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Akiyoshi K, Fujimori T, Fu X, Shah AP, Yamaguchi A, Steenbergen C, Santhanam L, Berkowitz D, Tuday E, Baraban JM, Das S. Adenosine A 2A Receptor Regulates microRNA-181b Expression in Aorta: Therapeutic Implications for Large-Artery Stiffness. J Am Heart Assoc 2023:e028421. [PMID: 37421280 PMCID: PMC10382090 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.122.028421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Background The identification of large-artery stiffness as a major, independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease-associated morbidity and death has focused attention on identifying therapeutic strategies to combat this disorder. Genetic manipulations that delete or inactivate the translin/trax microRNA-degrading enzyme confer protection against aortic stiffness induced by chronic ingestion of high-salt water (4%NaCl in drinking water for 3 weeks) or associated with aging. Therefore, there is heightened interest in identifying interventions capable of inhibiting translin/trax RNase activity, as these may have therapeutic efficacy in large-artery stiffness. Methods and Results Activation of neuronal adenosine A2A receptors (A2ARs) triggers dissociation of trax from its C-terminus. As A2ARs are expressed by vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), we investigated whether stimulation of A2AR on vascular smooth muscle cells promotes the association of translin with trax and, thereby increases translin/trax complex activity. We found that treatment of A7r5 cells with the A2AR agonist CGS21680 leads to increased association of trax with translin. Furthermore, this treatment decreases levels of pre-microRNA-181b, a target of translin/trax, and those of its downstream product, mature microRNA-181b. To check whether A2AR activation might contribute to high-salt water-induced aortic stiffening, we assessed the impact of daily treatment with the selective A2AR antagonist SCH58261 in this paradigm. We found that this treatment blocked aortic stiffening induced by high-salt water. Further, we confirmed that the age-associated decline in aortic pre-microRNA-181b/microRNA-181b levels observed in mice also occurs in humans. Conclusions These findings suggest that further studies are warranted to evaluate whether blockade of A2ARs may have therapeutic potential in treating large-artery stiffness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Akiyoshi
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore MD USA
| | - Tomonari Fujimori
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore MD USA
| | - Xiuping Fu
- Department of Intelligent Medical Engineering, School of Life Science Tiangong University Tianjin China
| | - Aparna P Shah
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore MD USA
| | - Atsushi Yamaguchi
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Saitama Medical Center Jichi Medical University Saitama Japan
| | | | - Lakshmi Santhanam
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore MD USA
| | - Dan Berkowitz
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine The University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham AL USA
| | - Eric Tuday
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine University of Utah Salt Lake City UT USA
- Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center VA Salt Lake City Health Care System Salt Lake City UT USA
| | - Jay M Baraban
- Department of Intelligent Medical Engineering, School of Life Science Tiangong University Tianjin China
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore MD USA
| | - Samarjit Das
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore MD USA
- Department of Pathology Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore MD USA
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Huang KY, Huang YJ, Chen SJ, Lin CH, Lane HY. The associations between cognitive functions and TSNAX genetic variations in patients with schizophrenia. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2023; 225:173554. [PMID: 37030547 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The translin-associated factor X (TSNAX) gene, located adjacent to the DISC1 gene, has been implicated in schizophrenia. While cognitive impairment determines long-term the functional outcome of schizophrenia, the role of TSNAX in cognitive dysfunction of schizophrenia patients remains elusive. This study aimed to explore the genetic effect of TSNAX on cognitive functions of schizophrenia. METHODS We recruited 286 chronic schizophrenia patients who had been stabilized with antipsychotics for at least 2 months and genotyped three TSNAX SNPs (rs1630250, rs766288, rs6662926). Clinical symptoms and seven cognitive domains were assessed. The score of cognitive tests was standardized to T score. RESULTS Clinical symptoms were similar among genotypes of all the three SNPs. The GLM analysis demonstrated that TSNAX genetic polymorphisms influenced cognitive function of schizophrenia patients after adjustment for gender, age, and education. The patients with the rs1630250 C/G genotype performed better than the G/G homozygotes in the Trail Making A (p = 0.034). Those with the rs766288 G/T genotype also performed better than the G/G homozygotes in the Trail Making A (p = 0.012). The patients with the G/G genotype of rs6662926 also performed better than the C/C homozygotes in verbal learning and memory test (p = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that the TSNAX gene variation may influence the cognitive functions of the patients with schizophrenia.
