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Suriano CM, Kumar N, Verpeut JL, Ma J, Jung C, Dunn CE, Carvajal BV, Nguyen AV, Boulanger LM. An innate immune response to adeno-associated virus genomes decreases cortical dendritic complexity and disrupts synaptic transmission. Mol Ther 2024; 32:1721-1738. [PMID: 38566414 PMCID: PMC11184335 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) allow rapid and efficient gene delivery to the nervous system, are widely used in neuroscience research, and are the basis of FDA-approved neuron-targeting gene therapies. Here we find that an innate immune response to the AAV genome reduces dendritic length and complexity and disrupts synaptic transmission in mouse somatosensory cortex. Dendritic loss is apparent 3 weeks after injection of experimentally relevant viral titers, is not restricted to a particular capsid serotype, transgene, promoter, or production facility, and cannot be explained by responses to surgery or transgene expression. AAV-associated dendritic loss is accompanied by a decrease in the frequency and amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents and an increase in the proportion of GluA2-lacking, calcium-permeable AMPA receptors. The AAV genome is rich in unmethylated CpG DNA, which is recognized by the innate immunoreceptor Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), and acutely blocking TLR9 preserves dendritic complexity and AMPA receptor subunit composition in AAV-injected mice. These results reveal unexpected impacts of an immune response to the AAV genome on neuronal structure and function and identify approaches to improve the safety and efficacy of AAV-mediated gene delivery in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos M Suriano
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Department of Biology, Montclair State University, 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA; Sokol Institute for Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, Montclair State University, 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA.
| | - Neerav Kumar
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Jessica L Verpeut
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Jie Ma
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Caroline Jung
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Connor E Dunn
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Brigett V Carvajal
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Ai Vy Nguyen
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Lisa M Boulanger
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA.
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2
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Li X, Jia Y, Xiong M, Gao Y, Xu X, Ke C. MHC-I in the hippocampus promotes comorbid depressive symptoms in bone cancer pain via the upregulation of microglial TREM2/DAP12 signaling. Behav Brain Res 2024; 461:114843. [PMID: 38176616 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Pain and depression comorbidity affects patients' physical and mental health, as well as quality of life. Comorbid depressive symptoms in cancer pain have a severe impact on the recognition and treatment of pain. Similarly, cancer pain patients with depression are inclined towards more despair and greater impairment. The mechanisms responsible for the comorbid depressive symptoms in bone cancer pain (BCP) have not been fully delineated. Here, it was reported that the implantation of carcinoma cells into the femoral cavity of mice led to the upregulation of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) in the hippocampus. This was associated with the activation of microglial signaling pathway mediated by the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 protein (TREM2) and DNAX-activating protein of 12 kDa (DAP12). Pain and depression-like behaviors were reversed by the knockdown of hippocampal MHC-I via a lentiviral vector harboring ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) sequence. Moreover, MHC-I knockdown exhibited a marked reduction in the expression of TREM2 and DAP12. These results suggested that hippocampal MHC-I was involved in BCP and depression comorbidity via upregulating the signals mediated by TREM2/DAP12 in microglia. The suppression of MHC-I could be a potential therapeutic target for BCP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Li
- Institute of Anesthesiology & Pain (IAP), Department of Anesthesiology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province 442000, PR China
| | - Yifu Jia
- Institute of Anesthesiology & Pain (IAP), Department of Anesthesiology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province 442000, PR China
| | - Mengyuan Xiong
- Institute of Anesthesiology & Pain (IAP), Department of Anesthesiology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province 442000, PR China
| | - Yan Gao
- Institute of Anesthesiology & Pain (IAP), Department of Anesthesiology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province 442000, PR China
| | - Xueqin Xu
- Institute of Anesthesiology & Pain (IAP), Department of Anesthesiology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province 442000, PR China
| | - Changbin Ke
- Institute of Anesthesiology & Pain (IAP), Department of Anesthesiology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province 442000, PR China.
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3
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Sell GL, Barrow SL, McAllister AK. Glutamate signaling and neuroligin/neurexin adhesion play opposing roles that are mediated by major histocompatibility complex I molecules in cortical synapse formation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.05.583626. [PMID: 38496590 PMCID: PMC10942384 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.05.583626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Although neurons release neurotransmitter before contact, the role for this release in synapse formation remains unclear. Cortical synapses do not require synaptic vesicle release for formation 1-4 , yet glutamate clearly regulates glutamate receptor trafficking 5,6 and induces spine formation 7-11 . Using a culture system to dissect molecular mechanisms, we found that glutamate rapidly decreases synapse density specifically in young cortical neurons in a local and calcium-dependent manner through decreasing NMDAR transport and surface expression as well as co-transport with neuroligin (NL1). Adhesion between NL1 and neurexin 1 protects against this glutamate-induced synapse loss. Major histocompatibility I (MHCI) molecules are required for the effects of glutamate in causing synapse loss through negatively regulating NL1 levels. Thus, like acetylcholine at the NMJ, glutamate acts as a dispersal signal for NMDARs and causes rapid synapse loss unless opposed by NL1-mediated trans-synaptic adhesion. Together, glutamate, MHCI and NL1 mediate a novel form of homeostatic plasticity in young neurons that induces rapid changes in NMDARs to regulate when and where nascent glutamatergic synapses are formed.
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Gillespie B, Panthi S, Sundram S, Hill RA. The impact of maternal immune activation on GABAergic interneuron development: A systematic review of rodent studies and their translational implications. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 156:105488. [PMID: 38042358 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Mothers exposed to infections during pregnancy disproportionally birth children who develop autism and schizophrenia, disorders associated with altered GABAergic function. The maternal immune activation (MIA) model recapitulates this risk factor, with many studies also reporting disruptions to GABAergic interneuron expression, protein, cellular density and function. However, it is unclear if there are species, sex, age, region, or GABAergic subtype specific vulnerabilities to MIA. Furthermore, to fully comprehend the impact of MIA on the GABAergic system a synthesised account of molecular, cellular, electrophysiological and behavioural findings was required. To this end we conducted a systematic review of GABAergic interneuron changes in the MIA model, focusing on the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. We reviewed 102 articles that revealed robust changes in a number of GABAergic markers that present as gestationally-specific, region-specific and sometimes sex-specific. Disruptions to GABAergic markers coincided with distinct behavioural phenotypes, including memory, sensorimotor gating, anxiety, and sociability. Findings suggest the MIA model is a valid tool for testing novel therapeutics designed to recover GABAergic function and associated behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Gillespie
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Sandesh Panthi
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Suresh Sundram
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Rachel A Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia.
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Fan G, Ma J, Ma R, Suo M, Chen Y, Zhang S, Zeng Y, Chen Y. Microglia Modulate Neurodevelopment in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17297. [PMID: 38139124 PMCID: PMC10743577 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) include various neurological disorders with high genetic heterogeneity, characterized by delayed or impaired cognition, communication, adaptive behavior, and psychomotor skills. These disorders result in significant morbidity for children, thus burdening families and healthcare/educational systems. However, there is a lack of early diagnosis and effective therapies. Therefore, a more connected approach is required to explore these disorders. Microglia, the primary phagocytic cells within the central nervous system, are crucial in regulating neuronal viability, influencing synaptic dynamics, and determining neurodevelopmental outcomes. Although the neurobiological basis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SZ) has attracted attention in recent decades, the role of microglia in ASD and SZ remains unclear and requires further discussion. In this review, the important and frequently multifaceted roles that microglia play during neurodevelopment are meticulously emphasized and potential microglial mechanisms that might be involved in conditions such as ASD and SZ are postulated. It is of utmost importance to acquire a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of the interplay between microglia and neurons to design effective, targeted therapeutic strategies to mitigate the effects of NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Yan Zeng
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Yushan Chen
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
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6
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Sarieva K, Kagermeier T, Khakipoor S, Atay E, Yentür Z, Becker K, Mayer S. Human brain organoid model of maternal immune activation identifies radial glia cells as selectively vulnerable. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:5077-5089. [PMID: 36878967 PMCID: PMC9986664 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-01997-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) during critical windows of gestation is correlated with long-term neurodevelopmental deficits in the offspring, including increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in humans. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) derived from the gestational parent is one of the major molecular mediators by which MIA alters the developing brain. In this study, we establish a human three-dimensional (3D) in vitro model of MIA by treating induced pluripotent stem cell-derived dorsal forebrain organoids with a constitutively active form of IL-6, Hyper-IL-6. We validate our model by showing that dorsal forebrain organoids express the molecular machinery necessary for responding to Hyper-IL-6 and activate STAT signaling upon Hyper-IL-6 treatment. RNA sequencing analysis reveals the upregulation of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) genes in response to Hyper-IL-6 exposure, which have been implicated with ASD. We find a small increase in the proportion of radial glia cells after Hyper-IL-6 treatment through immunohistochemistry and single-cell RNA-sequencing. We further show that radial glia cells are the cell type with the highest number of differentially expressed genes, and Hyper-IL-6 treatment leads to the downregulation of genes related to protein translation in line with a mouse model of MIA. Additionally, we identify differentially expressed genes not found in mouse models of MIA, which might drive species-specific responses to MIA. Finally, we show abnormal cortical layering as a long-term consequence of Hyper-IL-6 treatment. In summary, we establish a human 3D model of MIA, which can be used to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the increased risk for developing disorders such as ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kseniia Sarieva
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School, Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Theresa Kagermeier
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School, Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Shokoufeh Khakipoor
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ezgi Atay
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Zeynep Yentür
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School, Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katharina Becker
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simone Mayer
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- International Max Planck Research School, Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Heidelberg, Germany.
