DISC1 aggregation, implicated in mental illness, can occur through at least two distinct mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beti Zaharija
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Nicholas J Bradshaw
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, Croatia.
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Nani JV, Coelho C, Oyadomari WY, Santiago TC, Machado MM, Christoff RR, Garcez PP, Oliveira V, Würtele M, Hayashi MAF. Identification of an ex vivo inhibitor of the schizophrenia biomarker Ndel1 by high throughput screening. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 217:115841. [PMID: 37820964 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Ndel1 oligopeptidase activity shows promise as a potential biomarker for diagnosing schizophrenia (SCZ) and monitoring early-stage pharmacotherapy. Ndel1 plays a pivotal role in critical aspects of brain development, such as neurite outgrowth, neuronal migration, and embryonic brain formation, making it particularly relevant to neurodevelopmental disorders like SCZ. Currently, the most specific inhibitor for Ndel1 is the polyclonal anti-Ndel1 antibody (NOAb), known for its high specificity and efficient anti-catalytic activity. NOAb has been vital in measuring Ndel1 activity in humans and animal models, enabling the prediction of pharmacological responses to antipsychotics in studies with patients and animals. To advance our understanding of in vivo Ndel1 function and develop drugs for mental disorders, identifying small chemical compounds capable of specifically inhibiting Ndel1 oligopeptidase is crucial, including within living cells. Due to challenges in obtaining Ndel1's three-dimensional structure and its promiscuous substrate recognition, we conducted a high-throughput screening (HTS) of 2,400 small molecules. Nine compounds with IC50-values ranging from 7 to 56 μM were identified as potent Ndel1 inhibitors. Notably, one compound showed similar efficacy to NOAb and inhibited Ndel1 within living cells, although its in vivo use may pose toxicity concerns. Despite this, all identified compounds hold promise as candidates for further refinement through rational drug design, aiming to enhance their inhibitory efficacy, specificity, stability, and biodistribution. Our ultimate goal is to develop druggable Ndel1 inhibitors that can improve the treatment and support the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders like SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- João V Nani
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil; National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq/FAPESP/CAPES), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Camila Coelho
- Department of Science and Technology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - William Y Oyadomari
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil; Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil
| | - Thays Calista Santiago
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Marcondes Machado
- Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil
| | - Raissa R Christoff
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ, Brazil
| | - Patrícia P Garcez
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ, Brazil
| | - Vitor Oliveira
- Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil
| | - Martin Würtele
- Department of Science and Technology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Mirian A F Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil; National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq/FAPESP/CAPES), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
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Christoff RR, Nani JV, Lessa G, Rabello T, Rossi AD, Krenn V, Higa LM, Tanuri A, Garcez PP, Hayashi MAF. Assessing the role of Ndel1 oligopeptidase activity in congenital Zika syndrome: Potential predictor of congenital syndrome endophenotype and treatment response. J Neurochem 2023; 166:763-776. [PMID: 37497817 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Maternal infections are among the main risk factors for cognitive impairments in the offspring. Zika virus (ZIKV) can be transmitted vertically, causing a set of heterogeneous birth defects, such as microcephaly, ventriculomegaly and corpus callosum dysgenesis. Nuclear distribution element like-1 (Ndel1) oligopeptidase controls crucial aspects of cerebral cortex development underlying cortical malformations. Here, we examine Ndel1 activity in an animal model for ZIKV infection, which was associated with deregulated corticogenesis. We observed here a reduction in Ndel1 activity in the forebrain associated with the congenital syndrome induced by ZIKV isolates, in an in utero and postnatal injections of different inoculum doses in mice models. In addition, we observed a strong correlation between Ndel1 activity and brain size of animals infected by ZIKV, suggesting the potential of this measure as a biomarker for microcephaly. More importantly, the increase of interferon (IFN)-beta signaling, which was used to rescue the ZIKV infection outcomes, also recovered Ndel1 activity to levels similar to those of uninfected healthy control mice, but with no influence on Ndel1 activity in uninfected healthy control animals. Taken together, we demonstrate for the first time here an association of corticogenesis impairments determined by ZIKV infection and the modulation of Ndel1 activity. Although further studies are still necessary to clarify the possible role(s) of Ndel1 activity in the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the congenital syndrome induced by ZIKV, we suggest here the potential of monitoring the Ndel1 activity to predict this pathological condition at early stages of embryos or offspring development, during while the currently employed methods are unable to detect impaired corticogenesis leading to microcephaly. Ndel1 activity may also be possibly used to follow up the positive response to the treatment, such as that employing the IFN-beta that is able to rescue the ZIKV-induced brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raissa R Christoff
