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van der Most MA, Rietjens IMCM, van den Brink NW. Evaluating non-monotonic dose-response relationships in ecotoxicological risk assessment: A case study based on a systematic review of data on fluoxetine. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 363:142819. [PMID: 38986776 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
The environmental presence of pharmaceuticals, including the antidepressant fluoxetine, has become a subject of concern. Numerous studies have revealed effects of fluoxetine at environmental concentrations. Some of these studies have reported non-monotonic dose-response curves (NMDRs), leading to discussion because of the inconsistent detection of subtle effects and lack of mechanistic understanding. Nevertheless, investigating NMDRs in risk assessment is important, because neglecting them could underestimate potential risks of chemicals at low levels of exposure. Identification and quantification of NMDRs in risk assessment remains challenging, particularly given the prevalence of single outliers and the lack of sound statistical analyses. In response, the European Food Safety Authority (Beausoleil et al., 2016) presented a framework delineating six checkpoints for the evaluation of NMDR datasets, offering a systematic method for their assessment. The present study applies this framework to the case study of fluoxetine, aiming to assess the weight-of-evidence for the reported NMDR relationships. Through a systematic literature search, 53 datasets were selected for analysis against the six checkpoints. The results reveal that while a minority of these datasets meet all checkpoints, a significant proportion (27%) fulfilled at least five. Notably, many studies did not meet checkpoint 3, which requires NMDRs to be based on more than a single outlier. Overall, the current study points out a number of studies with considerable evidence supporting the presence of NMDRs for fluoxetine, while the majority of studies lacks strong evidence. The suggested framework proved useful for analysing NMDRs in ecotoxicological studies, but it is still imperative to develop further understanding of their biological plausibility.
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2
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Wang C, Vidal B, Sural S, Loer C, Aguilar GR, Merritt DM, Toker IA, Vogt MC, Cros C, Hobert O. A neurotransmitter atlas of C. elegans males and hermaphrodites. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.24.573258. [PMID: 38895397 PMCID: PMC11185579 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.24.573258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Mapping neurotransmitter identities to neurons is key to understanding information flow in a nervous system. It also provides valuable entry points for studying the development and plasticity of neuronal identity features. In the C. elegans nervous system, neurotransmitter identities have been largely assigned by expression pattern analysis of neurotransmitter pathway genes that encode neurotransmitter biosynthetic enzymes or transporters. However, many of these assignments have relied on multicopy reporter transgenes that may lack relevant cis-regulatory information and therefore may not provide an accurate picture of neurotransmitter usage. We analyzed the expression patterns of 16 CRISPR/Cas9-engineered knock-in reporter strains for all main types of neurotransmitters in C. elegans (glutamate, acetylcholine, GABA, serotonin, dopamine, tyramine, and octopamine) in both the hermaphrodite and the male. Our analysis reveals novel sites of expression of these neurotransmitter systems within both neurons and glia, as well as non-neural cells. The resulting expression atlas defines neurons that may be exclusively neuropeptidergic, substantially expands the repertoire of neurons capable of co-transmitting multiple neurotransmitters, and identifies novel neurons that uptake monoaminergic neurotransmitters. Furthermore, we also observed unusual co-expression patterns of monoaminergic synthesis pathway genes, suggesting the existence of novel monoaminergic transmitters. Our analysis results in what constitutes the most extensive whole-animal-wide map of neurotransmitter usage to date, paving the way for a better understanding of neuronal communication and neuronal identity specification in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Berta Vidal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Surojit Sural
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Curtis Loer
- Department of Biology, University of San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - G. Robert Aguilar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Daniel M. Merritt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Itai Antoine Toker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Merly C. Vogt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Cyril Cros
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Oliver Hobert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
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3
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Mignerot L, Gimond C, Bolelli L, Bouleau C, Sandjak A, Boulin T, Braendle C. Natural variation in the Caenorhabditis elegans egg-laying circuit modulates an intergenerational fitness trade-off. eLife 2024; 12:RP88253. [PMID: 38564369 PMCID: PMC10987095 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88253] [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] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary transitions from egg laying (oviparity) to live birth (viviparity) are common across various taxa. Many species also exhibit genetic variation in egg-laying mode or display an intermediate mode with laid eggs containing embryos at various stages of development. Understanding the mechanistic basis and fitness consequences of such variation remains experimentally challenging. Here, we report highly variable intra-uterine egg retention across 316 Caenorhabditis elegans wild strains, some exhibiting strong retention, followed by internal hatching. We identify multiple evolutionary origins of such phenotypic extremes and pinpoint underlying candidate loci. Behavioral analysis and genetic manipulation indicates that this variation arises from genetic differences in the neuromodulatory architecture of the egg-laying circuitry. We provide experimental evidence that while strong egg retention can decrease maternal fitness due to in utero hatching, it may enhance offspring protection and confer a competitive advantage. Therefore, natural variation in C. elegans egg-laying behaviour can alter an apparent trade-off between different fitness components across generations. Our findings highlight underappreciated diversity in C. elegans egg-laying behavior and shed light on its fitness consequences. This behavioral variation offers a promising model to elucidate the molecular changes in a simple neural circuit underlying evolutionary shifts between alternative egg-laying modes in invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Asma Sandjak
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Inserm, IBVNiceFrance
| | - Thomas Boulin
- Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS, Inserm, Université de LyonLyonFrance
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4
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Atli G, Sevgiler Y. Binary effects of fluoxetine and zinc on the biomarker responses of the non-target model organism Daphnia magna. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:27988-28006. [PMID: 38528217 PMCID: PMC11058962 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32846-5] [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: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
The antidepressant effect of zinc on mammals has been documented in recent decades, and the concentration of the antidepressant fluoxetine (FLX) in aquatic environments has been rising constantly. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the combined toxicity of a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (FLX) and Zn2+ on a non-target aquatic model organism Daphnia magna. Animals were exposed to single and binary combinations of FLX (20.5 and 41 µg/L for subchronic and 41 and 82 µg/L for acute exposures) and Zn2+ (40 µg/L for subchronic and 80 µg/L for acute exposures). In vivo experiments were done for 7 days subchronic and 48 h acute exposure, while subcellular supernatants of whole Daphnia lysate (WDL) were directly treated with the same concentrations used in the acute experiments. Morphological characteristics, Ca2+-ATPase, antioxidant enzyme activities, and lipid peroxidation were examined. There was antioxidant system suppression and Ca2+-ATPase inhibition despite the diverse response patterns due to duration, concentration, and toxicant type. After acute exposure, biomarkers showed a diminishing trend compared to subchronic exposure. According to integrated biomarker response index (IBR) analysis, in vivo Zn2+ exposure was reasonably effective on the health of D. magna, whereas exposure of WDL to Zn2+ had a lesser impact. FLX toxicity increased in a concentration-dependent manner, reversed by the combined exposure. We concluded that potential pro-oxidative and adverse Ca2+-ATPase effects of FLX and Zn2+ in D. magna may also have harmful impact on ecosystem levels. Pharmaceutical exposure (FLX) should be considered along with their potential to interact with other toxicants in aquatic biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gülüzar Atli
- Vocational School of İmamoğlu, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
- Biotechnology Research and Application Center, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
| | - Yusuf Sevgiler
- Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Biology, Adiyaman University, Adiyaman, Turkey
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5
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van der Most MA, Bakker W, Wesseling S, van den Brink NW. Toxicokinetics of the Antidepressant Fluoxetine and Its Active Metabolite Norfluoxetine in Caenorhabditis elegans and Their Comparative Potency. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38343161 PMCID: PMC10882974 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c07744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a valuable model for ecotoxicological research, yet limited attention has been given to understanding how it absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes chemicals. This is crucial for C. elegans because the organism is known to have strong uptake barriers that are known to be susceptible to potential confounding effects of the presence of Escherichia coli as a food source. One frequently studied compound in C. elegans is the antidepressant fluoxetine, which has an active metabolite norfluoxetine. In this study, we evaluated the toxicokinetics and relative potency of norfluoxetine and fluoxetine in chemotaxis and activity tests. Toxicokinetics experiments were conducted with varying times, concentrations of fluoxetine, and in the absence or presence of E. coli, simulated with a one-compartment model. Our findings demonstrate that C. elegans can take up fluoxetine and convert it into norfluoxetine. Norfluoxetine proved slightly more potent and had a longer elimination half-life. The bioconcentration factor, uptake, and elimination rate constants depended on exposure levels, duration, and the presence of E. coli in the exposure medium. These findings expand our understanding of toxicokinetic modeling in C. elegans for different exposure scenarios, underlining the importance of considering norfluoxetine formation in exposure and bioactivity assessments of fluoxetine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merel A van der Most
- Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Bakker
- Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Sebastiaan Wesseling
- Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Nico W van den Brink
- Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
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Huang YC, Luo J, Huang W, Baker CM, Gomes MA, Meng B, Byrne AB, Flavell SW. A single neuron in C. elegans orchestrates multiple motor outputs through parallel modes of transmission. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4430-4445.e6. [PMID: 37769660 PMCID: PMC10860333 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Animals generate a wide range of highly coordinated motor outputs, which allows them to execute purposeful behaviors. Individual neurons in the circuits that generate behaviors have a remarkable capacity for flexibility as they exhibit multiple axonal projections, transmitter systems, and modes of neural activity. How these multi-functional properties of neurons enable the generation of adaptive behaviors remains unknown. Here, we show that the HSN neuron in C. elegans evokes multiple motor programs over different timescales to enable a suite of behavioral changes during egg laying. Using HSN activity perturbations and in vivo calcium imaging, we show that HSN acutely increases egg laying and locomotion while also biasing the animals toward low-speed dwelling behavior over minutes. The acute effects of HSN on egg laying and high-speed locomotion are mediated by separate sets of HSN transmitters and different HSN axonal compartments. The long-lasting effects on dwelling are mediated in part by HSN release of serotonin, which is taken up and re-released by NSM, another serotonergic neuron class that directly evokes dwelling. Our results show how the multi-functional properties of a single neuron allow it to induce a coordinated suite of behaviors and also reveal that neurons can borrow serotonin from one another to control behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Chi Huang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jinyue Luo
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Wenjia Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Casey M Baker
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Matthew A Gomes
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Bohan Meng
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Alexandra B Byrne
- Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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7
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Aprison EZ, Dzitoyeva S, Ruvinsky I. Serotonergic signaling plays a deeply conserved role in improving oocyte quality. Dev Biol 2023; 499:24-30. [PMID: 37121310 PMCID: PMC10247452 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2023.04.008] [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: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Declining germline quality is a major cause of reproductive senescence. Potential remedies could be found by studying regulatory pathways that promote germline quality. Several lines of evidence, including a C. elegans male pheromone ascr#10 that counteracts the effects of germline aging in hermaphrodites, suggest that the nervous system plays an important role in regulating germline quality. Inspired by the fact that serotonin mediates ascr#10 signaling, here we show that serotonin reuptake inhibitors recapitulate the effects of ascr#10 on the germline and promote healthy oocyte aging in C. elegans. Surprisingly, we found that pharmacological increase of serotonin signaling stimulates several developmental processes in D. melanogaster, including improved oocyte quality, although underlying mechanisms appear to be different between worms and flies. Our results reveal a plausibly conserved role for serotonin in maintaining germline quality and identify a class of therapeutic interventions using available compounds that could efficiently forestall reproductive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Z Aprison
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Svetlana Dzitoyeva
