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Esposito D, Cruciani G, Zaccaro L, Di Carlo E, Spitoni GF, Manti F, Carducci C, Fiori E, Leuzzi V, Pascucci T. A Systematic Review on Autism and Hyperserotonemia: State-of-the-Art, Limitations, and Future Directions. Brain Sci 2024; 14:481. [PMID: 38790459 PMCID: PMC11119126 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14050481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Hyperserotonemia is one of the most studied endophenotypes in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but there are still no unequivocal results about its causes or biological and behavioral outcomes. This systematic review summarizes the studies investigating the relationship between blood serotonin (5-HT) levels and ASD, comparing diagnostic tools, analytical methods, and clinical outcomes. A literature search on peripheral 5-HT levels and ASD was conducted. In total, 1104 publications were screened, of which 113 entered the present systematic review. Of these, 59 articles reported hyperserotonemia in subjects with ASD, and 26 presented correlations between 5-HT levels and ASD-core clinical outcomes. The 5-HT levels are increased in about half, and correlations between hyperserotonemia and clinical outcomes are detected in a quarter of the studies. The present research highlights a large amount of heterogeneity in this field, ranging from the characterization of ASD and control groups to diagnostic and clinical assessments, from blood sampling procedures to analytical methods, allowing us to delineate critical topics for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Esposito
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Unit of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Sabelli 108, 00185 Rome, Italy; (D.E.); (F.M.)
| | - Gianluca Cruciani
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, 00185 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (G.F.S.)
| | - Laura Zaccaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.Z.); (T.P.)
| | - Emanuele Di Carlo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy; (E.D.C.); (C.C.)
| | - Grazia Fernanda Spitoni
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, 00185 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (G.F.S.)
- Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306-354, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Filippo Manti
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Unit of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Sabelli 108, 00185 Rome, Italy; (D.E.); (F.M.)
| | - Claudia Carducci
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy; (E.D.C.); (C.C.)
| | - Elena Fiori
- Rome Technopole Foundation, P.le Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Vincenzo Leuzzi
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Unit of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Sabelli 108, 00185 Rome, Italy; (D.E.); (F.M.)
| | - Tiziana Pascucci
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.Z.); (T.P.)
- Centro “Daniel Bovet”, Sapienza University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
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Zhao J, Feng C, Wang W, Su L, Jiao J. Human SERPINA3 induces neocortical folding and improves cognitive ability in mice. Cell Discov 2022; 8:124. [DOI: 10.1038/s41421-022-00469-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractNeocortex expansion and folding are related to human intelligence and cognition, but the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying cortical folding remain poorly understood. Here, we report that the human gene SERPINA3 is linked to gyrification. Specifically, the overexpression of SERPINA3 induced neocortical folding, increased the abundance of neurons, and improved cognitive abilities. Further, SERPINA3 promoted proliferation of the outer radial glia (oRG, also referred to as the basal radial glia) and increased the number of upper-layer neurons. The downstream target Glo1 was determined to be involved in SERPINA3-induced gyrification. Moreover, SERPINA3 increased the proliferation of oRG by binding to the Glo1 promoter. Assessment of behavior performance showed enhanced cognitive abilities in SERPINA3 knock-in mice. Our findings will enrich the understanding of neocortical expansion and gyrification and provide insights into possible treatments for intellectual disability and lissencephaly syndrome.
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Toriumi K, Miyashita M, Suzuki K, Tabata K, Horiuchi Y, Ishida H, Itokawa M, Arai M. Role of glyoxalase 1 in methylglyoxal detoxification-the broad player of psychiatric disorders. Redox Biol 2021; 49:102222. [PMID: 34953453 PMCID: PMC8718652 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2021.102222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylglyoxal (MG) is a highly reactive α-ketoaldehyde formed endogenously as a byproduct of the glycolytic pathway. To remove MG, various detoxification systems work together in vivo, including the glyoxalase system, which enzymatically degrades MG using glyoxalase 1 (GLO1) and GLO2. Recently, numerous reports have shown that GLO1 expression and MG accumulation in the brain are involved in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety disorder, depression, autism, and schizophrenia. Furthermore, it has been reported that GLO1 inhibitors may be promising drugs for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. In this review, we discuss the recent findings of the effects of altered GLO1 function on mental behavior, especially focusing on results obtained from animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuya Toriumi
- Schizophrenia Research Project, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, 156-8506, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Miyashita
- Schizophrenia Research Project, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, 156-8506, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-0057, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Takatsuki Hospital, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0005, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Suzuki
- Schizophrenia Research Project, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, 156-8506, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Shinshu University, Nagano, 390-8621, Japan
| | - Koichi Tabata
- Schizophrenia Research Project, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, 156-8506, Japan; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasue Horiuchi
- Schizophrenia Research Project, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, 156-8506, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Ishida
- Schizophrenia Research Project, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, 156-8506, Japan
| | - Masanari Itokawa
- Schizophrenia Research Project, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, 156-8506, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-0057, Japan
| | - Makoto Arai
- Schizophrenia Research Project, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, 156-8506, Japan.
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Yin J, Ma G, Luo S, Luo X, He B, Liang C, Zuo X, Xu X, Chen Q, Xiong S, Tan Z, Fu J, Lv D, Dai Z, Wen X, Zhu D, Ye X, Lin Z, Lin J, Li Y, Chen W, Luo Z, Li K, Wang Y. Glyoxalase 1 Confers Susceptibility to Schizophrenia: From Genetic Variants to Phenotypes of Neural Function. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:739526. [PMID: 34790095 PMCID: PMC8592033 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.739526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This research aimed to investigate the role of glyoxalase 1 (Glo-1) polymorphisms in the susceptibility of schizophrenia. Using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and spectrophotometric assays technology, significant differences in Glo-1 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression (P = 3.98 × 10-5) and enzymatic activity (P = 1.40 × 10-6) were found in peripheral blood of first-onset antipsychotic-naïve patients with schizophrenia and controls. The following receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis showed that Glo-1 could predict the schizophrenia risk (P = 4.75 × 10-6 in mRNA, P = 1.43 × 10-7 in enzymatic activity, respectively). To identify the genetic source of Glo-1 risk in schizophrenia, Glo-1 polymorphisms (rs1781735, rs1130534, rs4746, and rs9470916) were genotyped with SNaPshot technology in 1,069 patients with schizophrenia and 1,023 healthy individuals. Then, the impact of risk polymorphism on the promoter activity, mRNA expression, and enzymatic activity was analyzed. The results revealed significant differences in the distributions of genotype (P = 0.020, false discovery rate (FDR) correction) and allele (P = 0.020, FDR correction) in rs1781735, in which G > T mutation significantly showed reduction in the promoter activity (P = 0.016), mRNA expression, and enzymatic activity (P = 0.001 and P = 0.015, respectively, GG vs. TT, in peripheral blood of patients with schizophrenia) of Glo-1. The expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) findings were followed up with the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis. The TT genotype of rs1781735, associated with lower RNA expression in the brain (P < 0.05), showed decreased neuronal activation in the left middle frontal gyrus in schizophrenia (P < 0.001). In aggregate, this study for the first time demonstrates how the genetic and biochemical basis of Glo-1 polymorphism culminates in the brain function changes associated with increased schizophrenia risk. Thus, establishing a combination of multiple levels of changes ranging from genetic variants, transcription, protein function, and brain function changes is a better predictor of schizophrenia risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Yin
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.,Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China.,Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
| | - Guoda Ma
- Institute of Neurology, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.,Maternal and Children's Health Research Institute, Shunde Maternal and Children's Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Foshan, China
| | - Shucun Luo
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xudong Luo
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Bin He
