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Ramos A, Granzotto N, Kremer R, Boeder AM, de Araújo JFP, Pereira AG, Izídio GS. Hunting for Genes Underlying Emotionality in the Laboratory Rat: Maps, Tools and Traps. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:1840-1863. [PMID: 36056863 PMCID: PMC10514530 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x20666220901154034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Scientists have systematically investigated the hereditary bases of behaviors since the 19th century, moved by either evolutionary questions or clinically-motivated purposes. The pioneer studies on the genetic selection of laboratory animals had already indicated, one hundred years ago, the immense complexity of analyzing behaviors that were influenced by a large number of small-effect genes and an incalculable amount of environmental factors. Merging Mendelian, quantitative and molecular approaches in the 1990s made it possible to map specific rodent behaviors to known chromosome regions. From that point on, Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) analyses coupled with behavioral and molecular techniques, which involved in vivo isolation of relevant blocks of genes, opened new avenues for gene mapping and characterization. This review examines the QTL strategy applied to the behavioral study of emotionality, with a focus on the laboratory rat. We discuss the challenges, advances and limitations of the search for Quantitative Trait Genes (QTG) playing a role in regulating emotionality. For the past 25 years, we have marched the long journey from emotionality-related behaviors to genes. In this context, our experiences are used to illustrate why and how one should move forward in the molecular understanding of complex psychiatric illnesses. The promise of exploring genetic links between immunological and emotional responses are also discussed. New strategies based on humans, rodents and other animals (such as zebrafish) are also acknowledged, as they are likely to allow substantial progress to be made in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Ramos
- Behavior Genetics Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
| | - Natalli Granzotto
- Behavior Genetics Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
- Graduate Program of Pharmacology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
| | - Rafael Kremer
- Behavior Genetics Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
- Graduate Program of Developmental and Cellular Biology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
| | - Ariela Maína Boeder
- Behavior Genetics Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
- Graduate Program of Pharmacology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
| | - Julia Fernandez Puñal de Araújo
- Behavior Genetics Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
- Graduate Program of Developmental and Cellular Biology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
| | - Aline Guimarães Pereira
- Behavior Genetics Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
- Graduate Program of Developmental and Cellular Biology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
| | - Geison Souza Izídio
- Behavior Genetics Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
- Graduate Program of Pharmacology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
- Graduate Program of Developmental and Cellular Biology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
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Keskin G. Approach to stress endocrine response: somatization in the context of gastroenterological symptoms: a systematic review. Afr Health Sci 2019; 19:2537-2545. [PMID: 32127826 PMCID: PMC7040288 DOI: 10.4314/ahs.v19i3.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Stress can be defined as an acute threat to the homeostasis of an organism, and in order to manage stress, and maintain stability, the allostatic systems activate an adaptive response. Stress has been shown to have both short - and long-term effects on the function of the gastrointestinal tract, but long-term exposure to stress is more likely to cause endocrine disorders. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the endocrine response to stress, and evaluate the relationship between somatization and gastrointestinal symptoms. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted on several academic databases, which included, Pubmed, EBSCO and Science Direct. The search was performed using the keywords, “endocrine response to stress”, “somatization” and “gastrointestinal symptoms”. Results The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is essential in controlling physiological stress responses. Dysfunction is related to several mental disorders, including anxiety and depression, or somatization. Symptoms associated with genetic, or other traumatic experiences of individuals under stress, can lead to a maladaptive response to stress. These stressful life events were found to be associated with digestive system-related chronic diseases. Gastrointestinal disorders significantly affect millions of people worldwide. Conclusion This study examined how the endocrine system responds to stress, and the effect this has in causing stress-related gastrointestinal distresses. Our findings indicate that stress-related psychological disorders are strongly associated with the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gülseren Keskin
- Ege University Atatürk Medical Technological Vocational Training School, İzmir, Turkey
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Naik RR, Sotnikov SV, Diepold RP, Iurato S, Markt PO, Bultmann A, Brehm N, Mattheus T, Lutz B, Erhardt A, Binder EB, Schmidt U, Holsboer F, Landgraf R, Czibere L. Polymorphism in Tmem132d regulates expression and anxiety-related behavior through binding of RNA polymerase II complex. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:1. [PMID: 29317594 PMCID: PMC5802467 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-017-0025-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Revised: 07/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
