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Basson MA. Neurodevelopmental functions of CHD8: new insights and questions. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:15-27. [PMID: 38288845 PMCID: PMC10903457 DOI: 10.1042/bst20220926] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Heterozygous, de novo, loss-of-function variants of the CHD8 gene are associated with a high penetrance of autism and other neurodevelopmental phenotypes. Identifying the neurodevelopmental functions of high-confidence autism risk genes like CHD8 may improve our understanding of the neurodevelopmental mechanisms that underlie autism spectrum disorders. Over the last decade, a complex picture of pleiotropic CHD8 functions and mechanisms of action has emerged. Multiple brain and non-brain cell types and progenitors appear to be affected by CHD8 haploinsufficiency. Behavioural, cellular and synaptic phenotypes are dependent on the nature of the gene mutation and are modified by sex and genetic background. Here, I review some of the CHD8-interacting proteins and molecular mechanisms identified to date, as well as the impacts of CHD8 deficiency on cellular processes relevant to neurodevelopment. I endeavour to highlight some of the critical questions that still require careful and concerted attention over the next decade to bring us closer to the goal of understanding the salient mechanisms whereby CHD8 deficiency causes neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Albert Basson
- Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Hatherly Laboratories, Exeter EX4 4PS, U.K
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology and MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, U.K
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2
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Vacharasin JM, Ward JA, McCord MM, Cox K, Imitola J, Lizarraga SB. Neuroimmune mechanisms in autism etiology - untangling a complex problem using human cellular models. OXFORD OPEN NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 3:kvae003. [PMID: 38665176 PMCID: PMC11044813 DOI: 10.1093/oons/kvae003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects 1 in 36 people and is more often diagnosed in males than in females. Core features of ASD are impaired social interactions, repetitive behaviors and deficits in verbal communication. ASD is a highly heterogeneous and heritable disorder, yet its underlying genetic causes account only for up to 80% of the cases. Hence, a subset of ASD cases could be influenced by environmental risk factors. Maternal immune activation (MIA) is a response to inflammation during pregnancy, which can lead to increased inflammatory signals to the fetus. Inflammatory signals can cross the placenta and blood brain barriers affecting fetal brain development. Epidemiological and animal studies suggest that MIA could contribute to ASD etiology. However, human mechanistic studies have been hindered by a lack of experimental systems that could replicate the impact of MIA during fetal development. Therefore, mechanisms altered by inflammation during human pre-natal brain development, and that could underlie ASD pathogenesis have been largely understudied. The advent of human cellular models with induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) and organoid technology is closing this gap in knowledge by providing both access to molecular manipulations and culturing capability of tissue that would be otherwise inaccessible. We present an overview of multiple levels of evidence from clinical, epidemiological, and cellular studies that provide a potential link between higher ASD risk and inflammation. More importantly, we discuss how stem cell-derived models may constitute an ideal experimental system to mechanistically interrogate the effect of inflammation during the early stages of brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janay M Vacharasin
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Center for Childhood Neurotherapeutics, Univ. of South Carolina, 715 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Francis Marion University, 4822 East Palmetto Street, Florence, S.C. 29506, USA
| | - Joseph A Ward
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, & Biochemistry, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Carney Institute of Brain Science, Brown University, 70 Ship Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Mikayla M McCord
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Center for Childhood Neurotherapeutics, Univ. of South Carolina, 715 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Kaitlin Cox
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Center for Childhood Neurotherapeutics, Univ. of South Carolina, 715 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Jaime Imitola
- Laboratory of Neural Stem Cells and Functional Neurogenetics, UConn Health, Departments of Neuroscience, Neurology, Genetics and Genome Sciences, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030-5357, USA
| | - Sofia B Lizarraga
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, & Biochemistry, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Carney Institute of Brain Science, Brown University, 70 Ship Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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3
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Sun S, Torok J, Mezias C, Ma D, Raj A. Spatial cell-type enrichment predicts mouse brain connectivity. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113258. [PMID: 37858469 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113258] [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: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental neuroscience topic is the link between the brain's molecular, cellular, and cytoarchitectonic properties and structural connectivity. Recent studies relate inter-regional connectivity to gene expression, but the relationship to regional cell-type distributions remains understudied. Here, we utilize whole-brain mapping of neuronal and non-neuronal subtypes via the matrix inversion and subset selection algorithm to model inter-regional connectivity as a function of regional cell-type composition with machine learning. We deployed random forest algorithms for predicting connectivity from cell-type densities, demonstrating surprisingly strong prediction accuracy of cell types in general, and particular non-neuronal cells such as oligodendrocytes. We found evidence of a strong distance dependency in the cell connectivity relationship, with layer-specific excitatory neurons contributing the most for long-range connectivity, while vascular and astroglia were salient for short-range connections. Our results demonstrate a link between cell types and connectivity, providing a roadmap for examining this relationship in other species, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenghuan Sun