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Chunmei Liang
- Institute of Neurology, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xiang Zuo
- Institute of Neurology, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xusan Xu
- Institute of Neurology, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Qing Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Susu Xiong
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zhi Tan
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Jiawu Fu
- Institute of Neurology, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Dong Lv
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zhun Dai
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xia Wen
- Institute of Neurology, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Dongjian Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xiaoqing Ye
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zhixiong Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Juda Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - You Li
- Institute of Neurology, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Wubiao Chen
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zebin Luo
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Keshen Li
- Institute of Neurology, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.,Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.,Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yajun Wang
- Maternal and Children's Health Research Institute, Shunde Maternal and Children's Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Foshan, China
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Alolaby RR, Jiraanont P, Durbin-Johnson B, Jasoliya M, Tang HT, Hagerman R, Tassone F. Molecular Biomarkers Predictive of Sertraline Treatment Response in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Genet 2020; 11:308. [PMID: 32346385 PMCID: PMC7174723 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Sertraline is one among several selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that exhibited improvement of language development in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); however, the molecular mechanism has not been elucidated. A double blind, randomized, 6-month, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of low-dose sertraline in children ages (3–6 years) with ASD was conducted at the UC Davis MIND Institute. It aimed at evaluating the efficacy and benefit with respect to early expressive language development and global clinical improvement. This study aimed to identify molecular biomarkers that might be key players in the serotonin pathway and might be predictive of a clinical response to sertraline. Fifty eight subjects with the diagnosis of ASD were randomized to sertraline or placebo. Eight subjects from the sertraline arm and five from the placebo arm discontinued from the study. Furthermore, four subjects did not have a successful blood draw. Hence, genotypes for 41 subjects (20 on placebo and 21 on sertraline) were determined for several genes involved in the serotonin pathway including the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR), the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), and the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). In addition, plasma levels of BDNF, Matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) and a selected panel of cytokines were determined at baseline and post-treatment. Intent-to-treat analysis revealed several primary significant correlations between molecular changes and the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and Clinical Global Impression Scale – Improvement (CGI-I) of treatment and control groups but they were not significant after adjustment for multiple testing. Thus, sertraline showed no benefit for treatment of young children with ASD in language development or changes in molecular markers in this study. These results indicate that sertraline may not be beneficial for the treatment of children with ASD; however, further investigation of larger groups as well as longer term follow-up studies are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reem Rafik Alolaby
- College of Health Sciences, California Northstate University, Rancho Cordova, CA, United States
| | - Poonnada Jiraanont
- Faculty of Medicine, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Blythe Durbin-Johnson
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Mittal Jasoliya
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Hiu-Tung Tang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Randi Hagerman
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis Medical Center, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Flora Tassone
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,MIND Institute, University of California Davis Medical Center, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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Ghodsi R, Kheirouri S. Positive Association Between Plasma Levels of Advanced Glycation and Precursor of Lipoxidation end Products with Gastrointestinal Problems in Children with Autism. Curr Pediatr Rev 2019; 15:184-190. [PMID: 31264551 DOI: 10.2174/1573396315666190628141333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increased oxidative stress has been reported in autistic patients besides, evidence linking oxidative stress to enhancement of advanced glycation and lipoxidation end products (AGEs and ALEs) and their precursors. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to compare the plasma levels of the AGEs and precursors of ALEs in autistic and healthy children and to evaluate their relationship with autism comorbidities. METHODS In this descriptive study, 54 children, 36 autistic and 18 healthy participated. Plasma levels of AGEs and precursors of ALEs were measured by ELISA method. Severity of autism and Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders were measured by GARSII questionnaire and QPGS-ROME III questionnaire, respectively. RESULTS Plasma levels of AGEs and precursors of ALEs in autistic children were comparable with healthy children. Plasma levels of AGEs and precursor of ALEs were correlated with physical activity and GI disorders in autistic children. A strong association was also found between AGEs and precursors of ALEs. CONCLUSION The results indicate that AGEs and ALEs have a strong correlation together but the AGEs and precursor of ALEs in autistic children are not different from healthy children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramin Ghodsi
- Department of Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Sorayya Kheirouri
- Nutrition Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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Barrie ES, Pinsonneault JK, Sadee W, Hollway JA, Handen BL, Smith T, Arnold LE, Butter E, Hansen-Kiss E, Herman GE, Aman MG. Testing genetic modifiers of behavior and response to atomoxetine in autism spectrum disorder with ADHD. JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES 2018; 30:355-371. [PMID: 30197492 PMCID: PMC6128165 DOI: 10.1007/s10882-018-9590-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Frequent non-pathogenic genetic variants may act as moderators of phenotypic severity for complex disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We previously identified polymorphisms affecting mRNA expression of candidate genes, including tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), dopamine beta hydroxylase (DBH), and dopamine transporter (DAT, SLC6A3). METHOD We compare genotypes and (1) clinical response to atomoxetine, (2) scores from the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), and (3) severity of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms in a cohort of patients with ASD from multiple study sites. RESULTS There was no association between CYP2D6 metabolizer status and atomoxetine response. TPH2 rs7305115 genotype was associated with ADI-R Restrictive/Repetitive Behavior score (p=0.03). DBH rs1611115 genotype was associated with ADI-R Social score (p=0.002) and Restrictive/Repetitive Behavior score (p=0.04). The DAT intron 8 5/6 repeat was associated with ADHD symptoms (ABC Hyperactivity p=0.01 and SNAP ADHD p=0.03), replicating a previous finding. CONCLUSIONS We find associations between ASD phenotypes and regulatory variants in catecholamine biosynthesis genes. This work may help guide future genetics studies related to ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S. Barrie
- The Ohio State University
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
| | | | | | | | - Benjamin L. Handen
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
| | - Tristram Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center
| | | | - Eric Butter
- The Ohio State University
- Department of Psychology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
| | | | - Gail E. Herman
- The Ohio State University
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
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TPH2 polymorphisms across the spectrum of psychiatric morbidity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 92:29-42. [PMID: 29775696 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) is the rate-limiting enzyme in brain serotonin synthesis. The TPH2 gene has frequently been investigated in relation to psychiatric morbidity. The aim of the present review is to integrate results from association studies between TPH2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and various psychiatric disorders, which we furthermore quantified with meta-analysis. We reviewed 166 studies investigating 69 TPH2 SNPs in a broad range of psychiatric disorders, including over 30,000 patients. According to our meta-analysis, TPH2 polymorphisms show strongest associations with mood disorders, suicide (attempt) and schizophrenia. Despite small effect sizes, we conclude that TPH2 SNPs in the coding and non-coding areas (rs4570625, rs11178997, rs11178998, rs10748185, rs1843809, rs4290270, rs17110747) are each associated with one or more psychopathological conditions. Our findings highlight the possible common serotonergic mechanisms of the investigated psychiatric disorders. Yet, the functional relevance of most TPH2 polymorphisms is unclear. Characterizing how exactly the different TPH2 variants influence the serotonergic neurotransmission is a next necessary step in understanding the psychiatric disorders where serotonin is implicated.