TMEM132D is a candidate gene, where risk genotypes have been associated with anxiety severity along with higher mRNA expression in the frontal cortex of panic disorder patients. Concurrently, in a high (HAB) and low (LAB) trait anxiety mouse model, Tmem132d was found to show increased expression in the anterior cingulate cortex (aCC) of HAB as compared to LAB mice. To understand the molecular underpinnings underlying the differential expression, we sequenced the gene and found two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter differing between both lines which could explain the observed mRNA expression profiles using gene reporter assays. In addition, there was no difference in basal DNA methylation in the CpG Island that encompasses the HAB vs. LAB Tmem132d promoter region. Furthermore, we found significantly higher binding of RNA polymerase II (POLR2A) to the proximal HAB-specific SNP (rs233264624) than the corresponding LAB locus in an oligonucleotide pull-down assay, suggesting increased transcription. Virus mediated overexpression of Tmem132d in the aCC of C57BL/6 J mice could confirm its role in mediating an anxiogenic phenotype. To model gene-environmental interactions, HAB mice exposed to enriched environment (HAB-EE) responded with decreased anxiety levels but, had enhanced Tmem132d mRNA expression as compared to standard-housed HAB (HAB-SH) mice. While LAB mice subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress (LAB-UCMS) exhibited higher anxiety levels and had lower mRNA expression compared to standard-housed LAB (LAB-SH) mice. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed significantly higher binding of POLR2A to rs233264624 in HAB-EE, while LAB-UCMS had lower POLR2A binding at this locus, thus explaining the enhanced or attenuated expression of Tmem132d compared to their respective SH controls. To further investigate gene-environment interactions, DNA methylation was assessed using Illumina 450 K BeadChip in 74 panic disorder patients. Significant methylation differences were observed in two CpGs (cg26322591 and cg03283235) located in TMEM132D depending on the number of positive life events supporting the results of an influence of positive environmental cues on regulation of Tmem132d expression in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshan R Naik
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany.
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 308232, Singapore.
| | - Sergey V Sotnikov
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
- Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Stella Iurato
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Nadine Brehm
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Mattheus
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Beat Lutz
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | - Ulrike Schmidt
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Ludwig Czibere
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
- Labor Becker und, 81671, Munich, Germany
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Zimprich A, Östereicher MA, Becker L, Dirscherl P, Ernst L, Fuchs H, Gailus-Durner V, Garrett L, Giesert F, Glasl L, Hummel A, Rozman J, de Angelis MH, Vogt-Weisenhorn D, Wurst W, Hölter SM. Analysis of locomotor behavior in the German Mouse Clinic. J Neurosci Methods 2017; 300:77-91. [PMID: 28483715 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Generation and phenotyping of mutant mouse models continues to increase along with the search for the most efficient phenotyping tests. Here we asked if a combination of different locomotor tests is necessary for comprehensive locomotor phenotyping, or if a large data set from an automated gait analysis with the CatWalk system would suffice. NEW METHOD First we endeavored to meaningfully reduce the large CatWalk data set by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to decide on the most relevant parameters. We analyzed the influence of sex, body weight, genetic background and age. Then a combination of different locomotor tests was analyzed to investigate the possibility of redundancy between tests. RESULT The extracted 10 components describe 80% of the total variance in the CatWalk, characterizing different aspects of gait. With these, effects of CatWalk version, sex, body weight, age and genetic background were detected. In addition, the PCA on a combination of locomotor tests suggests that these are independent without significant redundancy in their locomotor measures. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS The PCA has permitted the refinement of the highly dimensional CatWalk (and other tests) data set for the extraction of individual component scores and subsequent analysis. CONCLUSION The outcome of the PCA suggests the possibility to focus on measures of the front and hind paws, and one measure of coordination in future experiments to detect phenotypic differences. Furthermore, although the CatWalk is sensitive for detecting locomotor phenotypes pertaining to gait, it is necessary to include other tests for comprehensive locomotor phenotyping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemarie Zimprich
- Developmental Genetics, Technische Universität München-Weihenstephan, c/o Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
| | - Manuela A Östereicher
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Lore Becker
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Petra Dirscherl
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Luise Ernst
- Developmental Genetics, Technische Universität München-Weihenstephan, c/o Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Helmut Fuchs
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Valerie Gailus-Durner
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Lillian Garrett
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Florian Giesert
- Developmental Genetics, Technische Universität München-Weihenstephan, c/o Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Lisa Glasl
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Angelika Hummel
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jan Rozman
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Hrabě de Angelis
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Chair of Experimental Genetics, Technische Universität München-Weihenstephan, c/o Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Daniela Vogt-Weisenhorn
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wurst
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Chair of Developmental Genetics, Technische Universität München-Weihenstephan, c/o Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Site Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Adolf-Butenandt-Institut, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Schillerstr. 44, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Sabine M Hölter
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
