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Le Belle JE, Condro M, Cepeda C, Oikonomou KD, Tessema K, Dudley L, Schoenfield J, Kawaguchi R, Geschwind D, Silva AJ, Zhang Z, Shokat K, Harris NG, Kornblum HI. Acute rapamycin treatment reveals novel mechanisms of behavioral, physiological, and functional dysfunction in a maternal inflammation mouse model of autism and sensory over-responsivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.08.602602. [PMID: 39026891 PMCID: PMC11257517 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.08.602602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Maternal inflammatory response (MIR) during early gestation in mice induces a cascade of physiological and behavioral changes that have been associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In a prior study and the current one, we find that mild MIR results in chronic systemic and neuro-inflammation, mTOR pathway activation, mild brain overgrowth followed by regionally specific volumetric changes, sensory processing dysregulation, and social and repetitive behavior abnormalities. Prior studies of rapamycin treatment in autism models have focused on chronic treatments that might be expected to alter or prevent physical brain changes. Here, we have focused on the acute effects of rapamycin to uncover novel mechanisms of dysfunction and related to mTOR pathway signaling. We find that within 2 hours, rapamycin treatment could rapidly rescue neuronal hyper-excitability, seizure susceptibility, functional network connectivity and brain community structure, and repetitive behaviors and sensory over-responsivity in adult offspring with persistent brain overgrowth. These CNS-mediated effects are also associated with alteration of the expression of several ASD-,ion channel-, and epilepsy-associated genes, in the same time frame. Our findings suggest that mTOR dysregulation in MIR offspring is a key contributor to various levels of brain dysfunction, including neuronal excitability, altered gene expression in multiple cell types, sensory functional network connectivity, and modulation of information flow. However, we demonstrate that the adult MIR brain is also amenable to rapid normalization of these functional changes which results in the rescue of both core and comorbid ASD behaviors in adult animals without requiring long-term physical alterations to the brain. Thus, restoring excitatory/inhibitory imbalance and sensory functional network modularity may be important targets for therapeutically addressing both primary sensory and social behavior phenotypes, and compensatory repetitive behavior phenotypes.
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Nandakumar R, Shi X, Gu H, Kim Y, Raskind WH, Peter B, Dinu V. Joint exome and metabolome analysis in individuals with dyslexia: Evidence for associated dysregulations of olfactory perception and autoimmune functions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.27.600448. [PMID: 39005457 PMCID: PMC11244894 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.27.600448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Dyslexia is a learning disability that negatively affects reading, writing, and spelling development at the word level in 5%-9% of children. The phenotype is variable and complex, involving several potential cognitive and physical concomitants such as sensory dysregulation and immunodeficiencies. The biological pathogenesis is not well-understood. Toward a better understanding of the biological drivers of dyslexia, we conducted the first joint exome and metabolome investigation in a pilot sample of 30 participants with dyslexia and 13 controls. In this analysis, eight metabolites of interest emerged (pyridoxine, kynurenic acid, citraconic acid, phosphocreatine, hippuric acid, xylitol, 2-deoxyuridine, and acetylcysteine). A metabolite-metabolite interaction analysis identified Krebs cycle intermediates that may be implicated in the development of dyslexia. Gene ontology analysis based on exome variants resulted in several pathways of interest, including the sensory perception of smell (olfactory) and immune system-related responses. In the joint exome and metabolite analysis, the olfactory transduction pathway emerged as the primary pathway of interest. Although the olfactory transduction and Krebs cycle pathways have not previously been described in dyslexia literature, these pathways have been implicated in other neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, suggesting the possibility of these pathways playing a role in dyslexia as well. Immune system response pathways, on the other hand, have been implicated in both dyslexia and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Dalton GD, Siecinski SK, Nikolova VD, Cofer GP, Hornburg KJ, Qi Y, Johnson GA, Jiang YH, Moy SS, Gregory SG. Transcriptome analysis identifies an ASD-Like phenotype in oligodendrocytes and microglia from C58/J amygdala that is dependent on sex and sociability. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2024; 20:14. [PMID: 38898502 PMCID: PMC11188533 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-024-00240-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders with higher incidence in males and is characterized by atypical verbal/nonverbal communication, restricted interests that can be accompanied by repetitive behavior, and disturbances in social behavior. This study investigated brain mechanisms that contribute to sociability deficits and sex differences in an ASD animal model. METHODS Sociability was measured in C58/J and C57BL/6J mice using the 3-chamber social choice test. Bulk RNA-Seq and snRNA-Seq identified transcriptional changes in C58/J and C57BL/6J amygdala within which DMRseq was used to measure differentially methylated regions in amygdala. RESULTS C58/J mice displayed divergent social strata in the 3-chamber test. Transcriptional and pathway signatures revealed immune-related biological processes differ between C58/J and C57BL/6J amygdala. Hypermethylated and hypomethylated genes were identified in C58/J versus C57BL/6J amygdala. snRNA-Seq data in C58/J amygdala identified differential transcriptional signatures within oligodendrocytes and microglia characterized by increased ASD risk gene expression and predicted impaired myelination that was dependent on sex and sociability. RNA velocity, gene regulatory network, and cell communication analysis showed diminished oligodendrocyte/microglia differentiation. Findings were verified using Bulk RNA-Seq and demonstrated oxytocin's beneficial effects on myelin gene expression. LIMITATIONS Our findings are significant. However, limitations can be noted. The cellular mechanisms linking reduced oligodendrocyte differentiation and reduced myelination to an ASD phenotype in C58/J mice need further investigation. Additional snRNA-Seq and spatial studies would determine if effects in oligodendrocytes/microglia are unique to amygdala or if this occurs in other brain regions. Oxytocin's effects need further examination to understand its' potential as an ASD therapeutic. CONCLUSIONS Our work demonstrates the C58/J mouse model's utility in evaluating the influence of sex and sociability on the transcriptome in concomitant brain regions involved in ASD. Our single-nucleus transcriptome analysis elucidates potential pathological roles of oligodendrocytes and microglia in ASD. This investigation provides details regarding regulatory features disrupted in these cell types, including transcriptional gene dysregulation, aberrant cell differentiation, altered gene regulatory networks, and changes to key pathways that promote microglia/oligodendrocyte differentiation. Our studies provide insight into interactions between genetic risk and epigenetic processes associated with divergent affiliative behavior and lack of positive sociability.
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Affiliation(s)
- George D Dalton
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
| | - Stephen K Siecinski
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
| | - Viktoriya D Nikolova
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USA
| | - Gary P Cofer
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | | | - Yi Qi
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - G Allan Johnson
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Yong-Hui Jiang
- Department of Genetics, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Sheryl S Moy
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USA
| | - Simon G Gregory
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27701, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, 300 N. Duke Street, DUMC 104775, Durham, NC, 27701, USA.
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Duan K, Eyler L, Pierce K, Lombardo MV, Datko M, Hagler DJ, Taluja V, Zahiri J, Campbell K, Barnes CC, Arias S, Nalabolu S, Troxel J, Ji P, Courchesne E. Differences in regional brain structure in toddlers with autism are related to future language outcomes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5075. [PMID: 38871689 PMCID: PMC11176156 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48952-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Language and social symptoms improve with age in some autistic toddlers, but not in others, and such outcome differences are not clearly predictable from clinical scores alone. Here we aim to identify early-age brain alterations in autism that are prognostic of future language ability. Leveraging 372 longitudinal structural MRI scans from 166 autistic toddlers and 109 typical toddlers and controlling for brain size, we find that, compared to typical toddlers, autistic toddlers show differentially larger or thicker temporal and fusiform regions; smaller or thinner inferior frontal lobe and midline structures; larger callosal subregion volume; and smaller cerebellum. Most differences are replicated in an independent cohort of 75 toddlers. These brain alterations improve accuracy for predicting language outcome at 6-month follow-up beyond intake clinical and demographic variables. Temporal, fusiform, and inferior frontal alterations are related to autism symptom severity and cognitive impairments at early intake ages. Among autistic toddlers, brain alterations in social, language and face processing areas enhance the prediction of the child's future language ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuaikuai Duan
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
| | - Lisa Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- VISN 22 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
| | - Karen Pierce
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, 38068, Italy
| | - Michael Datko
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Donald J Hagler
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Vani Taluja
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Javad Zahiri
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Kathleen Campbell
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Cynthia Carter Barnes
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Steven Arias
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Srinivasa Nalabolu
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Jaden Troxel
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Peng Ji
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Eric Courchesne
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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Bjorklund GR, Rees KP, Balasubramanian K, Hewitt LT, Nishimura K, Newbern JM. Hyperactivation of MEK1 in cortical glutamatergic neurons results in projection axon deficits and aberrant motor learning. Dis Model Mech 2024; 17:dmm050570. [PMID: 38826084 PMCID: PMC11247507 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Abnormal extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2, encoded by Mapk3 and Mapk1, respectively) signaling is linked to multiple neurodevelopmental diseases, especially the RASopathies, which typically exhibit ERK1/2 hyperactivation in neurons and non-neuronal cells. To better understand how excitatory neuron-autonomous ERK1/2 activity regulates forebrain development, we conditionally expressed a hyperactive MEK1 (MAP2K1) mutant, MEK1S217/221E, in cortical excitatory neurons of mice. MEK1S217/221E expression led to persistent hyperactivation of ERK1/2 in cortical axons, but not in soma/nuclei. We noted reduced axonal arborization in multiple target domains in mutant mice and reduced the levels of the activity-dependent protein ARC. These changes did not lead to deficits in voluntary locomotion or accelerating rotarod performance. However, skilled motor learning in a single-pellet retrieval task was significantly diminished in these MEK1S217/221E mutants. Restriction of MEK1S217/221E expression to layer V cortical neurons recapitulated axonal outgrowth deficits but did not affect motor learning. These results suggest that cortical excitatory neuron-autonomous hyperactivation of MEK1 is sufficient to drive deficits in axon outgrowth, which coincide with reduced ARC expression, and deficits in skilled motor learning. Our data indicate that neuron-autonomous decreases in long-range axonal outgrowth may be a key aspect of neuropathogenesis in RASopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- George R. Bjorklund
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Katherina P. Rees
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | | | - Lauren T. Hewitt
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Kenji Nishimura
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Jason M. Newbern
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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Islam F, Roy S, Zehravi M, Paul S, Sutradhar H, Yaidikar L, Kumar BR, Dogiparthi LK, Prema S, Nainu F, Rab SO, Doukani K, Emran TB. Polyphenols Targeting MAP Kinase Signaling Pathway in Neurological Diseases: Understanding Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:2686-2706. [PMID: 37922063 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03706-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/05/2023]
Abstract
Polyphenols are a class of secondary metabolic products found in plants that have been extensively studied for how well they regulate biological processes, such as the proliferation of cells, autophagy, and apoptosis. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-mediated signaling cascade is currently identified as a crucial pro-inflammatory pathway that plays a significant role in the development of neuroinflammation. This process has been shown to contribute to the pathogenesis of several neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), CNS damage, and cerebral ischemia. Getting enough polyphenols through eating habits has resulted in mitigating the effects of oxidative stress (OS) and lowering the susceptibility to associated neurodegenerative disorders, including but not limited to multiple sclerosis (MS), AD, stroke, and PD. Polyphenols possess significant promise in dealing with the root cause of neurological conditions by modulating multiple therapeutic targets simultaneously, thereby attenuating their complicated physiology. Several polyphenolic substances have demonstrated beneficial results in various studies and are presently undergoing clinical investigation to treat neurological diseases (NDs). The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of the different aspects of the MAPK pathway involved in neurological conditions, along with an appraisal of the progress made in using polyphenols to regulate the MAPK signaling system to facilitate the management of NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahadul Islam
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh
| | - Sumon Roy
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Mehrukh Zehravi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Dentistry & Pharmacy, Buraydah Private Colleges, Buraydah, 51418, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Shyamjit Paul
