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Gallo MT, Dolci B, Fumagalli F, Brivio P, Calabrese F. Prenatal Fluoxetine Exposure Influences Glucocorticoid Receptor-Mediated Activity in the Prefrontal Cortex of Adolescent Rats Exposed to Acute Stress. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1560-1569. [PMID: 38507566 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Any deviation from the programmed processes of brain development may modify its formation and functions, thereby precipitating pathological conditions, which often become manifest in adulthood. Exposure to a challenge during crucial periods of vulnerability, such as adolescence, may reveal molecular changes preceding behavioral outcomes. Based on a previous study showing that prenatal fluoxetine (FLX) leads to the development of an anhedonic-like behavior in adult rats, we aimed to assess whether the same treatment regimen (i.e., fluoxetine during gestation; 15 mg/kg/day) influences the ability to respond to acute restraint stress (ARS) during adolescence. We subjected the rats to a battery of behavioral tests evaluating the development of various phenotypes (cognitive deficit, anhedonia, and anxiety). Furthermore, we carried out molecular analyses in the plasma and prefrontal cortex, a brain region involved in stress response, and whose functions are commonly altered in neuropsychiatric conditions. Our findings confirm that prenatal manipulation did not affect behavior in adolescent rats but impaired the capability to respond properly to ARS. Indeed, we observed changes in several molecular key players of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, particularly influencing genomic effects mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor. This study highlights that prenatal FLX exposure influences the ability of adolescent male rats to respond to an acute challenge, thereby altering the functionality of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and indicates that the prenatal manipulation may prime the response to challenging events during this critical period of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Teresa Gallo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Beatrice Dolci
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Fabio Fumagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Paola Brivio
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Francesca Calabrese
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan 20133, Italy
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2
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Kennedy CL, Price EM, Mifsud KR, Salatino S, Sharma E, Engledow S, Broxholme J, Goss HM, Reul JM. Genomic regulation of Krüppel-like-factor family members by corticosteroid receptors in the rat brain. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 23:100532. [PMID: 36942087 PMCID: PMC10024234 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) mediate glucocorticoid hormone (GC) action in the hippocampus. These receptors bind to glucocorticoid responsive elements (GREs) within target genes, eliciting transcriptional effects in response to stress and circadian variation. Until recently, little was known about the genome-wide targets of hippocampal MRs and GRs under physiological conditions. Following on from our genome-wide MR and GR ChIP-seq and Ribo-Zero RNA-seq studies on rat hippocampus, we investigated the Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) as targets of MRs and GRs throughout the brain under circadian variation and after acute stress. In particular, Klf2, Klf9 and Klf15 are known to be stress and/or GC responsive and play a role in neurobiological processes including synaptic plasticity and neuronal differentiation. We found increased binding of MR and GR to GREs within Klf2, Klf9 and Klf15 in the hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and neocortex after acute stress and resulting from circadian variation, which was accompanied by upregulation of corresponding hnRNA and mRNA levels. Adrenalectomy abolished transcriptional upregulation of specific Klf genes. These results show that MRs and GRs regulate Klf gene expression throughout the brain following exposure to acute stress or in response to circadian variation, likely alongside other transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare L.M. Kennedy
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol, BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Emily M. Price
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol, BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Karen R. Mifsud
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol, BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Salatino
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Eshita Sharma
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Engledow
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - John Broxholme
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah M. Goss
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol, BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Johannes M.H.M. Reul
- Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol, BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
- Corresponding author.
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3
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Overnight Corticosterone and Gene Expression in Mouse Hippocampus: Time Course during Resting Period. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032828. [PMID: 36769150 PMCID: PMC9917930 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the experiment was to test the effect of an elevated level of glucocorticoids on the mouse hippocampal transcriptome after 12 h of treatment with corticosterone that was administered during an active phase of the circadian cycle. Additionally, we also tested the circadian changes in gene expression and the decay time of transcriptomic response to corticosterone. Gene expression was analyzed using microarrays. Obtained results show that transcriptomic responses to glucocorticoids are heterogeneous in terms of the decay time with some genes displaying persistent changes in expression during 9 h of rest. We have also found a considerable overlap between genes regulated by corticosterone and genes implicated previously in stress response. The examples of such genes are Acer2, Agt, Apod, Aqp4, Etnppl, Fabp7, Fam107a, Fjx1, Fmo2, Galnt15, Gjc2, Heph, Hes5, Htra1, Jdp2, Kif5a, Lfng, Lrg1, Mgp, Mt1, Pglyrp1, Pla2g3, Plin4, Pllp, Ptgds, Ptn, Slc2a1, Slco1c1, Sult1a1, Thbd and Txnip. This indicates that the applied model is a useful tool for the investigation of mechanisms underlying the stress response.
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4
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Chronic Corticosterone Exposure Suppresses Copper Transport through GR-Mediated Intestinal CTR1 Pathway in Mice. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12020197. [PMID: 36829476 PMCID: PMC9953443 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Numerous studies have discovered that chronic stress induces metabolic disorders by affecting iron and zinc metabolism, but the relationship between chronic stress and copper metabolism remains unclear. Here, we explore the influence of chronic corticosterone (CORT) exposure on copper metabolism and its regulatory mechanism in mice. Mice were treated with 100 μg/mL CORT in drinking water for a 4-week trial. We found that CORT treatment resulted in a significant decrease in plasma copper level, plasma ceruloplasmin activity, plasma and liver Cu/Zn-SOD activity, hepatic copper content, and liver metallothionein content in mice. CORT treatment led to the reduction in duodenal expression of copper transporter 1 (CTR1), duodenal cytochrome b (DCYTB), and ATPase copper-transporting alpha (ATP7A) at the mRNA and protein level in mice. CORT treatment activated nuclear glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and down-regulated CRT1 expression in Caco-2 cells, whereas these phenotypes were reversible by an antagonist of GR, RU486. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that GR bound to the Ctr1 promoter in Caco-2 cells. Transient transfection assays in Caco-2 cells demonstrated that the Ctr1 promoter was responsive to the CORT-activated glucocorticoid receptor, whereas mutation/deletion of the glucocorticoid receptor element (GRE) markedly impaired activation of the Ctr1 promoter. In addition, CORT-induced downregulation of Ctr1 promoter activity was markedly attenuated in Caco-2 cells when RU486 was added. These findings present a novel molecular target for CORT that down-regulates intestinal CTR1 expression via GR-mediated trans-repression in mice.
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5
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Koorneef LL, Viho EMG, Wahl LF, Meijer OC. Do Corticosteroid Receptor mRNA Levels Predict the Expression of Their Target Genes? J Endocr Soc 2022; 7:bvac188. [PMID: 36578881 PMCID: PMC9791178 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvac188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The glucocorticoid stress hormones affect brain function via high-affinity mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and lower-affinity glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). MR and GR not only differ in affinity for ligands, but also have distinct, sometimes opposite, actions on neuronal excitability and other cellular and higher-order parameters related to cerebral function. GR and MR messenger RNA (mRNA) levels are often used as a proxy for the responsiveness to glucocorticoids, assuming proportionality between mRNA and protein levels. This may be especially relevant for the MR, which because of its high affinity is already largely occupied at low basal (trough) hormone levels. Here we explore how GR and MR mRNA levels are associated with the expression of a shared target gene, glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ, coded by Tsc22d3) with basal and elevated levels of corticosterone in male mice, using in situ hybridization. Depending on the hippocampal subfield and the corticosterone levels, mRNA levels of MR rather than GR mostly correlated with GILZ mRNA in the hippocampus and hypothalamus at the bulk tissue level. At the individual cell level, these correlations were much weaker. Using publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing data, we again observed that MR and GR mRNA levels were only weakly correlated with target gene expression in glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons. We conclude that MR mRNA levels can be limiting for receptor action, but many other cell-specific and region-specific factors ultimately determine corticosteroid receptor action. Altogether, our results argue for caution while interpreting the consequences of changed receptor expression for the response to glucocorticoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa L Koorneef
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZA, the Netherlands,Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZA, the Netherlands
| | - Eva M G Viho
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZA, the Netherlands,Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZA, the Netherlands
| | - Lucas F Wahl
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZA, the Netherlands,Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZA, the Netherlands
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Correspondence: Onno C. Meijer, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Rm C7-44, Leiden 2333 ZA, the Netherlands.
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6
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Caradonna SG, Paul MR, Marrocco J. Evidence for an allostatic epigenetic memory on chromatin footprints after double-hit acute stress. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 20:100475. [PMID: 36032404 PMCID: PMC9400173 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100475] [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: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress induces allostatic responses, whose limits depend on genetic background and the nature of the challenges. Allostatic load reflects the cumulation of these reponses over the course of life. Acute stress is usually associated with adaptive responses, although, depending on the intensity of the stress and individual differences , some may experience maladaptive coping that persists through life and may influence subsequent responses to stressful events, as is the case of post-traumatic stress disorder. We investigated the behavioral traits and epigenetic signatures in a double-hit mouse model of acute stress in which heterotypic stressors (acute swim stress and acute restraint stress) were applied within a 7-day interval period. The ventral hippocampus was isolated to study the footprints of chromatin accessibility driven by exposure to double-hit stress. Using ATAC sequencing to determine regions of open chromatin, we showed that depending on the number of acute stressors, several gene sets related to development, immune function, cell starvation, translation, the cytoskeleton, and DNA modification were reprogrammed in both males and females. Chromatin accessibility for transcription factor binding sites showed that stress altered the accessibility for androgen, glucocorticoid, and mineralocorticoid receptor binding sites (AREs/GREs) at the genome-wide level, with double-hit stressed mice displaying a profile unique from either single hit of acute stress. The investigation of AREs/GREs adjacent to gene coding regions revealed several stress-related genes, including Fkbp5, Zbtb16, and Ddc, whose chromatin accessibility was affected by prior exposure to stress. These data demonstrate that acute stress is not truly acute because it induces allostatic signatures that persist in the epigenome and may manifest when a second challenge hits later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew R. Paul
- Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jordan Marrocco
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biology, Touro University, New York, NY, USA
- Corresponding author. Department of Biology, Touro University, New York, NY, USA.