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7
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Gao Y, Hong Y, Huang L, Zheng S, Zhang H, Wang S, Yao Y, Zhao Y, Zhu L, Xu Q, Chai X, Zeng Y, Zeng Y, Zheng L, Zhou Y, Luo H, Zhang X, Zhang H, Zhou Y, Fu G, Sun H, Huang TY, Zheng Q, Xu H, Wang X. β2-microglobulin functions as an endogenous NMDAR antagonist to impair synaptic function. Cell 2023; 186:1026-1038.e20. [PMID: 36868208 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is a neurological disorder with multiple immune-related symptoms; however, crosstalk between the CNS and peripheral immune system remains unexplored. Using parabiosis and plasma infusion, we found that blood-borne factors drive synaptic deficits in DS. Proteomic analysis revealed elevation of β2-microglobulin (B2M), a major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) component, in human DS plasma. Systemic administration of B2M in wild-type mice led to synaptic and memory defects similar to those observed in DS mice. Moreover, genetic ablation of B2m or systemic administration of an anti-B2M antibody counteracts synaptic impairments in DS mice. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that B2M antagonizes NMDA receptor (NMDAR) function through interactions with the GluN1-S2 loop; blocking B2M-NMDAR interactions using competitive peptides restores NMDAR-dependent synaptic function. Our findings identify B2M as an endogenous NMDAR antagonist and reveal a pathophysiological role for circulating B2M in NMDAR dysfunction in DS and related cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China; Shenzhen Research Institute of Xiamen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518057, China
| | - Yujuan Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Lihong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Shuang Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Haibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Shihua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Yi Yao
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Xiamen Humanity Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Xiamen, Fujian 361003, China
| | - Yini Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Qiang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Xuhui Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zeng
- National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yuzhe Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Liangkai Zheng
- United Diagnostic and Research Center for Clinical Genetics, Women and Children's Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361103, China
| | - Yulin Zhou
- United Diagnostic and Research Center for Clinical Genetics, Women and Children's Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361103, China
| | - Hong Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Xian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Hongfeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China; Shenzhen Research Institute of Xiamen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518057, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Guo Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Cancer Research Center of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Hao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Timothy Y Huang
- Neuroscience Initiative, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Qiuyang Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China; Shenzhen Research Institute of Xiamen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518057, China
| | - Huaxi Xu
- Center for Brain Sciences, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China; Institute for Brain Science and Disease, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China; Shenzhen Research Institute of Xiamen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518057, China.
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8
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The Role of MEF2 Transcription Factor Family in Neuronal Survival and Degeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043120. [PMID: 36834528 PMCID: PMC9963821 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The family of myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) transcription factors comprises four highly conserved members that play an important role in the nervous system. They appear in precisely defined time frames in the developing brain to turn on and turn off genes affecting growth, pruning and survival of neurons. MEF2s are known to dictate neuronal development, synaptic plasticity and restrict the number of synapses in the hippocampus, thus affecting learning and memory formation. In primary neurons, negative regulation of MEF2 activity by external stimuli or stress conditions is known to induce apoptosis, albeit the pro or antiapoptotic action of MEF2 depends on the neuronal maturation stage. By contrast, enhancement of MEF2 transcriptional activity protects neurons from apoptotic death both in vitro and in preclinical models of neurodegenerative diseases. A growing body of evidence places this transcription factor in the center of many neuropathologies associated with age-dependent neuronal dysfunctions or gradual but irreversible neuron loss. In this work, we discuss how the altered function of MEF2s during development and in adulthood affecting neuronal survival may be linked to neuropsychiatric disorders.
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9
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The role of maternal immune activation in the immunological and neurological pathogenesis of autism. JOURNAL OF NEURORESTORATOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnrt.2022.100030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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10
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Pavlinek A, Matuleviciute R, Sichlinger L, Dutan Polit L, Armeniakos N, Vernon AC, Srivastava DP. Interferon-γ exposure of human iPSC-derived neurons alters major histocompatibility complex I and synapsin protein expression. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:836217. [PMID: 36186864 PMCID: PMC9515429 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.836217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Human epidemiological data links maternal immune activation (MIA) during gestation with increased risk for psychiatric disorders with a putative neurodevelopmental origin, including schizophrenia and autism. Animal models of MIA provide evidence for this association and suggest that inflammatory cytokines represent one critical link between maternal infection and any potential impact on offspring brain and behavior development. However, to what extent specific cytokines are necessary and sufficient for these effects remains unclear. It is also unclear how specific cytokines may impact the development of specific cell types. Using a human cellular model, we recently demonstrated that acute exposure to interferon-γ (IFNγ) recapitulates molecular and cellular phenotypes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we extend this work to test whether IFNγ can impact the development of immature glutamatergic neurons using an induced neuronal cellular system. We find that acute exposure to IFNγ activates a signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1)-pathway in immature neurons, and results in significantly increased major histocompatibility complex I (MHCI) expression at the mRNA and protein level. Furthermore, acute IFNγ exposure decreased synapsin I/II protein in neurons but did not affect the expression of synaptic genes. Interestingly, complement component 4A (C4A) gene expression was significantly increased following acute IFNγ exposure. This study builds on our previous work by showing that IFNγ-mediated disruption of relevant synaptic proteins can occur at early stages of neuronal development, potentially contributing to neurodevelopmental disorder phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Pavlinek
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rugile Matuleviciute
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Sichlinger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lucia Dutan Polit
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nikolaos Armeniakos
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony Christopher Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Deepak Prakash Srivastava
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Prefrontal Cortex Response to Prenatal Insult and Postnatal Opioid Exposure. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13081371. [PMID: 36011282 PMCID: PMC9407090 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The influence of proinflammatory challenges, such as maternal immune activation (MIA) or postnatal exposure to drugs of abuse, on brain molecular pathways has been reported. On the other hand, the simultaneous effects of MIA and drugs of abuse have been less studied and sometimes offered inconsistent results. The effects of morphine exposure on a pig model of viral-elicited MIA were characterized in the prefrontal cortex of males and females using RNA-sequencing and gene network analysis. Interacting and main effects of morphine, MIA, and sex were detected in approximately 2000 genes (false discovery rate-adjusted p-value < 0.05). Among the enriched molecular categories (false discovery rate-adjusted p-value < 0.05 and −1.5 > normalized enrichment score > 1.5) were the cell adhesion molecule pathways associated with inflammation and neuronal development and the long-term depression pathway associated with synaptic strength. Gene networks that integrate gene connectivity and expression profiles displayed the impact of morphine-by-MIA interaction effects on the pathways. The cell adhesion molecules and long-term depression networks presented an antagonistic effect between morphine and MIA. The differential expression between the double-challenged group and the baseline saline-treated Controls was less extreme than the individual challenges. The previous findings advance the knowledge about the effects of prenatal MIA and postnatal morphine exposure on the prefrontal cortex pathways.
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12
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Jiang CC, Lin LS, Long S, Ke XY, Fukunaga K, Lu YM, Han F. Signalling pathways in autism spectrum disorder: mechanisms and therapeutic implications. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:229. [PMID: 35817793 PMCID: PMC9273593 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01081-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent and complex neurodevelopmental disorder which has strong genetic basis. Despite the rapidly rising incidence of autism, little is known about its aetiology, risk factors, and disease progression. There are currently neither validated biomarkers for diagnostic screening nor specific medication for autism. Over the last two decades, there have been remarkable advances in genetics, with hundreds of genes identified and validated as being associated with a high risk for autism. The convergence of neuroscience methods is becoming more widely recognized for its significance in elucidating the pathological mechanisms of autism. Efforts have been devoted to exploring the behavioural functions, key pathological mechanisms and potential treatments of autism. Here, as we highlight in this review, emerging evidence shows that signal transduction molecular events are involved in pathological processes such as transcription, translation, synaptic transmission, epigenetics and immunoinflammatory responses. This involvement has important implications for the discovery of precise molecular targets for autism. Moreover, we review recent insights into the mechanisms and clinical implications of signal transduction in autism from molecular, cellular, neural circuit, and neurobehavioural aspects. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives are discussed with regard to novel strategies predicated on the biological features of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Chen Jiang
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses; Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Li-Shan Lin
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Sen Long
- Department of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Mental Health Center Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Ke
- Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Kohji Fukunaga
- Department of CNS Drug Innovation, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Ying-Mei Lu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
| | - Feng Han
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses; Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China. .,Institute of Brain Science, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China. .,Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China.
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13
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Ruggiero FM, Springer S. Homotypic and heterotypic in cis associations of MHC class I molecules at the cell surface. CURRENT RESEARCH IN IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 3:85-99. [PMID: 35647522 PMCID: PMC9133507 DOI: 10.1016/j.crimmu.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Through the presentation of peptide antigens to cytotoxic T lymphocytes, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules mediate the adaptive immune response against tumors and viruses. Additional non-immunological functions include the heterotypic association of class I molecules with cell surface receptors, regulating their activities by unknown mechanisms. Also, homotypic associations resulting in class I dimers and oligomers - of unknown function - have been related to pathological outcomes. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge about the occurrence, biochemical nature, and dynamics of homotypic and heterotypic associations of class I molecules at the cell surface with special focus on the molecular species that take part in the complexes and on the evidence that supports novel biological roles for class I molecules. We show that both heterotypic and homotypic class I associations reported in the literature describe not one but several kinds of oligomers with distinctive stoichiometry and biochemical properties. Major histocompatibility complex class I molecules form homotypic and heterotypic associations at the cell surface. Associations show distinctive stoichiometry and biochemical properties. Associations might regulate immunological and non-immunological processes. Heterotypic association with cell surface receptors might regulate receptor's activity. Homotypic associations have been related to pathological outcomes.
