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Wu S, Wang J, Zhang Z, Jin X, Xu Y, Si Y, Liang Y, Ge Y, Zhan H, Peng L, Bi W, Luo D, Li M, Meng B, Guan Q, Zhao J, Gao L, He Z. Shank3 deficiency elicits autistic-like behaviors by activating p38α in hypothalamic AgRP neurons. Mol Autism 2024; 15:14. [PMID: 38570876 PMCID: PMC10993499 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00595-4] [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: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains protein 3 (SHANK3) monogenic mutations or deficiency leads to excessive stereotypic behavior and impaired sociability, which frequently occur in autism cases. To date, the underlying mechanisms by which Shank3 mutation or deletion causes autism and the part of the brain in which Shank3 mutation leads to the autistic phenotypes are understudied. The hypothalamus is associated with stereotypic behavior and sociability. p38α, a mediator of inflammatory responses in the brain, has been postulated as a potential gene for certain cases of autism occurrence. However, it is unclear whether hypothalamus and p38α are involved in the development of autism caused by Shank3 mutations or deficiency. METHODS Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis and immunoblotting were used to assess alternated signaling pathways in the hypothalamus of Shank3 knockout (Shank3-/-) mice. Home-Cage real-time monitoring test was performed to record stereotypic behavior and three-chamber test was used to monitor the sociability of mice. Adeno-associated viruses 9 (AAV9) were used to express p38α in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) or agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons. D176A and F327S mutations expressed constitutively active p38α. T180A and Y182F mutations expressed inactive p38α. RESULTS We found that Shank3 controls stereotypic behavior and sociability by regulating p38α activity in AgRP neurons. Phosphorylated p38 level in hypothalamus is significantly enhanced in Shank3-/- mice. Consistently, overexpression of p38α in ARC or AgRP neurons elicits excessive stereotypic behavior and impairs sociability in wild-type (WT) mice. Notably, activated p38α in AgRP neurons increases stereotypic behavior and impairs sociability. Conversely, inactivated p38α in AgRP neurons significantly ameliorates autistic behaviors of Shank3-/- mice. In contrast, activated p38α in pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons does not affect stereotypic behavior and sociability in mice. LIMITATIONS We demonstrated that SHANK3 regulates the phosphorylated p38 level in the hypothalamus and inactivated p38α in AgRP neurons significantly ameliorates autistic behaviors of Shank3-/- mice. However, we did not clarify the biochemical mechanism of SHANK3 inhibiting p38α in AgRP neurons. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that the Shank3 deficiency caused autistic-like behaviors by activating p38α signaling in AgRP neurons, suggesting that p38α signaling in AgRP neurons is a potential therapeutic target for Shank3 mutant-related autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Wu
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital & Medical Integration, and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Clinical Research Center of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Prevention and Control Engineering Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital & Medical Integration, and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Clinical Research Center of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Prevention and Control Engineering Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Zicheng Zhang
- School of Modern Posts, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210009, China
| | - Xinchen Jin
- Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Yang Xu
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital & Medical Integration, and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Clinical Research Center of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Prevention and Control Engineering Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Youwen Si
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences,East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Yixiao Liang
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital & Medical Integration, and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Clinical Research Center of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Prevention and Control Engineering Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Yueping Ge
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital & Medical Integration, and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Clinical Research Center of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Prevention and Control Engineering Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Huidong Zhan
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital & Medical Integration, and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Clinical Research Center of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Prevention and Control Engineering Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Li Peng
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital & Medical Integration, and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Clinical Research Center of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Prevention and Control Engineering Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Wenkai Bi
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital & Medical Integration, and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Clinical Research Center of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Prevention and Control Engineering Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Dandan Luo
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital & Medical Integration, and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Clinical Research Center of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Prevention and Control Engineering Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Mengzhu Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital & Medical Integration, and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Clinical Research Center of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Prevention and Control Engineering Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Bo Meng
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences,East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Qingbo Guan
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital & Medical Integration, and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Clinical Research Center of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Prevention and Control Engineering Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Jiajun Zhao
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital & Medical Integration, and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Clinical Research Center of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Prevention and Control Engineering Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Ling Gao
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital & Medical Integration, and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Clinical Research Center of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Prevention and Control Engineering Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Zhao He
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital & Medical Integration, and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China.
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Clinical Research Center of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Prevention and Control Engineering Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chinese National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, The State and Shandong Province Joint Key Laboratory of Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China.
- Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, 544 Jingsi Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China.
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2
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Tener SJ, Lin Z, Park SJ, Oraedu K, Ulgherait M, Van Beek E, Martínez-Muñiz A, Pantalia M, Gatto JA, Volpi J, Stavropoulos N, Ja WW, Canman JC, Shirasu-Hiza M. Neuronal knockdown of Cullin3 as a Drosophila model of autism spectrum disorder. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1541. [PMID: 38233464 PMCID: PMC10794434 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51657-9] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in Cullin-3 (Cul3), a conserved gene encoding a ubiquitin ligase, are strongly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we characterize ASD-related pathologies caused by neuron-specific Cul3 knockdown in Drosophila. We confirmed that neuronal Cul3 knockdown causes short sleep, paralleling sleep disturbances in ASD. Because sleep defects and ASD are linked to metabolic dysregulation, we tested the starvation response of neuronal Cul3 knockdown flies; they starved faster and had lower triacylglyceride levels than controls, suggesting defects in metabolic homeostasis. ASD is also characterized by increased biomarkers of oxidative stress; we found that neuronal Cul3 knockdown increased sensitivity to hyperoxia, an exogenous oxidative stress. Additional hallmarks of ASD are deficits in social interactions and learning. Using a courtship suppression assay that measures social interactions and memory of prior courtship, we found that neuronal Cul3 knockdown reduced courtship and learning compared to controls. Finally, we found that neuronal Cul3 depletion alters the anatomy of the mushroom body, a brain region required for memory and sleep. Taken together, the ASD-related phenotypes of neuronal Cul3 knockdown flies establish these flies as a genetic model to study molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying ASD pathology, including metabolic and oxidative stress dysregulation and neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Tener
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Zhi Lin
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Scarlet J Park
- Department of Neuroscience, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Kairaluchi Oraedu
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Matthew Ulgherait
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Emily Van Beek
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Andrés Martínez-Muñiz
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Meghan Pantalia
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Jared A Gatto
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Julia Volpi
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | | | - William W Ja
- Department of Neuroscience, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Julie C Canman
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Mimi Shirasu-Hiza
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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3
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Murari K, Abushaibah A, Rho JM, Turner RW, Cheng N. A clinically relevant selective ERK-pathway inhibitor reverses core deficits in a mouse model of autism. EBioMedicine 2023; 91:104565. [PMID: 37088035 PMCID: PMC10149189 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104565] [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: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK/MAPK) pathway in the brain is hypothesized to be a critical convergent node in the development of autism spectrum disorder. We reasoned that selectively targeting this pathway could reverse core autism-like phenotype in animal models. METHODS Here we tested a clinically relevant, selective inhibitor of ERK pathway, PD325901 (Mirdametinib), in a mouse model of idiopathic autism, the BTBR mice. FINDINGS We report that treating juvenile mice with PD325901 reduced ERK pathway activation, dose and duration-dependently reduced core disease-modeling deficits in sociability, vocalization and repetitive behavior, and reversed abnormal EEG signals. Further analysis revealed that subchronic treatment did not affect weight gain, locomotion, or neuronal density in the brain. Parallel treatment in the C57BL/6J mice did not alter their phenotype. INTERPRETATION Our data indicate that selectively inhibiting ERK pathway using PD325901 is beneficial in the BTBR model, thus further support the notion that ERK pathway is critically involved in the pathophysiology of autism. These results suggest that a similar approach could be applied to animal models of syndromic autism with dysregulated ERK signaling, to further test selectively targeting ERK pathway as a new approach for treating autism. FUNDING This has beenwork was supported by Alberta Children's Hospital Research Foundation (JMR & NC), University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (NC), Kids Brain Health Network (NC), and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kartikeya Murari
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Canada; Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Canada
| | - Abdulrahman Abushaibah
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Bachelor of Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada
| | - Jong M Rho
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada
| | - Ray W Turner
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada
| | - Ning Cheng
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada.