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Justin Torok
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Daren Ma
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ashish Raj
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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4
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Kawamura A, Nishiyama M. Deletion of the autism-related gene Chd8 alters activity-dependent transcriptional responses in mouse postmitotic neurons. Commun Biol 2023; 6:593. [PMID: 37268684 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04968-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
CHD8 encodes chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 8 and its mutation is a highly penetrant risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). CHD8 serves as a key transcriptional regulator on the basis of its chromatin-remodeling activity and thereby controls the proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitor cells. However, the function of CHD8 in postmitotic neurons and the adult brain has remained unclear. Here we show that Chd8 homozygous deletion in mouse postmitotic neurons results in downregulation of the expression of neuronal genes as well as alters the expression of activity-dependent genes induced by KCl-mediated neuronal depolarization. Furthermore, homozygous ablation of CHD8 in adult mice was associated with attenuation of activity-dependent transcriptional responses in the hippocampus to kainic acid-induced seizures. Our findings implicate CHD8 in transcriptional regulation in postmitotic neurons and the adult brain, and they suggest that disruption of this function might contribute to ASD pathogenesis associated with CHD8 haploinsufficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuki Kawamura
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Masaaki Nishiyama
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan.
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5
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Ren P, Ding W, Li S, Liu G, Luo M, Zhou W, Cheng R, Li Y, Wang P, Li Z, Yao L, Jiang Q, Liang X. Regional transcriptional vulnerability to basal forebrain functional dysconnectivity in mild cognitive impairment patients. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 177:105983. [PMID: 36586468 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleus basalis of Meynert (NbM), one of the earliest targets of Alzheimer's disease (AD), may act as a seed for pathological spreading to its connected regions. However, the underlying basis of regional vulnerability to NbM dysconnectivity remains unclear. NbM functional dysconnectivity was assessed using resting-state fMRI data of health controls and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients from the Alzheimer's disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI2/GO phase). Transcriptional correlates of NbM dysconnectivity was explored by leveraging public intrinsic and differential post-mortem brain-wide gene expression datasets from Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA) and Mount Sinai Brain Bank (MSBB). By constructing an individual-level tissue-specific gene set risk score (TGRS), we evaluated the contribution of NbM dysconnectivity-correlated gene sets to change rate of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers during preclinical stage of AD, as well as to MCI onset age. An independent cohort of health controls and MCI patients from ADNI3 was used to validate our main findings. Between-group comparison revealed significant connectivity reduction between the right NbM and right middle temporal gyrus in MCI. This regional vulnerability to NbM dysconnectivity correlated with intrinsic expression of genes enriched in protein and immune functions, as well as with differential expression of genes enriched in cholinergic receptors, immune, vascular and energy metabolism functions. TGRS of these NbM dysconnectivity-correlated gene sets are associated with longitudinal amyloid-beta change at preclinical stages of AD, and contributed to MCI onset age independent of traditional AD risks. Our findings revealed the transcriptional vulnerability to NbM dysconnectivity and their crucial role in explaining preclinical amyloid-beta change and MCI onset age, which offer new insights into the early AD pathology and encourage more investigation and clinical trials targeting NbM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Ren
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; Laboratory for Space Environment and Physical Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Wencai Ding
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Siyang Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; Laboratory for Space Environment and Physical Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Guiyou Liu
- Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Ministry of Science and Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Meng Luo
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Wenyang Zhou
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Rui Cheng
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Yiqun Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Pingping Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Zhipeng Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; Laboratory for Space Environment and Physical Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Lifen Yao
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Qinghua Jiang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; Key Laboratory of Biological Big Data (Harbin Institute of Technology), Ministry of Education, Harbin 150001, China.
| | - Xia Liang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; Laboratory for Space Environment and Physical Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China.