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Ilya Ruvinsky
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
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8
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Fok A, Brissette B, Hallacy T, Ahamed H, Ho E, Ramanathan S, Ringstad N. High-fidelity encoding of mechanostimuli by tactile food-sensing neurons requires an ensemble of ion channels. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112452. [PMID: 37119137 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The nematode C. elegans uses mechanosensitive neurons to detect bacteria, which are food for worms. These neurons release dopamine to suppress foraging and promote dwelling. Through a screen of genes highly expressed in dopaminergic food-sensing neurons, we identify a K2P-family potassium channel-TWK-2-that damps their activity. Strikingly, loss of TWK-2 restores mechanosensation to neurons lacking the NOMPC-like channel transient receptor potential 4 (TRP-4), which was thought to be the primary mechanoreceptor for tactile food sensing. The alternate mechanoreceptor mechanism uncovered by TWK-2 mutation requires three Deg/ENaC channel subunits: ASIC-1, DEL-3, and UNC-8. Analysis of cell-physiological responses to mechanostimuli indicates that TRP and Deg/ENaC channels work together to set the range of analog encoding of stimulus intensity and to improve signal-to-noise characteristics and temporal fidelity of food-sensing neurons. We conclude that a specialized mechanosensory modality-tactile food sensing-emerges from coordination of distinct force-sensing mechanisms housed in one type of sensory neuron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Fok
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, and Neuroscience Institute, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Benjamin Brissette
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, and Neuroscience Institute, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Tim Hallacy
- Harvard University, Departments of Molecular and Cell Biology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Applied Physics, Cambridge, MA 10238, USA
| | - Hassan Ahamed
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, and Neuroscience Institute, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Elver Ho
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, and Neuroscience Institute, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sharad Ramanathan
- Harvard University, Departments of Molecular and Cell Biology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Applied Physics, Cambridge, MA 10238, USA
| | - Niels Ringstad
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, and Neuroscience Institute, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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9
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Huang YC, Luo J, Huang W, Baker CM, Gomes MA, Byrne AB, Flavell SW. A single neuron in C. elegans orchestrates multiple motor outputs through parallel modes of transmission. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.02.532814. [PMID: 37034579 PMCID: PMC10081309 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.02.532814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Animals generate a wide range of highly coordinated motor outputs, which allows them to execute purposeful behaviors. Individual neuron classes in the circuits that generate behavior have a remarkable capacity for flexibility, as they exhibit multiple axonal projections, transmitter systems, and modes of neural activity. How these multi-functional properties of neurons enable the generation of highly coordinated behaviors remains unknown. Here we show that the HSN neuron in C. elegans evokes multiple motor programs over different timescales to enable a suite of behavioral changes during egg-laying. Using HSN activity perturbations and in vivo calcium imaging, we show that HSN acutely increases egg-laying and locomotion while also biasing the animals towards low-speed dwelling behavior over longer timescales. The acute effects of HSN on egg-laying and high-speed locomotion are mediated by separate sets of HSN transmitters and different HSN axonal projections. The long-lasting effects on dwelling are mediated by HSN release of serotonin that is taken up and re-released by NSM, another serotonergic neuron class that directly evokes dwelling. Our results show how the multi-functional properties of a single neuron allow it to induce a coordinated suite of behaviors and also reveal for the first time that neurons can borrow serotonin from one another to control behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Chi Huang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jinyue Luo
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wenjia Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Casey M. Baker
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Matthew A. Gomes
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alexandra B. Byrne
- Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Steven W. Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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10
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van der Most MA, Estruch IM, van den Brink NW. Contrasting dose response relationships of neuroactive antidepressants on the behavior of C. elegans. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 250:114493. [PMID: 36608562 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Antidepressant prescriptions are on a rise worldwide and this increases the concerns for the impacts of these pharmaceuticals on nontarget organisms. Antidepressants are neuroactive compounds that can affect organism's behavior. Behavior is a sensitive endpoint that may also propagate effects at a population level. Another interesting aspect of antidepressants is that they have shown to induce non-monotonic dose-response (NMDR) curves. While such NMDR relationships may have clear implications for the environmental risk, the resolution of current studies is often too coarse to be able to detect relevant NMDR. Therefore, the current study was performed into the behavioral effects (activity, feeding and chemotaxis) in Caenorhabditis elegans as the model organism of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors fluoxetine and sertraline and the acetylcholinesterase inhibiting pesticide chlorpyrifos, using a wide range of concentrations (ng/l to mg/l). In order to statistically examine the non-monotonicity, nonlinear regression models were applied to the results. The results showed a triphasic dose-response relationship for activity and chemotaxis after exposure to fluoxetine, but not to sertraline or chlorpyrifos. Effects of fluoxetine already occurred at low concentrations in the range of ng/l while sertraline only showed effects at concentrations in the μg/l range, similar to chlorpyrifos. The different responses between fluoxetine and sertraline, both SSRIs, indicate that response patterns may not always be extrapolated from chemicals with the same primary mode of action. The effects of fluoxetine at low concentrations, in a non-monotonic manner, confirm the relevance of examining such responses at low concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merel A van der Most
- Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, the Netherlands.
| | - Ignacio Miro Estruch
- Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, the Netherlands
| | - Nico W van den Brink
- Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, the Netherlands
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11
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Rosikon KD, Bone MC, Lawal HO. Regulation and modulation of biogenic amine neurotransmission in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Physiol 2023; 14:970405. [PMID: 36875033 PMCID: PMC9978017 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.970405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitters are crucial for the relay of signals between neurons and their target. Monoamine neurotransmitters dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and histamine are found in both invertebrates and mammals and are known to control key physiological aspects in health and disease. Others, such as octopamine (OA) and tyramine (TA), are abundant in invertebrates. TA is expressed in both Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster and plays important roles in the regulation of essential life functions in each organism. OA and TA are thought to act as the mammalian homologs of epinephrine and norepinephrine respectively, and when triggered, they act in response to the various stressors in the fight-or-flight response. 5-HT regulates a wide range of behaviors in C. elegans including egg-laying, male mating, locomotion, and pharyngeal pumping. 5-HT acts predominantly through its receptors, of which various classes have been described in both flies and worms. The adult brain of Drosophila is composed of approximately 80 serotonergic neurons, which are involved in modulation of circadian rhythm, feeding, aggression, and long-term memory formation. DA is a major monoamine neurotransmitter that mediates a variety of critical organismal functions and is essential for synaptic transmission in invertebrates as it is in mammals, in which it is also a precursor for the synthesis of adrenaline and noradrenaline. In C. elegans and Drosophila as in mammals, DA receptors play critical roles and are generally grouped into two classes, D1-like and D2-like based on their predicted coupling to downstream G proteins. Drosophila uses histamine as a neurotransmitter in photoreceptors as well as a small number of neurons in the CNS. C. elegans does not use histamine as a neurotransmitter. Here, we review the comprehensive set of known amine neurotransmitters found in invertebrates, and discuss their biological and modulatory functions using the vast literature on both Drosophila and C. elegans. We also suggest the potential interactions between aminergic neurotransmitters systems in the modulation of neurophysiological activity and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna D Rosikon
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, United States
| | - Megan C Bone
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, United States
| | - Hakeem O Lawal
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, United States
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12
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Aprison EZ, Dzitoyeva S, Ruvinsky I. The serotonin circuit that coordinates germline proliferation and egg laying with other reproductive functions in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220913. [PMID: 36448283 PMCID: PMC9709507 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0913] [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: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Behaviour and physiology are altered in reproducing animals, but neuronal circuits that regulate these changes remain largely unknown. Insights into mechanisms that regulate and possibly coordinate reproduction-related traits could be gleaned from the study of sex pheromones that can improve the reproductive success of potential mating partners. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the prominent male pheromone, ascr#10, modifies reproductive behaviour and several aspects of reproductive physiology in hermaphrodite recipients, including improving oocyte quality. Here we show that a circuit that contains serotonin-producing and serotonin-uptaking neurons plays a key role in mediating effects of ascr#10 on germline development and egg laying behaviour. We also demonstrate that increased serotonin signalling promotes proliferation of germline progenitors in adult hermaphrodites. Our results establish a role for serotonin in maintaining germline quality and highlight a simple neuronal circuit that acts as a linchpin that couples food intake, mating behaviour, reproductive output, and germline renewal and provisioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Z. Aprison
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Svetlana Dzitoyeva
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Ilya Ruvinsky
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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13
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Aubry G, Milisavljevic M, Lu H. Automated and Dynamic Control of Chemical Content in Droplets for Scalable Screens of Small Animals. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2200319. [PMID: 35229457 PMCID: PMC9050880 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202200319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Screening functional phenotypes in small animals is important for genetics and drug discovery. Multiphase microfluidics has great potential for enhancing throughput but has been hampered by inefficient animal encapsulation and limited control over the animal's environment in droplets. Here, a highly efficient single-animal encapsulation unit, a liquid exchanger system for controlling the droplet chemical environment dynamically, and an automation scheme for the programming and robust execution of complex protocols are demonstrated. By careful use of interfacial forces, the liquid exchanger unit allows for adding and removing chemicals from a droplet and, therefore, generating chemical gradients inaccessible in previous multiphase systems. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as an example, it is demonstrated that these advances can serve to analyze dynamic phenotyping, such as behavior and neuronal activity, perform forward genetic screen, and are scalable to manipulate animals of different sizes. This platform paves the way for large-scale screens of complex dynamic phenotypes in small animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Aubry
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Marija Milisavljevic
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
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14
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Yu Y, Hua X, Chen H, Wang Z, Han Y, Chen X, Yang Y, Xiang M. Glutamatergic transmission associated with locomotion-related neurotoxicity to lindane over generations in Caenorhabditis elegans. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 290:133360. [PMID: 34929275 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Organochlorine pesticide lindane in the environment and biota results in the potential risks on ecosystem and human health. Lindane can adversely affect the locomotion and nervous system, yet the potential neurotoxicity of lindane over generations remains uncertain. In this study, the neurotoxicity and underlying mechanisms in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) were investigated after parental (P0) exposure to lindane at environmentally relevant concentrations over generations. Exposure to lindane at concentrations of 10-100 ng/L significantly decreased body bends and head thrashes in P0 generation. Significant decrease of fluorescence labeled different neurotransmitters, and clear morphological changes by exposure to lindane at 10-100 ng/L suggested that lindane could induce the neuronal damage in C. elegans. During the transgenerational process, decreased locomotive behaviors were also observed in F1-F3 generations, and head thrashes returned to normal levels in F4 generation. Moreover, lindane exposure down-regulated the expression of dat-1, dop-1, glr-1 and mod-1genes, while up-regulated unc-30 gene in P0 generation, which recovered to normal levels in F4 generation. Interestingly, eat-4 continued to be regulated from inhibition to stimulation in P0-F4 generations, suggesting that glutamatergic transmission may more contribute to the neurotoxicity of lindane over generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunjiang Yu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China.