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14
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Jami SA, Cameron S, Wong JM, Daly ER, McAllister AK, Gray JA. Increased excitation-inhibition balance and loss of GABAergic synapses in the serine racemase knockout model of NMDA receptor hypofunction. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:11-27. [PMID: 34038186 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00661.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
There is substantial evidence that both N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction and dysfunction of GABAergic neurotransmission contribute to schizophrenia, though the relationship between these pathophysiological processes remains largely unknown. Although models using cell-type-specific genetic deletion of NMDARs have been informative, they display overly pronounced phenotypes extending beyond those of schizophrenia. Here, we used the serine racemase knockout (SRKO) mice, a model of reduced NMDAR activity rather than complete receptor elimination, to examine the link between NMDAR hypofunction and decreased GABAergic inhibition. The SRKO mice, in which there is a >90% reduction in the NMDAR coagonist d-serine, exhibit many of the neurochemical and behavioral abnormalities observed in schizophrenia. We found a significant reduction in inhibitory synapses onto CA1 pyramidal neurons in the SRKO mice. This reduction increases the excitation/inhibition balance resulting in enhanced synaptically driven neuronal excitability without changes in intrinsic excitability. Consistently, significant reductions in inhibitory synapse density in CA1 were observed by immunohistochemistry. We further show, using a single-neuron genetic deletion approach, that the loss of GABAergic synapses onto pyramidal neurons observed in the SRKO mice is driven in a cell-autonomous manner following the deletion of SR in individual CA1 pyramidal cells. These results support a model whereby NMDAR hypofunction in pyramidal cells disrupts GABAergic synapses leading to disrupted feedback inhibition and impaired neuronal synchrony.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Recently, disruption of excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance has become an area of considerable interest for psychiatric research. Here, we report a reduction in inhibition in the serine racemase knockout mouse model of schizophrenia that increases E/I balance and enhances synaptically driven neuronal excitability. This reduced inhibition was driven cell-autonomously in pyramidal cells lacking serine racemase, suggesting a novel mechanism for how chronic NMDA receptor hypofunction can disrupt information processing in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shekib A Jami
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Scott Cameron
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Jonathan M Wong
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Emily R Daly
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California
| | - A Kimberley McAllister
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California.,Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, California.,Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, California
| | - John A Gray
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California.,Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, California
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15
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Rasile M, Lauranzano E, Mirabella F, Matteoli M. Neurological consequences of neurovascular unit and brain vasculature damages: potential risks for pregnancy infections and COVID-19-babies. FEBS J 2021; 289:3374-3392. [PMID: 33998773 PMCID: PMC8237015 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Intragravidic and perinatal infections, acting through either direct viral effect or immune-mediated responses, are recognized causes of liability for neurodevelopmental disorders in the progeny. The large amounts of epidemiological data and the wealth of information deriving from animal models of gestational infections have contributed to delineate, in the last years, possible underpinning mechanisms for this phenomenon, including defects in neuronal migration, impaired spine and synaptic development, and altered activation of microglia. Recently, dysfunctions of the neurovascular unit and anomalies of the brain vasculature have unexpectedly emerged as potential causes at the origin of behavioral abnormalities and psychiatric disorders consequent to prenatal and perinatal infections. This review aims to discuss the up-to-date literature evidence pointing to the neurovascular unit and brain vasculature damages as the etiological mechanisms in neurodevelopmental syndromes. We focus on the inflammatory events consequent to intragravidic viral infections as well as on the direct viral effects as the potential primary triggers. These authors hope that a timely review of the literature will help to envision promising research directions, also relevant for the present and future COVID-19 longitudinal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Rasile
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Italy.,IRCCS Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy
| | | | - Filippo Mirabella
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Italy
| | - Michela Matteoli
- IRCCS Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy.,CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Milano, Italy
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16
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Izuo N, Nitta A. New Insights Regarding Diagnosis and Medication for Schizophrenia Based on Neuronal Synapse-Microglia Interaction. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11050371. [PMID: 34063598 PMCID: PMC8147599 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11050371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a common psychiatric disorder that usually develops during adolescence and young adulthood. Since genetic and environmental factors are involved in the disease, the molecular status of the pathology of schizophrenia differs across patients. Recent genetic studies have focused on the association between schizophrenia and the immune system, especially microglia–synapse interactions. Microglia physiologically eliminate unnecessary synapses during the developmental period. The overactivation of synaptic pruning by microglia is involved in the pathology of brain disease. This paper focuses on the synaptic pruning function and its molecular machinery and introduces the hypothesis that excessive synaptic pruning plays a role in the development of schizophrenia. Finally, we suggest a strategy for diagnosis and medication based on modulation of the interaction between microglia and synapses. This review provides updated information on the involvement of the immune system in schizophrenia and proposes novel insights regarding diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Atsumi Nitta
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-76-415-8822 (ext. 8823); Fax: +81-76-415-8826
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17
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Chaudhary R, Agarwal V, Kaushik AS, Rehman M. Involvement of myocyte enhancer factor 2c in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06854. [PMID: 33981903 PMCID: PMC8082549 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2), a family of transcription factor of MADS (minichromosome maintenance 1, agamous, deficiens and serum response factor)-box family needed in the growth and differentiation of a variety of human cells, such as neural, immune, endothelial, and muscles. As per existing literature, MEF2 transcription factors have also been associated with synaptic plasticity, the developmental mechanisms governing memory and learning, and several neurologic conditions, like autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Recent genomic findings have ascertained a link between MEF2 defects, particularly in the MEF2C isoform and the ASD. In this review, we summarized a concise overview of the general regulation, structure and functional roles of the MEF2C transcription factor. We further outlined the potential role of MEF2C as a risk factor for various neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ASD, MEF2C Haploinsufficiency Syndrome and Fragile X syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishabh Chaudhary
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| | - Vipul Agarwal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| | - Arjun Singh Kaushik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| | - Mujeeba Rehman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
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18
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Canales CP, Estes ML, Cichewicz K, Angara K, Aboubechara JP, Cameron S, Prendergast K, Su-Feher L, Zdilar I, Kreun EJ, Connolly EC, Seo JM, Goon JB, Farrelly K, Stradleigh TW, van der List D, Haapanen L, Van de Water J, Vogt D, McAllister AK, Nord AS. Sequential perturbations to mouse corticogenesis following in utero maternal immune activation. eLife 2021; 10:e60100. [PMID: 33666173 PMCID: PMC7979158 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In utero exposure to maternal immune activation (MIA) is an environmental risk factor for neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Animal models provide an opportunity to identify mechanisms driving neuropathology associated with MIA. We performed time-course transcriptional profiling of mouse cortical development following induced MIA via poly(I:C) injection at E12.5. MIA-driven transcriptional changes were validated via protein analysis, and parallel perturbations to cortical neuroanatomy were identified via imaging. MIA-induced acute upregulation of genes associated with hypoxia, immune signaling, and angiogenesis, by 6 hr following exposure. This acute response was followed by changes in proliferation, neuronal and glial specification, and cortical lamination that emerged at E14.5 and peaked at E17.5. Decreased numbers of proliferative cells in germinal zones and alterations in neuronal and glial populations were identified in the MIA-exposed cortex. Overall, paired transcriptomic and neuroanatomical characterization revealed a sequence of perturbations to corticogenesis driven by mid-gestational MIA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Myka L Estes
- Center for Neuroscience, UC DavisDavisUnited States
| | | | - Kartik Angara
- Department of Pediatrics & Human Development, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
| | | | | | | | | | - Iva Zdilar
- Center for Neuroscience, UC DavisDavisUnited States
| | | | | | | | - Jack B Goon
- Center for Neuroscience, UC DavisDavisUnited States
| | | | | | | | - Lori Haapanen
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, UC DavisDavisUnited States
| | - Judy Van de Water
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, UC DavisDavisUnited States
| | - Daniel Vogt
- Department of Pediatrics & Human Development, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
| | | | - Alex S Nord
- Center for Neuroscience, UC DavisDavisUnited States
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19
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Wulaer B, Hada K, Sobue A, Itoh N, Nabeshima T, Nagai T, Yamada K. Overexpression of astroglial major histocompatibility complex class I in the medial prefrontal cortex impairs visual discrimination learning in mice. Mol Brain 2020; 13:170. [PMID: 33317605 PMCID: PMC7734728 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00710-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Immune molecules, such as cytokines, complement, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins, in the central nervous system are often associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Neuronal MHC class I (MHCI), such as H-2D, regulate neurite outgrowth, the establishment and function of cortical connections, and activity-dependent refinement in mice. We previously established mice expressing MHCI specifically in astrocytes of the media prefrontal cortex (mPFC) using the adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector under the control of the GfaABC1D promoter. Mice expressing the soluble form of H-2D (sH-2D) in the mPFC (sH-2D-expressing mice) showed abnormal behaviors, including social interaction deficits and cognitive dysfunctions. However, the pathophysiological significance of astroglial MHCI on higher brain functions, such as learning, memory, and behavioral flexibility, remains unclear. Therefore, cognitive function in mice expressing sH-2D in astrocytes of the mPFC was tested using the visual discrimination (VD) task. Methods sH-2D-expressing mice were subjected to the VD and reversal learning tasks, and morphological analysis. Results In the pretraining, sH-2D-expressing mice required significantly more trials to reach the learning criterion than control mice. The total number of sessions, trials, normal trials, and correction trials to reach the VD criterion were also significantly higher in sH-2D-expressing mice than in control mice. A morphological study showed that dendritic complexity and spine density were significantly reduced in the dorsal striatum of sH-2D-expressing mice. Conclusion Collectively, the present results suggest that the overexpression of astroglial MHCI in the mPFC results in impaired VD learning, which may be accompanied by decreased dendritic complexity in the dorsal striatum and mPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bolati Wulaer
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8560, Japan.,Advanced Diagnostic System Research Laboratory, Fujita Health University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Hada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8560, Japan
| | - Akira Sobue
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8560, Japan
| | - Norimichi Itoh
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8560, Japan
| | - Toshitaka Nabeshima
- Advanced Diagnostic System Research Laboratory, Fujita Health University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
| | - Taku Nagai
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8560, Japan
| | - Kiyofumi Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8560, Japan.
