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Berecki G, Bryson A, Polster T, Petrou S. Biophysical characterization and modelling of SCN1A gain-of-function predicts interneuron hyperexcitability and a predisposition to network instability through homeostatic plasticity. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 179:106059. [PMID: 36868483 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
SCN1A gain-of-function variants are associated with early onset developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) that possess distinct clinical features compared to Dravet syndrome caused by SCN1A loss-of-function. However, it is unclear how SCN1A gain-of-function may predispose to cortical hyper-excitability and seizures. Here, we first report the clinical features of a patient carrying a de novo SCN1A variant (T162I) associated with neonatal-onset DEE, and then characterize the biophysical properties of T162I and three other SCN1A variants associated with neonatal-onset DEE (I236V) and early infantile DEE (P1345S, R1636Q). In voltage clamp experiments, three variants (T162I, P1345S and R1636Q) exhibited changes in activation and inactivation properties that enhanced window current, consistent with gain-of-function. Dynamic action potential clamp experiments utilising model neurons incorporating Nav1.1. channels supported a gain-of-function mechanism for all four variants. Here, the T162I, I236V, P1345S, and R1636Q variants exhibited higher peak firing rates relative to wild type and the T162I and R1636Q variants produced a hyperpolarized threshold and reduced neuronal rheobase. To explore the impact of these variants upon cortical excitability, we used a spiking network model containing an excitatory pyramidal cell (PC) and parvalbumin positive (PV) interneuron population. SCN1A gain-of-function was modelled by enhancing the excitability of PV interneurons and then incorporating three simple forms of homeostatic plasticity that restored pyramidal cell firing rates. We found that homeostatic plasticity mechanisms exerted differential impact upon network function, with changes to PV-to-PC and PC-to-PC synaptic strength predisposing to network instability. Overall, our findings support a role for SCN1A gain-of-function and inhibitory interneuron hyperexcitability in early onset DEE. We propose a mechanism through which homeostatic plasticity pathways can predispose to pathological excitatory activity and contribute to phenotypic variability in SCN1A disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Géza Berecki
- Ion Channels and Disease Group, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
| | - Alexander Bryson
- Ion Channels and Disease Group, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Neurology, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
| | - Tilman Polster
- Krankenhaus Mara, Bethel Epilepsy Centre, Department of Epileptology, Medical School, Bielefeld University, Campus Bielefeld-Bethel, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Steven Petrou
- Ion Channels and Disease Group, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of the Florey Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia.
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Bryson A, Reid C, Petrou S. Fundamental Neurochemistry Review: GABA A receptor neurotransmission and epilepsy: Principles, disease mechanisms and pharmacotherapy. J Neurochem 2023; 165:6-28. [PMID: 36681890 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder associated with alterations of excitation-inhibition balance within brain neuronal networks. GABAA receptor neurotransmission is the most prevalent form of inhibitory neurotransmission and is strongly implicated in both the pathophysiology and treatment of epilepsy, serving as a primary target for antiseizure medications for over a century. It is now established that GABA exerts a multifaceted influence through an array of GABAA receptor subtypes that extends far beyond simply negating excitatory activity. As the role of GABAA neurotransmission within inhibitory circuits is elaborated, this will enable the development of precision therapies that correct the network dysfunction underlying epileptic pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Bryson
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christopher Reid
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Steven Petrou
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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Bryson A, Petrou S. SCN1A channelopathies: Navigating from genotype to neural circuit dysfunction. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1173460. [PMID: 37139072 PMCID: PMC10149698 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1173460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The SCN1A gene is strongly associated with epilepsy and plays a central role for supporting cortical excitation-inhibition balance through the expression of NaV1.1 within inhibitory interneurons. The phenotype of SCN1A disorders has been conceptualized as driven primarily by impaired interneuron function that predisposes to disinhibition and cortical hyperexcitability. However, recent studies have identified SCN1A gain-of-function variants associated with epilepsy, and the presence of cellular and synaptic changes in mouse models that point toward homeostatic adaptations and complex network remodeling. These findings highlight the need to understand microcircuit-scale dysfunction in SCN1A disorders to contextualize genetic and cellular disease mechanisms. Targeting the restoration of microcircuit properties may be a fruitful strategy for the development of novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Bryson
- Ion Channels and Disease Group, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: Alexander Bryson,
| | - Steven Petrou
- Ion Channels and Disease Group, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
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Awile O, Kumbhar P, Cornu N, Dura-Bernal S, King JG, Lupton O, Magkanaris I, McDougal RA, Newton AJH, Pereira F, Săvulescu A, Carnevale NT, Lytton WW, Hines ML, Schürmann F. Modernizing the NEURON Simulator for Sustainability, Portability, and Performance. Front Neuroinform 2022; 16:884046. [PMID: 35832575 PMCID: PMC9272742 DOI: 10.3389/fninf.2022.884046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The need for reproducible, credible, multiscale biological modeling has led to the development of standardized simulation platforms, such as the widely-used NEURON environment for computational neuroscience. Developing and maintaining NEURON over several decades has required attention to the competing needs of backwards compatibility, evolving computer architectures, the addition of new scales and physical processes, accessibility to new users, and efficiency and flexibility for specialists. In order to meet these challenges, we have now substantially modernized NEURON, providing continuous integration, an improved build system and release workflow, and better documentation. With the help of a new source-to-source compiler of the NMODL domain-specific language we have enhanced NEURON's ability to run efficiently, via the CoreNEURON simulation engine, on a variety of hardware platforms, including GPUs. Through the implementation of an optimized in-memory transfer mechanism this performance optimized backend is made easily accessible to users, providing training and model-development paths from laptop to workstation to supercomputer and cloud platform. Similarly, we have been able to accelerate NEURON's reaction-diffusion simulation performance through the use of just-in-time compilation. We show that these efforts have led to a growing developer base, a simpler and more robust software distribution, a wider range of supported computer architectures, a better integration of NEURON with other scientific workflows, and substantially improved performance for the simulation of biophysical and biochemical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Awile
- Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pramod Kumbhar
- Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Cornu
- Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Salvador Dura-Bernal
- Department Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
| | - James Gonzalo King
- Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Olli Lupton
- Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ioannis Magkanaris
- Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Robert A. McDougal
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Yale Center for Medical Informatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Adam J. H. Newton
- Department Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Fernando Pereira
- Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alexandru Săvulescu
- Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - William W. Lytton
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
| | - Michael L. Hines
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Felix Schürmann
- Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
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