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Ye J, Zhang Q, Ma L, Zheng H. Immunological Characteristics of Recurrent Echinococcosis-Induced Anaphylactic Shock. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2016; 94:371-7. [PMID: 26711523 PMCID: PMC4751956 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaphylactic shock represents a serious complication of echinococcosis as up to 4.6% of patients die as a result of its severity and improper handling. Once a definite diagnosis is made, effective treatments need to be immediately initiated. Here, we report the immunological characteristics and management of two patients with recurrent anaphylactic shock concurrent with the surgical removal of hydatid cysts. Both patients had systemic echinococcosis classified as cystic echinococcosis type 2 (CE2) with multiple, immature cysts (absence of calcification and necrosis). In addition, both patients had increased eosinophils and basophils before surgery, as well as elevated crude hydatid cyst fluid antigen (anti-EgCF) and hydatid cyst fluid native antigen B (anti-EgB) antibodies and high IgG levels. Although we cannot definitively predict which patients are at risk for cyst fluid leakage or anaphylactic shock at present, clinicians may consider taking precautions before surgery on encountering patients with a similar profile to prevent the occurrence of anaphylactic shock and the likelihood of a second incident. However, these observations need to be confirmed in further studies with a larger number of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianrong Ye
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Qin Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Long Ma
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Hong Zheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
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Abstract
Many current pharmacological treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and depression, are limited by a delayed onset of therapeutic effect, adverse side effects, abuse potential or lack of efficacy in many patients. These off-target effects highlight the need to identify novel mechanisms and targets for treatment. Recently, modulation of Glo1 (glyoxalase I) activity was shown to regulate anxiety-like behaviour and seizure-susceptibility in mice. These effects are likely to be mediated through the regulation of MG (methylglyoxal) by Glo1, as MG acts as a competitive partial agonist at GABA(A) (γ-aminobutyric acid A) receptors. Thus modulation of MG by Glo1 represents a novel target for treatment. In the present article, we evaluate the therapeutic potential of indirectly modulating MG concentrations through Glo1 inhibitors for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Jaiswal P, Mohanakumar KP, Rajamma U. Serotonin mediated immunoregulation and neural functions: Complicity in the aetiology of autism spectrum disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:413-31. [PMID: 26021727 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Serotonergic system has long been implicated in the aetiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), since platelet hyperserotonemia is consistently observed in a subset of autistic patients, who respond well to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Apart from being a neurotransmitter, serotonin functions as a neurotrophic factor directing brain development and as an immunoregulator modulating immune responses. Serotonin transporter (SERT) regulates serotonin level in lymphoid tissues to ensure its proper functioning in innate and adaptive responses. Immunological molecules such as cytokines in turn regulate the transcription and activity of SERT. Dysregulation of serotonergic system could trigger signalling cascades that affect normal neural-immune interactions culminating in neurodevelopmental and neural connectivity defects precipitating behavioural abnormalities, or the disease phenotypes. Therefore, we suggest that a better understanding of the cross talk between serotonergic genes, immune systems and serotonergic neurotransmission will open wider avenues to develop pharmacological leads for addressing the core ASD behavioural deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Jaiswal
- Manovikas Biomedical Research and Diagnostic Centre, Manovikas Kendra, 482 Madudah, Plot I-24, Sector-J, EM Bypass, Kolkata 700 107, India
| | - Kochupurackal P Mohanakumar
- Division of Cell Biology & Physiology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032, India
| | - Usha Rajamma
- Manovikas Biomedical Research and Diagnostic Centre, Manovikas Kendra, 482 Madudah, Plot I-24, Sector-J, EM Bypass, Kolkata 700 107, India.
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Reduced isolation-induced pup ultrasonic communication in mouse pups lacking brain serotonin. Mol Autism 2015; 6:13. [PMID: 25901271 PMCID: PMC4404606 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-015-0003-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a key modulatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) that plays an important role as a developmental signal. Several lines of evidence associate altered 5-HT signaling with psychopathology in humans, particularly neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). ASD are characterized by persistent social and communication deficits along with stereotyped and repetitive patterns of behavior, with all symptoms emerging early during development. Methods Here, we employed a mouse model devoid of brain 5-HT due to the lack of the gene encoding tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2), the initial and rate-limiting enzyme of 5-HT synthesis in the CNS. Tph2 null mutant (Tph2-/-) mice show normal prenatal development; however, they display for yet unknown reasons severe growth retardation during the first postnatal weeks. We investigated, therefore, whether Tph2-/- mice display deficits in isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) as pups during early life. Isolation-induced USV are the most commonly studied behavioral measure to assess developmental delays and communication deficits in rodent models for ASD, particularly as they serve an important communicative function in coordinating mother-pup interactions. Results Tph2-/- mouse pups displayed a clear deficit in the emission of isolation-induced USV, as compared to heterozygous and wildtype littermates, exactly during growth retardation onset, including reduced call numbers and deficits in call clustering and temporal organization. Conclusions The ultrasonic communication impairment displayed by Tph2-/- mouse pups is likely to result in a deficient mother-infant interaction, presumably contributing to their growth retardation phenotype, and represents a prominent feature relevant to ASD.
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ROY MADHUMITA, TAPADIA MADHUG, JOSHI SHOBHNA, KOCH BIPLOB. Molecular and genetic basis of depression. J Genet 2015; 93:879-92. [DOI: 10.1007/s12041-014-0449-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Weak association of glyoxalase 1 (GLO1) variants with autism spectrum disorder. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2015; 24:75-82. [PMID: 24671236 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-014-0537-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2013] [Accepted: 03/07/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was recently estimated to 1 in 88 children by the CDC MMWR. In up to 25 % of the cases, the genetic cause can be identified. Past studies identified increased level of advanced glycation end products (AGE) in the brain samples of ASD patients. The methylglyoxal (MG) is one of the main precursors for AGE formation. Humans developed effective mechanism of the MG metabolism involving two enzymes glyoxalase 1 (GLO1) and hydroxyacylglutathione hydrolase (HAGH). Our aim was to analyse genetic variants of GLO1 and HAGH in population of 143 paediatric participants with ASD. We detected 7 genetic variants in GLO1 and 16 variants in HAGH using high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis. A novel association between variant rs1049346 and ASD [OR (allele C)] = 1.5; 95 % CI = 1.1-2.2 and p < 0.05) was identified, and weak association between ASD and variant rs2736654 [OR (allele A)] = 2.2; 95 % CI = 0.99-4.9; p = 0.045) was confirmed. Additionally, a novel genetic variant (GLO1 c.484G > A, p.Ala161Thr) with predicted potentially damaging effect on the activity of the glyoxalase 1 that may contribute to the aetiology of ASD was identified in one participant with ASD. No association between genetic variants of the HAGH gene and ASD was found. Increased level of MG and, consequently, AGEs can induce oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation all of which have been implicated to act in the aetiology of the ASD. Our results indicate potential importance of MG metabolism in ASD. However, these results must be interpreted with caution until a causative relation is demonstrated.
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Gabriele S, Lombardi F, Sacco R, Napolioni V, Altieri L, Tirindelli MC, Gregorj C, Bravaccio C, Rousseau F, Persico AM. The GLO1 C332 (Ala111) allele confers autism vulnerability: family-based genetic association and functional correlates. J Psychiatr Res 2014; 59:108-16. [PMID: 25201284 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2014] [Revised: 07/08/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Glyoxalase I (GLO1) is a homodimeric Zn(2+)-dependent isomerase involved in the detoxification of methylglyoxal and in limiting the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGE). We previously found the rs4746 A332 (Glu111) allele of the GLO1 gene, which encodes for glyoxalase I, associated with "unaffected sibling" status in families with one or more children affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). To identify and characterize this protective allele, we sequenced GLO1 exons and exon-intron junctions, detecting two additional SNPs (rs1049346, rs1130534) in linkage disequilibrium with rs4746. A family-based association study involving 385 simplex and 20 multiplex Italian families yielded a significant association with autism driven only by the rs4746 C332 (Ala111) allele itself (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001 under additive and dominant/recessive models, respectively). Glyoxalase enzymatic activity was significantly reduced both in leukocytes and in post-mortem temporocortical tissue (N = 38 and 13, respectively) of typically developing C332 allele carriers (P < 0.05 and <0.01), with no difference in Glo1 protein levels. Conversely, AGE amounts were significantly higher in the same C332 post-mortem brains (P = 0.001), with a strong negative correlation between glyoxalase activity and AGE levels (τ = -0.588, P < 0.01). Instead, 19 autistic brains show a dysregulation of the glyoxalase-AGE axis (τ = -0.209, P = 0.260), with significant blunting of glyoxalase activity and AGE amounts compared to controls (P < 0.05), and loss of rs4746 genotype effects. In summary, the GLO1 C332 (Ala111) allele confers autism vulnerability by reducing brain glyoxalase activity and enhancing AGE formation, but years after an autism diagnosis the glyoxalase-AGE axis appears profoundly disrupted, with loss of C332 allelic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Gabriele
- Unit of Child and Adolescent NeuroPsychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University "Campus Bio-Medico", Rome, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, I.R.C.C.S. "Fondazione Santa Lucia", Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Lombardi
- Unit of Child and Adolescent NeuroPsychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University "Campus Bio-Medico", Rome, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, I.R.C.C.S. "Fondazione Santa Lucia", Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Sacco
- Unit of Child and Adolescent NeuroPsychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University "Campus Bio-Medico", Rome, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, I.R.C.C.S. "Fondazione Santa Lucia", Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Napolioni
- Unit of Child and Adolescent NeuroPsychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University "Campus Bio-Medico", Rome, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, I.R.C.C.S. "Fondazione Santa Lucia", Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Altieri
- Unit of Child and Adolescent NeuroPsychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University "Campus Bio-Medico", Rome, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, I.R.C.C.S. "Fondazione Santa Lucia", Rome, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Gregorj
- Hematology Transfusion Medicine, University "Campus Bio-Medico", Rome, Italy
| | - Carmela Bravaccio
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | | | - Antonio M Persico
- Unit of Child and Adolescent NeuroPsychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University "Campus Bio-Medico", Rome, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, I.R.C.C.S. "Fondazione Santa Lucia", Rome, Italy; Mafalda Luce Center for Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Milan, Italy.