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7
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Luo J, Chen L, Huang X, Xie J, Zou C, Pan M, Mo J, Zou D. REPS1 as a Potential Biomarker in Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Dementia. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:894824. [PMID: 35813961 PMCID: PMC9257827 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.894824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascular dementia (VD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are common types of dementia for which no curative therapies are known. In this study, we identified hub genes associated with AD and VD in order to explore new potential therapeutic targets. Genes differentially expressed in VD and AD in all three datasets (GSE122063, GSE132903, and GSE5281) were identified and used to construct a protein–protein interaction network. We identified 10 modules containing 427 module genes in AD and VD. Module genes showing an area under the diagnostic curve > 0.60 for AD or VD were used to construct a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator model and were entered into a support vector machine-recursive feature elimination algorithm, which identified REPS1 as a hub gene in AD and VD. Furthermore, REPS1 was associated with activation of pyruvate metabolism and inhibition of Ras signaling pathway. Module genes, together with differentially expressed microRNAs from the dataset GSE46579, were used to construct a regulatory network. REPS1 was predicted to bind to the microRNA hsa_miR_5701. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis was used to explore immune cell infiltration, which suggested a negative correlation between REPS1 expression and infiltration by plasmacytoid dendritic cells in AD and VD. In conclusion, our results suggest core pathways involved in both AD and VD, and they identify REPS1 as a potential biomarker of both diseases. This protein may aid in early diagnosis, monitoring of treatment response, and even efforts to prevent these debilitating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiefeng Luo
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Liechun Chen
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Xiaohua Huang
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
| | - Jieqiong Xie
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Chun Zou
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Mika Pan
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jingjia Mo
- Department of General Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Jingjia Mo,
| | - Donghua Zou
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- *Correspondence: Donghua Zou,
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8
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Histone methylation-mediated microRNA-32-5p down-regulation in sensory neurons regulates pain behaviors via targeting Cav3.2 channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2117209119. [PMID: 35353623 PMCID: PMC9168926 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117209119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we identify microRNA-32-5p (miR-32-5p) as a key functional noncoding RNA in trigeminal-mediated neuropathic pain. We report that injury-induced histone methylation attenuates the binding of glucocorticoid receptor to the promoter region of the miR-32-5p gene and decreases the expression of miR-32-5p, in turn promoting the development of neuropathic pain through regulation of Cav3.2 channels. miRNA-mediated gene regulation has been proposed as a therapeutic approach in neuropathic pain. Our findings identify miR-32-5p replenishment as a therapeutic strategy for treating chronic neuropathic pain. microRNA (miRNA)–mediated gene regulation has been studied as a therapeutic approach, but its functional regulatory mechanism in neuropathic pain is not well understood. Here, we identify that miRNA-32-5p (miR-32-5p) is a functional RNA in regulating trigeminal-mediated neuropathic pain. High-throughput sequencing and qPCR analysis showed that miR-32-5p was the most down-regulated miRNA in the injured trigeminal ganglion (TG) of rats. Intra-TG injection of miR-32-5p agomir or overexpression of miR-32-5p by lentiviral delivery in neurons of the injured TG attenuated established trigeminal neuropathic pain. miR-32-5p overexpression did not affect acute physiological pain, while miR-32-5p down-regulation in intact rats was sufficient to cause pain-related behaviors. Nerve injury increased the methylated histone occupancy of binding sites for the transcription factor glucocorticoid receptor in the miR-32-5p promoter region. Inhibition of the enzymes that catalyze H3K9me2 and H3K27me3 restored the expression of miR-32-5p and markedly attenuated pain behaviors. Further, miR-32-5p–targeted Cav3.2 T-type Ca2+ channels and decreased miR-32-5p associated with neuropathic pain caused an increase in Cav3.2 protein expression and T-type channel currents. Conversely, miR-32-5p overexpression in injured TG suppressed the increased expression of Cav3.2 and reversed mechanical allodynia. Together, we conclude that histone methylation-mediated miR-32-5p down-regulation in TG neurons regulates trigeminal neuropathic pain by targeting Cav3.2 channels.
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9
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Han DT, Zhao W, Powell WH. Dioxin Disrupts Thyroid Hormone and Glucocorticoid Induction of klf9, a Master Regulator of Frog Metamorphosis. Toxicol Sci 2022; 187:150-161. [PMID: 35172007 PMCID: PMC9041550 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfac017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Frog metamorphosis, the development of an air-breathing froglet from an aquatic tadpole, is controlled by thyroid hormone (TH) and glucocorticoids (GC). Metamorphosis is susceptible to disruption by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) agonist. Krüppel-like factor 9 (klf9), an immediate early gene in the endocrine-controlled cascade of expression changes governing metamorphosis, can be synergistically induced by both hormones. This process is mediated by an upstream enhancer cluster, the klf9 synergy module (KSM). klf9 is also an AHR target. We measured klf9 mRNA following exposures to triiodothyronine (T3), corticosterone (CORT), and TCDD in the Xenopus laevis cell line XLK-WG. klf9 was induced 6-fold by 50 nM T3, 4-fold by 100 nM CORT, and 3-fold by 175 nM TCDD. Cotreatments of CORT and TCDD or T3 and TCDD induced klf9 7- and 11-fold, respectively, whereas treatment with all 3 agents induced a 15-fold increase. Transactivation assays examined enhancers from the Xenopus tropicalis klf9 upstream region. KSM-containing segments mediated a strong T3 response and a larger T3/CORT response, whereas induction by TCDD was mediated by a region ∼1 kb farther upstream containing 5 AHR response elements (AHREs). This region also supported a CORT response in the absence of readily identifiable GC responsive elements, suggesting mediation by protein-protein interactions. A functional AHRE cluster is positionally conserved in the human genome, and klf9 was induced by TCDD and TH in HepG2 cells. These results indicate that AHR binding to upstream AHREs represents an early key event in TCDD's disruption of endocrine-regulated klf9 expression and metamorphosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Wade H Powell
- To whom correspondence should be addressed at Biology Department, Kenyon College, 202 N College Rd, Gambier, OH 43022. E-mail:
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10
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Viho EMG, Buurstede JC, Berkhout JB, Mahfouz A, Meijer OC. Cell type specificity of glucocorticoid signaling in the adult mouse hippocampus. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13072. [PMID: 34939259 PMCID: PMC9286676 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid stress hormones are powerful modulators of brain function and can affect mood and cognitive processes. The hippocampus is a prominent glucocorticoid target and expresses both the glucocorticoid receptor (GR: Nr3c1) and the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR: Nr3c2). These nuclear steroid receptors act as ligand-dependent transcription factors. Transcriptional effects of glucocorticoids have often been deduced from bulk mRNA measurements or spatially informed individual gene expression. However, only sparse data exists allowing insights on glucocorticoid-driven gene transcription at the cell type level. Here, we used publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing data to assess the cell-type specificity of GR and MR signaling in the adult mouse hippocampus. The data confirmed that Nr3c1 and Nr3c2 expression differs across neuronal and non-neuronal cell populations. We analyzed co-expression with sex hormones receptors, transcriptional coregulators, and receptors for neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. Our results provide insights in the cellular basis of previous bulk mRNA results and allow the formulation of more defined hypotheses on the effects of glucocorticoids on hippocampal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M. G. Viho
- Division of EndocrinologyDepartment of MedicineLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular MedicineLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Jacobus C. Buurstede
- Division of EndocrinologyDepartment of MedicineLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular MedicineLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Jari B. Berkhout
- Division of EndocrinologyDepartment of MedicineLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular MedicineLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Department of Human GeneticsLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Ahmed Mahfouz
- Department of Human GeneticsLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Delft Bioinformatics LaboratoryDelft University of TechnologyDelftThe Netherlands
- Leiden Computational Biology CenterLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Onno C. Meijer
- Division of EndocrinologyDepartment of MedicineLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular MedicineLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
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11
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Guo N, McDermott KD, Shih YT, Zanga H, Ghosh D, Herber C, Meara WR, Coleman J, Zagouras A, Wong LP, Sadreyev R, Gonçalves JT, Sahay A. Transcriptional regulation of neural stem cell expansion in the adult hippocampus. eLife 2022; 11:72195. [PMID: 34982030 PMCID: PMC8820733 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Experience governs neurogenesis from radial-glial neural stem cells (RGLs) in the adult hippocampus to support memory. Transcription factors (TFs) in RGLs integrate physiological signals to dictate self-renewal division mode. Whereas asymmetric RGL divisions drive neurogenesis during favorable conditions, symmetric divisions prevent premature neurogenesis while amplifying RGLs to anticipate future neurogenic demands. The identities of TFs regulating RGL symmetric self-renewal, unlike those that regulate RGL asymmetric self-renewal, are not known. Here, we show in mice that the TF Kruppel-like factor 9 (Klf9) is elevated in quiescent RGLs and inducible, deletion of Klf9 promotes RGL activation state. Clonal analysis and longitudinal intravital two-photon imaging directly demonstrate that Klf9 functions as a brake on RGL symmetric self-renewal. In vivo translational profiling of RGLs lacking Klf9 generated a molecular blueprint for RGL symmetric self-renewal that was characterized by upregulation of genetic programs underlying Notch and mitogen signaling, cell cycle, fatty acid oxidation, and lipogenesis. Together, these observations identify Klf9 as a transcriptional regulator of neural stem cell expansion in the adult hippocampus. In humans and other mammals, a region of the brain known as the hippocampus plays important roles in memory. New experiences guide cells in the hippocampus known as radial-glial neural stem cells (RGLs) to divide to make new neurons and other types of cells involved in forming memories. Each time an RGL divides, it can choose to divide asymmetrically to maintain a copy of itself and make a new cell of another type, or divide symmetrically (a process known as symmetric self-renewal) to produce two RGLs. Symmetric self-renewal helps to restore and replenish the pool of stem cells in the hippocampus that are lost due to injury or age, allowing us to continue making new neurons. Proteins known as transcription factors are believed to control how RGLs divide. Previous studies have identified several transcription factors that regulate the RGLs splitting asymmetrically to make neurons and other cells. But the identities of the transcription factors that regulate symmetric self-renewal in the adult hippocampus have remained elusive. Here, Guo et al. searched for transcription factors that regulate symmetric self-renewal of RGLs in mice. The experiments found that RGLs that are resting and not dividing (referred to as ‘quiescent’) have higher levels of a transcription factor called Klf9 than RGLs that are actively dividing. Loss of the gene encoding Klf9 triggered quiescent RGLs to start dividing, and further experiments showed that Klf9 directly inhibited symmetric self-renewal. Guo et al. then used an approach called in vivo translational profiling to generate a blueprint that revealed new insights into the molecular processes involved in this symmetric division. These findings pave the way for researchers to develop strategies that may expand the numbers of stem cells in the hippocampus. This could eventually be used to help replenish brain circuits with neurons and improve the memory of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or other conditions that cause memory loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Guo
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,BROAD Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, United States
| | - Kelsey D McDermott
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine; Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, United States
| | - Yu-Tzu Shih
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,BROAD Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, United States
| | - Haley Zanga
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,BROAD Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, United States
| | - Debolina Ghosh
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, United States
| | - Charlotte Herber
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, United States
| | - William R Meara
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, United States
| | - James Coleman
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, United States
| | - Alexia Zagouras
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, United States
| | - Lai Ping Wong
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Ruslan Sadreyev
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - J Tiago Gonçalves
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine; Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, United States
| | - Amar Sahay
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,BROAD Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, United States
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12
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Branch CL, Semenov GA, Wagner DN, Sonnenberg BR, Pitera AM, Bridge ES, Taylor SA, Pravosudov VV. The genetic basis of spatial cognitive variation in a food-caching bird. Curr Biol 2021; 32:210-219.e4. [PMID: 34735793 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Spatial cognition is used by most organisms to navigate their environment. Some species rely particularly heavily on specialized spatial cognition to survive, suggesting that a heritable component of cognition may be under natural selection. This idea remains largely untested outside of humans, perhaps because cognition in general is known to be strongly affected by learning and experience.1-4 We investigated the genetic basis of individual variation in spatial cognition used by non-migratory food-caching birds to recover food stores and survive harsh montane winters. Comparing the genomes of wild, free-living birds ranging from best to worst in their performance on a spatial cognitive task revealed significant associations with genes involved in neuron growth and development and hippocampal function. These results identify candidate genes associated with differences in spatial cognition and provide a critical link connecting individual variation in spatial cognition with natural selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie L Branch