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Weng YT, Chen HM, Chien T, Chiu FL, Kuo HC, Chern Y. TRAX Provides Neuroprotection for Huntington's Disease Via Modulating a Novel Subset of MicroRNAs. Mov Disord 2022; 37:2008-2020. [PMID: 35997316 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29174] [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: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by CAG-repeat expansions (>36) in exon 1 of HTT, which dysregulates multiple cellular machineries. Translin-associated protein X (TRAX) is a scaffold protein with diverse functions, including suppressing the microRNA (miRNA)-mediated silencing by degrading pre-miRNA. To date, the role of TRAX in neurodegenerative diseases remains unknown. OBJECTIVES We delineated the role of TRAX upregulation during HD progression. METHODS Expression of TRAX in the brains of humans and three mouse models with HD were analyzed by immunohistochemistry staining, western blot, and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Adeno-associated viruses harboring TRAX short hairpin RNA were intrastriatally injected into HD mice to downregulate TRAX. HD-like symptoms were analyzed by behavioral and biochemical assessments. The miRNA-sequencing and RNA-sequencing analyses were used to identify the TRAX- regulated miRNA-messenger RNA (mRNA) axis during HD progression. The identified gene targets were validated biochemically in mouse and human striatal cells. RESULTS We discovered that TRAX was upregulated in the brains of HD patients and three HD mouse models. Downregulation of TRAX enhanced 83 miRNAs (including miR-330-3p, miR-496a-3p) and subsequently changed the corresponding mRNA networks critical for HD pathogenesis (eg, DARPP-32 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor). Disruption of the TRAX-mediated miRNA-mRNA axis accelerated the progression of HD-like symptoms, including the degeneration of motor function, accumulation of mHTT aggregates, and shortened neurite outgrowth. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that TRAX upregulation is authentic and protective in HD. Our study provides a novel layer of regulation for HD pathogenesis and may lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies for HD. © 2022 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Weng
- Program in Molecular Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Mei Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ting Chien
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Feng-Lan Chiu
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Chih Kuo
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yijuang Chern
- Program in Molecular Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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Translin facilitates RNA polymerase II dissociation and suppresses genome instability during RNase H2- and Dicer-deficiency. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010267. [PMID: 35714159 PMCID: PMC9246224 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The conserved nucleic acid binding protein Translin contributes to numerous facets of mammalian biology and genetic diseases. It was first identified as a binder of cancer-associated chromosomal translocation breakpoint junctions leading to the suggestion that it was involved in genetic recombination. With a paralogous partner protein, Trax, Translin has subsequently been found to form a hetero-octomeric RNase complex that drives some of its functions, including passenger strand removal in RNA interference (RNAi). The Translin-Trax complex also degrades the precursors to tumour suppressing microRNAs in cancers deficient for the RNase III Dicer. This oncogenic activity has resulted in the Translin-Trax complex being explored as a therapeutic target. Additionally, Translin and Trax have been implicated in a wider range of biological functions ranging from sleep regulation to telomere transcript control. Here we reveal a Trax- and RNAi-independent function for Translin in dissociating RNA polymerase II from its genomic template, with loss of Translin function resulting in increased transcription-associated recombination and elevated genome instability. This provides genetic insight into the longstanding question of how Translin might influence chromosomal rearrangements in human genetic diseases and provides important functional understanding of an oncological therapeutic target. Human genetic diseases, including cancers, are frequently driven by substantial changes to chromosomes, including translocations, where one arm of a chromosome is exchanged for another. The human nucleic acid binding protein Translin was first identified by its ability to bind to the chromosomal sites at which some of these translocations occur. This resulted in Translin being implicated in the mechanism that generated the translocation and thus the associated disease state. However, since its discovery there has been little evidence to directly indicate Translin does contribute to this process. It is, however, known to contribute to a number of biological functions including, amongst others, neurological regulation, sleep control, vascular stiffening, cancer immunomodulation and it has been recently identified as a potential therapeutic target in some cancers. Here we demonstrate that Translin has conserved function in genome stability maintenance when other primary pathways are defective, a function independent of a key binding partner protein, Trax. Specifically, we demonstrate that Translin contributes to minimizing the deleterious genome destabilizing effects of retaining gene expression machineries on chromosomes. This offers the first evidence for how Translin might contribute to genetic disease-causing chromosomal changes and offers insight to inform therapeutic design.