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Contribution of Oxidative Stress to the Pathophysiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Impact of Genetic and Environmental Factors. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0440-2_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
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Abstract
We have identified idiopathic carbonyl stress in a subpopulation of schizophrenic patients. We first identified a patient with a mutation in GLO1 (glyoxalase I) who showed increased AGE (advanced glycation end-product) levels and decreased vitamin B6 levels. By applying the observations from this rare case to the general schizophrenic population, we were able to identify a subset of patients (20%) for whom carbonyl stress may represent a causative pathophysiological process. Genetic defects in GLO1 increase the risk of carbonyl stress 5-fold, and the resulting increased AGE levels correlate significantly with PANSS (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) scored negative symptoms. Pyridoxamine, an active form of vitamin B6 and scavenger for carbonyl stress, could represent a novel and efficacious therapeutic agent for these treatment-resistant symptoms. In the present article, we describe a unique research approach to identify the causative process in the pathophysiology of a subset of schizophrenia. Our findings could form the basis of a schizophrenia subtype classification within this very heterogeneous disease and ultimately lead to better targeted therapy.
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Carayol J, Schellenberg GD, Dombroski B, Amiet C, Génin B, Fontaine K, Rousseau F, Vazart C, Cohen D, Frazier TW, Hardan AY, Dawson G, Rio Frio T. A scoring strategy combining statistics and functional genomics supports a possible role for common polygenic variation in autism. Front Genet 2014; 5:33. [PMID: 24600472 PMCID: PMC3927086 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Accepted: 01/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are highly heritable complex neurodevelopmental disorders with a 4:1 male: female ratio. Common genetic variation could explain 40-60% of the variance in liability to autism. Because of their small effect, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have only identified a small number of individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). To increase the power of GWASs in complex disorders, methods like convergent functional genomics (CFG) have emerged to extract true association signals from noise and to identify and prioritize genes from SNPs using a scoring strategy combining statistics and functional genomics. We adapted and applied this approach to analyze data from a GWAS performed on families with multiple children affected with autism from Autism Speaks Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE). We identified a set of 133 candidate markers that were localized in or close to genes with functional relevance in ASD from a discovery population (545 multiplex families); a gender specific genetic score (GS) based on these common variants explained 1% (P = 0.01 in males) and 5% (P = 8.7 × 10(-7) in females) of genetic variance in an independent sample of multiplex families. Overall, our work demonstrates that prioritization of GWAS data based on functional genomics identified common variants associated with autism and provided additional support for a common polygenic background in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerard D. Schellenberg
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA, USA
| | - Beth Dombroski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - David Cohen
- Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, AP-HP, Université Pierre et Marie CurieParis, France
| | - Thomas W. Frazier
- Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health and Center for Autism, Cleveland ClinicCleveland, OH, USA
| | - Antonio Y. Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford UniversityStanford, CA, USA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical CenterDurham, NC, USA
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Singh AS, Chandra R, Guhathakurta S, Sinha S, Chatterjee A, Ahmed S, Ghosh S, Rajamma U. Genetic association and gene-gene interaction analyses suggest likely involvement of ITGB3 and TPH2 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Indian population. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2013; 45:131-43. [PMID: 23628433 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2013] [Revised: 04/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Serotoninergic dysfunction leads to neurodevelopmental abnormalities and behavioral impairments. Platelet hyperserotoninemia is reported as the best identified endophenotype for autism spectrum disorders. Therefore, in the present study we investigate the association of TPH2, the rate limiting enzyme in 5-HT biosynthesis and ITGB3, a serotonin quantitative trait locus with ASD in the Indian population. METHODS Population and family-based genetic association and gene-gene interaction analyses were performed to evaluate the role of ITGB3 and TPH2 markers in ASD etiology. RESULTS Association tests using ITGB3 markers revealed significant paternal overtransmission of T allele of rs5918 to male probands. Interestingly for TPH2, we observed significant overrepresentation of A-A (rs11179000-rs4290270), G-A (rs4570625-rs4290270), G-G-A (rs4570625-rs11179001-rs4290270) and A-G-A (rs11179000-rs11179001-rs4290270) haplotypes in the controls and maternal preferential transmission of A-A (rs11179001-rs7305115), T-A-A (rs4570625-rs11179001-rs7305115) and T-A-A (rs11179000-rs11179001-rs7305115) and nontransmission of G-G-A (rs4570625-rs11179001-rs7305115) haplotypes to the affected offspring. Moreover, interaction of ITGB3 marker, rs15908 with TPH2 markers was found to be significant and influenced by the sex of the probands. Predicted individual risk, which varied from very mild to moderate, supports combined effect of these markers in ASD. CONCLUSION Overall results of the present study indicate likely involvement of ITGB3 and TPH2 in the pathophysiology of ASD in the Indian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asem Surindro Singh
- Manovikas Biomedical Research & Diagnostic Centre, Manovikas Kendra, 482 Madudah, Plot I-24, Sector J, EM bypass, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
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Veyrunes F, Perez J, Paintsil S, Fichet-Calvet E, Britton-Davidian J. Insights into the Evolutionary History of the X-Linked Sex Reversal Mutation in Mus minutoides: Clues from Sequence Analyses of the Y-Linked Sry Gene. Sex Dev 2013; 7:244-52. [DOI: 10.1159/000351223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Distler MG, Palmer AA. Role of Glyoxalase 1 (Glo1) and methylglyoxal (MG) in behavior: recent advances and mechanistic insights. Front Genet 2012. [PMID: 23181072 PMCID: PMC3500958 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2012.00250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Glyoxalase 1 (GLO1) is a ubiquitous cellular enzyme that participates in the detoxification of methylglyoxal (MG), a cytotoxic byproduct of glycolysis that induces protein modification (advanced glycation end-products, AGEs), oxidative stress, and apoptosis. The concentration of MG is elevated under high-glucose conditions, such as diabetes. As such, GLO1 and MG have been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Recently, findings have linked GLO1 to numerous behavioral phenotypes, including psychiatric diseases (anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and autism) and pain. This review highlights GLO1's association with behavioral phenotypes, describes recent discoveries that have elucidated the underlying mechanisms, and identifies opportunities for future research.