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
| | - Georgy A Semenov
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Dominique N Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Benjamin R Sonnenberg
- Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Angela M Pitera
- Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Eli S Bridge
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Scott A Taylor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Vladimir V Pravosudov
- Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
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13
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Corrales WA, Silva JP, Parra CS, Olave FA, Aguayo FI, Román-Albasini L, Aliaga E, Venegas-Zamora L, Avalos AM, Rojas PS, Maracaja-Coutinho V, Oakley RH, Cidlowski JA, Fiedler JL. Sex-Dependent Changes of miRNA Levels in the Hippocampus of Adrenalectomized Rats Following Acute Corticosterone Administration. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:2981-3001. [PMID: 34339164 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We explored sex-biased effects of the primary stress glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone on the miRNA expression profile in the rat hippocampus. Adult adrenalectomized (ADX) female and male rats received a single corticosterone (10 mg/kg) or vehicle injection, and after 6 h, hippocampi were collected for miRNA, mRNA, and Western blot analyses. miRNA profiling microarrays showed a basal sex-biased miRNA profile in ADX rat hippocampi. Additionally, acute corticosterone administration triggered a sex-biased differential expression of miRNAs derived from genes located in several chromosomes and clusters on the X and 6 chromosomes. Putative promoter analysis unveiled that most corticosterone-responsive miRNA genes contained motifs for either direct or indirect glucocorticoid actions in both sexes. The evaluation of transcription factors indicated that almost 50% of miRNA genes sensitive to corticosterone in both sexes was under glucocorticoid receptor regulation. Transcription factor-miRNA regulatory network analyses identified several transcription factors that regulate, activate, or repress miRNA expression. Validated target mRNA analysis of corticosterone-responsive miRNAs showed a more complex miRNA-mRNA interaction network in males compared to females. Enrichment analysis revealed that several hippocampal-relevant pathways were affected in both sexes, such as neurogenesis and neurotrophin signaling. The evaluation of selected miRNA targets from these pathways displayed a strong sex difference in the hippocampus of ADX-vehicle rats. Corticosterone treatment did not change the levels of the miRNA targets and their corresponding tested proteins. Our data indicate that corticosterone exerts a sex-biased effect on hippocampal miRNA expression, which may engage in sculpting the basal sex differences observed at higher levels of hippocampal functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wladimir A. Corrales
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Juan P. Silva
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Claudio S. Parra
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Felipe A. Olave
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Felipe I. Aguayo
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Luciano Román-Albasini
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Esteban Aliaga
- Department of Kinesiology and The Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center (CINPSI-Neurocog), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile
| | - Leslye Venegas-Zamora
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Ana M. Avalos
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago 8910060, Chile
| | - Paulina S. Rojas
- Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370149, Chile
| | - Vinicius Maracaja-Coutinho
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Robert H. Oakley
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - John A. Cidlowski
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Jenny L. Fiedler
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
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14
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HUZARD D, RAPPENEAU V, MEIJER OC, TOUMA C, ARANGO-LIEVANO M, GARABEDIAN MJ, JEANNETEAU F. Experience and activity-dependent control of glucocorticoid receptors during the stress response in large-scale brain networks. Stress 2021; 24:130-153. [PMID: 32755268 PMCID: PMC7907260 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2020.1806226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversity of actions of the glucocorticoid stress hormones among individuals and within organs, tissues and cells is shaped by age, gender, genetics, metabolism, and the quantity of exposure. However, such factors cannot explain the heterogeneity of responses in the brain within cells of the same lineage, or similar tissue environment, or in the same individual. Here, we argue that the stress response is continuously updated by synchronized neural activity on large-scale brain networks. This occurs at the molecular, cellular and behavioral levels by crosstalk communication between activity-dependent and glucocorticoid signaling pathways, which updates the diversity of responses based on prior experience. Such a Bayesian process determines adaptation to the demands of the body and external world. We propose a framework for understanding how the diversity of glucocorticoid actions throughout brain networks is essential for supporting optimal health, while its disruption may contribute to the pathophysiology of stress-related disorders, such as major depression, and resistance to therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien HUZARD
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
| | - Virginie RAPPENEAU
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Onno C. MEIJER
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Chadi TOUMA
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Margarita ARANGO-LIEVANO
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Freddy JEANNETEAU
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
- Corresponding author:
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15
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Mostafa MM, Bansal A, Michi AN, Sasse SK, Proud D, Gerber AN, Newton R. Genomic determinants implicated in the glucocorticoid-mediated induction of KLF9 in pulmonary epithelial cells. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100065. [PMID: 33184061 PMCID: PMC7949084 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.015755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ligand-activated glucocorticoid receptor (GR) elicits variable glucocorticoid-modulated transcriptomes in different cell types. However, some genes, including Krüppel-like factor 9 (KLF9), a putative transcriptional repressor, demonstrate conserved responses. We show that glucocorticoids induce KLF9 expression in the human airways in vivo and in differentiated human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells grown at air-liquid interface (ALI). In A549 and BEAS-2B pulmonary epithelial cells, glucocorticoids induce KLF9 expression with similar kinetics to primary HBE cells in submersion culture. A549 and BEAS-2B ChIP-seq data reveal four common glucocorticoid-induced GR binding sites (GBSs). Two GBSs mapped to the 5'-proximal region relative to KLF9 transcription start site (TSS) and two occurred at distal sites. These were all confirmed in primary HBE cells. Global run-on (GRO) sequencing indicated robust enhancer RNA (eRNA) production from three of these GBSs in BEAS-2B cells. This was confirmed in A549 cells, plus submersion, and ALI culture of HBE cells. Cloning each GBS into luciferase reporters revealed glucocorticoid-induced activity requiring a glucocorticoid response element (GRE) within each distal GBS. While the proximal GBSs drove modest reporter induction by glucocorticoids, this region exhibited basal eRNA production, RNA polymerase II enrichment, and looping to the TSS, plausibly underlying constitutive KLF9 expression. Post glucocorticoid treatment, interactions between distal and proximal GBSs and the TSS correlated with KLF9 induction. CBP/P300 silencing reduced proximal GBS activity, but negligibly affected KLF9 expression. Overall, a model for glucocorticoid-mediated regulation of KLF9 involving multiple GBSs is depicted. This work unequivocally demonstrates that mechanistic insights gained from cell lines can translate to physiologically relevant systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud M Mostafa
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology and Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Akanksha Bansal
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology and Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Aubrey N Michi
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology and Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Sarah K Sasse
- Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - David Proud
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology and Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Anthony N Gerber
- Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Robert Newton
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology and Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
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16
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Mojica CAR, Ybañez WS, Olarte KCV, Poblete ABC, Bagamasbad PD. Differential Glucocorticoid-Dependent Regulation and Function of the ERRFI1 Gene in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5841101. [PMID: 32432675 PMCID: PMC7316368 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs; eg, hydrocortisone [CORT]) are routinely used as chemotherapeutic, anti-emetic, and palliative agents in breast cancer (BCa) therapy. The effects of GC signaling on BCa progression, however, remain a contentious topic as GC treatment seems to be beneficial for receptor-positive subtypes but elicits unfavorable responses in triple-negative BCa (TNBC). The mechanistic basis for these conflicting effects of GC in BCa is poorly understood. In this study, we sought to decipher the molecular mechanisms that govern the GC-dependent induction of the tumor suppressor ERRFI1 gene, an inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, and characterize the role of the GC-ERRFI1 regulatory axis in TNBC. Treatment of TNBC cell lines with a protein synthesis inhibitor or GC receptor (GR) antagonist followed by gene expression analysis suggests that ERRFI1 is a direct GR target. Using in silico analysis coupled with enhancer-reporter assays, we identified a putative ERRFI1 enhancer that supports CORT-dependent transactivation. In orthogonal assays for cell proliferation, survival, migration, and apoptosis, CORT mostly facilitated an oncogenic phenotype regardless of malignancy status. Lentiviral knockdown and overexpression of ERRFI1 showed that the CORT-enhanced oncogenic phenotype is restricted by ERRFI1 in the normal breast epithelial model MCF10A and to a lesser degree in the metastatic TNBC line MDA-MB-468. Conversely, ERRFI1 conferred pro-tumorigenic effects in the highly metastatic TNBC model MDA-MB-231. Taken together, our findings suggest that the progressive loss of the GC-dependent regulation and anti-tumorigenic function of ERRFI1 influences BCa progression and may contribute to the unfavorable effects of GC therapy in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chromewell Agustin R Mojica
- National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Weand S Ybañez
- National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Kevin Christian V Olarte
- National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Alyssa Beatrice C Poblete
- National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Pia D Bagamasbad
- National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
- Correspondence: Pia D. Bagamasbad, PhD, National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, National Science Complex, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila 1101, Philippines. E-mail:
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17
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Sbrini G, Brivio P, Peeva PM, Todiras M, Bader M, Alenina N, Calabrese F. The Absence of Serotonin in the Brain Alters Acute Stress Responsiveness by Interfering With the Genomic Function of the Glucocorticoid Receptors. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:128. [PMID: 32547368 PMCID: PMC7278285 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in serotonergic transmission have been related to a major predisposition to develop psychiatric pathologies, such as depression. We took advantage of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) 2 deficient rats, characterized by a complete absence of serotonin in the brain, to evaluate whether a vulnerable genotype may influence the reaction to an acute stressor. In this context, we investigated if the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) genomic pathway activation was altered by the lack of serotonin in the central nervous system. Moreover, we analyzed the transcription pattern of the clock genes that can be affected by acute stressors. Adult wild type (TPH2+/+) and TPH2-deficient (TPH2-/-) male rats were sacrificed after exposure to one single session of acute restraint stress. Protein and gene expression analyses were conducted in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The acute stress enhanced the translocation of GRs in the nucleus of TPH2+/+ animals. This effect was blunted in TPH2-/- rats, suggesting an impairment of the GR genomic mechanism. This alteration was mirrored in the expression of GR-responsive genes: acute stress led to the up-regulation of GR-target gene expression in TPH2+/+, but not in TPH2-/- animals. Finally, clock genes were differently modulated in the two genotypes after the acute restraint stress. Overall our findings suggest that the absence of serotonin within the brain interferes with the ability of the HPA axis to correctly modulate the response to acute stress, by altering the nuclear mechanisms of the GR and modulation of clock genes expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Sbrini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Brivio
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Polina Mineva Peeva
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Mihail Todiras
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Bader
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin, Germany.,Charite-University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Natalia Alenina
- Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Francesca Calabrese
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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18
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Bound Together: How Psychoanalysis Diminishes Inter-generational DNA Trauma. Am J Psychoanal 2020; 80:196-218. [PMID: 32488025 DOI: 10.1057/s11231-020-09247-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The concept of intergenerational transmission of trauma plays a fundamental role in psychoanalysis. While it is known that intergenerational trauma can be transmitted through attachment relationships, a new branch of genetics (epigenetics) has emerged to study the interaction between human behavior and changes in DNA expression. Therefore, psychoanalysis, which has proven to reduce the intergenerational transmission of trauma from a behavioral perspective, can play a positive role in regulating DNA changes caused by environmental stress. The present paper focuses on recent research suggesting a direct correlation between psychological trauma and DNA modifications. In particular, DNA changes caused by psychological trauma can be transmitted from generation to generation, validating the psychoanalytic concept of intergenerational transmission of trauma. This evidence not only supports the essential role psychoanalysis has in influencing human behavior, but also suggests that it affects not only the individuals who undergo it but their offspring, as well, via the epigenetic passage of DNA.