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Hriday Sutradhar
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Lavanya Yaidikar
- Department of Pharmacology, Seven Hills College of Pharmacy, Tirupati, India
| | - B Raj Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Moonray Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Raikal (V), Farooq Nagar (Tlq), Shadnagar (M), R.R Dist., Telangana, 501512, India
| | - Lakshman Kumar Dogiparthi
- Department of Pharmacognosy, MB School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MBU, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - S Prema
- Crescent School of Pharmacy, BS Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology, Vandalur, Chennai, 600048, India
| | - Firzan Nainu
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, 90245, Indonesia
| | - Safia Obaidur Rab
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Koula Doukani
- Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, University of Ibn Khaldoun-Tiaret, Tiaret, Algeria
| | - Talha Bin Emran
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School & Legorreta Cancer Center, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
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Zhao HH, Haddad G. Brain organoid protocols and limitations. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1351734. [PMID: 38572070 PMCID: PMC10987830 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1351734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Stem cell-derived organoid technology is a powerful tool that revolutionizes the field of biomedical research and extends the scope of our understanding of human biology and diseases. Brain organoids especially open an opportunity for human brain research and modeling many human neurological diseases, which have lagged due to the inaccessibility of human brain samples and lack of similarity with other animal models. Brain organoids can be generated through various protocols and mimic whole brain or region-specific. To provide an overview of brain organoid technology, we summarize currently available protocols and list several factors to consider before choosing protocols. We also outline the limitations of current protocols and challenges that need to be solved in future investigation of brain development and pathobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen H. Zhao
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Gabriel Haddad
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- The Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA, United States
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Zhuang H, Liang Z, Ma G, Qureshi A, Ran X, Feng C, Liu X, Yan X, Shen L. Autism spectrum disorder: pathogenesis, biomarker, and intervention therapy. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e497. [PMID: 38434761 PMCID: PMC10908366 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has become a common neurodevelopmental disorder. The heterogeneity of ASD poses great challenges for its research and clinical translation. On the basis of reviewing the heterogeneity of ASD, this review systematically summarized the current status and progress of pathogenesis, diagnostic markers, and interventions for ASD. We provided an overview of the ASD molecular mechanisms identified by multi-omics studies and convergent mechanism in different genetic backgrounds. The comorbidities, mechanisms associated with important physiological and metabolic abnormalities (i.e., inflammation, immunity, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction), and gut microbial disorder in ASD were reviewed. The non-targeted omics and targeting studies of diagnostic markers for ASD were also reviewed. Moreover, we summarized the progress and methods of behavioral and educational interventions, intervention methods related to technological devices, and research on medical interventions and potential drug targets. This review highlighted the application of high-throughput omics methods in ASD research and emphasized the importance of seeking homogeneity from heterogeneity and exploring the convergence of disease mechanisms, biomarkers, and intervention approaches, and proposes that taking into account individuality and commonality may be the key to achieve accurate diagnosis and treatment of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbin Zhuang
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Zhiyuan Liang
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Guanwei Ma
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Ayesha Qureshi
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Xiaoqian Ran
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Chengyun Feng
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital of BaoanShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Xukun Liu
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Xi Yan
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Liming Shen
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
- Shenzhen‐Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science‐Shenzhen Fundamental Research InstitutionsShenzhenP. R. China
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Dalton GD, Siecinski SK, Nikolova VD, Cofer GP, Hornburg K, Qi Y, Johnson GA, Jiang YH, Moy SS, Gregory SG. Transcriptome Analysis Identifies An ASD-Like Phenotype In Oligodendrocytes And Microglia From C58/J Amygdala That Is Dependent On Sex and Sociability. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.15.575733. [PMID: 38293238 PMCID: PMC10827122 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.15.575733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Background Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders with higher incidence in males and is characterized by atypical verbal/nonverbal communication, restricted interests that can be accompanied by repetitive behavior, and disturbances in social behavior. This study investigated brain mechanisms that contribute to sociability deficits and sex differences in an ASD animal model. Methods Sociability was measured in C58/J and C57BL/6J mice using the 3-chamber social choice test. Bulk RNA-Seq and snRNA-Seq identified transcriptional changes in C58/J and C57BL/6J amygdala within which DMRseq was used to measure differentially methylated regions in amygdala. Results C58/J mice displayed divergent social strata in the 3-chamber test. Transcriptional and pathway signatures revealed immune-related biological processes differ between C58/J and C57BL/6J amygdala. Hypermethylated and hypomethylated genes were identified in C58/J versus C57BL/6J amygdala. snRNA-Seq data in C58/J amygdala identified differential transcriptional signatures within oligodendrocytes and microglia characterized by increased ASD risk gene expression and predicted impaired myelination that was dependent on sex and sociability. RNA velocity, gene regulatory network, and cell communication analysis showed diminished oligodendrocyte/microglia differentiation. Findings were verified using bulk RNA-Seq and demonstrated oxytocin's beneficial effects on myelin gene expression. Limitations Our findings are significant. However, limitations can be noted. The cellular mechanisms linking reduced oligodendrocyte differentiation and reduced myelination to an ASD phenotype in C58/J mice need further investigation. Additional snRNA-Seq and spatial studies would determine if effects in oligodendrocytes/microglia are unique to amygdala or if this occurs in other brain regions. Oxytocin's effects need further examination to understand its potential as an ASD therapeutic. Conclusions Our work demonstrates the C58/J mouse model's utility in evaluating the influence of sex and sociability on the transcriptome in concomitant brain regions involved in ASD. Our single-nucleus transcriptome analysis elucidates potential pathological roles of oligodendrocytes and microglia in ASD. This investigation provides details regarding regulatory features disrupted in these cell types, including transcriptional gene dysregulation, aberrant cell differentiation, altered gene regulatory networks, and changes to key pathways that promote microglia/oligodendrocyte differentiation. Our studies provide insight into interactions between genetic risk and epigenetic processes associated with divergent affiliative behavior and lack of positive sociability.
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Dai Q, Epstein MP, Yang J. STACCato: Supervised Tensor Analysis tool for studying Cell-cell Communication using scRNA-seq data across multiple samples and conditions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.15.571918. [PMID: 38168391 PMCID: PMC10760171 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.15.571918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Research on cell-cell communication (CCC) is crucial for understanding biology and diseases. Many existing CCC inference tools neglect potential confounders, such as batch and demographic variables, when analyzing multi-sample, multi-condition scRNA-seq datasets. To address this significant gap, we introduce STACCato, a Supervised Tensor Analysis tool for studying Cell-cell Communication, that identifies CCC events and estimates the effects of biological conditions (e.g., disease status, tissue types) on such events, while adjusting for potential confounders. Application of STACCato to both simulated data and real scRNA-seq data of lupus and autism studies demonstrate that incorporating sample-level variables into CCC inference consistently provides more accurate estimations of disease effects and cell type activity patterns than existing methods that ignore sample-level variables. A computational tool implementing the STACCato framework is available on GitHub.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qile Dai
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Emory University School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States of America
- Center for Computational and Quantitative Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States of America
| | - Michael P. Epstein
- Center for Computational and Quantitative Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States of America
| | - Jingjing Yang
- Center for Computational and Quantitative Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States of America
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Asif M, Martiniano HFMC, Lamurias A, Kausar S, Couto FM. DGH-GO: dissecting the genetic heterogeneity of complex diseases using gene ontology. BMC Bioinformatics 2023; 24:171. [PMID: 37101154 PMCID: PMC10134522 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-023-05290-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Complex diseases such as neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) exhibit multiple etiologies. The multi-etiological nature of complex-diseases emerges from distinct but functionally similar group of genes. Different diseases sharing genes of such groups show related clinical outcomes that further restrict our understanding of disease mechanisms, thus, limiting the applications of personalized medicine approaches to complex genetic disorders. RESULTS Here, we present an interactive and user-friendly application, called DGH-GO. DGH-GO allows biologists to dissect the genetic heterogeneity of complex diseases by stratifying the putative disease-causing genes into clusters that may contribute to distinct disease outcome development. It can also be used to study the shared etiology of complex-diseases. DGH-GO creates a semantic similarity matrix for the input genes by using Gene Ontology (GO). The resultant matrix can be visualized in 2D plots using different dimension reduction methods (T-SNE, Principal component analysis, umap and Principal coordinate analysis). In the next step, clusters of functionally similar genes are identified from genes functional similarities assessed through GO. This is achieved by employing four different clustering methods (K-means, Hierarchical, Fuzzy and PAM). The user may change the clustering parameters and explore their effect on stratification immediately. DGH-GO was applied to genes disrupted by rare genetic variants in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) patients. The analysis confirmed the multi-etiological nature of ASD by identifying four clusters of genes that were enriched for distinct biological mechanisms and clinical outcome. In the second case study, the analysis of genes shared by different NDDs showed that genes causing multiple disorders tend to aggregate in similar clusters, indicating a possible shared etiology. CONCLUSION DGH-GO is a user-friendly application that allows biologists to study the multi-etiological nature of complex diseases by dissecting their genetic heterogeneity. In summary, functional similarities, dimension reduction and clustering methods, coupled with interactive visualization and control over analysis allows biologists to explore and analyze their datasets without requiring expert knowledge on these methods. The source code of proposed application is available at https://github.com/Muh-Asif/DGH-GO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Asif
- Biomedical Data Science Lab, Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan.
- LASIGE, Departamento de Informática, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Hugo F M C Martiniano
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016, Lisbon, Portugal
- BioISI - Instituto de Biosistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Andre Lamurias
- Department of Computer Science, Aalborg University, Ålborg, Denmark
- NOVA LINCS, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Samina Kausar
- DeepOmicsVision, Avenue de Luminy, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Francisco M Couto
- LASIGE, Departamento de Informática, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
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12
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The Autism Spectrum: Behavioral, Psychiatric and Genetic Associations. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030677. [PMID: 36980949 PMCID: PMC10048473 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) consists of a group of heterogeneous genetic neurobehavioral disorders associated with developmental impairments in social communication skills and stereotypic, rigid or repetitive behaviors. We review common behavioral, psychiatric and genetic associations related to ASD. Autism affects about 2% of children with 4:1 male-to-female ratio and a heritability estimate between 70 and 90%. The etiology of ASD involves a complex interplay between inheritance and environmental factors influenced by epigenetics. Over 800 genes and dozens of genetic syndromes are associated with ASD. Novel gene–protein interactions with pathway and molecular function analyses have identified at least three functional pathways including chromatin modeling, Wnt, Notch and other signaling pathways and metabolic disturbances involving neuronal growth and dendritic spine profiles. An estimated 50% of individuals with ASD are diagnosed with chromosome deletions or duplications (e.g., 15q11.2, BP1-BP2, 16p11.2 and 15q13.3), identified syndromes (e.g., Williams, Phelan-McDermid and Shprintzen velocardiofacial) or single gene disorders. Behavioral and psychiatric conditions in autism impacted by genetics influence clinical evaluations, counseling, diagnoses, therapeutic interventions and treatment approaches. Pharmacogenetics testing is now possible to help guide the selection of psychotropic medications to treat challenging behaviors or co-occurring psychiatric conditions commonly seen in ASD. In this review of the autism spectrum disorder, behavioral, psychiatric and genetic observations and associations relevant to the evaluation and treatment of individuals with ASD are discussed.
