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Yang X, Huang YWA, Marshall J. Targeting TrkB-PSD-95 coupling to mitigate neurological disorders. Neural Regen Res 2025; 20:715-724. [PMID: 38886937 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-02000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) signaling plays a pivotal role in dendritic growth and dendritic spine formation to promote learning and memory. The activity-dependent release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor at synapses binds to pre- or postsynaptic TrkB resulting in the strengthening of synapses, reflected by long-term potentiation. Postsynaptically, the association of postsynaptic density protein-95 with TrkB enhances phospholipase Cγ-Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling required for long-term potentiation. In this review, we discuss TrkB-postsynaptic density protein-95 coupling as a promising strategy to magnify brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling towards the development of novel therapeutics for specific neurological disorders. A reduction of TrkB signaling has been observed in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease, and enhancement of postsynaptic density protein-95 association with TrkB signaling could mitigate the observed deficiency of neuronal connectivity in schizophrenia and depression. Treatment with brain-derived neurotrophic factor is problematic, due to poor pharmacokinetics, low brain penetration, and side effects resulting from activation of the p75 neurotrophin receptor or the truncated TrkB.T1 isoform. Although TrkB agonists and antibodies that activate TrkB are being intensively investigated, they cannot distinguish the multiple human TrkB splicing isoforms or cell type-specific functions. Targeting TrkB-postsynaptic density protein-95 coupling provides an alternative approach to specifically boost TrkB signaling at localized synaptic sites versus global stimulation that risks many adverse side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Yu-Wen Alvin Huang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Neurology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science and Brown Institute for Translational Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - John Marshall
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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2
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Borland JM. The effects of different types of social interactions on the electrophysiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105809. [PMID: 39004323 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
BORLAND, J.M., The effects of different types of social interactions on the electrophysiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodents, NEUROSCI BIOBEH REV 21(1) XXX-XXX, 2024.-Sociality shapes an organisms' life. The nucleus accumbens is a critical brain region for mental health. In the following review, the effects of different types of social interactions on the physiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens is synthesized. More specifically, the effects of sex behavior, aggression, social defeat, pair-bonding, play behavior, affiliative interactions, parental behaviors, the isolation from social interactions and maternal separation on measures of excitatory synaptic transmission, intracellular signaling and factors of transcription and translation in neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodent models are reviewed. Similarities and differences in effects depending on the type of social interaction is then discussed. This review improves the understanding of the molecular and synaptic mechanisms of sociality.
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Tarannum R, Mun G, Quddos F, Swanger SA, Steward O, Farris S. Dendritically localized RNAs are packaged as diversely composed Ribonucleoprotein particles with heterogeneous copy number states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.13.603387. [PMID: 39071419 PMCID: PMC11275876 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.13.603387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Localization of mRNAs to dendrites is a fundamental mechanism by which neurons achieve spatiotemporal control of gene expression. Translationally repressed neuronal mRNA transport granules, also referred to as ribonuclear proteins (RNPs), have been shown to be trafficked as single or low copy number RNPs and as larger complexes with multiple copies and/or species of mRNAs. However, there is little evidence of either population in intact neuronal circuits. Using single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization studies in the dendrites of adult rat and mouse hippocampus, we provide evidence that supports the existence of multi-transcript RNPs with the constituents varying in amounts for each RNA species. By competing-off fluorescently labeled probe with serial increases of unlabeled probe, we detected stepwise decreases in Arc RNP number and fluorescence intensity, suggesting Arc RNAs localize to dendrites in both low- and multiple-copy number RNPs. When probing for multiple mRNAs, we find that localized RNPs are heterogeneous in size and colocalization patterns that vary per RNA. Further, localized RNAs that are targeted by the same trans-acting element (FMRP) display greater levels of colocalization compared to an RNA not targeted by FMRP. Simultaneous visualization and assessment of colocalization using highly multiplexed imaging of a dozen mRNA species targeted by FMRP demonstrates that dendritic RNAs are mostly trafficked as heteromeric cargoes of multiple types of RNAs (at least one or more RNAs). Moreover, the composition of these RNA cargoes correlates with the abundance of the transcripts even after accounting for expression. Collectively, these results suggest that dendritic RNPs are packaged as heterogeneous co-assemblies of different mRNAs and that RNP contents may be driven, at least partially, by highly abundant dendritic RNAs; a model that favors efficiency over fine-tuned control for sustaining long-distance trafficking of thousands of messenger molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renesa Tarannum
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Center for Neurobiology Research, Roanoke, Virginia
- Translational Biology, Medicine & Health Graduate Program, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Grace Mun
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Center for Neurobiology Research, Roanoke, Virginia
| | - Fatima Quddos
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Center for Neurobiology Research, Roanoke, Virginia
- Translational Biology, Medicine & Health Graduate Program, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Sharon A. Swanger
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Center for Neurobiology Research, Roanoke, Virginia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences & Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, Virginia
| | | | - Shannon Farris
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Center for Neurobiology Research, Roanoke, Virginia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences & Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, Virginia
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4
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Wang L, Ge J, Han H, Jia Y, Qin Y. Crosstalk between the nervous system and tumor microenvironment: Functional aspects and potential therapeutic strategies. Cancer Lett 2024; 594:216986. [PMID: 38797233 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Recent advancements in understanding the tumor microenvironment (TME) have highlighted the critical role of the nervous system in cancer progression. This review comprehensively examines how the nervous system influences various aspects of tumorigenesis, including growth, motility, immune response, angiogenesis, and the behavior of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). We delineate the neurodevelopmental mechanisms associated with cancer, such as the secretion of neurotrophins and exosomes by cancer cells. Furthermore, we explore the emerging therapeutic strategy of targeting nerves associated with tumors. Evidence supporting this approach includes studies demonstrating direct tumor growth inhibition, enhanced efficacy of immunotherapy when combined with nervous system-modulating drugs, and the suppression of tumor blood vessel formation through nerve targeting. Finally, we discuss the current challenges in this field and emphasize the need for further exploration within cancer neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1, Jianshe East Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, PR China
| | - Jingjing Ge
- Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, No. 651, Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Huiqiong Han
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1, Jianshe East Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, PR China
| | - Yongxu Jia
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1, Jianshe East Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, PR China
| | - Yanru Qin
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1, Jianshe East Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, PR China.
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Scarpitti MR, Pastore B, Tang W, Kearse MG. Characterization of ribosome stalling and no-go mRNA decay stimulated by the fragile X protein, FMRP. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107540. [PMID: 38971316 PMCID: PMC11338112 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 06/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Loss of functional fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) causes fragile X syndrome and is the leading monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability. FMRP is most notably a translational repressor and is thought to inhibit translation elongation by stalling ribosomes as FMRP-bound polyribosomes from brain tissue are resistant to puromycin and nuclease treatment. Here, we present data showing that the C-terminal noncanonical RNA-binding domain of FMRP is essential and sufficient to induce puromycin-resistant mRNA•ribosome complexes. Given that stalled ribosomes can stimulate ribosome collisions and no-go mRNA decay (NGD), we tested the ability of FMRP to drive NGD of its target transcripts in neuroblastoma cells. Indeed, FMRP and ribosomal proteins, but not poly(A)-binding protein, were enriched in isolated nuclease-resistant disomes compared to controls. Using siRNA knockdown and RNA-seq, we identified 16 putative FMRP-mediated NGD substrates, many of which encode proteins involved in neuronal development and function. Increased mRNA stability of four putative substrates was also observed when either FMRP was depleted or NGD was prevented via RNAi. Taken together, these data support that FMRP stalls ribosomes but only stimulates NGD of a small select set of transcripts, revealing a minor role of FMRP that would be misregulated in fragile X syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- MaKenzie R Scarpitti
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Benjamin Pastore
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Wen Tang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Michael G Kearse
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
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Xie Y, Wang R, McClatchy DB, Ma Y, Diedrich J, Sanchez-Alavez M, Petrascheck M, Yates JR, Cline HT. Activity-dependent synthesis of Emerin gates neuronal plasticity by regulating proteostasis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.30.600712. [PMID: 38979362 PMCID: PMC11230442 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.30.600712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Neurons dynamically regulate their proteome in response to sensory input, a key process underlying experience-dependent plasticity. We characterized the visual experience-dependent nascent proteome within a brief, defined time window after stimulation using an optimized metabolic labeling approach. Visual experience induced cell type-specific and age-dependent alterations in the nascent proteome, including proteostasis-related processes. We identified Emerin as the top activity-induced candidate plasticity protein and demonstrated that its rapid activity-induced synthesis is transcription-independent. In contrast to its nuclear localization and function in myocytes, activity-induced neuronal Emerin is abundant in the endoplasmic reticulum and broadly inhibits protein synthesis, including translation regulators and synaptic proteins. Downregulating Emerin shifted the dendritic spine population from predominantly mushroom morphology to filopodia and decreased network connectivity. In mice, decreased Emerin reduced visual response magnitude and impaired visual information processing. Our findings support an experience-dependent feed-forward role for Emerin in temporally gating neuronal plasticity by negatively regulating translation.
