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Bolouki A. Role of Epigenetic Modification in the Intergeneration Transmission of War Trauma. Indian J Clin Biochem 2024; 39:312-321. [PMID: 39005862 PMCID: PMC11239641 DOI: 10.1007/s12291-023-01136-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
War trauma has been linked to changes in the neuroendocrine and immunological systems and increases the risk of physical disorders. Traumatic events during the war may have long-term repercussions on psychological and biological parameters in future generations, implying that traumatic stress may have transgenerational consequences. This article addresses how epigenetic mechanisms, which are a key biological mechanism for dynamic adaptation to environmental stressors, may help explain the long-term and transgenerational consequences of trauma. In war survivors, epigenetic changes in genes mediating the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, as well as the immune system, have been reported. These genetic modifications may cause long-term changes in the stress response as well as physical health risks. Also, the finding of biomarkers for diagnosing the possibility of psychiatric illnesses in people exposed to stressful conditions such as war necessitates extensive research. While epigenetic research has the potential to further our understanding of the effects of trauma, the findings must be interpreted with caution because epigenetic molecular mechanisms is only one piece of a complicated puzzle of interwoven biological and environmental components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayeh Bolouki
- Clinical Biochemistry Department, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Research Unit on Cellular Biology (URBC), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
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2
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Marson F, Zampieri M, Verdone L, Bacalini MG, Ravaioli F, Morandi L, Chiarella SG, Vetriani V, Venditti S, Caserta M, Raffone A, Dotan Ben-Soussan T, Reale A. Quadrato Motor Training (QMT) is associated with DNA methylation changes at DNA repeats: A pilot study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293199. [PMID: 37878626 PMCID: PMC10599555 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The control of non-coding repeated DNA by DNA methylation plays an important role in genomic stability, contributing to health and healthy aging. Mind-body practices can elicit psychophysical wellbeing via epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation. However, in this context the effects of movement meditations have rarely been examined. Consequently, the current study investigates the effects of a specifically structured movement meditation, called the Quadrato Motor Training (QMT) on psychophysical wellbeing and on the methylation level of repeated sequences. An 8-week daily QMT program was administered to healthy women aged 40-60 years and compared with a passive control group matched for gender and age. Psychological well-being was assessed within both groups by using self-reporting scales, including the Meaning in Life Questionnaire [MLQ] and Psychological Wellbeing Scale [PWB]). DNA methylation profiles of repeated sequences (ribosomal DNA, LINE-1 and Alu) were determined in saliva samples by deep-sequencing. In contrast to controls, the QMT group exhibited increased Search for Meaning, decreased Presence of Meaning and increased Positive Relations, suggesting that QMT may lessen the automatic patterns of thinking. In the QMT group, we also found site-specific significant methylation variations in ribosomal DNA and LINE-1 repeats, consistent with increased genome stability. Finally, the correlations found between changes in methylation and psychometric indices (MLQ and PWB) suggest that the observed epigenetic and psychological changes are interrelated. Collectively, the current results indicate that QMT may improve psychophysical health trajectories by influencing the DNA methylation of specific repetitive sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Marson
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Fondazione Patrizio Paoletti, Assisi, Italy
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Zampieri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Loredana Verdone
- CNR Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Council of Research (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Giulia Bacalini
- Brain Aging Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Ravaioli
- Dep. of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca Morandi
- Dep. of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Salvatore Gaetano Chiarella
- Institute of Sciences and Technologies of Cognition (ISTC), National Council of Research (CNR), Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Vetriani
- Dept. of Biology and biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Sabrina Venditti
- Dept. of Biology and biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Micaela Caserta
- CNR Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Council of Research (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Antonino Raffone
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Fondazione Patrizio Paoletti, Assisi, Italy
| | - Anna Reale
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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3
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Richter TA, Aiken AA, Puracchio MJ, Maganga-Bakita I, Hunter RG. Maternal Immune Activation and Enriched Environments Impact B2 SINE Expression in Stress Sensitive Brain Regions of Rodent Offspring. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:858. [PMID: 37107616 PMCID: PMC10137338 DOI: 10.3390/genes14040858] [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: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) can have wide-spread neurodevelopmental effects with support accumulating for the idea that genomic mechanisms may induce lasting physiological and behavioral changes following stress exposure. Previous work found that a sub-family of transposable elements, SINEs, are repressed epigenetically after acute stress. This gives support to the concept that the mammalian genome may be regulating retrotransposon RNA expression allowing for adaptation in response to environmental challenges, such as maternal immune activation (MIA). Transposon (TE) RNAs are now thought to work at the epigenetic level and to have an adaptive response to environmental stressors. Abnormal expression of TEs has been linked to neuropsychiatric disorders like schizophrenia, which is also linked to maternal immune activation. Environmental enrichment (EE), a clinically utilized intervention, is understood to protect the brain, enhance cognitive performance, and attenuate responses to stress. This study examines the effects of MIA on offspring B2 SINE expression and further, the impact that EE, experienced throughout gestation and early life, may have in conjunction with MIA during development. Utilizing RT-PCR to quantify the expression of B2 SINE RNA in the juvenile brain of MIA exposed rat offspring, we found dysregulation of B2 SINE expression associated with MIA in the prefrontal cortex. For offspring experiencing EE, the prefrontal cortex exhibited an attenuation of the MIA response observed in standard housed animals. Here, the adaptive nature of B2 is observed and thought to be aiding in the animal's adaptation to stress. The present changes indicate a wide-spread stress-response system adaptation that impacts not only changes at the genomic level but potentially observable behavioral impacts throughout the lifespan, with possible translational relevance to psychotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy A. Richter
- Department of Psychology, Developmental and Brain Sciences Program, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Ariel A. Aiken
- Department of Psychology, Developmental and Brain Sciences Program, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Madeline J. Puracchio
- School of Arts & Sciences, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Ismael Maganga-Bakita
- Department of Psychology, Developmental and Brain Sciences Program, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Richard G. Hunter
- Department of Psychology, Developmental and Brain Sciences Program, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
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Alves VRG, Micali D, Ota VK, Bugiga AVG, Muniz Carvalho C, Belangero SI. A Systematic Review of LINE-1 Methylation Profile in Psychiatric Disorders. Complex Psychiatry 2023; 9:119-129. [PMID: 37404869 PMCID: PMC10315007 DOI: 10.1159/000530641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) are endogenous retrotransposable elements. A few studies have linked the methylation pattern of LINE-1 to different mental disorders (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], autism spectrum disorder [ASD], panic disorder [PD]). We sought to unify the existing knowledge in the field and provide a better understanding of the association between mental disorders and LINE-1 methylation. Methods A systematic review was executed with 12 eligible articles according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results For psychotic disorders, PTSD, ASD, and PD, lower LINE-1 methylation levels were detected, whereas for mood disorders, the findings are controversial. The studies were conducted with subjects aged 18-80 years. Peripheral blood samples were utilized in 7/12 articles. Conclusion Although most studies have shown that LINE-1 hypomethylation was associated with mental disorders, there were still some divergences (i.e., hypermethylation associated with mental disorders). These studies suggest that LINE-1 methylation may be an important factor related to the development of mental disorders and highlight the need to better comprehend the biological mechanisms underlying the role of LINE-1 in mental disorders pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitória Rodrigues Guimarães Alves
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- LiNC, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Danilo Micali
- LiNC, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Kiyomi Ota
- LiNC, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amanda Victória Gomes Bugiga
- LiNC, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carolina Muniz Carvalho
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- LiNC, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sintia Iole Belangero
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- LiNC, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
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Carvalho CM, Coimbra BM, Bugiga A, Marques DF, Kiyomi Ota V, Mello AF, Mello MF, Belangero SI. Hyperarousal Symptom Severity in Women with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Might Be Associated with LINE-1 Hypomethylation in Childhood Sexual Abuse Victims. Complex Psychiatry 2023; 9:44-56. [PMID: 37034826 PMCID: PMC10080193 DOI: 10.1159/000529698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Sexual assault and a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development. Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE-1) are transposable elements, and their methylation is used to infer DNA global methylation. DNA methylation can be affected by trauma exposition which in turn would be associated with PTSD. Thus, we investigated if the LINE-1 methylation pattern is related to PTSD symptoms in females with a history of CSA. Methods This is a case-control study that examined, at baseline (W1), 64 women victims of sexual assault diagnosed with PTSD and 31 patients with PTSD who completed the 1-year follow-up (W2). Participants were categorized into two groups according to the presence of CSA (PTSDCSA+: NW1 = 19, NW2 = 10; PTSDCSA-: NW1 = 45, NW2 = 21). PTSD symptoms (re-experiencing, avoidance, hyperarousal, alterations in cognition/mood) were assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, and the history of CSA was assessed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. LINE-1 methylation was measured in three sites (CpG1, CpG2, CpG3) located in the 5'UTR region using bisulfite conversion followed by pyrosequencing. Linear regression models were performed to test the relation between LINE-1 CpG sites methylation and PTSD symptoms. Results We found a negative association between CpG2 methylation and hyperarousal symptoms among those in the PTSDCSA+ group in W1 (adjusted p = 0.003) compared to the PTSDCSA- group (p > 0.05). Still, no association was observed between other PTSD symptoms and other CpG sites. Further, in the longitudinal analysis, LINE-1 hypomethylation was no longer observed in PTSD participants exposed to CSA. Conclusion Our findings suggest that LINE-1 methylation may help understand the relationship between trauma and PTSD. However, more studies are needed to investigate LINE-1 as an epigenetic marker of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Muniz Carvalho
- Department of Psychiatry of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- LiNC - Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruno Messina Coimbra
- Department of Psychiatry of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute and Amsterdam Neuroscience Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Amanda Bugiga
- LiNC - Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Genetics Division of Department of Morphology and Genetics of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Diogo Ferri Marques
- Department of Psychiatry of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- LiNC - Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Vanessa Kiyomi Ota
- LiNC - Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Genetics Division of Department of Morphology and Genetics of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andrea Feijó Mello
- Department of Psychiatry of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Feijó Mello
- Department of Psychiatry of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sintia Iole Belangero
- LiNC - Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Genetics Division of Department of Morphology and Genetics of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
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6