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19
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Besnard A, Langberg T, Levinson S, Chu D, Vicidomini C, Scobie KN, Dwork AJ, Arango V, Rosoklija GB, Mann JJ, Hen R, Leonardo ED, Boldrini M, Sahay A. Targeting Kruppel-like Factor 9 in Excitatory Neurons Protects against Chronic Stress-Induced Impairments in Dendritic Spines and Fear Responses. Cell Rep 2019; 23:3183-3196. [PMID: 29898391 PMCID: PMC7453932 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.05.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress exposure is associated with the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). Here, we show in rodents that chronic stress exposure rapidly and transiently elevates hippocampal expression of Kruppel-like factor 9 (Klf9). Inducible genetic silencing of Klf9 expression in excitatory forebrain neurons in adulthood prior to, but not after, onset of stressor prevented chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced potentiation of contextual fear acquisition in female mice and chronic corticosterone (CORT) exposure-induced fear generalization in male mice. Klf9 silencing prevented chronic CORT and CRS induced enlargement of dendritic spines in the ventral hippocampus of male and female mice, respectively. KLF9 mRNA density was increased in the anterior dentate gyrus of women, but not men, with more severe recent stressful life events and increased mortality. Thus, Klf9 functions as a stress-responsive transcription factor that mediates circuit and behavioral resilience in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Besnard
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Tomer Langberg
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Sally Levinson
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Duong Chu
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Cinzia Vicidomini
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 USA
| | - Kimberly N Scobie
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Andrew J Dwork
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Divisions of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA; Macedonian Academy of Sciences & Arts, Skopje 1000, Republic of Macedonia
| | - Victoria Arango
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Divisions of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Gorazd B Rosoklija
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Divisions of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA; Macedonian Academy of Sciences & Arts, Skopje 1000, Republic of Macedonia
| | - J John Mann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Divisions of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - René Hen
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Integrative Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - E David Leonardo
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Maura Boldrini
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Divisions of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Amar Sahay
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 USA; BROAD Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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20
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Bartlett AA, Lapp HE, Hunter RG. Epigenetic Mechanisms of the Glucocorticoid Receptor. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2019; 30:807-818. [PMID: 31699238 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2019.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) has been shown to be important for mediating cellular responses to stress and circulating glucocorticoids. Ligand-dependent transcriptional changes induced by GR are observed across numerous tissues. However, the mechanisms by which GR achieves cell and tissue-specific effects are less clear. Epigenetic mechanisms have been proposed to explain some of these differences as well as some of the lasting, even transgenerational, effects of stress and glucocorticoid action. GR functions in tandem with epigenetic cellular machinery to coordinate transcription and shape chromatin structure. Here, we describe GR interactions with these effectors and how GR acts to reshape the epigenetic landscape in response to the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew A Bartlett
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Hannah E Lapp
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Richard G Hunter
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125, USA.
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21
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Koning ASCAM, Buurstede JC, van Weert LTCM, Meijer OC. Glucocorticoid and Mineralocorticoid Receptors in the Brain: A Transcriptional Perspective. J Endocr Soc 2019; 3:1917-1930. [PMID: 31598572 PMCID: PMC6777400 DOI: 10.1210/js.2019-00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Adrenal glucocorticoid hormones are crucial for maintenance of homeostasis and adaptation to stress. They act via the mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs)-members of the family of nuclear receptors. MRs and GRs can mediate distinct, sometimes opposite, effects of glucocorticoids. Both receptor types can mediate nongenomic steroid effects, but they are best understood as ligand-activated transcription factors. MR and GR protein structure is similar; the receptors can form heterodimers on the DNA at glucocorticoid response elements (GREs), and they share a number of target genes. The transcriptional basis for opposite effects on cellular physiology remains largely unknown, in particular with respect to MR-selective gene transcription. In this review, we discuss proven and potential mechanisms of transcriptional specificity for MRs and GRs. These include unique GR binding to "negative GREs," direct binding to other transcription factors, and binding to specific DNA sequences in conjunction with other transcription factors, as is the case for MRs and NeuroD proteins in the brain. MR- and GR-specific effects may also depend on specific interactions with transcriptional coregulators, downstream mediators of transcriptional receptor activity. Current data suggest that the relative importance of these mechanisms depends on the tissue and physiological context. Insight into these processes may not only allow a better understanding of homeostatic regulation but also the development of drugs that target specific aspects of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Sophie C A M Koning
- Einthoven Laboratory and Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, RC Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Jacobus C Buurstede
- Einthoven Laboratory and Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, RC Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Lisa T C M van Weert
- Einthoven Laboratory and Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, RC Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Einthoven Laboratory and Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, RC Leiden, Netherlands
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22
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van Weert LTCM, Buurstede JC, Sips HCM, Vettorazzi S, Mol IM, Hartmann J, Prekovic S, Zwart W, Schmidt MV, Roozendaal B, Tuckermann JP, Sarabdjitsingh RA, Meijer OC. Identification of mineralocorticoid receptor target genes in the mouse hippocampus. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12735. [PMID: 31121060 PMCID: PMC6771480 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Brain mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) respond to the same glucocorticoid hormones but can have differential effects on cellular function. Several lines of evidence suggest that MR-specific target genes must exist and might underlie the distinct effects of the receptors. The present study aimed to identify MR-specific target genes in the hippocampus, a brain region where MR and GR are co-localised and play a role in the stress response. Using genome-wide binding of both receptor types, we previously identified MR-specific, MR-GR overlapping and GR-specific putative target genes. We now report altered gene expression levels of such genes in the hippocampus of forebrain MR knockout (fbMRKO) mice, killed at the time of their endogenous corticosterone peak. Of those genes associated with MR-specific binding, the most robust effect was a 50% reduction in Jun dimerization protein 2 (Jdp2) mRNA levels in fbMRKO mice. Down-regulation was also observed for the MR-specific Nitric oxide synthase 1 adaptor protein (Nos1ap) and Suv3 like RNA helicase (Supv3 l1). Interestingly, the classical glucocorticoid target gene FK506 binding protein 5 (Fkbp5), which is associated with MR and GR chromatin binding, was expressed at substantially lower levels in fbMRKO mice. Subsequently, hippocampal Jdp2 was confirmed to be up-regulated in a restraint stress model, posing Jdp2 as a bona fide MR target that is also responsive in an acute stress condition. Thus, we show that MR-selective DNA binding can reveal functional regulation of genes and further identify distinct MR-specific effector pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa T. C. M. van Weert
- Einthoven LaboratoryDivision of EndocrinologyDepartment of MedicineLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive NeuroscienceRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Jacobus C. Buurstede
- Einthoven LaboratoryDivision of EndocrinologyDepartment of MedicineLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Hetty C. M. Sips
- Einthoven LaboratoryDivision of EndocrinologyDepartment of MedicineLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Sabine Vettorazzi
- Institute of Comparative Molecular EndocrinologyUniversity of UlmUlmGermany
| | - Isabel M. Mol
- Einthoven LaboratoryDivision of EndocrinologyDepartment of MedicineLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Jakob Hartmann
- Department of PsychiatryHarvard Medical SchoolMcLean HospitalBelmontMassachusetts
| | - Stefan Prekovic
- Division of OncogenomicsOncode InstituteThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Wilbert Zwart
- Division of OncogenomicsOncode InstituteThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Mathias V. Schmidt
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and NeurogeneticsMax Planck Institute of PsychiatryMunichGermany
| | - Benno Roozendaal
- Department of Cognitive NeuroscienceRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Jan P. Tuckermann
- Institute of Comparative Molecular EndocrinologyUniversity of UlmUlmGermany
| | - R. Angela Sarabdjitsingh
- Department of Translational NeuroscienceUMC Utrecht Brain CenterUniversity Medical CenterUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Onno C. Meijer
- Einthoven LaboratoryDivision of EndocrinologyDepartment of MedicineLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
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23
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Coordinated transcriptional regulation by thyroid hormone and glucocorticoid interaction in adult mouse hippocampus-derived neuronal cells. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220378. [PMID: 31348800 PMCID: PMC6660079 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is a well-known target of thyroid hormone (TH; e.g., 3,5,3’-triiodothyronine—T3) and glucocorticoid (GC; e.g., corticosterone—CORT) action. Despite evidence that TH and GC play critical roles in neural development and function, few studies have identified genes and patterns of gene regulation influenced by the interaction of these hormones at a genome-wide scale. In this study we investigated gene regulation by T3, CORT, and T3 + CORT in the mouse hippocampus-derived cell line HT-22. We treated cells with T3, CORT, or T3 + CORT for 4 hr before cell harvest and RNA isolation for microarray analysis. We identified 9 genes regulated by T3, 432 genes by CORT, and 412 genes by T3 + CORT. Among the 432 CORT-regulated genes, there were 203 genes that exhibited an altered CORT response in the presence of T3, suggesting that T3 plays a significant role in modulating CORT-regulated genes. We also found 80 genes synergistically induced, and 73 genes synergistically repressed by T3 + CORT treatment. We performed in silico analysis using publicly available mouse neuronal chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing datasets and identified a considerable number of synergistically regulated genes with TH receptor and GC receptor peaks mapping within 1 kb of chromatin marks indicative of hormone-responsive enhancer regions. Functional annotation clustering of synergistically regulated genes reveal the relevance of proteasomal-dependent degradation, neuroprotective effect of growth hormones, and neuroinflammatory responses as key pathways to how TH and GC may coordinately influence learning and memory. Taken together, our transcriptome data represents a promising exploratory dataset for further study of common molecular mechanisms behind synergistic TH and GC gene regulation, and identify specific genes and their role in processes mediated by cross-talk between the thyroid and stress axes in a mammalian hippocampal model system.
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Monczor F, Chatzopoulou A, Zappia CD, Houtman R, Meijer OC, Fitzsimons CP. A Model of Glucocorticoid Receptor Interaction With Coregulators Predicts Transcriptional Regulation of Target Genes. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:214. [PMID: 30930776 PMCID: PMC6425864 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory factors that control gene transcription in multicellular organisms are assembled in multicomponent complexes by combinatorial interactions. In this context, nuclear receptors provide well-characterized and physiologically relevant systems to study ligand-induced transcription resulting from the integration of cellular and genomic information in a cell- and gene-specific manner. Here, we developed a mathematical model describing the interactions between the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and other components of a multifactorial regulatory complex controlling the transcription of GR-target genes, such as coregulator peptides. We support the validity of the model in relation to gene-specific GR transactivation with gene transcription data from A549 cells and in vitro real time quantification of coregulator-GR interactions. The model accurately describes and helps to interpret ligand-specific and gene-specific transcriptional regulation by the GR. The comprehensive character of the model allows future insight into the function and relative contribution of the molecular species proposed in ligand- and gene-specific transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Monczor
- Laboratorio de Farmacología de Receptores, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Antonia Chatzopoulou
- Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Carlos Daniel Zappia
- Laboratorio de Farmacología de Receptores, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - René Houtman
- PamGene International B.V., 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Carlos P Fitzsimons
- Neuroscience Collaboration, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Meijer OC, Buurstede JC, Schaaf MJM. Corticosteroid Receptors in the Brain: Transcriptional Mechanisms for Specificity and Context-Dependent Effects. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2018; 39:539-549. [PMID: 30291573 PMCID: PMC6469829 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-018-0625-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Corticosteroid hormones act in the brain to support adaptation to stress via binding to mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors (MR and GR). These receptors act in large measure as transcription factors. Corticosteroid effects can be highly divergent, depending on the receptor type, but also on brain region, cell type, and physiological context. These differences ultimately depend on differential interactions of MR and GR with other proteins, which determine ligand binding, nuclear translocation, and transcriptional activities. In this review, we discuss established and potential mechanisms that confer receptor and cell type-specific effects of the MR and GR-mediated transcriptional effects in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onno C Meijer
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands. .,Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - J C Buurstede
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel J M Schaaf
- Department of Animal Sciences and Health (M.J.M.S.), Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
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26
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Mifsud KR, Reul JMHM. Mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptor-mediated control of genomic responses to stress in the brain. Stress 2018; 21:389-402. [PMID: 29614900 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2018.1456526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Successful coping with stressful events involves adaptive and cognitive processes in the brain that make the individual more resilient to similar stressors in the future. Stressful events result in the secretion of glucocorticoids (GCs) from the adrenal glands into the blood stream. Early work proved instrumental for developing the concept that these hormones act in the brain to coordinate physiological and behavioral responses to stress through binding to two different GC-binding receptors. Once activated these receptors translocate to the nucleus where they act on target genes to facilitate (or sometimes inhibit) transcription. There are two types of receptors in the brain, the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), and glucocorticoid receptor (GR). This review summarizes recent work which provides new insights regarding the genomic action of these receptors, both under baseline conditions and following exposure to acute stress. This work is discussed alongside the extensive studies undertaken in this field previously and new, and exciting "big data" studies which have generated a wealth of relevant data. The consequence of these new insights will challenge existing assumptions about the role of MRs and GRs and pave the way for the implementation of novel and improved methodologies to identify the role these corticosteroid receptors have in stress-related behavioral adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen R Mifsud
- a Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, Bristol Medical School , University of Bristol , Bristol , UK
| | - Johannes M H M Reul
- a Neuro-Epigenetics Research Group, Bristol Medical School , University of Bristol , Bristol , UK
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Abstract
The glucocorticoid hormone cortisol acts throughout the body to support circadian processes and adaptation to stress. The glucocorticoid receptor is the target of cortisol and of synthetic glucocorticoids, which are used widely in the clinic. Both agonism and antagonism of the glucocorticoid receptor may be beneficial in disease, but given the wide expression of the receptor and involvement in various processes, beneficial effects are often accompanied by unwanted side effects. Selective glucocorticoid receptor modulators are ligands that induce a receptor conformation that allows activation of only a subset of downstream signaling pathways. Such molecules thereby combine agonistic and antagonistic properties. Here we discuss the mechanisms underlying selective receptor modulation and their promise in treating diseases in several organ systems where cortisol signaling plays a role.