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7
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Fok AHK, Huang Y, So BWL, Zheng Q, Tse CSC, Li X, Wong KKY, Huang J, Lai KO, Lai CSW. KIF5B plays important roles in dendritic spine plasticity and dendritic localization of PSD95 and FMRP in the mouse cortex in vivo. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113906. [PMID: 38451812 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Kinesin 1 (KIF5) is one major type of motor protein in neurons, but its members' function in the intact brain remains less studied. Using in vivo two-photon imaging, we find that conditional knockout of Kif5b (KIF5B cKO) in CaMKIIα-Cre-expressing neurons shows heightened turnover and lower stability of dendritic spines in layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons with reduced spine postsynaptic density protein 95 acquisition in the mouse cortex. Furthermore, the RNA-binding protein fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is translocated to the proximity of newly formed spines several hours before the spine formation events in vivo in control mice, but this preceding transport of FMRP is abolished in KIF5B cKO mice. We further find that FMRP is localized closer to newly formed spines after fear extinction, but this learning-dependent localization is disrupted in KIF5B cKO mice. Our findings provide the crucial in vivo evidence that KIF5B is involved in the dendritic targeting of synaptic proteins that underlies dendritic spine plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Hiu Ka Fok
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yuhua Huang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Beth Wing Lam So
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qiyu Zheng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chun Sing Carlos Tse
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiaoyang Li
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kenneth Kin-Yip Wong
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jiandong Huang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China; Clinical Oncology Center, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Cancer Metastasis and Personalized Therapy, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive and Brain Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kwok-On Lai
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Cora Sau Wan Lai
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive and Brain Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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8
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Brewer A, Sathe G, Pflug BE, Clarke RG, Macartney TJ, Sapkota GP. Mapping the substrate landscape of protein phosphatase 2A catalytic subunit PPP2CA. iScience 2024; 27:109302. [PMID: 38450154 PMCID: PMC10915630 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is an essential Ser/Thr phosphatase. The PP2A holoenzyme complex comprises a scaffolding (A), regulatory (B), and catalytic (C) subunit, with PPP2CA being the principal catalytic subunit. The full scope of PP2A substrates in cells remains to be defined. To address this, we employed dTAG proteolysis-targeting chimeras to efficiently and selectively degrade dTAG-PPP2CA in homozygous knock-in HEK293 cells. Unbiased global phospho-proteomics identified 2,204 proteins with significantly increased phosphorylation upon dTAG-PPP2CA degradation, implicating them as potential PPP2CA substrates. A vast majority of these are novel. Bioinformatic analyses revealed involvement of the potential PPP2CA substrates in spliceosome function, cell cycle, RNA transport, and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. We identify a pSP/pTP motif as a predominant target for PPP2CA and confirm some of our phospho-proteomic data with immunoblotting. We provide an in-depth atlas of potential PPP2CA substrates and establish targeted degradation as a robust tool to unveil phosphatase substrates in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Brewer
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation & Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Gajanan Sathe
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation & Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Billie E. Pflug
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation & Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Rosemary G. Clarke
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation & Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Thomas J. Macartney
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation & Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Gopal P. Sapkota
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation & Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
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Scarpitti MR, Pastore B, Tang W, Kearse MG. Characterization of ribosome stalling and no-go mRNA decay stimulated by the Fragile X protein, FMRP. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.02.577121. [PMID: 38352534 PMCID: PMC10862907 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.02.577121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Loss of functional fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) causes fragile X syndrome (FXS) and is the leading monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability. FMRP is most notably a translational repressor and is thought to inhibit translation elongation by stalling ribosomes as FMRP-bound polyribosomes from brain tissue are resistant to puromycin and nuclease treatment. Here, we present data showing that the C-terminal non-canonical RNA-binding domain of FMRP is essential and sufficient to induce puromycin-resistant mRNA•ribosome complexes. Given that stalled ribosomes can stimulate ribosome collisions and no-go mRNA decay (NGD), we tested the ability of FMRP to drive NGD of its target transcripts in neuroblastoma cells. Indeed, FMRP and ribosomal proteins, but not PABPC1, were enriched in isolated nuclease-resistant disomes compared to controls. Using siRNA knockdown and RNA-seq, we identified 16 putative FMRP-mediated NGD substrates, many of which encode proteins involved in neuronal development and function. Increased mRNA stability of the putative substrates was also observed when either FMRP was depleted or NGD was prevented via RNAi. Taken together, these data support that FMRP stalls ribosomes and can stimulate NGD of a select set of transcripts in cells, revealing an unappreciated role of FMRP that would be misregulated in FXS.
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10
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Ibrahim MJ, Baiju V, Sen S, Chandran PP, Ashraf GM, Haque S, Ahmad F. Utilities of Isolated Nerve Terminals in Ex Vivo Analyses of Protein Translation in (Patho)physiological Brain States: Focus on Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:91-103. [PMID: 37582987 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03562-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Synapses are the cellular substrates of higher-order brain functions, and their dysfunction is an early and primary pathogenic mechanism across several neurological disorders. In particular, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is categorized by prodromal structural and functional synaptic deficits, prior to the advent of classical behavioral and pathological features. Recent research has shown that the development, maintenance, and plasticity of synapses depend on localized protein translation. Synaptosomes and synaptoneurosomes are biochemically isolated synaptic terminal preparations which have long been used to examine a variety of synaptic processes ex vivo in both healthy and pathological conditions. These ex vivo preparations preserve the mRNA species and the protein translational machinery. Hence, they are excellent in organello tools for the study of alterations in mRNA levels and protein translation in neuropathologies. Evaluation of synapse-specific basal and activity-driven de novo protein translation activity can be conveniently performed in synaptosomal/synaptoneurosomal preparations from both rodent and human brain tissue samples. This review gives a quick overview of the methods for isolating synaptosomes and synaptoneurosomes before discussing the studies that have utilized these preparations to study localized synapse-specific protein translation in (patho)physiological situations, with an emphasis on AD. While the review is not an exhaustive accumulation of all the studies evaluating synaptic protein translation using the synaptosomal model, the aim is to assemble the most relevant studies that have done so. The hope is to provide a suitable research platform to aid neuroscientists to utilize the synaptosomal/synaptoneurosomal models to evaluate the molecular mechanisms of synaptic dysfunction within the specific confines of mRNA localization and protein translation research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Jasim Ibrahim
- Department of Biotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India, 632014
| | - Viswanath Baiju
- Department of Biotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India, 632014
| | - Shivam Sen
- Department of Biotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India, 632014
| | - Pranav Prathapa Chandran
- Department of Biotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India, 632014
| | - Ghulam Md Ashraf
- University of Sharjah, College of Health Sciences, and Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University City, 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Shafiul Haque
- Research and Scientific Studies Unit, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Jazan University, 45142, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Faraz Ahmad
- Department of Biotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India, 632014.
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Ikrin AN, Moskalenko AM, Mukhamadeev RR, de Abreu MS, Kolesnikova TO, Kalueff AV. The emerging complexity of molecular pathways implicated in mouse self-grooming behavior. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 127:110840. [PMID: 37580009 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Rodent self-grooming is an important complex behavior, and its deficits are translationally relevant to a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we analyzed a comprehensive dataset of 227 genes whose mutations are known to evoke aberrant self-grooming in mice. Using these genes, we constructed the network of their established protein-protein interactions (PPI), yielding several distinct molecular clusters related to postsynaptic density, the Wnt signaling, transcription factors, neuronal cell cycle, NOS neurotransmission, microtubule regulation, neuronal differentiation/trafficking, neurodevelopment and mitochondrial function. Utilizing further bioinformatics analyses, we also identified novel central ('hub') proteins within these clusters, whose genes may also be implicated in aberrant self-grooming and other repetitive behaviors in general. Untangling complex molecular pathways of this important behavior using in silico approaches contributes to our understanding of related neurological disorders, and may suggest novel potential targets for their pharmacological or gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksey N Ikrin
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Genetic Technologies, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi 354340, Russia; Neuroscience Department, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi 354340, Russia
| | - Anastasia M Moskalenko
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Genetic Technologies, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi 354340, Russia; Neuroscience Department, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi 354340, Russia
| | - Radmir R Mukhamadeev
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics and Genomics, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi 354340, Russia; Neuroscience Department, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi 354340, Russia
| | - Murilo S de Abreu
- Moscow Institute of Science and Technology, Dolgoprudny 197028, Russia.
| | - Tatiana O Kolesnikova
- Neuroscience Department, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi 354340, Russia
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- Neuroscience Department, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi 354340, Russia; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia; Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg 194021, Russia; Laboratory of Preclinical Bioscreening, Granov Russian Research Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, Pesochny 197758, Russia; Neuroscience Group, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg 620002, Russia; Laboratory of Translational Biopsychiatry, Scientific Research Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Novosibirsk 630117, Russia.
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12
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Wu Y, Song T, Xu Q. R-LOOPs on Short Tandem Repeat Expansion Disorders in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:7185-7195. [PMID: 37540313 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03531-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Expansions of short tandem repeats (STRs) have been found to be present in more than 50 diseases and have a close connection with neurodegenerative diseases. Transcriptional silencing and R-LOOP formation, RNA-mediated sequestration of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), gain-of-function (GOF) proteins containing expanded repeats, and repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation of toxic repeat peptides are some potential molecular mechanisms underlying STR expansion disorders. R-LOOP, a byproduct of transcription, is a three-stranded nucleic acid structure with abnormal accumulation that participates in the pathogenesis of STR expansion disorders by inducing DNA damage and genome instability. R-LOOPs can engender a series of DNA damage, such as DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), single-strand breaks (SSBs), DNA recombination, or mutations in the DNA replication, transcription, or repair processes. In this review, we provide an in-depth discussion of recent advancements in R-LOOP and systematically elaborate on its genetic destabilizing effects in several neurodegenerative diseases. These molecular mechanisms will provide novel targets for drug design and therapeutic upgrading of these devastating diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiting Wu
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tingwei Song
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qian Xu
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China.
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China.
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Chen YS, Dong J, Tan W, Liu H, Zhang SM, Zou J, Chen YQ, Bai SY, Zeng Y. The potential role of ribonucleic acid methylation in the pathological mechanisms of fragile X syndrome. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114586. [PMID: 37467965 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a common inherited cause of intellectual disabilities and single-gene cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), resulting from the loss of functional fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein (FMRP), an RNA-binding protein (RBP) encoded by the fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) methylation can lead to developmental diseases, including FXS, through various mechanisms mediated by 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, 5-methylcytosine, N6-methyladenosine, etc. Emerging evidence suggests that modifications of some RNA species have been linked to FXS. However, the underlying pathological mechanism has yet to be elucidated. In this review, we reviewed the implication of RNA modification in FXS and summarized its specific characteristics for facilitating the identification of new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Shan Chen
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing Dong
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Tan
- Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Si-Ming Zhang
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia Zou
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi-Qi Chen
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shu-Yuan Bai
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Zeng
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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14
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Jong YJI, Izumi Y, Harmon SK, Zorumski CF, ÓMalley KL. Striatal mGlu 5-mediated synaptic plasticity is independently regulated by location-specific receptor pools and divergent signaling pathways. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104949. [PMID: 37354970 PMCID: PMC10388212 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) is widely expressed throughout the central nervous system and is involved in neuronal function, synaptic transmission, and a number of neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and autism. Recent work from this lab showed that mGlu5 is one of a growing number of G protein-coupled receptors that can signal from intracellular membranes where it drives unique signaling pathways, including upregulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), ETS transcription factor Elk-1, and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc). To determine the roles of cell surface mGlu5 as well as the intracellular receptor in a well-known mGlu5 synaptic plasticity model such as long-term depression, we used pharmacological isolation and genetic and physiological approaches to analyze spatially restricted pools of mGlu5 in striatal cultures and slice preparations. Here we show that both intracellular and cell surface receptors activate the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-protein kinase B-mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) pathway, whereas only intracellular mGlu5 activates protein phosphatase 2 and leads to fragile X mental retardation protein degradation and de novo protein synthesis followed by a protein synthesis-dependent increase in Arc and post-synaptic density protein 95. However, both cell surface and intracellular mGlu5 activation lead to α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor GluA2 internalization and chemically induced long-term depression albeit via different signaling mechanisms. These data underscore the importance of intracellular mGlu5 in the cascade of events associated with sustained synaptic transmission in the striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuh-Jiin I Jong
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Yukitoshi Izumi
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA; The Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Steven K Harmon
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Charles F Zorumski
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA; The Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Karen L ÓMalley
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA.