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13
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Zhou B, Yan X, Yang L, Zheng X, Chen Y, Liu Y, Ren Y, Peng J, Zhang Y, Huang J, Tang L, Wen M. Effects of arginine vasopressin on the transcriptome of prefrontal cortex in autistic rat model. J Cell Mol Med 2022; 26:5493-5505. [PMID: 36239083 PMCID: PMC9639040 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Our previous studies have also demonstrated that AVP can significantly improve social interaction disorders and stereotypical behaviours in rats with VPA‐induced autism model. To further explore the mechanisms of action of AVP, we compared the PFC transcriptome changes before and after AVP treatment in VPA‐induced autism rat model. The autism model was induced by intraperitoneally injected with VPA at embryonic day 12.5 and randomly assigned to two groups: the VPA‐induced autism model group and the AVP treatment group. The AVP treatment group were treated with intranasal AVP at postnatal day 21 and for 3 weeks. The gene expression levels and function changes on the prefrontal cortex were measured by RNA‐seq and bioinformatics analysis at PND42 and the mRNA expression levels of synaptic and myelin development related genes were validated by qPCR. Our results confirmed that AVP could significantly improve synaptic and axon dysplasia and promote oligodendrocyte development in the prefrontal cortex in VPA‐induced autism models by regulating multiple signalling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Xuehui Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Liu Yang
- Department of Neurology, Wuhan Third Hospital (Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University), Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoli Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Yunhua Chen
- College of Basic Medical, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Yibu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Yibing Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Jingang Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Jiayu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Lei Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Min Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.,College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
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14
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Tissue-wide cell-specific proteogenomic modeling reveals novel candidate risk genes in autism spectrum disorders. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2022; 8:31. [PMID: 36068227 PMCID: PMC9448731 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-022-00243-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a set of complex neurodevelopmental diseases characterized with repetitive behavioral patterns and communication disabilities. Using a systems biology method called MAPSD (Markov Affinity-based Proteogenomic Signal Diffusion) for joint modeling of proteome dynamics and a wide array of omics datasets, we identified a list of candidate ASD risk genes. Leveraging the collected biological signals as well as a large-scale protein-protein interaction network adjusted based on single cell resolution proteome properties in four brain regions, we observed an agreement between the known and the newly identified candidate genes that are spatially enriched in neuronal cells within cerebral cortex at the protein level. Moreover, we created a detailed subcellular localization enrichment map of the known and the identified genes across 32 micro-domains and showed that neuronal cells and neuropils share the largest fraction of signal enrichment in cerebral cortex. Notably, we showed that the identified genes are among the transcriptional biomarkers of inhibitory and excitatory neurons in human frontal cortex. Intersecting the identified genes with a single cell RNA-seq data on ASD brains further evidenced that 20 candidate genes, including GRIK1, EMX2, STXBP6, and KCNJ3 are disrupted in distinct cell-types. Moreover, we showed that ASD risk genes are predominantly distributed in certain human interactome modules, and that the identified genes may act as the regulator for some of the known ASD loci. In summary, our study demonstrated how tissue-wide cell-specific proteogenomic modeling can reveal candidate genes for brain disorders that can be supported by convergent lines of evidence.
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15
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Chehbani F, Tomaiuolo P, Picinelli C, Baccarin M, Castronovo P, Scattoni ML, Gaddour N, Persico AM. Yield of array-CGH analysis in Tunisian children with autism spectrum disorder. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2022; 10:e1939. [PMID: 35762097 PMCID: PMC9356560 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with strong genetic underpinnings. Microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) technology has been proposed as a first-level test in the genetic diagnosis of ASD and of neurodevelopmental disorders in general. METHODS We performed aCGH on 98 Tunisian children (83 boys and 15 girls) diagnosed with ASD according to DSM-IV criteria. RESULTS "Pathogenic" or "likely pathogenic" copy number variants (CNVs) were detected in 11 (11.2%) patients, CNVs of "uncertain clinical significance" in 26 (26.5%), "likely benign" or "benign" CNVs were found in 37 (37.8%) and 24 (24.5%) patients, respectively. Gene set enrichment analysis involving genes spanning rare "pathogenic," "likely pathogenic," or "uncertain clinical significance" CNVs, as well as SFARI database "autism genes" in common CNVs, detected eight neuronal Gene Ontology classes among the top 10 most significant, including synapse, neuron differentiation, synaptic signaling, neurogenesis, and others. Similar results were obtained performing g: Profiler analysis. Neither transcriptional regulation nor immune pathways reached significance. CONCLUSIONS aCGH confirms its sizable diagnostic yield in a novel sample of autistic children from North Africa. Recruitment of additional families is under way, to verify whether genetic contributions to ASD in the Tunisian population, differently from other ethnic groups, may involve primarily neuronal genes, more than transcriptional regulation and immune-related pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fethia Chehbani
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Laboratory “Vulnerability to Psychotic Disorders LR 05 ES 10”Monastir University HospitalMonastirTunisia
- Faculty of PharmacyUniversity of MonastirMonastirTunisia
| | | | - Chiara Picinelli
- Mafalda Luce Center for Pervasive Developmental DisordersMilanItaly
| | - Marco Baccarin
- Mafalda Luce Center for Pervasive Developmental DisordersMilanItaly
- Department of GeneticsSynlab Suisse SABioggioSwitzerland
| | - Paola Castronovo
- Mafalda Luce Center for Pervasive Developmental DisordersMilanItaly
| | | | - Naoufel Gaddour
- Unit of Child PsychiatryMonastir University HospitalMonastirTunisia
| | - Antonio M. Persico
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry ProgramModena University Hospital & Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio EmiliaModenaItaly
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16
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Mehta R, Kuhad A, Bhandari R. Nitric oxide pathway as a plausible therapeutic target in autism spectrum disorders. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2022; 26:659-679. [DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2022.2100252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rishab Mehta
- Pharmacology Research Laboratory, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC-Centre of Advanced Study, Panjab University, Chandigarh – 160 014 India
| | - Anurag Kuhad
- Pharmacology Research Laboratory, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC-Centre of Advanced Study, Panjab University, Chandigarh – 160 014 India
| | - Ranjana Bhandari
- Pharmacology Research Laboratory, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC-Centre of Advanced Study, Panjab University, Chandigarh – 160 014 India
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17
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Connacher R, Williams M, Prem S, Yeung PL, Matteson P, Mehta M, Markov A, Peng C, Zhou X, McDermott CR, Pang ZP, Flax J, Brzustowicz L, Lu CW, Millonig JH, DiCicco-Bloom E. Autism NPCs from both idiopathic and CNV 16p11.2 deletion patients exhibit dysregulation of proliferation and mitogenic responses. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:1380-1394. [PMID: 35623351 PMCID: PMC9214070 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural precursor cell (NPC) dysfunction has been consistently implicated in autism. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived NPCs from two autism groups (three idiopathic [I-ASD] and two 16p11.2 deletion [16pDel]) were used to investigate if proliferation is commonly disrupted. All five individuals display defects, with all three macrocephalic individuals (two 16pDel, one I-ASD) exhibiting hyperproliferation and the other two I-ASD subjects displaying hypoproliferation. NPCs were challenged with bFGF, and all hyperproliferative NPCs displayed blunted responses, while responses were increased in hypoproliferative cells. mRNA expression studies suggest that different pathways can result in similar proliferation phenotypes. Since 16pDel deletes MAPK3, P-ERK was measured. P-ERK is decreased in hyperproliferative but increased in hypoproliferative NPCs. While these P-ERK changes are not responsible for the phenotypes, P-ERK and bFGF response are inversely correlated with the defects. Finally, we analyzed iPSCs and discovered that 16pDel displays hyperproliferation, while idiopathic iPSCs were normal. These data suggest that NPC proliferation defects are common in ASD. NPC proliferation defects are common in idiopathic and 16p11.2 CNV-deletion ASD All macrocephalic I-ASD and 16pDel individuals have hyperproliferative NPCs NPC proliferative responses to bFGF correlate inversely with P-ERK levels Both NPCs and IPSCs derived from 16pDel individuals exhibit hyperproliferation
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Connacher
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Madeline Williams
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Smrithi Prem
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Percy L Yeung
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Paul Matteson
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Monal Mehta
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA; Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Anna Markov
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Cynthia Peng
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Courtney R McDermott
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Zhiping P Pang
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA; Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Judy Flax
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | | | - Che-Wei Lu
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - James H Millonig
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA; Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
| | - Emanuel DiCicco-Bloom
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
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18
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Association between plasma proteome and childhood neurodevelopmental disorders: A two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis. EBioMedicine 2022; 78:103948. [PMID: 35306338 PMCID: PMC8933670 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.103948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Childhood neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Tourette syndrome (TS), comprise a major cause of health-related disabilities in children. However, biomarkers towards pathogenesis or novel drug targets are still limited. Our study aims to provide a comprehensive investigation of the causal effects of the plasma proteome on ASD, ADHD, and TS using the two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) approach. Methods Genetic associations with 2994 plasma proteins were selected as exposures and genome-wide association data of ASD, ADHD, TS were utilized as outcomes. MR analyses were carried out using the inverse-variance weighted method, and the MR-Egger and weighted median methods were used for sensitivity analysis. Findings Using single-nucleotide polymorphisms as instruments, the study suggested increased levels of MAPKAPK3 (OR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.05–1.13; P = 1.43 × 10−6) and MRPL33 (OR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.04–1.11; P = 5.37 × 10−6) were causally associated with a higher risk of ASD, and increased MANBA level was associated with a lower risk of ADHD (OR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.88–0.95; P = 8.97 × 10−6). The causal associations were robust in sensitivity analysis, leave-one-out analysis and Multivariable MR, and no pleiotropy was observed. No significant risk protein was identified for TS. Interpretation The study findings support the idea that the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway and mitochondrial dysfunction are involved in the pathogenesis of ASD, while a deficiency in beta-mannosidase might play a role in the development of ADHD.