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Jahangir M, Li L, Zhou JS, Lang B, Wang XP. L1 Retrotransposons: A Potential Endogenous Regulator for Schizophrenia. Front Genet 2022; 13:878508. [PMID: 35832186 PMCID: PMC9271560 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.878508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The long interspersed nuclear elements 1 (LINE-1/L1s) are the only active autonomous retrotransposons found in humans which can integrate anywhere in the human genome. They can expand the genome and thus bring good or bad effects to the host cells which really depends on their integration site and associated polymorphism. LINE-1 retrotransposition has been found participating in various neurological disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, major depression disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia. Despite the recent progress, the roles and pathological mechanism of LINE-1 retrotransposition in schizophrenia and its heritable risks, particularly, contribution to “missing heritability” are yet to be determined. Therefore, this review focuses on the potentially etiological roles of L1s in the development of schizophrenia, possible therapeutic choices and unaddressed questions in order to shed lights on the future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Bing Lang
- *Correspondence: Bing Lang, ; Xiao-Ping Wang,
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7
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DeRosa H, Richter T, Wilkinson C, Hunter RG. Bridging the Gap Between Environmental Adversity and Neuropsychiatric Disorders: The Role of Transposable Elements. Front Genet 2022; 13:813510. [PMID: 35711940 PMCID: PMC9196244 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.813510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Long regarded as “junk DNA,” transposable elements (TEs) have recently garnered much attention for their role in promoting genetic diversity and plasticity. While many processes involved in mammalian development require TE activity, deleterious TE insertions are a hallmark of several psychiatric disorders. Moreover, stressful events including exposure to gestational infection and trauma, are major risk factors for developing psychiatric illnesses. Here, we will provide evidence demonstrating the intersection of stressful events, atypical TE expression, and their epigenetic regulation, which may explain how neuropsychiatric phenotypes manifest. In this way, TEs may be the “bridge” between environmental perturbations and psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly DeRosa
- Psychology Department, Developmental Brain Sciences Program, College of Liberal Arts, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Troy Richter
- Psychology Department, Developmental Brain Sciences Program, College of Liberal Arts, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Cooper Wilkinson
- Psychology Department, Developmental Brain Sciences Program, College of Liberal Arts, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Richard G Hunter
- Psychology Department, Developmental Brain Sciences Program, College of Liberal Arts, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
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8
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Chesnokova E, Beletskiy A, Kolosov P. The Role of Transposable Elements of the Human Genome in Neuronal Function and Pathology. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5847. [PMID: 35628657 PMCID: PMC9148063 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) have been extensively studied for decades. In recent years, the introduction of whole-genome and whole-transcriptome approaches, as well as single-cell resolution techniques, provided a breakthrough that uncovered TE involvement in host gene expression regulation underlying multiple normal and pathological processes. Of particular interest is increased TE activity in neuronal tissue, and specifically in the hippocampus, that was repeatedly demonstrated in multiple experiments. On the other hand, numerous neuropathologies are associated with TE dysregulation. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of literature about the role of TEs in neurons published over the last three decades. The first chapter of the present review describes known mechanisms of TE interaction with host genomes in general, with the focus on mammalian and human TEs; the second chapter provides examples of TE exaptation in normal neuronal tissue, including TE involvement in neuronal differentiation and plasticity; and the last chapter lists TE-related neuropathologies. We sought to provide specific molecular mechanisms of TE involvement in neuron-specific processes whenever possible; however, in many cases, only phenomenological reports were available. This underscores the importance of further studies in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Chesnokova
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology of Learning, Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117485 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (P.K.)
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9
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Abstract
Several studies have investigated the risk of dementia in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using a varying methodology. Epidemiological studies have found an increased risk of dementia with PTSD in Vietnam veterans as well as the general population. Laboratory studies reported the accelerated formation of β-amyloid and tau, which represent the primary pathology of Alzheimer's dementia in animal models of PTSD. These investigations were conducted against a background of cognitive impairment and atrophy of the hippocampus and certain cortical areas in patients with PTSD. Very few studies have investigated the pathological basis in humans for the reported association of PTSD with dementia. This important gap in the literature has recently been partly addressed by very few studies that estimated the burden of β-amyloid and tau. The PET studies did not show an association between PTSD and the specific pathology of Alzheimer's disease or signs of neurodegenerative diseases underlying other dementia syndromes. Another study demonstrated decreased plasma β-amyloid load and increased plasma β-amyloid 42/40 ratio in PTSD without PET evaluation. While PTSD is associated with an increased risk of dementia syndrome in general, there is no convincing evidence that it causes or accelerates the pathology of Alzheimer's disease, which causes the most common type of dementia. Factors that may account for the association between PTSD and a clinical diagnosis of dementia are discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alby Elias
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christopher Rowe
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Malcolm Hopwood
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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10
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Gupta S, Guleria RS, Szabo YZ. MicroRNAs as biomarker and novel therapeutic target for posttraumatic stress disorder in Veterans. Psychiatry Res 2021; 305:114252. [PMID: 34739954 PMCID: PMC8857765 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common psychiatric disorder for military Veterans, characterized by hyperarousal, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, hypervigilance, and distress after experiencing traumatic events. Some of the known physiological effects of PTSD include hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis imbalance, a cortical function resulting in neuronal deficit and changes in behavior. Moreover, excessive discharge of inflammatory molecules and a dysregulated immune system are implicated in the pathophysiology of PTSD. Due to complex nature of this disorder, the biological underpinnings of PTSD remain inexplicable. Investigating novel biomarkers to understanding the pathogenesis of PTSD may reflect the underlying molecular network for therapeutic use and treatment. Circulatory microRNAs (miRNAs) and exosomes are evolving biomarkers that have shown a key role in psychiatric and neurological disorders including PTSD. Given the unique nature of combat trauma, as well as evidence that a large portion of Veterans do not benefit from frontline treatments, focus on veterans specifically is warranted. In the present review, we delineate the identification and role of several miRNAs in PTSD among veterans. An association of miRNA with HPA-axis regulation through FKBP5, a key modulator in PTSD is discussed as an emerging molecule in psychiatric diseases. We conclude that miRNAs may be used as circulatory biomarker detection in Veterans with PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudhiranjan Gupta
- VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Biomarkers & Genetics Core, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, 4800 Memorial Drive (151C), Waco, TX, 76711, USA.
| | - Rakeshwar S. Guleria
- VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Biomarkers & Genetics Core, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, 4800 Memorial Drive (151C), Waco, Texas, 76711
| | - Yvette Z. Szabo
- VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Biomarkers & Genetics Core, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, 4800 Memorial Drive (151C), Waco, Texas, 76711
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11
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Bainomugisa CK, Sutherland HG, Parker R, Mcrae AF, Haupt LM, Griffiths LR, Heath A, Nelson EC, Wright MJ, Hickie IB, Martin NG, Nyholt DR, Mehta D. Using Monozygotic Twins to Dissect Common Genes in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Migraine. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:678350. [PMID: 34239411 PMCID: PMC8258453 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.678350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms have been associated with genes involved in Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD often co-occurs with other health conditions such as depression, cardiovascular disorder and respiratory illnesses. PTSD and migraine have previously been reported to be symptomatically positively correlated with each other, but little is known about the genes involved. The aim of this study was to understand the comorbidity between PTSD and migraine using a monozygotic twin disease discordant study design in six pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for PTSD and 15 pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for migraine. DNA from peripheral blood was run on Illumina EPIC arrays and analyzed. Multiple testing correction was performed using the Bonferroni method and 10% false discovery rate (FDR). We validated 11 candidate genes previously associated with PTSD including DOCK2, DICER1, and ADCYAP1. In the epigenome-wide scan, seven novel CpGs were significantly associated with PTSD within/near IL37, WNT3, ADNP2, HTT, SLFN11, and NQO2, with all CpGs except the IL37 CpG hypermethylated in PTSD. These results were significantly enriched for genes whose DNA methylation was previously associated with migraine (p-value = 0.036). At 10% FDR, 132 CpGs in 99 genes associated with PTSD were also associated with migraine in the migraine twin samples. Genes associated with PTSD were overrepresented in vascular smooth muscle, axon guidance and oxytocin signaling pathways, while genes associated with both PTSD and migraine were enriched for AMPK signaling and longevity regulating pathways. In conclusion, these results suggest that common genes and pathways are likely involved in PTSD and migraine, explaining at least in part the co-morbidity between the two disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte K Bainomugisa
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
| | - Heidi G Sutherland
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Genomics Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
| | - Richard Parker
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Allan F Mcrae
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Larisa M Haupt
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Genomics Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
| | - Lyn R Griffiths
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Genomics Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
| | - Andrew Heath
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Elliot C Nelson
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Margaret J Wright
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ian B Hickie
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicholas G Martin
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Dale R Nyholt
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
| | - Divya Mehta
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
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12
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Pappalardo XG, Barra V. Losing DNA methylation at repetitive elements and breaking bad. Epigenetics Chromatin 2021; 14:25. [PMID: 34082816 PMCID: PMC8173753 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-021-00400-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background DNA methylation is an epigenetic chromatin mark that allows heterochromatin formation and gene silencing. It has a fundamental role in preserving genome stability (including chromosome stability) by controlling both gene expression and chromatin structure. Therefore, the onset of an incorrect pattern of DNA methylation is potentially dangerous for the cells. This is particularly important with respect to repetitive elements, which constitute the third of the human genome. Main body Repetitive sequences are involved in several cell processes, however, due to their intrinsic nature, they can be a source of genome instability. Thus, most repetitive elements are usually methylated to maintain a heterochromatic, repressed state. Notably, there is increasing evidence showing that repetitive elements (satellites, long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs), Alus) are frequently hypomethylated in various of human pathologies, from cancer to psychiatric disorders. Repetitive sequences’ hypomethylation correlates with chromatin relaxation and unscheduled transcription. If these alterations are directly involved in human diseases aetiology and how, is still under investigation. Conclusions Hypomethylation of different families of repetitive sequences is recurrent in many different human diseases, suggesting that the methylation status of these elements can be involved in preservation of human health. This provides a promising point of view towards the research of therapeutic strategies focused on specifically tuning DNA methylation of DNA repeats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xena Giada Pappalardo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, 95125, Catania, Italy.,National Council of Research, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), Unit of Catania, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Viviana Barra
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128, Palermo, Italy.