| | - Xin Hua
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Haibo Chen
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China; Institute for Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, PR China
| | - Zhengdong Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Yajing Han
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Xichao Chen
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Yue Yang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China; School of Public Health, China Medical University, Liaoning, 110122, China
| | - Mingdeng Xiang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510655, China
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15
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Camicia F, Vaca HR, Guarnaschelli I, Koziol U, Mortensen OV, Fontana ACK. Molecular characterization of the serotonergic transporter from the cestode Echinococcus granulosus: pharmacology and potential role in the nervous system. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:1329-1343. [PMID: 35169884 PMCID: PMC9487190 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07466-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Echinococcus granulosus, the etiological agent of human cystic echinococcosis (formerly known as hydatid disease), represents a serious worldwide public health problem with limited treatment options. The essential role played by the neuromuscular system in parasite survival and the relevance of serotonin (5-HT) in parasite movement and development make the serotonergic system an attractive source of drug targets. In this study, we cloned and sequenced a cDNA coding for the serotonin transporter from E. granulosus (EgSERT). Bioinformatic analyses suggest that EgSERT has twelve transmembrane domains with highly conserved ligand and ionic binding sites but a less conserved allosteric site compared with the human orthologue (HsSERT). Modeling studies also suggest a good degree of conservation of the overall structure compared with HsSERT. Functional and pharmacological studies performed on the cloned EgSERT confirm that this protein is indeed a serotonin transporter. EgSERT is specific for 5-HT and does not transport other neurotransmitters. Typical monoamine transport inhibitors also displayed inhibitory activities towards EgSERT, but with lower affinity than for the human SERT (HsSERT), suggesting a high divergence of the cestode transporter compared with HsSERT. In situ hybridization studies performed in the larval protoscolex stage suggest that EgSERT is located in discrete regions that are compatible with the major ganglia of the serotonergic nervous system. The pharmacological properties, the amino acidic substitutions at important functional regions compared with the HsSERT, and the putative role of EgSERT in the nervous system suggest that it could be an important target for pharmacological intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Camicia
- Laboratorio de Toxinopatología, Centro de Patología Experimental y Aplicada, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Hugo R Vaca
- Departamento de Microbiología, Parasitología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), CONICET, Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica (IMPaM), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ines Guarnaschelli
- Sección Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Uriel Koziol
- Sección Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Ole V Mortensen
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Andreia C K Fontana
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
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16
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Schwartz EKC, Sosner EN, Desmond HE, Lum SJ, Sze JY, Mobbs CV. Serotonin and Dopamine Mimic Glucose-Induced Reinforcement in C. elegans: Potential Role of NSM Neurons and the Serotonin Subtype 4 Receptor. Front Physiol 2022; 12:783359. [PMID: 34987416 PMCID: PMC8721000 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.783359] [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: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Food produces powerful reinforcement that can lead to overconsumption and likely contributes to the obesity epidemic. The present studies examined molecular mechanisms mediating food-induced reinforcement in the model system C. elegans. After a 1-h training session during which food (bacteria) is paired with the odorant butanone, odor preference for butanone robustly increased. Glucose mimicked this effect of bacteria. Glucose-induced odor preference was enhanced similarly by prior food withdrawal or blocking glucose metabolism in the presence of food. Food- and glucose-induced odor preference was mimicked by serotonin signaling through the serotonin type-4 (5-HT4) receptor. Dopamine (thought to act primarily through a D1-like receptor) facilitated, whereas the D2 agonist bromocriptine blocked, food- and glucose-induced odor preference. Furthermore, prior food withdrawal similarly influenced reward produced by serotonin, dopamine, or food, implying post-synaptic enhancement of sensitivity to serotonin and dopamine. These results suggest that glucose metabolism plays a key role in mediating both food-induced reinforcement and enhancement of that reinforcement by prior food withdrawal and implicate serotonergic signaling through 5-HT4 receptor in the re-enforcing properties of food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K C Schwartz
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eitan N Sosner
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hayley E Desmond
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Stephanie J Lum
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ji Ying Sze
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Charles V Mobbs
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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17
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Canesi L, Miglioli A, Balbi T, Fabbri E. Physiological Roles of Serotonin in Bivalves: Possible Interference by Environmental Chemicals Resulting in Neuroendocrine Disruption. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:792589. [PMID: 35282445 PMCID: PMC8913902 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.792589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Contaminants of Emerging Concerns (CECs) are defined as chemicals not commonly monitored in aquatic ecosystems, but with the potential to cause adverse effects on biota. CECs include Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) and Neuro-Endocrine disruptors (NEDs) of vertebrates. However, most invertebrates only rely on neuroendocrine systems to maintain homeostatic processes. Although conserved neuroendocrine components have been characterized in ecologically relevant groups, limited knowledge on invertebrate neuroendocrinology makes it difficult to define EDCs and NEDs in most species. The monoamine serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) acts both as a neurotransmitter and as a peripheral hormone in mammals. In molluscs, 5-HT is involved in multiple physiological roles and molecular components of the serotonergic system have been identified. This review is focused on the effects of CECs on the serotonergic system of bivalve molluscs. Bivalves are widespread in all aquatic environments, estuarine and coastal areas in particular, where they are exposed to a variety of chemicals. In bivalves, 5-HT is involved in gametogenesis and spawning, oocyte maturation and sperm motility, regulates heart function, gill ciliary beating, mantle/siphon function, the ''catch'' state of smooth muscle and immune responses. Components of 5-HT transduction (receptors and signaling pathways) are being identified in several bivalve species. Different CECs have been shown to affect bivalve serotonergic system. This particularly applies to antidepressants, among the most commonly detected human pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment. In particular, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are frequently detected in seawater and in bivalve tissues. Information available on the effects and mechanisms of action of SSRIs on the serotonergic system of adult bivalves is summarized. Data are also reported on the effects of CECs on development of neuroendocrine pathways of early larval stages, in particular on the effects of model EDCs in the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Overall, available data point at the serotonergic system as a sensitive target for neuroendocrine disruption in bivalves. The results contribute drawing Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) for model EDCs and SSRIs in larvae and adults. However, basic research on neuroendocrine signaling is still needed to evaluate the potential impact of neuroendocrine disruptors in key invertebrate groups of aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Canesi
- Environmental Physiology Laboratory, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- *Correspondence: Laura Canesi,
| | - Angelica Miglioli
- Environmental Physiology Laboratory, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Developpement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Institut de la mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Teresa Balbi
- Environmental Physiology Laboratory, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Elena Fabbri
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
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18
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Schiffer JA, Stumbur SV, Seyedolmohadesin M, Xu Y, Serkin WT, McGowan NG, Banjo O, Torkashvand M, Lin A, Hosea CN, Assié A, Samuel BS, O’Donnell MP, Venkatachalam V, Apfeld J. Modulation of sensory perception by hydrogen peroxide enables Caenorhabditis elegans to find a niche that provides both food and protection from hydrogen peroxide. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1010112. [PMID: 34941962 PMCID: PMC8699984 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is the most common chemical threat that organisms face. Here, we show that H2O2 alters the bacterial food preference of Caenorhabditis elegans, enabling the nematodes to find a safe environment with food. H2O2 induces the nematodes to leave food patches of laboratory and microbiome bacteria when those bacterial communities have insufficient H2O2-degrading capacity. The nematode's behavior is directed by H2O2-sensing neurons that promote escape from H2O2 and by bacteria-sensing neurons that promote attraction to bacteria. However, the input for H2O2-sensing neurons is removed by bacterial H2O2-degrading enzymes and the bacteria-sensing neurons' perception of bacteria is prevented by H2O2. The resulting cross-attenuation provides a general mechanism that ensures the nematode's behavior is faithful to the lethal threat of hydrogen peroxide, increasing the nematode's chances of finding a niche that provides both food and protection from hydrogen peroxide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodie A. Schiffer
- Biology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Stephanie V. Stumbur
- Biology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Maedeh Seyedolmohadesin
- Physics Department, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Yuyan Xu
- Biology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - William T. Serkin
- Biology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Natalie G. McGowan
- Biology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Oluwatosin Banjo
- Biology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Mahdi Torkashvand
- Physics Department, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Albert Lin
- Department of Physics, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ciara N. Hosea
- Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research and Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Adrien Assié
- Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research and Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Buck S. Samuel
- Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research and Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Michael P. O’Donnell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Vivek Venkatachalam
- Physics Department, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Javier Apfeld
- Biology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Bioengineering Department, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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19
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Han GC, Jing HM, Zhang WJ, Zhang N, Li ZN, Zhang GY, Gao S, Ning JY, Li GJ. Effects of lanthanum nitrate on behavioral disorder, neuronal damage and gene expression in different developmental stages of Caenorhabditis elegans. Toxicology 2021; 465:153012. [PMID: 34718030 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2021.153012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Rare earth elements (REEs) are widely used in the industry, agriculture, biomedicine, aerospace, etc, and have been shown to pose toxic effects on animals, as such, studies focusing on their biomedical properties are gaining wide attention. However, environmental and population health risks of REEs are still not very clear. Also, the REEs damage to the nervous system and related molecular mechanisms needs further research. In this study, the L1 and L4 stages of the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans were used to evaluate the effects and possible neurotoxic mechanism of lanthanum(III) nitrate hexahydrate (La(NO3)3·6H2O). For the L1 and L4 stage worms, the 48-h median lethal concentrations (LC50s) of La(NO3)3·6H2O were 93.163 and 648.0 mg/L respectively. Our results show that La(NO3)3·6H2O induces growth inhibition and defects in behavior such as body length, body width, body bending frequency, head thrashing frequency and pharyngeal pumping frequency at the L1 and L4 stages in C. elegans. The L1 stage is more sensitive to the toxicity of lanthanum than the L4 stage worms. Using transgenic strains (BZ555, EG1285 and NL5901), we found that La(NO3)3·6H2O caused the loss or break of soma and dendrite neurons in L1 and L4 stages; and α-synuclein aggregation in L1 stage, indicating that Lanthanum can cause toxic damage to dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons. Mechanistically, La(NO3)3·6H2O exposure inhibited or activated the neurotransmitter transporters and receptors (glutamate, serotonin and dopamine) in C. elegans, which regulate behavior and movement functions. Furthermore, significant increase in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was found in the L4 stage C. elegans exposed to La(NO3)3·6H2O. Altogether, our data show that exposure to lanthanum can cause neuronal toxic damage and behavioral defects in C. elegans, and provide basic information for understanding the neurotoxic effect mechanism and environmental health risks of rare earth elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gao-Chao Han
- Institute of Toxicology, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control/Beijing Research Center for Preventive Medicine/Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, 100013, PR China; School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China
| | - Hai-Ming Jing
- Institute of Toxicology, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control/Beijing Research Center for Preventive Medicine/Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, 100013, PR China; School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China
| | - Wen-Jing Zhang
- Institute of Toxicology, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control/Beijing Research Center for Preventive Medicine/Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, 100013, PR China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Institute of Toxicology, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control/Beijing Research Center for Preventive Medicine/Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, 100013, PR China
| | - Zi-Nan Li
- Institute of Toxicology, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control/Beijing Research Center for Preventive Medicine/Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, 100013, PR China
| | - Guo-Yan Zhang
- Institute of Toxicology, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control/Beijing Research Center for Preventive Medicine/Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, 100013, PR China; School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China
| | - Shan Gao
- Institute of Toxicology, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control/Beijing Research Center for Preventive Medicine/Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, 100013, PR China
| | - Jun-Yu Ning
- Institute of Toxicology, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control/Beijing Research Center for Preventive Medicine/Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, 100013, PR China; School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China
| | - Guo-Jun Li
- Institute of Toxicology, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control/Beijing Research Center for Preventive Medicine/Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing, 100013, PR China; School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, PR China.