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15
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Lee HG, Imaichi S, Kraeutler E, Aguilar R, Lee YW, Sheridan SD, Lee JT. Site-specific R-loops induce CGG repeat contraction and fragile X gene reactivation. Cell 2023; 186:2593-2609.e18. [PMID: 37209683 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.04.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Here, we describe an approach to correct the genetic defect in fragile X syndrome (FXS) via recruitment of endogenous repair mechanisms. A leading cause of autism spectrum disorders, FXS results from epigenetic silencing of FMR1 due to a congenital trinucleotide (CGG) repeat expansion. By investigating conditions favorable to FMR1 reactivation, we find MEK and BRAF inhibitors that induce a strong repeat contraction and full FMR1 reactivation in cellular models. We trace the mechanism to DNA demethylation and site-specific R-loops, which are necessary and sufficient for repeat contraction. A positive feedback cycle comprising demethylation, de novo FMR1 transcription, and R-loop formation results in the recruitment of endogenous DNA repair mechanisms that then drive excision of the long CGG repeat. Repeat contraction is specific to FMR1 and restores the production of FMRP protein. Our study therefore identifies a potential method of treating FXS in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hun-Goo Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Sachiko Imaichi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Elizabeth Kraeutler
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Rodrigo Aguilar
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Yong-Woo Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Steven D Sheridan
- Center for Quantitative Health Center for Genomic Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jeannie T Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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Yu X, Wang Y. Peripheral Fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein is required for the timely closure of a critical period for neuronal susceptibility in the ventral cochlear nucleus. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1186630. [PMID: 37305436 PMCID: PMC10248243 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1186630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Alterations in neuronal plasticity and critical periods are common across neurodevelopmental diseases, including Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the leading single-gene cause of autism. Characterized with sensory dysfunction, FXS is the result of gene silencing of Fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) and loss of its product, Fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein (FMRP). The mechanisms underlying altered critical period and sensory dysfunction in FXS are obscure. Here, we performed genetic and surgical deprivation of peripheral auditory inputs in wildtype and Fmr1 knockout (KO) mice across ages and investigated the effects of global FMRP loss on deafferentation-induced neuronal changes in the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) and auditory brainstem responses. The degree of neuronal cell loss during the critical period was unchanged in Fmr1 KO mice. However, the closure of the critical period was delayed. Importantly, this delay was temporally coincidental with reduced hearing sensitivity, implying an association with sensory inputs. Functional analyses further identified early-onset and long-lasting alterations in signal transmission from the spiral ganglion to the VCN, suggesting a peripheral site of FMRP action. Finally, we generated conditional Fmr1 KO (cKO) mice with selective deletion of FMRP in spiral ganglion but not VCN neurons. cKO mice recapitulated the delay in the VCN critical period closure in Fmr1 KO mice, confirming an involvement of cochlear FMRP in shaping the temporal features of neuronal critical periods in the brain. Together, these results identify a novel peripheral mechanism of neurodevelopmental pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuan Wang
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
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17
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Gao MM, Shi H, Yan HJ, Long YS. Proteome profiling of the prefrontal cortex of Fmr1 knockout mouse reveals enhancement of complement and coagulation cascades. J Proteomics 2023; 274:104822. [PMID: 36646274 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2023.104822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) deficit resulted from mutations in its encoded fragile X mental retardation 1 (Fmr1) gene is a common inherited cause of Fragile X syndrome (FXS) characterized by intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The FMRP absence-induced altered gene expression in prefrontal cortex (PFC) are associated with autistic behaviors. However, there lacks a large-scale protein profiling in the PFC upon loss of FMRP. This study used a TMT-labeled proteomic analysis to identify a protein profile of the PFC in the Fmr1 knockout mouse. A total of 5886 proteins were identified in the PFC with 100 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) in response to FMRP deficiency. Bioinformatical analyses showed that these DAPs were mostly enriched in immune system, extracellular part and complement and coagulation cascades. The complement and coagulation cascades include 6 upregulated proteins (SERPING1, C1QA, C3, FGA, FGB and FGG), which are associated with fibrin degradation, cell lysis, degranulation chemotaxis and phagocytosis linked to activation of immune and inflammatory responses. Thus, our data provide an altered protein profile upon loss of FMRP in the PFC, and suggest that the enhancement of complement and coagulation cascades might contribute to etiological and pathogenic roles of ASD in FXS. SIGNIFICANCE: The etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a group of neurobiological disorders characterized by deficits in social interaction barriers and other abnormal behaviors, is still elusive. Autistic-like phenotypes are present in both Fragile X syndrome (FXS) patients and FMRP-deficiency FXS models. Given that prefrontal cortex is a critical brain area for social interaction, the FMRP absence induced-changes of a subset of proteins might contribute to ASD in FXS. Using a comprehensive proteomic analysis, this study provides a prefrontal protein profile of the FMRP-absent mouse with a total of 100 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs). Bioinformatic analyses suggest that these DAPs are mainly involved in the regulations of immune system and complement and coagulation cascades. We also show that 6 upregulated proteins (SERPING1, C1QA, C3, FGA, FGB and FGG) in the complement and coagulation cascades are associated with fibrin degradation, cell lysis, degranulation chemotaxis and phagocytosis regarding dysregulation of immune and inflammatory responses in the prefrontal cortex. Therefore, this study suggests that these FMRP-deficient DAPs in the prefrontal cortex might contribute to the etiology and pathogenesis of ASD in FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Mei Gao
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Hang Shi
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Hua-Juan Yan
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Yue-Sheng Long
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China.
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18
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Svalina MN, Sullivan R, Restrepo D, Huntsman MM. From circuits to behavior: Amygdala dysfunction in fragile X syndrome. Front Integr Neurosci 2023; 17:1128529. [PMID: 36969493 PMCID: PMC10034113 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2023.1128529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a repeat expansion mutation in the promotor region of the FMR1 gene resulting in transcriptional silencing and loss of function of fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 protein (FMRP). FMRP has a well-defined role in the early development of the brain. Thus, loss of the FMRP has well-known consequences for normal cellular and synaptic development leading to a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders including an increased prevalence of amygdala-based disorders. Despite our detailed understanding of the pathophysiology of FXS, the precise cellular and circuit-level underpinnings of amygdala-based disorders is incompletely understood. In this review, we discuss the development of the amygdala, the role of neuromodulation in the critical period plasticity, and recent advances in our understanding of how synaptic and circuit-level changes in the basolateral amygdala contribute to the behavioral manifestations seen in FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew N. Svalina
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Regina Sullivan
- Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Diego Restrepo
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Molly M. Huntsman
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- *Correspondence: Molly M. Huntsman,
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Ranjan R, Jha S, Prajjwal P, Chaudhary A, Dudeja P, Vora N, Mateen MA, Yousuf MA, Chaudhary B. Neurological, Psychiatric, and Multisystemic Involvement of Fragile X Syndrome Along With Its Pathophysiology, Methods of Screening, and Current Treatment Modalities. Cureus 2023; 15:e35505. [PMID: 37007359 PMCID: PMC10050793 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.35505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a hereditary disease that predominantly leads to intellectual disability (ID) in boys. It is the second prominent cause of ID, which manifests as a result of the atypical development of the cytosine-guanine-guanine (CGG) region. This irregular extension of the CGG region gives rise to methylation and silencing of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene, causing a loss of the fragile X mental retardation 1 protein (FMRP). This reduction or loss of FMRP is the main cause of ID. It has a multisystemic involvement showing neuropsychiatric features such as ID, speech and language delay, autism spectrum disorder, sensory hyperarousal, social anxiety, abnormal eye contact, shyness, and aggressive behaviour. It is also known to cause musculoskeletal symptoms, ocular symptoms, cardiac abnormalities, and gastrointestinal symptoms. The management is challenging, and there is no known cure for the disease; hence an early diagnosis of the condition is needed through prenatal screening offered to couples with familial history of ID before conception. The management rests on non-pharmacological modalities, including applied behaviour analysis, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and pharmacologic management through symptomatic treatment of comorbid behaviours and psychiatric problems and some forms of targeted therapy.