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13
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The "missing heritability"-Problem in psychiatry: Is the interaction of genetics, epigenetics and transposable elements a potential solution? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 126:23-42. [PMID: 33757815 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders exhibit an enormous burden on the health care systems worldwide accounting for around one-third of years lost due to disability among adults. Their etiology is largely unknown and diagnostic classification is based on symptomatology and course of illness and not on objective biomarkers. Most psychiatric disorders are moderately to highly heritable. However, it is still unknown what mechanisms may explain the discrepancy between heritability estimates and the present data from genetic analysis. In addition to genetic differences also epigenetic modifications are considered as potentially relevant in the transfer of susceptibility to psychiatric diseases. Though, whether or not epigenetic alterations can be inherited for many generations is highly controversial. In the present article, we will critically summarize both the genetic findings and the results from epigenetic analyses, including also those of noncoding RNAs. We will argue that one possible solution to the "missing heritability" problem in psychiatry is a potential role of retrotransposons, the exploration of which is presently only in its beginnings.
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14
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Ahmadi A, De Toma I, Vilor-Tejedor N, Eftekhariyan Ghamsari MR, Sadeghi I. Transposable elements in brain health and disease. Ageing Res Rev 2020; 64:101153. [PMID: 32977057 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) occupy a large fraction of the human genome but only a small proportion of these elements are still active today. Recent works have suggested that TEs are expressed and active in the brain, challenging the dogma that neuronal genomes are static and revealing that they are susceptible to somatic genomic alterations. These new findings have major implications for understanding the neuroplasticity of the brain, which could hypothetically have a role in behavior and cognition, and contribute to vulnerability to disease. As active TEs could induce genetic diversity and mutagenesis, their influences on human brain development and diseases are of great interest. In this review, we will focus on the active TEs in the human genome and discuss in detail their impacts on human brain development. Furthermore, the association between TEs and brain-related diseases is discussed.
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15
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Marques DF, Ota VK, Santoro ML, Talarico F, Costa GO, Spindola LM, Cogo-Moreira H, Carvalho CM, Xavier G, Cavalcante DA, Gadelha A, Noto C, Cordeiro Q, Bressan RA, Moretti PN, Belangero SI. LINE-1 hypomethylation is associated with poor risperidone response in a first episode of psychosis cohort. Epigenomics 2020; 12:1041-1051. [DOI: 10.2217/epi-2019-0350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: We investigated the DNA methylation profile over LINE-1 in antipsychotic-naive, first-episode psychosis-patients (n = 69) before and after 2 months of risperidone treatment and in healthy controls (n = 62). Materials & methods: Patients were evaluated using standardized scales and classified as responders and nonresponders. DNA from blood was bisulfite converted and LINE-1 fragments were amplified and pyrosequencing was performed. Results: Lower LINE-1 methylation was observed in antipsychotic-naive first-episode psychosis patients than in healthy controls. Lower DNA methylation levels before treatment were associated with poor risperidone responses. A positive correlation was observed between LINE-1 methylation levels and positive symptoms response. Conclusion: Our study brings new insight regarding how epigenomic studies and clinical correlation studies can supplement psychosis treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Ferri Marques
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Genetics Division, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Kiyomi Ota
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Genetics Division, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcos Leite Santoro
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Genetics Division, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Talarico
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Genetics Division, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giovany Oliveira Costa
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Genetics Division, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leticia Maria Spindola
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Hugo Cogo-Moreira
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carolina Muniz Carvalho
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Genetics Division, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Xavier
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Genetics Division, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel Azevedo Cavalcante
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ary Gadelha
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cristiano Noto
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Quirino Cordeiro
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Affonseca Bressan
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Patricia Natalia Moretti
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Médicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Sintia Iole Belangero
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience (LiNC), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Genetics Division, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
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16
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Mehta D, Miller O, Bruenig D, David G, Shakespeare-Finch J. A Systematic Review of DNA Methylation and Gene Expression Studies in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Posttraumatic Growth, and Resilience. J Trauma Stress 2020; 33:171-180. [PMID: 31951051 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Most people will experience a traumatic event within their lifetime. One commonly recognized response to trauma exposure is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The biological underpinnings of PTSD, including epigenetic mechanisms of DNA methylation and gene expression, have been studied intensively. However, psychological posttrauma responses vary widely and can include positive outcomes, such as posttraumatic growth (PTG) and, more commonly, resilience. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the current DNA methylation and gene expression data with respect to three potential posttrauma responses: PTSD, PTG, and resilience. A literature search identified 486 studies, 51 of which were deemed eligible for inclusion (total N = 10,633). All included studies examined PTSD and consistently implicated DNA methylation and gene expression changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and inflammatory genes. Ten studies acknowledged resilience as a posttrauma response, but only two studies examined epigenetics and gene expression using a scale to measure resilience. Low resilience was associated with gene expression patterns in immune and dopamine genes, and high resilience was associated with a blunted inflammatory response. No studies examined epigenetic or gene expression changes associated with PTG. These findings highlight a focus on pathogenic research, which has failed to adequately acknowledge and measure positive posttrauma outcomes of PTG and resilience. Future research should examine DNA methylation and gene expression changes associated with PTG and resilience in addition to PTSD in order to gain a more comprehensive picture of an individual's well-being following exposure to trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya Mehta
- School of Psychology and Counselling and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia
| | - Olivia Miller
- School of Psychology and Counselling and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia
| | - Dagmar Bruenig
- School of Psychology and Counselling and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia
| | - Georgina David
- School of Psychology and Counselling and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia
| | - Jane Shakespeare-Finch
- School of Psychology and Counselling and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia
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17
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Zakopoulou V, Vlaikou AM, Darsinou M, Papadopoulou Z, Theodoridou D, Papageorgiou K, Alexiou GA, Bougias H, Siafaka V, Zoccolotti P, Chroussos GP, Syrrou M, Michaelidis TM. Linking Early Life Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Functioning, Brain Asymmetries, and Personality Traits in Dyslexia: An Informative Case Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:327. [PMID: 31632253 PMCID: PMC6779713 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a multi-system disorder, combining influences of susceptibility genes and environmental factors. The causative interaction between specific genetic factors, brain regions, and personality/mental disorders, as well as specific learning disabilities, has been thoroughly investigated with regard to the approach of developing a multifaceted diagnostic procedure with an intervention strategy potential. In an attempt to add new translational evidence to the interconnection of the above factors in the occurrence of DD, we performed a combinatorial analysis of brain asymmetries, personality traits, cognitive and learning skills, and expression profiles of selected genes in an adult, early diagnosed with DD, and in his son of typical development. We focused on the expression of genes, based on the assumption that the regulation of transcription may be affected by genetic and epigenetic factors. The results highlighted a potential chain link between neuroplasticity-related as well as stress-related genes, such as BDNF, Sox4, mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), and GILZ, leftward asymmetries in the amygdala and selective cerebellum lobules, and tendencies for personality disorders and dyslexia. This correlation may reflect the presence of a specific neuro-epigenetic component of DD, ensuing from the continuous, multifaceted difficulties in the acquisition of cognitive and learning skills, which in turn may act as a fostering mechanism for the onset of long-term disorders. This is in line with recent findings demonstrating a dysfunction in processes supported by rapid neural adaptation in children and adults with dyslexia. Accordingly, the co-evaluation of all the above parameters may indicate a stress-related dyslexia endophenotype that should be carefully considered for a more integrated diagnosis and effective intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Zakopoulou
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Angeliki-Maria Vlaikou
- Laboratory of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Marousa Darsinou
- Department of Biomedical Research, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Ioannina, Greece.,Department of Biological Applications and Technologies, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Zoe Papadopoulou
- Laboratory of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Daniela Theodoridou
- Laboratory of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Kyriaki Papageorgiou
- Department of Biomedical Research, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Ioannina, Greece.,Department of Biological Applications and Technologies, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - George A Alexiou
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Haralambos Bougias
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Vassiliki Siafaka
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Pierluigi Zoccolotti
- Neuropsychology Unit, Department of Psychology, IRCCS (National Institute for Research and Treatment) Fondazione Santa Lucia, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - George P Chroussos