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Identification of the common neurobiological process disturbed in genetic and non-genetic models for autism spectrum disorders. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:589. [PMID: 36371739 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04617-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders. Genetic factors, along with non-genetic triggers, have been shown to play a causative role. Despite the various causes, a triad of common symptoms defines individuals with ASD; pervasive social impairments, impaired social communication, and repeated sensory-motor behaviors. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that different genetic and environmental factors converge on a single hypothetical neurobiological process that determines these behaviors. However, the cellular and subcellular signature of this process is, so far, not well understood. Here, we performed a comparative study using "omics" approaches to identify altered proteins and, thereby, biological processes affected in ASD. In this study, we mined publicly available repositories for genetic mouse model data sets, identifying six that were suitable, and compared them with in-house derived proteomics data from prenatal zinc (Zn)-deficient mice, a non-genetic mouse model with ASD-like behavior. Findings derived from these comparisons were further validated using in vitro neuronal cell culture models for ASD. We could show that a protein network, centered on VAMP2, STX1A, RAB3A, CPLX2, and AKAP5, is a key convergence point mediating synaptic vesicle release and recycling, a process affected across all analyzed models. Moreover, we demonstrated that Zn availability has predictable functional effects on synaptic vesicle release in line with the alteration of proteins in this network. In addition, drugs that target kinases, reported to regulate key proteins in this network, similarly impacted the proteins' levels and distribution. We conclude that altered synaptic stability and plasticity through abnormal synaptic vesicle dynamics and function may be the common neurobiological denominator of the shared behavioral abnormalities in ASD and, therefore, a prime drug target for developing therapeutic strategies.
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Sun L, Wang X, Wang X, Cui X, Li G, Wang L, Wang L, Song M, Yu L. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of autism spectrum disorder. Psychiatr Genet 2022; 32:131-145. [PMID: 35353793 DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0000000000000314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed to identify differentially methylated genes and related signaling pathways in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS First, the DNA methylation profile in the brain samples (GSE131706 and GSE80017) and peripheral blood samples (GSE109905) was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO) dataset, followed by identification of differentially methylated genes and functional analysis. Second, the GSE109905 data set was used to further validate the methylation state and test the ability to diagnose disease of identified differentially methylated genes. Third, expression measurement of selected differentially methylated genes was performed in whole blood from an independent sample. Finally, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of core differentially methylated genes was constructed. RESULTS Totally, 74 differentially methylated genes were identified in ASD, including 38 hypermethylated genes and 36 hypomethylated genes. 15 differentially methylated genes were further identified after validation in the GSE109905 data set. Among these, major histocompatibility complex (HLA)-DQA1 was involved in the molecular function of myosin heavy chain class II receptor activity; HLA-DRB5 was involved in the signaling pathways of cell adhesion molecules, Epstein-Barr virus infection and antigen processing and presentation. In the PPI analysis, the interaction pairs of HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DRB5, FMN2 and ACTR3, and CALCOCO2 and BAZ2B were identified. Interestingly, FMN2, BAZ2B, HLA-DRB5, CALCOCO2 and DUSP22 had a potential diagnostic value for patients with ASD. The expression result of four differentially methylated genes (HLA-DRB5, NTM, IL16 and COL5A3) in the independent sample was consistent with the integrated analysis. CONCLUSIONS Identified differentially methylated genes and enriched signaling pathway could be associated with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Sun
- Mental Health Center, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University
- Medical Department
| | - Xueyi Wang
- Mental Health Center, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University
| | - Xia Wang
- Child Health Department (Psychological Behavior Department)
| | | | | | - Le Wang
- Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Hebei Province, China
| | - Lan Wang
- Mental Health Center, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University
| | - Mei Song
- Mental Health Center, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University
| | - Lulu Yu
- Mental Health Center, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University
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6
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Falk EN, Norman KJ, Garkun Y, Demars MP, Im S, Taccheri G, Short J, Caro K, McCraney SE, Cho C, Smith MR, Lin HM, Koike H, Bateh J, Maccario P, Waltrip L, Janis M, Morishita H. Nicotinic regulation of local and long-range input balance drives top-down attentional circuit maturation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabe1527. [PMID: 33674307 PMCID: PMC7935362 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe1527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive function depends on frontal cortex development; however, the mechanisms driving this process are poorly understood. Here, we identify that dynamic regulation of the nicotinic cholinergic system is a key driver of attentional circuit maturation associated with top-down frontal neurons projecting to visual cortex. The top-down neurons receive robust cholinergic inputs, but their nicotinic tone decreases following adolescence by increasing expression of a nicotinic brake, Lynx1 Lynx1 shifts a balance between local and long-range inputs onto top-down frontal neurons following adolescence and promotes the establishment of attentional behavior in adulthood. This key maturational process is disrupted in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome but was rescued by a suppression of nicotinic tone through the introduction of Lynx1 in top-down projections. Nicotinic signaling may serve as a target to rebalance local/long-range balance and treat cognitive deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa N Falk
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Kevin J Norman
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Yury Garkun
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Michael P Demars
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Susanna Im
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Giulia Taccheri
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jenna Short
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Keaven Caro
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Sarah E McCraney
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Christina Cho
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Milo R Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Hung-Mo Lin
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Hiroyuki Koike
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Julia Bateh
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Priscilla Maccario
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Leah Waltrip
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Meaghan Janis
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Hirofumi Morishita
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA.
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
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7
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Smith AM, Natowicz MR, Braas D, Ludwig MA, Ney DM, Donley ELR, Burrier RE, Amaral DG. A Metabolomics Approach to Screening for Autism Risk in the Children's Autism Metabolome Project. Autism Res 2020; 13:1270-1285. [PMID: 32558271 PMCID: PMC7496373 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is biologically and behaviorally heterogeneous. Delayed diagnosis of ASD is common and problematic. The complexity of ASD and the low sensitivity of available screening tools are key factors in delayed diagnosis. Identification of biomarkers that reduce complexity through stratification into reliable subpopulations can assist in earlier diagnosis, provide insight into the biology of ASD, and potentially suggest targeted interventions. Quantitative metabolomic analysis was performed on plasma samples from 708 fasting children, aged 18 to 48 months, enrolled in the Children's Autism Metabolome Project (CAMP). The primary goal was to identify alterations in metabolism helpful in stratifying ASD subjects into subpopulations with shared metabolic phenotypes (i.e., metabotypes). Metabotypes associated with ASD were identified in a discovery set of 357 subjects. The reproducibility of the metabotypes was validated in an independent replication set of 351 CAMP subjects. Thirty-four candidate metabotypes that differentiated subsets of ASD from typically developing participants were identified with sensitivity of at least 5% and specificity greater than 95%. The 34 metabotypes formed six metabolic clusters based on ratios of either lactate or pyruvate, succinate, glycine, ornithine, 4-hydroxyproline, or α-ketoglutarate with other metabolites. Optimization of a subset of new and previously defined metabotypes into a screening battery resulted in 53% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI], 48%-57%) and 91% specificity (95% CI, 86%-94%). Thus, our metabolomic screening tool detects more than 50% of the autistic participants in the CAMP study. Further development of this metabolomic screening approach may facilitate earlier referral and diagnosis of ASD and, ultimately, more targeted treatments. LAY SUMMARY: Analysis of a selected set of metabolites in blood samples from children with autism and typically developing children identified reproducible differences in the metabolism of about half of the children with autism. Testing for these differences in blood samples can be used to help screen children as young as 18 months for risk of autism that, in turn, can facilitate earlier diagnoses. In addition, differences may lead to biological insights that produce more precise treatment options. We are exploring other blood-based molecules to determine if still a higher percentage of children with autism can be detected using this strategy. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1270-1285. © 2020 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan M Smith