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Mei L, Hu C, Li D, Wang Y, Li H, Zhang K, Zhou B, Zhu R, Hagerman RJ, Xu X, Xu Q. The incidence and clinical characteristics of fragile X syndrome in China. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1064104. [PMID: 36861076 PMCID: PMC9969088 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1064104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD). This study aims to investigate the incidence of FXS in Chinese children and analyze the comprehensive clinical characteristics of these FXS children. Methods Children diagnosed with idiopathic NDD were recruited between 2016 and 2021 from the department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University. We combined tetraplet-primed PCR-capillary electrophoresis and whole exome sequencing (WES)/panel or array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) to identify the size of the CGG repeats and the mutations or copy number variations (CNVs) in the genome and in FMR1. The clinical features of FXS children were analyzed according to pediatricians' recording, parental questionnaires, the results of examinations and follow-up. Results The incidence of FXS in Chinese children with idiopathic NDD was 2.4% (42/1753) and in those with FXS, 2.38% had a deletion (1/42). Here, we present the clinical characteristics of 36 children with FXS. Overweight was observed in two boys. The average intelligence quotient (IQ)/development quotient (DQ) of all FXS patients was 48. The average ages of meaningful words and walking alone were 2 years and 10 months and 1 year and 7 months, respectively. The most frequent repetitive behavior was stimulated by hyperarousal to sensory stimulation. On social aspects, social withdrawal, social anxiety, and shyness accounted for 75%, 58%, and 56% of the total number of children, respectively. Approximately 60% of FXS children in this cohort were emotionally labile and prone to temper tantrums. Self-injury and aggression toward others could also be observed, at 19% and 28%, respectively. The most frequent behavioral problem was attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) seen in 64% and the most common facial features were a narrow and elongated face and large or prominent ears in 92% of patients. Discussion Screening of FMR1 full mutation provides the possibility for patients' further medical supports and the clinical features of FXS children obtained in this study will increase the understanding and diagnosis of FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianni Mei
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunchun Hu
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dongyun Li
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ya Wang
- Department of Child Health Care, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, Hefei, China
| | - Huiping Li
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kaifeng Zhang
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bingrui Zhou
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruoping Zhu
- Department of Child Health Care, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, Hefei, China
| | - Randi J. Hagerman
- The MIND Institute, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Xiu Xu
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiong Xu
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Borland JM, Dempsey DA, Peyla AC, Hall MAL, Kohut-Jackson AL, Mermelstein PG, Meisel RL. Aggression Results in the Phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in the Nucleus Accumbens and the Dephosphorylation of mTOR in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex in Female Syrian Hamsters. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:1379. [PMID: 36674893 PMCID: PMC9862940 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Like many social behaviors, aggression can be rewarding, leading to behavioral plasticity. One outcome of reward-induced aggression is the long-term increase in the speed in which future aggression-based encounters is initiated. This form of aggression impacts dendritic structure and excitatory synaptic neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region well known to regulate motivated behaviors. Yet, little is known about the intracellular signaling mechanisms that drive these structural/functional changes and long-term changes in aggressive behavior. This study set out to further elucidate the intracellular signaling mechanisms regulating the plasticity in neurophysiology and behavior that underlie the rewarding consequences of aggressive interactions. Female Syrian hamsters experienced zero, two or five aggressive interactions and the phosphorylation of proteins in reward-associated regions was analyzed. We report that aggressive interactions result in a transient increase in the phosphorylation of extracellular-signal related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in the nucleus accumbens. We also report that aggressive interactions result in a transient decrease in the phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in the medial prefrontal cortex, a major input structure to the nucleus accumbens. Thus, this study identifies ERK1/2 and mTOR as potential signaling pathways for regulating the long-term rewarding consequences of aggressive interactions. Furthermore, the recruitment profile of the ERK1/2 and the mTOR pathways are distinct in different brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Desarae A. Dempsey
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Anna C. Peyla
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Megan A. L. Hall
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | | | - Paul G. Mermelstein
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Robert L. Meisel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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22
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Palumbo JM, Thomas BF, Budimirovic D, Siegel S, Tassone F, Hagerman R, Faulk C, O’Quinn S, Sebree T. Role of the endocannabinoid system in fragile X syndrome: potential mechanisms for benefit from cannabidiol treatment. J Neurodev Disord 2023; 15:1. [PMID: 36624400 PMCID: PMC9830713 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-023-09475-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple lines of evidence suggest a central role for the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the neuronal development and cognitive function and in the pathogenesis of fragile X syndrome (FXS). This review describes the ECS, its role in the central nervous system, how it is dysregulated in FXS, and the potential role of cannabidiol as a treatment for FXS. FXS is caused by deficiency or absence of the fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) protein, FMRP, typically due to the presence of >200 cytosine, guanine, guanine sequence repeats leading to methylation of the FMR1 gene promoter. The absence of FMRP, following FMR1 gene-silencing, disrupts ECS signaling, which has been implicated in FXS pathogenesis. The ECS facilitates synaptic homeostasis and plasticity through the cannabinoid receptor 1, CB1, on presynaptic terminals, resulting in feedback inhibition of neuronal signaling. ECS-mediated feedback inhibition and synaptic plasticity are thought to be disrupted in FXS, leading to overstimulation, desensitization, and internalization of presynaptic CB1 receptors. Cannabidiol may help restore synaptic homeostasis by acting as a negative allosteric modulator of CB1, thereby attenuating the receptor overstimulation, desensitization, and internalization. Moreover, cannabidiol affects DNA methylation, serotonin 5HT1A signal transduction, gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor signaling, and dopamine D2 and D3 receptor signaling, which may contribute to beneficial effects in patients with FXS. Consistent with these proposed mechanisms of action of cannabidiol in FXS, in the CONNECT-FX trial the transdermal cannabidiol gel, ZYN002, was associated with improvements in measures of social avoidance, irritability, and social interaction, particularly in patients who are most affected, showing ≥90% methylation of the FMR1 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M. Palumbo
- grid.422480.80000 0004 8307 0679Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc., Devon, PA USA
| | | | - Dejan Budimirovic
- grid.240023.70000 0004 0427 667XDepartments of Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, Fragile X Clinic, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD USA ,grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences-Child Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Steven Siegel
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Flora Tassone
- grid.413079.80000 0000 9752 8549Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California-Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA USA ,grid.413079.80000 0000 9752 8549Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA USA
| | - Randi Hagerman
- grid.413079.80000 0000 9752 8549Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California-Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA USA ,grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA USA
| | - Christopher Faulk
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN USA
| | - Stephen O’Quinn
- grid.422480.80000 0004 8307 0679Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc., Devon, PA USA
| | - Terri Sebree
- grid.422480.80000 0004 8307 0679Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc., Devon, PA USA
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Scott DN, Frank MJ. Adaptive control of synaptic plasticity integrates micro- and macroscopic network function. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:121-144. [PMID: 36038780 PMCID: PMC9700774 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01374-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity configures interactions between neurons and is therefore likely to be a primary driver of behavioral learning and development. How this microscopic-macroscopic interaction occurs is poorly understood, as researchers frequently examine models within particular ranges of abstraction and scale. Computational neuroscience and machine learning models offer theoretically powerful analyses of plasticity in neural networks, but results are often siloed and only coarsely linked to biology. In this review, we examine connections between these areas, asking how network computations change as a function of diverse features of plasticity and vice versa. We review how plasticity can be controlled at synapses by calcium dynamics and neuromodulatory signals, the manifestation of these changes in networks, and their impacts in specialized circuits. We conclude that metaplasticity-defined broadly as the adaptive control of plasticity-forges connections across scales by governing what groups of synapses can and can't learn about, when, and to what ends. The metaplasticity we discuss acts by co-opting Hebbian mechanisms, shifting network properties, and routing activity within and across brain systems. Asking how these operations can go awry should also be useful for understanding pathology, which we address in the context of autism, schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Scott
- Cognitive Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Michael J Frank
- Cognitive Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
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24
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Asiminas A, Booker SA, Dando OR, Kozic Z, Arkell D, Inkpen FH, Sumera A, Akyel I, Kind PC, Wood ER. Experience-dependent changes in hippocampal spatial activity and hippocampal circuit function are disrupted in a rat model of Fragile X Syndrome. Mol Autism 2022; 13:49. [PMID: 36536454 PMCID: PMC9764562 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00528-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a common single gene cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. Cognitive inflexibility is one of the hallmarks of FXS with affected individuals showing extreme difficulty adapting to novel or complex situations. To explore the neural correlates of this cognitive inflexibility, we used a rat model of FXS (Fmr1-/y). METHODS We recorded from the CA1 in Fmr1-/y and WT littermates over six 10-min exploration sessions in a novel environment-three sessions per day (ITI 10 min). Our recordings yielded 288 and 246 putative pyramidal cells from 7 WT and 7 Fmr1-/y rats, respectively. RESULTS On the first day of exploration of a novel environment, the firing rate and spatial tuning of CA1 pyramidal neurons was similar between wild-type (WT) and Fmr1-/y rats. However, while CA1 pyramidal neurons from WT rats showed experience-dependent changes in firing and spatial tuning between the first and second day of exposure to the environment, these changes were decreased or absent in CA1 neurons of Fmr1-/y rats. These findings were consistent with increased excitability of Fmr1-/y CA1 neurons in ex vivo hippocampal slices, which correlated with reduced synaptic inputs from the medial entorhinal cortex. Lastly, activity patterns of CA1 pyramidal neurons were dis-coordinated with respect to hippocampal oscillatory activity in Fmr1-/y rats. LIMITATIONS It is still unclear how the observed circuit function abnormalities give rise to behavioural deficits in Fmr1-/y rats. Future experiments will focus on this connection as well as the contribution of other neuronal cell types in the hippocampal circuit pathophysiology associated with the loss of FMRP. It would also be interesting to see if hippocampal circuit deficits converge with those seen in other rodent models of intellectual disability. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, we found that hippocampal place cells from Fmr1-/y rats show similar spatial firing properties as those from WT rats but do not show the same experience-dependent increase in spatial specificity or the experience-dependent changes in network coordination. Our findings offer support to a network-level origin of cognitive deficits in FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonis Asiminas
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XPresent Address: Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sam A. Booker
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Owen R. Dando
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988UK Dementia Research Institute at the Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Zrinko Kozic
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Daisy Arkell
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Felicity H. Inkpen
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Anna Sumera
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Irem Akyel
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Peter C. Kind
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Bangalore, 560065 India
| | - Emma R. Wood
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK ,Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Bangalore, 560065 India
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25
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Ardourel M, Ranchon-Cole I, Pâris A, Felgerolle C, Acar N, Lesne F, Briault S, Perche O. FMR protein: Evidence of an emerging role in retinal aging? Exp Eye Res 2022; 225:109282. [PMID: 36265576 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2022.109282] [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: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Aging is a multifactorial process that affects the entire organism by cumulative alterations. Visual function impairments that go along with aging are commonly observed, causing lower visual acuity, lower contrast sensitivity, and impaired dark adaptation. Electroretinogram analysis revealed that the amplitudes of rod- and cone-mediated responses are reduced in aged mice and humans. Reports suggested that age-related changes observed in both rod and cone photoreceptor functionality were linked to oxidative stress regulation or free radical production homeostasis. Interestingly, several recent reports linked the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) cellular activity with oxidative stress regulation in several tissue including brain tissue where FMRP participates to the response to stress via protein translation in neurite or is involved in free radical production and abnormal glutathione homeostasis. Based on these recent literatures, we raised the question about the effect of FMRP absence in the aging retina of Fmr1-/y compared to their WT littermates. Indeed, up to now, only young or adult mice (<6 months) were investigated and have shown a specific retinal phenotype. Herein, we demonstrated that Fmr1-/y mice do not present the aging effect on retinal function observed in WT littermates since ERG a- and b-waves amplitudes as well as oscillatory potentials amplitudes were not collapsed with age (12/18 months old). Absence of FMRP and its consequences seem to protect the retina against aging effect, rising a pivotal role of FMRP in retinal aging process.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ardourel
- UMR7355, CNRS, Orléans, France; Experimental and Molecular Immunology and Neurogenetics, University of Orléans, 3b rue de la Ferollerie, 45071, Orléans, Cedex 2, France
| | - I Ranchon-Cole
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - A Pâris
- UMR7355, CNRS, Orléans, France; Experimental and Molecular Immunology and Neurogenetics, University of Orléans, 3b rue de la Ferollerie, 45071, Orléans, Cedex 2, France
| | - C Felgerolle
- UMR7355, CNRS, Orléans, France; Experimental and Molecular Immunology and Neurogenetics, University of Orléans, 3b rue de la Ferollerie, 45071, Orléans, Cedex 2, France
| | - N Acar
- Eye and Nutrition Research Group, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - F Lesne
- Genetic Department, Regional Hospital, 14 Avenue de l'hôpital, 45100, Orléans, France
| | - S Briault
- UMR7355, CNRS, Orléans, France; Experimental and Molecular Immunology and Neurogenetics, University of Orléans, 3b rue de la Ferollerie, 45071, Orléans, Cedex 2, France; Genetic Department, Regional Hospital, 14 Avenue de l'hôpital, 45100, Orléans, France
| | - O Perche
- UMR7355, CNRS, Orléans, France; Experimental and Molecular Immunology and Neurogenetics, University of Orléans, 3b rue de la Ferollerie, 45071, Orléans, Cedex 2, France; Genetic Department, Regional Hospital, 14 Avenue de l'hôpital, 45100, Orléans, France.
