1
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Radaszkiewicz KA, Sulcova M, Kohoutkova E, Harnos J. The role of prickle proteins in vertebrate development and pathology. Mol Cell Biochem 2024; 479:1199-1221. [PMID: 37358815 PMCID: PMC11116189 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-023-04787-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Prickle is an evolutionarily conserved family of proteins exclusively associated with planar cell polarity (PCP) signalling. This signalling pathway provides directional and positional cues to eukaryotic cells along the plane of an epithelial sheet, orthogonal to both apicobasal and left-right axes. Through studies in the fruit fly Drosophila, we have learned that PCP signalling is manifested by the spatial segregation of two protein complexes, namely Prickle/Vangl and Frizzled/Dishevelled. While Vangl, Frizzled, and Dishevelled proteins have been extensively studied, Prickle has been largely neglected. This is likely because its role in vertebrate development and pathologies is still being explored and is not yet fully understood. The current review aims to address this gap by summarizing our current knowledge on vertebrate Prickle proteins and to cover their broad versatility. Accumulating evidence suggests that Prickle is involved in many developmental events, contributes to homeostasis, and can cause diseases when its expression and signalling properties are deregulated. This review highlights the importance of Prickle in vertebrate development, discusses the implications of Prickle-dependent signalling in pathology, and points out the blind spots or potential links regarding Prickle, which could be studied further.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Radaszkiewicz
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czechia
| | - M Sulcova
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czechia
| | - E Kohoutkova
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czechia
| | - J Harnos
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czechia.
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2
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Chen Y, Liu TT, Niu M, Li X, Wang X, Liu T, Li Y. Epilepsy gene prickle ensures neuropil glial ensheathment through regulating cell adhesion molecules. iScience 2022; 26:105731. [PMID: 36582832 PMCID: PMC9792895 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Human PRICKLE1 gene has been associated with epilepsy. However, the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms remain elusive. Here we report a Drosophila prickle mutant pk IG1-1 exhibiting strong epileptic seizures and, intriguingly, abnormal glial wrapping. We found that pk is required in both neurons and glia, particularly neuropil ensheathing glia (EGN), the fly analog of oligodendrocyte, for protecting the animal from seizures. We further revealed that Pk directly binds to the membrane skeleton binding protein Ankyrin 2 (Ank2), thereby regulating the cell adhesion molecule Neuroglian (Nrg). Such protein interactions also apply to their human homologues. Moreover, nrg and ank2 mutant flies also display seizure phenotypes, and expression of either Nrg or Ank2 rescues the seizures of pk IG1-1 flies. Therefore, our findings indicate that Prickle ensures neuron-glial interaction within neuropils through regulating cell adhesion between neurons and ensheathing glia. Dysregulation of this process may represent a conserved pathogenic mechanism underlying PRICKLE1-associated epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbo Chen
- Institute of Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,Corresponding author
| | - Tong-Tong Liu
- Institute of Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Mengxia Niu
- Institute of Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaoting Li
- Institute of Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xinwei Wang
- Institute of Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tong Liu
- International Academic Center of Complex Systems, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
| | - Yan Li
- Institute of Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China,Corresponding author
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3
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Kunimoto K, Weiner AT, Axelrod JD, Vladar EK. Distinct overlapping functions for Prickle1 and Prickle2 in the polarization of the airway epithelium. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:976182. [PMID: 36176272 PMCID: PMC9513604 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.976182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling polarizes cells within the plane of an epithelium. In the airways, planar cell polarity signaling orients the directional beating of motile cilia required for effective mucociliary clearance. The planar cell polarity signaling mechanism is best understood from work in Drosophila, where it has been shown to both coordinate the axis of polarity between cells and to direct the morphological manifestations of polarization within cells. The ‘core’ planar cell polarity signaling mechanism comprises two protein complexes that segregate to opposite sides of each cell and interact with the opposite complex in neighboring cells. Proper subcellular localization of core planar cell polarity proteins correlates with, and is almost certainly responsible for, their ability to direct polarization. This mechanism is highly conserved from Drosophila to vertebrates, though for most of the core genes, mammals have multiple paralogs whereas Drosophila has only one. In the mouse airway epithelium, the core protein Prickle2 segregates asymmetrically, as is characteristic for core proteins, but is only present in multiciliated cells and is absent from other cell types. Furthermore, Prickle2 mutant mice show only modest ciliary polarity defects. These observations suggest that other Prickle paralogs might contribute to polarization. Here, we show that Prickle1 segregates asymmetrically in multiciliated and nonciliated airway epithelial cell types, that compared to Prickle2, Prickle1 has different spatial and temporal expression dynamics and a stronger ciliary polarity phenotype, and that Prickle1 and Prickle2 mutants genetically interact. We propose distinct and partially overlapping functions for the Prickle paralogs in polarization of the airway epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koshi Kunimoto
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Alexis T. Weiner
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Jeffrey D. Axelrod
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Eszter K. Vladar
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
- *Correspondence: Eszter K. Vladar,
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4
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Ueda A, O'Harrow TCDG, Xing X, Ehaideb S, Manak JR, Wu CF. Abnormal larval neuromuscular junction morphology and physiology in Drosophila prickle isoform mutants with known axonal transport defects and adult seizure behavior. J Neurogenet 2022; 36:65-73. [PMID: 35775303 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2022.2093353] [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: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated the striking mutational effects of the Drosophila planar cell polarity gene prickle (pk) on larval motor axon microtubule-mediated vesicular transport and on adult epileptic behavior associated with neuronal circuit hyperexcitability. Mutant alleles of the prickle-prickle (pkpk) and prickle-spiny-legs (pksple) isoforms (hereafter referred to as pk and sple alleles, respectively) exhibit differential phenotypes. While both pk and sple affect larval motor axon transport, only sple confers motor circuit and behavior hyperexcitability. However, mutations in the two isoforms apparently counteract to ameliorate adult motor circuit and behavioral hyperexcitability in heteroallelic pkpk/pksple flies. We have further investigated the consequences of altered axonal transport in the development and function of the larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ). We uncovered robust dominant phenotypes in both pk and sple alleles, including synaptic terminal overgrowth (as revealed by anti-HRP and -Dlg immunostaining) and poor vesicle release synchronicity (as indicated by synaptic bouton focal recording). However, we observed recessive alteration of synaptic transmission only in pk/pk larvae, i.e. increased excitatory junctional potential (EJP) amplitude in pk/pk but not in pk/+ or sple/sple. Interestingly, for motor terminal excitability sustained by presynaptic Ca2+ channels, both pk and sple exerted strong effects to produce prolonged depolarization. Notably, only sple acted dominantly whereas pk/+ appeared normal, but was able to suppress the sple phenotypes, i.e. pk/sple appeared normal. Our observations contrast the differential roles of the pk and sple isoforms and highlight their distinct, variable phenotypic expression in the various structural and functional aspects of the larval NMJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Ueda
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | | | - Xiaomin Xing
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Salleh Ehaideb
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Genetics Ph.D. Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - J Robert Manak
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Genetics Ph.D. Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Chun-Fang Wu
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Genetics Ph.D. Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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5
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Ban Y, Yu T, Wang J, Wang X, Liu C, Baker C, Zou Y. Mutation of the murine Prickle1 (R104Q) causes phenotypes analogous to human symptoms of epilepsy and autism. Exp Neurol 2022; 347:113880. [PMID: 34597683 PMCID: PMC8718102 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) frequently show comorbidity, suggesting shared or overlapping neurobiological basis underlying these conditions. R104Q is the first mutation in the PRICKLE 1(PK1) gene that was discovered in human patients with progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME). Subsequently, a number of mutations in the PK1 gene were shown to be associated with either epilepsy, autism, or both, as well as other developmental disorders. Using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing, we generated a PK1R104Q mouse line. The mutant mice showed reduced density of excitatory synapses in hippocampus and impaired interaction between PK1 and the repressor element 1(RE-1) silencing transcription factor (REST). They also displayed reduced seizure threshold, impaired social interaction, and cognitive functions. Taken together, the PK1R104Q mice display characteristic behavioral features similar to the key symptoms of epilepsy and ASD, providing a useful model for studying the molecular and neural circuit mechanisms underlying the comorbidity of epilepsy and ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Ban
- Neurobiology Section, Biological Sciences Division, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Ting Yu
- Neurobiology Section, Biological Sciences Division, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Neurobiology Section, Biological Sciences Division, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Xiaojia Wang
- Neurobiology Section, Biological Sciences Division, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Can Liu
- Neurobiology Section, Biological Sciences Division, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Clayton Baker
- Neurobiology Section, Biological Sciences Division, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Yimin Zou
- Neurobiology Section, Biological Sciences Division, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America.