- Stemina Biomarker Discovery, Inc, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Marvin R Natowicz
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Genomics, Neurology, and Pediatrics Institutes, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Daniel Braas
- Stemina Biomarker Discovery, Inc, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Denise M Ney
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | | | - David G Amaral
- The MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
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8
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Freitas BC, Beltrão-Braga PCB, Marchetto MC. Modeling Inflammation on Neurodevelopmental Disorders Using Pluripotent Stem Cells. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 25:207-218. [PMID: 32578148 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-45493-7_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (ND) are characterized by an impairment of the nervous system during its development, with a wide variety of phenotypes based on genetic or environmental cues. There are currently several disorders grouped under ND including intellectual disabilities (ID), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although NDs can have multiple culprits with varied diagnostics, several NDs present an inflammatory component. Taking advantage of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), several disorders were modeled in a dish complementing in vivo data from rodent models or clinical data. Monogenic syndromes displaying ND are more feasible to be modeled using iPSCs also due to the ability to recruit patients and clinical data available. Some of these genetic disorders are Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), Rett Syndrome (RTT), and Down Syndrome (DS). Environmental NDs can be caused by maternal immune activation (MIA), such as the infection with Zika virus during pregnancy known to cause neural damage to the fetus. Our goal in this chapter is to review the advances of using stem cell research in NDs, focusing on the role of neuroinflammation on ASD and environmental NDs studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz C Freitas
- Laboratory of Disease Modeling, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Patricia C B Beltrão-Braga
- Laboratory of Disease Modeling, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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9
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Szczurkowska J, Pischedda F, Pinto B, Managò F, Haas CA, Summa M, Bertorelli R, Papaleo F, Schäfer MK, Piccoli G, Cancedda L. NEGR1 and FGFR2 cooperatively regulate cortical development and core behaviours related to autism disorders in mice. Brain 2019; 141:2772-2794. [PMID: 30059965 PMCID: PMC6113639 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders are neurodevelopmental conditions with diverse aetiologies, all characterized by common core symptoms such as impaired social skills and communication, as well as repetitive behaviour. Cell adhesion molecules, receptor tyrosine kinases and associated downstream signalling have been strongly implicated in both neurodevelopment and autism spectrum disorders. We found that downregulation of the cell adhesion molecule NEGR1 or the receptor tyrosine kinase fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) similarly affects neuronal migration and spine density during mouse cortical development in vivo and results in impaired core behaviours related to autism spectrum disorders. Mechanistically, NEGR1 physically interacts with FGFR2 and modulates FGFR2-dependent extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and protein kinase B (AKT) signalling by decreasing FGFR2 degradation from the plasma membrane. Accordingly, FGFR2 overexpression rescues all defects due to Negr1 knockdown in vivo. Negr1 knockout mice present phenotypes similar to Negr1-downregulated animals. These data indicate that NEGR1 and FGFR2 cooperatively regulate cortical development and suggest a role for defective NEGR1-FGFR2 complex and convergent downstream ERK and AKT signalling in autism spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Szczurkowska
- Local Micro-environment and Brain Development Laboratory, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, Italy.,Università degli Studi di Genova, Via Balbi, 5, Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesca Pischedda
- Laboratory of Biology of Synapse. Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Bruno Pinto
- Local Micro-environment and Brain Development Laboratory, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, Italy.,Bio@SNS, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Managò
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, Italy
| | - Carola A Haas
- Experimental Epilepsy Research, Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Maria Summa
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, Italy
| | - Rosalia Bertorelli
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, Italy
| | - Michael K Schäfer
- Department of Anesthesiology and Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany
| | - Giovanni Piccoli
- Laboratory of Biology of Synapse. Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy.,Dulbecco Telethon Institute, Varese Street 16b - 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Cancedda
- Local Micro-environment and Brain Development Laboratory, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, Italy.,Dulbecco Telethon Institute, Varese Street 16b - 00185 Rome, Italy
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10
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Sanfeliu A, Kaufmann WE, Gill M, Guasoni P, Tropea D. Transcriptomic Studies in Mouse Models of Rett Syndrome: A Review. Neuroscience 2019; 413:183-205. [PMID: 31229631 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Rett Syndrome (RTT) is a neurological disorder mainly associated with mutations in the X-linked gene coding for the methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2). To assist in studying MECP2's function, researchers have generated Mecp2 mouse mutants showing that MECP2's product (MeCP2) mostly functions as a transcriptional regulator. During the last two decades, these models have been used to determine the genes that are regulated by MeCP2, slowly dissecting the etiological mechanisms underlying RTT. In the present review, we describe the findings of these transcriptomic studies, and highlight differences between them, and discuss how studies on these genetic models can sharpen our understanding of the human disorder. We conclude that - while there's large variability regarding the number of differentially expressed genes identified - there are overlapping features that inform on the biology of RTT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Sanfeliu
- Neuropsychiatric Genetics, School of Medicine, Trinity Center for Health Sciences, St James Hospital D8, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Walter E Kaufmann
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine and Department of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Michael Gill
- Neuropsychiatric Genetics, School of Medicine, Trinity Center for Health Sciences, St James Hospital D8, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Paolo Guasoni
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, D9, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Daniela Tropea
- Neuropsychiatric Genetics, School of Medicine, Trinity Center for Health Sciences, St James Hospital D8, Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Lloyd Building, D2, Dublin, Ireland.
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11
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Zhang-James Y, Vaudel M, Mjaavatten O, Berven FS, Haavik J, Faraone SV. Effect of disease-associated SLC9A9 mutations on protein-protein interaction networks: implications for molecular mechanisms for ADHD and autism. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 11:91-105. [PMID: 30927234 DOI: 10.1007/s12402-018-0281-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Na+/H+ Exchanger 9 (NHE9) is an endosomal membrane protein encoded by the Solute Carrier 9A, member 9 gene (SLC9A9). SLC9A9 has been implicated in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and cancers. To better understand the function of NHE9 and the effects of disease-associated variants on protein-protein interactions, we conducted a quantitative analysis of the NHE9 interactome using co-immunoprecipitation and isobaric labeling-based quantitative mass spectrometry. We identified 100 proteins that interact with NHE9. These proteins were enriched in known functional pathways for NHE9: the endocytosis, protein ubiquitination and phagosome pathways, as well as some novel pathways including oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, mTOR signaling, cell death and RNA processing pathways. An ADHD-associated mutation (A409P) significantly altered NHE9's interactions with a subset of proteins involved in caveolae-mediated endocytosis and MAP2K2-mediated downstream signaling. An ASD nonsense mutation in SLC9A9, R423X, produced no-detectable amount of NHE9, suggesting the overall loss of NHE9 functional networks. In addition, seven of the NHE9 interactors are products of known autism candidate genes (Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, SFARI Gene) and 90% of the NHE9 interactome overlap with SFARI protein interaction network PIN (p < 0.0001), supporting the role of NHE9 interactome in ASDs molecular mechanisms. Our results provide a detailed understanding of the functions of protein NHE9 and its disrupted interactions, possibly underlying ADHD and ASDs. Furthermore, our methodological framework proved useful for functional characterization of disease-associated genetic variants and suggestion of druggable targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanli Zhang-James
- Departments of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams St., Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Marc Vaudel
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Olav Mjaavatten
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Frode S Berven
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Jan Haavik
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,K.G. Jebsen Centre for Research on Neuropsychiatric Disorders, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Stephen V Faraone
- Departments of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams St., Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA. .,Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams St., Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA.