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26
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D'Souza MN, Ramakrishna S, Radhakrishna BK, Jhaveri V, Ravindran S, Yeramala L, Nair D, Palakodeti D, Muddashetty RS. Function of FMRP Domains in Regulating Distinct Roles of Neuronal Protein Synthesis. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:7370-7392. [PMID: 36181660 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-03049-1] [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: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The Fragile-X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) is an RNA binding protein that regulates translation of mRNAs essential for synaptic development and plasticity. FMRP interacts with a specific set of mRNAs, aids in their microtubule-dependent transport and regulates their translation through its association with ribosomes. However, the biochemical role of FMRP's domains in forming neuronal granules and associating with microtubules and ribosomes is currently undefined. We report that the C-terminus domain of FMRP is sufficient to bind to ribosomes akin to the full-length protein. Furthermore, the C-terminus domain alone is essential and responsible for FMRP-mediated neuronal translation repression. However, dendritic distribution of FMRP and its microtubule association is favored by the synergistic combination of FMRP domains rather than individual domains. Interestingly, we show that the phosphorylation of hFMRP at Serine-500 is important in modulating the dynamics of translation by controlling ribosome association. This is a fundamental mechanism governing the size and number of FMRP puncta that contain actively translating ribosomes. Finally through the use of pathogenic mutations, we emphasize the hierarchical contribution of FMRP's domains in translation regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Ninochka D'Souza
- Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore, India, 560065.,The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bangalore, India, 560064.,Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, India, 560012
| | - Sarayu Ramakrishna
- Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore, India, 560065.,The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bangalore, India, 560064.,Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, India, 560012
| | | | - Vishwaja Jhaveri
- Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore, India, 560065
| | - Sreenath Ravindran
- Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore, India, 560065
| | - Lahari Yeramala
- National Centre For Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India, 560065
| | - Deepak Nair
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, 560012
| | - Dasaradhi Palakodeti
- Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore, India, 560065
| | - Ravi S Muddashetty
- Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, India, 560012.
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27
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Berry-Kravis E, Hagerman R, Budimirovic D, Erickson C, Heussler H, Tartaglia N, Cohen J, Tassone F, Dobbins T, Merikle E, Sebree T, Tich N, Palumbo JM, O’Quinn S. A randomized, controlled trial of ZYN002 cannabidiol transdermal gel in children and adolescents with fragile X syndrome (CONNECT-FX). J Neurodev Disord 2022; 14:56. [PMID: 36434514 PMCID: PMC9700889 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-022-09466-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is associated with dysregulated endocannabinoid signaling and may therefore respond to cannabidiol therapy. DESIGN CONNECT-FX was a double-blind, randomized phase 3 trial assessing efficacy and safety of ZYN002, transdermal cannabidiol gel, for the treatment of behavioral symptoms in children and adolescents with FXS. METHODS Patients were randomized to 12 weeks of ZYN002 (250 mg or 500 mg daily [weight-based]) or placebo, as add-on to standard of care. The primary endpoint assessed change in social avoidance (SA) measured by the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community Edition FXS (ABC-CFXS) SA subscale in a full cohort of patients with a FXS full mutation, regardless of the FMR1 methylation status. Ad hoc analyses assessed efficacy in patients with ≥ 90% and 100% methylation of the promoter region of the FMR1 gene, in whom FMR1 gene silencing is most likely. RESULTS A total of 212 patients, mean age 9.7 years, 75% males, were enrolled. A total of 169 (79.7%) patients presented with ≥ 90% methylation of the FMR1 promoter and full mutation of FMR1. Although statistical significance for the primary endpoint was not achieved in the full cohort, significant improvement was demonstrated in patients with ≥ 90% methylation of FMR1 (nominal P = 0.020). This group also achieved statistically significant improvements in Caregiver Global Impression-Change in SA and isolation, irritable and disruptive behaviors, and social interactions (nominal P-values: P = 0.038, P = 0.028, and P = 0.002). Similar results were seen in patients with 100% methylation of FMR1. ZYN002 was safe and well tolerated. All treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were mild or moderate. The most common treatment-related TEAE was application site pain (ZYN002: 6.4%; placebo: 1.0%). CONCLUSIONS In CONNECT-FX, ZYN002 was well tolerated in patients with FXS and demonstrated evidence of efficacy with a favorable benefit risk relationship in patients with ≥ 90% methylation of the FMR1 gene, in whom gene silencing is most likely, and the impact of FXS is typically most severe. TRIAL REGISTRATION The CONNECT-FX trial is registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03614663).
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Berry-Kravis
- grid.240684.c0000 0001 0705 3621Departments of Pediatrics and Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Randi Hagerman
- grid.413079.80000 0000 9752 8549Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California-Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA USA ,grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA USA
| | - Dejan Budimirovic
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Departments of Psychiatry and Child Psychiatry, Fragile X Clinic, Kennedy Krieger Institute/the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD USA ,grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences-Child Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Craig Erickson
- grid.24827.3b0000 0001 2179 9593Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH USA
| | - Helen Heussler
- grid.512914.a0000 0004 0642 3960Centre for Clinical Trials in Rare Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Children’s Health Queensland, Brisbane, Australia ,grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Centre for Child Health Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Nicole Tartaglia
- Department of Pediatrics, Developmental Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Jonathan Cohen
- Fragile X Alliance Inc, North Caulfield, VIC, Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Centre for Developmental Disability Health Victoria, Monash University, Clayton, VIC Australia
| | - Flora Tassone
- grid.413079.80000 0000 9752 8549Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California-Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA USA ,grid.413079.80000 0000 9752 8549Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA USA
| | | | | | - Terri Sebree
- grid.422480.80000 0004 8307 0679Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc., Devon, PA USA
| | - Nancy Tich
- grid.422480.80000 0004 8307 0679Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc., Devon, PA USA
| | - Joseph M. Palumbo
- grid.422480.80000 0004 8307 0679Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc., Devon, PA USA
| | - Stephen O’Quinn
- grid.422480.80000 0004 8307 0679Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc., Devon, PA USA
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28
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Zeng Q, Saghafinia S, Chryplewicz A, Fournier N, Christe L, Xie YQ, Guillot J, Yucel S, Li P, Galván JA, Karamitopoulou E, Zlobec I, Ataca D, Gallean F, Zhang P, Rodriguez-Calero JA, Rubin M, Tichet M, Homicsko K, Hanahan D. Aberrant hyperexpression of the RNA binding protein FMRP in tumors mediates immune evasion. Science 2022; 378:eabl7207. [DOI: 10.1126/science.abl7207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Many human cancers manifest the capability to circumvent attack by the adaptive immune system. In this work, we identified a component of immune evasion that involves frequent up-regulation of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) in solid tumors. FMRP represses immune attack, as revealed by cancer cells engineered to lack its expression. FMRP-deficient tumors were infiltrated by activated T cells that impaired tumor growth and enhanced survival in mice. Mechanistically, FMRP’s immunosuppression was multifactorial, involving repression of the chemoattractant C-C motif chemokine ligand 7 (CCL7) concomitant with up-regulation of three immunomodulators—interleukin-33 (IL-33), tumor-secreted protein S (PROS1), and extracellular vesicles. Gene signatures associate FMRP’s cancer network with poor prognosis and response to therapy in cancer patients. Collectively, FMRP is implicated as a regulator that orchestrates a multifaceted barrier to antitumor immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqun Zeng
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Opna Bio SA, Biopole, 1066 Epalinges, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sadegh Saghafinia
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Opna Bio SA, Biopole, 1066 Epalinges, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Agnieszka Chryplewicz
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nadine Fournier
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lucine Christe
- Institute of Pathology, University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Yu-Qing Xie
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jeremy Guillot
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Simge Yucel
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pumin Li
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - José A. Galván
- Institute of Pathology, University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Inti Zlobec
- Institute of Pathology, University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Dalya Ataca
- Opna Bio SA, Biopole, 1066 Epalinges, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Peng Zhang
- Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing 100045, China
| | | | - Mark Rubin
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mélanie Tichet
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lausanne Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Krisztian Homicsko
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lausanne Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Leman (SCCL), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Douglas Hanahan
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lausanne Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Leman (SCCL), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
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29
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Buchanan IM, Smith TM, Gerber AP, Seibt J. Are there roles for heterogeneous ribosomes during sleep in the rodent brain? Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:1008921. [PMID: 36275625 PMCID: PMC9582285 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1008921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The regulation of mRNA translation plays an essential role in neurons, contributing to important brain functions, such as brain plasticity and memory formation. Translation is conducted by ribosomes, which at their core consist of ribosomal proteins (RPs) and ribosomal RNAs. While translation can be regulated at diverse levels through global or mRNA-specific means, recent evidence suggests that ribosomes with distinct configurations are involved in the translation of different subsets of mRNAs. However, whether and how such proclaimed ribosome heterogeneity could be connected to neuronal functions remains largely unresolved. Here, we postulate that the existence of heterologous ribosomes within neurons, especially at discrete synapses, subserve brain plasticity. This hypothesis is supported by recent studies in rodents showing that heterogeneous RP expression occurs in dendrites, the compartment of neurons where synapses are made. We further propose that sleep, which is fundamental for brain plasticity and memory formation, has a particular role in the formation of heterologous ribosomes, specialised in the translation of mRNAs specific for synaptic plasticity. This aspect of our hypothesis is supported by recent studies showing increased translation and changes in RP expression during sleep after learning. Thus, certain RPs are regulated by sleep, and could support different sleep functions, in particular brain plasticity. Future experiments investigating cell-specific heterogeneity in RPs across the sleep-wake cycle and in response to different behaviour would help address this question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isla M. Buchanan
- Integrated Master Programme in Biochemistry, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor M. Smith
- Department of Microbial Sciences, School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
- Surrey Sleep Research Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | - André P. Gerber
- Department of Microbial Sciences, School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: André P. Gerber, ; Julie Seibt,
| | - Julie Seibt
- Surrey Sleep Research Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: André P. Gerber, ; Julie Seibt,
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30
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Berry-Kravis E. Disease-Targeted Treatment Translation in Fragile X Syndrome as a Model for Neurodevelopmental Disorders. J Child Neurol 2022; 37:797-812. [PMID: 35791522 DOI: 10.1177/08830738221089740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common monogenic cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, has been one of the first neurodevelopmental disorders in which molecular and neuronal mechanisms of disease were identified, leading to the concept of targeting the underlying disease to reverse symptoms. Translating findings in basic science and animal models to humans with FXS has proven difficult. These challenges have prompted the FXS field to organize to build interlocking projects and initiatives to improve consistency of supportive care, make clinical research accessible to families, generate collaborative research on natural history, outcome measures and biomarkers, and create clinical trial consortia and novel trial designs. This work has resulted in improved success in recent clinical trials, providing key steps toward regulatory approval of disease-targeted treatments for FXS. Progress in the FXS field has informed translation of transformative new disease-targeted therapies for other monogenic neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Berry-Kravis
- Departments of Pediatrics, Neurological Sciences, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
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Shpokayte M, McKissick O, Guan X, Yuan B, Rahsepar B, Fernandez FR, Ruesch E, Grella SL, White JA, Liu XS, Ramirez S. Hippocampal cells segregate positive and negative engrams. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1009. [PMID: 36163262 PMCID: PMC9512908 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03906-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is involved in processing a variety of mnemonic computations specifically the spatiotemporal components and emotional dimensions of contextual memory. Recent studies have demonstrated cellular heterogeneity along the hippocampal axis. The ventral hippocampus has been shown to be important in the processing of emotion and valence. Here, we combine transgenic and all-virus based activity-dependent tagging strategies to visualize multiple valence-specific engrams in the vHPC and demonstrate two partially segregated cell populations and projections that respond to appetitive and aversive experiences. Next, using RNA sequencing and DNA methylation sequencing approaches, we find that vHPC appetitive and aversive engram cells display different transcriptional programs and DNA methylation landscapes compared to a neutral engram population. Additionally, optogenetic manipulation of tagged cell bodies in vHPC is not sufficient to drive appetitive or aversive behavior in real-time place preference, stimulation of tagged vHPC terminals projecting to the amygdala and nucleus accumbens (NAc), but not the prefrontal cortex (PFC), showed the capacity drive preference and avoidance. These terminals also were able to change their capacity to drive behavior. We conclude that the vHPC contains genetically, cellularly, and behaviorally segregated populations of cells processing appetitive and aversive memory engrams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Shpokayte
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
| | - Olivia McKissick
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Brown University, Providence, 02912, RI, USA
| | - Xiaonan Guan
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, 10032, NY, USA
| | - Bingbing Yuan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, MIT, Cambridge, 02142, MA, USA
| | - Bahar Rahsepar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Neurophotonics Center, and Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
| | - Fernando R Fernandez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Neurophotonics Center, and Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
| | - Evan Ruesch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
| | - Stephanie L Grella
- Loyola University, Chicago Department of Psychology, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA
| | - John A White
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
- Neurophotonics Center, and Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA
| | - X Shawn Liu
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, 10032, NY, USA.