- First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Syrrou
- Laboratory of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Theologos M Michaelidis
- Department of Biomedical Research, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Ioannina, Greece.,Department of Biological Applications and Technologies, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
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18
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Misiak B, Ricceri L, Sąsiadek MM. Transposable Elements and Their Epigenetic Regulation in Mental Disorders: Current Evidence in the Field. Front Genet 2019; 10:580. [PMID: 31293617 PMCID: PMC6603224 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are highly repetitive DNA sequences in the human genome that are the relics of previous retrotransposition events. Although the majority of TEs are transcriptionally inactive due to acquired mutations or epigenetic processes, around 8% of TEs exert transcriptional activity. It has been found that TEs contribute to somatic mosaicism that accounts for functional specification of various brain cells. Indeed, autonomous retrotransposition of long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) sequences has been reported in the neural rat progenitor cells from the hippocampus, the human fetal brain and the human embryonic stem cells. Moreover, expression of TEs has been found to regulate immune-inflammatory responses, conditioning immunity against exogenous infections. Therefore, aberrant epigenetic regulation and expression of TEs emerged as a potential mechanism underlying the development of various mental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Consequently, some studies revealed that expression of some sequences of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) appears only in a certain group of patients with mental disorders (especially those with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and ASD) but not in healthy controls. In addition, it has been found that expression of HERVs might be related to subclinical inflammation observed in mental disorders. In this article, we provide an overview of detrimental effects of transposition on the brain development and immune mechanisms with relevance to mental disorders. We show that transposition is not the only mechanism, explaining the way TEs might shape the phenotype of mental disorders. Other mechanisms include the regulation of gene expression and the impact on genomic stability. Next, we review current evidence from studies investigating expression and epigenetic regulation of specific TEs in various mental disorders. Most consistently, these studies indicate altered expression of HERVs and methylation of LINE-1 sequences in patients with ASD, schizophrenia, and mood disorders. However, the contribution of TEs to the etiology of AD is poorly documented. Future studies should further investigate the mechanisms linking epigenetic processes, specific TEs and the phenotype of mental disorders to disentangle causal associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Błażej Misiak
- Department of Genetics, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Laura Ricceri
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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19
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Lapp HE, Hunter RG. Early life exposures, neurodevelopmental disorders, and transposable elements. Neurobiol Stress 2019; 11:100174. [PMID: 31193573 PMCID: PMC6536887 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements make up a much larger portion of the genome than protein-coding genes, yet we know relatively little about their function in the human genome. However, we are beginning to more fully understand their role in brain development, neuroinflammation, and adaptation to environmental insults such as stress. For instance, glucocorticoid receptor activation regulates transposable elements in the brain following acute stress. Early life is a period of substantial brain development during which transposable elements play a role. Environmental exposures and experiences during early life that promote abnormal regulation of transposable elements may lead to a cascade of events that ultimately increase susceptibility to disorders later in life. Recent attention to transposable elements in psychiatric illness has begun to clarify associations indicative of dysregulation of different classes of transposable elements in stress-related and neurodevelopmental illness. Though individual susceptibility or resiliency to psychiatric illness has not been explained by traditional genetic studies, the wide inter-individual variability in transposable element composition in the human genome make TEs attractive candidates to elucidate this differential susceptibility. In this review, we discuss evidence that regulation of transposable elements in the brain are stage-specific, sensitive to environmental factors, and may be impacted by early life perturbations. We further present evidence of associations with stress-related and neurodevelopmental psychiatric illness from a developmental perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Lapp
- University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd Boston, MA, 02125, USA
| | - Richard G Hunter
- University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd Boston, MA, 02125, USA
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20
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Puri D, Subramanyam D. Stress - (self) eating: Epigenetic regulation of autophagy in response to psychological stress. FEBS J 2019; 286:2447-2460. [PMID: 30927484 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Autophagy is a constitutive and cytoprotective catabolic process. Aberrations in autophagy lead to a multitude of degenerative disorders, with neurodegeneration being one of the most widely studied autophagy-related disorders. While the field has largely been focusing on the cytosolic constituents and processes of autophagy, recent studies are increasingly appreciating the role of chromatin modifications and epigenetic regulation in autophagy maintenance. Autophagy has been implicated in the regulation of neurogenesis, and disruption of neurogenesis in response to psychological stress is a proximal risk factor for development of neuropsychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD). In this review, we will discuss the regulation of autophagy in normal neurogenesis as well as during chronic psychological stress, focusing on the epigenetic control of autophagy in these contexts, and also highlight the lacunae in our understanding of this process. The systematic study of these regulatory mechanisms will provide a novel therapeutic strategy, based on the use epigenetic regulators of autophagy to enhance neurogenesis and potentially alleviate stress-related behavioral disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Puri
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | - Deepa Subramanyam
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
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21
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Prosocial Emotion, Adolescence, and Warfare. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2019; 30:192-216. [DOI: 10.1007/s12110-019-09344-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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22
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Bodea GO, McKelvey EGZ, Faulkner GJ. Retrotransposon-induced mosaicism in the neural genome. Open Biol 2019; 8:rsob.180074. [PMID: 30021882 PMCID: PMC6070720 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.180074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, major discoveries in retrotransposon biology have depicted the neural genome as a dynamic structure during life. In particular, the retrotransposon LINE-1 (L1) has been shown to be transcribed and mobilized in the brain. Retrotransposition in the developing brain, as well as during adult neurogenesis, provides a milieu in which neural diversity can arise. Dysregulation of retrotransposon activity may also contribute to neurological disease. Here, we review recent reports of retrotransposon activity in the brain, and discuss the temporal nature of retrotransposition and its regulation in neural cells in response to stimuli. We also put forward hypotheses regarding the significance of retrotransposons for brain development and neurological function, and consider the potential implications of this phenomenon for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela O Bodea
- Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland, TRI Building, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia .,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Eleanor G Z McKelvey
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Geoffrey J Faulkner
- Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland, TRI Building, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia .,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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23
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Morrison FG, Miller MW, Logue MW, Assef M, Wolf EJ. DNA methylation correlates of PTSD: Recent findings and technical challenges. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 90:223-234. [PMID: 30503303 PMCID: PMC6314898 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that epigenetic factors play a critical role in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), by mediating the impact of environmental exposures to trauma on the regulation of gene expression. DNA methylation is one epigenetic process that has been highly studied in PTSD. This review will begin by providing an overview of DNA methylation (DNAm) methods, and will then highlight two major biological systems that have been identified in the epigenetic regulation in PTSD: (a) the immune system and (b) the stress response system. In addition to candidate gene approaches, we will review novel strategies to study epigenome-wide PTSD-related effects, including epigenome-wide algorithms that distill information from many loci into a single summary score (e.g., measures of "epigenetic age" which have been associated with PTSD). This review will also cover recent epigenome wide association studies (EWAS) of PTSD, and biological pathway models used to identify gene sets enriched in PTSD. Finally, we address technical and methodological advances and challenges to the field, and highlight exciting directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filomene G Morrison
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, USA.
| | - Mark W Miller
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Mark W Logue
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, USA; Biomedical Genetics, Boston University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, USA
| | - Michele Assef
- Boston University, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, USA
| | - Erika J Wolf
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, USA
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24
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Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are low-complexity elements (e.g., LINEs, SINEs, SVAs, and HERVs) that make up to two-thirds of the human genome. There is mounting evidence that TEs play an essential role in molecular functions that influence genomic plasticity and gene expression regulation. With the advent of next-generation sequencing approaches, our understanding of the relationship between TEs and psychiatric disorders will greatly improve. In this chapter, the Authors comprehensively summarize the state-of the-art of TE research in animal models and humans supporting a framework in which TEs play a functional role in mechanisms affecting a variety of behaviors, including neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative disorders. Finally, the Authors discuss recent therapeutic applications raised from the increasing experimental evidence on TE functional mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Guffanti
- McLean Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA.