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - João V Nani
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq/FAPESP/CAPES), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Lessa
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tailene Rabello
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Atila D Rossi
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Veronica Krenn
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Luiza M Higa
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Amilcar Tanuri
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Patricia P Garcez
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mirian A F Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq/FAPESP/CAPES), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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Nani JV, Almeida PGC, Noto C, Bressan RA, Brietzke E, Hayashi MAF. Unraveiling the correlation among neurodevelopmental and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Nord J Psychiatry 2022; 76:559-564. [PMID: 36189960 DOI: 10.1080/08039488.2021.2023217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Nuclear distribution element like-1 (Ndel1) is a cytosolic oligopeptidase, which was suggested as a potential biomarker of aberrant neurodevelopment and early stage of schizophrenia (SCZ). The involvement of Ndel1 in neurite outgrowth, neuronal migration and neurodevelopment was demonstrated. Moreover, Ndel1 cleaves neuropeptides, including the endogenous antipsychotic peptide neurotensin, and lower Ndel1 activity was reported in SCZ patients compared with healthy controls (HCs). Changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and inflammatory cytokines levels were also implicated in SCZ. OBJECTIVE This preliminary study aimed to investigate the interactions between these immune and neurodevelopmental/neurotrophic biomarkers, namely BDNF and the recently identified SCZ biomarker Ndel1. RESULTS We observed lower Ndel1 activity and IL-4 levels, and higher BDNF levels, in plasma of SCZ (N = 23) compared with HCs (N = 29). Interestingly, significant correlation between Ndel1 activity and IL-4 levels was observed in SCZ, while no correlation with any other evaluated interleukins (namely IL-2, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-17A) or BDNF levels was noticed. CONCLUSION Although this hypothesis needs to be further explored for a better understanding of the mechanisms by which these altered pathways are associated to each other in SCZ, we suggest that Ndel1 and the inflammatory marker IL-4 are directly correlated.
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Affiliation(s)
- João V Nani
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.,National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Priscila G C Almeida
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cristiano Noto
- Department of Psychiatry, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo A Bressan
- Department of Psychiatry, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Elisa Brietzke
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University School of Medicine, Kingston, Canada
| | - Mirian A F Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.,National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq), Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Social anhedonia as a Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1-dependent phenotype. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10182. [PMID: 35715502 PMCID: PMC9205858 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14102-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficits in social interaction or social cognition are key phenotypes in a variety of chronic mental diseases, yet, their modeling and molecular dissection are only in their infancy. The Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) signaling pathway is considered to play a role in different psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, and biopolar disorders. DISC1 is involved in regulating the dopaminergic neurotransmission in, among others, the mesolimbic reward system. A transgenic rat line tgDISC1 has been introduced as a model system to study behavioral phenotypes associated with abnormal DISC1 signaling pathways. Here, we evaluated the impact of impaired DISC1 signaling on social (social interaction) and non-social (sucrose) reward preferences in the tgDISC1 animal model. In a plus-maze setting, rats chose between the opportunity for social interaction with an unfamiliar juvenile conspecific (social reward) or drinking sweet solutions with variable sucrose concentrations (non-social reward). tgDISC1 rats differed from wild-type rats in their social, but not in their non-social reward preferences. Specifically, DISC1 rats showed a lower interest in interaction with the juvenile conspecific, but did not differ from wild-type rats in their preference for higher sucrose concentrations. These results suggest that disruptions of the DISC1 signaling pathway that is associated with altered dopamine transmission in the brain result in selective deficits in social motivation reminiscent of phenotypes seen in neuropsychiatric illness.