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12
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Zhang-James Y, Fernàndez-Castillo N, Hess JL, Malki K, Glatt SJ, Cormand B, Faraone SV. An integrated analysis of genes and functional pathways for aggression in human and rodent models. Mol Psychiatry 2019; 24:1655-1667. [PMID: 29858598 PMCID: PMC6274606 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0068-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Human genome-wide association studies (GWAS), transcriptome analyses of animal models, and candidate gene studies have advanced our understanding of the genetic architecture of aggressive behaviors. However, each of these methods presents unique limitations. To generate a more confident and comprehensive view of the complex genetics underlying aggression, we undertook an integrated, cross-species approach. We focused on human and rodent models to derive eight gene lists from three main categories of genetic evidence: two sets of genes identified in GWAS studies, four sets implicated by transcriptome-wide studies of rodent models, and two sets of genes with causal evidence from online Mendelian inheritance in man (OMIM) and knockout (KO) mice reports. These gene sets were evaluated for overlap and pathway enrichment to extract their similarities and differences. We identified enriched common pathways such as the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathway, axon guidance, reelin signaling in neurons, and ERK/MAPK signaling. Also, individual genes were ranked based on their cumulative weights to quantify their importance as risk factors for aggressive behavior, which resulted in 40 top-ranked and highly interconnected genes. The results of our cross-species and integrated approach provide insights into the genetic etiology of aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanli Zhang-James
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Noèlia Fernàndez-Castillo
- 0000 0004 1937 0247grid.5841.8Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain ,0000 0004 1791 1185grid.452372.5Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain ,0000 0004 1937 0247grid.5841.8Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Catalonia, Spain ,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Jonathan L Hess
- 0000 0000 9159 4457grid.411023.5Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, NY USA
| | - Karim Malki
- 0000 0001 2322 6764grid.13097.3cKing’s College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IOPPN), London, UK
| | - Stephen J Glatt
- 0000 0000 9159 4457grid.411023.5Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, NY USA ,0000 0000 9159 4457grid.411023.5Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, NY USA
| | - Bru Cormand
- 0000 0004 1937 0247grid.5841.8Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain ,0000 0004 1791 1185grid.452372.5Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain ,0000 0004 1937 0247grid.5841.8Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Catalonia, Spain ,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Stephen V Faraone
- 0000 0000 9159 4457grid.411023.5Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, NY USA ,0000 0000 9159 4457grid.411023.5Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, NY USA ,0000 0004 1936 7443grid.7914.bK.G. Jebsen Centre for Research on Neuropsychiatric Disorders, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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13
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Murphy E, Benítez-Burraco A. Toward the Language Oscillogenome. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1999. [PMID: 30405489 PMCID: PMC6206218 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Language has been argued to arise, both ontogenetically and phylogenetically, from specific patterns of brain wiring. We argue that it can further be shown that core features of language processing emerge from particular phasal and cross-frequency coupling properties of neural oscillations; what has been referred to as the language ‘oscillome.’ It is expected that basic aspects of the language oscillome result from genetic guidance, what we will here call the language ‘oscillogenome,’ for which we will put forward a list of candidate genes. We have considered genes for altered brain rhythmicity in conditions involving language deficits: autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, specific language impairment and dyslexia. These selected genes map on to aspects of brain function, particularly on to neurotransmitter function. We stress that caution should be adopted in the construction of any oscillogenome, given the range of potential roles particular localized frequency bands have in cognition. Our aim is to propose a set of genome-to-language linking hypotheses that, given testing, would grant explanatory power to brain rhythms with respect to language processing and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Murphy
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish Language, Linguistics and Literary Theory, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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14
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In Vivo and In Vitro Neuronal Plasticity Modulation by Epigenetic Regulators. J Mol Neurosci 2018; 65:301-311. [PMID: 29931501 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-018-1101-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal stress (PS) induces molecular changes that alter neural connectivity, increasing the risk for neuropsychiatric disorders. Here we analyzed -in the hippocampus of adult rats exposed to PS- the epigenetic signature mediating the PS-induced neuroplasticity changes. Furthermore, using cultured hippocampal neurons, we investigated the effects on neuroplasticity of an epigenetic modulator. PS induced significant modifications in the mRNA levels of stress-related transcription factor MEF2A, SUV39H1 histone methyltransferase, and TET1 hydroxylase, indicating that PS modifies gene expression through chromatin remodeling. In in vitro analysis, histone acetylation inhibition with apicidin increased filopodium density, suggesting that the external regulation of acetylation levels might modulate neuronal morphology. These results offer a way to enhance neural connectivity that could be considered to revert PS effects.
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15
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Freitas BC, Mei A, Mendes APD, Beltrão-Braga PCB, Marchetto MC. Modeling Inflammation in Autism Spectrum Disorders Using Stem Cells. Front Pediatr 2018; 6:394. [PMID: 30619789 PMCID: PMC6299043 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2018.00394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent reports show an increase in the incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to 1 in every 59 children up to 8 years old in 11 states in North America. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology offers a groundbreaking platform for the study of polygenic neurodevelopmental disorders in live cells. Robust inflammation states and immune system dysfunctions are associated with ASD and several cell types participate on triggering and sustaining these processes. In this review, we will examine the contribution of neuroinflammation to the development of autistic features and discuss potential therapeutic approaches. We will review the available tools, emphasizing stem cell modeling as a technology to investigate the various molecular pathways and different cell types involved in the process of neuroinflammation in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz C Freitas
- Laboratory of Disease Modeling, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Arianna Mei
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | - Patricia C B Beltrão-Braga
- Laboratory of Disease Modeling, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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16
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Zhang S, Deng L, Jia Q, Huang S, Gu J, Zhou F, Gao M, Sun X, Feng C, Fan G. dbMDEGA: a database for meta-analysis of differentially expressed genes in autism spectrum disorder. BMC Bioinformatics 2017; 18:494. [PMID: 29145823 PMCID: PMC5691387 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-017-1915-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are hereditary, heterogeneous and biologically complex neurodevelopmental disorders. Individual studies on gene expression in ASD cannot provide clear consensus conclusions. Therefore, a systematic review to synthesize the current findings from brain tissues and a search tool to share the meta-analysis results are urgently needed. Methods Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of brain gene expression profiles in the current reported human ASD expression datasets (with 84 frozen male cortex samples, 17 female cortex samples, 32 cerebellum samples and 4 formalin fixed samples) and knock-out mouse ASD model expression datasets (with 80 collective brain samples). Then, we applied R language software and developed an interactive shared and updated database (dbMDEGA) displaying the results of meta-analysis of data from ASD studies regarding differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the brain. Results This database, dbMDEGA (https://dbmdega.shinyapps.io/dbMDEGA/), is a publicly available web-portal for manual annotation and visualization of DEGs in the brain from data from ASD studies. This database uniquely presents meta-analysis values and homologous forest plots of DEGs in brain tissues. Gene entries are annotated with meta-values, statistical values and forest plots of DEGs in brain samples. This database aims to provide searchable meta-analysis results based on the current reported brain gene expression datasets of ASD to help detect candidate genes underlying this disorder. Conclusion This new analytical tool may provide valuable assistance in the discovery of DEGs and the elucidation of the molecular pathogenicity of ASD. This database model may be replicated to study other disorders. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12859-017-1915-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyun Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, BaYi Road 461, Nanchang, 330006, China.,Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Libin Deng
- Institute for Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330000, China.,Basic Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330000, China
| | - Qiyue Jia
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, BaYi Road 461, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Shaoting Huang
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, BaYi Road 461, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Junwang Gu
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, BaYi Road 461, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Fankun Zhou
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, BaYi Road 461, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Meng Gao
- Institute for Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330000, China.,Basic Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330000, China
| | - Xinyi Sun
- Institute for Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330000, China.,Basic Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330000, China
| | - Chang Feng
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, BaYi Road 461, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Guangqin Fan
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, BaYi Road 461, Nanchang, 330006, China. .,Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China.
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17
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Malty RH, Aoki H, Kumar A, Phanse S, Amin S, Zhang Q, Minic Z, Goebels F, Musso G, Wu Z, Abou-Tok H, Meyer M, Deineko V, Kassir S, Sidhu V, Jessulat M, Scott NE, Xiong X, Vlasblom J, Prasad B, Foster LJ, Alberio T, Garavaglia B, Yu H, Bader GD, Nakamura K, Parkinson J, Babu M. A Map of Human Mitochondrial Protein Interactions Linked to Neurodegeneration Reveals New Mechanisms of Redox Homeostasis and NF-κB Signaling. Cell Syst 2017; 5:564-577.e12. [PMID: 29128334 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2017.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondrial protein (MP) dysfunction has been linked to neurodegenerative disorders (NDs); however, the discovery of the molecular mechanisms underlying NDs has been impeded by the limited characterization of interactions governing MP function. Here, using mass spectrometry (MS)-based analysis of 210 affinity-purified mitochondrial (mt) fractions isolated from 27 epitope-tagged human ND-linked MPs in HEK293 cells, we report a high-confidence MP network including 1,964 interactions among 772 proteins (>90% previously unreported). Nearly three-fourths of these interactions were confirmed in mouse brain and multiple human differentiated neuronal cell lines by primary antibody immunoprecipitation and MS, with many linked to NDs and autism. We show that the SOD1-PRDX5 interaction, critical for mt redox homeostasis, can be perturbed by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-linked SOD1 allelic variants and establish a functional role for ND-linked factors coupled with IκBɛ in NF-κB activation. Our results identify mechanisms for ND-linked MPs and expand the human mt interaction landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramy H Malty
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Hiroyuki Aoki
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Ashwani Kumar
- Department of Computer Science, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Sadhna Phanse
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Shahreen Amin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Qingzhou Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Zoran Minic
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Florian Goebels
- The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Gabriel Musso
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Zhuoran Wu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Hosam Abou-Tok
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Michael Meyer
- Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Viktor Deineko
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Sandy Kassir
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Vishaldeep Sidhu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Matthew Jessulat
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Nichollas E Scott
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Xuejian Xiong
- Hospital for Sick Children, 21-9830 PGCRL, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - James Vlasblom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Bhanu Prasad
- Department of Medicine, Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region, Regina, SK S4P 0W5, Canada
| | - Leonard J Foster
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Tiziana Alberio
- Department of Science and High Technology, Center of Neuroscience, University of Insubria, Via Alberto da Giussano 12, Busto Arsizio I-21052, Italy
| | - Barbara Garavaglia
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, IRCCS Foundation C. Besta Neurological Institute, via L. Temolo, 4, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Haiyuan Yu
- Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Gary D Bader
- The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Ken Nakamura
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - John Parkinson
- Hospital for Sick Children, 21-9830 PGCRL, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Mohan Babu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada.