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28
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de Kloet ER, Meijer OC, de Nicola AF, de Rijk RH, Joëls M. Importance of the brain corticosteroid receptor balance in metaplasticity, cognitive performance and neuro-inflammation. Front Neuroendocrinol 2018; 49:124-145. [PMID: 29428549 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Bruce McEwen's discovery of receptors for corticosterone in the rat hippocampus introduced higher brain circuits in the neuroendocrinology of stress. Subsequently, these receptors were identified as mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) that are involved in appraisal processes, choice of coping style, encoding and retrieval. The MR-mediated actions on cognition are complemented by slower actions via glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) on contextualization, rationalization and memory storage of the experience. These sequential phases in cognitive performance depend on synaptic metaplasticity that is regulated by coordinate MR- and GR activation. The receptor activation includes recruitment of coregulators and transcription factors as determinants of context-dependent specificity in steroid action; they can be modulated by genetic variation and (early) experience. Interestingly, inflammatory responses to damage seem to be governed by a similarly balanced MR:GR-mediated action as the initiating, terminating and priming mechanisms involved in stress-adaptation. We conclude with five questions challenging the MR:GR balance hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- E R de Kloet
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - O C Meijer
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - A F de Nicola
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrine Biochemistry, Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - R H de Rijk
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands & Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
| | - M Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.
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29
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Juszczak GR, Stankiewicz AM. Glucocorticoids, genes and brain function. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 82:136-168. [PMID: 29180230 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The identification of key genes in transcriptomic data constitutes a huge challenge. Our review of microarray reports revealed 88 genes whose transcription is consistently regulated by glucocorticoids (GCs), such as cortisol, corticosterone and dexamethasone, in the brain. Replicable transcriptomic data were combined with biochemical and physiological data to create an integrated view of the effects induced by GCs. The most frequently reported genes were Errfi1 and Ddit4. Their up-regulation was associated with the altered transcription of genes regulating growth factor and mTORC1 signaling (Gab1, Tsc22d3, Dusp1, Ndrg2, Ppp5c and Sesn1) and progression of the cell cycle (Ccnd1, Cdkn1a and Cables1). The GC-induced reprogramming of cell function involves changes in the mRNA level of genes responsible for the regulation of transcription (Klf9, Bcl6, Klf15, Tle3, Cxxc5, Litaf, Tle4, Jun, Sox4, Sox2, Sox9, Irf1, Sall2, Nfkbia and Id1) and the selective degradation of mRNA (Tob2). Other genes are involved in the regulation of metabolism (Gpd1, Aldoc and Pdk4), actin cytoskeleton (Myh2, Nedd9, Mical2, Rhou, Arl4d, Osbpl3, Arhgef3, Sdc4, Rdx, Wipf3, Chst1 and Hepacam), autophagy (Eva1a and Plekhf1), vesicular transport (Rhob, Ehd3, Vps37b and Scamp2), gap junctions (Gjb6), immune response (Tiparp, Mertk, Lyve1 and Il6r), signaling mediated by thyroid hormones (Thra and Sult1a1), calcium (Calm2), adrenaline/noradrenaline (Adcy9 and Adra1d), neuropeptide Y (Npy1r) and histamine (Hdc). GCs also affected genes involved in the synthesis of polyamines (Azin1) and taurine (Cdo1). The actions of GCs are restrained by feedback mechanisms depending on the transcription of Sgk1, Fkbp5 and Nr3c1. A side effect induced by GCs is increased production of reactive oxygen species. Available data show that the brain's response to GCs is part of an emergency mode characterized by inactivation of non-core activities, restrained inflammation, restriction of investments (growth), improved efficiency of energy production and the removal of unnecessary or malfunctioning cellular components to conserve energy and maintain nutrient supply during the stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz R Juszczak
- Department of Animal Behavior, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Jastrzebiec, ul. Postepu 36A, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland.
| | - Adrian M Stankiewicz
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Jastrzebiec, ul. Postepu 36A, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland
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30
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Aldosterone and Vascular Mineralocorticoid Receptors in Murine Endotoxic and Human Septic Shock*. Crit Care Med 2017; 45:e954-e962. [DOI: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000002462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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31
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Weger BD, Weger M, Görling B, Schink A, Gobet C, Keime C, Poschet G, Jost B, Krone N, Hell R, Gachon F, Luy B, Dickmeis T. Extensive Regulation of Diurnal Transcription and Metabolism by Glucocorticoids. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006512. [PMID: 27941970 PMCID: PMC5191836 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Revised: 12/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered daily patterns of hormone action are suspected to contribute to metabolic disease. It is poorly understood how the adrenal glucocorticoid hormones contribute to the coordination of daily global patterns of transcription and metabolism. Here, we examined diurnal metabolite and transcriptome patterns in a zebrafish glucocorticoid deficiency model by RNA-Seq, NMR spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-based methods. We observed dysregulation of metabolic pathways including glutaminolysis, the citrate and urea cycles and glyoxylate detoxification. Constant, non-rhythmic glucocorticoid treatment rescued many of these changes, with some notable exceptions among the amino acid related pathways. Surprisingly, the non-rhythmic glucocorticoid treatment rescued almost half of the entire dysregulated diurnal transcriptome patterns. A combination of E-box and glucocorticoid response elements is enriched in the rescued genes. This simple enhancer element combination is sufficient to drive rhythmic circadian reporter gene expression under non-rhythmic glucocorticoid exposure, revealing a permissive function for the hormones in glucocorticoid-dependent circadian transcription. Our work highlights metabolic pathways potentially contributing to morbidity in patients with glucocorticoid deficiency, even under glucocorticoid replacement therapy. Moreover, we provide mechanistic insight into the interaction between the circadian clock and glucocorticoids in the transcriptional regulation of metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D. Weger
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, EPFL Innovation Park, Bâtiment H, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Meltem Weger
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Görling
- Institute for Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
- Institute for Biological Interfaces 4 –Magnetic Resonance, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Andrea Schink
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Cédric Gobet
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, EPFL Innovation Park, Bâtiment H, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Céline Keime
- Plateforme Biopuces et séquençage, IGBMC, 1 rue Laurent Fries, Parc d'Innovation, Illkirch, France
| | - Gernot Poschet
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bernard Jost
- Plateforme Biopuces et séquençage, IGBMC, 1 rue Laurent Fries, Parc d'Innovation, Illkirch, France
| | - Nils Krone
- Academic Unit of Child Health, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Rüdiger Hell
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frédéric Gachon
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, EPFL Innovation Park, Bâtiment H, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Burkhard Luy
- Institute for Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
- Institute for Biological Interfaces 4 –Magnetic Resonance, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Thomas Dickmeis
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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32
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Gapp K, Bohacek J, Grossmann J, Brunner AM, Manuella F, Nanni P, Mansuy IM. Potential of Environmental Enrichment to Prevent Transgenerational Effects of Paternal Trauma. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:2749-58. [PMID: 27277118 PMCID: PMC5026744 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.87] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Adverse experiences in early life are risk factors for the development of behavioral and physiological symptoms that can lead to psychiatric and cognitive disorders later in life. Some of these symptoms can be transmitted to the offspring, in some cases by non-genomic mechanisms involving germ cells. Using a mouse model of unpredictable maternal separation and maternal stress, we show that postnatal trauma alters coping behaviors in adverse conditions in exposed males when adult and in their adult male progeny. The behavioral changes are accompanied by increased glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression and decreased DNA methylation of the GR promoter in the hippocampus. DNA methylation is also decreased in sperm cells of exposed males when adult. Transgenerational transmission of behavioral symptoms is prevented by paternal environmental enrichment, an effect associated with the reversal of alterations in GR gene expression and DNA methylation in the hippocampus of the male offspring. These findings highlight the influence of both negative and positive environmental factors on behavior across generations and the plasticity of the epigenome across life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Gapp
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Bohacek
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Grossmann
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich (FGCZ), University Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich Switzerland
| | - Andrea M Brunner
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Francesca Manuella
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Nanni
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich (FGCZ), University Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich Switzerland
| | - Isabelle M Mansuy
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
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33
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Acute stress enhances heterodimerization and binding of corticosteroid receptors at glucocorticoid target genes in the hippocampus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:11336-11341. [PMID: 27655894 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1605246113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
A stressful event results in secretion of glucocorticoid hormones, which bind to mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the hippocampus to regulate cognitive and affective responses to the challenge. MRs are already highly occupied by low glucocorticoid levels under baseline conditions, whereas GRs only become substantially occupied by stress- or circadian-driven glucocorticoid levels. Currently, however, the binding of MRs and GRs to glucocorticoid-responsive elements (GREs) within hippocampal glucocorticoid target genes under such physiological conditions in vivo is unknown. We found that forced swim (FS) stress evoked increased hippocampal RNA expression levels of the glucocorticoid-responsive genes FK506-binding protein 5 (Fkbp5), Period 1 (Per1), and serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 (Sgk1). Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis showed that this stressor caused substantial gene-dependent increases in GR binding and surprisingly, also MR binding to GREs within these genes. Different acute challenges, including novelty, restraint, and FS stress, produced distinct glucocorticoid responses but resulted in largely similar MR and GR binding to GREs. Sequential and tandem ChIP analyses showed that, after FS stress, MRs and GRs bind concomitantly to the same GRE sites within Fkbp5 and Per1 but not Sgk1 Thus, after stress, MRs and GRs seem to bind to GREs as homo- and/or heterodimers in a gene-dependent manner. MR binding to GREs at baseline seems to be restricted, whereas after stress, GR binding may facilitate cobinding of MR. This study reveals that the interaction of MRs and GRs with GREs within the genome constitutes an additional level of complexity in hippocampal glucocorticoid action beyond expectancies based on ligand-receptor interactions.
