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Unterholzner J, Gryglewski G, Philippe C, Seiger R, Pichler V, Godbersen GM, Berroterán-Infante N, Murgaš M, Hahn A, Wadsak W, Mitterhauser M, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Topologically Guided Prioritization of Candidate Gene Transcripts Coexpressed with the 5-HT1A Receptor by Combining In Vivo PET and Allen Human Brain Atlas Data. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:3771-3780. [PMID: 31989157 PMCID: PMC7232988 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The serotonin-1A receptor (5-HT1AR) represents a viable target in the treatment of disorders of the brain. However, development of psychiatric drugs continues to be hindered by the relative inaccessibility of brain tissue. Although the efficacy of drugs selective for the 5-HT1AR has not been proven, research continues to focus on drugs that influence this receptor subtype. To further knowledge on this topic, we investigated the topological coexpression patterns of the 5-HT1AR. We calculated Spearman’s rho for the correlation of positron emission tomography-binding potentials (BPND) of the 5-HT1AR assessed in 30 healthy subjects using the tracer [carbonyl-11C]WAY-100635 and predicted whole-brain mRNA expression of 18 686 genes. After applying a threshold of r > 0.3 in a leave-one-out cross-validation of the prediction of mRNA expression, genes with ρ ≥ 0.7 were considered to be relevant. In cortical regions, 199 genes showed high correlation with the BPND of the 5-HT1AR, in subcortical regions 194 genes. Using our approach, we could consolidate the role of BDNF and implicate new genes (AnxA8, NeuroD2) in serotonergic functioning. Despite its explorative nature, the analysis can be seen as a gene prioritization approach to reduce the number of genes potentially connected to 5-HT1AR functioning and guide future in vitro studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Unterholzner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Gryglewski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Cecile Philippe
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rene Seiger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Verena Pichler
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Godber M Godbersen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Neydher Berroterán-Infante
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matej Murgaš
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Wadsak
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.,Centre for Biomarker Research in Medicine (CBmed), Stiftingtalstrasse 5, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Markus Mitterhauser
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Applied Diagnostics, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
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Janušonis S. A receptor-based analysis of local ecosystems in the human brain. BMC Neurosci 2017; 18:33. [PMID: 28320311 PMCID: PMC5360078 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-017-0355-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background As a complex system, the brain is a self-organizing entity that depends on local interactions among cells. Its regions (anatomically defined nuclei and areas) can be conceptualized as cellular ecosystems, but the similarity of their functional profiles is poorly understood. The study used the Allen Human Brain Atlas to classify 169 brain regions into hierarchically-organized environments based on their expression of 100 G protein-coupled neurotransmitter receptors, with no a priori reference to the regions’ positions in the brain’s anatomy or function. The analysis was based on hierarchical clustering, and multiscale bootstrap resampling was used to estimate the reliability of detected clusters. Results The study presents the first unbiased, hierarchical tree of functional environments in the human brain. The similarity of brain regions was strongly influenced by their anatomical proximity, even when they belonged to different functional systems. Generally, spatial vicinity trumped long-range projections or network connectivity. The main cluster of brain regions excluded the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The nuclei of the amygdala formed a cluster irrespective of their striatal or pallial origin. In its receptor profile, the hypothalamus was more closely associated with the midbrain than with the thalamus. The cerebellar cortical areas formed a tight and exclusive cluster. Most of the neocortical areas (with the exception of some occipital areas) clustered in a large, statistically well supported group that included no other brain regions. Conclusions This study adds a new dimension to the established classifications of brain divisions. In a single framework, they are reconsidered at multiple scales—from individual nuclei and areas to their groups to the entire brain. The analysis provides support for predictive models of brain self-organization and adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Skirmantas Janušonis
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9660, USA.
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Chen A, Hubbert KD, Foroudi PF, Lu VF, Janušonis S. Serotonin 5-HT 4 receptors modulate the development of glutamatergic input to the dorsal raphe nucleus. Neurosci Lett 2017; 640:111-116. [PMID: 28108396 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2016] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is a major serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT)-producing region in the central nervous system. It receives glutamatergic inputs from several brain regions, which are reciprocally modulated by serotonergic signals. We investigated whether serotonin 5-HT4 receptors (5-HT4Rs) play a role in the development of glutamatergic control of the DRN, with an emphasis on cortical inputs. Double-label immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy were used to quantify vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (vGluT1)-immunoreactive terminals in the DRN of mice with a null-mutation in the 5-HT4R gene. We found no significant change in the overall density of vGluT1-positive terminals in homozygous and heterozygous mice, but heterozygous mice had a significantly higher density of vGluT1-positive terminals contacting serotonergic neurons. These results suggest that altered 5-HT4R expression may affect the development of cortical glutamatergic control of the DRN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Chen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA
| | - Katherine D Hubbert
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA
| | - Pasha F Foroudi
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA
| | - Vivian F Lu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA
| | - Skirmantas Janušonis
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA.
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Analysis of spatial-temporal gene expression patterns reveals dynamics and regionalization in developing mouse brain. Sci Rep 2016; 6:19274. [PMID: 26786896 PMCID: PMC4726224 DOI: 10.1038/srep19274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Allen Brain Atlas (ABA) provides a valuable resource of spatial/temporal gene expressions in mammalian brains. Despite rich information extracted from this database, current analyses suffer from several limitations. First, most studies are either gene-centric or region-centric, thus are inadequate to capture the superposition of multiple spatial-temporal patterns. Second, standard tools of expression analysis such as matrix factorization can capture those patterns but do not explicitly incorporate spatial dependency. To overcome those limitations, we proposed a computational method to detect recurrent patterns in the spatial-temporal gene expression data of developing mouse brains. We demonstrated that regional distinction in brain development could be revealed by localized gene expression patterns. The patterns expressed in the forebrain, medullary and pontomedullary, and basal ganglia are enriched with genes involved in forebrain development, locomotory behavior, and dopamine metabolism respectively. In addition, the timing of global gene expression patterns reflects the general trends of molecular events in mouse brain development. Furthermore, we validated functional implications of the inferred patterns by showing genes sharing similar spatial-temporal expression patterns with Lhx2 exhibited differential expression in the embryonic forebrains of Lhx2 mutant mice. These analysis outcomes confirm the utility of recurrent expression patterns in studying brain development.
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Janušonis S. Serotonin dynamics in and around the central nervous system: is autism solvable without fundamental insights? Int J Dev Neurosci 2014; 39:9-15. [PMID: 24886833 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2014.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) signaling has been implicated in some developmental abnormalities of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the presumed role of 5-HT in ASD raises new questions in fundamental neuroscience. Specifically, it is not clear if the current piecemeal approach to 5-HT signaling in the mammalian body is effective and whether new conceptual approaches may be required. This review briefly discusses 5-HT production and circulation in the central nervous system and outside of it, especially with regard to ASD, and proposes a more encompassing approach that questions the utility of the "neurotransmitter" concept. It then introduces the idea of a generalized 5-HT packet that may offer insights into possible links between serotonergic varicosities and blood platelets. These approaches have theoretical significance, but they are also well positioned to advance our understanding of some long-standing problems in autism research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Skirmantas Janušonis
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA.
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