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Viggiano M, D'Andrea T, Cameli C, Posar A, Visconti P, Scaduto MC, Colucci R, Rochat MJ, Ceroni F, Milazzo G, Fucile S, Maestrini E, Bacchelli E. Contribution of CACNA1H Variants in Autism Spectrum Disorder Susceptibility. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:858238. [PMID: 35350424 PMCID: PMC8957782 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.858238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a highly heterogeneous neuropsychiatric disorder with a strong genetic component. The genetic architecture is complex, consisting of a combination of common low-risk and more penetrant rare variants. Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs or Cav) genes have been implicated as high-confidence susceptibility genes for ASD, in accordance with the relevant role of calcium signaling in neuronal function. In order to further investigate the involvement of VGCCs rare variants in ASD susceptibility, we performed whole genome sequencing analysis in a cohort of 105 families, composed of 124 ASD individuals, 210 parents and 58 unaffected siblings. We identified 53 rare inherited damaging variants in Cav genes, including genes coding for the principal subunit and genes coding for the auxiliary subunits, in 40 ASD families. Interestingly, biallelic rare damaging missense variants were detected in the CACNA1H gene, coding for the T-type Cav3.2 channel, in ASD probands from two different families. Thus, to clarify the role of these CACNA1H variants on calcium channel activity we performed electrophysiological analysis using whole-cell patch clamp technology. Three out of four tested variants were shown to mildly affect Cav3.2 channel current density and activation properties, possibly leading to a dysregulation of intracellular Ca2+ ions homeostasis, thus altering calcium-dependent neuronal processes and contributing to ASD etiology in these families. Our results provide further support for the role of CACNA1H in neurodevelopmental disorders and suggest that rare CACNA1H variants may be involved in ASD development, providing a high-risk genetic background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Viggiano
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Tiziano D'Andrea
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Cinzia Cameli
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Annio Posar
- Unità Operativa Semplice d'Istituto (UOSI) Disturbi dello Spettro Autistico, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paola Visconti
- Unità Operativa Semplice d'Istituto (UOSI) Disturbi dello Spettro Autistico, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Scaduto
- Unità Operativa Semplice d'Istituto (UOSI) Disturbi dello Spettro Autistico, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberta Colucci
- Unità Operativa Semplice d'Istituto (UOSI) Disturbi dello Spettro Autistico, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Magali J Rochat
- Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabiola Ceroni
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giorgio Milazzo
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sergio Fucile
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Elena Maestrini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elena Bacchelli
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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20
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Erbescu A, Papuc SM, Budisteanu M, Arghir A, Neagu M. Re-emerging concepts of immune dysregulation in autism spectrum disorders. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1006612. [PMID: 36339838 PMCID: PMC9626859 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1006612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by communication and social interaction deficits, and by restricted interests and stereotyped, repetitive behavior patterns. ASD has a strong genetic component and a complex architecture characterized by the interplay of rare and common genetic variants. Recently, increasing evidence suggest a significant contribution of immune system dysregulation in ASD. The present paper reviews the latest updates regarding the altered immune landscape of this complex disorder highlighting areas with potential for biomarkers discovery as well as personalization of therapeutic approaches. Cross-talk between the central nervous system and immune system has long been envisaged and recent evidence brings insights into the pathways connecting the brain to the immune system. Disturbance of cytokine levels plays an important role in the establishment of a neuroinflammatory milieu in ASD. Several other immune molecules involved in antigen presentation and inflammatory cellular phenotypes are also at play in ASD. Maternal immune activation, the presence of brain-reactive antibodies and autoimmunity are other potential prenatal and postnatal contributors to ASD pathophysiology. The molecular players involved in oxidative-stress response and mitochondrial system function, are discussed as contributors to the pro-inflammatory pattern. The gastrointestinal inflammation pathways proposed to play a role in ASD are also discussed. Moreover, the body of evidence regarding some of the genetic factors linked to the immune system dysregulation is reviewed and discussed. Last, but not least, the epigenetic traits and their interactions with the immune system are reviewed as an expanding field in ASD research. Understanding the immune-mediated pathways that influence brain development and function, metabolism, and intestinal homeostasis, may lead to the identification of robust diagnostic or predictive biomarkers for ASD individuals. Thus, novel therapeutic approaches could be developed, ultimately aiming to improve their quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Erbescu
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest, Romania.,Faculty of Biology, Doctoral School, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Magdalena Budisteanu
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest, Romania.,Prof. Dr. Alex. Obregia Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, Bucharest, Romania.,Faculty of Medicine, Titu Maiorescu University, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Aurora Arghir
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Monica Neagu
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest, Romania.,Faculty of Biology, Doctoral School, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania.,Colentina Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
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21
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Yang Y, Chen M, Zhai Z, Dai Y, Gu H, Zhou X, Hong J. Long Non-coding RNAs Gabarapl2 and Chrnb2 Positively Regulate Inflammatory Signaling in a Mouse Model of Dry Eye. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:808940. [PMID: 34957168 PMCID: PMC8703135 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.808940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: To elucidate the expression profile and the potential role of long non-coding ribonucleic acids (RNAs) (lncRNAs) in a dry eye disease (DED) model. Methods: A DED model was established in C57BL/6J mice with 0.2% benzalkonium chloride (BAC) twice a day for 14 days. The differentially expressed lncRNAs were detected by RNA-seq technology (Gene Expression Omnibus, GEO GSE186450) and the aberrantly expressed lncRNAs were further verified by RT-qPCR. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were conducted to predicate the related candidate genes and potential pathological pathways. Cells from a human corneal epithelial cell line (HCECs) were cultured under hyperosmolarity. The regulation of inflammatory factors by silencing potential targeted lncRNAs was verified in vitro in HCECs. Results: In our study, a significant increase in corneal fluorescence staining and a reduction in tear production were observed in DED mice at all follow-ups compared with the controls, and the differences were increasing over time. In total, 2,649 upregulated and 704 downregulated lncRNAs were identified in DED mice. We selected six aberrantly expressed and most abundant lncRNAs and performed RT-qPCR using the samples for RNA-seq. Chrnb2, Gabarapl2, and Usp31 were thereby confirmed as the most significantly altered lncRNAs. Pathway analysis revealed that the neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction signaling pathway was the most enriched, followed by the calcium signaling pathway and cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction. Following treatment of Gabarapl2 siRNA and Chrnb2 siRNA, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 were significantly downregulated in the HCECs. Conclusion: Our study suggests that Chrnb2 and Gabarapl2 may be involved in the inflammation response by regulating TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in DED. These candidate lncRNAs may be both potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for DED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhan Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Minjie Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zimeng Zhai
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiqin Dai
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Gu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xujiao Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaxu Hong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
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22
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Disruption of Alternative Splicing in the Amygdala of Pigs Exposed to Maternal Immune Activation. IMMUNO 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/immuno1040035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The inflammatory response of gestating females to infection or stress can disrupt gene expression in the offspring’s amygdala, resulting in lasting neurodevelopmental, physiological, and behavioral disorders. The effects of maternal immune activation (MIA) can be impacted by the offspring’s sex and exposure to additional stressors later in life. The objectives of this study were to investigate the disruption of alternative splicing patterns associated with MIA in the offspring’s amygdala and characterize this disruption in the context of the second stress of weaning and sex. Differential alternative splicing was tested on the RNA-seq profiles of a pig model of viral-induced MIA. Compared to controls, MIA was associated with the differential alternative splicing (FDR-adjusted p-value < 0.1) of 292 and 240 genes in weaned females and males, respectively, whereas 132 and 176 genes were differentially spliced in control nursed female and male, respectively. The majority of the differentially spliced (FDR-adjusted p-value < 0.001) genes (e.g., SHANK1, ZNF672, KCNA6) and many associated enriched pathways (e.g., Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and cGMP-PKG signaling) have been reported in MIA-related disorders including autism and schizophrenia in humans. Differential alternative splicing associated with MIA was detected in the gene MAG across all sex-stress groups except for unstressed males and SLC2A11 across all groups except unstressed females. Precise understanding of the effect of MIA across second stressors and sexes necessitates the consideration of splicing isoform profiles.
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23
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Bhadresha K, Patel M, Brahmbhatt J, Jain N, Rawal R. Targeting Bone Metastases Signaling Pathway Using Moringa oleifera Seed Nutri-miRs: A Cross Kingdom Approach. Nutr Cancer 2021; 74:2522-2539. [PMID: 34751606 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2021.2001547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Moringa oleifera is a medicinally important plant that has various medical and nutritional uses. Plant miRNAs are a class of non-coding endogenous small RNAs that regulate human-specific mRNA but the mechanistic actions are largely unknown. Here, in this study, we aim to explore the mechanistic action and influence of M. oleifera seed miRNAs on vital human target genes using computer based approaches. The M. oleifera seed miRNAs sequence was taken from published data and identified its human gene targets using a psRNA target analysis server. We identified 94 miRNAs that are able to significantly regulate 47 human target genes, which has enormous biological and functional importance. Out of 47 human targeted genes, 23 genes were found to be associated with PI3K-AKT, RUNX, and MAPK1/MAPK3 signaling pathway which has shown to play key roles in bone metastases during cancer progression. The M. oleifera seed miRNAs hold a strong potential for future research that might uncover the possibility of miRNA-facilitated cross-kingdom regulation and therapeutic targets for bone metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinjal Bhadresha
- Department of Life Science, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Maulikkumar Patel
- Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change Impacts Management School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Jpan Brahmbhatt
- Department of Life Science, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Nayan Jain
- Department of Life Science, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Rakesh Rawal
- Department of Life Science, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
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24
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Qiu ZK, Liu ZT, Pang JL, Wu HB, Liu X, Yang ZM, Li X, Chen JS. A network pharmacology study with molecular docking to investigate the possibility of licorice against posttraumatic stress disorder. Metab Brain Dis 2021; 36:1763-1777. [PMID: 34417940 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-021-00816-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that has a debilitating effect on a person's quality of life and leads to a high socioeconomic burden. Licorice has been demonstrated to have neuroprotective and antidepressant-like effects, but little is known about its effects for the treatment of PTSD. The present study aimed to explore the potential of licorice for PTSD therapy using a network pharmacology approach with molecular docking studies. The compounds of licorice were obtained from databases with screening by absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) evaluation. Genes associated with compounds or PTSD were obtained from public databases, and the genes overlapping between licorice compounds and PTSD were compared by Venn diagram. A network of medicine-ingredients-targets-disease was constructed, visualized, and analyzed using cytoscape software. Protein-protein interactions, gene ontology, pathway enrichment and molecular docking were performed to evaluate the effect of licorice for the treatment of PTSD. 69 potential compounds were screened after ADME evaluation. A total of 81 compound-related genes and 566 PTSD-related genes were identified in the databases with 27 overlapping genes. Licorice compounds (e.g., medicarpin, 7-methoxy-2-methyl isoflavone, shinpterocarpin, formononetin, licochalcone a) and target proteins (e.g., ESR1, PTGS2, NOS2, and ADRB2) with high degree in the network were involved in G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathways at the postsynaptic/synaptic membrane. Moreover, neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, calcium signaling, cholinergic synapse, serotonergic synapse and adrenergic signaling in cardiomyocytes may play important roles in the treatment of PTSD by licorice. This study provides molecular evidence of the beneficial effects of licorice for the treatment of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Kun Qiu
- Pharmaceutical Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 510080, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Ting Liu
- Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia-Li Pang
- Pharmaceutical Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 510080, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Han-Biao Wu