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Kane MJ, Angoa-Peréz M, Briggs DI, Sykes CE, Francescutti DM, Rosenberg DR, Kuhn DM. Mice genetically depleted of brain serotonin display social impairments, communication deficits and repetitive behaviors: possible relevance to autism. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48975. [PMID: 23139830 PMCID: PMC3490915 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired reciprocal social interaction, communication deficits and repetitive behaviors. A very large number of genes have been linked to autism, many of which encode proteins involved in the development and function of synaptic circuitry. However, the manner in which these mutated genes might participate, either individually or together, to cause autism is not understood. One factor known to exert extremely broad influence on brain development and network formation, and which has been linked to autism, is the neurotransmitter serotonin. Unfortunately, very little is known about how alterations in serotonin neuronal function might contribute to autism. To test the hypothesis that serotonin dysfunction can contribute to the core symptoms of autism, we analyzed mice lacking brain serotonin (via a null mutation in the gene for tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2)) for behaviors that are relevant to this disorder. Mice lacking brain serotonin (TPH2-/-) showed substantial deficits in numerous validated tests of social interaction and communication. These mice also display highly repetitive and compulsive behaviors. Newborn TPH2-/- mutant mice show delays in the expression of key developmental milestones and their diminished preference for maternal scents over the scent of an unrelated female is a forerunner of more severe socialization deficits that emerge in weanlings and persist into adulthood. Taken together, these results indicate that a hypo-serotonin condition can lead to behavioral traits that are highly characteristic of autism. Our findings should stimulate new studies that focus on determining how brain hyposerotonemia during critical neurodevelopmental periods can alter the maturation of synaptic circuits known to be mis-wired in autism and how prevention of such deficits might prevent this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Kane
- Research and Development Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Mariana Angoa-Peréz
- Research and Development Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Denise I. Briggs
- Research and Development Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Catherine E. Sykes
- Research and Development Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Dina M. Francescutti
- Research and Development Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
| | - David R. Rosenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Donald M. Kuhn
- Research and Development Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
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Dimasi DP, Burdon KP, Hewitt AW, Fitzgerald J, Wang JJ, Healey PR, Mitchell P, Mackey DA, Craig JE. Genetic investigation into the endophenotypic status of central corneal thickness and optic disc parameters in relation to open-angle glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol 2012; 154:833-842.e2. [PMID: 22840486 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2012.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2011] [Revised: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 04/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To ascertain if single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in the determination of central corneal thickness, optic disc area, and vertical cup-to-disc ratio (VCDR) also are associated with open-angle glaucoma (OAG). DESIGN Retrospective case-control genetic association study. METHODS A total of 16 SNPs associated with central corneal thickness, optic disc area, and VCDR were genotyped in 876 OAG cases and 883 normal controls. To determine if the SNPs were also correlated with OAG severity, the cohort was stratified into advanced OAG (n = 326) and nonadvanced OAG (n = 550). Both the cases and controls were of European descent and were recruited from within Australia. RESULTS Two VCDR SNPs were found to be significantly associated with OAG after correction for multiple testing. The 2 SNPs were rs10483727, found adjacent to the SIX1 gene (P = 6.2 × 10(-06); odds ratio, 1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.20 to 1.59), and rs1063192, found within the CDKN2B gene (P = 2.2 × 10(-05); odds ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.64 to 0.85). The CDKN2B variant rs1063192 also was found to be associated more strongly with advanced OAG. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this study indicate that variants influencing VCDR are also risk alleles for OAG in our Australian cohort of European descent. The identification of SIX1 and CDKN2B as susceptibility loci will assist in understanding the pathologic mechanisms involved in the development of OAG.
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Landa RJ, Gross AL, Stuart EA, Bauman M. Latent class analysis of early developmental trajectory in baby siblings of children with autism. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2012; 53:986-96. [PMID: 22574686 PMCID: PMC3432306 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2012.02558.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Siblings of children with autism (sibs-A) are at increased genetic risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and milder impairments. To elucidate diversity and contour of early developmental trajectories exhibited by sibs-A, regardless of diagnostic classification, latent class modeling was used. METHODS Sibs-A (N = 204) were assessed with the Mullen Scales of Early Learning from age 6 to 36 months. Mullen T scores served as dependent variables. Outcome classifications at age 36 months included: ASD (N = 52); non-ASD social/communication delay (broader autism phenotype; BAP; N = 31); and unaffected (N = 121). Child-specific patterns of performance were studied using latent class growth analysis. Latent class membership was then related to diagnostic outcome through estimation of within-class proportions of children assigned to each diagnostic classification. RESULTS A 4-class model was favored. Class 1 represented accelerated development and consisted of 25.7% of the sample, primarily unaffected children. Class 2 (40.0% of the sample), was characterized by normative development with above-average nonverbal cognitive outcome. Class 3 (22.3% of the sample) was characterized by receptive language, and gross and fine motor delay. Class 4 (12.0% of the sample), was characterized by widespread delayed skill acquisition, reflected by declining trajectories. Children with an outcome diagnosis of ASD were spread across Classes 2, 3, and 4. CONCLUSIONS Results support a category of ASD that involves slowing in early non-social development. Receptive language and motor development is vulnerable to early delay in sibs-A with and without ASD outcomes. Non-ASD sibs-A are largely distributed across classes depicting average or accelerated development. Developmental trajectories of motor, language, and cognition appear independent of communication and social delays in non-ASD sibs-A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Landa
- Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
| | - Alden L. Gross
- Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Elizabeth A. Stuart
- Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Margaret Bauman
- Lurie Center/LADDERS, Mass General Hospital for Children, Neurology, Harvard Medical School
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Yang SY, Yoo HJ, Cho IH, Park M, Kim SA. Association with tryptophan hydroxylase 2 gene polymorphisms and autism spectrum disorders in Korean families. Neurosci Res 2012; 73:333-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2012.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2012] [Revised: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Li X, Zou H, Brown WT. Genes associated with autism spectrum disorder. Brain Res Bull 2012; 88:543-52. [PMID: 22688012 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2012.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2012] [Accepted: 05/31/2012] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous grouping of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairment in social interaction, verbal communication and repetitive/stereotypic behaviors. Much evidence suggests that ASD is multifactorial with a strong genetic basis, but the underlying mechanisms are far from clear. Recent advances in genetic technologies are beginning to shed light on possible etiologies of ASD. This review discusses current evidence for several widely studied candidate ASD genes, as well as various rare genes that supports their relationship to the etiology of ASD. The majority of the data are based on molecular, cytogenetic, linkage and association studies of autistic subjects, but newer methods, including whole-exome sequencing, are also beginning to make significant contributions to our understanding of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohong Li
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, NY 10314, United States.
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Egawa J, Watanabe Y, Nunokawa A, Endo T, Kaneko N, Tamura R, Sugiyama T, Someya T. A detailed association analysis between the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) gene and autism spectrum disorders in a Japanese population. Psychiatry Res 2012; 196:320-2. [PMID: 22361444 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2011.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2011] [Revised: 08/11/2011] [Accepted: 09/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We conducted a detailed association analysis between the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 gene and autism spectrum disorders in a Japanese population using 19 markers, including tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms and a novel missense variation, p.R225Q, identified through exon resequencing. However, we failed to obtain supportive evidence for an association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Egawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
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Dykens EM, Roof E, Bittel D, Butler MG. TPH2 G/T polymorphism is associated with hyperphagia, IQ, and internalizing problems in Prader-Willi syndrome. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2011; 52:580-7. [PMID: 21418060 PMCID: PMC3353323 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02365.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic, neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disabilities, growth hormone dysregulation, hyperphagia, increased risks of morbid obesity, compulsive behaviors, and irritability. As aberrant serotonergic functioning is strongly implicated in PWS, we examined associations between the PWS phenotype and polymorphisms in tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of serotonin in the brain. METHODS Ninety-two individuals with PWS aged 4 to 50 years (M = 21.97) were genotyped for the TPH2 G703-T polymorphism. IQ testing was conducted in offspring, and parents completed questionnaires that tapped their child's compulsivity, hyperphagia, and other behavior problems. RESULTS As expected, the frequency of G/T or T/T polymorphisms in participants with PWS (39%) was similar to rates found in the general population (38%). Compared to those with a homozygous (G/G) genotype, individuals with a T allele had significantly higher hyperphagic behavior, drive, and severity scores, and they also had a younger age of onset of hyperphagia. Those with a T allele also had higher IQ scores than their counterparts. Females with a T allele had significantly higher internalizing symptoms, primarily anxiety and depression, than all others. CONCLUSIONS TPH2 G/T polymorphisms, and presumed loss of enzyme function, were associated with specific aspects of the PWS phenotype. Aberrant serotonergic functioning is strongly implicated in hyperphagia in PWS, and females with TPH2 T alleles may be at higher risk for affective or mood disorders. Findings hold promise for examining other serotonin-altering genes in PWS, and for future serotonin-altering treatment trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth M. Dykens