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18
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Szkop KJ, Cooke PIC, Humphries JA, Kalna V, Moss DS, Schuster EF, Nobeli I. Dysregulation of Alternative Poly-adenylation as a Potential Player in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:279. [PMID: 28955198 PMCID: PMC5601403 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We present here the hypothesis that alternative poly-adenylation (APA) is dysregulated in the brains of individuals affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), due to disruptions in the calcium signaling networks. APA, the process of selecting different poly-adenylation sites on the same gene, yielding transcripts with different-length 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs), has been documented in different tissues, stages of development and pathologic conditions. Differential use of poly-adenylation sites has been shown to regulate the function, stability, localization and translation efficiency of target RNAs. However, the role of APA remains rather unexplored in neurodevelopmental conditions. In the human brain, where transcripts have the longest 3′ UTRs and are thus likely to be under more complex post-transcriptional regulation, erratic APA could be particularly detrimental. In the context of ASD, a condition that affects individuals in markedly different ways and whose symptoms exhibit a spectrum of severity, APA dysregulation could be amplified or dampened depending on the individual and the extent of the effect on specific genes would likely vary with genetic and environmental factors. If this hypothesis is correct, dysregulated APA events might be responsible for certain aspects of the phenotypes associated with ASD. Evidence supporting our hypothesis is derived from standard RNA-seq transcriptomic data but we suggest that future experiments should focus on techniques that probe the actual poly-adenylation site (3′ sequencing). To address issues arising from the use of post-mortem tissue and low numbers of heterogeneous samples affected by confounding factors (such as the age, gender and health of the individuals), carefully controlled in vitro systems will be required to model the effect of calcium signaling dysregulation in the ASD brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof J Szkop
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondon, United Kingdom
| | - Peter I C Cooke
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondon, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne A Humphries
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondon, United Kingdom
| | - Viktoria Kalna
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondon, United Kingdom
| | - David S Moss
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondon, United Kingdom
| | | | - Irene Nobeli
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondon, United Kingdom
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19
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Cheng N, Alshammari F, Hughes E, Khanbabaei M, Rho JM. Dendritic overgrowth and elevated ERK signaling during neonatal development in a mouse model of autism. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179409. [PMID: 28609458 PMCID: PMC5469475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (hereafter referred to as “ASD”) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition characterized by impaired social communication and interactions, and restricted, repetitive activities or interests. Alterations in network connectivity and memory function are frequently observed in autism patients, often involving the hippocampus. However, specific changes during early brain development leading to disrupted functioning remain largely unclear. Here, we investigated the development of dendritic arbor of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons in the BTBR T+tf/J (BTBR) mouse model of autism. BTBR mice display the defining behavioural features of autism, and also exhibit impaired learning and memory. We found that compared to control C57BL/6J (B6) animals, the lengths of both apical and basal dendrites were significantly greater in neonatal BTBR animals. Further, basal dendrites in the BTBR mice had higher branching complexity. In contrast, cross-sectional area of the soma was unchanged. In addition, we observed a similar density of CA1 pyramidal neurons and thickness of the neuronal layer between the two strains. Thus, there was a specific, compartmentalized overgrowth of dendrites during early development in the BTBR animals. Biochemical analysis further showed that the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) pathway was up-regulated in the hippocampus of neonatal BTBR animals. Since dendritic structure is critical for information integration and relay, our data suggest that altered development of dendrites could potentially contribute to impaired hippocampal function and behavior observed in the BTBR model, and that this might be related to increased activation of the ERK pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Cheng
- Developmental Neurosciences Research Program, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Fawaz Alshammari
- O’Brien Centre for the Bachelor of Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Hughes
- Developmental Neurosciences Research Program, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Maryam Khanbabaei
- Developmental Neurosciences Research Program, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jong M. Rho
- Departments of Pediatrics, Clinical Neurosciences, Physiology & Pharmacology, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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20
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System-based proteomic and metabonomic analysis of the Df(16)A +/- mouse identifies potential miR-185 targets and molecular pathway alterations. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 22:384-395. [PMID: 27001617 PMCID: PMC5322275 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Revised: 01/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Deletions on chromosome 22q11.2 are a strong genetic risk factor for development of schizophrenia and cognitive dysfunction. We employed shotgun liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) proteomic and metabonomic profiling approaches on prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampal (HPC) tissue from Df(16)A+/- mice, a model of the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Proteomic results were compared with previous transcriptomic profiling studies of the same brain regions. The aim was to investigate how the combined effect of the 22q11.2 deletion and the corresponding miRNA dysregulation affects the cell biology at the systems level. The proteomic brain profiling analysis revealed PFC and HPC changes in various molecular pathways associated with chromatin remodelling and RNA transcription, indicative of an epigenetic component of the 22q11.2DS. Further, alterations in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, mitochondrial function and lipid biosynthesis were identified. Metabonomic profiling substantiated the proteomic findings by identifying changes in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS)-related pathways, such as changes in ceramide phosphoethanolamines, sphingomyelin, carnitines, tyrosine derivates and panthothenic acid. The proteomic findings were confirmed using selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry, validating decreased levels of several proteins encoded on 22q11.2, increased levels of the computationally predicted putative miR-185 targets UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-peptide N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase 110 kDa subunit (OGT1) and kinesin heavy chain isoform 5A and alterations in the non-miR-185 targets serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 2B catalytic subunit gamma isoform, neurofilament light chain and vesicular glutamate transporter 1. Furthermore, alterations in the proteins associated with mammalian target of rapamycin signalling were detected in the PFC and with glutamatergic signalling in the hippocampus. Based on the proteomic and metabonomic findings, we were able to develop a schematic model summarizing the most prominent molecular network findings in the Df(16)A+/- mouse. Interestingly, the implicated pathways can be linked to one of the most consistent and strongest proteomic candidates, (OGT1), which is a predicted miR-185 target. Our results provide novel insights into system-biological mechanisms associated with the 22q11DS, which may be linked to cognitive dysfunction and an increased risk to develop schizophrenia. Further investigation of these pathways could help to identify novel drug targets for the treatment of schizophrenia.
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21
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McCarthy MM, Wright CL. Convergence of Sex Differences and the Neuroimmune System in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:402-410. [PMID: 27871670 PMCID: PMC5285451 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The male bias in autism spectrum disorder incidence is among the most extreme of all neuropsychiatric disorders, yet the origins of the sex difference remain obscure. Developmentally, males are exposed to high levels of testosterone and its byproduct, estradiol. Together these steroids modify the course of brain development by altering neurogenesis, cell death, migration, differentiation, dendritic and axonal growth, synaptogenesis, and synaptic pruning, all of which can be deleteriously impacted during the course of developmental neuropsychiatric disorders. Elucidating the cellular mechanisms by which steroids modulate brain development provides valuable insights into how these processes may go awry. An emerging theme is the role of inflammatory signaling molecules and the innate immune system in directing brain masculinization, the evidence for which we review here. Evidence is also emerging that the neuroimmune system is overactivated in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. These combined observations lead us to propose that the natural process of brain masculinization puts males at risk by moving them closer to a vulnerability threshold that could more easily be breached by inflammation during critical periods of brain development. Two brain regions are highlighted: the preoptic area and the cerebellum. Both are developmentally regulated by the inflammatory prostaglandin E2, but in different ways. Microglia, innate immune cells of the brain, and astrocytes are also critical contributors to masculinization and illustrate the importance of nonneuronal cells to the health of the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - Christopher L Wright
- Department of Pharmacology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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22
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Abstract
The allure of phenotypic screening, combined with the industry preference for target-based approaches, has prompted the development of innovative chemical biology technologies that facilitate the identification of new therapeutic targets for accelerated drug discovery. A chemogenomic library is a collection of selective small-molecule pharmacological agents, and a hit from such a set in a phenotypic screen suggests that the annotated target or targets of that pharmacological agent may be involved in perturbing the observable phenotype. In this Review, we describe opportunities for chemogenomic screening to considerably expedite the conversion of phenotypic screening projects into target-based drug discovery approaches. Other applications are explored, including drug repositioning, predictive toxicology and the discovery of novel pharmacological modalities.