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20
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Chen TC, Chao HR, Wu CY, Lai YR, Chen CH, Yoshioka T, Hsu WL, Tsai MH. Effect of 9,12-Octadecadiynoic Acid on Neurobehavioral Development in Caenorhabditis elegans. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168917. [PMID: 34445623 PMCID: PMC8396327 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human breast milk lipids have major beneficial effects: they promote infant early brain development, growth and health. To identify the relationship between human breast milk lipids and infant neurodevelopment, multivariate analyses that combined lipidomics and psychological Bayley-III scales evaluation were utilized. We identified that 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid has a significantly positive correlation with infant adaptive behavioral development, which is a crucial neurodevelopment to manage risk from environmental stress. To further clarify the biological function of 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid in regulating neurodevelopment, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) was used as a model to investigate the effect of 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid on neurobehavioral development. Supplementation with 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid from the L1 to L4 stage in larvae affected locomotive behaviors and foraging ability that were not socially interactive, implying that 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid is involved in regulating the serotonergic neuronal ability. We found that supplementary 0.1 μM 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid accelerated the locomotive ability and foraging ability via increasing the expression of serotonin transporter mod-1. Antioxidant defense genes, sod-1, sod-3 and cyp-35A2 are involved in 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid-induced motor neuronal activity. Nevertheless, supplementary 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid at concentrations above 1 μM significantly attenuated locomotive behaviors, foraging ability, serotonin synthesis, serotonin-related gene expressions and stress-related gene expression, resulting in the decreased longevity of worms in the experiment. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the biological function of 9,12-octadecadiynoic acid in governing adaptive behavioral development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tun-Chieh Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 68, Jhonghua 3rd Rd, Cianjin District, Kaohsiung 80145, Taiwan;
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - How-Ran Chao
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No.1, Shuefu Road, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan;
- Emerging Compounds Research Center, General Research Service Center, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No.1, Shuefu Road, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan
- Institute of Food Safety Management, College of Agriculture, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No.1, Shuefu Road, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Ying Wu
- Department of Dermatology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 68, Jhonghua 3rd Rd, Cianjin District, Kaohsiung 80145, Taiwan;
- Department of Cosmetic Science, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, No 261, Wenhua 1st Rd, Taoyuan 33303, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Ru Lai
- Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan; (Y.-R.L.); (T.Y.)
| | - Chu-Huang Chen
- Vascular and Medicinal Research, Texas Heart Institute, 6770 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- New York Heart Research Foundation, 200 Old Country Road, Mineola, NY 11501, USA
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Shinshu University, 3-1-1 Asahi Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan
| | - Tohru Yoshioka
- Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan; (Y.-R.L.); (T.Y.)
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Li Hsu
- Department of Dermatology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 68, Jhonghua 3rd Rd, Cianjin District, Kaohsiung 80145, Taiwan;
- Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan; (Y.-R.L.); (T.Y.)
- Correspondence: (W.-L.H.); (M.-H.T.)
| | - Ming-Hsien Tsai
- Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan; (Y.-R.L.); (T.Y.)
- Department of Child Care, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No.1, Shuefu Road, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (W.-L.H.); (M.-H.T.)
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21
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Emerson S, Hay M, Smith M, Granger R, Blauch D, Snyder N, El Bejjani R. Acetylcholine signaling genes are required for cocaine-stimulated egg laying in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2021; 11:jkab143. [PMID: 33914087 PMCID: PMC8763240 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The toxicity and addictive liability associated with cocaine abuse are well-known. However, its mode of action is not completely understood, and effective pharmacotherapeutic interventions remain elusive. The cholinergic effects of cocaine on acetylcholine receptors, synthetic enzymes, and degradative enzymes have been the focus of relatively little empirical investigation. Due to its genetic tractability and anatomical simplicity, the egg laying circuit of the hermaphroditic nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, is a powerful model system to precisely examine the genetic and molecular targets of cocaine in vivo. Here, we report a novel cocaine-induced behavioral phenotype in C. elegans, cocaine-stimulated egg laying. In addition, we present the results of an in vivo candidate suppression screen of synthetic enzymes, receptors, degradative enzymes, and downstream components of the intracellular signaling cascades of the main neurotransmitter systems that control C. elegans egg laying. Our results show that cocaine-stimulated egg laying is dependent on acetylcholine synthesis and synaptic release, functional nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and the C. elegans acetylcholinesterases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soren Emerson
- Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035, USA
| | - Megan Hay
- Biology Department, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035, USA
| | - Mark Smith
- Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035, USA
- Psychology Department, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035, USA
| | - Ricky Granger
- Biology Department, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035, USA
| | - David Blauch
- Chemistry Department, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035 USA
| | - Nicole Snyder
- Chemistry Department, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035 USA
| | - Rachid El Bejjani
- Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Program, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035, USA
- Biology Department, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035, USA
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22
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Faerberg DF, Gurarie V, Ruvinsky I. Inferring temporal organization of postembryonic development from high-content behavioral tracking. Dev Biol 2021; 475:54-64. [PMID: 33636188 PMCID: PMC8107144 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Understanding temporal regulation of development remains an important challenge. Whereas average, species-typical timing of many developmental processes has been established, less is known about inter-individual variability and correlations in timing of specific events. We addressed these questions in the context of postembryonic development in Caenorhabditis elegans. Based on patterns of locomotor activity of freely moving animals, we inferred durations of four larval stages (L1-L4) in over 100 individuals. Analysis of these data supports several conclusions. Individuals have consistently faster or slower rates of development because durations of L1 through L3 stages are positively correlated. The last larval stage, the L4, is less variable than the earlier stages and its duration is largely independent of the rate of early larval development, implying existence of two distinct larval epochs. We describe characteristic patterns of variation and correlation, as well as the fact that stage durations tend to scale relative to total developmental time. This scaling relationship suggests that each larval stage is not limited by an absolute duration, but is instead terminated when a subset of events that must occur prior to adulthood have been completed. The approach described here offers a scalable platform that will facilitate the study of temporal regulation of postembryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis F Faerberg
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Victor Gurarie
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Ilya Ruvinsky
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
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23
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Higuchi-Sanabria R, Durieux J, Kelet N, Homentcovschi S, de Los Rios Rogers M, Monshietehadi S, Garcia G, Dallarda S, Daniele JR, Ramachandran V, Sahay A, Tronnes SU, Joe L, Dillin A. Divergent Nodes of Non-autonomous UPR ER Signaling through Serotonergic and Dopaminergic Neurons. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108489. [PMID: 33296657 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In multicellular organisms, neurons integrate a diverse array of external cues to affect downstream changes in organismal health. Specifically, activation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) unfolded protein response (UPRER) in neurons increases lifespan by preventing age-onset loss of ER proteostasis and driving lipid depletion in a cell non-autonomous manner. The mechanism of this communication is dependent on the release of small clear vesicles from neurons. We find dopaminergic neurons are necessary and sufficient for activation of cell non-autonomous UPRER to drive lipid depletion in peripheral tissues, whereas serotonergic neurons are sufficient to drive protein homeostasis in peripheral tissues. These signaling modalities are unique and independent and together coordinate the beneficial effects of neuronal cell non-autonomous ER stress signaling upon health and longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Higuchi-Sanabria
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jenni Durieux
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Naame Kelet
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Stefan Homentcovschi
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Mattias de Los Rios Rogers
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Samira Monshietehadi
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Gilberto Garcia
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sofia Dallarda
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Joseph R Daniele
- TRACTION, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, South Campus Research, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Vidhya Ramachandran
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Arushi Sahay
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sarah U Tronnes
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Larry Joe
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Andrew Dillin
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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24
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Chen YC, Seyedsayamdost MR, Ringstad N. A microbial metabolite synergizes with endogenous serotonin to trigger C. elegans reproductive behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:30589-30598. [PMID: 33199611 PMCID: PMC7720207 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2017918117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural products are a major source of small-molecule therapeutics, including those that target the nervous system. We have used a simple serotonin-dependent behavior of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, egg laying, to perform a behavior-based screen for natural products that affect serotonin signaling. Our screen yielded agonists of G protein-coupled serotonin receptors, protein kinase C agonists, and a microbial metabolite not previously known to interact with serotonin signaling pathways: the disulfide-bridged 2,5-diketopiperazine gliotoxin. Effects of gliotoxin on egg-laying behavior required the G protein-coupled serotonin receptors SER-1 and SER-7, and the Gq ortholog EGL-30. Furthermore, mutants lacking serotonergic neurons and mutants that cannot synthesize serotonin were profoundly resistant to gliotoxin. Exogenous serotonin restored their sensitivity to gliotoxin, indicating that this compound synergizes with endogenous serotonin to elicit behavior. These data show that a microbial metabolite with no structural similarity to known serotonergic agonists potentiates an endogenous serotonin signal to affect behavior. Based on this study, we suggest that microbial metabolites are a rich source of functionally novel neuroactive molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Chih Chen