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Departments of Psychology and Human Development, Psychiatry, and Pediatrics Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Elizabeth Roof
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Departments of Psychology and Human Development, Psychiatry, and Pediatrics Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Douglas Bittel
- Children’s Mercy Hospital and University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Kansas City, MO
| | - Merlin G. Butler
- Kansas University Medical Center, Departments of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics, Kansas City, KS
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Barua M, Jenkins EC, Chen W, Kuizon S, Pullarkat RK, Junaid MA. Glyoxalase I polymorphism rs2736654 causing the Ala111Glu substitution modulates enzyme activity--implications for autism. Autism Res 2011; 4:262-70. [PMID: 21491613 DOI: 10.1002/aur.197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2009] [Accepted: 03/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a pervasive, heterogeneous, neurodevelopmental disability characterized by impairments in verbal communications, reciprocal social interactions, and restricted repetitive stereotyped behaviors. Evidence suggests the involvement of multiple genetic factors in the etiology of autism, and extensive genome-wide association studies have revealed several candidate genes that bear single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in non-coding and coding regions. We have shown that a non-conservative, non-synonymous SNP in the glyoxalase I gene, GLOI, may be an autism susceptibility factor. The GLOI rs2736654 SNP is a C→A change that causes an Ala111Glu change in the Glo1 enzyme. To identify the significance of the SNP, we have conducted functional assays for Glo1. We now present evidence that the presence of the A-allele at rs2736654 results in reduced enzyme activity. Glo1 activity is decreased in lymphoblastoid cells that are homozygous for the A allele. The Glu-isoform of Glo1 in these cells is hyperphosphorylated. Direct HPLC measurements of the glyoxalase I substrate, methylglyoxal (MG), show an increase in MG in these cells. Western blot analysis revealed elevated levels of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGEs). We also show that MG is toxic to the developing neuronal cells. We suggest that accumulation of MG results in the formation of AGEs, which induce expression of the RAGE that during crucial neuronal development may be a factor in the pathology of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhabi Barua
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, NY 10314, USA
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Gaita L, Manzi B, Sacco R, Lintas C, Altieri L, Lombardi F, Pawlowski TL, Redman M, Craig DW, Huentelman MJ, Ober-Reynolds S, Brautigam S, Melmed R, Smith CJ, Marsillach J, Camps J, Curatolo P, Persico AM. Decreased serum arylesterase activity in autism spectrum disorders. Psychiatry Res 2010; 180:105-13. [PMID: 20488557 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2010.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2009] [Revised: 02/16/2010] [Accepted: 04/08/2010] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The PON1 gene, previously found associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), encodes a serum protein responsible for the detoxification of organophosphates (OPs) and able to exert several enzymatic activities. PON1 arylesterase, but not diazoxonase activity, was significantly decreased in 174 ASD patients compared to 175 first-degree relatives and 144 controls (P=2.65×10⁻¹⁶). First degree relatives displayed intermediate activities, closer to patient than to control levels. Differences between patients, first-degree relatives and controls were especially evident among 164 Italians compared to 329 Caucasian-Americans, because arylesterase activity was significantly higher in Italian controls, compared to Caucasian-American controls (P=2.84×10⁻¹⁶). Arylesterase activity and PON protein concentrations were not significantly correlated, supporting a functional inhibition of arylesterase activity in ASD patients over quantitative changes in protein amounts. Serum arylesterase activity, in combination with PON1 genotypes at two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) known to influence protein amounts (rs705379: C-108T) and substrate specificity (rs662: Q192R), was able to discriminate ASD patients from controls with elevated sensitivity and specificity, depending on genotype and ethnic group. Serum arylesterase activity and genotyping at these two SNPs could thus represent an informative biochemical/genetic test, able to aid clinicians in estimating autism risk in ethnic groups with higher baseline arylesterase activity levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gaita
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy
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Glutamate transporter gene (SLC1A1) single nucleotide polymorphism (rs301430) and repetitive behaviors and anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2010; 40:1139-45. [PMID: 20155310 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-010-0961-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Investigated association of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs301430 in glutamate transporter gene (SLC1A1) with severity of repetitive behaviors (obsessive-compulsive behaviors, tics) and anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mothers and/or teachers completed a validated DSM-IV-referenced rating scale for 67 children with autism spectrum disorder. Although analyses were not significant for repetitive behaviors, youths homozygous for the high expressing C allele had more severe anxiety than carriers of the T allele. Allelic variation in SLC1A1 may be a biomarker for or modifier of anxiety symptom severity in children with ASD, but study findings are best conceptualized as tentative pending replication with larger independent samples.
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Zafeiriou DI, Ververi A, Vargiami E. The serotonergic system: its role in pathogenesis and early developmental treatment of autism. Curr Neuropharmacol 2010; 7:150-7. [PMID: 19949574 PMCID: PMC2730007 DOI: 10.2174/157015909788848848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2008] [Revised: 01/15/2009] [Accepted: 03/27/2009] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is a severe childhood disorder already presenting in the first 3 years of life and, therefore, strongly correlated with neurodevelopmental alterations in prenatal, as well as postnatal period. Neurotransmitters hold a pivotal role in development by providing the stimulation needed for synapses and neuronal networks to be formed during the critical period of neuroplasticity. Aberrations of the serotonergic system modify key processes in the developing brain and are strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of developmental disorders. Evidence for the role of serotonin in autism emerges from neuropathological, imaging and genetic studies. Due to its developmental arrest, autism requires early intervention that would, among others, target the disrupted serotonergic system and utilize brain plasticity to elicit clinically important brain changes in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- D I Zafeiriou
- 1st Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
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Altered calcium homeostasis in autism-spectrum disorders: evidence from biochemical and genetic studies of the mitochondrial aspartate/glutamate carrier AGC1. Mol Psychiatry 2010; 15:38-52. [PMID: 18607376 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2008.63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a severe developmental disorder, whose pathogenetic underpinnings are still largely unknown. Temporocortical gray matter from six matched patient-control pairs was used to perform post-mortem biochemical and genetic studies of the mitochondrial aspartate/glutamate carrier (AGC), which participates in the aspartate/malate reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide shuttle and is physiologically activated by calcium (Ca(2+)). AGC transport rates were significantly higher in tissue homogenates from all six patients, including those with no history of seizures and with normal electroencephalograms prior to death. This increase was consistently blunted by the Ca(2+) chelator ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid; neocortical Ca(2+) levels were significantly higher in all six patients; no difference in AGC transport rates was found in isolated mitochondria from patients and controls following removal of the Ca(2+)-containing postmitochondrial supernatant. Expression of AGC1, the predominant AGC isoform in brain, and cytochrome c oxidase activity were both increased in autistic patients, indicating an activation of mitochondrial metabolism. Furthermore, oxidized mitochondrial proteins were markedly increased in four of the six patients. Variants of the AGC1-encoding SLC25A12 gene were neither correlated with AGC activation nor associated with autism-spectrum disorders in 309 simplex and 17 multiplex families, whereas some unaffected siblings may carry a protective gene variant. Therefore, excessive Ca(2+) levels are responsible for boosting AGC activity, mitochondrial metabolism and, to a more variable degree, oxidative stress in autistic brains. AGC and altered Ca(2+) homeostasis play a key interactive role in the cascade of signaling events leading to autism: their modulation could provide new preventive and therapeutic strategies.
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Jacob S, Landeros-Weisenberger A, Leckman JF. Autism spectrum and obsessive-compulsive disorders: OC behaviors, phenotypes and genetics. Autism Res 2009; 2:293-311. [PMID: 20029829 PMCID: PMC3974607 DOI: 10.1002/aur.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a phenotypically and etiologically heterogeneous set of disorders that include obsessive-compulsive behaviors (OCB) that partially overlap with symptoms associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The OCB seen in ASD vary depending on the individual's mental and chronological age as well as the etiology of their ASD. Although progress has been made in the measurement of the OCB associated with ASD, more work is needed including the potential identification of heritable endophenotypes. Likewise, important progress toward the understanding of genetic influences in ASD has been made by greater refinement of relevant phenotypes using a broad range of study designs, including twin and family-genetic studies, parametric and nonparametric linkage analyses, as well as candidate gene studies and the study of rare genetic variants. These genetic analyses could lead to the refinement of the OCB phenotypes as larger samples are studied and specific associations are replicated. Like ASD, OCB are likely to prove to be multidimensional and polygenic. Some of the vulnerability genes may prove to be generalist genes influencing the phenotypic expression of both ASD and OCD while others will be specific to subcomponents of the ASD phenotype. In order to discover molecular and genetic mechanisms, collaborative approaches need to generate shared samples, resources, novel genomic technologies, as well as more refined phenotypes and innovative statistical approaches. There is a growing need to identify the range of molecular pathways involved in OCB related to ASD in order to develop novel treatment interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suma Jacob
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois School, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA.