| | - A Bartlett
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - P DeCrescenzo
- McLean Hospital - Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - F Macciardi
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - R Hunter
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Boston, MA, USA
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Cappucci U, Torromino G, Casale AM, Camon J, Capitano F, Berloco M, Mele A, Pimpinelli S, Rinaldi A, Piacentini L. Stress-induced strain and brain region-specific activation of LINE-1 transposons in adult mice. Stress 2018; 21:575-579. [PMID: 29996702 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2018.1485647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are conserved mobile genetic elements that are highly abundant in most eukaryotic genomes. Although the exact function of TEs is still largely unknown, it is increasingly clear that they are significantly modulated in response to stress in a wide range of organisms, either directly or indirectly through regulation of epigenetic silencing. We investigated the effect of repeated restraint stress (2 h a day, for 5 d) on transcription levels of LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposon in the brain of inbred BALB/c, DBA/2, C57BL/6N, and outbred CD1 mice. Repeated restraint stress induced strain and brain region-specific modulation of L1 activity. We observed a significant derepression of L1 transcription in the hippocampus (HIPP) of BALB/c mice and a significant downregulation in the hippocampus of C57BL/6N mice. No significant change in L1 expression was found in the other strains and brain regions. These findings indicate in mice the control of transposons expression as an additional mechanism in stress-induced pathophysiological responses, demonstrating that their regulation is highly dependent on the strain genetic background and the brain region. Lay summary Hippocampal expression of the transposon L1 is significantly altered by repeated restraint stress in mice. L1 modulation is not only region specific, but also strain dependent, suggesting that the genetic background is an important determinant of L1 response to environmental stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Cappucci
- a Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin" , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy
- b Istituto Pasteur Italia , Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti , Rome , Italy
| | - Giulia Torromino
- a Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin" , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy
| | - Assunta Maria Casale
- a Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin" , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy
- b Istituto Pasteur Italia , Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti , Rome , Italy
| | - Jeremy Camon
- a Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin" , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy
| | - Fabrizio Capitano
- a Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin" , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy
| | - Maria Berloco
- c Department of Biology , University of Bari "Aldo Moro" , Bari , Italy
| | - Andrea Mele
- a Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin" , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy
- d Center for Research in Neurobiology "D. Bovet" , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy
| | - Sergio Pimpinelli
- a Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin" , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy
- b Istituto Pasteur Italia , Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti , Rome , Italy
| | - Arianna Rinaldi
- a Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin" , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy
- d Center for Research in Neurobiology "D. Bovet" , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy
| | - Lucia Piacentini
- a Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin" , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy
- b Istituto Pasteur Italia , Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti , Rome , Italy
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Ferguson LB, Zhang L, Wang S, Bridges C, Harris RA, Ponomarev I. Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor Agonists Modulate Transposable Element Expression in Brain and Liver. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:331. [PMID: 30283300 PMCID: PMC6156381 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear hormone receptors that act as transcription factors in response to endogenous lipid messengers. The fibrates and thiazolidinediones are synthetic PPAR agonists used clinically to treat dyslipidemia and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, respectively, but also improve symptoms of several other diseases. Transposable elements (TEs), repetitive sequences in mammalian genomes, are implicated in many of the same conditions for which PPAR agonists are therapeutic, including neurodegeneration, schizophrenia, and drug addiction. We tested the hypothesis that there is a link between actions of PPAR agonists and TE expression. We developed an innovative application of microarray data by mapping Illumina mouse WG-6 microarray probes to areas of the mouse genome that contain TEs. Using this information, we assessed the effects of systemic administration of three PPAR agonists with different PPAR subtype selectivity: fenofibrate, tesaglitazar, and bezafibrate, on TE probe expression in mouse brain [prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala] and liver. We found that fenofibrate, and bezafibrate to a lesser extent, up-regulated probes mapped to retrotransposons: Short-Interspersed Elements (SINEs) and Long-Interspersed Elements (LINEs), in the PFC. Conversely, all PPAR agonists down-regulated LINEs and tesaglitazar and bezafibrate also down-regulated SINEs in liver. We built gene coexpression networks that partitioned the diverse transcriptional response to PPAR agonists into groups of probes with highly correlated expression patterns (modules). Most of the differentially expressed retrotransposons were within the same module, suggesting coordinated regulation of their expression, possibly by PPAR signaling. One TE module was conserved across tissues and was enriched with genes whose products participate in epigenetic regulation, suggesting that PPAR agonists affect TE expression via epigenetic mechanisms. Other enriched functional categories included phenotypes related to embryonic development and learning and memory, suggesting functional links between these biological processes and TE expression. In summary, these findings suggest mechanistic relationships between retrotransposons and PPAR agonists and provide a basis for future exploration of their functional roles in brain and liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Ferguson
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol & Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Lingling Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Shi Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Courtney Bridges
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol & Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - R Adron Harris
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol & Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Igor Ponomarev
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol & Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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Kim GS, Smith AK, Nievergelt CM, Uddin M. Neuroepigenetics of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2018; 158:227-253. [PMID: 30072055 PMCID: PMC6474244 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
While diagnosis of PTSD is based on behavioral symptom clusters that are most directly associated with brain function, epigenetic studies of PTSD in humans to date have been limited to peripheral tissues. Animal models of PTSD have been key for understanding the epigenetic alterations in the brain most directly relevant to endophenotypes of PTSD, in particular those pertaining to fear memory and stress response. This chapter provides an overview of neuroepigenetic studies based on animal models of PTSD, with an emphasis on the effect of stress on fear memory. Where relevant, we also describe human-based studies with relevance to neuroepigenetic insights gleaned from animal work and suggest promising directions for future studies of PTSD neuroepigenetics in living humans that combine peripheral epigenetic measures with measures of central nervous system activity, structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace S Kim
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States; Medical Scholars Program, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Alicia K Smith
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Caroline M Nievergelt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Monica Uddin
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States.
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28
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Noncoding RNAs: Stress, Glucocorticoids, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:849-865. [PMID: 29559087 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 01/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a pathologic response to trauma that impacts ∼8% of the population and is highly comorbid with other disorders, such as traumatic brain injury. PTSD affects multiple biological systems throughout the body, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, cortical function, and the immune system, and while the study of the biological underpinnings of PTSD and related disorders are numerous, the roles of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are just emerging. Moreover, deep sequencing has revealed that ncRNAs represent most of the transcribed mammalian genome. Here, we present developing evidence that ncRNAs are involved in critical aspects of PTSD pathophysiology. In that regard, we summarize the roles of three classes of ncRNAs in PTSD and related disorders: microRNAs, long-noncoding RNAs, and retrotransposons. This review evaluates findings from both animal and human studies with a special focus on the role of ncRNAs in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis abnormalities and glucocorticoid dysfunction in PTSD and traumatic brain injury. We conclude that ncRNAs may prove to be useful biomarkers to facilitate personalized medicines for trauma-related brain disorders.
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Coker ES, Gunier R, Huen K, Holland N, Eskenazi B. DNA methylation and socioeconomic status in a Mexican-American birth cohort. Clin Epigenetics 2018; 10:61. [PMID: 29760810 PMCID: PMC5941629 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-018-0494-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Maternal social environmental stressors during pregnancy are associated with adverse birth and child developmental outcomes, and epigenetics has been proposed as a possible mechanism for such relationships. Methods In a Mexican-American birth cohort of 241 maternal-infant pairs, cord blood samples were measured for repeat element DNA methylation (LINE-1 and Alu). Linear mixed effects regression was used to model associations between indicators of the social environment (low household income and education, neighborhood-level characteristics) and repeat element methylation. Results from a dietary questionnaire were also used to assess the interaction between maternal diet quality and the social environment on markers of repeat element DNA methylation. Results After adjusting for confounders, living in the most impoverished neighborhoods was associated with higher cord blood LINE-1 methylation (β = 0.78, 95%CI 0.06, 1.50, p = 0.03). No other neighborhood-, household-, or individual-level socioeconomic indicators were significantly associated with repeat element methylation. We observed a statistical trend showing that positive association between neighborhood poverty and LINE-1 methylation was strongest in cord blood of infants whose mothers reported better diet quality during pregnancy (pinteraction = 0.12). Conclusion Our findings indicate a small yet unexpected positive association between neighborhood-level poverty during pregnancy and methylation of repetitive element DNA in infant cord blood and that this association is possibly modified by diet quality during pregnancy. However, our null findings for other adverse SES indicators do not provide strong evidence for an adverse association between early-life socioeconomic environment and repeat element DNA methylation in infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S. Coker
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
- Berkeley, USA
| | - Robert Gunier
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
- Berkeley, USA
| | - Karen Huen
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
- Richmond, USA
| | - Nina Holland
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
- Richmond, USA
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
- Berkeley, USA
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30
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Fachim HA, Srisawat U, Dalton CF, Reynolds GP. Parvalbumin promoter hypermethylation in postmortem brain in schizophrenia. Epigenomics 2018; 10:519-524. [DOI: 10.2217/epi-2017-0159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficits of brain parvalbumin (PV) are a consistent finding in schizophrenia and models of psychosis. We investigated whether this is associated with abnormal PV gene (PVALB) methylation in the brain in schizophrenia. Bisulfite pyrosequencing was used to determine cytosine (CpG) methylation in a PVALB promoter sequence. Greater PVALB methylation was found in schizophrenia hippocampus, while no differences were observed in prefrontal cortex. LINE-1 methylation, a measure of global methylation, was also elevated in both regions in schizophrenia, although the PVALB change was independent of this effect. These results provide the first evidence that PVALB promoter methylation is abnormal in schizophrenia and suggest that this epigenetic finding may relate to the reduction of PV expression seen in the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene A Fachim
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Center, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK
| | - Umarat Srisawat
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Center, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK
| | - Caroline F Dalton
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Center, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK
| | - Gavin P Reynolds
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Center, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK