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20
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Cserép C, Pósfai B, Dénes Á. Shaping Neuronal Fate: Functional Heterogeneity of Direct Microglia-Neuron Interactions. Neuron 2020; 109:222-240. [PMID: 33271068 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The functional contribution of microglia to normal brain development, healthy brain function, and neurological disorders is increasingly recognized. However, until recently, the nature of intercellular interactions mediating these effects remained largely unclear. Recent findings show microglia establishing direct contact with different compartments of neurons. Although communication between microglia and neurons involves intermediate cells and soluble factors, direct membrane contacts enable a more precisely regulated, dynamic, and highly effective form of interaction for fine-tuning neuronal responses and fate. Here, we summarize the known ultrastructural, molecular, and functional features of direct microglia-neuron interactions and their roles in brain disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Cserép
- "Momentum" Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Szigony u. 43, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Pósfai
- "Momentum" Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Szigony u. 43, 1083 Budapest, Hungary; Szentágothai János Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ádám Dénes
- "Momentum" Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Szigony u. 43, 1083 Budapest, Hungary.
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21
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Estes ML, Prendergast K, MacMahon JA, Cameron S, Aboubechara JP, Farrelly K, Sell GL, Haapanen L, Schauer JD, Horta A, Shaffer IC, Le CT, Kincheloe GN, Tan DJ, van der List D, Bauman MD, Carter CS, Van de Water J, McAllister AK. Baseline immunoreactivity before pregnancy and poly(I:C) dose combine to dictate susceptibility and resilience of offspring to maternal immune activation. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 88:619-630. [PMID: 32335198 PMCID: PMC7415552 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the potential of rodent models of maternal immune activation (MIA) to identify new biomarkers and therapeutic interventions for a range of psychiatric disorders, current approaches using these models ignore two of the most important aspects of this risk factor for human disease: (i) most pregnancies are resilient to maternal viral infection and (ii) susceptible pregnancies can lead to different combinations of phenotypes in offspring. Here, we report two new sources of variability-the baseline immunoreactivity (BIR) of isogenic females prior to pregnancy and differences in immune responses in C57BL/6 dams across vendors-that contribute to resilience and susceptibility to distinct combinations of behavioral and biological outcomes in offspring. Similar to the variable effects of human maternal infection, MIA in mice does not cause disease-related phenotypes in all pregnancies and a combination of poly(I:C) dose and BIR predicts susceptibility and resilience of pregnancies to aberrant repetitive behaviors and alterations in striatal protein levels in offspring. Even more surprising is that the intermediate levels of BIR and poly(I:C) dose are most detrimental to offspring, with higher BIR and poly(I:C) doses conferring resilience to measured phenotypes in offspring. Importantly, we identify the BIR of female mice as a biomarker before pregnancy that predicts which dams will be most at risk as well as biomarkers in the brains of newborn offspring that correlate with changes in repetitive behaviors. Together, our results highlight considerations for optimizing MIA protocols to enhance rigor and reproducibility and reveal new factors that drive susceptibility of some pregnancies and resilience of others to MIA-induced abnormalities in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myka L Estes
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, United States
| | | | - Jeremy A MacMahon
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Scott Cameron
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, United States
| | | | - Kathleen Farrelly
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Gabrielle L Sell
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Lori Haapanen
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Joseph D Schauer
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Aurora Horta
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Ida C Shaffer
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Catherine T Le
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, United States; Department of Dermatology, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Greg N Kincheloe
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Danielle John Tan
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, United States
| | | | - Melissa D Bauman
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, United States; Imaging Research Center, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Judy Van de Water
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, United States
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22
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Warre-Cornish K, Perfect L, Nagy R, Duarte RRR, Reid MJ, Raval P, Mueller A, Evans AL, Couch A, Ghevaert C, McAlonan G, Loth E, Murphy D, Powell TR, Vernon AC, Srivastava DP, Price J. Interferon-γ signaling in human iPSC-derived neurons recapitulates neurodevelopmental disorder phenotypes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaay9506. [PMID: 32875100 PMCID: PMC7438100 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay9506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. Elevated cytokines, such as interferon-γ (IFN-γ), in offspring's brains play a central role. IFN-γ activates an antiviral cellular state, limiting viral entry and replication. Moreover, IFN-γ is implicated in brain development. We tested the hypothesis that IFN-γ signaling contributes to molecular and cellular phenotypes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Transient IFN-γ treatment of neural progenitors derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells increased neurite outgrowth. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) genes were persistently up-regulated through neuronal differentiation-an effect that was mediated by IFN-γ-induced promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) nuclear bodies. Critically, IFN-γ-induced neurite outgrowth required both PML and MHCI. We also found evidence that IFN-γ disproportionately altered the expression of genes associated with schizophrenia and autism, suggesting convergence between genetic and environmental risk factors. Together, these data implicate IFN-γ signaling in neurodevelopmental disorder etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Warre-Cornish
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Leo Perfect
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Roland Nagy
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Rodrigo R. R. Duarte
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew J. Reid
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Pooja Raval
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Annett Mueller
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Amanda L. Evans
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Amalie Couch
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Cédric Ghevaert
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Grainne McAlonan
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Eva Loth
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Declan Murphy
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Timothy R. Powell
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anthony C. Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Deepak P. Srivastava
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Jack Price
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, South Mimms, UK
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23
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A Late Phase of Long-Term Synaptic Depression in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells Requires Activation of MEF2. Cell Rep 2020; 26:1089-1097.e3. [PMID: 30699340 PMCID: PMC6433166 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The MEF2 family of transcription factors restricts excitatory synapse number in an activity-dependent fashion during development, yet MEF2 has not been implicated in long-term synaptic depression (LTD), which is thought to initiate synapse elimination. Mutations in MEF2 pathways are implicated in autism spectrum disorders, which include cerebellar dysfunction. Here, we test the hypothesis that cerebellar LTD requires postsynaptic activation of MEF2. Knockdown of MEF2D produces suppression of the transcription-dependent late phase of LTD in cultured Purkinje cells. The late phase of LTD is also completely blocked in Purkinje cells derived from MEF2A+MEF2D null mice and rescued with plasmids that drive expression of MEF2D but not phosphatase-resistant mutant MEF2D S444D. Wild-type Purkinje cells transfected with a constitutively active form of MEF2 show no alterations of synaptic strength. Thus, postsynaptic activation of MEF2 by S444 dephosphorylation is necessary, but not sufficient, for the late phase of cerebellar LTD. Neurodevelopmental disorders can reflect defects in synaptic pruning, which is thought to require activity-dependent weakening of synapses, a process called long-term depression. Andzelm et al. show that MEF2, which is important for neuronal development, is required for the late phase of long-term depression in the cerebellum.
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24
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Lombardo MV, Auyeung B, Pramparo T, Quartier A, Courraud J, Holt RJ, Waldman J, Ruigrok ANV, Mooney N, Bethlehem RAI, Lai MC, Kundu P, Bullmore ET, Mandel JL, Piton A, Baron-Cohen S. Sex-specific impact of prenatal androgens on social brain default mode subsystems. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:2175-2188. [PMID: 30104728 PMCID: PMC7473837 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0198-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Early-onset neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., autism) affect males more frequently than females. Androgens may play a role in this male-bias by sex-differentially impacting early prenatal brain development, particularly neural circuits that later develop specialized roles in social cognition. Here, we find that increasing prenatal testosterone in humans is associated with later reduction of functional connectivity between social brain default mode (DMN) subsystems in adolescent males, but has no effect in females. Since testosterone can work directly via the androgen receptor (AR) or indirectly via the estrogen receptor through aromatase conversion to estradiol, we further examined how a potent non-aromatizable androgen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), acts via the AR to influence gene expression in human neural stem cells (hNSC)-particularly for genes of high-relevance for DMN circuitry. DHT dysregulates a number of genes enriched for syndromic causes of autism and intellectual disability and for genes that in later development are expressed in anatomical patterns that highly correspond to the cortical midline DMN subsystem. DMN-related and DHT-affected genes (e.g., MEF2C) are involved in a number of synaptic processes, many of which impact excitation-inhibition balance. Androgens have male-specific prenatal influence over social brain circuitry in humans and may be relevant towards explaining some component of male-bias in early-onset neurodevelopmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael V. Lombardo
- grid.6603.30000000121167908Center for Applied Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus ,grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Bonnie Auyeung
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tiziano Pramparo
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Angélique Quartier
- grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964 Illkirch, France ,grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Jérémie Courraud
- grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964 Illkirch, France ,grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Rosemary J. Holt
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jack Waldman
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Amber N. V. Ruigrok
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Natasha Mooney
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Richard A. I. Bethlehem
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.412094.a0000 0004 0572 7815Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Prantik Kundu
- grid.59734.3c0000 0001 0670 2351Section on Advanced Functional Neuroimaging, Departments of Radiology & Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Edward T. Bullmore
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,grid.418236.a0000 0001 2162 0389ImmunoPsychiatry, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development, Stevenage, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Louis Mandel
- grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964 Illkirch, France ,grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France ,grid.410533.00000 0001 2179 2236Chair of Human Genetics, Collège de France, Paris, France
| | - Amélie Piton
- grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964 Illkirch, France ,grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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25
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Emerging roles for MEF2 in brain development and mental disorders. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 59:49-58. [PMID: 31129473 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The MEF2 family of transcription factors regulate large programs of gene expression important for the development and maintenance of many tissues, including the brain. MEF2 proteins are regulated by neuronal synaptic activity, and they recruit several epigenetic enzymes to influence chromatin structure and gene expression during development and throughout adulthood. Here, we provide a brief review of the recent literature reporting important roles for MEF2 during early brain development and function, and we highlight emerging roles for MEF2 as a risk factor for multiple neurodevelopmental disorders and mental illnesses, such as autism, intellectual disability, and schizophrenia.