- Pharmaceutical Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 510080, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu Liu
- Medical Supplies Center of Chinese, PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, People's Republic of China
| | - Ze-Min Yang
- Pharmaceutical Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 510080, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiong Li
- Pharmaceutical Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 510080, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ji-Sheng Chen
- Pharmaceutical Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 510080, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
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25
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Gill PS, Clothier JL, Veerapandiyan A, Dweep H, Porter-Gill PA, Schaefer GB. Molecular Dysregulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Pers Med 2021; 11:848. [PMID: 34575625 PMCID: PMC8466026 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11090848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) comprises a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders with a strong heritable genetic component. At present, ASD is diagnosed solely by behavioral criteria. Advances in genomic analysis have contributed to numerous candidate genes for the risk of ASD, where rare mutations and s common variants contribute to its susceptibility. Moreover, studies show rare de novo variants, copy number variation and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) also impact neurodevelopment signaling. Exploration of rare and common variants involved in common dysregulated pathways can provide new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for ASD. Contributions of current innovative molecular strategies to understand etiology of ASD will be explored which are focused on whole exome sequencing (WES), whole genome sequencing (WGS), microRNA, long non-coding RNAs and CRISPR/Cas9 models. Some promising areas of pharmacogenomic and endophenotype directed therapies as novel personalized treatment and prevention will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pritmohinder S. Gill
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA;
- Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, 13 Children’s Way, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA;
| | - Jeffery L. Clothier
- Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA;
| | - Aravindhan Veerapandiyan
- Pediatric Neurology, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, 1 Children’s Way, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA;
| | - Harsh Dweep
- The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | | | - G. Bradley Schaefer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA;
- Genetics and Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
- Arkansas Children’s Hospital NW, Springdale, AR 72762, USA
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26
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Borrie SC, Plasschaert E, Callaerts-Vegh Z, Yoshimura A, D'Hooge R, Elgersma Y, Kushner SA, Legius E, Brems H. MEK inhibition ameliorates social behavior phenotypes in a Spred1 knockout mouse model for RASopathy disorders. Mol Autism 2021; 12:53. [PMID: 34311771 PMCID: PMC8314535 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00458-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND RASopathies are a group of disorders that result from mutations in genes coding for proteins involved in regulating the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway, and have an increased incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Legius syndrome is a rare RASopathy caused by loss-of-function mutations in the SPRED1 gene. The patient phenotype is similar to, but milder than, Neurofibromatosis type 1-another RASopathy caused by loss-of-function mutations in the NF1 gene. RASopathies exhibit increased activation of Ras-MAPK signaling and commonly manifest with cognitive impairments and ASD. Here, we investigated if a Spred1-/- mouse model for Legius syndrome recapitulates ASD-like symptoms, and whether targeting the Ras-MAPK pathway has therapeutic potential in this RASopathy mouse model. METHODS We investigated social and communicative behaviors in Spred1-/- mice and probed therapeutic mechanisms underlying the observed behavioral phenotypes by pharmacological targeting of the Ras-MAPK pathway with the MEK inhibitor PD325901. RESULTS Spred1-/- mice have robust increases in social dominance in the automated tube test and reduced adult ultrasonic vocalizations during social communication. Neonatal ultrasonic vocalization was also altered, with significant differences in spectral properties. Spred1-/- mice also exhibit impaired nesting behavior. Acute MEK inhibitor treatment in adulthood with PD325901 reversed the enhanced social dominance in Spred1-/- mice to normal levels, and improved nesting behavior in adult Spred1-/- mice. LIMITATIONS This study used an acute treatment protocol to administer the drug. It is not known what the effects of longer-term treatment would be on behavior. Further studies titrating the lowest dose of this drug that is required to alter Spred1-/- social behavior are still required. Finally, our findings are in a homozygous mouse model, whereas patients carry heterozygous mutations. These factors should be considered before any translational conclusions are drawn. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate for the first time that social behavior phenotypes in a mouse model for RASopathies (Spred1-/-) can be acutely reversed. This highlights a key role for Ras-MAPK dysregulation in mediating social behavior phenotypes in mouse models for ASD, suggesting that proper regulation of Ras-MAPK signaling is important for social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Borrie
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, O&N1 Herestraat 49, Box 607, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ellen Plasschaert
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, O&N1 Herestraat 49, Box 607, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Akihiko Yoshimura
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rudi D'Hooge
- Laboratory for Biological Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ype Elgersma
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Steven A Kushner
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eric Legius
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, O&N1 Herestraat 49, Box 607, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hilde Brems
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, O&N1 Herestraat 49, Box 607, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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27
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Boksha IS, Prokhorova TA, Tereshkina EB, Savushkina OK, Burbaeva GS. Protein Phosphorylation Signaling Cascades in Autism: The Role of mTOR Pathway. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2021; 86:577-596. [PMID: 33993859 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297921050072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is a central regulator of cell metabolism, growth, and survival in response to hormones, growth factors, nutrients, and stress-induced signals. In this review, we analyzed the studies on the molecular abnormalities of the mTOR-associated signaling cascades in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and outlined the prospects for the pathogenicity-targeting pharmacotherapeutic approaches to ASDs, in particular syndromic ASDs. Based on available experimental and clinical data, we suggest that very early detection of molecular abnormalities in the ASD risk groups can be facilitated by using peripheral blood platelets. Also, identification of the time window of critical dysregulations in the described pathways in the ASD risk groups might suggest further research directions leading to more efficacious pharmacotherapeutic interventions in ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina S Boksha
- Mental Health Research Center, Moscow, 115522, Russia. .,Gamaleya Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, 123098, Russia
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28
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Ash RT, Buffington SA, Park J, Suter B, Costa-Mattioli M, Zoghbi HY, Smirnakis SM. Inhibition of Elevated Ras-MAPK Signaling Normalizes Enhanced Motor Learning and Excessive Clustered Dendritic Spine Stabilization in the MECP2-Duplication Syndrome Mouse Model of Autism. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0056-21.2021. [PMID: 34021030 PMCID: PMC8260274 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0056-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The inflexible repetitive behaviors and "insistence on sameness" seen in autism imply a defect in neural processes controlling the balance between stability and plasticity of synaptic connections in the brain. It has been proposed that abnormalities in the Ras-ERK/MAPK pathway, a key plasticity-related cell signaling pathway known to drive consolidation of clustered synaptic connections, underlie altered learning phenotypes in autism. However, a link between altered Ras-ERK signaling and clustered dendritic spine plasticity has yet to be explored in an autism animal model in vivo The formation and stabilization of dendritic spine clusters is abnormally increased in the MECP2-duplication syndrome mouse model of syndromic autism, suggesting that ERK signaling may be increased. Here, we show that the Ras-ERK pathway is indeed hyperactive following motor training in MECP2-duplication mouse motor cortex. Pharmacological inhibition of ERK signaling normalizes the excessive clustered spine stabilization and enhanced motor learning behavior in MECP2-duplication mice. We conclude that hyperactive ERK signaling may contribute to abnormal clustered dendritic spine consolidation and motor learning in this model of syndromic autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Thomas Ash
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, CA 94305
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Jamaica Plain Veterans Administration Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Shelly Alexandra Buffington
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Jiyoung Park
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Jamaica Plain Veterans Administration Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Bernhard Suter
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Jamaica Plain Veterans Administration Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Mauro Costa-Mattioli
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Huda Yaya Zoghbi
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Stelios Manolis Smirnakis
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Jamaica Plain Veterans Administration Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
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29
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MEK1/2-ERK Pathway Alterations as a Therapeutic Target in Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease: A Study in Senescence-Accelerated OXYS Rats. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10071058. [PMID: 34208998 PMCID: PMC8300733 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10071058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia worldwide, with no cure. There is growing interest in mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) as possible pathogenesis-related therapeutic targets in AD. Previously, using senescence-accelerated OXYS rats, which simulate key characteristics of the sporadic AD type, we have shown that prolonged treatment with mitochondria-targeted antioxidant plastoquinonyl-decyltriphenylphosphonium (SkQ1) during active progression of AD-like pathology improves the activity of many signaling pathways (SPs) including the p38 MAPK SP. In this study, we continued to investigate the mechanisms behind anti-AD effects of SkQ1 in OXYS rats and focused on hippocampal extracellular regulated kinases’ (ERK1 and -2) activity alterations. According to high-throughput RNA sequencing results, SkQ1 eliminated differences in the expression of eight out of nine genes involved in the ERK1/2 SP, compared to untreated control (Wistar) rats. Western blotting and immunofluorescent staining revealed that SkQ1 suppressed ERK1/2 activity via reductions in the phosphorylation of kinases ERK1/2, MEK1, and MEK2. SkQ1 decreased hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, which is present in pathological aggregates in AD. Thus, SkQ1 alleviates AD pathology by suppressing MEK1/2-ERK1/2 SP activity in the OXYS rat hippocampus and may be a promising candidate drug for human AD.
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30
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Weir E, Allison C, Ong KK, Baron-Cohen S. An investigation of the diet, exercise, sleep, BMI, and health outcomes of autistic adults. Mol Autism 2021; 12:31. [PMID: 33964967 PMCID: PMC8106173 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00441-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies of autistic children suggest that restricted eating, reduced physical activity, and sleep disorders are common; however, no studies attempt to broadly describe the diet, exercise, and sleep patterns of autistic adults or consider relationships between lifestyle behaviors and the widely reported increased risks of obesity and chronic conditions. To address this, the authors developed the largest study of lifestyle patterns of autistic adults and assessed their relationships to body mass index, health outcomes, and family history. METHODS We administered an anonymized, online survey to n = 2386 adults (n = 1183 autistic) aged 16-90 years of age. We employed Fisher's exact tests and binomial logistic regression to describe diet, exercise, and sleep patterns; mediation of seizure disorders on sleep; body mass index (BMI); relationships of lifestyle factors to BMI, cardiovascular conditions, and diabetic conditions; and sex differences among autistic adults. RESULTS Autistic adults, and particularly autistic females, exhibit unhealthy diet, exercise, and sleep patterns; they are also more likely to be underweight or obese. Limited sleep duration and high rates of sleep disturbances cannot be accounted for by epilepsy or seizure disorders. Lifestyle factors are positively related to higher risk of cardiovascular conditions among autistic males, even more than family history. LIMITATIONS Our sample may not be representative of all autistic and non-autistic people, as it primarily comprised individuals who are white, female, have a high school education or higher, and reside in the UK. Our sampling methods may also exclude some individuals on the autism spectrum, and particularly those with moderate to severe intellectual disability. This is a cross-sectional sample that can test for relationships between factors (e.g., lifestyle factors and health outcomes) but cannot assess the direction of these relationships. CONCLUSIONS Autistic adults are less likely to meet minimal health recommendations for diet, exercise, and sleep-and these unhealthy behaviors may relate to excess risk of cardiovascular conditions. Although the present study can only provide preliminary, correlational evidence, our findings suggest that diet, exercise, and sleep should be considered and further investigated as key targets for reducing the now widely reported and dramatically increased risks of health comorbidity and premature death among autistic individuals compared to others. Physicians should work cooperatively with patients to provide health education and develop individualized strategies for how to better manage challenges with diet, exercise, and sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Weir
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, England, CB2 8AH.
| | - Carrie Allison
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, England, CB2 8AH
| | - Ken K Ong
- MRC Epidemiology Unit and Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus,, Cambridge, England, CB2 0QQ
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, England, CB2 8AH.