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Wang AL, Chao OY, Nikolaus S, Lamounier-Zepter V, Hollenberg CP, Lubec G, Trossbach SV, Korth C, Huston JP. Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 Protein Misassembly Impairs Cognitive Flexibility and Social Behaviors in a Transgenic Rat Model. Neuroscience 2022; 493:41-51. [PMID: 35461978 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in cognitive functions, social behaviors and stress reactions are commonly diagnosed in chronic mental illnesses (CMI). Animal models expressing mutant genes associated to CMI represent either rare mutations or those contributing only minimally to genetic risk. Non-genetic causes of CMI can be modeled by disturbing downstream signaling pathways, for example through inducing protein misassembly or aggregation. The Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) gene was identified to be disrupted and thereby haploinsufficient in a large pedigree where it associated to CMI. The DISC1 protein misassembles to an insoluble protein in a subset of CMI patients and this has been modeled in a rat (tgDISC1 rat) where the full-length, non mutant human transgene was overexpressed and cognitive impairments were observed. Here, we investigated the scope of effects of DISC1 protein misassembly by investigating spatial memory, social behavior and stress resilience. In water maze tasks, the tgDISC1 rats showed intact spatial learning and memory, but were deficient in flexible adaptation to spatial reversal learning compared to littermate controls. They also displayed less social interaction. Additionally, there was a trend towards increased corticosterone levels after restraint stress in the tgDISC1 rats. Our findings suggest that DISC1 protein misassembly leads to disturbances of cognitive flexibility and social behaviors, and might also be involved in stress sensitization. Since the observed behavioral features resemble symptoms of CMI, the tgDISC1 rat may be a valuable model for the investigation of cognitive, social and - possibly - also stress-related symptoms of major mental illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Li Wang
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Owen Y Chao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, USA.
| | - Susanne Nikolaus
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | | | - Cornelis P Hollenberg
- Institute of Microbiology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Paracelsus Private Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Svenja V Trossbach
- Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Carsten Korth
- Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Joseph P Huston
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Varga TG, de Toledo Simões JG, Siena A, Henrique E, da Silva RCB, Dos Santos Bioni V, Ramos AC, Rosenstock TR. Haloperidol rescues the schizophrenia-like phenotype in adulthood after rotenone administration in neonatal rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2569-2585. [PMID: 34089344 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05880-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders are multifactorial disturbances that encompass several hypotheses, including changes in neurodevelopment. It is known that brain development disturbances during early life can predict psychosis in adulthood. As we have previously demonstrated, rotenone, a mitochondrial complex I inhibitor, could induce psychiatric-like behavior in 60-day-old rats after intraperitoneal injections from the 5th to the 11th postnatal day. Because mitochondrial deregulation is related to psychiatric disorders and the establishment of animal models is a high-value preclinical tool, we investigated the responsiveness of the rotenone (Rot)-treated newborn rats to pharmacological agents used in clinical practice, haloperidol (Hal), and methylphenidate (MPD). Taken together, our data show that Rot-treated animals exhibit hyperlocomotion, decreased social interaction, and diminished contextual fear conditioning response at P60, consistent with positive, negative, and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia (SZ), respectively, that were reverted by Hal, but not MPD. Rot-treated rodents also display a prodromal-related phenotype at P35. Overall, our results seem to present a new SZ animal model as a consequence of mitochondrial inhibition during a critical neurodevelopmental period. Therefore, our study is crucial not only to elucidate the relevance of mitochondrial function in the etiology of SZ but also to fulfill the need for new and trustworthy experimentation models and, likewise, provide possibilities to new therapeutic avenues for this burdensome disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Garcia Varga
- Department of Physiological Science, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Science, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Amanda Siena
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524 - Ed. Biomédicas I, 2º andar, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Elisandra Henrique
- Department of Physiological Science, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Science, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Aline Camargo Ramos
- Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Rosado Rosenstock