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26
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Gumusoglu SB, Stevens HE. Maternal Inflammation and Neurodevelopmental Programming: A Review of Preclinical Outcomes and Implications for Translational Psychiatry. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:107-121. [PMID: 30318336 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Early disruptions to neurodevelopment are highly relevant to understanding both psychiatric risk and underlying pathophysiology that can be targeted by new treatments. Much convergent evidence from the human literature associates inflammation during pregnancy with later neuropsychiatric disorders in offspring. Preclinical models of prenatal inflammation have been developed to examine the causal maternal physiological and offspring neural mechanisms underlying these findings. Here we review the strengths and limitations of preclinical models used for these purposes and describe selected studies that have shown maternal immune impacts on the brain and behavior of offspring. Maternal immune activation in mice, rats, nonhuman primates, and other mammalian model species have demonstrated convergent outcomes across methodologies. These outcomes include shifts and/or disruptions in the normal developmental trajectory of molecular and cellular processes in the offspring brain. Prenatal developmental origins are critical to a mechanistic understanding of maternal immune activation-induced alterations to microglia and immune molecules, brain growth and development, synaptic morphology and physiology, and anxiety- and depression-like, sensorimotor, and social behaviors. These phenotypes are relevant to brain functioning across domains and to anxiety and mood disorders, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorder, in which they have been identified. By turning a neurodevelopmental lens on this body of work, we emphasize the importance of acute changes to the prenatal offspring brain in fostering a better understanding of potential mechanisms for intervention. Collectively, overlapping results across maternal immune activation studies also highlight the need to examine preclinical offspring neurodevelopment alterations in terms of a multifactorial immune milieu, or immunome, to determine potential mechanisms of psychiatric risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena B Gumusoglu
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Hanna E Stevens
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
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27
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Bergdolt L, Dunaevsky A. Brain changes in a maternal immune activation model of neurodevelopmental brain disorders. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 175:1-19. [PMID: 30590095 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The developing brain is sensitive to a variety of insults. Epidemiological studies have identified prenatal exposure to infection as a risk factor for a range of neurological disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Animal models corroborate this association and have been used to probe the contribution of gene-environment interactions to the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we review the behavior and brain phenotypes that have been characterized in MIA offspring, including the studies that have looked at the interaction between maternal immune activation and genetic risk factors for autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia. These phenotypes include behaviors relevant to autism, schizophrenia, and other neurological disorders, alterations in brain anatomy, and structural and functional neuronal impairments. The link between maternal infection and these phenotypic changes is not fully understood, but there is increasing evidence that maternal immune activation induces prolonged immune alterations in the offspring's brain which could underlie epigenetic alterations which in turn may mediate the behavior and brain changes. These concepts will be discussed followed by a summary of the pharmacological interventions that have been tested in the maternal immune activation model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Bergdolt
- University of Nebraska Medical Center, Neurological Sciences, 985960 Nebraska Medical Center, 68105, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Anna Dunaevsky
- University of Nebraska Medical Center, Neurological Sciences, 985960 Nebraska Medical Center, 68105, Omaha, NE, United States.
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28
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Abstract
Synapse formation is mediated by a surprisingly large number and wide variety of genes encoding many different protein classes. One of the families increasingly implicated in synapse wiring is the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF). IgSF molecules are by definition any protein containing at least one Ig-like domain, making this family one of the most common protein classes encoded by the genome. Here, we review the emerging roles for IgSF molecules in synapse formation specifically in the vertebrate brain, focusing on examples from three classes of IgSF members: ( a) cell adhesion molecules, ( b) signaling molecules, and ( c) immune molecules expressed in the brain. The critical roles for IgSF members in regulating synapse formation may explain their extensive involvement in neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Solving the IgSF code for synapse formation may reveal multiple new targets for rescuing IgSF-mediated deficits in synapse formation and, eventually, new treatments for psychiatric disorders caused by altered IgSF-induced synapse wiring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Cameron
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California 95618, USA; ,
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29
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Weinstein Y, Levav I, Gelkopf M, Roe D, Yoffe R, Pugachova I, Levine SZ. Association of maternal exposure to terror attacks during pregnancy and the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring: A population-based study. Schizophr Res 2018; 199:163-167. [PMID: 29685420 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
This study tested the hypothesis that maternal exposure to terror attacks during pregnancy is associated with the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring. A population-based study was conducted of Israeli children born between 1975 and 1995 and that were registered in the Ministry of Interior and followed up in the Ministry of Health from birth to 2015 for the risk of schizophrenia (N = 201,048). The association between maternal exposure to terror attacks during pregnancy and the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring was quantified with relative risks (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) fitting Cox regression models unadjusted and adjusted for confounders. Sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the results. The RR of schizophrenia in offspring of mothers exposed to terror attacks during pregnancy compared to offspring of mothers not exposed during pregnancy were estimated unadjusted (RR = 2.51, 95% CI, 1.33, 4.74) and adjusted (RR = 2.53, 95% CI, 1.63, 3.91). In the sensitivity analyses adjusted RRs were estimated using a sibling-based study design (2.85, 95% CI: 1.31-6.21) and propensity matching (2.45, 95% CI: 1.58-3.81). Maternal exposure to terror attacks during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia in the offspring, possibly indicating a critical period of neurodevelopment that is sensitive to the stress of terror attacks and affected by epigenetic modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Weinstein
- Department of Community Mental Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Itzhak Levav
- Department of Community Mental Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Marc Gelkopf
- Department of Community Mental Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - David Roe
- Department of Community Mental Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Rinat Yoffe
- Department of Information and Evaluation, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Inna Pugachova
- Department of Information and Evaluation, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Stephen Z Levine
- Department of Community Mental Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
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30
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Murakami G, Edamura M, Furukawa T, Kawasaki H, Kosugi I, Fukuda A, Iwashita T, Nakahara D. MHC class I in dopaminergic neurons suppresses relapse to reward seeking. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaap7388. [PMID: 29546241 PMCID: PMC5851664 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aap7388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) is an important immune protein that is expressed in various brain regions, with its deficiency leading to extensive synaptic transmission that results in learning and memory deficits. Although MHCI is highly expressed in dopaminergic neurons, its role in these neurons has not been examined. We show that MHCI expressed in dopaminergic neurons plays a key role in suppressing reward-seeking behavior. In wild-type mice, cocaine self-administration caused persistent reduction of MHCI specifically in dopaminergic neurons, which was accompanied by enhanced glutamatergic synaptic transmission and relapse to cocaine seeking. Functional MHCI knockout promoted this addictive phenotype for cocaine and a natural reward, namely, sucrose. In contrast, wild-type mice overexpressing a major MHCI gene (H2D) in dopaminergic neurons showed suppressed cocaine seeking. These results show that persistent cocaine-induced reduction of MHCI in dopaminergic neurons is necessary for relapse to cocaine seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen Murakami
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan
- Department of Regenerative and Infectious Pathology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan
- Department of Liberal Arts, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, 38 Morohongo, Moroyama-machi, Iruma-gun, Saitama 350-0495, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Edamura
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan
| | - Tomonori Furukawa
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan
| | - Hideya Kawasaki
- Department of Regenerative and Infectious Pathology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan
| | - Isao Kosugi
- Department of Regenerative and Infectious Pathology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan
| | - Atsuo Fukuda
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan
| | - Toshihide Iwashita
- Department of Regenerative and Infectious Pathology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan
| | - Daiichiro Nakahara
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan
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31