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6
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Salim S, Banu A, Alwa A, Gowda SBM, Mohammad F. The gut-microbiota-brain axis in autism: what Drosophila models can offer? J Neurodev Disord 2021; 13:37. [PMID: 34525941 PMCID: PMC8442445 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-021-09378-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The idea that alterations in gut-microbiome-brain axis (GUMBA)-mediated communication play a crucial role in human brain disorders like autism remains a topic of intensive research in various labs. Gastrointestinal issues are a common comorbidity in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although gut microbiome and microbial metabolites have been implicated in the etiology of ASD, the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. In this review, we have summarized recent findings in human and animal models highlighting the role of the gut-brain axis in ASD. We have discussed genetic and neurobehavioral characteristics of Drosophila as an animal model to study the role of GUMBA in ASD. The utility of Drosophila fruit flies as an amenable genetic tool, combined with axenic and gnotobiotic approaches, and availability of transgenic flies may reveal mechanistic insight into gut-microbiota-brain interactions and the impact of its alteration on behaviors relevant to neurological disorders like ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safa Salim
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, 34110, Qatar
| | - Ayesha Banu
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, 34110, Qatar
| | - Amira Alwa
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, 34110, Qatar
| | - Swetha B M Gowda
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, 34110, Qatar
| | - Farhan Mohammad
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, 34110, Qatar.
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7
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PRICKLE2 revisited-further evidence implicating PRICKLE2 in neurodevelopmental disorders. Eur J Hum Genet 2021; 29:1235-1244. [PMID: 34092786 PMCID: PMC8385026 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-021-00912-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
PRICKLE2 encodes a member of a highly conserved family of proteins that are involved in the non-canonical Wnt and planar cell polarity signaling pathway. Prickle2 localizes to the post-synaptic density, and interacts with post-synaptic density protein 95 and the NMDA receptor. Loss-of-function variants in prickle2 orthologs cause seizures in flies and mice but evidence for the role of PRICKLE2 in human disease is conflicting. Our goal is to provide further evidence for the role of this gene in humans and define the phenotypic spectrum of PRICKLE2-related disorders. We report a cohort of six subjects from four unrelated families with heterozygous rare PRICKLE2 variants (NM_198859.4). Subjects were identified through an international collaboration. Detailed phenotypic and genetic assessment of the subjects were carried out and in addition, we assessed the variant pathogenicity using bioinformatic approaches. We identified two missense variants (c.122 C > T; p.(Pro41Leu), c.680 C > G; p.(Thr227Arg)), one nonsense variant (c.214 C > T; p.(Arg72*) and one frameshift variant (c.1286_1287delGT; p.(Ser429Thrfs*56)). While the p.(Ser429Thrfs*56) variant segregated with disease in a family with three affected females, the three remaining variants occurred de novo. Subjects shared a mild phenotype characterized by global developmental delay, behavioral difficulties ± epilepsy, autistic features, and attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Computational analysis of the missense variants suggest that the altered amino acid residues are likely to be located in protein regions important for function. This paper demonstrates that PRICKLE2 is involved in human neuronal development and that pathogenic variants in PRICKLE2 cause neurodevelopmental delay, behavioral difficulties and epilepsy in humans.
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8
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Myers L, Blyth M, Moradkhani K, Hranilović D, Polesie S, Isaksson J, Nordgren A, Bucan M, Vincent M, Bölte S, Anderlid BM, Tammimies K. Variable neurodevelopmental and morphological phenotypes of carriers with 12q12 duplications. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2019; 8:e1013. [PMID: 31730283 PMCID: PMC6978403 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Variable size deletions affecting 12q12 have been found in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and distinct facial and physical features. For many genetic loci affected by deletions in individuals with NDDs, reciprocal duplications have been described. However, for the 12q12 region, there are no detailed descriptions of duplication cases in the literature. METHODS We report a phenotypic description of a family with monozygotic twins diagnosed with NDDs, carrying a 9 Mb duplication at 12q12, and five other individuals with overlapping duplications ranging from 4.54 Mb up to 15.16 Mb. RESULTS The duplication carriers had language delays, cognitive delays, and were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, distinct facial features (e.g., high foreheads, deeply set eyes, short palpebral fissures, small ears, high nasal bridges, abnormalities of the nose tip, thin lips), large feet, and abnormalities in the digits were noted. We also describe incomplete penetrance of the NDD phenotypes among the individuals with 12q12 duplication. CONCLUSION This case series expands our knowledge on this rare genetic aberration and suggests that large 12q12 duplications may increase the risk for developing NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynnea Myers
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Moira Blyth
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, UK
| | | | - Dubravka Hranilović
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Sam Polesie
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Isaksson
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Neuroscience, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychiatry Unit, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ann Nordgren
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Genetics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maja Bucan
- Department of Genetics and Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marie Vincent
- Centre Hospitalier, University of Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Sven Bölte
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.,Curtin Autism Research Group, School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Britt-Marie Anderlid
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Genetics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kristiina Tammimies
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
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9
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Hakanen J, Ruiz-Reig N, Tissir F. Linking Cell Polarity to Cortical Development and Malformations. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:244. [PMID: 31213986 PMCID: PMC6558068 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell polarity refers to the asymmetric distribution of signaling molecules, cellular organelles, and cytoskeleton in a cell. Neural progenitors and neurons are highly polarized cells in which the cell membrane and cytoplasmic components are compartmentalized into distinct functional domains in response to internal and external cues that coordinate polarity and behavior during development and disease. In neural progenitor cells, polarity has a prominent impact on cell shape and coordinate several processes such as adhesion, division, and fate determination. Polarity also accompanies a neuron from the beginning until the end of its life. It is essential for development and later functionality of neuronal circuitries. During development, polarity governs transitions between multipolar and bipolar during migration of postmitotic neurons, and directs the specification and directional growth of axons. Once reaching final positions in cortical layers, neurons form dendrites which become compartmentalized to ensure proper establishment of neuronal connections and signaling. Changes in neuronal polarity induce signaling cascades that regulate cytoskeletal changes, as well as mRNA, protein, and vesicle trafficking, required for synapses to form and function. Hence, defects in establishing and maintaining cell polarity are associated with several neural disorders such as microcephaly, lissencephaly, schizophrenia, autism, and epilepsy. In this review we summarize the role of polarity genes in cortical development and emphasize the relationship between polarity dysfunctions and cortical malformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janne Hakanen