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Roszkowski M, Manuella F, von Ziegler L, Durán-Pacheco G, Moreau JL, Mansuy IM, Bohacek J. Rapid stress-induced transcriptomic changes in the brain depend on beta-adrenergic signaling. Neuropharmacology 2016; 107:329-338. [PMID: 27026109 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.03.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Acute exposure to stressful experiences can rapidly increase anxiety and cause neuropsychiatric disorders. The effects of stress result in part from the release of neurotransmitters and hormones, which regulate gene expression in different brain regions. The fast neuroendocrine response to stress is largely mediated by norepinephrine (NE) and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), followed by a slower and more sustained release of corticosterone. While corticosterone is an important regulator of gene expression, it is not clear which stress-signals contribute to the rapid regulation of gene expression observed immediately after stress exposure. Here, we demonstrate in mice that 45 min after an acute swim stress challenge, large changes in gene expression occur across the transcriptome in the hippocampus, a region sensitive to the effects of stress. We identify multiple candidate genes that are rapidly and transiently altered in both males and females. Using a pharmacological approach, we show that most of these rapidly induced genes are regulated by NE through β-adrenergic receptor signaling. We find that CRH and corticosterone can also contribute to rapid changes in gene expression, although these effects appear to be restricted to fewer genes. These results newly reveal a widespread impact of NE on the transcriptome and identify novel genes associated with stress and adrenergic signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Roszkowski
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Francesca Manuella
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas von Ziegler
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gonzalo Durán-Pacheco
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Translational Technologies and Bioinformatics, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Luc Moreau
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle M Mansuy
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Bohacek
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Genome-wide coexpression of steroid receptors in the mouse brain: Identifying signaling pathways and functionally coordinated regions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:2738-43. [PMID: 26811448 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1520376113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Steroid receptors are pleiotropic transcription factors that coordinate adaptation to different physiological states. An important target organ is the brain, but even though their effects are well studied in specific regions, brain-wide steroid receptor targets and mediators remain largely unknown due to the complexity of the brain. Here, we tested the idea that novel aspects of steroid action can be identified through spatial correlation of steroid receptors with genome-wide mRNA expression across different regions in the mouse brain. First, we observed significant coexpression of six nuclear receptors (NRs) [androgen receptor (Ar), estrogen receptor alpha (Esr1), estrogen receptor beta (Esr2), glucocorticoid receptor (Gr), mineralocorticoid receptor (Mr), and progesterone receptor (Pgr)] with sets of steroid target genes that were identified in single brain regions. These coexpression relationships were also present in distinct other brain regions, suggestive of as yet unidentified coordinate regulation of brain regions by, for example, glucocorticoids and estrogens. Second, coexpression of a set of 62 known NR coregulators and the six steroid receptors in 12 nonoverlapping mouse brain regions revealed selective downstream pathways, such as Pak6 as a mediator for the effects of Ar and Gr on dopaminergic transmission. Third, Magel2 and Irs4 were identified and validated as strongly responsive targets to the estrogen diethylstilbestrol in the mouse hypothalamus. The brain- and genome-wide correlations of mRNA expression levels of six steroid receptors that we provide constitute a rich resource for further predictions and understanding of brain modulation by steroid hormones.
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Bagamasbad PD, Bonett RM, Sachs L, Buisine N, Raj S, Knoedler JR, Kyono Y, Ruan Y, Ruan X, Denver RJ. Deciphering the regulatory logic of an ancient, ultraconserved nuclear receptor enhancer module. Mol Endocrinol 2015; 29:856-72. [PMID: 25866873 DOI: 10.1210/me.2014-1349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Cooperative, synergistic gene regulation by nuclear hormone receptors can increase sensitivity and amplify cellular responses to hormones. We investigated thyroid hormone (TH) and glucocorticoid (GC) synergy on the Krüppel-like factor 9 (Klf9) gene, which codes for a zinc finger transcription factor involved in development and homeostasis of diverse tissues. We identified regions of the Xenopus and mouse Klf9 genes 5-6 kb upstream of the transcription start sites that supported synergistic transactivation by TH plus GC. Within these regions, we found an orthologous sequence of approximately 180 bp that is highly conserved among tetrapods, but absent in other chordates, and possesses chromatin marks characteristic of an enhancer element. The Xenopus and mouse approximately 180-bp DNA element conferred synergistic transactivation by hormones in transient transfection assays, so we designate this the Klf9 synergy module (KSM). We identified binding sites within the mouse KSM for TH receptor, GC receptor, and nuclear factor κB. TH strongly increased recruitment of liganded GC receptor and serine 5 phosphorylated (initiating) RNA polymerase II to chromatin at the KSM, suggesting a mechanism for transcriptional synergy. The KSM is transcribed to generate long noncoding RNAs, which are also synergistically induced by combined hormone treatment, and the KSM interacts with the Klf9 promoter and a far upstream region through chromosomal looping. Our findings support that the KSM plays a central role in hormone regulation of vertebrate Klf9 genes, it evolved in the tetrapod lineage, and has been maintained by strong stabilizing selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia D Bagamasbad
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (P.D.B., S.R., R.J.D.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Biological Science (R.M.B.), The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104; Unité Mixte de Recherche 7221 (L.S., N.B.), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique, CP32 Paris, France; Neuroscience Graduate Program (J.R.K., Y.K., R.J.D.), The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Genome Institute of Singapore (Y.R., X.R.), 138672 Singapore; The Jackson Laboratory of Genomic Medicine (Y.R., X.R.), Farmington, Connecticut 06030; and Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Y.R., X.R.), University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
| | - Ronald M Bonett
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (P.D.B., S.R., R.J.D.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Biological Science (R.M.B.), The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104; Unité Mixte de Recherche 7221 (L.S., N.B.), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique, CP32 Paris, France; Neuroscience Graduate Program (J.R.K., Y.K., R.J.D.), The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Genome Institute of Singapore (Y.R., X.R.), 138672 Singapore; The Jackson Laboratory of Genomic Medicine (Y.R., X.R.), Farmington, Connecticut 06030; and Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Y.R., X.R.), University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
| | - Laurent Sachs
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (P.D.B., S.R., R.J.D.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Biological Science (R.M.B.), The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104; Unité Mixte de Recherche 7221 (L.S., N.B.), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique, CP32 Paris, France; Neuroscience Graduate Program (J.R.K., Y.K., R.J.D.), The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Genome Institute of Singapore (Y.R., X.R.), 138672 Singapore; The Jackson Laboratory of Genomic Medicine (Y.R., X.R.), Farmington, Connecticut 06030; and Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Y.R., X.R.), University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
| | - Nicolas Buisine
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (P.D.B., S.R., R.J.D.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Biological Science (R.M.B.), The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104; Unité Mixte de Recherche 7221 (L.S., N.B.), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique, CP32 Paris, France; Neuroscience Graduate Program (J.R.K., Y.K., R.J.D.), The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Genome Institute of Singapore (Y.R., X.R.), 138672 Singapore; The Jackson Laboratory of Genomic Medicine (Y.R., X.R.), Farmington, Connecticut 06030; and Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Y.R., X.R.), University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
| | - Samhitha Raj
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (P.D.B., S.R., R.J.D.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Biological Science (R.M.B.), The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104; Unité Mixte de Recherche 7221 (L.S., N.B.), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique, CP32 Paris, France; Neuroscience Graduate Program (J.R.K., Y.K., R.J.D.), The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Genome Institute of Singapore (Y.R., X.R.), 138672 Singapore; The Jackson Laboratory of Genomic Medicine (Y.R., X.R.), Farmington, Connecticut 06030; and Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Y.R., X.R.), University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
| | - Joseph R Knoedler
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (P.D.B., S.R., R.J.D.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Biological Science (R.M.B.), The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104; Unité Mixte de Recherche 7221 (L.S., N.B.), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique, CP32 Paris, France; Neuroscience Graduate Program (J.R.K., Y.K., R.J.D.), The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Genome Institute of Singapore (Y.R., X.R.), 138672 Singapore; The Jackson Laboratory of Genomic Medicine (Y.R., X.R.), Farmington, Connecticut 06030; and Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Y.R., X.R.), University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
| | - Yasuhiro Kyono
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (P.D.B., S.R., R.J.D.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Biological Science (R.M.B.), The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104; Unité Mixte de Recherche 7221 (L.S., N.B.), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique, CP32 Paris, France; Neuroscience Graduate Program (J.R.K., Y.K., R.J.D.), The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Genome Institute of Singapore (Y.R., X.R.), 138672 Singapore; The Jackson Laboratory of Genomic Medicine (Y.R., X.R.), Farmington, Connecticut 06030; and Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Y.R., X.R.), University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
| | - Yijun Ruan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (P.D.B., S.R., R.J.D.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Biological Science (R.M.B.), The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104; Unité Mixte de Recherche 7221 (L.S., N.B.), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique, CP32 Paris, France; Neuroscience Graduate Program (J.R.K., Y.K., R.J.D.), The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Genome Institute of Singapore (Y.R., X.R.), 138672 Singapore; The Jackson Laboratory of Genomic Medicine (Y.R., X.R.), Farmington, Connecticut 06030; and Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Y.R., X.R.), University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
| | - Xiaoan Ruan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (P.D.B., S.R., R.J.D.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Biological Science (R.M.B.), The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104; Unité Mixte de Recherche 7221 (L.S., N.B.), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique, CP32 Paris, France; Neuroscience Graduate Program (J.R.K., Y.K., R.J.D.), The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Genome Institute of Singapore (Y.R., X.R.), 138672 Singapore; The Jackson Laboratory of Genomic Medicine (Y.R., X.R.), Farmington, Connecticut 06030; and Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Y.R., X.R.), University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
| | - Robert J Denver
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (P.D.B., S.R., R.J.D.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Department of Biological Science (R.M.B.), The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104; Unité Mixte de Recherche 7221 (L.S., N.B.), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique, CP32 Paris, France; Neuroscience Graduate Program (J.R.K., Y.K., R.J.D.), The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109; Genome Institute of Singapore (Y.R., X.R.), 138672 Singapore; The Jackson Laboratory of Genomic Medicine (Y.R., X.R.), Farmington, Connecticut 06030; and Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Y.R., X.R.), University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269