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Sobue A, Ito N, Nagai T, Shan W, Hada K, Nakajima A, Murakami Y, Mouri A, Yamamoto Y, Nabeshima T, Saito K, Yamada K. Astroglial major histocompatibility complex class I following immune activation leads to behavioral and neuropathological changes. Glia 2018; 66:1034-1052. [PMID: 29380419 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In the central nervous system, major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) molecules are mainly expressed in neurons, and neuronal MHCI have roles in synapse elimination and plasticity. However, the pathophysiological significance of astroglial MHCI remains unclear. We herein demonstrate that MHCI expression is up-regulated in astrocytes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) following systemic immune activation by an intraperitoneal injection of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (polyI:C) or hydrodynamic interferon (IFN)-γ gene delivery in male C57/BL6J mice. In cultured astrocytes, MHCI/H-2D largely co-localized with exosomes. To investigate the role of astroglial MHCI, H-2D, or sH-2D was expressed in the mPFC of male C57/BL6J mice using an adeno-associated virus vector under the control of a glial fibrillary acidic protein promoter. The expression of astroglial MHCI in the mPFC impaired sociability and recognition memory in mice. Regarding neuropathological changes, MHCI expression in astrocytes significantly activated microglial cells, decreased parvalbumin-positive cell numbers, and reduced dendritic spine density in the mPFC. A treatment with GW4869 that impairs exosome synthesis ameliorated these behavioral and neuropathological changes. These results suggest that the overexpression of MHCI in astrocytes affects microglial proliferation as well as neuronal numbers and spine densities, thereby leading to social and cognitive deficits in mice, possibly via exosomes created by astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Sobue
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai, Showa, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Norimichi Ito
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai, Showa, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Taku Nagai
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai, Showa, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Wei Shan
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai, Showa, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Hada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai, Showa, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Akira Nakajima
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai, Showa, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuki Murakami
- Doshisha University Graduate School of Brain Science, 1-3 Tatara Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Japan
| | - Akihiro Mouri
- Department of Regulatory Science for Evaluation and Development of Pharmaceuticals and Devices, Fujita Health University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, 1-98, Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Yasuko Yamamoto
- Department of Disease Control Prevention, Fujita Health University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, 1-98, Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Toshitaka Nabeshima
- Advanced Diagnostic System Research Laboratory Fujita Health University, Graduate School of Health Sciences & Aino University, 1-98, Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Kuniaki Saito
- Department of Disease Control Prevention, Fujita Health University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, 1-98, Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake, Toyoake, Japan.,Advanced Diagnostic System Research Laboratory Fujita Health University, Graduate School of Health Sciences & Aino University, 1-98, Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Kiyofumi Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai, Showa, Nagoya, Japan
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32
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Chen X, Gao B, Ponnusamy M, Lin Z, Liu J. MEF2 signaling and human diseases. Oncotarget 2017; 8:112152-112165. [PMID: 29340119 PMCID: PMC5762387 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The members of myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 (MEF2) protein family was previously believed to function in the development of heart and muscle. Recent reports indicate that they are also closely associated with development and progression of many human diseases. Although their role in cancer biology is well established, the molecular mechanisms underlying their action is yet largely unknown. MEF2 family is closely associated with various signaling pathways, including Ca2+ signaling, MAP kinase signaling, Wnt signaling, PI3K/Akt signaling, etc. microRNAs also contribute to regulate the activities of MEF2. In this review, we summarize the known molecular mechanism by which MEF2 family contribute to human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China.,Institute for Translational Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Bing Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China.,School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Murugavel Ponnusamy
- Institute for Translational Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Zhijuan Lin
- Institute for Translational Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Jia Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China.,School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
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Konefal SC, Stellwagen D. Tumour necrosis factor-mediated homeostatic synaptic plasticity in behavioural models: testing a role in maternal immune activation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0160. [PMID: 28093554 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The proinflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) has long been characterized for its role in the innate immune system, but more recently has been found to have a distinct role in the nervous system that does not overlap with other proinflammatory cytokines. Through regulation of neuronal glutamate and GABA receptor trafficking, TNF mediates a homeostatic form of synaptic plasticity, but plays no direct role in Hebbian forms of plasticity. As yet, there is no evidence to suggest that this adaptive plasticity plays a significant role in normal development, but it does maintain neuronal circuit function in the face of several types of disruption. This includes developmental plasticity in primary sensory cortices, as well as modulating the response to antidepressants, chronic antipsychotics and drugs of abuse. TNF is also a prominent component of the neuroinflammation occurring in most neuropathologies, but the role of TNF-mediated synaptic plasticity in this context remains to be determined. We tested this in a maternal immune activation (MIA) model of neurodevelopmental disorders. Using TNF-/- mice, we observed that TNF is not required for the expression of abnormal social or anxious behaviour in this model. This indicates that TNF does not uniquely contribute to the development of neuronal dysfunction in this model, and suggests that during neuroinflammatory events, compensation between the various proinflammatory cytokines is the norm.This article is part of the themed issue 'Integrating Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Konefal
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Centre for Research in Neuroscience, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1A4
| | - David Stellwagen
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Centre for Research in Neuroscience, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1A4
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Chang CW, Wilkerson JR, Hale CF, Gibson JR, Huber KM. Distinct stages of synapse elimination are induced by burst firing of CA1 neurons and differentially require MEF2A/D. eLife 2017; 6:26278. [PMID: 28901289 PMCID: PMC5608508 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Experience and activity refine cortical circuits through synapse elimination, but little is known about the activity patterns and downstream molecular mechanisms that mediate this process. We used optogenetics to drive individual mouse CA1 hippocampal neurons to fire in theta frequency bursts to understand how cell autonomous, postsynaptic activity leads to synapse elimination. Brief (1 hr) periods of postsynaptic bursting selectively depressed AMPA receptor (R) synaptic transmission, or silenced excitatory synapses, whereas more prolonged (24 hr) firing depressed both AMPAR and NMDAR EPSCs and eliminated spines, indicative of a synapse elimination. Both synapse silencing and elimination required de novo transcription, but only silencing required the activity-dependent transcription factors MEF2A/D. Burst firing induced MEF2A/D-dependent induction of the target gene Arc which contributed to synapse silencing and elimination. This work reveals new and distinct forms of activity and transcription-dependent synapse depression and suggests that these processes can occur independently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Wei Chang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Julia R Wilkerson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Carly F Hale
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Jay R Gibson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Kimberly M Huber
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
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Nucleocytoplasmic Shuttling of Histone Deacetylase 9 Controls Activity-Dependent Thalamocortical Axon Branching. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6024. [PMID: 28729685 PMCID: PMC5519695 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06243-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
During development, thalamocortical (TC) axons form branches in an activity-dependent fashion. Here we investigated how neuronal activity is converted to molecular signals, focusing on an epigenetic mechanism involving histone deacetylases (HDACs). Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that HDAC9 was translocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasm of thalamic cells during the first postnatal week in rats. In organotypic co-cultures of the thalamus and cortex, fluorescent protein-tagged HDAC9 also exhibited nuclueocytoplasmic translocation in thalamic cells during culturing, which was reversed by tetrodotoxin treatment. Transfection with a mutant HDAC9 that interferes with the translocation markedly decreased TC axon branching in the culture. Similarly, TC axon branching was significantly decreased by the mutant HDAC9 gene transfer in vivo. However, axonal branching was restored by disrupting the interaction between HDAC9 and myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2 (MEF2). Taken together, the present results demonstrate that the nucleocytoplasmic translocation of HDAC9 plays a critical role in activity-dependent TC axon branching by affecting transcriptional regulation and downstream signaling pathways.
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Maternal Immune Activation Causes Behavioral Impairments and Altered Cerebellar Cytokine and Synaptic Protein Expression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1435-1446. [PMID: 28102228 PMCID: PMC5436129 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Emerging epidemiology studies indicate that maternal immune activation (MIA) resulting from inflammatory stimuli such as viral or bacterial infections during pregnancy serves as a risk factor for multiple neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Although alterations in the cortex and hippocampus of MIA offspring have been described, less evidence exists on the impact on the cerebellum. Here, we report altered expression of cytokines and chemokines in the cerebellum of MIA offspring, including increase in the neuroinflammatory cytokine TNFα and its receptor TNFR1. We also report reduced expression of the synaptic organizing proteins cerebellin-1 and GluRδ2. These synaptic protein alterations are associated with a deficit in the ability of cerebellar neurons to form synapses and an increased number of dendritic spines that are not in contact with a presynaptic terminal. These impairments are likely contributing to the behavioral deficits in the MIA exposed offspring.