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Sotnikov S, Wittmann A, Bunck M, Bauer S, Deussing J, Schmidt M, Touma C, Landgraf R, Czibere L. Blunted HPA axis reactivity reveals glucocorticoid system dysbalance in a mouse model of high anxiety-related behavior. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 48:41-51. [PMID: 24995583 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Revised: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Depression and anxiety disorders are often characterized by altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis re-/activity. However, the presence of a molecular link between dysbalanced neuroendocrine regulation and psychopathologies is not yet fully established. Earlier, we reported that high (HAB), normal (NAB) and low (LAB) anxiety-related behavior mice express divergent anxiety-related and passive/active coping phenotypes. Here, we studied mechanisms that might contribute to the different HPA axis reactivity observed in HAB, NAB and LAB mice and their involvement in the regulation of anxiety-related behavior and passive/active coping style. We found that HAB mice respond with significantly reduced corticosterone (CORT) secretion to an acute stressful stimulus and a blunted response in the Dex/CRH test compared to NAB and LAB mice. At the molecular level, higher expression of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR/Nr3c1) and decreased corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) expression were observed in the pituitary of HAB mice. We further analyzed whether these stress mediators differed between the HAB, NAB and LAB lines in limbic system-associated brain regions and whether their interplay contributes to the phenotype. Interestingly, not only in the pituitary but also in almost all brain regions investigated, GR expression was significantly higher in HAB mice. In contrast, the amount of CORT in the brain structures analyzed was significantly lower in these animals. The expression of CRHR1 varied in the prefrontal cortex only. Since glucocorticoids regulate both GR and CRHR1, we treated HAB and NAB mice chronically with CORT. After 6 weeks of administration, reduced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors were observed in HAB mice, whereas increased anxiety was found in NABs. In both groups, GR, but not CRHR1, were significantly reduced. Taken together, our study proposes HAB mice as an animal model of simultaneous features of increased anxiety-related and depression-like behaviors with blunted HPA axis reactivity suggesting a dysregulated GR/CORT system as one key mechanism behind their phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Sotnikov
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany; Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Anke Wittmann
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Mirjam Bunck
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Sabrina Bauer
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Jan Deussing
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany; Clinical Cooperation Group Molecular Neurogenetics, Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | | | - Chadi Touma
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | | | - Ludwig Czibere
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
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Sotnikov SV, Chekmareva NY, Schmid B, Harbich D, Malik V, Bauer S, Kuehne C, Markt PO, Deussing JM, Schmidt MV, Landgraf R. Enriched environment impacts trimethylthiazoline-induced anxiety-related behavior and immediate early gene expression: critical role ofCrhr1. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:2691-700. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2013] [Revised: 03/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. V. Sotnikov
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
- Department of Normal Physiology; Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University; Moscow Russia
| | - N. Y. Chekmareva
- Department of Normal Physiology; Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University; Moscow Russia
- P.K. Anokhin Institute of Normal Physiology; Russian Academy of Medical Sciences; Moscow Russia
| | - B. Schmid
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
| | - D. Harbich
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
| | - V. Malik
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
| | - S. Bauer
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
| | - C. Kuehne
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
| | - P. O. Markt
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
| | - J. M. Deussing
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Group Molecular Neurogenetics; Institute of Developmental Genetics; Helmholtz Center Munich; Neuherberg Germany
| | - M. V. Schmidt
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
| | - R. Landgraf
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
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Griesauer I, Diao W, Ronovsky M, Elbau I, Sartori S, Singewald N, Pollak DD. Circadian abnormalities in a mouse model of high trait anxiety and depression. Ann Med 2014; 46:148-54. [PMID: 24405329 PMCID: PMC4025598 DOI: 10.3109/07853890.2013.866440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Accepted: 11/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Dysregulation of circadian rhythms is a key symptom of mood disorders, including anxiety disorders and depression. Whether the circadian abnormalities observed in depressed patients are cause or consequence of the disease remains elusive. Here we aimed to explore potential disturbances of circadian rhythms in a validated genetic animal model of high trait anxiety and co-morbid depression and examine its molecular correlates. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mice selectively bred for high (HAB) and normal (NAB) anxiety- and co-segregating depression-like behavior were subjected to analysis of circadian wheel-running activity to determine light-entrained (LD) and free-running circadian (DD) rhythms and a light-induced phase shift. Clock gene expression in HAB/NAB hippocampal tissue was analyzed by qRT-PCR and verified by Western blotting. RESULTS Compared to NABs, HAB mice were found to present with altered DD length of daily cycle, fragmented ultradiem rhythms, and a blunted phase shift response. Clock gene expression analysis revealed a selective reduction of Cry2 expression in hippocampal tissue of HAB mice. DISCUSSION We provide first evidence for a dysregulation of circadian rhythms in a mouse model of anxiety and co-morbid depression which suggests an association between depression and altered circadian rhythms at the genetic level and points towards a role for Cry2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Griesauer
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Weifei Diao
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Marianne Ronovsky
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Immanuel Elbau
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Simone Sartori