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23
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Keown CL, Datko MC, Chen CP, Maximo JO, Jahedi A, Müller RA. Network organization is globally atypical in autism: A graph theory study of intrinsic functional connectivity. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2017; 2:66-75. [PMID: 28944305 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2016.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite abundant evidence of brain network anomalies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), findings have varied from broad functional underconnectivity to broad overconnectivity. Rather than pursuing overly simplifying general hypotheses ('under' vs. 'over'), we tested the hypothesis of atypical network distribution in ASD (i.e., participation of unusual loci in distributed functional networks). METHODS We used a selective high-quality data subset from the ABIDE datashare (including 111 ASD and 174 typically developing [TD] participants) and several graph theory metrics. Resting state functional MRI data were preprocessed and analyzed for detection of low-frequency intrinsic signal correlations. Groups were tightly matched for available demographics and head motion. RESULTS As hypothesized, the Rand Index (reflecting how similar network organization was to a normative set of networks) was significantly lower in ASD than TD participants. This was accounted for by globally reduced cohesion and density, but increased dispersion of networks. While differences in hub architecture did not survive correction, rich club connectivity (among the hubs) was increased in the ASD group. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support the model of reduced network integration (connectivity with networks) and differentiation (or segregation; based on connectivity outside network boundaries) in ASD. While the findings applied at the global level, they were not equally robust across all networks and in one case (greater cohesion within ventral attention network in ASD) even reversed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Keown
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States.,Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, CA
| | - Michael C Datko
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States.,Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, CA
| | - Colleen P Chen
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States.,Computational Science Research Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - José Omar Maximo
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Afrooz Jahedi
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States.,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
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24
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Hagihara H, Horikawa T, Nakamura HK, Umemori J, Shoji H, Kamitani Y, Miyakawa T. Circadian Gene Circuitry Predicts Hyperactive Behavior in a Mood Disorder Mouse Model. Cell Rep 2016; 14:2784-96. [PMID: 27028761 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.02.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, causes swings in mood and activity levels at irregular intervals. Such changes are difficult to predict, and their molecular basis remains unknown. Here, we use infradian (longer than a day) cyclic activity levels in αCaMKII (Camk2a) mutant mice as a proxy for such mood-associated changes. We report that gene-expression patterns in the hippocampal dentate gyrus could retrospectively predict whether the mice were in a state of high or low locomotor activity (LA). Expression of a subset of circadian genes, as well as levels of cAMP and pCREB, possible upstream regulators of circadian genes, were correlated with LA states, suggesting that the intrinsic molecular circuitry changes concomitant with infradian oscillatory LA. Taken together, these findings shed light onto the molecular basis of how irregular biological rhythms and behavior are controlled by the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideo Hagihara
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Tomoyasu Horikawa
- ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan
| | - Hironori K Nakamura
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Juzoh Umemori
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Shoji
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Yukiyasu Kamitani
- ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan; Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan; Center for Genetic Analysis of Behavior, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan.
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25
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Zhang-James Y, Faraone SV. Genetic architecture for human aggression: A study of gene-phenotype relationship in OMIM. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2016; 171:641-9. [PMID: 26288127 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Genetic studies of human aggression have mainly focused on known candidate genes and pathways regulating serotonin and dopamine signaling and hormonal functions. These studies have taught us much about the genetics of human aggression, but no genetic locus has yet achieved genome-significance. We here present a review based on a paradoxical hypothesis that studies of rare, functional genetic variations can lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying complex multifactorial disorders such as aggression. We examined all aggression phenotypes catalogued in Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), an Online Catalog of Human Genes and Genetic Disorders. We identified 95 human disorders that have documented aggressive symptoms in at least one individual with a well-defined genetic variant. Altogether, we retrieved 86 causal genes. Although most of these genes had not been implicated in human aggression by previous studies, the most significantly enriched canonical pathways had been previously implicated in aggression (e.g., serotonin and dopamine signaling). Our findings provide strong evidence to support the causal role of these pathways in the pathogenesis of aggression. In addition, the novel genes and pathways we identified suggest additional mechanisms underlying the origins of human aggression. Genome-wide association studies with very large samples will be needed to determine if common variants in these genes are risk factors for aggression. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanli Zhang-James
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Stephen V Faraone
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York.,Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York.,K.G. Jebsen Centre for Research on Neuropsychiatric Disorders, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Su L, Luo Y, Yang Z, Yang J, Yao C, Cheng F, Shan J, Chen J, Li F, Liu L, Liu C, Xu Y, Jiang L, Guo D, Prieto J, Ávila MA, Shen J, Qian C. MEF2D Transduces Microenvironment Stimuli to ZEB1 to Promote Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Metastasis in Colorectal Cancer. Cancer Res 2016; 76:5054-67. [PMID: 27364559 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-16-0246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an essential mechanism of metastasis, including in colorectal cancer. Although EMT processes are often triggered in cancer cells by their surrounding microenvironment, how EMT-relevant genes control these processes is not well understood. In multiple types of cancers, the transcription factor MEF2D has been implicated in cell proliferation, but its contributions to metastasis have not been addressed. Here, we show MEF2D is overexpressed in clinical colorectal cancer tissues where its high expression correlates with metastatic process. Functional investigations showed that MEF2D promoted cancer cell invasion and EMT and that it was essential for certain microenvironment signals to induce EMT and metastasis in vivo Mechanistically, MEF2D directly regulated transcription of the EMT driver gene ZEB1 and facilitated histone acetylation at the ZEB1 promoter. More importantly, MEF2D responded to various tumor microenvironment signals and acted as a central integrator transducing multiple signals to activate ZEB1 transcription. Overall, our results define a critical function for MEF2D in upregulating EMT and the metastatic capacity of colorectal cancer cells. Further, they offer new insights into how microenvironment signals activate EMT-relevant genes and deepen the pathophysiologic significance of MEF2D, with potential implications for the prevention and treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Cancer Res; 76(17); 5054-67. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Su
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yongli Luo
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhi Yang
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chao Yao
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Feifei Cheng
- School of Life Science, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Juanjuan Shan
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Fangfang Li
- Medical Research Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Limei Liu
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chungang Liu
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yanmin Xu
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lupin Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Deyu Guo
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jesus Prieto
- Center of Investigation for Applied Medicine, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Matías A Ávila
- Center of Investigation for Applied Medicine, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Junjie Shen
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Cheng Qian
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
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27
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Chekler ELP, Pellegrino JA, Lanz TA, Denny RA, Flick AC, Coe J, Langille J, Basak A, Liu S, Stock IA, Sahasrabudhe P, Bonin PD, Lee K, Pletcher MT, Jones LH. Transcriptional Profiling of a Selective CREB Binding Protein Bromodomain Inhibitor Highlights Therapeutic Opportunities. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 22:1588-96. [PMID: 26670081 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2015.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2015] [Revised: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Bromodomains are involved in transcriptional regulation through the recognition of acetyl lysine modifications on diverse proteins. Selective pharmacological modulators of bromodomains are lacking, although the largely hydrophobic nature of the pocket makes these modules attractive targets for small-molecule inhibitors. This work describes the structure-based design of a highly selective inhibitor of the CREB binding protein (CBP) bromodomain and its use in cell-based transcriptional profiling experiments. The inhibitor downregulated a number of inflammatory genes in macrophages that were not affected by a selective BET bromodomain inhibitor. In addition, the CBP bromodomain inhibitor modulated the mRNA level of the regulator of G-protein signaling 4 (RGS4) gene in neurons, suggesting a potential therapeutic opportunity for CBP inhibitors in the treatment of neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas A Lanz
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Unit, Pfizer, 610 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - R Aldrin Denny
- Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer, 610 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Andrew C Flick
- Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer, Eastern Point Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Jotham Coe
- Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer, Eastern Point Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Jonathan Langille
- Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer, Eastern Point Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Arindrajit Basak
- Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer, Eastern Point Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Shenping Liu
- Structural Biology and Biophysics, Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer, Eastern Point Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Ingrid A Stock
- Primary Pharmacology Group, Pfizer, Eastern Point Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Parag Sahasrabudhe
- Structural Biology and Biophysics, Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer, Eastern Point Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Paul D Bonin
- Primary Pharmacology Group, Pfizer, Eastern Point Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Kevin Lee
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Pfizer, 610 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mathew T Pletcher
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Pfizer, 610 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Lyn H Jones
- Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer, 610 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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28
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Linkage and whole genome sequencing identify a locus on 6q25-26 for formal thought disorder and implicate MEF2A regulation. Schizophr Res 2015; 169:441-446. [PMID: 26421691 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.08.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Revised: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Formal thought disorder is a major feature of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. It is heritable, found in healthy relatives of patients with schizophrenia and other mental disorders but knowledge of specific genetic factors is lacking. The aim of this study was to search for biologically relevant high-risk variants. Formal thought disorder was assessed in participants in the Copenhagen Schizophrenia Linkage Study (N=236), a unique high-risk family study comprised of six large pedigrees. Microsatellite linkage analysis of formal thought disorder was performed and subsequent haplotype analysis of the implicated region using phased microsatellite and SNP genotypes. Whole genome sequencing (N=3) was used in the attempt to identify causative variants in the linkage region. Linkage analysis of formal thought disorder resulted in a single peak at chromosome 6(q26-q27) centred on marker D6S1277, with a maximum LOD score of 4.0. Phasing and fine mapping of the linkage peak identified a 5.5Mb haplotype (chr6:162242322-167753547, hg18) in 31 individuals, all belonging to the same pedigree sharing the haplotype from a common ancestor. The haplotype segregated with increased total thought disorder index score (P=4.9 × 10(-5)) and qualitatively severe forms of thought disturbances. Whole genome sequencing identified a novel nucleotide deletion (chr6:164377205 AG>A, hg18) predicted to disrupt the potential binding of the transcription factor MEF2A. The MEF2A binding site is located between two genes previously reported to associate with schizophrenia, QKI (HGNC:21100) and PDE10A (HGNC:8772). The findings are consistent with MEF2A deregulation conferring risk of formal thought disorder.