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
| | | | - Niels Ringstad
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016;
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
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25
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Crisford A, Calahorro F, Ludlow E, Marvin JMC, Hibbard JK, Lilley CJ, Kearn J, Keefe F, Johnson P, Harmer R, Urwin PE, O’Connor V, Holden-Dye L. Identification and characterisation of serotonin signalling in the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida reveals new targets for crop protection. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008884. [PMID: 33007049 PMCID: PMC7556481 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant parasitic nematodes are microscopic pathogens that invade plant roots and cause extensive damage to crops. We have used a chemical biology approach to define mechanisms underpinning their parasitic behaviour: We discovered that reserpine, a plant alkaloid that inhibits the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT), potently impairs the ability of the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida to enter the host plant root. We show this is due to an inhibition of serotonergic signalling that is essential for activation of the stylet which is used to access the host root. Prompted by this we identified core molecular components of G. pallida serotonin signalling encompassing the target of reserpine, VMAT; the synthetic enzyme for serotonin, tryptophan hydroxylase; the G protein coupled receptor SER-7 and the serotonin-gated chloride channel MOD-1. We cloned each of these molecular components and confirmed their functional identity by complementation of the corresponding C. elegans mutant thus mapping out serotonergic signalling in G. pallida. Complementary approaches testing the effect of chemical inhibitors of each of these signalling elements on discrete sub-behaviours required for parasitism and root invasion reinforce the critical role of serotonin. Thus, targeting the serotonin signalling pathway presents a promising new route to control plant parasitic nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Crisford
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Fernando Calahorro
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Ludlow
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica M. C. Marvin
- Centre for Plant Sciences, School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer K. Hibbard
- Centre for Plant Sciences, School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine J. Lilley
- Centre for Plant Sciences, School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - James Kearn
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Francesca Keefe
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Rachael Harmer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Peter E. Urwin
- Centre for Plant Sciences, School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Vincent O’Connor
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Lindy Holden-Dye
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
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26
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Da Silva JD, Oliveira S, Pereira-Sousa J, Teixeira-Castro A, Costa MD, Maciel P. Loss of egli-1, the Caenorhabditis elegans Orthologue of a Downstream Target of SMN, Leads to Abnormalities in Sensorimotor Integration. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 57:1553-1569. [PMID: 31797327 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-01833-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The connectome of Caenorhabditis elegans has been extensively studied and fully mapped, allowing researchers to more confidently conclude on the impact of any change in neuronal circuits based on behavioral data. One of the more complex sensorimotor circuits in nematodes is the one that regulates the integration of feeding status with the subsequent behavioral responses that allow animals to adapt to environmental conditions. Here, we have characterized a Caenorhabditis elegans knockout model of the egli-1 gene (previously known as tag-175). This is an orthologue of the stasimon/tmem41b gene, a downstream target of SMN, the depleted protein in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which partially recapitulates the SMA phenotype in fly and zebrafish models when mutated. Surprisingly, egli-1 mutants reveal no deficits in motor function. Instead, they show functional impairment of a specific neuronal circuit, leading to defects in the integration of sensorial information related to food abundance, with consequences at the level of locomotion adaptation, egg laying, and the response to aversive chemical stimuli. This work has demonstrated for the first time the relevance of egli-1 in the nervous system, as well as revealed a function for this gene, which had remained elusive so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Diogo Da Silva
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Stéphanie Oliveira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Joana Pereira-Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Andreia Teixeira-Castro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Marta Daniela Costa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Maciel
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. .,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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27
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McDiarmid TA, Au V, Loewen AD, Liang J, Mizumoto K, Moerman DG, Rankin CH. CRISPR-Cas9 human gene replacement and phenomic characterization in Caenorhabditis elegans to understand the functional conservation of human genes and decipher variants of uncertain significance. Dis Model Mech 2018; 11:dmm.036517. [PMID: 30361258 PMCID: PMC6307914 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.036517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Our ability to sequence genomes has vastly surpassed our ability to interpret the genetic variation we discover. This presents a major challenge in the clinical setting, where the recent application of whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing has uncovered thousands of genetic variants of uncertain significance. Here, we present a strategy for targeted human gene replacement and phenomic characterization, based on CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering in the genetic model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, that will facilitate assessment of the functional conservation of human genes and structure-function analysis of disease-associated variants with unprecedented precision. We validate our strategy by demonstrating that direct single-copy replacement of the C. elegans ortholog (daf-18) with the critical human disease-associated gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is sufficient to rescue multiple phenotypic abnormalities caused by complete deletion of daf-18, including complex chemosensory and mechanosensory impairments. In addition, we used our strategy to generate animals harboring a single copy of the known pathogenic lipid phosphatase inactive PTEN variant (PTEN-G129E), and showed that our automated in vivo phenotypic assays could accurately and efficiently classify this missense variant as loss of function. The integrated nature of the human transgenes allows for analysis of both homozygous and heterozygous variants and greatly facilitates high-throughput precision medicine drug screens. By combining genome engineering with rapid and automated phenotypic characterization, our strategy streamlines the identification of novel conserved gene functions in complex sensory and learning phenotypes that can be used as in vivo functional assays to decipher variants of uncertain significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy A McDiarmid
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Vinci Au
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Aaron D Loewen
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Joseph Liang
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Kota Mizumoto
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Donald G Moerman
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Catharine H Rankin
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada .,Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
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28
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Blazie SM, Jin Y. Pharming for Genes in Neurotransmission: Combining Chemical and Genetic Approaches in Caenorhabditis elegans. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:1963-1974. [PMID: 29432681 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic transmission is central to nervous system function. Chemical and genetic screens are valuable approaches to probe synaptic mechanisms in living animals. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a prime system to apply these methods to discover genes and dissect the cellular pathways underlying neurotransmission. Here, we review key approaches to understand neurotransmission and the action of psychiatric drugs in C. elegans. We start with early studies on cholinergic excitatory signaling at the neuromuscular junction, and move into mechanisms mediated by biogenic amines. Finally, we discuss emerging work toward understanding the mechanisms driving synaptic plasticity with a focus on regulation of protein translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M. Blazie
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Yishi Jin
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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29
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Weeks JC, Roberts WM, Leasure C, Suzuki BM, Robinson KJ, Currey H, Wangchuk P, Eichenberger RM, Saxton AD, Bird TD, Kraemer BC, Loukas A, Hawdon JM, Caffrey CR, Liachko NF. Sertraline, Paroxetine, and Chlorpromazine Are Rapidly Acting Anthelmintic Drugs Capable of Clinical Repurposing. Sci Rep 2018; 8:975. [PMID: 29343694 PMCID: PMC5772060 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18457-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic helminths infect over 1 billion people worldwide, while current treatments rely on a limited arsenal of drugs. To expedite drug discovery, we screened a small-molecule library of compounds with histories of use in human clinical trials for anthelmintic activity against the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. From this screen, we found that the neuromodulatory drugs sertraline, paroxetine, and chlorpromazine kill C. elegans at multiple life stages including embryos, developing larvae and gravid adults. These drugs act rapidly to inhibit C. elegans feeding within minutes of exposure. Sertraline, paroxetine, and chlorpromazine also decrease motility of adult Trichuris muris whipworms, prevent hatching and development of Ancylostoma caninum hookworms and kill Schistosoma mansoni flatworms, three widely divergent parasitic helminth species. C. elegans mutants with resistance to known anthelmintic drugs such as ivermectin are equally or more susceptible to these three drugs, suggesting that they may act on novel targets to kill worms. Sertraline, paroxetine, and chlorpromazine have long histories of use clinically as antidepressant or antipsychotic medicines. They may represent new classes of anthelmintic drug that could be used in combination with existing front-line drugs to boost effectiveness of anti-parasite treatment as well as offset the development of parasite drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janis C Weeks
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - William M Roberts
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Caitlyn Leasure
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, George Washington University, Washington D.C., 20052, USA
| | - Brian M Suzuki
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | | | - Heather Currey
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA
| | - Phurpa Wangchuk
- Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
| | - Ramon M Eichenberger
- Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
| | - Aleen D Saxton
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA
| | - Thomas D Bird
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
| | - Brian C Kraemer
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
| | - Alex Loukas
- Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
| | - John M Hawdon
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, George Washington University, Washington D.C., 20052, USA
| | - Conor R Caffrey
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Nicole F Liachko
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA.