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Yang D, Zhao Y, Nie B, An L, Wan X, Wang Y, Wang W, Cai G, Wu S. Progress in magnetic resonance imaging of autism model mice brain. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2022; 13:e1616. [PMID: 35930672 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease characterized by social disorder and stereotypical behaviors with an increasing incidence. ASD patients are suffering from varying degrees of mental retardation and language development abnormalities. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive imaging technology to detect brain structural and functional dysfunction in vivo, playing an important role in the early diagnosisbasic research of ASD. High-field, small-animal MRI in basic research of autism model mice has provided a new approach to research the pathogenesis, characteristics, and intervention efficacy in autism. This article reviews MRI studies of mouse models of autism over the past 20 years. Reduced gray matter, abnormal connections of brain networks, and abnormal development of white matter fibers have been demonstrated in these studies, which are present in different proportions in the various mouse models. This provides a more macroscopic view for subsequent research on autism model mice. This article is categorized under: Cognitive Biology > Genes and Environment Neuroscience > Computation Neuroscience > Genes, Molecules, and Cells Neuroscience > Development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingding Yang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Binbin Nie
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Leiting An
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiangdong Wan
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yazhou Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenting Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Guohong Cai
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shengxi Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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7
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Katayama Y. [Deciphering pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder with mice model]. Nihon Yakurigaku Zasshi 2022; 157:187-190. [PMID: 35491116 DOI: 10.1254/fpj.21121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by communication disorders and behavioral limitations, and its high prevalence has attracted increasing social attention in recent years. However, the pathogenesis of ASD is still not fully understood because of its diversity and the suspected involvement of many causative genes and environmental factors. Therefore, analyses using animal models that can isolate and simplify the causes of ASD are thought to be helpful in understanding the disease. In this article, we will introduce the pathogenic mechanism of ASD revealed by the analysis using a mouse model reproducing the mutation of CHD8, which is a reliable candidate gene for the cause of ASD, and discuss the possibility of therapeutic targets predicted from this analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Katayama
- Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University
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Fu L, Li C, Li Y, Cheng X, Cui X, Jiang J, Ding N, Fang H, Tang T, Ke X. Heritability of abnormalities in limbic networks of autism spectrum disorder children: Evidence from an autism spectrum disorder twin study. Autism Res 2022; 15:628-640. [PMID: 35212461 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2686] [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: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Although the limbic system is closely related to emotion and social behaviors, little is known about the integrity of limbic pathways and how genetics influence the anatomical abnormalities of limbic networks in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Therefore, we used an ASD twin study design to evaluate the microstructural integrity and autism-related differences in limbic pathways of young children with ASD and to estimate the heritability of limbic tracts microstructure variance. We obtained diffusion tensor imaging scans from 33 pairs of twins with ASD aged 2-9 years and 20 age-matched typically developing children. The ACE model was used to estimate the relative effects of additive genetic factors (A), shared environmental factors (C) and specific environmental factors (E) on the variability of diffusivity measurements. We found a significant decrease in fractional anisotropy (FA) in the bilateral fornix and uncinate fasciculus (UF), as well as increased mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) in the bilateral fornix and right UF of ASD children. Correlation analysis showed that FA, MD, and lateralization indices of UF were correlated with autism diagnostic observation schedule scores. The ACE model revealed that genetic effects may drive some of the variability of microstructure in the bilateral fornix, cingulum, and left UF. In conclusion, in children with ASD, there are abnormalities in the white matter microstructure of the limbic system, which is related to the core symptoms; these abnormalities may be related to the relative contribution of genetic and environmental effects on specific tracts. LAY SUMMARY: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children have abnormal white matter structure in limbic system related to ASD symptoms, and genetic factors play an important role in the development of limbic tracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linyan Fu
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong General Hospital & Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunyan Li
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yun Li
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Cheng
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiwen Cui