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Bohacek J, Manuella F, Roszkowski M, Mansuy IM. Hippocampal gene expression induced by cold swim stress depends on sex and handling. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 52:1-12. [PMID: 25459888 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Revised: 10/03/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Stress-related disorders such as PTSD and depression are more prevalent in women than men. One reason for such discordance may be that brain regions involved in stress responses are more sensitive to stress in females. Here, we compared the effects of acute stress on gene transcription in the hippocampus of female and male mice, and also examined the involvement of two key stress-related hormones, corticosterone and corticotropin releasing hormone (Crh). Using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), we measured gene expression of Fos, Per1 and Sgk1 45 min after exposure to brief cold swim stress. Stress induced a stronger increase in Fos and Per1 expression in females than males. The handling control procedure increased Fos in both sexes, but occluded the effects of stress in males. Further, handling increased Per1 only in males. Sgk1 was insensitive to handling, and increased in response to stress similarly in males and females. The transcriptional changes observed after swim stress were not mimicked by corticosterone injections, and the stress-induced increase in Fos, Per1 and Sgk1 could neither be prevented by pharmacologically blocking glucocorticoid receptor (GR) nor by blocking Crh receptor 1 (Crhr1) before stress exposure. Finally, we demonstrate that the effects are stressor-specific, as the expression of target genes could not be increased by brief restraint stress in either sex. In summary, we find strong effects of acute swim stress on hippocampal gene expression, complex interactions between handling and sex, and a remarkably unique response pattern for each gene. Overall, females respond to a cold swim challenge with stronger hippocampal gene transcription than males, independent of two classic mediators of the stress response, corticosterone and Crh. These findings may have important implications for understanding the higher vulnerability of women to certain stress-related neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Bohacek
- Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Francesca Manuella
- Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Roszkowski
- Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle M Mansuy
- Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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Jia M, Smerin SE, Zhang L, Xing G, Li X, Benedek D, Ursano R, Li H. Corticosterone mitigates the stress response in an animal model of PTSD. J Psychiatr Res 2015; 60:29-39. [PMID: 25307716 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2014] [Revised: 09/16/2014] [Accepted: 09/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Activation of glucocorticoid receptor signaling in the stress response to traumatic events has been implicated in the pathogenesis of stress-associated psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Elevated startle response and hyperarousal are hallmarks of PTSD, and are generally considered to evince fear (DSM V). To further examine the efficacy of corticosterone in treating hyperarousal and elevated fear, the present study utilized a learned helplessness stress model in which rats are restrained and subjected to tail shock for three days. These stressed rats develop a delayed long-lasting exaggeration of the acoustic startle response (ASR) and retarded body weight growth, similar to symptoms of PTSD patients (Myers et al., 2005; Speed et al., 1989). We demonstrate that both pre-stress and post-stress administration of corticosterone (3 mg/kg/day) mitigates a subsequent exaggeration of the ASR measured 14 days after cessation of the stress protocol. Furthermore, the mitigating efficacy of pre-stress administration of corticosterone (3 mg/kg/day for three days) appeared to last significantly longer, up to 21 days after the cessation of the stress protocol, in comparison to that of post-stress administration of corticosterone. However, pre-stress administration of corticosterone at 0.3 mg/kg/day for three days did not mitigate stress-induced exaggeration of the ASR measured at both 14 and 21 days after the cessation of the stress protocol. In addition, pre-stress administration of corticosterone (3 mg/kg/day for three days) mitigates the retardation of body weight growth otherwise resulting from the stress protocol. Congruently, co-administration of the corticosterone antagonist RU486 (40 mg/kg/day for three days) with corticosterone (3 mg/kg/day) prior to stress diminished the mitigating efficacy of the exogenous corticosterone on exaggerated ASR and stress-retarded body weight. The relative efficacy of pre versus post administration of corticosterone and high versus low dose of corticosterone on stress-induced exaggeration of innate fear response and stress-retarded body weight growth indicate that exogenous corticosterone administration within an appropriate time window and dosage are efficacious in diminishing traumatic stress induced pathophysiological processes. Clinical implications associated with the efficacy of prophylactic and therapeutic corticosterone therapy for mitigating symptoms of PTSD are discussed, particularly in relation to diminishing hyperarousal and exaggerated innate fear response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Jia
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Service University of Health Sciences (USUHS), 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Stanley E Smerin
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Service University of Health Sciences (USUHS), 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Service University of Health Sciences (USUHS), 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Guoqiang Xing
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Service University of Health Sciences (USUHS), 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Xiaoxia Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Service University of Health Sciences (USUHS), 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - David Benedek
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Service University of Health Sciences (USUHS), 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Robert Ursano
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Service University of Health Sciences (USUHS), 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - He Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Service University of Health Sciences (USUHS), 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
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Hippocampal gene expression changes underlying stress sensitization and recovery. Mol Psychiatry 2014; 19:1171-8. [PMID: 24342991 PMCID: PMC4061278 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2013.175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2013] [Revised: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 10/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Chronic and acute stressors have been linked to changes in hippocampal function and anxiety-like behaviors. Both produce changes in gene expression, but the extent to which these changes endure beyond the end of stress remains poorly understood. As an essential first step to characterize abnormal patterns of gene expression after stress, this study demonstrates how chronic restraint stress (CRS) modulates gene expression in response to a novel stressor in the hippocampus of wild-type mice and the extent to which these changes last beyond the end of CRS. Male C57/bl6 mice were subjected to (1) a forced swim test (FST), (2) corticosterone (Cort) or vehicle injections, (3) CRS for 21 days and then a FST, or (4) allowed to recover 21 days after CRS and subjected to FST. Hippocampal mRNA was extracted and used to generate cDNA libraries for microarray hybridization. Naive acute stressors (FST and vehicle injection) altered similar sets of genes, but Cort treatment produced a profile that was distinct from both FST and vehicle. Exposure to a novel stress after CRS activated substantially more and different genes than naive exposure. Most genes increased by CRS were decreased after recovery but many remained altered and did not return to baseline. Pathway analysis identified significant clusters of differentially expressed genes across conditions, most notably the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of B cells (NF-κB) pathway. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) validated changes from the microarrays in known stress-induced genes and confirmed alterations in the NF-κB pathway genes, Nfkbia, RelA and Nfkb1. FST increased anxiety-like behavior in both the naive and recovery from CRS conditions, but not in mice 24h subsequent to their CRS exposure. These findings suggest that the effects of naive stress are distinct from Cort elevation, and that a history of stress exposure can permanently alter gene expression patterns in the hippocampus and the behavioral response to a novel stressor. These findings establish a baseline profile of normal recovery and adaptation to stress. Importantly, they will serve as a conceptual basis to facilitate the future study of the cellular and regional basis of gene expression changes that lead to impaired recovery from stress, such as those that occur in mood and anxiety disorders.
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O’Hara B, de la Rosa DA, Rajendran VM. Multiple mineralocorticoid response elements localized in different introns regulate intermediate conductance K+ (Kcnn4) channel expression in the rat distal colon. PLoS One 2014; 9:e98695. [PMID: 24901797 PMCID: PMC4047071 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
An elevated plasma aldosterone and an increased expression of the intermediate conductance K+ (IK/Kcnn4) channels are linked in colon. This observation suggests that the expression of Kcnn4 gene is controlled through the action of aldosterone on its cognate receptor (i.e., mineralocorticoid receptor; MR). In order to establish this, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay to identify the MR response elements (MREs) in a region that spanned 20 kb upstream and 10 kb downstream of the presumed transcription start site (TSS) using chromatin from the colonic epithelial cells of normal and aldosterone-treated rats. MREs were immunoprecipitated in an approximately 5 kb region that spanned the first and second introns in the aldosterone rats. These regions were individually cloned in luciferase-expression vector lacking enhancer activity. These clones were tested for enhancer activity in vitro by transfecting in HEK293T and CaCo2 cells with MR and aldosterone treatment. At least four regions were found to be responsive to the MR and aldosterone. Two regions were identified to contain MREs using bioinformatics tools. These clones lost their enhancer activity after mutation of the presumptive MREs, and thus, established the functionality of the MREs. The third and fourth clones did not contain any bioinformatically obvious MREs. Further, they lost their activity upon additional sub-cloning, which suggest cooperativity between the regions that were separated upon sub-cloning. These results demonstrate the presence of intronic MREs in Kcnn4 and suggest a highly cooperative interaction between multiple intronic response elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan O’Hara
- Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, West Virginia, United States of America
| | | | - Vazhaikkurichi M. Rajendran
- Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, West Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Takeda A, Fujii H, Minamino T, Tamano H. Intracellular Zn(2+) signaling in cognition. J Neurosci Res 2014; 92:819-24. [PMID: 24723300 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Revised: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Brain zinc homeostasis is strictly controlled under healthy conditions, indicating the importance of zinc for physiological function in the brain. A part of zinc in the brain exists in the synaptic vesicles, is released from a subclass of glutamatergic neurons (i.e., zincergic neurons), and serves as a signal factor (Zn(2+) signal) in the intracellular (cytosol) compartment as well as in the extracellular compartment. Zn(2+) signaling is dynamically linked to glutamate signaling and may be involved in synaptic plasticity, such as long-term potentiaion and cognitive activity. In zincergic synapses, intracellular Zn(2+) signaling in the postsynaptic neurons, which is linked to Zn(2+) release from zincergic neuron terminals, plays a role in cognitive activity. When nonzincergic synapses participate in cognition, on the other hand, it is possible that intracellular Zn(2+) signaling, which is due mainly to Zn(2+) release from the internal stores and/or metallothioneins, also is involved in cognitive activity, because zinc-dependent system such as zinc-binding proteins is usually required for cognitive process. Intracellular Zn(2+) dynamics may be modified via an endocrine system activity, glucocorticoid secretion in both zincergic and nonzincergic neurons, which is linked to a long-lasting change in synaptic efficacy. On the basis of the evidence of cognitive decline caused by the lack and/or the blockade of synaptic Zn(2+) signaling, this article summarizes the involvement of intracellular Zn(2+) signaling in zincergic synapses in cognition and a hypothetical involvement of that in nonzincergic synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Takeda
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan; Department of Medical Biochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
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42
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Maggi R, Dondi D, Piccolella M, Casulari LA, Martini L. New insight on the molecular aspects of glucocorticoid effects in nervous system development. J Endocrinol Invest 2013; 36:775-80. [PMID: 23765505 DOI: 10.3275/9003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Adrenal glucocorticoids (Gc) are among the most significant hormones in the mammalian organisms; these steroids may reach and penetrate all tissues where they interact with cytoplasmic/nuclear receptors, through which they exert multiple and very multifaceted actions. The effects of physiological concentrations of Gc on brain functions have not been completely clarified, even though Gc are recognized to influence behavioral responses, emotions, cognitive processes and to take part in the neuroendocrine control of body homeostasis. Developmental programming effects of Gc in animal models and humans have been proposed. Actually, pre-natal stress, or exposure to high Gc levels, would somehow affect neuronal developmental events in some structure and this can lead to central nervous system altered functions, as the impairment of neuroendocrine activities, cognitive processes, sleep and mood disorders. Interestingly, it has been observed that these abnormalities may not be limited to the first directly exposed individuals but transmissible across generations. The establishment of animal models with localized pre-natal glucocorticoid receptors deficiency led to the accumulation of data on the possible roles of these hormones on development of the central and peripheral nervous system. The most recent findings on the effects of Gc on neuroblast development, with particular attention to neuronal migration, will be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Maggi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Section of Biomedicine and Endocrinology, Università degli Studi di Milan, Via G. Balzaretti, 9 - 20133 Milan, Italy.