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Developmental Neurobiology, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nuria Ruiz-Reig
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Developmental Neurobiology, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Fadel Tissir
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Developmental Neurobiology, Brussels, Belgium
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10
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Wert KJ, Velez G, Cross MR, Wagner BA, Teoh-Fitzgerald ML, Buettner GR, McAnany JJ, Olivier A, Tsang SH, Harper MM, Domann FE, Bassuk AG, Mahajan VB. Extracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD3) regulates oxidative stress at the vitreoretinal interface. Free Radic Biol Med 2018; 124:408-419. [PMID: 29940351 PMCID: PMC6233711 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2018.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Oxidative stress is a pathogenic feature in vitreoretinal disease. However, the ability of the inner retina to manage metabolic waste and oxidative stress is unknown. Proteomic analysis of antioxidants in the human vitreous, the extracellular matrix opposing the inner retina, identified superoxide dismutase-3 (SOD3) that localized to a unique matrix structure in the vitreous base and cortex. To determine the role of SOD3, Sod3-/- mice underwent histological and clinical phenotyping. Although the eyes were structurally normal, at the vitreoretinal interface Sod3-/- mice demonstrated higher levels of 3-nitrotyrosine, a key marker of oxidative stress. Pattern electroretinography also showed physiological signaling abnormalities within the inner retina. Vitreous biopsies and epiretinal membranes collected from patients with diabetic vitreoretinopathy (DVR) and a mouse model of DVR showed significantly higher levels of nitrates and/or 3-nitrotyrosine oxidative stress biomarkers suggestive of SOD3 dysfunction. This study analyzes the molecular pathways that regulate oxidative stress in human vitreous substructures. The absence or dysregulation of the SOD3 antioxidant at the vitreous base and cortex results in increased oxidative stress and tissue damage to the inner retina, which may underlie DVR pathogenesis and other vitreoretinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine J Wert
- Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States; Omics Laboratory, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Gabriel Velez
- Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States; Omics Laboratory, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Madeline R Cross
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Brett A Wagner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Melissa L Teoh-Fitzgerald
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Garry R Buettner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - J Jason McAnany
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Alicia Olivier
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Stephen H Tsang
- Bernard and Shirlee Brown Glaucoma Laboratory and Barbara & Donald Jonas Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States; Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States; Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology & Cell Biology, and Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Matthew M Harper
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States; Department of Veterans Affairs Iowa City Health Care System, Iowa City, IA, United States; Veterans Affairs Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Frederick E Domann
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Alexander G Bassuk
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Vinit B Mahajan
- Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States; Omics Laboratory, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States; Palo Alto Veterans Administration, Palo Alto, CA, United States.
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11
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Joensuu M, Lanoue V, Hotulainen P. Dendritic spine actin cytoskeleton in autism spectrum disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:362-381. [PMID: 28870634 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Dendritic spines are small actin-rich protrusions from neuronal dendrites that form the postsynaptic part of most excitatory synapses. Changes in the shape and size of dendritic spines correlate with the functional changes in excitatory synapses and are heavily dependent on the remodeling of the underlying actin cytoskeleton. Recent evidence implicates synapses at dendritic spines as important substrates of pathogenesis in neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although synaptic perturbations are not the only alterations relevant for these diseases, understanding the molecular underpinnings of the spine and synapse pathology may provide insight into their etiologies and could reveal new drug targets. In this review, we will discuss recent findings of defective actin regulation in dendritic spines associated with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merja Joensuu
- Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Vanessa Lanoue
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Pirta Hotulainen
- Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.
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12
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Todd BP, Bassuk AG. A de novo mutation in PRICKLE1 associated with myoclonic epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder. J Neurogenet 2018; 32:313-315. [PMID: 29790814 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2018.1473862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Homozygous recessive mutations in the PRICKLE1 gene were first described in three consanguineous families with myoclonic epilepsy. Subsequent studies have identified neurological abnormalities in humans and animal models with both heterozygous and homozygous mutations in PRICKLE1 orthologs. We describe a 7-year-old with a novel de novo missense mutation in PRICKLE1 associated with epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder and global developmental delay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany P Todd
- a Department of Pediatrics , The University of Iowa , Iowa City , United States
| | - Alexander G Bassuk
- a Department of Pediatrics , The University of Iowa , Iowa City , United States
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13
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Arnatkevic̆iūtė A, Fulcher BD, Pocock R, Fornito A. Hub connectivity, neuronal diversity, and gene expression in the Caenorhabditis elegans connectome. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1005989. [PMID: 29432412 PMCID: PMC5825174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of nervous system connectivity, in a wide variety of species and at different scales of resolution, have identified several highly conserved motifs of network organization. One such motif is a heterogeneous distribution of connectivity across neural elements, such that some elements act as highly connected and functionally important network hubs. These brain network hubs are also densely interconnected, forming a so-called rich club. Recent work in mouse has identified a distinctive transcriptional signature of neural hubs, characterized by tightly coupled expression of oxidative metabolism genes, with similar genes characterizing macroscale inter-modular hub regions of the human cortex. Here, we sought to determine whether hubs of the neuronal C. elegans connectome also show tightly coupled gene expression. Using open data on the chemical and electrical connectivity of 279 C. elegans neurons, and binary gene expression data for each neuron across 948 genes, we computed a correlated gene expression score for each pair of neurons, providing a measure of their gene expression similarity. We demonstrate that connections between hub neurons are the most similar in their gene expression while connections between nonhubs are the least similar. Genes with the greatest contribution to this effect are involved in glutamatergic and cholinergic signaling, and other communication processes. We further show that coupled expression between hub neurons cannot be explained by their neuronal subtype (i.e., sensory, motor, or interneuron), separation distance, chemically secreted neurotransmitter, birth time, pairwise lineage distance, or their topological module affiliation. Instead, this coupling is intrinsically linked to the identity of most hubs as command interneurons, a specific class of interneurons that regulates locomotion. Our results suggest that neural hubs may possess a distinctive transcriptional signature, preserved across scales and species, that is related to the involvement of hubs in regulating the higher-order behaviors of a given organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurina Arnatkevic̆iūtė
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Ben D. Fulcher