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29
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Li J, Ma Z, Shi M, Malty RH, Aoki H, Minic Z, Phanse S, Jin K, Wall DP, Zhang Z, Urban AE, Hallmayer J, Babu M, Snyder M. Identification of Human Neuronal Protein Complexes Reveals Biochemical Activities and Convergent Mechanisms of Action in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Cell Syst 2015; 1:361-374. [PMID: 26949739 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2015.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is rapidly growing, yet its molecular basis is poorly understood. We used a systems approach in which ASD candidate genes were mapped onto the ubiquitous human protein complexes and the resulting complexes were characterized. The studies revealed the role of histone deacetylases (HDAC1/2) in regulating the expression of ASD orthologs in the embryonic mouse brain. Proteome-wide screens for the co-complexed subunits with HDAC1 and six other key ASD proteins in neuronal cells revealed a protein interaction network, which displayed preferential expression in fetal brain development, exhibited increased deleterious mutations in ASD cases, and were strongly regulated by FMRP and MECP2 causal for Fragile X and Rett syndromes, respectively. Overall, our study reveals molecular components in ASD, suggests a shared mechanism between the syndromic and idiopathic forms of ASDs, and provides a systems framework for analyzing complex human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Li
- Department of Genetics, Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Stanford, California, 94305 USA
| | - Zhihai Ma
- Department of Genetics, Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Stanford, California, 94305 USA
| | - Minyi Shi
- Department of Genetics, Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Stanford, California, 94305 USA
| | - Ramy H Malty
- Department of Biochemistry, Research and Innovation Centre, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Hiroyuki Aoki
- Department of Biochemistry, Research and Innovation Centre, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Zoran Minic
- Department of Biochemistry, Research and Innovation Centre, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Sadhna Phanse
- Department of Biochemistry, Research and Innovation Centre, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Ke Jin
- Department of Biochemistry, Research and Innovation Centre, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada; Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, Terrence Donnelly Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Dennis P Wall
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, 94305 USA; Department of Pediatrics, Stanford, California, 94305 USA
| | - Zhaolei Zhang
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, Terrence Donnelly Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Alexander E Urban
- Department of Genetics, Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Stanford, California, 94305 USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, 94305 USA
| | - Joachim Hallmayer
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, 94305 USA
| | - Mohan Babu
- Department of Biochemistry, Research and Innovation Centre, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Michael Snyder
- Department of Genetics, Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Stanford, California, 94305 USA
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30
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Xu J, Kurup P, Baguley TD, Foscue E, Ellman JA, Nairn AC, Lombroso PJ. Inhibition of the tyrosine phosphatase STEP61 restores BDNF expression and reverses motor and cognitive deficits in phencyclidine-treated mice. Cell Mol Life Sci 2015; 73:1503-14. [PMID: 26450419 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-2057-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Revised: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and STriatal-Enriched protein tyrosine Phosphatase 61 (STEP61) have opposing functions in the brain, with BDNF supporting and STEP61 opposing synaptic strengthening. BDNF and STEP61 also exhibit an inverse pattern of expression in a number of brain disorders, including schizophrenia (SZ). NMDAR antagonists such as phencyclidine (PCP) elicit SZ-like symptoms in rodent models and unaffected individuals, and exacerbate psychotic episodes in SZ. Here we characterize the regulation of BDNF expression by STEP61, utilizing PCP-treated cortical culture and PCP-treated mice. PCP-treated cortical neurons showed both an increase in STEP61 levels and a decrease in BDNF expression. The reduction in BDNF expression was prevented by STEP61 knockdown or use of the STEP inhibitor, TC-2153. The PCP-induced increase in STEP61 expression was associated with the inhibition of CREB-dependent BDNF transcription. Similarly, both genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of STEP prevented the PCP-induced reduction in BDNF expression in vivo and normalized PCP-induced hyperlocomotion and cognitive deficits. These results suggest a mechanism by which STEP61 regulates BDNF expression, with implications for cognitive functioning in CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Xu
- Child Study Center, Yale University, 230 S Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Pradeep Kurup
- Child Study Center, Yale University, 230 S Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Tyler D Baguley
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 225 Prospect St., New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Ethan Foscue
- Child Study Center, Yale University, 230 S Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Jonathan A Ellman
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 225 Prospect St., New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Angus C Nairn
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 300 George St., New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Paul J Lombroso
- Child Study Center, Yale University, 230 S Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT, 06520, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 300 George St., New Haven, CT, 06520, USA. .,Department of Neurobiology, Yale University, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
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31
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Molecular underpinnings of prefrontal cortex development in rodents provide insights into the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2015; 20:795-809. [PMID: 25450230 PMCID: PMC4486649 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2014.147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Revised: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC), seat of the highest-order cognitive functions, constitutes a conglomerate of highly specialized brain areas and has been implicated to have a role in the onset and installation of various neurodevelopmental disorders. The development of a properly functioning PFC is directed by transcription factors, guidance cues and other regulatory molecules and requires the intricate and temporal orchestration of a number of developmental processes. Disturbance or failure of any of these processes causing neurodevelopmental abnormalities within the PFC may contribute to several of the cognitive deficits seen in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders. In this review, we elaborate on the specific processes underlying prefrontal development, such as induction and patterning of the prefrontal area, proliferation, migration and axonal guidance of medial prefrontal progenitors, and their eventual efferent and afferent connections. We furthermore integrate for the first time the available knowledge from genome-wide studies that have revealed genes linked to neurodevelopmental disorders with experimental molecular evidence in rodents. The integrated data suggest that the pathogenic variants in the neurodevelopmental disorder-associated genes induce prefrontal cytoarchitectonical impairments. This enhances our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of prefrontal (mis)development underlying the four major neurodevelopmental disorders in humans, that is, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia, and may thus provide clues for the development of novel therapies.