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31
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Baranova J, Dragunas G, Botellho MCS, Ayub ALP, Bueno-Alves R, Alencar RR, Papaiz DD, Sogayar MC, Ulrich H, Correa RG. Autism Spectrum Disorder: Signaling Pathways and Prospective Therapeutic Targets. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2021; 41:619-649. [PMID: 32468442 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-00882-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) consists of a prevalent and heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental diseases representing a severe burden to affected individuals and their caretakers. Despite substantial improvement towards understanding of ASD etiology and pathogenesis, as well as increased social awareness and more intensive research, no effective drugs have been successfully developed to resolve the main and most cumbersome ASD symptoms. Hence, finding better treatments, which may act as "disease-modifying" agents, and novel biomarkers for earlier ASD diagnosis and disease stage determination are needed. Diverse mutations of core components and consequent malfunctions of several cell signaling pathways have already been found in ASD by a series of experimental platforms, including genetic associations analyses and studies utilizing pre-clinical animal models and patient samples. These signaling cascades govern a broad range of neurological features such as neuronal development, neurotransmission, metabolism, and homeostasis, as well as immune regulation and inflammation. Here, we review the current knowledge on signaling pathways which are commonly disrupted in ASD and autism-related conditions. As such, we further propose ways to translate these findings into the development of genetic and biochemical clinical tests for early autism detection. Moreover, we highlight some putative druggable targets along these pathways, which, upon further research efforts, may evolve into novel therapeutic interventions for certain ASD conditions. Lastly, we also refer to the crosstalk among these major signaling cascades as well as their putative implications in therapeutics. Based on this collective information, we believe that a timely and accurate modulation of these prominent pathways may shape the neurodevelopment and neuro-immune regulation of homeostatic patterns and, hopefully, rescue some (if not all) ASD phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Baranova
- Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 748, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Dragunas
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 1524, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Mayara C S Botellho
- Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 748, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Ana Luisa P Ayub
- Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Pedro de Toledo 669, Vila Clementino, São Paulo, SP, 04039-032, Brazil
| | - Rebeca Bueno-Alves
- Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 748, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Rebeca R Alencar
- Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 748, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Debora D Papaiz
- Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Pedro de Toledo 669, Vila Clementino, São Paulo, SP, 04039-032, Brazil
| | - Mari C Sogayar
- Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 748, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
- Cell and Molecular Therapy Center, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Rua Pangaré 100 (Edifício NUCEL), Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05360-130, Brazil
| | - Henning Ulrich
- Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 748, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Ricardo G Correa
- NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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Weir E, Allison C, Warrier V, Baron-Cohen S. Increased prevalence of non-communicable physical health conditions among autistic adults. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2021; 25:681-694. [PMID: 32907337 PMCID: PMC7610707 DOI: 10.1177/1362361320953652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Previous research indicates autistic individuals die at a younger age than others and that this is possibly due in part to chronic physical health conditions. The present study used an anonymous, online survey to determine how common certain physical health conditions are among autistic adults, compared with non-autistic adults. We found autistic adults are more likely to develop heart conditions, lung conditions, and diabetes than non-autistic adults. Autistic females may be at higher risk of developing certain conditions (including respiratory conditions, asthma, and prediabetes) than autistic males. Finally, autistic individuals have increased health risks even when considering lifestyle factors (such as smoking, alcohol, and body mass index). This is still a relatively small study, and future research needs to confirm these findings and identify why these risks exist.
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Alterations in Tau Protein Level and Phosphorylation State in the Brain of the Autistic-Like Rats Induced by Prenatal Exposure to Valproic Acid. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22063209. [PMID: 33809910 PMCID: PMC8004207 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22063209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficient social interaction and communication besides repetitive, stereotyped behaviours. A characteristic feature of ASD is altered dendritic spine density and morphology associated with synaptic plasticity disturbances. Since microtubules (MTs) regulate dendritic spine morphology and play an important role in spine development and plasticity the aim of the present study was to investigate the alterations in the content of neuronal α/β-tubulin and Tau protein level as well as phosphorylation state in the valproic acid (VPA)-induced rat model of autism. Our results indicated that maternal exposure to VPA induces: (1) decrease the level of α/β-tubulin along with Tau accumulation in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex; (2) excessive Tau phosphorylation and activation of Tau-kinases: CDK5, ERK1/2, and p70S6K in the cerebral cortex; (3) up-regulation of mTOR kinase-dependent signalling in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of adolescent rat offspring. Moreover, immunohistochemical staining showed histopathological changes in neurons (chromatolysis) in both analysed brain structures of rats prenatally exposed to VPA. The observed changes in Tau protein together with an excessive decrease in α/β-tubulin level may suggest destabilization and thus dysfunction of the MT cytoskeleton network, which in consequence may lead to the disturbance in synaptic plasticity and the development of autistic-like behaviours.
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Rizk M, Saker Z, Harati H, Fares Y, Bahmad HF, Nabha S. Deciphering the roles of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder and related syndromes. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 48:2669-2686. [PMID: 33650079 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06237-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex and multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors besides deficits in social communication. Syndromic ASD is a subset of ASD caused by underlying genetic disorders, most commonly Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) and Rett Syndrome (RTT). Various mutations and consequent malfunctions in core signaling pathways have been identified in ASD, including glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3). A growing body of evidence suggests a key role of GSK3 dysregulation in the pathogenesis of ASD and its related disorders. Here, we provide a synopsis of the implication of GSK3 in ASD, FXS, and RTT as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdi Rizk
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Zahraa Saker
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Hayat Harati
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Youssef Fares
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.,Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Hisham F Bahmad
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, 4300 Alton Rd, Miami Beach, FL, 33140, USA
| | - Sanaa Nabha
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.
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35
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Identification of key genes and convergent pathways disrupted in autism spectrum disorder via comprehensive bioinformatic analysis. INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE UNLOCKED 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2021.100589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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36
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Reilly J, Gallagher L, Leader G, Shen S. Coupling of autism genes to tissue-wide expression and dysfunction of synapse, calcium signalling and transcriptional regulation. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242773. [PMID: 33338084 PMCID: PMC7748153 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous disorder that is often accompanied with many co-morbidities. Recent genetic studies have identified various pathways from hundreds of candidate risk genes with varying levels of association to ASD. However, it is unknown which pathways are specific to the core symptoms or which are shared by the co-morbidities. We hypothesised that critical ASD candidates should appear widely across different scoring systems, and that comorbidity pathways should be constituted by genes expressed in the relevant tissues. We analysed the Simons Foundation for Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) database and four independently published scoring systems and identified 292 overlapping genes. We examined their mRNA expression using the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database and validated protein expression levels using the human protein atlas (HPA) dataset. This led to clustering of the overlapping ASD genes into 2 groups; one with 91 genes primarily expressed in the central nervous system (CNS geneset) and another with 201 genes expressed in both CNS and peripheral tissues (CNS+PT geneset). Bioinformatic analyses showed a high enrichment of CNS development and synaptic transmission in the CNS geneset, and an enrichment of synapse, chromatin remodelling, gene regulation and endocrine signalling in the CNS+PT geneset. Calcium signalling and the glutamatergic synapse were found to be highly interconnected among pathways in the combined geneset. Our analyses demonstrate that 2/3 of ASD genes are expressed beyond the brain, which may impact peripheral function and involve in ASD co-morbidities, and relevant pathways may be explored for the treatment of ASD co-morbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Reilly
- Regenerative Medicine Institute, School of Medicine, Biomedical Science Building, National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway, Galway, Ireland
- * E-mail: (JR); (SS)
| | - Louise Gallagher
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences—Trinity College Dublin, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Geraldine Leader
- Irish Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Research (ICAN), Department of Psychology, National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Sanbing Shen
- Regenerative Medicine Institute, School of Medicine, Biomedical Science Building, National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway, Galway, Ireland
- FutureNeuro Research Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Dublin, Ireland
- * E-mail: (JR); (SS)
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Prem S, Millonig JH, DiCicco-Bloom E. Dysregulation of Neurite Outgrowth and Cell Migration in Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 25:109-153. [PMID: 32578146 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-45493-7_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite decades of study, elucidation of the underlying etiology of complex developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia (SCZ), intellectual disability (ID), and bipolar disorder (BPD) has been hampered by the inability to study human neurons, the heterogeneity of these disorders, and the relevance of animal model systems. Moreover, a majority of these developmental disorders have multifactorial or idiopathic (unknown) causes making them difficult to model using traditional methods of genetic alteration. Examination of the brains of individuals with ASD and other developmental disorders in both post-mortem and MRI studies shows defects that are suggestive of dysregulation of embryonic and early postnatal development. For ASD, more recent genetic studies have also suggested that risk genes largely converge upon the developing human cerebral cortex between weeks 8 and 24 in utero. Yet, an overwhelming majority of studies in autism rodent models have focused on postnatal development or adult synaptic transmission defects in autism related circuits. Thus, studies looking at early developmental processes such as proliferation, cell migration, and early differentiation, which are essential to build the brain, are largely lacking. Yet, interestingly, a few studies that did assess early neurodevelopment found that alterations in brain structure and function associated with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) begin as early as the initial formation and patterning of the neural tube. By the early to mid-2000s, the derivation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and later induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) allowed us to study living human neural cells in culture for the first time. Specifically, iPSCs gave us the unprecedented ability to study cells derived from individuals with idiopathic disorders. Studies indicate that iPSC-derived neural cells, whether precursors or "matured" neurons, largely resemble cortical cells of embryonic humans from weeks 8 to 24. Thus, these cells are an excellent model to study early human neurodevelopment, particularly in the context of genetically complex diseases. Indeed, since 2011, numerous studies have assessed developmental phenotypes in neurons derived from individuals with both genetic and idiopathic forms of ASD and other NDDs. However, while iPSC-derived neurons are fetal in nature, they are post-mitotic and thus cannot be used to study developmental processes that occur before terminal differentiation. Moreover, it is important to note that during the 8-24-week window of human neurodevelopment, neural precursor cells are actively undergoing proliferation, migration, and early differentiation to form the basic cytoarchitecture of the brain. Thus, by studying NPCs specifically, we could gain insight into how early neurodevelopmental processes contribute to the pathogenesis of NDDs. Indeed, a few studies have explored NPC phenotypes in NDDs and have uncovered dysregulations in cell proliferation. Yet, few studies have explored migration and early differentiation phenotypes of NPCs in NDDs. In this chapter, we will discuss cell migration and neurite outgrowth and the role of these processes in neurodevelopment and NDDs. We will begin by reviewing the processes that are important in early neurodevelopment and early cortical development. We will then delve into the roles of neurite outgrowth and cell migration in the formation of the brain and how errors in these processes affect brain development. We also provide review of a few key molecules that are involved in the regulation of neurite outgrowth and migration while discussing how dysregulations in these molecules can lead to abnormalities in brain structure and function thereby highlighting their contribution to pathogenesis of NDDs. Then we will discuss whether neurite outgrowth, migration, and the molecules that regulate these processes are associated with ASD. Lastly, we will review the utility of iPSCs in modeling NDDs and discuss future goals for the study of NDDs using this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smrithi Prem