| | - Steve Ramirez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA.
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32
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Shing N, Walker MC, Chang P. The Role of Aberrant Neural Oscillations in the Hippocampal-Medial Prefrontal Cortex Circuit in Neurodevelopmental and Neurological Disorders. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 195:107683. [PMID: 36174886 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107683] [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: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus (HPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) have well-established roles in cognition, emotion, and sensory processing. In recent years, interests have shifted towards developing a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying interactions between the HPC and mPFC in achieving these functions. Considerable research supports the idea that synchronized activity between the HPC and the mPFC is a general mechanism by which brain functions are regulated. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the hippocampal-medial prefrontal cortex (HPC-mPFC) circuit in normal brain function with a focus on oscillations and highlight several neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders associated with aberrant HPC-mPFC circuitry. We further discuss oscillatory dynamics across the HPC-mPFC circuit as potentially useful biomarkers to assess interventions for neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders. Finally, advancements in brain stimulation, gene therapy and pharmacotherapy are explored as promising therapies for disorders with aberrant HPC-mPFC circuit dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathanael Shing
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK; Department of Medicine, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR17BH, UK
| | - Matthew C Walker
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Pishan Chang
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT.
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Purushotham SS, Reddy NMN, D'Souza MN, Choudhury NR, Ganguly A, Gopalakrishna N, Muddashetty R, Clement JP. A perspective on molecular signalling dysfunction, its clinical relevance and therapeutics in autism spectrum disorder. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:2525-2567. [PMID: 36063192 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06448-x] [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: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders that have become a primary clinical and social concern, with a prevalence of 2-3% in the population. Neuronal function and behaviour undergo significant malleability during the critical period of development that is found to be impaired in ID/ASD. Human genome sequencing studies have revealed many genetic variations associated with ASD/ID that are further verified by many approaches, including many mouse and other models. These models have facilitated the identification of fundamental mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of ASD/ID, and several studies have proposed converging molecular pathways in ASD/ID. However, linking the mechanisms of the pathogenic genes and their molecular characteristics that lead to ID/ASD has progressed slowly, hampering the development of potential therapeutic strategies. This review discusses the possibility of recognising the common molecular causes for most ASD/ID based on studies from the available models that may enable a better therapeutic strategy to treat ID/ASD. We also reviewed the potential biomarkers to detect ASD/ID at early stages that may aid in diagnosis and initiating medical treatment, the concerns with drug failure in clinical trials, and developing therapeutic strategies that can be applied beyond a particular mutation associated with ASD/ID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushmitha S Purushotham
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Neeharika M N Reddy
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Michelle Ninochka D'Souza
- Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science Campus, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, 560 012, India.,The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bangalore, 560064, India
| | - Nilpawan Roy Choudhury
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Anusa Ganguly
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Niharika Gopalakrishna
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India
| | - Ravi Muddashetty
- Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science Campus, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, 560 012, India.,The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bangalore, 560064, India
| | - James P Clement
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, 560064, India.
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34
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Liu X, Kumar V, Tsai NP, Auerbach BD. Hyperexcitability and Homeostasis in Fragile X Syndrome. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 14:805929. [PMID: 35069112 PMCID: PMC8770333 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.805929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a leading inherited cause of autism and intellectual disability, resulting from a mutation in the FMR1 gene and subsequent loss of its protein product FMRP. Despite this simple genetic origin, FXS is a phenotypically complex disorder with a range of physical and neurocognitive disruptions. While numerous molecular and cellular pathways are affected by FMRP loss, there is growing evidence that circuit hyperexcitability may be a common convergence point that can account for many of the wide-ranging phenotypes seen in FXS. The mechanisms for hyperexcitability in FXS include alterations to excitatory synaptic function and connectivity, reduced inhibitory neuron activity, as well as changes to ion channel expression and conductance. However, understanding the impact of FMR1 mutation on circuit function is complicated by the inherent plasticity in neural circuits, which display an array of homeostatic mechanisms to maintain activity near set levels. FMRP is also an important regulator of activity-dependent plasticity in the brain, meaning that dysregulated plasticity can be both a cause and consequence of hyperexcitable networks in FXS. This makes it difficult to separate the direct effects of FMR1 mutation from the myriad and pleiotropic compensatory changes associated with it, both of which are likely to contribute to FXS pathophysiology. Here we will: (1) review evidence for hyperexcitability and homeostatic plasticity phenotypes in FXS models, focusing on similarities/differences across brain regions, cell-types, and developmental time points; (2) examine how excitability and plasticity disruptions interact with each other to ultimately contribute to circuit dysfunction in FXS; and (3) discuss how these synaptic and circuit deficits contribute to disease-relevant behavioral phenotypes like epilepsy and sensory hypersensitivity. Through this discussion of where the current field stands, we aim to introduce perspectives moving forward in FXS research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Liu
- Deparment of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Vipendra Kumar
- Deparment of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Nien-Pei Tsai
- Deparment of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Benjamin D. Auerbach
- Deparment of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- *Correspondence: Benjamin D. Auerbach
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Liu X, Bennison SA, Robinson L, Toyo-oka K. Responsible Genes for Neuronal Migration in the Chromosome 17p13.3: Beyond Pafah1b1(Lis1), Crk and Ywhae(14-3-3ε). Brain Sci 2021; 12:brainsci12010056. [PMID: 35053800 PMCID: PMC8774252 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12010056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The 17p13.3 chromosome region is often deleted or duplicated in humans, resulting in severe neurodevelopmental disorders such as Miller–Dieker syndrome (MDS) and 17p13.3 duplication syndrome. Lissencephaly can also be caused by gene mutations or deletions of a small piece of the 17p13.3 region, including a single gene or a few genes. PAFAH1B1 gene, coding for LIS1 protein, is a responsible gene for lissencephaly and MDS and regulates neuronal migration by controlling microtubules (MTs) and cargo transport along MTs via dynein. CRK is a downstream regulator of the reelin signaling pathways and regulates neuronal migration. YWHAE, coding for 14-3-3ε, is also responsible for MDS and regulates neuronal migration by binding to LIS1-interacting protein, NDEL1. Although these three proteins are known to be responsible for neuronal migration defects in MDS, there are 23 other genes in the MDS critical region on chromosome 17p13.3, and little is known about their functions in neurodevelopment, especially in neuronal migration. This review will summarize the recent progress on the functions of LIS1, CRK, and 14-3-3ε and describe the recent findings of other molecules in the MDS critical regions in neuronal migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaonan Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA;
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; (S.A.B.); (L.R.)
| | - Sarah A. Bennison
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; (S.A.B.); (L.R.)
| | - Lozen Robinson
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; (S.A.B.); (L.R.)
| | - Kazuhito Toyo-oka
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; (S.A.B.); (L.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(215)-991-8288
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Bach S, Shovlin S, Moriarty M, Bardoni B, Tropea D. Rett Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome: Different Etiology With Common Molecular Dysfunctions. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:764761. [PMID: 34867203 PMCID: PMC8640214 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.764761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Rett syndrome (RTT) and Fragile X syndrome (FXS) are two monogenetic neurodevelopmental disorders with complex clinical presentations. RTT is caused by mutations in the Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 gene (MECP2) altering the function of its protein product MeCP2. MeCP2 modulates gene expression by binding methylated CpG dinucleotides, and by interacting with transcription factors. FXS is caused by the silencing of the FMR1 gene encoding the Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP), a RNA binding protein involved in multiple steps of RNA metabolism, and modulating the translation of thousands of proteins including a large set of synaptic proteins. Despite differences in genetic etiology, there are overlapping features in RTT and FXS, possibly due to interactions between MeCP2 and FMRP, and to the regulation of pathways resulting in dysregulation of common molecular signaling. Furthermore, basic physiological mechanisms are regulated by these proteins and might concur to the pathophysiology of both syndromes. Considering that RTT and FXS are disorders affecting brain development, and that most of the common targets of MeCP2 and FMRP are involved in brain activity, we discuss the mechanisms of synaptic function and plasticity altered in RTT and FXS, and we consider the similarities and the differences between these two disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snow Bach
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.,Neuropsychiatric Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Stephen Shovlin
- Neuropsychiatric Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Barbara Bardoni
- Inserm, CNRS UMR 7275, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Université Côte d'Azur, Valbonne, France
| | - Daniela Tropea
- Neuropsychiatric Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,FutureNeuro, The SFI Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases, Dublin, Ireland
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Topoisomerase IIIβ Deficiency Induces Neuro-Behavioral Changes and Brain Connectivity Alterations in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222312806. [PMID: 34884616 PMCID: PMC8657541 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Topoisomerase IIIβ (Top3β), the only dual-activity topoisomerase in mammals that can change topology of both DNA and RNA, is known to be associated with neurodevelopment and mental dysfunction in humans. However, there is no report showing clear associations of Top3β with neuropsychiatric phenotypes in mice. Here, we investigated the effect of Top3β on neuro-behavior using newly generated Top3β deficient (Top3β-/-) mice. We found that Top3β-/- mice showed decreased anxiety and depression-like behaviors. The lack of Top3β was also associated with changes in circadian rhythm. In addition, a clear expression of Top3β was demonstrated in the central nervous system of mice. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) analysis revealed significantly altered connectivity between many brain regions in Top3β-/- mice, including the connectivity between the olfactory bulb and the cerebellum, the connectivity between the amygdala and the olfactory bulb, and the connectivity between the globus pallidus and the optic nerve. These connectivity alterations in brain regions are known to be linked to neurodevelopmental as well as psychiatric and behavioral disorders in humans. Therefore, we conclude that Top3β is essential for normal brain function and behavior in mice and that Top3β could be an interesting target to study neuropsychiatric disorders in humans.