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32
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Xu J, Kurup P, Foscue E, Lombroso PJ. Striatal-enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase regulates the PTPα/Fyn signaling pathway. J Neurochem 2015; 134:629-41. [PMID: 25951993 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Revised: 04/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The tyrosine kinase Fyn has two regulatory tyrosine residues that when phosphorylated either activate (Tyr(420)) or inhibit (Tyr(531)) Fyn activity. Within the central nervous system, two protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) target these regulatory tyrosines in Fyn. PTPα dephosphorylates Tyr(531) and activates Fyn, while STEP (STriatal-Enriched protein tyrosine Phosphatase) dephosphorylates Tyr(420) and inactivates Fyn. Thus, PTPα and STEP have opposing functions in the regulation of Fyn; however, whether there is cross talk between these two PTPs remains unclear. Here, we used molecular techniques in primary neuronal cultures and in vivo to demonstrate that STEP negatively regulates PTPα by directly dephosphorylating PTPα at its regulatory Tyr(789). Dephosphorylation of Tyr(789) prevents the translocation of PTPα to synaptic membranes, blocking its ability to interact with and activate Fyn. Genetic or pharmacologic reduction in STEP61 activity increased the phosphorylation of PTPα at Tyr(789), as well as increased translocation of PTPα to synaptic membranes. Activation of PTPα and Fyn and trafficking of GluN2B to synaptic membranes are necessary for ethanol (EtOH) intake behaviors in rodents. We tested the functional significance of STEP61 in this signaling pathway by EtOH administration to primary cultures as well as in vivo, and demonstrated that the inactivation of STEP61 by EtOH leads to the activation of PTPα, its translocation to synaptic membranes, and the activation of Fyn. These findings indicate a novel mechanism by which STEP61 regulates PTPα and suggest that STEP and PTPα coordinate the regulation of Fyn. STEP61 , PTPα, Fyn, and NMDA receptor (NMDAR) have been implicated in ethanol intake behaviors in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) in rodents. Here, we report that PTPα is a novel substrate for STEP61. Upon ethanol exposure, STEP61 is phosphorylated and inactivated by protein kinase A (PKA) signaling in the DMS. As a result of STEP61 inhibition, there is an increase in the phosphorylation of PTPα, which translocates to lipid rafts and activates Fyn and subsequent NMDAR signaling. The results demonstrate a synergistic regulation of Fyn-NMDAR signaling by STEP61 and PTPα, which may contribute to the regulation of ethanol-related behaviors. NMDA, N-methyl-D-aspartate; PTPα, receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase alpha; STEP, STriatal-Enriched protein tyrosine Phosphatase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Xu
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Pradeep Kurup
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Ethan Foscue
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Paul J Lombroso
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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33
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Woods AG, Wormwood KL, Wetie AGN, Aslebagh R, Crimmins BS, Holsen TM, Darie CC. Autism spectrum disorder: an omics perspective. Proteomics Clin Appl 2014; 9:159-68. [PMID: 25311756 DOI: 10.1002/prca.201400116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2014] [Revised: 09/11/2014] [Accepted: 10/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Current directions in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research may require moving beyond genetic analysis alone, based on the complexity of the disorder, heterogeneity and convergence of genetic alterations at the cellular/functional level. Mass spectrometry (MS) has been increasingly used to study CNS disorders, including ASDs. Proteomic research using MS is directed at understanding endogenous protein changes that occur in ASD. This review focuses on how MS has been used to study ASDs, with particular focus on proteomic analysis. Other neurodevelopmental disorders have been investigated using MS, including fragile X syndrome (FXS) and Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS), genetic syndromes highly associated with ASD comorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa G Woods
- Biochemistry & Proteomics Group, Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, USA; SUNY Plattsburgh Neuropsychology Clinic and Psychoeducation Services, Plattsburgh, NY, USA
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34
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Koh JY, Lim JS, Byun HR, Yoo MH. Abnormalities in the zinc-metalloprotease-BDNF axis may contribute to megalencephaly and cortical hyperconnectivity in young autism spectrum disorder patients. Mol Brain 2014; 7:64. [PMID: 25182223 PMCID: PMC4237964 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-014-0064-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Whereas aberrant brain connectivity is likely the core pathology of autism-spectrum disorder (ASD), studies do not agree as to whether hypo- or hyper-connectivity is the main underlying problem. Recent functional imaging studies have shown that, in most young ASD patients, cerebral cortical regions appear hyperconnected, and cortical thickness/brain size is increased. Collectively, these findings indicate that developing ASD brains may exist in an altered neurotrophic milieu. Consistently, some ASD patients, as well as some animal models of ASD, show increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). However, how BDNF is upregulated in ASD is unknown. To address this question, we propose the novel hypothesis that a putative zinc-metalloprotease-BDNF (ZMB) axis in the forebrain plays a pivotal role in the development of hyperconnectivity and megalencephaly in ASD. We have previously demonstrated that extracellular zinc at micromolar concentrations can rapidly increase BDNF levels and phosphorylate the receptor tyrosine kinase TrkB via the activation of metalloproteases. The role of metalloproteases in ASD is still uncertain, but in fragile X syndrome, a monogenic disease with an autistic phenotype, the levels of MMP are increased. Early exposure to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and other MMP activators such as organic mercurials also have been implicated in ASD pathogenesis. The resultant increases in BDNF levels at synapses, especially those involved in the zinc-containing, associative glutamatergic system may produce abnormal brain circuit development. Various genetic mutations that lead to ASD are also known to affect BDNF signaling: some down-regulate, and others up-regulate it. We hypothesize that, although both up- and down-regulation of BDNF may induce autism symptoms, only BDNF up-regulation is associated with the hyperconnectivity and large brain size observed in most young idiopathic ASD patients. To test this hypothesis, we propose to examine the ZMB axis in animal models of ASD. Synaptic zinc can be examined by fluorescence zinc staining. MMP activation can be measured by in situ zymography and Western blot analysis. Finally, regional levels of BDNF can be measured. Validating this hypothesis may shed light on the central pathogenic mechanism of ASD and aid in the identification of useful biomarkers and the development of preventive/therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Young Koh
- Neural Injury Research Lab, Asan Institute for Life Science, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 388-1 Poongnap-Dong Songpa-Gu, Seoul 138-736, Korea
| | - Joon Seo Lim
- Neural Injury Research Lab, Asan Institute for Life Science, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyae-Ran Byun
- Neural Injury Research Lab, Asan Institute for Life Science, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Min-Heui Yoo
- Neural Injury Research Lab, Asan Institute for Life Science, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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35
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Wesseling H, Guest PC, Lee CM, Wong EH, Rahmoune H, Bahn S. Integrative proteomic analysis of the NMDA NR1 knockdown mouse model reveals effects on central and peripheral pathways associated with schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. Mol Autism 2014; 5:38. [PMID: 25061506 PMCID: PMC4109791 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-5-38] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2014] [Accepted: 06/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Over the last decade, the transgenic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) NR1-knockdown mouse (NR1neo−/−) has been investigated as a glutamate hypofunction model for schizophrenia. Recent research has now revealed that the model also recapitulates cognitive and negative symptoms in the continuum of other psychiatric diseases, particularly autism spectrum disorders (ASD). As previous studies have mostly focussed on behavioural readouts, a molecular characterisation of this model will help to identify novel biomarkers or potential drug targets. Methods Here, we have used multiplex immunoassay analyses to investigate peripheral analyte alterations in serum of NR1neo−/− mice, as well as a combination of shotgun label-free liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, bioinformatic pathway analyses, and a shotgun-based 40-plex selected reaction monitoring (SRM) assay to investigate altered molecular pathways in the frontal cortex and hippocampus. All findings were cross compared to identify translatable findings between the brain and periphery. Results Multiplex immunoassay profiling led to identification of 29 analytes that were significantly altered in sera of NR1neo−/− mice. The highest magnitude changes were found for neurotrophic factors (VEGFA, EGF, IGF-1), apolipoprotein A1, and fibrinogen. We also found decreased levels of several chemokines. Following this, LC-MSE profiling led to identification of 48 significantly changed proteins in the frontal cortex and 41 in the hippocampus. In particular, MARCS, the mitochondrial pyruvate kinase, and CamKII-alpha were affected. Based on the combination of protein set enrichment and bioinformatic pathway analysis, we designed orthogonal SRM-assays which validated the abnormalities of proteins involved in synaptic long-term potentiation, myelination, and the ERK-signalling pathway in both brain regions. In contrast, increased levels of proteins involved in neurotransmitter metabolism and release were found only in the frontal cortex and abnormalities of proteins involved in the purinergic system were found exclusively in the hippocampus. Conclusions Taken together, this multi-platform profiling study has identified peripheral changes which are potentially linked to central alterations in synaptic plasticity and neuronal function associated with NMDAR-NR1 hypofunction. Therefore, the reported proteomic changes may be useful as translational biomarkers in human and rodent model drug discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Wesseling
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QT, UK
| | - Paul C Guest
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QT, UK
| | - Chi-Ming Lee
- AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, 1800 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19850, USA
| | - Erik Hf Wong
- AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, 1800 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19850, USA
| | - Hassan Rahmoune
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QT, UK
| | - Sabine Bahn
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QT, UK ; Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, CA, 3000, The Netherlands
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36
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Mass spectrometry for the study of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2014; 806:525-44. [PMID: 24952201 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-06068-2_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Mass spectrometry (MS) has been increasingly used to study central nervous system disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The first studies of ASD using MS focused on the identification of external toxins, but current research is more directed at understanding endogenous protein changes that occur in ASD (ASD proteomics). This chapter focuses on how MS has been used to study ASDs, with particular focus on proteomic analysis. Other neurodevelopmental disorders have been investigated using this technique, including genetic syndromes associated with autism such as fragile X syndrome and Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome.
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