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Schneider I, Kugel H, Redlich R, Grotegerd D, Bürger C, Bürkner PC, Opel N, Dohm K, Zaremba D, Meinert S, Schröder N, Straßburg AM, Schwarte K, Schettler C, Ambrée O, Rust S, Domschke K, Arolt V, Heindel W, Baune BT, Zhang W, Dannlowski U, Hohoff C. Association of Serotonin Transporter Gene AluJb Methylation with Major Depression, Amygdala Responsiveness, 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 Polymorphism, and Stress. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:1308-1316. [PMID: 29114103 PMCID: PMC5916353 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation profiles of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) have been shown to alter SLC6A4 expression, drive antidepressant treatment response and modify brain functions. This study investigated whether methylation of an AluJb element in the SLC6A4 promotor was associated with major depressive disorder (MDD), amygdala reactivity to emotional faces, 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 polymorphism, and recent stress. MDD patients (n=122) and healthy controls (HC, n=176) underwent fMRI during an emotional face-matching task. Individual SLC6A4 AluJb methylation profiles were ascertained and associated with MDD, amygdala reactivity, 5-HTTLPR/rs25531, and stress. SLC6A4 AluJb methylation was significantly lower in MDD compared to HC and in stressed compared to less stressed participants. Lower AluJb methylation was particularly found in 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 risk allele carriers under stress and correlated with less depressive episodes. fMRI analysis revealed a significant interaction of AluJb methylation and diagnosis in the amygdala, with MDD patients showing lower AluJb methylation associated with decreased amygdala reactivity. While no joint effect of AluJb methylation and 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 existed, risk allele carriers showed significantly increased bilateral amygdala activation. These findings suggest a role of SLC6A4 AluJb methylation in MDD, amygdala reactivity, and stress reaction, partly interwoven with 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 effects. Patients with low methylation in conjunction with a shorter MDD history and decreased amygdala reactivity might feature a more stress-adaptive epigenetic process, maybe via theoretically possible endogenous antidepressant-like effects. In contrast, patients with higher methylation might possibly suffer from impaired epigenetic adaption to chronic stress. Further, the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 association with amygdala activation was confirmed in our large sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilona Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Harald Kugel
- Department of Clinical Radiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Ronny Redlich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Christian Bürger
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Nils Opel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Dohm
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Dario Zaremba
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Susanne Meinert
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nina Schröder
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Kathrin Schwarte
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Oliver Ambrée
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany,Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Stephan Rust
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Volker Arolt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Walter Heindel
- Department of Clinical Radiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Bernhard T Baune
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Weiqi Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany,Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Christa Hohoff
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany,Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Building A9, Münster 48149 Germany, Tel: +49-251-8357122, Fax: +49-251-8357123, E-mail:
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Yang S, Wynn GH, Ursano RJ. A Clinician's Guide to PTSD Biomarkers and Their Potential Future Use. FOCUS: JOURNAL OF LIFE LONG LEARNING IN PSYCHIATRY 2018; 16:143-152. [PMID: 31975909 DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.20170045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
No clinically validated biomarkers have yet been found to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Innovation in clinical trial design, however, has led to the study of biomarkers as part of testing new medications and psychotherapies. There may soon be viable biomarkers to assist in diagnosis of PTSD and prediction of illness trajectory, severity, and functional outcomes; subtyping; and treatment selection. Processes for the identification and validation of biomarker findings are complex, involving several stages of clinical testing before use. The authors provide an overview of issues regarding the clinical use of PTSD biomarkers and examine a set of genetic, epigenetic, and other blood-based markers along with physiological markers currently proposed as candidate tests for PTSD. Studies that have identified candidate biomarkers with relevance to treatment selection in PTSD are discussed as a promising area of research that may lead to changes in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Yang
- The authors are with the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Yang is also with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Gary H Wynn
- The authors are with the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Yang is also with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Robert J Ursano
- The authors are with the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Yang is also with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland
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MicroRNA Expression Profiling of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch Cohort for Identification of "Enviro-miRs" Associated With Deployment-Based Environmental Exposure. J Occup Environ Med 2018; 58:S97-S103. [PMID: 27501110 DOI: 10.1097/jom.0000000000000764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify serum microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers that indicate deployment-associated exposures in service members at military installations with open burn pits. Another objective was to determine detection rates of miRNAs in Department of Defense Serum Repository (DoDSR) samples with a high-throughput methodology. METHODS Low-volume serum samples (n = 800) were profiled by miRNA-capture isolation, pre-amplification, and measurement by a quantitative PCR-based OpenArray platform. Normalized quantitative cycle values were used for differential expression analysis between groups. RESULTS Assay specificity, dynamic range, reproducibility, and detection rates by OpenArray passed target desired specifications. Serum abundant miRNAs were consistently measured in study specimens. Four miRNAs were differentially expressed in the case deployment group subjects. CONCLUSIONS miRNAs are suitable RNA species for biomarker discovery in the DoDSR serum specimens. Serum miRNAs are candidate biomarkers for deployment and environmental exposure in military service members.
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Abstract
Pyrosequencing, a real-time sequencing technology, is considered a "gold standard" for quantitative allele quantification at single base resolution. Quantitative bisulfite Pyrosequencing determines DNA methylation level by analyzing artificial "C/T" SNPs at CpG sites within a specific Pyrosequencing assay. The bisulfite Pyrosequencing methylation assay design is DNA strand specific and the primer design should not contain any CpG sites and should be free of high-frequency mutations. Additionally Pyrosequencing assays must be tested for preferential amplification during bisulfite PCR to ensure the sequencing quantification accuracy and reproducibility. Pyrosequencing analysis gives a reproducible measurement of average methylation at several CpG sites within the Pyrosequencing assay directly from a PCR product, rapidly and accurately for many samples at a time. It is therefore well suited for clinical research, validation of whole-genome methylation screening results, and global methylation analysis using repetitive elements including LINE-1, Alu, and Sat2. Pyrosequencing reproducibility and accuracy result in low measurement variance, thereby increasing the likelihood of early detection of small changes in methylation levels that may become apparent in response to treatment. For example, the high reproducibility of the LINE-1 assay is important for detecting the relatively small daily changes in methylation levels associated with hypomethylation. This enables detection of differences in patterns between normal and disease tissue such as in tumor suppresser genes, and to determine global methylation changes in response drug treatments. Relatively low cost and easy automation allows the researcher to increase the experiment's sample population to detect trends that would otherwise not have a sufficient sampling basis for statistical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeffrey Y Zhou
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | | | - Toshi Shioda
- Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cancer Research, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
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35
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Kubota T. Preemptive Epigenetic Medicine Based on Fetal Programming. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1012:85-95. [PMID: 29956197 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-5526-3_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) refers to the concept that environmental stress during pregnancy alters the programmed fetal development and subsequently causes disorders, such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, in adulthood. Epigenetics is a gene regulation mechanism that does not depend on DNA sequence but on chemical modifications of DNA. Several lines of evidence suggest that environmental stress in the fetal period alters the epigenetic state of genes, leading to permanent gene dysregulation, which may be associated with disorders that emerge after birth. Such stresses include malnutrition, which may be associated with type 2 diabetes, and mental stress, which may be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. It has also been demonstrated that environmental stress-induced epigenetic alterations can be transmitted to the next generation via disease phenotypes. However, since epigenetic modification is an internal system based on attachment and detachment of chemical residues on a DNA sequence, it is reversible and potentially treatable. In fact, recent studies demonstrated that some drugs and early interventions are effective at preventing epigenetic disorders. Therefore, preventive and preemptive medicine is possible for disorders caused by alterations in programming during fetal and early periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeo Kubota
- Faculty of Child Studies, Seitoku University, Matsudo, Chiba, Japan.
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36
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Suarez NA, Macia A, Muotri AR. LINE-1 retrotransposons in healthy and diseased human brain. Dev Neurobiol 2017; 78:434-455. [PMID: 29239145 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) is a transposable element with the ability to self-mobilize throughout the human genome. The L1 elements found in the human brain is hypothesized to date back 56 million years ago and has survived evolution, currently accounting for 17% of the human genome. L1 retrotransposition has been theorized to contribute to somatic mosaicism. This review focuses on the presence of L1 in the healthy and diseased human brain, such as in autism spectrum disorders. Throughout this exploration, we will discuss the impact L1 has on neurological disorders that can occur throughout the human lifetime. With this, we hope to better understand the complex role of L1 in the human brain development and its implications to human cognition. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 78: 434-455, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A Suarez
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093
| | - Angela Macia
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093
| | - Alysson R Muotri
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093
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Mehta D, Bruenig D, Carrillo-Roa T, Lawford B, Harvey W, Morris CP, Smith AK, Binder EB, Young RM, Voisey J. Genomewide DNA methylation analysis in combat veterans reveals a novel locus for PTSD. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2017; 136:493-505. [PMID: 28795405 DOI: 10.1111/acps.12778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation may play a key role in the aetiology and serve as biomarkers for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We performed a genomewide analysis to identify genes whose DNA methylation levels are associated with PTSD. METHOD A total of 211 individuals comprising Australian male Vietnam War veterans (n = 96) and males from a general population belonging to the Grady Trauma Project (n = 115) were included. Genomewide DNA methylation was performed from peripheral blood using the Illumina arrays. Data analysis was performed using generalized linear regression models. RESULTS Differential DNA methylation of 17 previously reported PTSD candidate genes was associated with PTSD symptom severity. Genomewide analyses revealed CpG sites spanning BRSK1, LCN8, NFG and DOCK2 genes were associated with PTSD symptom severity. We replicated the findings of DOCK2 in an independent cohort. Pathway analysis revealed that among the associated genes, genes within actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesion molecular pathways were enriched. CONCLUSION These data highlight the role of DNA methylation as biomarkers of PTSD. The results support the role of previous candidates and uncover novel genes associated with PTSD, such as DOCK2. This study contributes to our understanding of the biological underpinnings of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Mehta
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
| | - D Bruenig
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.,Gallipoli Medical Research Institute, Greenslopes Private Hospital, Greenslopes, QLD, Australia
| | - T Carrillo-Roa
- Department of Translational Research, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - B Lawford
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
| | - W Harvey
- Gallipoli Medical Research Institute, Greenslopes Private Hospital, Greenslopes, QLD, Australia
| | - C P Morris
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
| | - A K Smith
- Genetics and Molecular Biology Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - E B Binder
- Department of Translational Research, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - R McD Young
- Faculty of Health, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
| | - J Voisey
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
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Whole-genome DNA methylation status associated with clinical PTSD measures of OIF/OEF veterans. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:e1169. [PMID: 28696412 PMCID: PMC5538114 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2017.129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging knowledge suggests that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) pathophysiology is linked to the patients' epigenetic changes, but comprehensive studies examining genome-wide methylation have not been performed. In this study, we examined genome-wide DNA methylation in peripheral whole blood in combat veterans with and without PTSD to ascertain differentially methylated probes. Discovery was initially made in a training sample comprising 48 male Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans with PTSD and 51 age/ethnicity/gender-matched combat-exposed PTSD-negative controls. Agilent whole-genome array detected ~5600 differentially methylated CpG islands (CpGI) annotated to ~2800 differently methylated genes (DMGs). The majority (84.5%) of these CpGIs were hypermethylated in the PTSD cases. Functional analysis was performed using the DMGs encoding the promoter-bound CpGIs to identify networks related to PTSD. The identified networks were further validated by an independent test set comprising 31 PTSD+/29 PTSD- veterans. Targeted bisulfite sequencing was also used to confirm the methylation status of 20 DMGs shown to be highly perturbed in the training set. To improve the statistical power and mitigate the assay bias and batch effects, a union set combining both training and test set was assayed using a different platform from Illumina. The pathways curated from this analysis confirmed 65% of the pool of pathways mined from training and test sets. The results highlight the importance of assay methodology and use of independent samples for discovery and validation of differentially methylated genes mined from whole blood. Nonetheless, the current study demonstrates that several important epigenetically altered networks may distinguish combat-exposed veterans with and without PTSD.