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Baraban JM, Tuday E, Berkowitz DE, Das S. Deciphering the Role of microRNAs in Large-Artery Stiffness Associated With Aging: Focus on miR-181b. Front Physiol 2021; 12:747789. [PMID: 34646165 PMCID: PMC8504676 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.747789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Large artery stiffness (LAS) is a major, independent risk factor underlying cardiovascular disease that increases with aging. The emergence of microRNA signaling as a key regulator of vascular structure and function has stimulated interest in assessing its role in the pathophysiology of LAS. Identification of several microRNAs that display age-associated changes in expression in aorta has focused attention on defining their molecular targets and deciphering their role in age-associated arterial stiffening. Inactivation of the microRNA-degrading enzyme, translin/trax, which reverses the age-dependent decline in miR-181b, confers protection from aging-associated arterial stiffening, suggesting that inhibitors targeting this enzyme may have translational potential. As LAS poses a major public health challenge, we anticipate that future studies based on these advances will yield innovative strategies to combat aging-associated arterial stiffening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay M Baraban
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, ML, United States
| | - Eric Tuday
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States.,Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Dan E Berkowitz
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Sam Das
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, ML, United States.,Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, ML, United States
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Fu X, Shah AP, Keighron J, Mou TCM, Ladenheim B, Alt J, Fukudome D, Niwa M, Tamashiro KL, Tanda G, Sawa A, Cadet JL, Rais R, Baraban JM. Elevated body fat increases amphetamine accumulation in brain: evidence from genetic and diet-induced forms of adiposity. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:427. [PMID: 34392304 PMCID: PMC8364554 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01547-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the high prevalence of obesity, little is known about its potential impact on the pharmacokinetics of psychotropic drugs. In the course of investigating the role of the microRNA system on neuronal signaling, we found that mice lacking the translin/trax microRNA-degrading enzyme display an exaggerated locomotor response to amphetamine. As these mice display robust adiposity in the context of normal body weight, we checked whether this phenotype might reflect elevated brain levels of amphetamine. To assess this hypothesis, we compared plasma and brain amphetamine levels of wild type and Tsn KO mice. Furthermore, we checked the effect of diet-induced increases in adiposity on plasma and brain amphetamine levels in wild type mice. Brain amphetamine levels were higher in Tsn KO mice than in wild type littermates and correlated with adiposity. Analysis of the effect of diet-induced increases in adiposity in wild type mice on brain amphetamine levels also demonstrated that brain amphetamine levels correlate with adiposity. Increased adiposity displayed by Tsn KO mice or by wild type mice fed a high-fat diet correlates with elevated brain amphetamine levels. As amphetamine and its analogues are widely used to treat attention deficit disorder, which is associated with obesity, further studies are warranted to assess the impact of adiposity on amphetamine levels in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuping Fu
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Aparna P Shah
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Jacqueline Keighron
- Medication Development Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Ta-Chung M Mou
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Bruce Ladenheim
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, NIDA/NIH/DHHS, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Jesse Alt
- John Hopkins Drug Discovery, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Daisuke Fukudome
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Minae Niwa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA
| | - Kellie L Tamashiro
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Gianluigi Tanda
- Medication Development Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Akira Sawa
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Jean-Lud Cadet
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, NIDA/NIH/DHHS, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Rana Rais
- John Hopkins Drug Discovery, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Jay M Baraban
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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Han JLT, Pang KKL, Ang SRX, Sharma M, Sajikumar S. Inhibition of lysine methyltransferase G9a/GLP reinstates long-term synaptic plasticity and synaptic tagging/capture by facilitating protein synthesis in the hippocampal CA1 area of APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Transl Neurodegener 2021; 10:23. [PMID: 34187583 PMCID: PMC8329750 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-021-00247-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Javan Lee Tze Han
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.,Neurobiology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
| | - Karen Ka Lam Pang
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.,Neurobiology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
| | - Sheila Rui Xia Ang
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.,Neurobiology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
| | - Mahima Sharma
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.,Neurobiology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
| | - Sreedharan Sajikumar
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore. .,Neurobiology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Singapore. .,Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Singapore.
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Correction to: Selective role of the translin/trax RNase complex in hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Mol Brain 2021; 14:48. [PMID: 33673835 PMCID: PMC7934520 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00761-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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