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Roger Pocock
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Alex Fornito
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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14
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Kanner AM, Scharfman H, Jette N, Anagnostou E, Bernard C, Camfield C, Camfield P, Legg K, Dinstein I, Giacobe P, Friedman A, Pohlmann-Eden B. Epilepsy as a Network Disorder (1): What can we learn from other network disorders such as autistic spectrum disorder and mood disorders? Epilepsy Behav 2017; 77:106-113. [PMID: 29107450 PMCID: PMC9835466 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2017.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy is a neurologic condition which often occurs with other neurologic and psychiatric disorders. The relation between epilepsy and these conditions is complex. Some population-based studies have identified a bidirectional relation, whereby not only patients with epilepsy are at increased risk of suffering from some of these neurologic and psychiatric disorders (migraine, stroke, dementia, autism, depression, anxiety disorders, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and psychosis), but also patients with these conditions are at increased risk of suffering from epilepsy. The existence of common pathogenic mechanisms has been postulated as a potential explanation of this phenomenon. To reassess the relationships between neurological and psychiatric conditions in general, and specifically autism, depression, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and epilepsy, a recent meeting brought together basic researchers and clinician scientists entitled "Epilepsy as a Network Disorder." This was the fourth in a series of conferences, the "Fourth International Halifax Conference and Retreat". This manuscript summarizes the proceedings on potential relations between Epilepsy on the one hand and autism and depression on the other. A companion manuscript provides a summary of the proceedings about the relation between epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia, closed by the role of translational research in clarifying these relationships. The review of the topics in these two manuscripts will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms operant in some of the common neurologic and psychiatric comorbidities of epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres M. Kanner
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1120 NW 14th Street, Room #1324, Miami, FL 33136, USA,Corresponding author. (A.M. Kanner)
| | - Helen Scharfman
- New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA,The Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Nathalie Jette
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Neurology, New York, NY, USA,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, 150 Kilgour Road, Toronto, ON M4G 1R8, Canada
| | - Christophe Bernard
- NS – Institute de Neurosciences des Systemes, UMR INSERM 1106, Aix-Marseille Université, Equipe Physionet, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille Cedex 05, France
| | - Carol Camfield
- Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Peter Camfield
- Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Karen Legg
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Halifax Infirmary, Halifax B3H4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Ilan Dinstein
- Departments of Psychology and Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Zlotowski Centre for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Peter Giacobe
- Centre for Mental Health, University of Toronto, University Health Network, Canada
| | - Alon Friedman
- Departments of Physiology and Cell Biology, Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Zlotowski Centre for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel,Departments of Medical Neuroscience and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Bernd Pohlmann-Eden
- Brain Repair Center, Life Science Research Institute, Dalhousie University, Room 229, PO Box 15000, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H4R2, Canada
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15
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Prickle1 regulates neurite outgrowth of apical spiral ganglion neurons but not hair cell polarity in the murine cochlea. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183773. [PMID: 28837644 PMCID: PMC5570324 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In the mammalian organ of Corti (OC), the stereocilia on the apical surface of hair cells (HCs) are uniformly organized in a neural to abneural axis (or medial-laterally). This organization is regulated by planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling. Mutations of PCP genes, such as Vangl2, Dvl1/2, Celsr1, and Fzd3/6, affect the formation of HC orientation to varying degrees. Prickle1 is a PCP signaling gene that belongs to the prickle / espinas / testin family. Prickle1 protein is shown to be asymmetrically localized in the HCs of the OC, and this asymmetric localization is associated with loss of PCP in Smurf mutants, implying that Prickle1 is involved in HC PCP development in the OC. A follow-up study found no PCP polarity defects after loss of Prickle1 (Prickle1-/-) in the cochlea. We show here strong Prickle1 mRNA expression in the spiral ganglion by in situ hybridization and β-Gal staining, and weak expression in the OC by β-Gal staining. Consistent with this limited expression in the OC, cochlear HC PCP is unaffected in either Prickle1C251X/C251X mice or Prickle1f/f; Pax2-cre conditional null mice. Meanwhile, type II afferents of apical spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) innervating outer hair cells (OHC) have unusual neurite growth. In addition, afferents from the apex show unusual collaterals in the cochlear nuclei that overlap with basal turn afferents. Our findings argue against the role of Prickle1 in regulating hair cell polarity in the cochlea. Instead, Prickle1 regulates the polarity-related growth of distal and central processes of apical SGNs.
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16
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A proteomic analysis of LRRK2 binding partners reveals interactions with multiple signaling components of the WNT/PCP pathway. Mol Neurodegener 2017; 12:54. [PMID: 28697798 PMCID: PMC5505151 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-017-0193-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autosomal-dominant mutations in the Park8 gene encoding Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) have been identified to cause up to 40% of the genetic forms of Parkinson's disease. However, the function and molecular pathways regulated by LRRK2 are largely unknown. It has been shown that LRRK2 serves as a scaffold during activation of WNT/β-catenin signaling via its interaction with the β-catenin destruction complex, DVL1-3 and LRP6. In this study, we examine whether LRRK2 also interacts with signaling components of the WNT/Planar Cell Polarity (WNT/PCP) pathway, which controls the maturation of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons, the main cell type lost in Parkinson's disease patients. METHODS Co-immunoprecipitation and tandem mass spectrometry was performed in a mouse substantia nigra cell line (SN4741) and human HEK293T cell line in order to identify novel LRRK2 binding partners. Inhibition of the WNT/β-catenin reporter, TOPFlash, was used as a read-out of WNT/PCP pathway activation. The capacity of LRRK2 to regulate WNT/PCP signaling in vivo was tested in Xenopus laevis' early development. RESULTS Our proteomic analysis identified that LRRK2 interacts with proteins involved in WNT/PCP signaling such as the PDZ domain-containing protein GIPC1 and Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) in dopaminergic cells in vitro and in the mouse ventral midbrain in vivo. Moreover, co-immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that LRRK2 binds to two core components of the WNT/PCP signaling pathway, PRICKLE1 and CELSR1, as well as to FLOTILLIN-2 and CULLIN-3, which regulate WNT secretion and inhibit WNT/β-catenin signaling, respectively. We also found that PRICKLE1 and LRRK2 localize in signalosomes and act as dual regulators of WNT/PCP and β-catenin signaling. Accordingly, analysis of the function of LRRK2 in vivo, in X. laevis revelaed that LRKK2 not only inhibits WNT/β-catenin pathway, but induces a classical WNT/PCP phenotype in vivo. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows for the first time that LRRK2 activates the WNT/PCP signaling pathway through its interaction to multiple WNT/PCP components. We suggest that LRRK2 regulates the balance between WNT/β-catenin and WNT/PCP signaling, depending on the binding partners. Since this balance is crucial for homeostasis of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, we hypothesize that its alteration may contribute to the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease.