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - James H Millonig
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Emanuel DiCicco-Bloom
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology/Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
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38
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Gernert C, Falkai P, Falter-Wagner CM. The Generalized Adaptation Account of Autism. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:534218. [PMID: 33122985 PMCID: PMC7573117 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.534218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The heterogeneous phenomenology of autism together with diverse patterns of comorbidities led in the past to formulation of manifold theories and hypotheses on different explanatory levels. We scrutinize most recent findings from genetics, neurobiology and physiology and derive testable hypotheses about possible physiological links between domains. With focus on altered sensory perception and neuronal processing in ASD, we assume two intertwined regulatory feedback circuits under the umbrella of genetics and environmental factors. Both regulatory circuits are highly variable between individuals in line with the heterogeneous spectrum of ASD. The circuits set off from altered pathways and connectivity in ASD, fueling HPA-axis activity and distress. In the first circuit altered tryptophan metabolism leads to higher neurotoxic substances and reinforces the excitation:inhibition imbalance in the brain. The second circuit focuses on the impact and interaction with the environment and its rhythms in ASD. With lower melatonin levels, as the pacemaker molecule of the circadian system, we assume misalignment to outer and inner states corroborated from the known comorbidities in ASD. Alterations of the microbiome composition in ASD are supposed to act as a regulatory linking factor for both circuits. Overall, we assume that altered internal balance on cellular and neurophysiological levels is one of the main reasons leading to a lower ability in ASD to adapt to the environment and own internal changing states, leading to the conceptualization of autism as a condition of generalized imbalance in adaptation. This comprehensive framework opens up new perspectives on possible intervention and prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Gernert
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christine M Falter-Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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39
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Khalid M, Raza H, M. Driessen T, J. Lee P, Tejwani L, Sami A, Nawaz M, Mehmood Baig S, Lim J, Kaukab Raja G. Genetic Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Pakistani Population. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11101206. [PMID: 33076578 PMCID: PMC7602870 DOI: 10.3390/genes11101206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of complex multifactorial neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders in children characterized by impairment of communication and social interaction. Several genes with associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified for ASD in different genetic association studies, meta-analyses, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, associations between different SNPs and ASD vary from population to population. Four SNPs in genes CNTNAP2, EIF4E, ATP2B2, CACNA1C, and SNP rs4307059 (which is found between CDH9 and CDH10 genes) have been identified and reported as candidate risk factors for ASD. The aim of the present study was, for the first time, to assess the association of SNPs in these genes with ASD in the Pakistani population. PCR-based genotyping was performed using allele-specific primers in 93 ASD and 93 control Pakistani individuals. All genetic associations, genotype frequencies, and allele frequencies were computed as odds’ ratios (ORs) using logistic regression with a threshold of p ≤ 0.01 to determine statistical significance. We found that the homozygous genotypes of mutant T alleles of CNTNAP2 and ATP2B2 were significantly associated with Pakistani ASD patients in unadjusted ORs (p < 0.01), but their significance score was lost in the adjusted model. Other SNPs such as rs4307059, rs17850950 of EIF4E, and rs1006737 of CACNA1C were not statistically significant. Based on this, we conclude that SNPs are not associated with, or are not the main cause of, autism in the Pakistani population, indicating the involvement of additional players, which need to be investigated in future studies in a large population size. One of the limitations of present study is its small sample size. However, this study, being the first on Pakistani ASD patients, may lay the foundations for future studies in larger samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madiha Khalid
- Department of Biochemistry, University Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan; (M.K.); (A.S.)
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
| | - Hashim Raza
- Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan;
| | - Terri M. Driessen
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
| | - Paul J. Lee
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (P.J.L.); (L.T.)
| | - Leon Tejwani
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (P.J.L.); (L.T.)
| | - Abdul Sami
- Department of Biochemistry, University Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan; (M.K.); (A.S.)
| | - Muhammad Nawaz
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 41346 Gothenburg, Sweden;
| | - Shahid Mehmood Baig
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Health Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan;
| | - Janghoo Lim
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (P.J.L.); (L.T.)
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (G.K.R.); Tel.: +1-203-737-6268 (J.L.); +92-(051)-9062-742 (G.K.R.)
| | - Ghazala Kaukab Raja
- Department of Biochemistry, University Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan; (M.K.); (A.S.)
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (G.K.R.); Tel.: +1-203-737-6268 (J.L.); +92-(051)-9062-742 (G.K.R.)
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40
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Turkmen AS, Lin S. Detecting X-linked common and rare variant effects in family-based sequencing studies. Genet Epidemiol 2020; 45:36-45. [PMID: 32864779 DOI: 10.1002/gepi.22352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The breakthroughs in next generation sequencing have allowed us to access data consisting of both common and rare variants, and in particular to investigate the impact of rare genetic variation on complex diseases. Although rare genetic variants are thought to be important components in explaining genetic mechanisms of many diseases, discovering these variants remains challenging, and most studies are restricted to population-based designs. Further, despite the shift in the field of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) towards studying rare variants due to the "missing heritability" phenomenon, little is known about rare X-linked variants associated with complex diseases. For instance, there is evidence that X-linked genes are highly involved in brain development and cognition when compared with autosomal genes; however, like most GWAS for other complex traits, previous GWAS for mental diseases have provided poor resources to deal with identification of rare variant associations on X-chromosome. In this paper, we address the two issues described above by proposing a method that can be used to test X-linked variants using sequencing data on families. Our method is much more general than existing methods, as it can be applied to detect both common and rare variants, and is applicable to autosomes as well. Our simulation study shows that the method is efficient, and exhibits good operational characteristics. An application to the University of Miami Study on Genetics of Autism and Related Disorders also yielded encouraging results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asuman S Turkmen
- Statistics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Statistics Department, The Ohio State University, Newark, Ohio
| | - Shili Lin
- Statistics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
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41
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Dhirachaikulpanich D, Li X, Porter LF, Paraoan L. Integrated Microarray and RNAseq Transcriptomic Analysis of Retinal Pigment Epithelium/Choroid in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:808. [PMID: 32984320 PMCID: PMC7480186 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We report for the first time an integrated transcriptomic analysis of RPE/choroid dysfunction in AMD (mixed stages) based on combining data from publicly available microarray (GSE29801) and RNAseq (GSE135092) datasets aimed at increasing the ability and power of detection of differentially expressed genes and AMD-associated pathways. The analysis approach employed an integrating quantitative method designed to eliminate bias among different transcriptomic studies. The analysis highlighted 764 meta-genes (366 downregulated and 398 upregulated) in macular AMD RPE/choroid and 445 meta-genes (244 downregulated and 201 upregulated) in non-macular AMD RPE/choroid. Of these, 731 genes were newly detected as differentially expressed (DE) genes in macular AMD RPE/choroid and 434 genes in non-macular AMD RPE/choroid compared with controls. Over-representation analysis of KEGG pathways associated with these DE genes mapped revealed two most significantly associated biological processes in macular RPE/choroid in AMD, namely the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway (represented by 30 DE genes) and the extracellular matrix-receptor interaction signaling pathway (represented by 12 DE genes). Furthermore, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network identified two central hub genes involved in the control of cell proliferation/differentiation processes, HDAC1 and CDK1. Overall, the analysis provided novel insights for broadening the exploration of AMD pathogenesis by extending the number of molecular determinants and functional pathways that underpin AMD-associated RPE/choroid dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhanach Dhirachaikulpanich
- Department of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Louise F Porter
- Department of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Luminita Paraoan
- Department of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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42
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Amal H, Barak B, Bhat V, Gong G, Joughin BA, Wang X, Wishnok JS, Feng G, Tannenbaum SR. Shank3 mutation in a mouse model of autism leads to changes in the S-nitroso-proteome and affects key proteins involved in vesicle release and synaptic function. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:1835-1848. [PMID: 29988084 PMCID: PMC6614015 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0113-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Mutation in the SHANK3 human gene leads to different neuropsychiatric diseases including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), intellectual disabilities and Phelan-McDermid syndrome. Shank3 disruption in mice leads to dysfunction of synaptic transmission, behavior, and development. Protein S-nitrosylation, the nitric oxide (NO•)-mediated posttranslational modification (PTM) of cysteine thiols (SNO), modulates the activity of proteins that regulate key signaling pathways. We tested the hypothesis that Shank3 mutation would generate downstream effects on PTM of critical proteins that lead to modification of synaptic functions. SNO-proteins in two ASD-related brain regions, cortex and striatum of young and adult InsG3680(+/+) mice (a human mutation-based Shank3 mouse model), were identified by an innovative mass spectrometric method, SNOTRAP. We found changes of the SNO-proteome in the mutant compared to WT in both ages. Pathway analysis showed enrichment of processes affected in ASD. SNO-Calcineurin in mutant led to a significant increase of phosphorylated Synapsin1 and CREB, which affect synaptic vesicle mobilization and gene transcription, respectively. A significant increase of 3-nitrotyrosine was found in the cortical regions of the adult mutant, signaling both oxidative and nitrosative stress. Neuronal NO• Synthase (nNOS) was examined for levels and localization in neurons and no significant difference was found in WT vs. mutant. S-nitrosoglutathione concentrations were higher in mutant mice compared to WT. This is the first study on NO•-related molecular changes and SNO-signaling in the brain of an ASD mouse model that allows the characterization and identification of key proteins, cellular pathways, and neurobiological mechanisms that might be affected in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitham Amal
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Boaz Barak
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Guanyu Gong
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Brian A. Joughin
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - John S. Wishnok
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Guoping Feng
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Steven R. Tannenbaum
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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43
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Chan WK, Griffiths R, Price DJ, Mason JO. Cerebral organoids as tools to identify the developmental roots of autism. Mol Autism 2020; 11:58. [PMID: 32660622 PMCID: PMC7359249 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00360-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Some autism spectrum disorders (ASD) likely arise as a result of abnormalities during early embryonic development of the brain. Studying human embryonic brain development directly is challenging, mainly due to ethical and practical constraints. However, the recent development of cerebral organoids provides a powerful tool for studying both normal human embryonic brain development and, potentially, the origins of neurodevelopmental disorders including ASD. Substantial evidence now indicates that cerebral organoids can mimic normal embryonic brain development and neural cells found in organoids closely resemble their in vivo counterparts. However, with prolonged culture, significant differences begin to arise. We suggest that cerebral organoids, in their current form, are most suitable to model earlier neurodevelopmental events and processes such as neurogenesis and cortical lamination. Processes implicated in ASDs which occur at later stages of development, such as synaptogenesis and neural circuit formation, may also be modeled using organoids. The accuracy of such models will benefit from continuous improvements to protocols for organoid differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai Kit Chan
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Rosie Griffiths
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - David J Price
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - John O Mason
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK.