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30
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Smita SS, Raj Sammi S, Laxman TS, Bhatta RS, Pandey R. Shatavarin IV elicits lifespan extension and alleviates Parkinsonism in Caenorhabditis elegans. Free Radic Res 2017; 51:954-969. [PMID: 29069955 DOI: 10.1080/10715762.2017.1395419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Shatavarin IV (SIV), a steroidal saponin, is a major bioactive phytomolecule present in roots of Asparagus racemosus (Liliaceae) known for its anticancer activity. Age-associated neurodegenerative Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterised by alpha-synuclein aggregation in dopaminergic neuron resulting in neurodegeneration. The invention of bioactive molecules that delay aging and age-associated disorders endorses development of natural phytomolecule as a therapeutic agent for curing age-related diseases. Therefore, the present study for the first time explores the potential of SIV against aging and Parkinsonism utilising Caenorhabditis elegans model system. SIV significantly attenuated oxidative stress in terms of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as oxidative damage including protein carbonylation and also promotes longevity. SIV also significantly increased the mRNA expression of stress responsive genes namely sod-1, sod-2, sod-3, gst-4, gst-7 and ctl-2 suggesting its anti-oxidant property that might be contributed in the modulation of oxidative stress and promoting lifespan. Additionally, SIV improved PD symptoms by reducing the alpha-synuclein aggregation, lipid accumulation and enhancing dopamine level. Altogether, present findings indicate that SIV possibly utilising ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal system and attenuating oxidative stress by up-regulating PD-associated genes pdr-1, ubc-12 and pink-1. Therefore, this study is a forward step in exploring the anti-aging and anti-Parkinsonism potential of bioactive compound SIV in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shachi Shuchi Smita
- a Laboratory of Aging Biology, Department of Microbial Technology and Nematology , Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research , Lucknow , India
| | - Shreesh Raj Sammi
- a Laboratory of Aging Biology, Department of Microbial Technology and Nematology , Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research , Lucknow , India
| | - Tulsankar S Laxman
- b Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism Division , Central Drug Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research , Lucknow , India
| | - Rabi S Bhatta
- b Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism Division , Central Drug Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research , Lucknow , India
| | - Rakesh Pandey
- a Laboratory of Aging Biology, Department of Microbial Technology and Nematology , Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research , Lucknow , India
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31
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Brock T, Pop S, Bradford C, Lawson J, Resch L, Hopkins C. Precision deletion of the entire coding sequence of the mod-5 locus causes increase in pharyngeal pumping frequency. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2017; 2017:10.17912/W2NP4D. [PMID: 32550363 PMCID: PMC7255883 DOI: 10.17912/w2np4d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Trisha Brock
- Knudra Transgenics, 5201 S Green St., Salt Lake City, UT 84123, USA,
Correspondence to: Trisha Brock ()
| | - Stelian Pop
- Knudra Transgenics, 5201 S Green St., Salt Lake City, UT 84123, USA
| | | | - Jenn Lawson
- Knudra Transgenics, 5201 S Green St., Salt Lake City, UT 84123, USA
| | - Lauren Resch
- Knudra Transgenics, 5201 S Green St., Salt Lake City, UT 84123, USA
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Belova EB, Kolsanova RR, Kalinnikova TB, Khakimova DM, Shagidullin RR, Gainutdinov MK. Serotonin-induced sensitization of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2017. [DOI: 10.1134/s1234567817020082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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McCloskey RJ, Fouad AD, Churgin MA, Fang-Yen C. Food responsiveness regulates episodic behavioral states in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Neurophysiol 2017; 117:1911-1934. [PMID: 28228583 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00555.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals optimize survival and reproduction in part through control of behavioral states, which depend on an organism's internal and external environments. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans a variety of behavioral states have been described, including roaming, dwelling, quiescence, and episodic swimming. These states have been considered in isolation under varied experimental conditions, making it difficult to establish a unified picture of how they are regulated. Using long-term imaging, we examined C. elegans episodic behavioral states under varied mechanical and nutritional environments. We found that animals alternate between high-activity (active) and low-activity (sedentary) episodes in any mechanical environment, while the incidence of episodes and their behavioral composition depend on food levels. During active episodes, worms primarily roam, as characterized by continuous whole body movement. During sedentary episodes, animals exhibit dwelling (slower movements confined to the anterior half of the body) and quiescence (a complete lack of movement). Roaming, dwelling, and quiescent states are manifest not only through locomotory characteristics but also in pharyngeal pumping (feeding) and in egg-laying behaviors. Next, we analyzed the genetic basis of behavioral states. We found that modulation of behavioral states depends on neuropeptides and insulin-like signaling in the nervous system. Sensory neurons and the Foraging homolog EGL-4 regulate behavior through control of active/sedentary episodes. Optogenetic stimulation of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons induced dwelling, implicating dopamine as a dwell-promoting neurotransmitter. Our findings provide a more unified description of behavioral states and suggest that perception of nutrition is a conserved mechanism for regulating animal behavior.NEW & NOTEWORTHY One strategy by which animals adapt to their internal states and external environments is by adopting behavioral states. The roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is an attractive model for investigating how behavioral states are genetically and neuronally controlled. Here we describe the hierarchical organization of behavioral states characterized by locomotory activity, feeding, and egg-laying. We show that decisions to engage in these behaviors are controlled by the nervous system through insulin-like signaling and the perception of food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J McCloskey
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and
| | - Anthony D Fouad
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and
| | - Matthew A Churgin
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and
| | - Christopher Fang-Yen
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and .,Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Hiebert T, Chicas-Cruz A, McCormick K. Basal pharyngeal pumping elevated in C. elegans mod-5 mutants. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2017; 2017:10.17912/W2H59W. [PMID: 32550351 PMCID: PMC7255870 DOI: 10.17912/w2h59w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Terra Hiebert
- NemaMetrix, Inc,. 44 W 7th Ave., Eugene, OR 97401 USA.,
Correspondence to: Terra Hiebert ()
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Lee KS, Iwanir S, Kopito RB, Scholz M, Calarco JA, Biron D, Levine E. Serotonin-dependent kinetics of feeding bursts underlie a graded response to food availability in C. elegans. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14221. [PMID: 28145493 PMCID: PMC5296638 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals integrate physiological and environmental signals to modulate their food uptake. The nematode C. elegans, whose food uptake consists of pumping bacteria from the environment into the gut, provides excellent opportunities for discovering principles of conserved regulatory mechanisms. Here we show that worms implement a graded feeding response to the concentration of environmental bacteria by modulating a commitment to bursts of fast pumping. Using long-term, high-resolution, longitudinal recordings of feeding dynamics under defined conditions, we find that the frequency and duration of pumping bursts increase and the duration of long pauses diminishes in environments richer in bacteria. The bioamine serotonin is required for food-dependent induction of bursts as well as for maintaining their high rate of pumping through two distinct mechanisms. We identify the differential roles of distinct families of serotonin receptors in this process and propose that regulation of bursts is a conserved mechanism of behaviour and motor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Suk Lee
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Shachar Iwanir
- Department of Physics and the James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Ronen B. Kopito
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Monika Scholz
- Department of Physics and the James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - John A. Calarco
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - David Biron
- Department of Physics and the James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- The Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Erel Levine
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
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Fong PP, Bury TBS, Donovan EE, Lambert OJ, Palmucci JR, Adamczak SK. Exposure to SSRI-type antidepressants increases righting time in the marine snail Ilyanassa obsoleta. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:725-731. [PMID: 27752949 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7855-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to human antidepressants has been shown to disrupt locomotion and other foot-mediated mechanisms in aquatic snails. We tested the effect of three selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)- and one selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI)-type antidepressants on the righting response in the marine snail, Ilyanassa obsoleta. All four antidepressants (fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, venlafaxine) significantly increased righting time compared with controls with an exposure time as short as 1 h. Dose responses were nonmonotonic with effects seen mainly at the lowest exposure concentrations and shortest duration. The lowest concentration to show an effect was 3.45 μg/L fluoxetine with a 2-h exposure period and is about 3.71 times higher than environmental concentrations. Our results highlight rapid disruption of another foot-mediated behavior in aquatic snails by SSRI-type antidepressants. We discuss these and other reported nonmonotonic dose responses caused by antidepressants in terms of the various possible physiological mechanisms of action in nontarget aquatic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter P Fong
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA, 17325, USA.
| | - Taylor B S Bury
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA, 17325, USA
| | | | - Olivia J Lambert
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA, 17325, USA
| | - Julia R Palmucci
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA, 17325, USA
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Pinkas A, Aschner M. Advanced Glycation End-Products and Their Receptors: Related Pathologies, Recent Therapeutic Strategies, and a Potential Model for Future Neurodegeneration Studies. Chem Res Toxicol 2016; 29:707-14. [PMID: 27054356 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.6b00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are the result of a nonenzymatic reaction between sugars and proteins, lipids, or nucleic acids. AGEs are both consumed and endogenously formed; their accumulation is accelerated under hyperglycemic and oxidative stress conditions, and they are associated with the onset and complication of many diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. AGEs exert their deleterious effects by either accumulating in the circulation and tissues or by receptor-mediated signal transduction. Several receptors bind AGEs: some are specific and contribute to clearance of AGEs, whereas others, like the RAGE receptor, are nonspecific, associated with inflammation and oxidative stress, and considered to be mediators of the aforementioned AGE-related diseases. Although several anti-AGE compounds have been studied, understanding the underlying mechanisms of RAGE and targeting it as a therapeutic strategy is becoming increasingly desirable. For achieving these goals efficiently and expeditiously, the C. elegans model has been suggested. This model is already used for studying several human diseases and, by expressing RAGE, could also be used to study RAGE-related pathways and pathologies to facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adi Pinkas
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Forchheimer Building, Room 209, Bronx, New York 10461, United States
| | - Michael Aschner
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Forchheimer Building, Room 209, Bronx, New York 10461, United States
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Ford AT, Fong PP. The effects of antidepressants appear to be rapid and at environmentally relevant concentrations. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2016; 35:794-8. [PMID: 26031210 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The effects of antidepressants on wildlife are currently raising some concern because of an increased number of publications indicating biological effects at environmentally relevant concentrations (<100 ng/L). These results have been met with some scepticism because of the higher concentrations required to detect effects in some species and the perceived slowness to therapeutic effects recorded in humans and other vertebrates. Because their mode of action is thought to be by modulation of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, aquatic invertebrates that possess transporters and receptors sensitive to activation by these pharmaceuticals are potentially affected by them. The authors highlight studies on the effects of antidepressants, particularly on crustacean and molluskan groups, showing that they are susceptible to a wide variety of neuroendocrine disruptions at environmentally relevant concentrations. Interestingly, some effects observed in these species can be observed within minutes to hours of exposure. For example, exposure of amphipod crustaceans to several selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can invoke changes in swimming behavior within hours. In mollusks, exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can induce spawning in male and female mussels and foot detachment in snails within minutes of exposure. In the light of new studies indicating effects on the human brain from selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors using magnetic resonance imaging scans, the authors discuss possible reasons for the discrepancy in former results in relation to the read-across hypothesis, variation in biomarkers used, modes of uptake, phylogenetic distance, and the affinity to different targets and differential sensitivity to receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex T Ford
- Institute of Marine Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Ferry Road, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | - Peter P Fong
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA
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The Conserved VPS-50 Protein Functions in Dense-Core Vesicle Maturation and Acidification and Controls Animal Behavior. Curr Biol 2016; 26:862-71. [PMID: 26948874 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.01.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Revised: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The modification of behavior in response to experience is crucial for animals to adapt to environmental changes. Although factors such as neuropeptides and hormones are known to function in the switch between alternative behavioral states, the mechanisms by which these factors transduce, store, retrieve, and integrate environmental signals to regulate behavior are poorly understood. The rate of locomotion of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans depends on both current and past food availability. Specifically, C. elegans slows its locomotion when it encounters food, and animals in a food-deprived state slow even more than animals in a well-fed state. The slowing responses of well-fed and food-deprived animals in the presence of food represent distinct behavioral states, as they are controlled by different sets of genes, neurotransmitters, and neurons. Here we describe an evolutionarily conserved C. elegans protein, VPS-50, that is required for animals to assume the well-fed behavioral state. Both VPS-50 and its murine homolog mVPS50 are expressed in neurons, are associated with synaptic and dense-core vesicles, and control vesicle acidification and hence synaptic function, likely through regulation of the assembly of the V-ATPase complex. We propose that dense-core vesicle acidification controlled by the evolutionarily conserved protein VPS-50/mVPS50 affects behavioral state by modulating neuropeptide levels and presynaptic neuronal function in both C. elegans and mammals.