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17
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Mulligan KA, Cheyette BNR. Neurodevelopmental Perspectives on Wnt Signaling in Psychiatry. MOLECULAR NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2017; 2:219-246. [PMID: 28277568 DOI: 10.1159/000453266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence indicates that Wnt signaling is relevant to pathophysiology of diverse mental illnesses including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. In the 35 years since Wnt ligands were first described, animal studies have richly explored how downstream Wnt signaling pathways affect an array of neurodevelopmental processes and how their disruption can lead to both neurological and behavioral phenotypes. Recently, human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models have begun to contribute to this literature while pushing it in increasingly translational directions. Simultaneously, large-scale human genomic studies are providing evidence that sequence variation in Wnt signal pathway genes contributes to pathogenesis in several psychiatric disorders. This article reviews neurodevelopmental and postneurodevelopmental functions of Wnt signaling, highlighting mechanisms, whereby its disruption might contribute to psychiatric illness, and then reviews the most reliable recent genetic evidence supporting that mutations in Wnt pathway genes contribute to psychiatric illness. We are proponents of the notion that studies in animal and hiPSC models informed by the human genetic data combined with the deep knowledge base and tool kits generated over the last several decades of basic neurodevelopmental research will yield near-term tangible advances in neuropsychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A Mulligan
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin N R Cheyette
- Department of Psychiatry, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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18
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Evidence for opposing roles of Celsr3 and Vangl2 in glutamatergic synapse formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E610-E618. [PMID: 28057866 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1612062114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The signaling mechanisms that choreograph the assembly of the highly asymmetric pre- and postsynaptic structures are still poorly defined. Using synaptosome fractionation, immunostaining, and coimmunoprecipitation, we found that Celsr3 and Vangl2, core components of the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, are localized at developing glutamatergic synapses and interact with key synaptic proteins. Pyramidal neurons from the hippocampus of Celsr3 knockout mice exhibit loss of ∼50% of glutamatergic synapses, but not inhibitory synapses, in culture. Wnts are known regulators of synapse formation, and our data reveal that Wnt5a inhibits glutamatergic synapses formed via Celsr3. To avoid affecting earlier developmental processes, such as axon guidance, we conditionally knocked out Celsr3 in the hippocampus 1 week after birth. The CA1 neurons that lost Celsr3 also showed a loss of ∼50% of glutamatergic synapses in vivo without affecting the inhibitory synapses assessed by miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) and electron microscopy. These animals displayed deficits in hippocampus-dependent behaviors in adulthood, including spatial learning and memory and fear conditioning. In contrast to Celsr3 conditional knockouts, we found that the conditional knockout of Vangl2 in the hippocampus 1 week after birth led to a large increase in synaptic density, as evaluated by mEPSC frequency and spine density. PCP signaling is mediated by multiple core components with antagonizing functions. Our results document the opposing roles of Celsr3 and Vangl2 in glutamatergic synapse formation.
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19
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Lin YC, Frei JA, Kilander MBC, Shen W, Blatt GJ. A Subset of Autism-Associated Genes Regulate the Structural Stability of Neurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:263. [PMID: 27909399 PMCID: PMC5112273 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises a range of neurological conditions that affect individuals’ ability to communicate and interact with others. People with ASD often exhibit marked qualitative difficulties in social interaction, communication, and behavior. Alterations in neurite arborization and dendritic spine morphology, including size, shape, and number, are hallmarks of almost all neurological conditions, including ASD. As experimental evidence emerges in recent years, it becomes clear that although there is broad heterogeneity of identified autism risk genes, many of them converge into similar cellular pathways, including those regulating neurite outgrowth, synapse formation and spine stability, and synaptic plasticity. These mechanisms together regulate the structural stability of neurons and are vulnerable targets in ASD. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of those autism risk genes that affect the structural connectivity of neurons. We sub-categorize them into (1) cytoskeletal regulators, e.g., motors and small RhoGTPase regulators; (2) adhesion molecules, e.g., cadherins, NCAM, and neurexin superfamily; (3) cell surface receptors, e.g., glutamatergic receptors and receptor tyrosine kinases; (4) signaling molecules, e.g., protein kinases and phosphatases; and (5) synaptic proteins, e.g., vesicle and scaffolding proteins. Although the roles of some of these genes in maintaining neuronal structural stability are well studied, how mutations contribute to the autism phenotype is still largely unknown. Investigating whether and how the neuronal structure and function are affected when these genes are mutated will provide insights toward developing effective interventions aimed at improving the lives of people with autism and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chih Lin
- Laboratory of Neuronal Connectivity, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Jeannine A Frei
- Laboratory of Neuronal Connectivity, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Michaela B C Kilander
- Laboratory of Neuronal Connectivity, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Wenjuan Shen
- Laboratory of Neuronal Connectivity, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Gene J Blatt
- Laboratory of Autism Neurocircuitry, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
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20
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Féron F, Gepner B, Lacassagne E, Stephan D, Mesnage B, Blanchard MP, Boulanger N, Tardif C, Devèze A, Rousseau S, Suzuki K, Izpisua Belmonte JC, Khrestchatisky M, Nivet E, Erard-Garcia M. Olfactory stem cells reveal MOCOS as a new player in autism spectrum disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:1215-24. [PMID: 26239292 PMCID: PMC4995547 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Revised: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
With an onset under the age of 3 years, autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are now understood as diseases arising from pre- and/or early postnatal brain developmental anomalies and/or early brain insults. To unveil the molecular mechanisms taking place during the misshaping of the developing brain, we chose to study cells that are representative of the very early stages of ontogenesis, namely stem cells. Here we report on MOlybdenum COfactor Sulfurase (MOCOS), an enzyme involved in purine metabolism, as a newly identified player in ASD. We found in adult nasal olfactory stem cells of 11 adults with ASD that MOCOS is downregulated in most of them when compared with 11 age- and gender-matched control adults without any neuropsychiatric disorders. Genetic approaches using in vivo and in vitro engineered models converge to indicate that altered expression of MOCOS results in neurotransmission and synaptic defects. Furthermore, we found that MOCOS misexpression induces increased oxidative-stress sensitivity. Our results demonstrate that altered MOCOS expression is likely to have an impact on neurodevelopment and neurotransmission, and may explain comorbid conditions, including gastrointestinal disorders. We anticipate our discovery to be a fresh starting point for the study on the roles of MOCOS in brain development and its functional implications in ASD clinical symptoms. Moreover, our study suggests the possible development of new diagnostic tests based on MOCOS expression, and paves the way for drug screening targeting MOCOS and/or the purine metabolism to ultimately develop novel treatments in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Féron
- Inserm CBT 1409, Centre d'Investigations Cliniques en Biothérapie, Marseille, France,Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, NICN UMR 7259, Marseille, France,Faculty of Medicine, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, NICN UMR 7259, 13344 Marseille, France. E-mail: or
| | - B Gepner
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, NICN UMR 7259, Marseille, France
| | - E Lacassagne