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Rajkovich KE, Loerwald KW, Hale CF, Hess CT, Gibson JR, Huber KM. Experience-Dependent and Differential Regulation of Local and Long-Range Excitatory Neocortical Circuits by Postsynaptic Mef2c. Neuron 2016; 93:48-56. [PMID: 27989458 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Development of proper cortical circuits requires an interaction of sensory experience and genetic programs. Little is known of how experience and specific transcription factors interact to determine the development of specific neocortical circuits. Here, we demonstrate that the activity-dependent transcription factor, Myocyte enhancer factor-2C (Mef2c), differentially regulates development of local versus long-range excitatory synaptic inputs onto layer 2/3 neurons in the somatosensory neocortex in vivo. Postnatal, postsynaptic deletion of Mef2c in a sparse population of L2/3 neurons suppressed development of excitatory synaptic connections from all local input pathways tested. In the same cell population, Mef2c deletion promoted the strength of excitatory inputs originating from contralateral neocortex. Both the synapse promoting and synapse suppressing effects of Mef2c deletion required normal whisking experience. These results reveal a role of Mef2c in experience-dependent development of specific sensory neocortical circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kacey E Rajkovich
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Kristofer W Loerwald
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Carly F Hale
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Carolyn T Hess
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Jay R Gibson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| | - Kimberly M Huber
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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Torres AR, Sweeten TL, Johnson RC, Odell D, Westover JB, Bray-Ward P, Ward DC, Davies CJ, Thomas AJ, Croen LA, Benson M. Common Genetic Variants Found in HLA and KIR Immune Genes in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:463. [PMID: 27812316 PMCID: PMC5071356 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The "common variant-common disease" hypothesis was proposed to explain diseases with strong inheritance. This model suggests that a genetic disease is the result of the combination of several common genetic variants. Common genetic variants are described as a 5% frequency differential between diseased vs. matched control populations. This theory was recently supported by an epidemiology paper stating that about 50% of genetic risk for autism resides in common variants. However, rare variants, rather than common variants, have been found in numerous genome wide genetic studies and many have concluded that the "common variant-common disease" hypothesis is incorrect. One interpretation is that rare variants are major contributors to genetic diseases and autism involves the interaction of many rare variants, especially in the brain. It is obvious there is much yet to be learned about autism genetics. Evidence has been mounting over the years indicating immune involvement in autism, particularly the HLA genes on chromosome 6 and KIR genes on chromosome 19. These two large multigene complexes have important immune functions and have been shown to interact to eliminate unwanted virally infected and malignant cells. HLA proteins have important functions in antigen presentation in adaptive immunity and specific epitopes on HLA class I proteins act as cognate ligands for KIR receptors in innate immunity. Data suggests that HLA alleles and KIR activating genes/haplotypes are common variants in different autism populations. For example, class I allele (HLA-A2 and HLA-G 14 bp-indel) frequencies are significantly increased by more than 5% over control populations (Table 2). The HLA-DR4 Class II and shared epitope frequencies are significantly above the control populations (Table 2). Three activating KIR genes: 3DS1, 2DS1, and 2DS2 have increased frequencies of 15, 22, and 14% in autism populations, respectively. There is a 6% increase in total activating KIR genes in autism over control subjects. And, more importantly there is a 12% increase in activating KIR genes and their cognate HLA alleles over control populations (Torres et al., 2012a). These data suggest the interaction of HLA ligand/KIR receptor pairs encoded on two different chromosomes is more significant as a ligand/receptor complex than separately in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony R. Torres
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | | | - Randall C. Johnson
- BSP CCR Genetics Core, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer ResearchFrederick, MD, USA
| | - Dennis Odell
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | - Jonna B. Westover
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | - Patricia Bray-Ward
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | - David C. Ward
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | | | - Aaron J. Thomas
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente of Northern CaliforniaOakland, CA, USA
| | - Lisa A. Croen
- Center for Integrated BioSystems, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | - Michael Benson
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
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Levine SZ, Levav I, Pugachova I, Yoffe R, Becher Y. Transgenerational effects of genocide exposure on the risk and course of schizophrenia: A population-based study. Schizophr Res 2016; 176:540-545. [PMID: 27401532 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypotheses about the sequel of parental genocide exposures on the offspring's risk and course of schizophrenia remain untested. AIMS To test hypotheses related to the transgenerational transmission of parental genocide exposure on the risk and course of schizophrenia. METHODS Data were extracted from the National Population Register on all offspring (N=51.233; born: 1948-1989) whose parents were born (1922 to 1945) in Nazi- dominated European nations. Both parents either immigrated before (indirect exposure: n=1627, 3.2%) or after (direct exposure: n=49.606, 96.8%) the Nazi era. Offspring subgroups were identified from the initial timing of parental exposure (e.g., likely in utero, combined in utero and postnatal, or postnatal). Schizophrenia disorders were ascertained (1950-2014) from the National Psychiatric Case Registry. Cox models were computed to compare the offspring groups with respect to the risk and the adverse course of schizophrenia, adjusting for confounders. RESULTS The offspring rates on the risk and course of schizophrenia did not differ by parental affiliation to the direct and indirect exposure groups. Cox models showed that offspring subgroups with maternal Holocaust exposures in utero only (HR=1.74, 1.13, 2.66) and combined in utero and postnatal (HR=1.48, 1.05, 2.10); as well as paternal Holocaust exposures combined in utero and postnatal (HR=1.48, 1.08, 2.05), and early postnatal (aged 1-2; HR=1.49, 1.10, 2.00) had a significantly (P<0.05) higher psychiatric re-hospitalization rate than the indirect group. CONCLUSIONS Transgenerational genocide exposure was unrelated to the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring, but was related to a course of deterioration during selected critical periods of early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Z Levine
- Department of Community Mental Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel.
| | - Itzhak Levav
- Department of Community Mental Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Inna Pugachova
- Department of Information and Evaluation, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem 9101002, Israel
| | - Rinat Yoffe
- Department of Information and Evaluation, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem 9101002, Israel
| | - Yifat Becher
- Department of Information and Evaluation, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem 9101002, Israel
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40
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Estes ML, McAllister AK. Maternal immune activation: Implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. Science 2016; 353:772-7. [PMID: 27540164 DOI: 10.1126/science.aag3194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 700] [Impact Index Per Article: 87.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological evidence implicates maternal infection as a risk factor for autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Animal models corroborate this link and demonstrate that maternal immune activation (MIA) alone is sufficient to impart lifelong neuropathology and altered behaviors in offspring. This Review describes common principles revealed by these models, highlighting recent findings that strengthen their relevance for schizophrenia and autism and are starting to reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of MIA on offspring. The role of MIA as a primer for a much wider range of psychiatric and neurologic disorders is also discussed. Finally, the need for more research in this nascent field and the implications for identifying and developing new treatments for individuals at heightened risk for neuroimmune disorders are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myka L Estes
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95618, USA
| | - A Kimberley McAllister
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95618, USA.
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Lippman-Bell JJ, Zhou C, Sun H, Feske JS, Jensen FE. Early-life seizures alter synaptic calcium-permeable AMPA receptor function and plasticity. Mol Cell Neurosci 2016; 76:11-20. [PMID: 27521497 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Revised: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+)-mediated4 signaling pathways are critical to synaptic plasticity. In adults, the NMDA glutamate receptor (NMDAR) represents a major route for activity-dependent synaptic Ca2+ entry. However, during neonatal development, when synaptic plasticity is particularly high, many AMPA glutamate receptors (AMPARs) are also permeable to Ca2+ (CP-AMPAR) due to low GluA2 subunit expression, providing an additional route for activity- and glutamate-dependent Ca2+ influx and subsequent signaling. Therefore, altered hippocampal Ca2+ signaling may represent an age-specific pathogenic mechanism. We thus aimed to assess Ca2+ responses 48h after hypoxia-induced neonatal seizures (HS) in postnatal day (P)10 rats, a post-seizure time point at which we previously reported LTP attenuation. We found that Ca2+ responses were higher in brain slices from post-HS rats than in controls and that this increase was CP-AMPAR-dependent. To determine whether synaptic CP-AMPAR expression was also altered post-HS, we assessed the expression of GluA2 at hippocampal synapses and the expression of long-term depression (LTD), which has been linked to the presence of synaptic GluA2. Here we report a decrease 48h after HS in synaptic GluA2 expression at synapses and LTD in hippocampal CA1. Given the potentially critical role of AMPAR trafficking in disease progression, we aimed to establish whether post-seizure in vivo AMPAR antagonist treatment prevented the enhanced Ca2+ responses, changes in GluA2 synaptic expression, and diminished LTD. We found that NBQX treatment prevents all three of these post-seizure consequences, further supporting a critical role for AMPARs as an age-specific therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn J Lippman-Bell
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States; Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States; Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19131, United States
| | - Chengwen Zhou
- Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States
| | - Hongyu Sun
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States; Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States
| | - Joel S Feske
- Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States
| | - Frances E Jensen
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States; Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States.
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Genetic architecture, epigenetic influence and environment exposure in the pathogenesis of Autism. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2016; 58:958-67. [PMID: 26490976 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-015-4941-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a spectral neurodevelopment disorder affecting approximately 1% of the population. ASD is characterized by impairments in reciprocal social interaction, communication deficits and restricted patterns of behavior. Multiple factors, including genetic/genomic, epigenetic/epigenomic and environmental, are thought to be necessary for autism development. Recent reviews have provided further insight into the genetic/genomic basis of ASD. It has long been suspected that epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, chromatin structures and long non-coding RNAs may play important roles in the pathology of ASD. In addition to genetic/genomic alterations and epigenetic/epigenomic influences, environmental exposures have been widely accepted as an important role in autism etiology, among which immune dysregulation and gastrointestinal microbiota are two prominent ones.