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Dulman RS, Auta J, Wandling GM, Patwell R, Zhang H, Pandey SC. Persistence of cerebellar ataxia during chronic ethanol exposure is associated with epigenetic up-regulation of Fmr1 gene expression in rat cerebellum. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:2006-2016. [PMID: 34453331 PMCID: PMC8602769 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol intoxication produces ataxia by affecting the cerebellum, which coordinates movements. Fragile X mental retardation (FMR) protein is a complex regulator of RNA and synaptic plasticity implicated in fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome, which features ataxia and increased Fmr1 mRNA expression resulting from epigenetic dysregulation of FMRP. We recently demonstrated that acute ethanol-induced ataxia is associated with increased cerebellar Fmr1 gene expression via histone modifications in rats, but it is unknown whether similar behavioral and molecular changes occur following chronic ethanol exposure. Here, we investigated the effects of chronic ethanol exposure on ataxia and epigenetically regulated changes in Fmr1 expression in the cerebellum. METHODS Male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were trained on the accelerating rotarod and then fed with chronic ethanol or a control Lieber-DeCarli diet while undergoing periodic behavioral testing for ataxia during ethanol exposure and withdrawal. Cerebellar tissues were analyzed for expression of the Fmr1 gene and its targets using a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. The epigenetic regulation of Fmr1 was also investigated using a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. RESULTS Ataxic behavior measured by the accelerating rotarod behavioral test developed during chronic ethanol treatment and persisted at both the 8-h and 24-h withdrawal time points compared to control diet-fed rats. In addition, chronic ethanol treatment resulted in up-regulated expression of Fmr1 mRNA and increased activating epigenetic marks H3K27 acetylation and H3K4 trimethylation at 2 sites within the Fmr1 promoter. Finally, measurement of the expression of relevant FMRP mRNA targets in the cerebellum showed that chronic ethanol up-regulated cAMP response element binding (CREB) Creb1, Psd95, Grm5, and Grin2b mRNA expression without altering Grin2a, Eaa1, or histone acetyltransferases CREB binding protein (Cbp) or p300 mRNA transcripts. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that epigenetic regulation of Fmr1 and subsequent FMRP regulation of target mRNA transcripts constitute neuroadaptations in the cerebellum that may underlie the persistence of ataxic behavior during chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell S. Dulman
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60612 USA
| | - James Auta
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60612 USA
| | - Gabriela M. Wandling
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60612 USA
| | - Ryan Patwell
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60612 USA
| | - Huaibo Zhang
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60612 USA
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, 60612 USA
| | - Subhash C. Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60612 USA
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, 60612 USA
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Dionne O, Corbin F. A new strategy to uncover fragile X proteomic biomarkers using the nascent proteome of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Sci Rep 2021; 11:15148. [PMID: 34312401 PMCID: PMC8313568 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94027-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most prevalent inherited cause of intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. FXS result from the loss of expression of the FMRP protein, an RNA-binding protein that regulates the expression of key synaptic effectors. FXS is also characterized by a wide array of behavioural, cognitive and metabolic impairments. The severity and penetrance of those comorbidities are extremely variable, meaning that a considerable phenotypic heterogeneity is found among fragile X individuals. Unfortunately, clinicians currently have no tools at their disposal to assay a patient prognosis upon diagnosis. Since the absence of FMRP was repeatedly associated with an aberrant protein synthesis, we decided to study the nascent proteome in order to screen for potential proteomic biomarkers of FXS. We used a BONCAT (Biorthogonal Non-canonical Amino Acids Tagging) method coupled to label-free mass spectrometry to purify and quantify nascent proteins of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 7 fragile X male patients and 7 age-matched controls. The proteomic analysis identified several proteins which were either up or downregulated in PBMCs from FXS individuals. Eleven of those proteins were considered as potential biomarkers, of which 5 were further validated by Western blot. The gene ontology enrichment analysis highlighted molecular pathways that may contribute to FXS physiopathology. Our results suggest that the nascent proteome of PBMCs is well suited for the discovery of FXS biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Dionne
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomic, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke and Centre de Recherche du CHUS, CIUSSS de l'Estrie-CHUS, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
| | - François Corbin
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomic, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke and Centre de Recherche du CHUS, CIUSSS de l'Estrie-CHUS, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
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Côté V, Knoth IS, Agbogba K, Vannasing P, Côté L, Major P, Michaud JL, Barlaam F, Lippé S. Differential auditory brain response abnormalities in two intellectual disability conditions: SYNGAP1 mutations and Down syndrome. Clin Neurophysiol 2021; 132:1802-1812. [PMID: 34130248 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2021.03.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Altered sensory processing is common in intellectual disability (ID). Here, we study electroencephalographic responses to auditory stimulation in human subjects presenting a rare condition (mutations in SYNGAP1) which causes ID, epilepsy and autism. METHODS Auditory evoked potentials, time-frequency and inter-trial coherence analyses were used to compare subjects with SYNGAP1 mutations with Down syndrome (DS) and neurotypical (NT) participants (N = 61 ranging from three to 19 years of age). RESULTS Altered synchronization in the brain responses to sound were found in both ID groups. The SYNGAP1 mutations group showed less phase-locking in early time windows and lower frequency bands compared to NT, and in later time windows compared to NT and DS. Time-frequency analysis showed more power in beta-gamma in the SYNGAP1 group compared to NT participants. CONCLUSIONS This study indicated reduced synchronization as well as more high frequencies power in SYNGAP1 mutations, while maintained synchronization was found in the DS group. These results might reflect dysfunctional sensory information processing caused by excitation/inhibition imbalance, or an imperfect compensatory mechanism in SYNGAP1 mutations individuals. SIGNIFICANCE Our study is the first to reveal brain response abnormalities in auditory sensory processing in SYNGAP1 mutations individuals, that are distinct from DS, another ID condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Côté
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Québec, Canada; CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Inga S Knoth
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | | | - Lucie Côté
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Philippe Major
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Pediatrics and Neurosciences, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jacques L Michaud
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Pediatrics and Neurosciences, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Fanny Barlaam
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sarah Lippé
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Québec, Canada; CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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41
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Dionne O, Corbin F. An "Omic" Overview of Fragile X Syndrome. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:433. [PMID: 34068266 PMCID: PMC8153138 DOI: 10.3390/biology10050433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with a wide range of cognitive, behavioral and medical problems. It arises from the silencing of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene and, consequently, in the absence of its encoded protein, FMRP (fragile X mental retardation protein). FMRP is a ubiquitously expressed and multifunctional RNA-binding protein, primarily considered as a translational regulator. Pre-clinical studies of the past two decades have therefore focused on this function to relate FMRP's absence to the molecular mechanisms underlying FXS physiopathology. Based on these data, successful pharmacological strategies were developed to rescue fragile X phenotype in animal models. Unfortunately, these results did not translate into humans as clinical trials using same therapeutic approaches did not reach the expected outcomes. These failures highlight the need to put into perspective the different functions of FMRP in order to get a more comprehensive understanding of FXS pathophysiology. This work presents a review of FMRP's involvement on noteworthy molecular mechanisms that may ultimately contribute to various biochemical alterations composing the fragile X phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Dionne
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke and Centre de Recherche du CHUS, CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5H4, Canada;
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Sidorov MS, Kim H, Rougie M, Williams B, Siegel JJ, Gavornik JP, Philpot BD. Visual Sequences Drive Experience-Dependent Plasticity in Mouse Anterior Cingulate Cortex. Cell Rep 2021; 32:108152. [PMID: 32937128 PMCID: PMC7536640 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms of experience-dependent plasticity have been well characterized in mouse primary visual cortex (V1), including a form of potentiation driven by repeated presentations of a familiar visual sequence (“sequence plasticity”). The prefrontal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) responds to visual stimuli, yet little is known about if and how visual experience modifies ACC circuits. We find that mouse ACC exhibits sequence plasticity, but in contrast to V1, the plasticity expresses as a change in response timing, rather than a change in response magnitude. Sequence plasticity is absent in ACC, but not V1, in a mouse model of a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with intellectual disability and autism-like features. Our results demonstrate that simple sensory stimuli can be used to reveal how experience functionally (or dysfunctionally) modifies higher-order prefrontal circuits and suggest a divergence in how ACC and V1 encode familiarity. Sidorov et al. demonstrate that patterned visual input can drive experience-dependent plasticity in the timing of neural responses in mouse anterior cingulate cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Sidorov
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Pharmacology & Physiology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20052, USA.