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40
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Serotonin promotes exploitation in complex environments by accelerating decision-making. BMC Biol 2016; 14:9. [PMID: 26847342 PMCID: PMC4743430 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-016-0232-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Fast responses can provide a competitive advantage when resources are inhomogeneously distributed. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was shown to modulate locomotion on a lawn of bacterial food in serotonin (5-HT)-dependent manners. However, potential roles for serotonergic signaling in responding to food discovery are poorly understood. Results We found that 5-HT signaling in C. elegans facilitates efficient exploitation in complex environments by mediating a rapid response upon encountering food. Genetic or cellular manipulations leading to deficient serotonergic signaling resulted in gradual responses and defective exploitation of a patchy foraging landscape. Physiological imaging revealed that the NSM serotonergic neurons responded acutely upon encounter with newly discovered food and were key to rapid responses. In contrast, the onset of responses of ADF serotonergic neurons preceded the physical encounter with the food. The serotonin-gated chloride channel MOD-1 and the ortholog of mammalian 5-HT1 metabotropic serotonin receptors SER-4 acted in synergy to accelerate decision-making. The relevance of responding rapidly was demonstrated in patchy environments, where the absence of 5-HT signaling was detrimental to exploitation. Conclusions Our results implicate 5-HT in a novel form of decision-making, demonstrate its fitness consequences, suggest that NSM and ADF act in concert to modulate locomotion in complex environments, and identify the synergistic action of a channel and a metabotropic receptor in accelerating C. elegans decision-making. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-016-0232-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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41
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Bermingham DP, Hardaway JA, Snarrenberg CL, Robinson SB, Folkes OM, Salimando GJ, Jinnah H, Blakely RD. Acute blockade of the Caenorhabditis elegans dopamine transporter DAT-1 by the mammalian norepinephrine transporter inhibitor nisoxetine reveals the influence of genetic modifications of dopamine signaling in vivo. Neurochem Int 2016; 98:122-8. [PMID: 26850478 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2016.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Modulation of neurotransmission by the catecholamine dopamine (DA) is conserved across phylogeny. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, excess DA signaling triggers Swimming-Induced Paralysis (Swip), a phenotype first described in animals with loss of function mutations in the presynaptic DA transporter (dat-1). Swip has proven to be a phenotype suitable for the identification of novel dat-1 mutations as well as the identification of novel genes that impact DA signaling. Pharmacological manipulations can also induce Swip, though the reagents employed to date lack specificity and potency, limiting their use in evaluation of dat-1 expression and function. Our lab previously established the mammalian norepinephrine transporter (NET) inhibitor nisoxetine to be a potent antagonist of DA uptake conferred by DAT-1 following heterologous expression. Here we demonstrate the ability of low (μM) concentrations of nisoxetine to trigger Swip within minutes of incubation, with paralysis dependent on DA release and signaling, and non-additive with Swip triggered by dat-1 deletion. Using nisoxetine in combination with genetic mutations that impact DA release, we further demonstrate the utility of the drug for demonstrating contributions of presynaptic DA receptors and ion channels to Swip. Together, these findings reveal nisoxetine as a powerful reagent for monitoring multiple dimensions of DA signaling in vivo, thus providing a new resource that can be used to evaluate contributions of dat-1 and other genes linked to DA signaling without the potential for compensations that attend constitutive genetic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P Bermingham
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA
| | - J Andrew Hardaway
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA
| | - Chelsea L Snarrenberg
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA
| | - Sarah B Robinson
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA
| | - Oakleigh M Folkes
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA
| | - Greg J Salimando
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA
| | - Hussain Jinnah
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA
| | - Randy D Blakely
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA.
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Wu T, He K, Zhan Q, Ang S, Ying J, Zhang S, Zhang T, Xue Y, Tang M. MPA-capped CdTe quantum dots exposure causes neurotoxic effects in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans by affecting the transporters and receptors of glutamate, serotonin and dopamine at the genetic level, or by increasing ROS, or both. NANOSCALE 2015; 7:20460-20473. [PMID: 26583374 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr05914c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
As quantum dots (QDs) are widely used in biomedical applications, the number of studies focusing on their biological properties is increasing. While several studies have attempted to evaluate the toxicity of QDs towards neural cells, the in vivo toxic effects on the nervous system and the molecular mechanisms are unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the neurotoxic effects and the underlying mechanisms of water-soluble cadmium telluride (CdTe) QDs capped with 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Our results showed that exposure to MPA-capped CdTe QDs induced behavioral defects, including alterations to body bending, head thrashing, pharyngeal pumping and defecation intervals, as well as impaired learning and memory behavior plasticity, based on chemotaxis or thermotaxis, in a dose-, time- and size-dependent manner. Further investigations suggested that MPA-capped CdTe QDs exposure inhibited the transporters and receptors of glutamate, serotonin and dopamine in C. elegans at the genetic level within 24 h, while opposite results were observed after 72 h. Additionally, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was observed in the CdTe QD-treated worms, which confirmed the common nanotoxicity mechanism of oxidative stress damage, and might overcome the increased gene expression of neurotransmitter transporters and receptors in C. elegans induced by long-term QD exposure, resulting in more severe behavioral impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianshu Wu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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Teixeira-Castro A, Jalles A, Esteves S, Kang S, da Silva Santos L, Silva-Fernandes A, Neto MF, Brielmann RM, Bessa C, Duarte-Silva S, Miranda A, Oliveira S, Neves-Carvalho A, Bessa J, Summavielle T, Silverman RB, Oliveira P, Morimoto RI, Maciel P. Serotonergic signalling suppresses ataxin 3 aggregation and neurotoxicity in animal models of Machado-Joseph disease. Brain 2015; 138:3221-37. [PMID: 26373603 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awv262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine diseases are a class of dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders for which there is no effective treatment. Here we provide evidence that activation of serotonergic signalling is beneficial in animal models of Machado-Joseph disease. We identified citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, in a small molecule screen of FDA-approved drugs that rescued neuronal dysfunction and reduced aggregation using a Caenorhabditis elegans model of mutant ataxin 3-induced neurotoxicity. MOD-5, the C. elegans orthologue of the serotonin transporter and cellular target of citalopram, and the serotonin receptors SER-1 and SER-4 were strong genetic modifiers of ataxin 3 neurotoxicity and necessary for therapeutic efficacy. Moreover, chronic treatment of CMVMJD135 mice with citalopram significantly reduced ataxin 3 neuronal inclusions and astrogliosis, rescued diminished body weight and strikingly ameliorated motor symptoms. These results suggest that small molecule modulation of serotonergic signalling represents a promising therapeutic target for Machado-Joseph disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Teixeira-Castro
- 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal 3 Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA 4 Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Ana Jalles
- 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Sofia Esteves
- 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Soosung Kang
- 3 Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA 5 Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA 6 Chemistry of Life Processes Institute and Center for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Liliana da Silva Santos
- 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Anabela Silva-Fernandes
- 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Mário F Neto
- 3 Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA 4 Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Renée M Brielmann
- 3 Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA 4 Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Carlos Bessa
- 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Sara Duarte-Silva
- 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Adriana Miranda
- 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Stéphanie Oliveira
- 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Andreia Neves-Carvalho
- 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - João Bessa
- 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Teresa Summavielle
- 7 IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Richard B Silverman
- 3 Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA 5 Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA 6 Chemistry of Life Processes Institute and Center for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Pedro Oliveira
- 8 ICBAS-Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Richard I Morimoto
- 3 Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA 4 Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Patrícia Maciel
- 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal 2 ICVS/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
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Wang W, Xu ZJ, Wu YQ, Qin LW, Li ZY, Wu ZX. Off-response in ASH neurons evoked by CuSO4 requires the TRP channel OSM-9 in Caenorhabditis elegans. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2015; 461:463-8. [PMID: 25871795 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 04/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China
| | - Zi-Jing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China
| | - Ya-Qian Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China
| | - Li-Wei Qin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China
| | - Zhao-Yu Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China
| | - Zheng-Xing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China.