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35
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Functional gene variants of the serotonin-synthesizing enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase 2 in migraine. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2009; 116:815-9. [PMID: 19434366 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-009-0236-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2009] [Accepted: 04/22/2009] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of migraine. Tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of 5-HT in the brain and is therefore a major factor in the availability of 5-HT and its rate of production. We hypothesized that functional TPH2 gene variants are associated with migraine. In a case-control study approach, two proven functional and two putatively functional variants of the TPH2 gene were investigated in 266 migraine patients and 153 controls. Genotype, allele, and haplotype frequencies did not differ between healthy subjects and migraineurs. A subgroup analysis for the occurrence of aura or clinical characteristics, including the number of attacks, did not reveal a positive association for the investigated polymorphisms. Our data argue against a major influence of the TPH2 gene promoter region in migraine.
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Williams R, Lim JE, Harr B, Wing C, Walters R, Distler MG, Teschke M, Wu C, Wiltshire T, Su AI, Sokoloff G, Tarantino LM, Borevitz JO, Palmer AA. A common and unstable copy number variant is associated with differences in Glo1 expression and anxiety-like behavior. PLoS One 2009; 4:e4649. [PMID: 19266052 PMCID: PMC2650792 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2008] [Accepted: 01/05/2009] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Glyoxalase 1 (Glo1) has been implicated in anxiety-like behavior in mice and in multiple psychiatric diseases in humans. We used mouse Affymetrix exon arrays to detect copy number variants (CNV) among inbred mouse strains and thereby identified a ∼475 kb tandem duplication on chromosome 17 that includes Glo1 (30,174,390–30,651,226 Mb; mouse genome build 36). We developed a PCR-based strategy and used it to detect this duplication in 23 of 71 inbred strains tested, and in various outbred and wild-caught mice. Presence of the duplication is associated with a cis-acting expression QTL for Glo1 (LOD>30) in BXD recombinant inbred strains. However, evidence for an eQTL for Glo1 was not obtained when we analyzed single SNPs or 3-SNP haplotypes in a panel of 27 inbred strains. We conclude that association analysis in the inbred strain panel failed to detect an eQTL because the duplication was present on multiple highly divergent haplotypes. Furthermore, we suggest that non-allelic homologous recombination has led to multiple reversions to the non-duplicated state among inbred strains. We show associations between multiple duplication-containing haplotypes, Glo1 expression and anxiety-like behavior in both inbred strain panels and outbred CD-1 mice. Our findings provide a molecular basis for differential expression of Glo1 and further implicate Glo1 in anxiety-like behavior. More broadly, these results identify problems with commonly employed tests for association in inbred strains when CNVs are present. Finally, these data provide an example of biologically significant phenotypic variability in model organisms that can be attributed to CNVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Williams
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jackie E. Lim
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Bettina Harr
- Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Ploen, Germany
| | - Claudia Wing
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Ryan Walters
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Margaret G. Distler
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Meike Teschke
- Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Ploen, Germany
| | - Chunlei Wu
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Tim Wiltshire
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Andrew I. Su
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Greta Sokoloff
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Lisa M. Tarantino
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Justin O. Borevitz
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Abraham A. Palmer
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Hipkiss AR. Carnosine and its possible roles in nutrition and health. ADVANCES IN FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH 2009; 57:87-154. [PMID: 19595386 DOI: 10.1016/s1043-4526(09)57003-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The dipeptide carnosine has been observed to exert antiaging activity at cellular and whole animal levels. This review discusses the possible mechanisms by which carnosine may exert antiaging action and considers whether the dipeptide could be beneficial to humans. Carnosine's possible biological activities include scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), chelator of zinc and copper ions, and antiglycating and anticross-linking activities. Carnosine's ability to react with deleterious aldehydes such as malondialdehyde, methylglyoxal, hydroxynonenal, and acetaldehyde may also contribute to its protective functions. Physiologically carnosine may help to suppress some secondary complications of diabetes, and the deleterious consequences of ischemic-reperfusion injury, most likely due to antioxidation and carbonyl-scavenging functions. Other, and much more speculative, possible functions of carnosine considered include transglutaminase inhibition, stimulation of proteolysis mediated via effects on proteasome activity or induction of protease and stress-protein gene expression, upregulation of corticosteroid synthesis, stimulation of protein repair, and effects on ADP-ribose metabolism associated with sirtuin and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) activities. Evidence for carnosine's possible protective action against secondary diabetic complications, neurodegeneration, cancer, and other age-related pathologies is briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan R Hipkiss
- School of Clinicial and Experimental Medicine, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, The Univeristy of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
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Wu YY, Chien WH, Huang YS, Gau SSF, Chen CH. Lack of evidence to support the glyoxalase 1 gene (GLO1) as a risk gene of autism in Han Chinese patients from Taiwan. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2008; 32:1740-4. [PMID: 18721844 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2008.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2007] [Revised: 07/28/2008] [Accepted: 07/28/2008] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Previous studies have revealed inconsistent findings regarding the association between the glyoxalase 1 protein (GLO1) gene and autism. This study aimed to replicate the genetic association of the C419A of the GLO1 gene with autism and to perform mutation screening of all the exons of the GLO1 gene in a sample of Han Chinese patients with autism from Taiwan. METHODS The sample included 272 patients with autism and 310 healthy controls. All the exons and the promoter region of the GLO1 gene were PCR-amplified and sequenced for mutation screening and genotyping. RESULTS We did not find significant differences of allelic and genotypic frequency distributions of C419A between the autism and control groups. Moreover, we did not identify any other mutations in the exon regions associated with autism in this sample. We discovered two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the 5' untranslated region of the GLO1 gene, designated g.-264T/G and g.-7T/C; however, these two SNPs were not associated with autism in this sample. Further analysis of halplotypes constructed from these 3 SNPs (g.-264T/G, g.-7T/C, and C419A) found no haplotype associated with autism. Our sample size has the power of 0.57 and 0.94 to detect a small effect (0.1) in the genotype and allele frequency distributions at the alpha level of 0.05, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the GLO1 gene is unlikely a major susceptible gene for autism in an ethnic Chinese population from Taiwan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Yu Wu
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Chang-Gung Children's Hospital, Kewi-Shan, Taiwan
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Gacek P, Conner TS, Tennen H, Kranzler HR, Covault J. Tryptophan hydroxylase 2 gene and alcohol use among college students. Addict Biol 2008; 13:440-8. [PMID: 18782386 DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-1600.2008.00118.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Genes that regulate serotonin activity are regarded as promising predictors of heavy alcohol use. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH2) plays an important role in serotonergic neurotransmission by serving as the rate-limiting enzyme for serotonin biosynthesis in the midbrain and serotonergic neurons. Despite the link between TPH2 and serotonergic function, TPH2's role in the pathogenesis of alcohol-use disorders remains unclear. The goal of this study was to examine whether a variation in the TPH2 gene is associated with risky alcohol consumption. Specifically, this study examined whether the TPH2 G-703T polymorphism predicted alcohol consumption among college students. In two successive years, 351 undergraduates were asked to record their alcohol use each day for 30 days using an Internet-based electronic diary. Participants' DNA was collected and polymerase chain reaction genotyping was performed. Results show that alcohol consumption was not associated with the TPH2 G-703T polymorphism alone, or the interaction of TPH2 with two other candidate polymorphisms (TPH1 C218A and the SLC6A4 tri-allelic 5-HTTLPR), or negative life events. In conclusion, this study supports recent null findings relating TPH2 to drinking outcomes. It also extends these findings by showing null interactions with the TPH1 C218A polymorphism, the SLC6A4 tri-allelic 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and environmental stressors in predicting sub-clinical alcohol use among Caucasian American young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Gacek
- Public Health Program, Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030-6325, USA
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40