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Ashitha SNM, Ramachandra NB. Integrated Functional Analysis Implicates Syndromic and Rare Copy Number Variation Genes as Prominent Molecular Players in Pathogenesis of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Neuroscience 2020; 438:25-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.04.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Albert-Gascó H, Ros-Bernal F, Castillo-Gómez E, Olucha-Bordonau FE. MAP/ERK Signaling in Developing Cognitive and Emotional Function and Its Effect on Pathological and Neurodegenerative Processes. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4471. [PMID: 32586047 PMCID: PMC7352860 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The signaling pathway of the microtubule-associated protein kinase or extracellular regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) is a common mechanism of extracellular information transduction from extracellular stimuli to the intracellular space. The transduction of information leads to changes in the ongoing metabolic pathways and the modification of gene expression patterns. In the central nervous system, ERK is expressed ubiquitously, both temporally and spatially. As for the temporal ubiquity, this signaling system participates in three key moments: (i) Embryonic development; (ii) the early postnatal period; and iii) adulthood. During embryonic development, the system is partly responsible for the patterning of segmentation in the encephalic vesicle through the FGF8-ERK pathway. In addition, during this period, ERK directs neurogenesis migration and the final fate of neural progenitors. During the early postnatal period, ERK participates in the maturation process of dendritic trees and synaptogenesis. During adulthood, ERK participates in social and emotional behavior and memory processes, including long-term potentiation. Alterations in mechanisms related to ERK are associated with different pathological outcomes. Genetic alterations in any component of the ERK pathway result in pathologies associated with neural crest derivatives and mental dysfunctions associated with autism spectrum disorders. The MAP-ERK pathway is a key element of the neuroinflammatory pathway triggered by glial cells during the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as well as prionic diseases. The process triggered by MAPK/ERK activation depends on the stage of development (mature or senescence), the type of cellular element in which the pathway is activated, and the anatomic neural structure. However, extensive gaps exist with regards to the targets of the phosphorylated ERK in many of these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Albert-Gascó
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK;
| | - Francisco Ros-Bernal
- U.P Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. de Vicent Sos Baynat s/n, 12071 Castelló de la Plana, Spain; (F.R.-B.); (E.C.-G.)
| | - Esther Castillo-Gómez
- U.P Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. de Vicent Sos Baynat s/n, 12071 Castelló de la Plana, Spain; (F.R.-B.); (E.C.-G.)
- Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco E. Olucha-Bordonau
- U.P Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universitat Jaume I, Avda. de Vicent Sos Baynat s/n, 12071 Castelló de la Plana, Spain; (F.R.-B.); (E.C.-G.)
- Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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46
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Liao X, Li Y. Genetic associations between voltage-gated calcium channels and autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review. Mol Brain 2020; 13:96. [PMID: 32571372 PMCID: PMC7310353 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00634-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The present review systematically summarized existing publications regarding the genetic associations between voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS A comprehensive literature search was conducted to gather pertinent studies in three online databases. Two authors independently screened the included records based on the selection criteria. Discrepancies in each step were settled through discussions. RESULTS From 1163 resulting searched articles, 28 were identified for inclusion. The most prominent among the VGCCs variants found in ASD were those falling within loci encoding the α subunits, CACNA1A, CACNA1B, CACNA1C, CACNA1D, CACNA1E, CACNA1F, CACNA1G, CACNA1H, and CACNA1I as well as those of their accessory subunits CACNB2, CACNA2D3, and CACNA2D4. Two signaling pathways, the IP3-Ca2+ pathway and the MAPK pathway, were identified as scaffolds that united genetic lesions into a consensus etiology of ASD. CONCLUSIONS Evidence generated from this review supports the role of VGCC genetic variants in the pathogenesis of ASD, making it a promising therapeutic target. Future research should focus on the specific mechanism that connects VGCC genetic variants to the complex ASD phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Liao
- Xiangya Nursing School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yamin Li
- Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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Ganesan H, Balasubramanian V, Iyer M, Venugopal A, Subramaniam MD, Cho SG, Vellingiri B. mTOR signalling pathway - A root cause for idiopathic autism? BMB Rep 2020. [PMID: 31186084 PMCID: PMC6675248 DOI: 10.5483/bmbrep.2019.52.7.137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental monogenic disorder with a strong genetic influence. Idiopathic autism could be defined as a type of autism that does not have a specific causative agent. Among signalling cascades, mTOR signalling pathway plays a pivotal role not only in cell cycle, but also in protein synthesis and regulation of brain homeostasis in ASD patients. The present review highlights, underlying mechanism of mTOR and its role in altered signalling cascades as a triggering factor in the onset of idiopathic autism. Further, this review discusses how distorted mTOR signalling pathway stimulates truncated translation in neuronal cells and leads to downregulation of protein synthesis at dendritic spines of the brain. This review concludes by suggesting downstream regulators such as p70S6K, eIF4B, eIF4E of mTOR signalling pathway as promising therapeutic targets for idiopathic autistic individuals. [BMB Reports 2019; 52(7): 424-433].
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsha Ganesan
- Human Molecular Cytogenetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Venkatesh Balasubramanian
- Human Molecular Cytogenetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Mahalaxmi Iyer
- Department of Zoology, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore 641043, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Anila Venugopal
- Human Molecular Cytogenetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Mohana Devi Subramaniam
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Vision Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai 600006, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ssang-Goo Cho
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Balachandar Vellingiri
- Human Molecular Cytogenetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641046, Tamil Nadu, India
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Asif M, Martiniano HFMC, Marques AR, Santos JX, Vilela J, Rasga C, Oliveira G, Couto FM, Vicente AM. Identification of biological mechanisms underlying a multidimensional ASD phenotype using machine learning. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:43. [PMID: 32066720 PMCID: PMC7026098 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0721-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex genetic architecture of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and its heterogeneous phenotype makes molecular diagnosis and patient prognosis challenging tasks. To establish more precise genotype-phenotype correlations in ASD, we developed a novel machine-learning integrative approach, which seeks to delineate associations between patients' clinical profiles and disrupted biological processes, inferred from their copy number variants (CNVs) that span brain genes. Clustering analysis of the relevant clinical measures from 2446 ASD cases in the Autism Genome Project identified two distinct phenotypic subgroups. Patients in these clusters differed significantly in ADOS-defined severity, adaptive behavior profiles, intellectual ability, and verbal status, the latter contributing the most for cluster stability and cohesion. Functional enrichment analysis of brain genes disrupted by CNVs in these ASD cases identified 15 statistically significant biological processes, including cell adhesion, neural development, cognition, and polyubiquitination, in line with previous ASD findings. A Naive Bayes classifier, generated to predict the ASD phenotypic clusters from disrupted biological processes, achieved predictions with a high precision (0.82) but low recall (0.39), for a subset of patients with higher biological Information Content scores. This study shows that milder and more severe clinical presentations can have distinct underlying biological mechanisms. It further highlights how machine-learning approaches can reduce clinical heterogeneity by using multidimensional clinical measures, and establishes genotype-phenotype correlations in ASD. However, predictions are strongly dependent on patient's information content. Findings are therefore a first step toward the translation of genetic information into clinically useful applications, and emphasize the need for larger datasets with very complete clinical and biological information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Asif
- grid.422270.10000 0001 2287 695XInstituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal ,grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263Faculdade de Ciências, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal ,grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263Faculdade de Ciências, LASIGE, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Hugo F. M. C. Martiniano
- grid.422270.10000 0001 2287 695XInstituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal ,grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263Faculdade de Ciências, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana Rita Marques
- grid.422270.10000 0001 2287 695XInstituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal ,grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263Faculdade de Ciências, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João Xavier Santos
- grid.422270.10000 0001 2287 695XInstituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal ,grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263Faculdade de Ciências, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Joana Vilela
- grid.422270.10000 0001 2287 695XInstituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal ,grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263Faculdade de Ciências, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Celia Rasga
- grid.422270.10000 0001 2287 695XInstituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal ,grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263Faculdade de Ciências, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Guiomar Oliveira
- grid.28911.330000000106861985Unidade de Neurodesenvolvimento e Autismo (UNDA), Serviço do Centro de Desenvolvimento da Criança, Centro de Investigação e Formação Clínica, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal ,grid.8051.c0000 0000 9511 4342Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal ,grid.8051.c0000 0000 9511 4342Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Pediatrics, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Francisco M. Couto
- grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263Faculdade de Ciências, LASIGE, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Astrid M. Vicente
- grid.422270.10000 0001 2287 695XInstituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal ,grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263Faculdade de Ciências, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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Mossa A, Manzini MC. Molecular causes of sex-specific deficits in rodent models of neurodevelopmental disorders. J Neurosci Res 2019; 99:37-56. [PMID: 31872500 PMCID: PMC7754327 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder consistently show a male bias in prevalence, but it remains unclear why males and females are affected with different frequency. While many behavioral studies of transgenic NDD models have focused only on males, the requirement by the National Institutes of Health to consider sex as a biological variable has promoted the comparison of male and female performance in wild-type and mutant animals. Here, we review examples of rodent models of NDDs in which sex-specific deficits were identified in molecular, physiological, and/or behavioral responses, showing sex differences in susceptibility to disruption of genes mutated in NDDs. Haploinsufficiency in genes involved in mechanisms such as synaptic function (GABRB3 and NRXN1), chromatin remodeling (CHD8, EMHT1, and ADNP), and intracellular signaling (CC2D1A and ERK1) lead to more severe behavioral outcomes in males. However, in the absence of behavioral deficits, females can still present with cellular and electrophysiological changes that could be due to compensatory mechanisms or differential allocation of molecular and cellular functions in the two sexes. By contrasting these findings with mouse models where females are more severely affected (MTHFR and AMBRA1), we propose a framework to approach the study of sex-specific deficits possibly leading to sex bias in NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adele Mossa
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - M Chiara Manzini
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.,Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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50
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Identification of De Novo JAK2 and MAPK7 Mutations Related to Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Whole-Exome Sequencing in a Chinese Child and Adolescent Trio-Based Sample. J Mol Neurosci 2019; 70:219-229. [PMID: 31838722 PMCID: PMC7018782 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-019-01456-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with high phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity. Whole-exome sequencing studies have shown that de novo single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) play an important role in sporadic ASD. The present study aimed to search for de novo SNVs using whole-exome sequencing in 59 unrelated Chinese ASD sporadic trios, and found 24 genes (including five reported ASD candidate genes CACNA1D, ACHE, YY1, TTN, and FBXO11) with de novo harmful SNVs. Five genes (CACNA1D, JAK2, ACHE, MAPK7, and PRKAG2) classified as “medium-confidence” genes were found to be related to ASD using the Phenolyzer gene analysis tool, which predicts the correlation between the candidate genes and the ASD phenotype. De novo SNVs in JAK2, MAPK7, and PRKAG2 were first found in ASD. Both JAK2 and MAPK7 were involved in the regulation of the MAPK signaling pathway. Gene co-expression and inter-gene interaction networks were constructed and gene expression data in different brain regions were further extracted, revealing that JAK2 and MAPK7 genes were associated with certain previously reported ASD genes and played an important role in early brain development. The findings of this study suggest that the aforementioned five reported ASD genes and JAK2 and MAPK7 may be related to ASD susceptibility. Further investigations of expression studies in cellular and animal models are needed to explore the mechanism underlying the involvement of JAK2 and MAPK7 in ASD.
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