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, NICN UMR 7259, Marseille, France
| | - D Stephan
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, NICN UMR 7259, Marseille, France
| | - B Mesnage
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, NICN UMR 7259, Marseille, France
| | - M-P Blanchard
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, CRN2M UMR 6231, Marseille, France
| | - N Boulanger
- Aix Marseille Université, TAGC UMR 1090, Marseille, France
| | - C Tardif
- Aix Marseille Université, PsyCLE, EA 3273, Aix en Provence, France
| | - A Devèze
- AP-HM, Département ORL, Marseille, France
| | - S Rousseau
- AP-HM, Département Anesthésie, Marseille, France
| | - K Suzuki
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - J C Izpisua Belmonte
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - M Khrestchatisky
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, NICN UMR 7259, Marseille, France
| | - E Nivet
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, NICN UMR 7259, Marseille, France
| | - M Erard-Garcia
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, NICN UMR 7259, Marseille, France,Faculty of Medicine, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, NICN UMR 7259, 13344 Marseille, France. E-mail: or
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21
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Ehaideb SN, Wignall EA, Kasuya J, Evans WH, Iyengar A, Koerselman HL, Lilienthal AJ, Bassuk AG, Kitamoto T, Manak JR. Mutation of orthologous prickle genes causes a similar epilepsy syndrome in flies and humans. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2016; 3:695-707. [PMID: 27648459 PMCID: PMC5018582 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Genetically tractable fruit flies have been used for decades to study seizure disorders. However, there is a paucity of data specifically correlating fly and human seizure phenotypes. We have previously shown that mutation of orthologous PRICKLE genes from flies to humans produce seizures. This study aimed to determine whether the prickle-mediated seizure phenotypes in flies closely parallel the epilepsy syndrome found in PRICKLE patients. METHODS Virtually all fly seizure studies have relied upon characterizing seizures that are evoked. We have developed two novel approaches to more precisely characterize seizure-related phenotypes in their native state in prickle mutant flies. First, we used high-resolution videography to document spontaneous, unprovoked seizure events. Second, we developed a locomotion coordination assay to assess whether the prickle mutant flies were ataxic. Third, we treated the mutant flies with levetiracetam to determine whether the behavioral phenotypes could be suppressed by a common antiepileptic drug. RESULTS We find that the prickle mutant flies exhibit myoclonic-like spontaneous seizure events and are severely ataxic. Both these phenotypes are found in human patients with PRICKLE mutations, and can be suppressed by levetiracetam, providing evidence that the phenotypes are due to neurological dysfunction. These results document for the first time spontaneous, unprovoked seizure events at high resolution in a fly human seizure disorder model, capturing seizures in their native state. INTERPRETATION Collectively, these data underscore the striking similarities between the fly and human PRICKLE-mediated epilepsy syndromes, and provide a genetically tractable model for dissecting the underlying causes of the human syndromic phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salleh N Ehaideb
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa; King Abdullah International Medical Research Cente rKing Abdulaziz Medical City Riyadh Saudi Arabia; Department of Biology University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa
| | | | - Junko Kasuya
- Department of Anesthesia University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa
| | | | - Atulya Iyengar
- Department of Biology University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa
| | | | | | | | - Toshihiro Kitamoto
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa; Department of Anesthesia University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa
| | - J Robert Manak
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa; Department of Biology University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa; Department of Pediatrics University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa
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22
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Dynamin 1 isoform roles in a mouse model of severe childhood epileptic encephalopathy. Neurobiol Dis 2016; 95:1-11. [PMID: 27363778 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2016.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Dynamin 1 is a large neuron-specific GTPase involved in the endocytosis and recycling of pre-synaptic membranes and synaptic vesicles. Mutations in the gene encoding dynamin 1 (DNM1) underlie two epileptic encephalopathy syndromes, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome and Infantile Spasms. Mice homozygous for the Dnm1 "fitful" mutation, a non-synonymous coding variant in an alternatively spliced exon of Dnm1 (exon 10a; isoform designation: Dnm1a(Ftfl)) have an epileptic encephalopathy-like disorder including lethal early onset seizures, locomotor and neurosensory deficits. Although fitful heterozygotes have milder recurrent seizures later in life, suggesting an additive or semi-dominant mechanism, the molecular etiology must also consider the fact that Dnm1a(Ftfl) exerts a dominant negative effect on endocytosis in vitro. Another complication is that the fitful mutation induces alterations in the relative abundance of Dnm1 splice variants; mutants have a downregulation of Dnm1a and an upregulation of Dnm1b, changes which may contribute to the epileptic pathology. To examine whether Dnm1a loss of function, Dnm1a(Ftfl) dominance or compensation by Dnm1b is the most critical for severe seizures, we studied alternate isoform-specific mutant mice. Mice lacking Dnm1 exon 10a or Dnm1 exon 10b have neither spontaneous seizures nor other overt abnormalities, suggesting that in normal conditions the major role of each isoform is redundant. However, in the presence of Dnm1a(Ftfl) only exon 10a deleted mice experience severe seizures. These results reveal functional differences between Dnm1a and Dnm1b isoforms in the presence of a challenge, i.e. toxic Dnm1(Ftfl), while reinforcing its effect explicitly in this model of severe pediatric epilepsy.
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23
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Abstract
Epilepsy and autistic spectrum disorder frequently coexist in the same individual. Electroencephalogram (EEG) epileptiform activity is also present at a substantially higher rate in children with autism than normally developing children. As with epilepsy, there are a multitude of genetic and environmental factors that can result in autistic spectrum disorder. There is growing consensus from both animal and clinical studies that autism is a disorder of aberrant connectivity. As measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and EEG, the brain in autistic spectrum disorder may be under- or overconnected or have a mixture of over- and underconnectivity. In the case of comorbid epilepsy and autism, an imbalance of the excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) ratio in selected regions of the brain may drive overconnectivity. Understanding the mechanism by which altered connectivity in individuals with comorbid epilepsy and autistic spectrum disorder results in the behaviors specific to the autistic spectrum disorder remains a challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gregory L Holmes
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont 05405
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Bassuk AG, Sherr EH. A de novo mutation in PRICKLE1 in fetal agenesis of the corpus callosum and polymicrogyria. J Neurogenet 2016; 29:174-7. [PMID: 26727662 DOI: 10.3109/01677063.2015.1088847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Homozygous recessive mutations in the PRICKLE1 gene were originally reported in three consanguineous families with myoclonic epilepsy. Subsequently, several studies have identified neurological abnormalities in animal models with both heterozygous and homozygous mutations in PRICKLE1 orthologues, including epilepsy in flies and in mice with heterozygous PRICKLE1 mutations. We describe a fetus with a novel de novo mutation in PRICKLE1 associated with agenesis of the corpus callosum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Bassuk
- a Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology , The University of Iowa , Iowa City , IA , USA
| | - Elliott H Sherr
- b Department of Neurology , University of California, San Francisco , San Francisco , CA , USA
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25
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Myers C, Mefford H. Genetic investigations of the epileptic encephalopathies. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2016; 226:35-60. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2016.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Abstract