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Ross DA, Arbuckle MR, Travis MJ, Dwyer JB, van Schalkwyk GI, Ressler KJ. An Integrated Neuroscience Perspective on Formulation and Treatment Planning for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An Educational Review. JAMA Psychiatry 2017; 74:407-415. [PMID: 28273291 PMCID: PMC5504531 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.3325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common psychiatric illness, increasingly in the public spotlight in the United States due its prevalence in the soldiers returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. This educational review presents a contemporary approach for how to incorporate a modern neuroscience perspective into an integrative case formulation. The article is organized around key neuroscience "themes" most relevant for PTSD. Within each theme, the article highlights how seemingly diverse biological, psychological, and social perspectives all intersect with our current understanding of neuroscience. OBSERVATIONS Any contemporary neuroscience formulation of PTSD should include an understanding of fear conditioning, dysregulated circuits, memory reconsolidation, epigenetics, and genetic factors. Fear conditioning and other elements of basic learning theory offer a framework for understanding how traumatic events can lead to a range of behaviors associated with PTSD. A circuit dysregulation framework focuses more broadly on aberrant network connectivity, including between the prefrontal cortex and limbic structures. In the process of memory reconsolidation, it is now clear that every time a memory is reactivated it becomes momentarily labile-with implications for the genesis, maintenance, and treatment of PTSD. Epigenetic changes secondary to various experiences, especially early in life, can have long-term effects, including on the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, thereby affecting an individual's ability to regulate the stress response. Genetic factors are surprisingly relevant: PTSD has been shown to be highly heritable despite being definitionally linked to specific experiences. The relevance of each of these themes to current clinical practice and its potential to transform future care are discussed. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Together, these perspectives contribute to an integrative, neuroscience-informed approach to case formulation and treatment planning. This may help to bridge the gap between the traditionally distinct viewpoints of clinicians and researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Ross
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Melissa R. Arbuckle
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York
| | - Michael J. Travis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Jennifer B. Dwyer
- Department of Psychiatry and Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Gerrit I. van Schalkwyk
- Department of Psychiatry and Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
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Matosin N, Cruceanu C, Binder EB. Preclinical and Clinical Evidence of DNA Methylation Changes in Response to Trauma and Chronic Stress. CHRONIC STRESS (THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF.) 2017; 1:2470547017710764. [PMID: 29503977 PMCID: PMC5831952 DOI: 10.1177/2470547017710764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to chronic stress, either repeated severe acute or moderate sustained stress, is one of the strongest risk factors for the development of psychopathologies such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Chronic stress is linked with several lasting biological consequences, particularly to the stress endocrine system but also affecting intermediate phenotypes such as brain structure and function, immune function, and behavior. Although genetic predisposition confers a proportion of the risk, the most relevant molecular mechanisms determining those susceptible and resilient to the effects of stress and trauma may be epigenetic. Epigenetics refers to the mechanisms that regulate genomic information by dynamically changing the patterns of transcription and translation of genes. Mounting evidence from preclinical rodent and clinical population studies strongly support that epigenetic modifications can occur in response to traumatic and chronic stress. Here, we discuss this literature examining stress-induced epigenetic changes in preclinical models and clinical cohorts of stress and trauma occurring early in life or in adulthood. We highlight that a complex relationship between the timing of environmental stressors and genetic predispositions likely mediate the response to chronic stress over time, and that a better understanding of epigenetic changes is needed by further investigations in longitudinal and postmortem brain clinical cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Matosin
- Department of Translational Research in
Psychiatry, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine,
University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Cristiana Cruceanu
- Department of Translational Research in
Psychiatry, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B. Binder
- Department of Translational Research in
Psychiatry, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA
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41
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Chakraborty N, Meyerhoff J, Jett M, Hammamieh R. Genome to Phenome: A Systems Biology Approach to PTSD Using an Animal Model. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1598:117-154. [PMID: 28508360 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6952-4_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating illness that imposes significant emotional and financial burdens on military families. The understanding of PTSD etiology remains elusive; nonetheless, it is clear that PTSD is manifested by a cluster of symptoms including hyperarousal, reexperiencing of traumatic events, and avoidance of trauma reminders. With these characteristics in mind, several rodent models have been developed eliciting PTSD-like features. Animal models with social dimensions are of particular interest, since the social context plays a major role in the development and manifestation of PTSD.For civilians, a core trauma that elicits PTSD might be characterized by a singular life-threatening event such as a car accident. In contrast, among war veterans, PTSD might be triggered by repeated threats and a cumulative psychological burden that coalesced in the combat zone. In capturing this fundamental difference, the aggressor-exposed social stress (Agg-E SS) model imposes highly threatening conspecific trauma on naïve mice repeatedly and randomly.There is abundant evidence that suggests the potential role of genetic contributions to risk factors for PTSD. Specific observations include putatively heritable attributes of the disorder, the cited cases of atypical brain morphology, and the observed neuroendocrine shifts away from normative. Taken together, these features underscore the importance of multi-omics investigations to develop a comprehensive picture. More daunting will be the task of downstream analysis with integration of these heterogeneous genotypic and phenotypic data types to deliver putative clinical biomarkers. Researchers are advocating for a systems biology approach, which has demonstrated an increasingly robust potential for integrating multidisciplinary data. By applying a systems biology approach here, we have connected the tissue-specific molecular perturbations to the behaviors displayed by mice subjected to Agg-E SS. A molecular pattern that links the atypical fear plasticity to energy deficiency was thereby identified to be causally associated with many behavioral shifts and transformations.PTSD is a multifactorial illness sensitive to environmental influence. Accordingly, it is essential to employ the optimal animal model approximating the environmental condition that elicits PTSD-like symptoms. Integration of an optimal animal model with a systems biology approach can contribute to a more knowledge-driven and efficient next-generation care management system and, potentially, prevention of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabarun Chakraborty
- Integrative Systems Biology, Geneva Foundation, USACEHR, 568 Doughten Drive, Fredrick, MD, 21702-5010, USA
| | - James Meyerhoff
- Integrative Systems Biology, Geneva Foundation, USACEHR, 568 Doughten Drive, Fredrick, MD, 21702-5010, USA
| | - Marti Jett
- Integrative Systems Biology, US Army Center for Environmental Health Research, USACEHR, 568 Doughten Drive, Frederick, MD, 21702-5010, USA
| | - Rasha Hammamieh
- Integrative Systems Biology, US Army Center for Environmental Health Research, USACEHR, 568 Doughten Drive, Frederick, MD, 21702-5010, USA.
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42
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Bartlett AA, Singh R, Hunter RG. Anxiety and Epigenetics. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 978:145-166. [PMID: 28523545 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-53889-1_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent psychiatric disorders often comorbid with depression and substance abuse. Twin studies have shown that anxiety disorders are moderately heritable. Yet, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have failed to identify gene(s) significantly associated with diagnosis suggesting a strong role for environmental factors and the epigenome. A number of anxiety disorder subtypes are considered "stress related." A large focus of research has been on the epigenetic and anxiety-like behavioral consequences of stress. Animal models of anxiety-related disorders have provided strong evidence for the role of stress on the epigenetic control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and of stress-responsive brain regions. Neuroepigenetics may continue to explain individual variation in susceptibility to environmental perturbations and consequently anxious behavior. Behavioral and pharmacological interventions aimed at targeting epigenetic marks associated with anxiety may prove fruitful in developing treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew A Bartlett
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA, 02125, USA
| | - Rumani Singh
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA, 02125, USA
| | - Richard G Hunter
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA, 02125, USA.