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Hollins SL, Cairns MJ. MicroRNA: Small RNA mediators of the brains genomic response to environmental stress. Prog Neurobiol 2016; 143:61-81. [PMID: 27317386 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The developmental processes that establish the synaptic architecture of the brain while retaining capacity for activity-dependent remodeling, are complex and involve a combination of genetic and epigenetic influences. Dysregulation of these processes can lead to problems with neural circuitry which manifest in humans as a range of neurodevelopmental syndromes, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and fragile X mental retardation. Recent studies suggest that prenatal, postnatal and intergenerational environmental factors play an important role in the aetiology of stress-related psychopathology. A number of these disorders have been shown to display epigenetic changes in the postmortem brain that reflect early life experience. These changes affect the regulation of gene expression though chromatin remodeling (transcriptional) and post-transcriptional influences, especially small noncoding microRNA (miRNA). These dynamic and influential molecules appear to play an important function in both brain development and its adaption to stress. In this review, we examine the role of miRNA in mediating the brain's response to both prenatal and postnatal environmental perturbations and explore how stress- induced alterations in miRNA expression can regulate the stress response via modulation of the immune system. Given the close relationship between environmental stress, miRNA, and brain development/function, we assert that miRNA hold a significant position at the molecular crossroads between neural development and adaptations to environmental stress. A greater understanding of the dynamics that mediate an individual's predisposition to stress-induced neuropathology has major human health benefits and is an important area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon L Hollins
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy and the Hunter Medical Research Institute, the University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Murray J Cairns
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy and the Hunter Medical Research Institute, the University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Adelson JD, Sapp RW, Brott BK, Lee H, Miyamichi K, Luo L, Cheng S, Djurisic M, Shatz CJ. Developmental Sculpting of Intracortical Circuits by MHC Class I H2-Db and H2-Kb. Cereb Cortex 2016; 26:1453-1463. [PMID: 25316337 PMCID: PMC4785944 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapse pruning is an activity-regulated process needed for proper circuit sculpting in the developing brain. Major histocompatibility class I (MHCI) molecules are regulated by activity, but little is known about their role in the development of connectivity in cortex. Here we show that protein for 2 MHCI molecules H2-Kb and H2-Db is associated with synapses in the visual cortex. Pyramidal neurons in mice lacking H2-Kb and H2-Db (KbDb KO) have more extensive cortical connectivity than normal. Modified rabies virus tracing was used to monitor the extent of pyramidal cell connectivity: Horizontal connectivity is greater in the visual cortex of KbDb KO mice. Basal dendrites of L2/3 pyramids, where many horizontal connections terminate, are more highly branched and have elevated spine density in the KO. Furthermore, the density of axonal boutons is elevated within L2/3 of mutant mice. These increases are accompanied by elevated miniature excitatory postsynaptic current frequency, consistent with an increase in functional synapses. This functional and anatomical increase in intracortical connectivity is also associated with enhanced ocular dominance plasticity that persists into adulthood. Thus, these MHCI proteins regulate sculpting of local cortical circuits and in their absence, the excess connectivity can function as a substrate for cortical plasticity throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hanmi Lee
- Departments of Biology and Neurobiology and Bio-X
| | | | - Liqun Luo
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305, USA
| | - Sarah Cheng
- Departments of Biology and Neurobiology and Bio-X
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45
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Levine SZ, Levav I, Goldberg Y, Pugachova I, Becher Y, Yoffe R. Exposure to genocide and the risk of schizophrenia: a population-based study. Psychol Med 2016; 46:855-863. [PMID: 26619765 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291715002354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND No evidence exists on the association between genocide and the incidence of schizophrenia. This study aims to identify critical periods of exposure to genocide on the risk of schizophrenia. METHOD This population-based study comprised of all subjects born in European nations where the Holocaust occurred from 1928 to 1945, who immigrated to Israel by 1965 and were indexed in the Population Register (N = 113 932). Subjects were followed for schizophrenia disorder in the National Psychiatric Case Registry from 1950 to 2014. The population was disaggregated to compare groups that immigrated before (indirect exposure: n = 8886, 7.8%) or after (direct exposure: n = 105 046, 92.2%) the Nazi or fascist era of persecutions began. The latter group was further disaggregated to examine likely initial prenatal or postnatal genocide exposures. Cox regression modelling was computed to compare the risk of schizophrenia between the groups, adjusting for confounders. RESULTS The likely direct group was at a statistically (p < 0.05) greater risk of schizophrenia (hazard ratio = 1.27, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.51) than the indirect group. Also, the likely combined in utero and postnatal, and late postnatal (over age 2 years) exposure subgroups were statistically at greater risk of schizophrenia than the indirect group (p < 0.05). The likely in utero only and early postnatal (up to age 2 years) exposure subgroups compared with the indirect exposure group did not significantly differ. These results were replicated across three sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that genocide exposure elevated the risk of schizophrenia, and identified in utero and postnatal (combined) and late postnatal (age over 2 years) exposures as critical periods of risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Z Levine
- Department of Community Mental Health,Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences,University of Haifa,Haifa,Israel
| | - I Levav
- Department of Community Mental Health,Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences,University of Haifa,Haifa,Israel
| | - Y Goldberg
- Department of Statistics,Faculty of Social Sciences,University of Haifa,Haifa,Israel
| | - I Pugachova
- Department of Information and Evaluation,Ministry of Health,Jerusalem,Israel
| | - Y Becher
- Department of Information and Evaluation,Ministry of Health,Jerusalem,Israel
| | - R Yoffe
- Department of Information and Evaluation,Ministry of Health,Jerusalem,Israel
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Tetruashvily MM, Melson JW, Park JJ, Peng X, Boulanger LM. Expression and alternative splicing of classical and nonclassical MHCI genes in the hippocampus and neuromuscular junction. Mol Cell Neurosci 2016; 72:34-45. [PMID: 26802536 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2016.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) is a large gene family, with over 20 members in mouse. Some MHCIs are well-known for their critical roles in the immune response. Studies in mice which lack stable cell-surface expression of many MHCI proteins suggest that one or more MHCIs also play unexpected, essential roles in the establishment, function, and modification of neuronal synapses. However, there is little information about which genes mediate MHCI's effects in neurons. In this study, RT-PCR was used to simultaneously assess transcription of many MHCI genes in regions of the central and peripheral nervous system where MHCI has a known or suspected role. In the hippocampus, a part of the CNS where MHCI regulates synapse density, synaptic transmission, and plasticity, we found that more than a dozen MHCI genes are transcribed. Single-cell RT-PCR revealed that individual hippocampal neurons can express more than one MHCI gene, and that the MHCI gene expression profile of CA1 pyramidal neurons differs significantly from that of CA3 pyramidal neurons or granule cells of the dentate gyrus. MHCI gene expression was also assessed at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), a part of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) where MHCI plays a role in developmental synapse elimination, aging-related synapse loss, and neuronal regeneration. Four MHCI genes are expressed at the NMJ at an age when synapse elimination is occurring in three different muscles. Several MHCI mRNA splice variants were detected in hippocampus, but not at the NMJ. Together, these results establish the first profile of MHCI gene expression at the developing NMJ, and demonstrate that MHCI gene expression is under tight spatial and temporal regulation in the nervous system. They also identify more than a dozen MHCIs that could play important roles in regulating synaptic transmission and plasticity in the central and peripheral nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mazell M Tetruashvily
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States; Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 675 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ 08901, United States
| | - John W Melson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Joseph J Park
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Xiaoyu Peng
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States; Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Lisa M Boulanger
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States; Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States.
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47
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Abstract
Both genetic and environmental factors are thought to contribute to neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders with maternal immune activation (MIA) being a risk factor for both autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Although MIA mouse offspring exhibit behavioral impairments, the synaptic alterations in vivo that mediate these behaviors are not known. Here we employed in vivo multiphoton imaging to determine that in the cortex of young MIA offspring there is a reduction in number and turnover rates of dendritic spines, sites of majority of excitatory synaptic inputs. Significantly, spine impairments persisted into adulthood and correlated with increased repetitive behavior, an ASD relevant behavioral phenotype. Structural analysis of synaptic inputs revealed a reorganization of presynaptic inputs with a larger proportion of spines being contacted by both excitatory and inhibitory presynaptic terminals. These structural impairments were accompanied by altered excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission. Finally, we report that a postnatal treatment of MIA offspring with the anti-inflammatory drug ibudilast, prevented both synaptic and behavioral impairments. Our results suggest that a possible altered inflammatory state associated with maternal immune activation results in impaired synaptic development that persists into adulthood but which can be prevented with early anti-inflammatory treatment.
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48
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Immune mediators in the brain and peripheral tissues in autism spectrum disorder. Nat Rev Neurosci 2015; 16:469-86. [PMID: 26189694 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 316] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence points to a central role for immune dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Several ASD risk genes encode components of the immune system and many maternal immune system-related risk factors--including autoimmunity, infection and fetal reactive antibodies--are associated with ASD. In addition, there is evidence of ongoing immune dysregulation in individuals with ASD and in animal models of this disorder. Recently, several molecular signalling pathways--including pathways downstream of cytokines, the receptor MET, major histocompatibility complex class I molecules, microglia and complement factors--have been identified that link immune activation to ASD phenotypes. Together, these findings indicate that the immune system is a point of convergence for multiple ASD-related genetic and environmental risk factors.
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49
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Filiano AJ, Gadani SP, Kipnis J. Interactions of innate and adaptive immunity in brain development and function. Brain Res 2015; 1617:18-27. [PMID: 25110235 PMCID: PMC4320678 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.07.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
It has been known for decades that the immune system has a tremendous impact on behavior. Most work has described the negative role of immune cells on the central nervous system. However, we and others have demonstrated over the last decade that a well-regulated immune system is needed for proper brain function. Here we discuss several neuro-immune interactions, using examples from brain homeostasis and disease states. We will highlight our understanding of the consequences of malfunctioning immunity on neurodevelopment and will discuss the roles of the innate and adaptive immune system in neurodevelopment and how T cells maintain a proper innate immune balance in the brain surroundings and within its parenchyma. Also, we describe how immune imbalance impairs higher order brain functioning, possibly leading to behavioral and cognitive impairment. Lastly, we propose our hypothesis that some behavioral deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as in autism spectrum disorder, are the consequence of malfunctioning immunity. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Neuroimmunology in Health And Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Filiano
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
| | - Sachin P Gadani
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Jonathan Kipnis
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
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50
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Abstract
How broadly expressed transcription factors contribute to tissue-specific gene expression is not well understood. Andzelm, Cherry et al. (2015) demonstrate that myocyte enhancer factor 2D (MEF2D) binds and activates retina-specific regulatory regions by cooperative interaction with the tissue-specific transcription factor CRX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Masuda
- Wilmer Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Cynthia A Berlinicke
- Wilmer Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Donald J Zack
- Wilmer Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
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