Common somatic conditions are bound to occur by chance in individuals with neurological disorders as prevalent as epilepsy, but when biological links underlying the comorbidity can be uncovered, the relationship may provide clues into the origin and mechanisms of both. The expanding list of monogenic epilepsies and their associated clinical features offer a remarkable opportunity to mine the epilepsy genome for coordinate neurodevelopmental phenotypes and examine their pathogenic mechanisms. Defined single-gene-linked epilepsy syndromes identified to date include all of the most frequently cited comorbidities, such as cognitive disorders, autism, migraine, mood disorders, late-onset dementia, and even premature lethality. Gene-linked comorbidities may be aggravated by, or independent of, seizure history. Mutations in these genes establish clear biological links between abnormal neuronal synchronization and a variety of neurobehavioral disorders, and critically substantiate the definition of epilepsy as a complex spectrum disorder. Mapping the neural circuitry of epilepsy comorbidities and understanding their single-gene risk should substantially clarify this challenging aspect of clinical epilepsy management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey L Noebels
- Developmental Neurogenetics Laboratory, Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
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27
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Jalbrzikowski M, Lazaro MT, Gao F, Huang A, Chow C, Geschwind DH, Coppola G, Bearden CE. Transcriptome Profiling of Peripheral Blood in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome Reveals Functional Pathways Related to Psychosis and Autism Spectrum Disorder. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26201030 PMCID: PMC4511766 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11DS) represents one of the greatest known genetic risk factors for the development of psychotic illness, and is also associated with high rates of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) in childhood. We performed integrated genomic analyses of 22q11DS to identify genes and pathways related to specific phenotypes. Methods We used a high-resolution aCGH array to precisely characterize deletion breakpoints. Using peripheral blood, we examined differential expression (DE) and networks of co-expressed genes related to phenotypic variation within 22q11DS patients. Whole-genome transcriptional profiling was performed using Illumina Human HT-12 microarrays. Data mining techniques were used to validate our results against independent samples of both peripheral blood and brain tissue from idiopathic psychosis and ASD cases. Results Eighty-five percent of 22q11DS individuals (N = 39) carried the typical 3 Mb deletion, with significant variability in deletion characteristics in the remainder of the sample (N = 7). DE analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified expression changes related to psychotic symptoms in patients, including a module of co-expressed genes which was associated with psychosis in 22q11DS and involved in pathways associated with transcriptional regulation. This module was enriched for brain-expressed genes, was not related to antipsychotic medication use, and significantly overlapped with transcriptional changes in idiopathic schizophrenia. In 22q11DS-ASD, both DE and WGCNA analyses implicated dysregulation of immune response pathways. The ASD-associated module showed significant overlap with genes previously associated with idiopathic ASD. Conclusion These findings further support the use of peripheral tissue in the study of major mutational models of diseases affecting the brain, and point towards specific pathways dysregulated in 22q11DS carriers with psychosis and ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Jalbrzikowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Maria T. Lazaro
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Fuying Gao
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Alden Huang
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Carolyn Chow
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Daniel H. Geschwind
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Carrie E. Bearden
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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28
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Bakos J, Bacova Z, Grant SG, Castejon AM, Ostatnikova D. Are Molecules Involved in Neuritogenesis and Axon Guidance Related to Autism Pathogenesis? Neuromolecular Med 2015; 17:297-304. [PMID: 25989848 DOI: 10.1007/s12017-015-8357-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a heterogeneous disease, and numerous alterations of gene expression come into play to attempt to explain potential molecular and pathophysiological causes. Abnormalities of brain development and connectivity associated with alterations in cytoskeletal rearrangement, neuritogenesis and elongation of axons and dendrites might represent or contribute to the structural basis of autism pathology. Slit/Robo signaling regulates cytoskeletal remodeling related to axonal and dendritic branching. Components of its signaling pathway (ABL and Cdc42) are suspected to be molecular bases of alterations of normal development. The present review describes the most important mechanisms underlying neuritogenesis, axon pathfinding and the role of GTPases in neurite outgrowth, with special emphasis on alterations associated with autism spectrum disorders. On the basis of analysis of publicly available microarray data, potential biomarkers of autism are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Bakos
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Vlarska 3, Bratislava, Slovakia,
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29
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Seizures are regulated by ubiquitin-specific peptidase 9 X-linked (USP9X), a de-ubiquitinase. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005022. [PMID: 25763846 PMCID: PMC4357451 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a common disabling disease with complex, multifactorial genetic and environmental etiology. The small fraction of epilepsies subject to Mendelian inheritance offers key insight into epilepsy disease mechanisms; and pathologies brought on by mutations in a single gene can point the way to generalizable therapeutic strategies. Mutations in the PRICKLE genes can cause seizures in humans, zebrafish, mice, and flies, suggesting the seizure-suppression pathway is evolutionarily conserved. This pathway has never been targeted for novel anti-seizure treatments. Here, the mammalian PRICKLE-interactome was defined, identifying prickle-interacting proteins that localize to synapses and a novel interacting partner, USP9X, a substrate-specific de-ubiquitinase. PRICKLE and USP9X interact through their carboxy-termini; and USP9X de-ubiquitinates PRICKLE, protecting it from proteasomal degradation. In forebrain neurons of mice, USP9X deficiency reduced levels of Prickle2 protein. Genetic analysis suggests the same pathway regulates Prickle-mediated seizures. The seizure phenotype was suppressed in prickle mutant flies by the small-molecule USP9X inhibitor, Degrasyn/WP1130, or by reducing the dose of fat facets a USP9X orthologue. USP9X mutations were identified by resequencing a cohort of patients with epileptic encephalopathy, one patient harbored a de novo missense mutation and another a novel coding mutation. Both USP9X variants were outside the PRICKLE-interacting domain. These findings demonstrate that USP9X inhibition can suppress prickle-mediated seizure activity, and that USP9X variants may predispose to seizures. These studies point to a new target for anti-seizure therapy and illustrate the translational power of studying diseases in species across the evolutionary spectrum. Epilepsy is a common disabling disorder characterized by seizures with complex genetic and environmental components. The absence of a definitive pathophysiology for epilepsy stymies the development of effective treatment strategies. In a small fraction of epilepsy cases however, single gene mutations may illuminate seizure-causing mechanisms, which may open the door to the discovery of broader, more effective therapeutic strategies. We have previously shown that disruption of Prickle genes in multiple species including humans, results in a predisposition to seizures. Those findings support Prickle in a seizure-preventing role and presents a possible anti-seizure therapeutic target. We identified the deubiquitinase Usp9x (ubiquitin-specific peptidase 9 X-linked) as a new Prickle binding partner which stabilized Prickle by preventing its degradation. In mice lacking the Usp9x protein in their forebrains, Prickle2 was barely detectable. In seizure-prone prickle mutant Drosophila, reducing fat facets (Drosophila usp9x) genetically or by a small-molecule usp9x inhibitor (Degrasyn/WP1130) suppressed the seizures. We also found 2 epilepsy patients harboring mutations in USP9X. Our findings demonstrate that inhibition of Usp9x can arrest prickle-mediated seizures, and variations in USP9X may predispose to seizures. From these studies, we have elucidated a seizure-inducing mechanism, identified a potential anti-seizure target, and a potential anti-seizure drug.