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Chen X, Ye R, Gargus JJ, Blakely RD, Dobrenis K, Sze JY. Disruption of Transient Serotonin Accumulation by Non-Serotonin-Producing Neurons Impairs Cortical Map Development. Cell Rep 2015; 10:346-358. [PMID: 25600870 PMCID: PMC4824665 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2014] [Revised: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymorphisms that alter serotonin transporter SERT expression and functionality increase the risks for autism and psychiatric traits. Here, we investigate how SERT controls serotonin signaling in developing CNS in mice. SERT is transiently expressed in specific sets of glutamatergic neurons and uptakes extrasynaptic serotonin during perinatal CNS development. We show that SERT expression in glutamatergic thalamocortical axons (TCAs) dictates sensory map architecture. Knockout of SERT in TCAs causes lasting alterations in TCA patterning, spatial organizations of cortical neurons, and dendritic arborization in sensory cortex. Pharmacological reduction of serotonin synthesis during the first postnatal week rescues sensory maps in SERTGluΔ mice. Furthermore, knockdown of SERT expression in serotonin-producing neurons does not impair barrel maps. We propose that spatiotemporal SERT expression in non-serotonin-producing neurons represents a determinant in early life genetic programming of cortical circuits. Perturbing this SERT function could be involved in the origin of sensory and cognitive deficits associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoning Chen
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Rose F. Kennedy Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Ran Ye
- Departments of Pharmacology & Psychiatry, Silvio O. Conte Center for Neuroscience Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - J Jay Gargus
- Center for Autism Research and Translation and Department of Physiology & Biophysics and Section of Human Genetics in Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Randy D Blakely
- Departments of Pharmacology & Psychiatry, Silvio O. Conte Center for Neuroscience Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Kostantin Dobrenis
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience and Rose F. Kennedy Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Ji Ying Sze
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Rose F. Kennedy Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
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Dwyer DS, Aamodt E, Cohen B, Buttner EA. Drug elucidation: invertebrate genetics sheds new light on the molecular targets of CNS drugs. Front Pharmacol 2014; 5:177. [PMID: 25120487 PMCID: PMC4112795 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2014.00177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 07/09/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Many important drugs approved to treat common human diseases were discovered by serendipity, without a firm understanding of their modes of action. As a result, the side effects and interactions of these medications are often unpredictable, and there is limited guidance for improving the design of next-generation drugs. Here, we review the innovative use of simple model organisms, especially Caenorhabditis elegans, to gain fresh insights into the complex biological effects of approved CNS medications. Whereas drug discovery involves the identification of new drug targets and lead compounds/biologics, and drug development spans preclinical testing to FDA approval, drug elucidation refers to the process of understanding the mechanisms of action of marketed drugs by studying their novel effects in model organisms. Drug elucidation studies have revealed new pathways affected by antipsychotic drugs, e.g., the insulin signaling pathway, a trace amine receptor and a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Similarly, novel targets of antidepressant drugs and lithium have been identified in C. elegans, including lipid-binding/transport proteins and the SGK-1 signaling pathway, respectively. Elucidation of the mode of action of anesthetic agents has shown that anesthesia can involve mitochondrial targets, leak currents, and gap junctions. The general approach reviewed in this article has advanced our knowledge about important drugs for CNS disorders and can guide future drug discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donard S. Dwyer
- Department of Psychiatry–Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-ShreveportShreveport, LA, USA
| | - Eric Aamodt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-ShreveportShreveport, LA, USA
| | - Bruce Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, USA
- Mailman Research Center, McLean HospitalBelmont, MA, USA
| | - Edgar A. Buttner
- Mailman Research Center, McLean HospitalBelmont, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology–Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBelmont, MA, USA
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47
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Barrière A, Ruvinsky I. Pervasive divergence of transcriptional gene regulation in Caenorhabditis nematodes. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004435. [PMID: 24968346 PMCID: PMC4072541 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Because there is considerable variation in gene expression even between closely related species, it is clear that gene regulatory mechanisms evolve relatively rapidly. Because primary sequence conservation is an unreliable proxy for functional conservation of cis-regulatory elements, their assessment must be carried out in vivo. We conducted a survey of cis-regulatory conservation between C. elegans and closely related species C. briggsae, C. remanei, C. brenneri, and C. japonica. We tested enhancers of eight genes from these species by introducing them into C. elegans and analyzing the expression patterns they drove. Our results support several notable conclusions. Most exogenous cis elements direct expression in the same cells as their C. elegans orthologs, confirming gross conservation of regulatory mechanisms. However, the majority of exogenous elements, when placed in C. elegans, also directed expression in cells outside endogenous patterns, suggesting functional divergence. Recurrent ectopic expression of different promoters in the same C. elegans cells may reflect biases in the directions in which expression patterns can evolve due to shared regulatory logic of coexpressed genes. The fact that, despite differences between individual genes, several patterns repeatedly emerged from our survey, encourages us to think that general rules governing regulatory evolution may exist and be discoverable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Barrière
- Department of Ecology and Evolution and Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AB); (IR)
| | - Ilya Ruvinsky
- Department of Ecology and Evolution and Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AB); (IR)
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48
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Cunningham KA, Bouagnon AD, Barros AG, Lin L, Malard L, Romano-Silva MA, Ashrafi K. Loss of a neural AMP-activated kinase mimics the effects of elevated serotonin on fat, movement, and hormonal secretions. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004394. [PMID: 24921650 PMCID: PMC4055570 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2013] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an evolutionarily conserved master regulator of metabolism and a therapeutic target in type 2 diabetes. As an energy sensor, AMPK activity is responsive to both metabolic inputs, for instance the ratio of AMP to ATP, and numerous hormonal cues. As in mammals, each of two genes, aak-1 and aak-2, encode for the catalytic subunit of AMPK in C. elegans. Here we show that in C. elegans loss of aak-2 mimics the effects of elevated serotonin signaling on fat reduction, slowed movement, and promoting exit from dauer arrest. Reconstitution of aak-2 in only the nervous system restored wild type fat levels and movement rate to aak-2 mutants and reconstitution in only the ASI neurons was sufficient to significantly restore dauer maintenance to the mutant animals. As in elevated serotonin signaling, inactivation of AAK-2 in the ASI neurons caused enhanced secretion of dense core vesicles from these neurons. The ASI neurons are the site of production of the DAF-7 TGF-β ligand and the DAF-28 insulin, both of which are secreted by dense core vesicles and play critical roles in whether animals stay in dauer or undergo reproductive development. These findings show that elevated levels of serotonin promote enhanced secretions of systemic regulators of pro-growth and differentiation pathways through inactivation of AAK-2. As such, AMPK is not only a recipient of hormonal signals but can also be an upstream regulator. Our data suggest that some of the physiological phenotypes previously attributed to peripheral AAK-2 activity on metabolic targets may instead be due to the role of this kinase in neural serotonin signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A. Cunningham
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Aude D. Bouagnon
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Alexandre G. Barros
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Lin Lin
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Leandro Malard
- Departamento de Física, Instituto de Ciências Exatas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Marco Aurélio Romano-Silva
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Kaveh Ashrafi
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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49
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Hardaway JA, Wang J, Fleming PA, Fleming KA, Whitaker SM, Nackenoff A, Snarrenberg CL, Hardie SL, Zhang B, Blakely RD. An open-source analytical platform for analysis of C. elegans swimming-induced paralysis. J Neurosci Methods 2014; 232:58-62. [PMID: 24792527 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2014.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nematode Caenhorhabditis elegans offers great power for the identification and characterization of genes that regulate behavior. In support of this effort, analytical methods are required that provide dimensional analyses of subcomponents of behavior. Previously, we demonstrated that loss of the presynaptic dopamine (DA) transporter, dat-1, evokes DA-dependent Swimming-Induced Paralysis (Swip) (Mcdonald et al., 2007), a behavior compatible with forward genetic screens (Hardaway et al., 2012). NEW METHOD Here, we detail the development and implementation of SwimR, a set of tools that provide for an automated, kinetic analysis of C. elegans Swip. SwimR relies on open source programs that can be freely implemented and modified. RESULTS We show that SwimR can display time-dependent alterations of swimming behavior induced by drug-treatment, illustrating this capacity with the dat-1 blocker and tricyclic antidepressant imipramine (IMI). We demonstrate the capacity of SwimR to extract multiple kinetic parameters that are impractical to obtain in manual assays. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Standard measurements of C. elegans swimming utilizes manual assessments of the number of animals exhibiting swimming versus paralysis. Our approach deconstructs the time course and rates of movement in an automated fashion, offering a significant increase in the information that can be obtained from swimming behavior. CONCLUSIONS The SwimR platform is a powerful tool for the deconstruction of worm thrashing behavior in the context of both genetic and pharmacological manipulations that can be used to segregate pathways that underlie nematode swimming mechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-8548, USA
| | - Paul A Fleming
- Departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-8548, USA
| | - Katherine A Fleming
- Departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-8548, USA
| | | | - Alex Nackenoff
- Department of Pharmacology, Nashville, TN 37232-8548, USA
| | | | | | - Bing Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-8548, USA
| | - Randy D Blakely
- Department of Pharmacology, Nashville, TN 37232-8548, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-8548, USA.
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50
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Zhang F, Bhattacharya A, Nelson JC, Abe N, Gordon P, Lloret-Fernandez C, Maicas M, Flames N, Mann RS, Colón-Ramos DA, Hobert O. The LIM and POU homeobox genes ttx-3 and unc-86 act as terminal selectors in distinct cholinergic and serotonergic neuron types. Development 2013; 141:422-35. [PMID: 24353061 DOI: 10.1242/dev.099721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factors that drive neuron type-specific terminal differentiation programs in the developing nervous system are often expressed in several distinct neuronal cell types, but to what extent they have similar or distinct activities in individual neuronal cell types is generally not well explored. We investigate this problem using, as a starting point, the C. elegans LIM homeodomain transcription factor ttx-3, which acts as a terminal selector to drive the terminal differentiation program of the cholinergic AIY interneuron class. Using a panel of different terminal differentiation markers, including neurotransmitter synthesizing enzymes, neurotransmitter receptors and neuropeptides, we show that ttx-3 also controls the terminal differentiation program of two additional, distinct neuron types, namely the cholinergic AIA interneurons and the serotonergic NSM neurons. We show that the type of differentiation program that is controlled by ttx-3 in different neuron types is specified by a distinct set of collaborating transcription factors. One of the collaborating transcription factors is the POU homeobox gene unc-86, which collaborates with ttx-3 to determine the identity of the serotonergic NSM neurons. unc-86 in turn operates independently of ttx-3 in the anterior ganglion where it collaborates with the ARID-type transcription factor cfi-1 to determine the cholinergic identity of the IL2 sensory and URA motor neurons. In conclusion, transcription factors operate as terminal selectors in distinct combinations in different neuron types, defining neuron type-specific identity features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feifan Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
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