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and CMBI, Leopold-Franzens-University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nicolas Singewald
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and CMBI, Leopold-Franzens-University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Daniela D. Pollak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
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Füchsl AM, Neumann ID, Reber SO. Stress resilience: a low-anxiety genotype protects male mice from the consequences of chronic psychosocial stress. Endocrinology 2014; 155:117-26. [PMID: 24169562 DOI: 10.1210/en.2013-1742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Chronic psychosocial stress is a risk factor for the development of affective as well as somatic disorders. However, vulnerability to adverse stress effects varies between individuals, with previous negative life events along with genetic predisposition playing a major role. In support, we previously showed that the consequences of chronic psychosocial stress induced by chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC, 19 days) can be amplified by pre-exposing mice to repeated maternal separation during early life. To test the significance of the genetic predisposition on the effects of CSC, mice selectively bred for high (mHAB) and low (mLAB) anxiety-related behavior and nonselected CD1 mice (mNAB) were exposed to CSC in the present study. In confirmation of our previous results, CSC mice of both mHAB and mNAB lines displayed chronic stress-related symptoms including increased adrenal weight, decreased adrenal in vitro ACTH sensitivity, lower plasma corticosterone to ACTH ratio, and increased interferon-γ secretion from isolated mesenteric lymph node cells compared with single-housed controls of the respective line. However, the CSC-induced anxiogenic effect found in mNAB was not confirmed in mHAB mice, possibly due to a ceiling effect in these highly anxious mice. Interestingly, mHAB were not more vulnerable to CSC than mNAB mice, whereas mLAB mice were resilient to CSC as indicated by all of the above mentioned parameters assessed. Taken together, our findings indicate that the genetic predisposition, in this case the innate anxiety of an individual, affects vulnerability to chronic psychosocial stress, with a low-anxiety phenotype mediating resilience to both affective and somatic consequences of CSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea M Füchsl
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology (A.M.F., I.D.N., S.O.R.), University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; and Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics (S.O.R.), Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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Neylan TC, Schadt EE, Yehuda R. Biomarkers for combat-related PTSD: focus on molecular networks from high-dimensional data. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2014; 5:23938. [PMID: 25206954 PMCID: PMC4138711 DOI: 10.3402/ejpt.v5.23938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2014] [Revised: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other deployment-related outcomes originate from a complex interplay between constellations of changes in DNA, environmental traumatic exposures, and other biological risk factors. These factors affect not only individual genes or bio-molecules but also the entire biological networks that in turn increase or decrease the risk of illness or affect illness severity. This review focuses on recent developments in the field of systems biology which use multidimensional data to discover biological networks affected by combat exposure and post-deployment disease states. By integrating large-scale, high-dimensional molecular, physiological, clinical, and behavioral data, the molecular networks that directly respond to perturbations that can lead to PTSD can be identified and causally associated with PTSD, providing a path to identify key drivers. Reprogrammed neural progenitor cells from fibroblasts from PTSD patients could be established as an in vitro assay for high throughput screening of approved drugs to determine which drugs reverse the abnormal expression of the pathogenic biomarkers or neuronal properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Neylan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA ; Mental Health Service, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Eric E Schadt
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel Yehuda
- Department of Psychiatry, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA ; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Profiling trait anxiety: transcriptome analysis reveals cathepsin B (Ctsb) as a novel candidate gene for emotionality in mice. PLoS One 2011; 6:e23604. [PMID: 21897848 PMCID: PMC3163650 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2011] [Accepted: 07/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral endophenotypes are determined by a multitude of counteracting but precisely balanced molecular and physiological mechanisms. In this study, we aim to identify potential novel molecular targets that contribute to the multigenic trait “anxiety”. We used microarrays to investigate the gene expression profiles of different brain regions within the limbic system of mice which were selectively bred for either high (HAB) or low (LAB) anxiety-related behavior, and also show signs of comorbid depression-like behavior. We identified and confirmed sex-independent differences in the basal expression of 13 candidate genes, using tissue from the entire brain, including coronin 7 (Coro7), cathepsin B (Ctsb), muscleblind-like 1 (Mbnl1), metallothionein 1 (Mt1), solute carrier family 25 member 17 (Slc25a17), tribbles homolog 2 (Trib2), zinc finger protein 672 (Zfp672), syntaxin 3 (Stx3), ATP-binding cassette, sub-family A member 2 (Abca2), ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 5 (Enpp5), high mobility group nucleosomal binding domain 3 (Hmgn3) and pyruvate dehydrogenase beta (Pdhb). Additionally, we confirmed brain region-specific differences in the expression of synaptotagmin 4 (Syt4). Our identification of about 90 polymorphisms in Ctsb suggested that this gene might play a critical role in shaping our mouse model's behavioral endophenotypes. Indeed, the assessment of anxiety-related and depression-like behaviors of Ctsb knock-out mice revealed an increase in depression-like behavior in females. Altogether, our results suggest that Ctsb has significant effects on emotionality, irrespective of the tested mouse strain, making it a promising target for future pharmacotherapy.
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