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Gorlov IP, Gorlova OY, Amos CI. Relative effects of mutability and selection on single nucleotide polymorphisms in transcribed regions of the human genome. BMC Genomics 2008; 9:292. [PMID: 18559102 PMCID: PMC2442617 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-9-292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2008] [Accepted: 06/17/2008] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most common type of genetic variation in humans. However, the factors that affect SNP density are poorly understood. The goal of this study was to estimate the relative effects of mutability and selection on SNP density in transcribed regions of human genes. It is important for prediction of the regions that harbor functional polymorphisms. RESULTS We used frequency-validated SNPs resulting from single-nucleotide substitutions. SNPs were subdivided into five functional categories: (i) 5' untranslated region (UTR) SNPs, (ii) 3' UTR SNPs, (iii) synonymous SNPs, (iv) SNPs producing conservative missense mutations, and (v) SNPs producing radical missense mutations. Each of these categories was further subdivided into nine mutational categories on the basis of the single-nucleotide substitution type. Thus, 45 functional/mutational categories were analyzed. The relative mutation rate in each mutational category was estimated on the basis of published data. The proportion of segregating sites (PSSs) for each functional/mutational category was estimated by dividing the observed number of SNPs by the number of potential sites in the genome for a given functional/mutational category. By analyzing each functional group separately, we found significant positive correlations between PSSs and relative mutation rates (Spearman's correlation coefficient, at least r = 0.96, df = 9, P < 0.001). We adjusted the PSSs for the mutation rate and found that the functional category had a significant effect on SNP density (F = 5.9, df = 4, P = 0.001), suggesting that selection affects SNP density in transcribed regions of the genome. We used analyses of variance and covariance to estimate the relative effects of selection (functional category) and mutability (relative mutation rate) on the PSSs and found that approximately 87% of variation in PSS was due to variation in the mutation rate and approximately 13% was due to selection, suggesting that the probability that a site located in a transcribed region of a gene is polymorphic mostly depends on the mutability of the site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan P Gorlov
- Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
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Genome-wide survey of allele-specific splicing in humans. BMC Genomics 2008; 9:265. [PMID: 18518984 PMCID: PMC2427040 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-9-265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2008] [Accepted: 06/02/2008] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Accurate mRNA splicing depends on multiple regulatory signals encoded in the transcribed RNA sequence. Many examples of mutations within human splice regulatory regions that alter splicing qualitatively or quantitatively have been reported and allelic differences in mRNA splicing are likely to be a common and important source of phenotypic diversity at the molecular level, in addition to their contribution to genetic disease susceptibility. However, because the effect of a mutation on the efficiency of mRNA splicing is often difficult to predict, many mutations that cause disease through an effect on splicing are likely to remain undiscovered. Results We have combined a genome-wide scan for sequence polymorphisms likely to affect mRNA splicing with analysis of publicly available Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) and exon array data. The genome-wide scan uses published tools and identified 30,977 SNPs located within donor and acceptor splice sites, branch points and exonic splicing enhancer elements. For 1,185 candidate splicing polymorphisms the difference in splicing between alternative alleles was corroborated by publicly available exon array data from 166 lymphoblastoid cell lines. We developed a novel probabilistic method to infer allele-specific splicing from EST data. The method uses SNPs and alternative mRNA isoforms mapped to EST sequences and models both regulated alternative splicing as well as allele-specific splicing. We have also estimated heritability of splicing and report that a greater proportion of genes show evidence of splicing heritability than show heritability of overall gene expression level. Our results provide an extensive resource that can be used to assess the possible effect on splicing of human polymorphisms in putative splice-regulatory sites. Conclusion We report a set of genes showing evidence of allele-specific splicing from an integrated analysis of genomic polymorphisms, EST data and exon array data, including several examples for which there is experimental evidence of polymorphisms affecting splicing in the literature. We also present a set of novel allele-specific splicing candidates and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of alternative technologies for inferring the effect of sequence variants on mRNA splicing.
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Hegde KR, Varma SD. Prevention of oxidative stress to the retina by pyruvate. A preliminary report. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 222:194-8. [PMID: 18497529 DOI: 10.1159/000126083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2007] [Accepted: 08/23/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
AIM Oxidative stress is considered to be a significant risk factor in the pathogenesis of many eye diseases associated with aging. The purpose of this study was to investigate the susceptibility of retinal tissue to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced damage, and to examine if this can be prevented by compounds having the ability to scavenge ROS as well as support the tissue bioenergetically via normal as well as anaplerotic metabolic pathways. METHODS Experiments were conducted on retinas isolated from CD-1 mice. The isolated retinas were incubated in Medium 199, generating ROS by the action of xanthine oxidase and uricase on xanthine. Parallel experiments were conducted in the presence of pyruvate (10 mM). The extent of oxidative damage to the tissue was assessed by determining the levels of glutathione. Malonaldehyde was used as an index of the peroxidative degradation of lipids. RESULTS Exposure of the tissue to ROS resulted in a significant decrease in its glutathione content. There was a simultaneous increase in the level of malonaldehyde. These effects were substantially attenuated by pyruvate. CONCLUSIONS While ROS has been previously implicated in the genesis of many aging diseases of the retina, methods to prevent or treat them are currently in their infancy. The present investigations suggest that this can be accomplished by the use of certain compounds of endogenous origin, such as pyruvate, which have the dual properties of acting as ROS scavengers while also acting as metabolic agonists. By virtue of its oxyradical scavenging property, it is expected to inhibit the oxidative degradation of polyunsaturated fatty acids required to maintain the structural and functional integrity of the tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavita R Hegde
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md. 21201, USA
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Rehnström K, Ylisaukko-Oja T, Vanhala R, von Wendt L, Peltonen L, Hovatta I. No association between common variants in glyoxalase 1 and autism spectrum disorders. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2008; 147B:124-7. [PMID: 17722011 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.30582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex diseases with a strong genetic component. Numerous candidate gene studies have tested association between various functional and positional candidate genes and autism, but no common variation predisposing for autism has been identified to date. It has been previously proposed, that glyoxalase 1 (GLO1) might be involved in the pathogenesis of autism as GLO1 protein polarity was significantly changed in the brains of autism patients compared to controls. GLO1 harbors a functional polymorphism that affects the polarity and the enzymatic activity of the protein. In the same study, this polymorphism showed a suggestive association to autism. To investigate whether common variants in GLO1 predispose to autism in the Finnish population, we have genotyped six polymorphisms in GLO1 in families with more than 230 individuals affected with ASDs and carried out both linkage and association analyses. We did not observe significant linkage or association between any SNP and ASDs. Therefore, we suggest that common variants in GLO1 are not significant susceptibility factors for ASDs in the Finnish population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karola Rehnström
- Department of Molecular Medicine, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland. karola.
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Abstract
Improving clinical tests are allowing us to more precisely classify autism spectrum disorders and diagnose them at earlier ages. This raises the possibility of earlier and potentially more effective therapeutic interventions. To fully capitalize on this opportunity, however, will require better understanding of the neurobiological changes underlying this devastating group of developmental disorders. It is becoming clear that the normal trajectory of neurodevelopment is altered in autism, with aberrations in brain growth, neuronal patterning and cortical connectivity. Changes to the structure and function of synapses and dendrites have also been strongly implicated in the pathology of autism by morphological, genetic and animal modeling studies. Finally, environmental factors are likely to interact with the underlying genetic profile, and foster the clinical heterogeneity seen in autism spectrum disorders. In this review we attempt to link the molecular pathways altered in autism to the neurodevelopmental and clinical changes that characterize the disease. We focus on signaling molecules such as neurotrophin, Reelin, PTEN and hepatocyte growth factor, neurotransmitters such as serotonin and glutamate, and synaptic proteins such as neurexin, SHANK and neuroligin. We also discuss evidence implicating oxidative stress, neuroglial activation and neuroimmunity in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Pardo
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287. USA.
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