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Ehaideb SN, Iyengar A, Ueda A, Iacobucci GJ, Cranston C, Bassuk AG, Gubb D, Axelrod JD, Gunawardena S, Wu CF, Manak JR. prickle modulates microtubule polarity and axonal transport to ameliorate seizures in flies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:11187-92. [PMID: 25024231 PMCID: PMC4121842 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1403357111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent analyses in flies, mice, zebrafish, and humans showed that mutations in prickle orthologs result in epileptic phenotypes, although the mechanism responsible for generating the seizures was unknown. Here, we show that Prickle organizes microtubule polarity and affects their growth dynamics in axons of Drosophila neurons, which in turn influences both anterograde and retrograde vesicle transport. We also show that enhancement of the anterograde transport mechanism is the cause of the seizure phenotype in flies, which can be suppressed by reducing the level of either of two Kinesin motor proteins responsible for anterograde vesicle transport. Additionally, we show that seizure-prone prickle mutant flies have electrophysiological defects similar to other fly mutants used to study seizures, and that merely altering the balance of the two adult prickle isoforms in neurons can predispose flies to seizures. These data reveal a previously unidentified pathway in the pathophysiology of seizure disorders and provide evidence for a more generalized cellular mechanism whereby Prickle mediates polarity by influencing microtubule-mediated transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salleh N Ehaideb
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs in Genetics,King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh 11426, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Gary J Iacobucci
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260
| | | | | | - David Gubb
- Reponse Immunitaire et Developpment, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France; and
| | - Jeffrey D Axelrod
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Shermali Gunawardena
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260
| | - Chun-Fang Wu
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs in Genetics,Neuroscience, andDepartments of Biology and
| | - J Robert Manak
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs in Genetics,Departments of Biology andPediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242;
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Nakamura T, Sato A, Kitsukawa T, Momiyama T, Yamamori T, Sasaoka T. Distinct motor impairments of dopamine D1 and D2 receptor knockout mice revealed by three types of motor behavior. Front Integr Neurosci 2014; 8:56. [PMID: 25076876 PMCID: PMC4097398 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2014.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2014] [Accepted: 06/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Both D1R and D2R knock out (KO) mice of the major dopamine receptors show significant motor impairments. However, there are some discrepant reports, which may be due to the differences in genetic background and experimental procedures. In addition, only few studies directly compared the motor performance of D1R and D2R KO mice. In this paper, we examined the behavioral difference among N10 congenic D1R and D2R KO, and wild type (WT) mice. First, we examined spontaneous motor activity in the home cage environment for consecutive 5 days. Second, we examined motor performance using the rota-rod task, a standard motor task in rodents. Third, we examined motor ability with the Step-Wheel task in which mice were trained to run in a motor-driven turning wheel adjusting their steps on foothold pegs to drink water. The results showed clear differences among the mice of three genotypes in three different types of behavior. In monitoring spontaneous motor activities, D1R and D2R KO mice showed higher and lower 24 h activities, respectively, than WT mice. In the rota-rod tasks, at a low speed, D1R KO mice showed poor performance but later improved, whereas D2R KO mice showed a good performance at early days without further improvement. When first subjected to a high speed task, the D2R KO mice showed poorer rota-rod performance at a low speed than the D1R KO mice. In the Step-Wheel task, across daily sessions, D2R KO mice increased the duration that mice run sufficiently close to the spout to drink water, and decreased time to touch the floor due to missing the peg steps and number of times the wheel was stopped, which performance was much better than that of D1R KO mice. These incongruent results between the two tasks for D1R and D2R KO mice may be due to the differences in the motivation for the rota-rod and Step-Wheel tasks, aversion- and reward-driven, respectively. The Step-Wheel system may become a useful tool for assessing the motor ability of WT and mutant mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Nakamura
- Division of Brain Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology Okazaki, Japan ; Department of Basic Biology, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI) Okazaki, Japan
| | - Asako Sato
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry, National Institute for Basic Biology Okazaki, Japan ; Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Kitasato University School of Medicine Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Takashi Kitsukawa
- Division of Brain Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology Okazaki, Japan ; KOKORO-Biology Group, Laboratories for Integrated Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University Osaka, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Momiyama
- Department of Pharmacology, Jikei University School of Medicine Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Yamamori
- Division of Brain Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology Okazaki, Japan ; Department of Basic Biology, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI) Okazaki, Japan
| | - Toshikuni Sasaoka
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry, National Institute for Basic Biology Okazaki, Japan ; Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Kitasato University School of Medicine Sagamihara, Japan ; Department of Comparative and Experimental Medicine, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata, Japan
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32
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Cukier HN, Dueker ND, Slifer SH, Lee JM, Whitehead PL, Lalanne E, Leyva N, Konidari I, Gentry RC, Hulme WF, Booven DV, Mayo V, Hofmann NK, Schmidt MA, Martin ER, Haines JL, Cuccaro ML, Gilbert JR, Pericak-Vance MA. Exome sequencing of extended families with autism reveals genes shared across neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Mol Autism 2014; 5:1. [PMID: 24410847 PMCID: PMC3896704 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-5-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2013] [Accepted: 12/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) comprise a range of neurodevelopmental conditions of varying severity, characterized by marked qualitative difficulties in social relatedness, communication, and behavior. Despite overwhelming evidence of high heritability, results from genetic studies to date show that ASD etiology is extremely heterogeneous and only a fraction of autism genes have been discovered. METHODS To help unravel this genetic complexity, we performed whole exome sequencing on 100 ASD individuals from 40 families with multiple distantly related affected individuals. All families contained a minimum of one pair of ASD cousins. Each individual was captured with the Agilent SureSelect Human All Exon kit, sequenced on the Illumina Hiseq 2000, and the resulting data processed and annotated with Burrows-Wheeler Aligner (BWA), Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK), and SeattleSeq. Genotyping information on each family was utilized in order to determine genomic regions that were identical by descent (IBD). Variants identified by exome sequencing which occurred in IBD regions and present in all affected individuals within each family were then evaluated to determine which may potentially be disease related. Nucleotide alterations that were novel and rare (minor allele frequency, MAF, less than 0.05) and predicted to be detrimental, either by altering amino acids or splicing patterns, were prioritized. RESULTS We identified numerous potentially damaging, ASD associated risk variants in genes previously unrelated to autism. A subset of these genes has been implicated in other neurobehavioral disorders including depression (SLIT3), epilepsy (CLCN2, PRICKLE1), intellectual disability (AP4M1), schizophrenia (WDR60), and Tourette syndrome (OFCC1). Additional alterations were found in previously reported autism candidate genes, including three genes with alterations in multiple families (CEP290, CSMD1, FAT1, and STXBP5). Compiling a list of ASD candidate genes from the literature, we determined that variants occurred in ASD candidate genes 1.65 times more frequently than in random genes captured by exome sequencing (P = 8.55 × 10-5). CONCLUSIONS By studying these unique pedigrees, we have identified novel DNA variations related to ASD, demonstrated that exome sequencing in extended families is a powerful tool for ASD candidate gene discovery, and provided further evidence of an underlying genetic component to a wide range of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly N Cukier
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
| | - Nicole D Dueker
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
| | - Susan H Slifer
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
| | - Joycelyn M Lee
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
| | - Patrice L Whitehead
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
| | - Eminisha Lalanne
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
| | - Natalia Leyva
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ioanna Konidari
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ryan C Gentry
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
| | - William F Hulme
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
| | - Derek Van Booven
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
| | - Vera Mayo
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
| | - Natalia K Hofmann
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
| | - Michael A Schmidt
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Eden R Martin
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Jonathan L Haines
- Center for Human Genetics Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232-0700, USA
| | - Michael L Cuccaro
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - John R Gilbert
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Margaret A Pericak-Vance
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1501 NW 10th Avenue, BRB-314 (M860), Miami, FL, USA
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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