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiying Jiang
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ning Ding
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui Fang
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tianyu Tang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoyan Ke
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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Ju J, Yang X, Jiang J, Wang D, Zhang Y, Zhao X, Fang X, Liao H, Zheng L, Li S, Hou ST, Liang L, Pan Y, Li H, Li N. Structural and Lipidomic Alterations of Striatal Myelin in 16p11.2 Deletion Mouse Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:718720. [PMID: 34483844 PMCID: PMC8416256 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.718720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Myelin abnormalities have been observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study, we seek to discover myelin-related changes in the striatum, a key brain region responsible for core ASD features, using the 16p11.2 deletion (16p11.2±) mouse model of ASD. We found downregulated expression of multiple myelin genes and decreased myelin thickness in the striatum of 16p11.2± mice versus wild type controls. Moreover, given that myelin is the main reservoir of brain lipids and that increasing evidence has linked dysregulation of lipid metabolism to ASD, we performed lipidomic analysis and discovered decreased levels of certain species of sphingomyelin, hexosyl ceramide and their common precursor, ceramide, in 16p11.2± striatum, all of which are major myelin components. We further identified lack of ceramide synthase 2 as the possible reason behind the decrease in these lipid species. Taken together, our data suggest a role for myelin and myelin lipids in ASD development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ju
- Tomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiuyan Yang
- Tomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jian Jiang
- Tomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dilong Wang
- Tomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yumeng Zhang
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, Division of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaofeng Zhao
- Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Organ Development and Regeneration, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyi Fang
- Department of Neonatology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huanquan Liao
- The Clinical Neuroscience Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lei Zheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shupeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Sheng-Tao Hou
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Liyang Liang
- Department of Pediatrics, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yihang Pan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huiliang Li
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, Division of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ningning Li
- Tomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- China-UK Institute for Frontier Science, Shenzhen, China
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10
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Lee S, Kang H, Jung H, Kim E, Lee E. Gene Dosage- and Age-Dependent Differential Transcriptomic Changes in the Prefrontal Cortex of Shank2-Mutant Mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:683196. [PMID: 34177464 PMCID: PMC8226033 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.683196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Shank2 is an abundant postsynaptic scaffolding protein that is known to regulate excitatory synapse assembly and synaptic transmission and has been implicated in various neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Previous studies on Shank2-mutant mice provided mechanistic insights into their autistic-like phenotypes, but it remains unclear how transcriptomic patterns are changed in brain regions of the mutant mice in age- and gene dosage-dependent manners. To this end, we performed RNA-Seq analyses of the transcripts from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of heterozygous and homozygous Shank2-mutant mice lacking exons 6 and 7 at juvenile (week 3) and adult (week 12) stages. Juvenile heterozygous Shank2-mutant mice showed upregulation of glutamate synapse-related genes, downregulation of ribosomal and mitochondrial genes, and transcriptomic changes that are opposite to those observed in ASD (anti-ASD) such as upregulation of ASD_down (downregulated in ASD), GABA neuron-related, and oligodendrocyte-related genes. Juvenile homozygous Shank2 mice showed upregulation of chromatin-related genes and transcriptomic changes that are in line with those occurring in ASD (pro-ASD) such as downregulation of ASD_down, GABA neuron-related, and oligodendrocyte-related genes. Adult heterozygous and homozygous Shank2-mutant mice both exhibited downregulation of ribosomal and mitochondrial genes and pro-ASD transcriptomic changes. Therefore, the gene dosage- and age-dependent effects of Shank2 deletions in mice include differential transcriptomic changes across distinct functional contexts, including synapses, chromatin, ribosomes, mitochondria, GABA neurons, and oligodendrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungjoon Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Hyojin Kang
- Division of National Supercomputing, KISTI, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Hwajin Jung
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Eunjoon Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea.,Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Eunee Lee
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea.,Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
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