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Simons SS, Kumar R. Variable steroid receptor responses: Intrinsically disordered AF1 is the key. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2013; 376:81-4. [PMID: 23792173 PMCID: PMC3781172 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2013.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Revised: 06/06/2013] [Accepted: 06/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Steroid hormones, acting through their cognate receptor proteins, see widespread clinical applications due to their ability to alter the induction or repression of numerous genes. However, steroid usage is limited by the current inability to control off-target, or non-specific, side-effects. Recent results from three separate areas of research with glucocorticoid and other steroid receptors (cofactor-induced changes in receptor structure, the ability of ligands to alter remote regions of receptor structure, and how cofactor concentration affects both ligand potency and efficacy) indicate that a key element of receptor activity is the intrinsically disordered amino-terminal domain. These results are combined to construct a novel framework within which to logically pursue various approaches that could afford increased selectivity in steroid-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Stoney Simons
- Steroid Hormones Section, NIDDK/LERB, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Corresponding authors. Address: Bldg. 10, Room 8N-307B, NIDDK/CEB, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-1772, United States. Tel.: +1 301 496 6796; fax: +1 301 402 3572 (S.S. Simons Jr.). Address: Department of Basic Sciences, The Commonwealth Medical College, 525 Pine Street, Scranton, PA 18509, United States. Tel.: +1 570 504 9675; fax: +1 570 504 9660 (R. Kumar). (S.S. Simons Jr.), (R. Kumar)
| | - Raj Kumar
- Department of Basic Sciences, The Commonwealth Medical College, Scranton, PA, United States
- Corresponding authors. Address: Bldg. 10, Room 8N-307B, NIDDK/CEB, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-1772, United States. Tel.: +1 301 496 6796; fax: +1 301 402 3572 (S.S. Simons Jr.). Address: Department of Basic Sciences, The Commonwealth Medical College, 525 Pine Street, Scranton, PA 18509, United States. Tel.: +1 570 504 9675; fax: +1 570 504 9660 (R. Kumar). (S.S. Simons Jr.), (R. Kumar)
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Polman JAE, de Kloet ER, Datson NA. Two populations of glucocorticoid receptor-binding sites in the male rat hippocampal genome. Endocrinology 2013; 154:1832-44. [PMID: 23525215 DOI: 10.1210/en.2012-2187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, genomic binding sites of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) were identified in vivo in the rat hippocampus applying chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next-generation sequencing. We identified 2470 significant GR-binding sites (GBS) and were able to confirm GR binding to a random selection of these GBS covering a wide range of P values. Analysis of the genomic distribution of the significant GBS revealed a high prevalence of intragenic GBS. Gene ontology clusters involved in neuronal plasticity and other essential neuronal processes were overrepresented among the genes harboring a GBS or located in the vicinity of a GBS. Male adrenalectomized rats were challenged with increasing doses of the GR agonist corticosterone (CORT) ranging from 3 to 3000 μg/kg, resulting in clear differences in the GR-binding profile to individual GBS. Two groups of GBS could be distinguished: a low-CORT group that displayed GR binding across the full range of CORT concentrations, and a second high-CORT group that displayed significant GR binding only after administering the highest concentration of CORT. All validated GBS, in both the low-CORT and high-CORT groups, displayed mineralocorticoid receptor binding, which remained relatively constant from 30 μg/kg CORT upward. Motif analysis revealed that almost all GBS contained a glucocorticoid response element resembling the consensus motif in literature. In addition, motifs corresponding with new potential GR-interacting proteins were identified, such as zinc finger and BTB domain containing 3 (Zbtb3) and CUP (CG11181 gene product from transcript CG11181-RB), which may be involved in GR-dependent transactivation and transrepression, respectively. In conclusion, our results highlight the existence of 2 populations of GBS in the rat hippocampal genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Annelies E Polman
- Division of Medical Pharmacology, Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
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Differential targeting of brain stress circuits with a selective glucocorticoid receptor modulator. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:7910-5. [PMID: 23613579 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1219411110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonism may be of considerable therapeutic value in stress-related psychopathology such as depression. However, blockade of all GR-dependent processes in the brain will lead to unnecessary and even counteractive effects, such as elevated endogenous cortisol levels. Selective GR modulators are ligands that can act both as agonist and as antagonist and may be used to separate beneficial from harmful treatment effects. We have discovered that the high-affinity GR ligand C108297 is a selective modulator in the rat brain. We first demonstrate that C108297 induces a unique interaction profile between GR and its downstream effector molecules, the nuclear receptor coregulators, compared with the full agonist dexamethasone and the antagonist RU486 (mifepristone). C108297 displays partial agonistic activity for the suppression of hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) gene expression and potently enhances GR-dependent memory consolidation of training on an inhibitory avoidance task. In contrast, it lacks agonistic effects on the expression of CRH in the central amygdala and antagonizes GR-mediated reduction in hippocampal neurogenesis after chronic corticosterone exposure. Importantly, the compound does not lead to disinhibition of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Thus, C108297 represents a class of ligands that has the potential to more selectively abrogate pathogenic GR-dependent processes in the brain, while retaining beneficial aspects of GR signaling.
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Zalachoras I, Houtman R, Meijer OC. Understanding stress-effects in the brain via transcriptional signal transduction pathways. Neuroscience 2013; 242:97-109. [PMID: 23545270 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.03.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2012] [Revised: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 03/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid hormones exert crucial effects on the brain in relation to physiology, endocrine regulation, mood and cognition. Their two receptor types, glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors (GR and MR), are members of the nuclear receptor superfamily and act in large measure as transcription factors. The outcome of MR/GR action on the genome depends on interaction with members from different protein families, which are of crucial importance for cross-talk with other neuronal and hormonal signals that impinge on the glucocorticoid sensitive circuitry. Relevant interacting proteins include other transcription factors that may either tether the receptor to the DNA, or that bind in the vicinity of GR and MR to tune the transcriptional response. In addition, transcriptional coregulator proteins constitute the actual signal transduction pathway to the transcription machinery. We review the current evidence for involvement of individual coregulators in GR-dependent effects on stress responses, and learning and memory. We discuss the use of in vitro and in silico tools to predict those coregulators that are of importance for particular brain processes. Finally, we discuss the potential of selective receptor modulators that may only allow a subset of all interactions, thus allowing more selective targeting of glucocorticoid-dependent processes in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Zalachoras
- Department of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Wang B, Palomares K, Parobchak N, Cece J, Rosen M, Nguyen A, Rosen T. Glucocorticoid receptor signaling contributes to constitutive activation of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway in term human placenta. Mol Endocrinol 2013; 27:203-11. [PMID: 23239753 PMCID: PMC5417329 DOI: 10.1210/me.2012-1309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2012] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Our recent study demonstrated that constitutively activated RelB/NF-κB2 positively regulates the CRH in the human placenta. In the current study, we explored the role of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling in constitutive activation of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway. A glucocorticoid response element (GRE) motif search suggests that both NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK) and RelB genes, which are key regulators of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway, have a putative GRE within their promoter, approximately 1 kb upstream from the transcription start site. By using chromatin immunoprecipitation assay we identified that the GR and phosphorylated GR at Ser211 were associated with the GREs of both NIK and RelB. Dexamethasone stimulated expression of NIK, RelB, NF-κB2 as well as CRH and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Repression of GR by short interfering RNA resulted in inhibition of NIK, RelB, NF-κB2, CRH, and COX-2. In addition, depletion of GR attenuated glucocorticoid-mediated up-regulation of NIK, RelB, NF-κB2, CRH, and COX-2. Furthermore, siRNA specifically targeting NIK down-regulated CRH and COX-2. Taken together, these results suggest that constitutive activation of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway in term human placenta is driven by the GR signaling, which in turn up-regulates placental CRH and other NF-κB-responsive genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingbing Wang
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, USA.
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Slezak M, Korostynski M, Gieryk A, Golda S, Dzbek J, Piechota M, Wlazlo E, Bilecki W, Przewlocki R. Astrocytes are a neural target of morphine action via glucocorticoid receptor-dependent signaling. Glia 2013; 61:623-35. [PMID: 23339081 DOI: 10.1002/glia.22460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2012] [Accepted: 12/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Chronic opioid use leads to the structural reorganization of neuronal networks, involving genetic reprogramming in neurons and glial cells. Our previous in vivo studies have revealed that a significant fraction of the morphine-induced alterations to the striatal transcriptome included glucocorticoid (GC) receptor (GR)-dependent genes. Additional analyses suggested glial cells to be the locus of these changes. In the current study, we aimed to differentiate the direct transcriptional effects of morphine and a GR agonist on primary striatal neurons and astrocytes. Whole-genome transcriptional profiling revealed that while morphine had no significant effect on gene expression in both cell types, dexamethasone significantly altered the transcriptional profile in astrocytes but not neurons. We obtained a complete dataset of genes undergoing the regulation, which includes genes related to glucose metabolism (Pdk4), circadian activity (Per1) and cell differentiation (Sox2). There was also an overlap between morphine-induced transcripts in striatum and GR-dependent transcripts in cultured astrocytes. We further analyzed the regulation of expression of one gene belonging to both groups, serum and GC regulated kinase 1 (Sgk1). We identified two transcriptional variants of Sgk1 that displayed selective GR-dependent upregulation in cultured astrocytes but not neurons. Moreover, these variants were the only two that were found to be upregulated in vivo by morphine in a GR-dependent fashion. Our data suggest that the morphine-induced, GR-dependent component of transcriptome alterations in the striatum is confined to astrocytes. Identification of this mechanism opens new directions for research on the role of astrocytes in the central effects of opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Slezak
- Department of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
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Hernández-Díaz I, Giraldez T, Morales S, Hernandez G, Salido E, Canessa CM, Alvarez de la Rosa D. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 is a tissue-specific aldosterone target gene with prominent induction in the rat distal colon. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2013; 304:G122-31. [PMID: 23139218 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00130.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The steroid hormone aldosterone enhances transepithelial Na(+) reabsorption in tight epithelia and is crucial to achieve extracellular volume homeostasis and control of blood pressure. One of the main transport pathways regulated by aldosterone involves the epithelial Na(+) channel (ENaC), which constitutes the rate-limiting step of Na(+) reabsorption in parts of the distal nephron and the collecting duct, the distal colon, and sweat and salivary glands. Although these epithelial tissues share the same receptor for aldosterone (mineralocorticoid receptor, MR), and the same transport system (ENaC), it has become clear that the molecular mechanisms involved in the modulation of channel activity are tissue-specific. Recent evidence suggests that aldosterone controls transcription and also translation of ENaC subunits in some cell types. A possible pathway for translational regulation is binding of regulatory proteins to ENaC subunit mRNAs, such as the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 (hnRNP A2/B1). In this study, we examined whether hnRNP A2/B1 is an aldosterone-target gene in vivo. Our data show that physiological levels of aldosterone markedly induce hnRNP A2/B1 expression in an early and sustained manner in the late distal colon epithelium but not in other aldosterone-target tissues. The effect depends on MR but not on glucocorticoid receptor activity. We also demonstrate that the genomic region upstream of hnRNP A2/B1 contains aldosterone-responsive elements involved in the control of gene expression. We hypothesize that hnRNP A2/B1 is involved in the tissue-specific regulation of ENaC biosynthesis and may coordinate the response of other genes relevant for transepithelial Na(+) reabsorption by aldosterone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Hernández-Díaz
- Department of Physiology and Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas, University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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Bagamasbad P, Ziera T, Borden SA, Bonett RM, Rozeboom AM, Seasholtz A, Denver RJ. Molecular basis for glucocorticoid induction of the Kruppel-like factor 9 gene in hippocampal neurons. Endocrinology 2012; 153:5334-45. [PMID: 22962255 PMCID: PMC3473204 DOI: 10.1210/en.2012-1303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2012] [Accepted: 08/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Stress has complex effects on hippocampal structure and function, which consequently affects learning and memory. These effects are mediated in part by circulating glucocorticoids (GC) acting via the intracellular GC receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). Here, we investigated GC regulation of Krüppel-like factor 9 (KLF9), a transcription factor implicated in neuronal development and plasticity. Injection of corticosterone (CORT) in postnatal d 6 and 30 mice increased Klf9 mRNA and heteronuclear RNA by 1 h in the hippocampal region. Treatment of the mouse hippocampal cell line HT-22 with CORT caused a time- and dose-dependent increase in Klf9 mRNA. The CORT induction of Klf9 was resistant to protein synthesis inhibition, suggesting that Klf9 is a direct CORT-response gene. In support of this hypothesis, we identified two GR/MR response elements (GRE/MRE) located -6.1 and -5.3 kb relative to the transcription start site, and we verified their functionality by enhancer-reporter, gel shift, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. The -5.3-kb GRE/MRE is largely conserved across tetrapods, but conserved orthologs of the -6.1-kb GRE/MRE were only detected in therian mammals. GC treatment caused recruitment of the GR, histone hyperacetylation, and nucleosome removal at Klf9 upstream regions. Our findings support a predominant role for GR, with a minor contribution of MR, in the direct regulation of Klf9 acting via two GRE/MRE located in the 5'-flanking region of the gene. KLF9 may play a key role in GC actions on hippocampal development and plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Bagamasbad
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109-1048, USA
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