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524 - Ed. Biomédicas I, 2º andar, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil. .,Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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Campeiro JD, Nani JV, Monte GG, Almeida PGC, Mori MA, Hayashi MAF. Regulation of monoamine levels by typical and atypical antipsychotics in Caenorhabditis elegans mutant for nuclear distribution element genes. Neurochem Int 2021; 147:105047. [PMID: 33872680 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian nuclear distribution genes encode proteins with essential roles in neuronal migration and brain formation during embryogenesis. The implication of human nuclear distribution genes, namely nudC and NDE1 (Nuclear Distribution Element 1)/NDEL1 (Nuclear Distribution Element-Like 1), in psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, has been recently described. The partial loss of NDEL1 expression results in neuronal migration defects, while ndel1 null knockout (KO) leads to early embryonic lethality in mice. On the other hand, loss-of-function of the orthologs of nuclear distribution element genes (nud) in Caenorhabditis elegans renders viable worms and influences behavioral endophenotypes associated with dopaminergic and serotoninergic pathways. In the present work, we evaluated the role of nud genes in monoamine levels at baseline and after the treatment with typical or atypical antipsychotics. Dopamine, serotonin and octopamine levels were significantly lower in homozygous loss-of-function mutant worms KO for nud genes compared with wild-type (WT) C. elegans at baseline. While treatment with antipsychotics determined significant differences in monoamine levels in WT, the nud KO mutant worms appear to respond differently to the treatment. According to the best of our knowledge, we are the first to report the influence of nud genes in the monoamine levels changes in response to antipsychotic drugs, ultimately placing the nuclear distribution genes family at the cornerstone of pathways involved in the modulation of monoamines in response to different classes of antipsychotic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana D'Arc Campeiro
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil
| | - João V Nani
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil; National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq), Brazil
| | - Gabriela G Monte
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil
| | - Priscila G C Almeida
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil
| | - Marcelo A Mori
- Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Mirian A F Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil; National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq), Brazil.
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9
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Rodrigues PV, Tostes K, Bosque BP, de Godoy JVP, Amorim Neto DP, Dias CSB, Fonseca MDC. Illuminating the Brain With X-Rays: Contributions and Future Perspectives of High-Resolution Microtomography to Neuroscience. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:627994. [PMID: 33815039 PMCID: PMC8010130 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.627994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The assessment of three-dimensional (3D) brain cytoarchitecture at a cellular resolution remains a great challenge in the field of neuroscience and constant development of imaging techniques has become crucial, particularly when it comes to offering direct and clear obtention of data from macro to nano scales. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electron or optical microscopy, although valuable, still face some issues such as the lack of contrast and extensive sample preparation protocols. In this context, x-ray microtomography (μCT) has become a promising non-destructive tool for imaging a broad range of samples, from dense materials to soft biological specimens. It is a new supplemental method to be explored for deciphering the cytoarchitecture and connectivity of the brain. This review aims to bring together published works using x-ray μCT in neurobiology in order to discuss the achievements made so far and the future of this technique for neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulla Vieira Rodrigues
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Katiane Tostes
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Pelegrini Bosque
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - João Vitor Pereira de Godoy
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Dionisio Pedro Amorim Neto
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Carlos Sato Baraldi Dias
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light National Laboratory (LNLS), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Matheus de Castro Fonseca
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
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Evaluation of NDEL1 oligopeptidase activity in blood and brain in an animal model of schizophrenia: effects of psychostimulants and antipsychotics. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18513. [PMID: 33116174 PMCID: PMC7595172 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75616-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear distribution element-like 1 (NDEL1) enzyme activity is important for neuritogenesis, neuronal migration, and neurodevelopment. We reported previously lower NDEL1 enzyme activity in blood of treated first episode psychosis and chronic schizophrenia (SCZ) compared to healthy control subjects, with even lower activity in treatment resistant chronic SCZ patients, implicating NDEL1 activity in SCZ. Herein, higher NDEL1 activity was observed in the blood and several brain regions of a validated animal model for SCZ at baseline. In addition, long-term treatment with typical or atypical antipsychotics, under conditions in which SCZ-like phenotypes were reported to be reversed in this animal model for SCZ, showed a significant NDEL1 activity reduction in blood and brain regions which is in line with clinical data. Importantly, these results support measuring NDEL1 enzyme activity in the peripheral blood to predict changes in NDEL1 activity in the CNS. Also, acute administration of psychostimulants, at levels reported to induce SCZ-like phenotype in normal rat strains, increased NDEL1 enzyme activity in blood. Therefore, alterations in NDEL1 activity after treatment with antipsychotics or psychostimulants may suggest a possible modulation of NDEL1 activity secondary to neurotransmission homeostasis and provide new insights into the role of NDEL1 in SCZ pathophysiology.
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