| | - Hyojin Kim
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Marie Rougie
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Brittany Williams
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jennifer J Siegel
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Benjamin D Philpot
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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Ricci R, Colasante G. CRISPR/dCas9 as a Therapeutic Approach for Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Innovations and Limitations Compared to Traditional Strategies. Dev Neurosci 2021; 43:253-261. [PMID: 33940579 DOI: 10.1159/000515845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain development is a complex process that requires a series of precise and coordinated events to take place. When alterations in some of those events occur, neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) may appear, with their characteristic symptoms, including cognitive, social motor deficits, and epilepsy. While pharmacologic treatments have been the only therapeutic options for many years, more recently the research is turning to the direct removal of the underlying genetic cause of each specific NDD. This is possible thanks to the increased knowledge of genetic basis of those diseases and the enormous advances in genome-editing tools. Together with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9-based strategies, there is a great development also of nuclease defective Cas9 (dCas9) tools that, with an extreme flexibility, allow the recruitment of specific protein functions to the desired genomic sites. In this work, we review dCas9-based tools and discuss all the published applications in the setting of therapeutic approaches for NDDs at the preclinical level. In particular, dCas9-based therapeutic strategies for Dravet syndrome, transcallosal dysconnectivity caused by mutations in C11orf46 gene, and Fragile X syndrome are presented and discussed. A direct comparison with other possible therapeutic strategies, such as classic gene replacement or CRISPR/Cas9-based strategies, is provided. We also highlight not only those aspects that constitute a clear advantage compared to previous strategies but also the main technical hurdles related to their applications that need to be overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Ricci
- Stem Cell and Neurogenesis Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.,Translational and Molecular Medicine PhD Program, DIMET, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Gaia Colasante
- Stem Cell and Neurogenesis Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
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Cave JW, Willis DE. G-quadruplex regulation of neural gene expression. FEBS J 2021; 289:3284-3303. [PMID: 33905176 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
G-quadruplexes are four-stranded helical nucleic acid structures characterized by stacked tetrads of guanosine bases. These structures are widespread throughout mammalian genomic DNA and RNA transcriptomes, and prevalent across all tissues. The role of G-quadruplexes in cancer is well-established, but there has been a growing exploration of these structures in the development and homeostasis of normal tissue. In this review, we focus on the roles of G-quadruplexes in directing gene expression in the nervous system, including the regulation of gene transcription, mRNA processing, and trafficking, as well as protein translation. The role of G-quadruplexes and their molecular interactions in the pathology of neurological diseases is also examined. Outside of cancer, there has been only limited exploration of G-quadruplexes as potential intervention targets to treat disease or injury. We discuss studies that have used small-molecule ligands to manipulate G-quadruplex stability in order to treat disease or direct neural stem/progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation into therapeutically relevant cell types. Understanding the many roles that G-quadruplexes have in the nervous system not only provides critical insight into fundamental molecular mechanisms that control neurological function, but also provides opportunities to identify novel therapeutic targets to treat injury and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Cave
- InVitro Cell Research LLC, Englewood, NJ, USA
| | - Dianna E Willis
- Burke Neurological Institute, White Plains, NY, USA.,Feil Family Brain & Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Genetic removal of p70 S6K1 corrects coding sequence length-dependent alterations in mRNA translation in fragile X syndrome mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2001681118. [PMID: 33906942 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2001681118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) causes fragile X syndrome (FXS). FMRP is widely thought to repress protein synthesis, but its translational targets and modes of control remain in dispute. We previously showed that genetic removal of p70 S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) corrects altered protein synthesis as well as synaptic and behavioral phenotypes in FXS mice. In this study, we examined the gene specificity of altered messenger RNA (mRNA) translation in FXS and the mechanism of rescue with genetic reduction of S6K1 by carrying out ribosome profiling and RNA sequencing on cortical lysates from wild-type, FXS, S6K1 knockout, and double knockout mice. We observed reduced ribosome footprint (RF) abundance in the majority of differentially translated genes in the cortices of FXS mice. We used molecular assays to discover evidence that the reduction in RF abundance reflects an increased rate of ribosome translocation, which is captured as a decrease in the number of translating ribosomes at steady state and is normalized by inhibition of S6K1. We also found that genetic removal of S6K1 prevented a positive-to-negative gradation of alterations in translation efficiencies (RF/mRNA) with coding sequence length across mRNAs in FXS mouse cortices. Our findings reveal the identities of dysregulated mRNAs and a molecular mechanism by which reduction of S6K1 prevents altered translation in FXS.
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Perrone-Capano C, Volpicelli F, Penna E, Chun JT, Crispino M. Presynaptic protein synthesis and brain plasticity: From physiology to neuropathology. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 202:102051. [PMID: 33845165 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
To form and maintain extremely intricate and functional neural circuitry, mammalian neurons are typically endowed with highly arborized dendrites and a long axon. The synapses that link neurons to neurons or to other cells are numerous and often too remote for the cell body to make and deliver new proteins to the right place in time. Moreover, synapses undergo continuous activity-dependent changes in their number and strength, establishing the basis of neural plasticity. The innate dilemma is then how a highly complex neuron provides new proteins for its cytoplasmic periphery and individual synapses to support synaptic plasticity. Here, we review a growing body of evidence that local protein synthesis in discrete sites of the axon and presynaptic terminals plays crucial roles in synaptic plasticity, and that deregulation of this local translation system is implicated in various pathologies of the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Perrone-Capano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "Adriano Buzzati Traverso", CNR, Naples, Italy.
| | | | - Eduardo Penna
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
| | - Jong Tai Chun
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy.
| | - Marianna Crispino
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
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Wilkinson CL, Nelson CA. Increased aperiodic gamma power in young boys with Fragile X Syndrome is associated with better language ability. Mol Autism 2021; 12:17. [PMID: 33632320 PMCID: PMC7908768 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00425-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The lack of robust and reliable clinical biomarkers in Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), the most common inherited form of intellectual disability, has limited the successful translation of bench-to-bedside therapeutics. While numerous drugs have shown promise in reversing synaptic and behavioral phenotypes in mouse models of FXS, none have demonstrated clinical efficacy in humans. Electroencephalographic (EEG) measures have been identified as candidate biomarkers as EEG recordings of both adults with FXS and mouse models of FXS consistently exhibit alterations in resting state and task-related activity. However, the developmental timing of these EEG differences is not known as thus far EEG studies have not focused on young children with FXS. Further, understanding how EEG differences are associated with core symptoms of FXS is crucial to successful use of EEG as a biomarker, and may improve our understanding of the disorder. Methods Resting-state EEG was collected from FXS boys with full mutation of Fmr1 (2.5–7 years old, n = 11) and compared with both age-matched (n = 12) and cognitive-matched (n = 12) typically developing boys. Power spectra (including aperiodic and periodic components) were compared using non-parametric cluster-based permutation testing. Associations between 30 and 50 Hz gamma power and cognitive, language, and behavioral measures were evaluated using Pearson correlation and linear regression with age as a covariate. Results FXS participants showed increased power in the beta/gamma range (~ 25–50 Hz) across multiple brain regions. Both a reduction in the aperiodic (1/f) slope and increase in beta/gamma periodic activity contributed to the significant increase in high-frequency power. Increased gamma power, driven by the aperiodic component, was associated with better language ability in the FXS group. No association was observed between gamma power and parent report measures of behavioral challenges, sensory hypersensitivities, or adaptive behaviors. Limitations The study sample size was small, although comparable to other human studies in rare-genetic disorders. Findings are also limited to males in the age range studied. Conclusions Resting-state EEG measures from this study in young boys with FXS identified similar increases in gamma power previously reported in adults and mouse models. The observed positive association between resting state aperiodic gamma power and language development supports hypotheses that alterations in some EEG measures may reflect ongoing compensatory mechanisms. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-021-00425-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol L Wilkinson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 1 Autumn Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 1 Autumn Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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Saldarriaga-Gil W, Cabal-Herrera AM, Fandiño-Losada A, Vásquez A, Hagerman R, Tassone F. Inequities in diagnosis of Fragile X syndrome in Colombia. JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES 2021; 34:830-839. [PMID: 33538083 DOI: 10.1111/jar.12863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In Colombia, there are no screening or testing protocols established for the diagnosis of FXS. In this study, we aimed to describe the diagnostic trends of FXS in Colombia. METHODS Data were included on 1322 individuals obtained based on data from the only 2 databases available. Sociodemographic information and data related to the diagnostic process were obtained and included in this study. RESULTS The average age at the time of diagnosis for individuals with the full mutation (FM) was of 26.9 ± 2.57 years and was strongly dependent on sex and socioeconomic status. Most individuals with a molecular diagnosis were from the main cities. CONCLUSION The overall age of diagnosis of FXS is later in life than reports from other countries. Restricted access to molecular testing through the national health system might explain this discrepancy in Colombia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilmar Saldarriaga-Gil
- Group on Congenital Malformations and Dysmorphology, Faculty of Health, Universidad del Valle, Hospital Universitario del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Ana Maria Cabal-Herrera
- Group on Congenital Malformations and Dysmorphology, Faculty of Health, Universidad del Valle, Hospital Universitario del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Andrés Fandiño-Losada
- Group on Congenital Malformations and Dysmorphology, Faculty of Health, Universidad del Valle, Hospital Universitario del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Andrés Vásquez
- Group on Congenital Malformations and Dysmorphology, Faculty of Health, Universidad del Valle, Hospital Universitario del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Randi Hagerman
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Flora Tassone
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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The Na +-activated K + channel Slack contributes to synaptic development and plasticity. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:7569-7587. [PMID: 34664085 PMCID: PMC8629810 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03953-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Human mutations of the Na+-activated K+ channel Slack (KCNT1) are associated with epilepsy and intellectual disability. Accordingly, Slack knockout mice (Slack-/-) exhibit cognitive flexibility deficits in distinct behavioral tasks. So far, however, the underlying causes as well as the role of Slack in hippocampus-dependent memory functions remain enigmatic. We now report that infant (P6-P14) Slack-/- lack both hippocampal LTD and LTP, likely due to impaired NMDA receptor (NMDAR) signaling. Postsynaptic GluN2B levels are reduced in infant Slack-/-, evidenced by lower amplitudes of NMDAR-meditated excitatory postsynaptic potentials. Low GluN2B affected NMDAR-mediated Ca2+-influx, rendering cultured hippocampal Slack-/-neurons highly insensitive to the GluN2B-specific inhibitor Ro 25-6981. Furthermore, dephosphorylation of the AMPA receptor (AMPAR) subunit GluA1 at S845, which is involved in AMPAR endocytosis during homeostatic and neuromodulator-regulated plasticity, is reduced after chemical LTD (cLTD) in infant Slack-/-. We additionally detect a lack of mGluR-induced LTD in infant Slack-/-, possibly caused by upregulation of the recycling endosome-associated small GTPase Rab4 which might accelerate AMPAR recycling from early endosomes. Interestingly, LTP and mGluR LTD, but not LTD and S845 dephosphorylation after cLTD are restored in adult Slack-/-. This together with normalized expression levels of GluN2B and Rab4 hints to developmental "restoration" of LTP expression despite Slack ablation, whereas in infant and adult brain, NMDAR-dependent LTD induction depends on this channel. Based on the present findings, NMDAR and vesicular transport might represent novel targets for the therapy of intellectual disability associated with Slack mutations. Consequently, careful modulation of hippocampal Slack activity should also improve learning abilities.
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Glutamatergic Dysfunction and Synaptic Ultrastructural Alterations in Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence from Human and Rodent Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010059. [PMID: 33374598 PMCID: PMC7793137 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The correlation between dysfunction in the glutamatergic system and neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder, is undisputed. Both disorders are associated with molecular and ultrastructural alterations that affect synaptic plasticity and thus the molecular and physiological basis of learning and memory. Altered synaptic plasticity, accompanied by changes in protein synthesis and trafficking of postsynaptic proteins, as well as structural modifications of excitatory synapses, are critically involved in the postnatal development of the mammalian nervous system. In this review, we summarize glutamatergic alterations and ultrastructural changes in synapses in schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder of genetic or drug-related origin, and briefly comment on the possible reversibility of these neuropsychiatric disorders in the light of findings in regular synaptic physiology.
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