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43
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Koenen KC, Sumner JA, Gilsanz P, Glymour MM, Ratanatharathorn A, Rimm EB, Roberts AL, Winning A, Kubzansky LD. Post-traumatic stress disorder and cardiometabolic disease: improving causal inference to inform practice. Psychol Med 2017; 47:209-225. [PMID: 27697083 PMCID: PMC5214599 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291716002294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been declared 'a life sentence' based on evidence that the disorder leads to a host of physical health problems. Some of the strongest empirical research - in terms of methodology and findings - has shown that PTSD predicts higher risk of cardiometabolic diseases, specifically cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Despite mounting evidence, PTSD is not currently acknowledged as a risk factor by cardiovascular or endocrinological medicine. This view is unlikely to change absent compelling evidence that PTSD causally contributes to cardiometabolic disease. This review suggests that with developments in methods for epidemiological research and the rapidly expanding knowledge of the behavioral and biological effects of PTSD the field is poised to provide more definitive answers to questions of causality. First, we discuss methods to improve causal inference using the observational data most often used in studies of PTSD and health, with particular reference to issues of temporality and confounding. Second, we consider recent work linking PTSD with specific behaviors and biological processes, and evaluate whether these may plausibly serve as mechanisms by which PTSD leads to cardiometabolic disease. Third, we evaluate how looking more comprehensively into the PTSD phenotype provides insight into whether specific aspects of PTSD phenomenology are particularly relevant to cardiometabolic disease. Finally, we discuss new areas of research that are feasible and could enhance understanding of the PTSD-cardiometabolic relationship, such as testing whether treatment of PTSD can halt or even reverse the cardiometabolic risk factors causally related to CVD and T2D.
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Affiliation(s)
- K C Koenen
- Department of Epidemiology,Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health,Boston, MA,USA
| | - J A Sumner
- Department of Epidemiology,Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health,Boston, MA,USA
| | - P Gilsanz
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences,Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health,Boston, MA,USA
| | - M M Glymour
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences,Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health,Boston, MA,USA
| | - A Ratanatharathorn
- Department of Epidemiology,Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health,Boston, MA,USA
| | - E B Rimm
- Channing Division of Network Medicine,Brigham and Women's Hospital,Harvard Medical School and Departments of Epidemiology and Nutrition,Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health,Boston, MA,USA
| | - A L Roberts
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences,Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health,Boston, MA,USA
| | - A Winning
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences,Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health,Boston, MA,USA
| | - L D Kubzansky
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences,Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health,Boston, MA,USA
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Pyne JM, Constans JI, Wiederhold MD, Gibson DP, Kimbrell T, Kramer TL, Pitcock JA, Han X, Williams DK, Chartrand D, Gevirtz RN, Spira J, Wiederhold BK, McCraty R, McCune TR. Heart rate variability: Pre-deployment predictor of post-deployment PTSD symptoms. Biol Psychol 2016; 121:91-98. [PMID: 27773678 PMCID: PMC5335901 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Heart rate variability is a physiological measure associated with autonomic nervous system activity. This study hypothesized that lower pre-deployment HRV would be associated with higher post-deployment post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Three-hundred-forty-three Army National Guard soldiers enrolled in the Warriors Achieving Resilience (WAR) study were analyzed. The primary outcome was PTSD symptom severity using the PTSD Checklist - Military version (PCL) measured at baseline, 3- and 12-month post-deployment. Heart rate variability predictor variables included: high frequency power (HF) and standard deviation of the normal cardiac inter-beat interval (SDNN). Generalized linear mixed models revealed that the pre-deployment PCL*ln(HF) interaction term was significant (p<0.0001). Pre-deployment SDNN was not a significant predictor of post-deployment PCL. Covariates included age, pre-deployment PCL, race/ethnicity, marital status, tobacco use, childhood abuse, pre-deployment traumatic brain injury, and previous combat zone deployment. Pre-deployment heart rate variability predicts post-deployment PTSD symptoms in the context of higher pre-deployment PCL scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Pyne
- Center for Mental Health Outcomes Research, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, North Little Rock, AR, 72114, United States; South Central Mental Illness Education and Clinical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, North Little Rock, AR, 72114, United States; Division of Health Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205, United States.
| | - Joseph I Constans
- South Central Mental Illness Education and Clinical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, North Little Rock, AR, 72114, United States; Southeastern Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (629/11F), PO Box 61011, New Orleans, LA 70161, United States, United States; Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Mark D Wiederhold
- Virtual Reality Medical Centers, 9565 Waples Street, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92121, United States
| | - Douglas P Gibson
- Office of the State Surgeon, Virginia Army National Guard, BLDG 1310, Ft. Pickett, Blackstone VA, 23824, United States
| | - Timothy Kimbrell
- Center for Mental Health Outcomes Research, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, North Little Rock, AR, 72114, United States; South Central Mental Illness Education and Clinical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, North Little Rock, AR, 72114, United States
| | - Teresa L Kramer
- Division of Health Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205, United States
| | - Jeffery A Pitcock
- Center for Mental Health Outcomes Research, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, North Little Rock, AR, 72114, United States
| | - Xiaotong Han
- Center for Mental Health Outcomes Research, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, North Little Rock, AR, 72114, United States; South Central Mental Illness Education and Clinical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, North Little Rock, AR, 72114, United States; Division of Health Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205, United States
| | - D Keith Williams
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205, United States
| | - Don Chartrand
- Ease interactive, Inc., San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Richard N Gevirtz
- Alliant International University, 10455 Pomerado Road, San Diego, CA 92131, United States
| | - James Spira
- National Center for PTSD, US Department of Veterans Affairs, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Hawaii School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI 96819, United States
| | - Brenda K Wiederhold
- Virtual Reality Medical Centers, 9565 Waples Street, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92121, United States
| | - Rollin McCraty
- Institute of HeartMath, 14700 West Park Ave., Boulder Creek, CA 95006, United States
| | - Thomas R McCune
- Office of the State Surgeon, Virginia Army National Guard, BLDG 1310, Ft. Pickett, Blackstone VA, 23824, United States
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Chen Y, Li X, Kobayashi I, Tsao D, Mellman TA. Expression and methylation in posttraumatic stress disorder and resilience; evidence of a role for odorant receptors. Psychiatry Res 2016; 245:36-44. [PMID: 27526315 PMCID: PMC5148136 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.07.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Revised: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and potentially disabling disorder that develops in 1/5 to 1/3 of people exposed to severe trauma. Twin studies indicate that genetic factors account for at least one third of the variance in the risk for developing PTSD, however, the specific role for genetic factors in the pathogenesis of PTSD is not well understood. We studied genome-wide gene expression and DNA methylation profiles in 12 participants with PTSD and 12 participants who were resilient to similar severity trauma exposure. Close to 4000 genes were differentially expressed with adjusted p<0.05, fold-change >2, with all but 3 upregulated with PTSD. Eight odorant/olfactory receptor related genes were up-regulated with PTSD as well as genes related to immune activation, the Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid A (GABAA) receptor, and vitamin D synthesis. No differences with adjusted significance for DNA methylation were found. We conclude that increased gene expression may play an important role in PTSD and this expression may not be a consequence of DNA methylation. The role of odorant receptor expression warrants independent replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanxiu Chen
- Department of Community Health and Family Medicine, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Biomathematics, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ihori Kobayashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Daisy Tsao
- Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Thomas A Mellman
- Department of Psychiatry, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.
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Preliminary indications of the effect of a brief yoga intervention on markers of inflammation and DNA methylation in chronically stressed women. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e965. [PMID: 27898068 PMCID: PMC5290356 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2016] [Revised: 08/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Yoga is associated with reduced stress and increased well-being, although the molecular basis for these benefits is not clear. Mounting evidence implicates the immune response, with current studies focused on protein immune markers (such as cytokines) in clinical populations. To explore the molecular impact, this pilot study uses a subsample (n=28) from a randomised waitlist control trial investigating the impact of an 8-week yoga intervention in a community population of women reporting psychological distress (N=116). We measured interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and C-reactive protein (CRP) protein levels, and the DNA methylation of these genes and the global indicator, LINE-1. Correlations between these and psychological variables were explored, identifying moderate correlations with CRP protein levels, and methylation of IL-6, CRP and LINE-1. Many cytokine samples were below detection, however a Mann-Whitney U demonstrated a trend of moderate between-group effect for elevated IL-6 in the yoga group. Methylation analyses applied cross-sectional and non-controlled longitudinal analyses. Waist-to-height ratio and age were covaried. We demonstrated reduced methylation of the TNF region in the yoga group relative to the waitlist control group. No other genes demonstrated a significant difference. Longitudinal analysis further supported these results. This study is one of the first to explore yoga and immunological markers in a non-clinical population, and is the first study to explore DNA methylation. These findings indicate that further research into molecular impact of yoga on markers of immune function is warranted, with larger studies required.
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47
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Insight from animal models of environmentally driven epigenetic changes in the developing and adult brain. Dev Psychopathol 2016; 28:1229-1243. [PMID: 27687803 DOI: 10.1017/s095457941600081x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The efforts of many neuroscientists are directed toward understanding the appreciable plasticity of the brain and behavior. In recent years, epigenetics has become a core of this focus as a prime mechanistic candidate for behavioral modifications. Animal models have been instrumental in advancing our understanding of environmentally driven changes to the epigenome in the developing and adult brain. This review focuses mainly on such discoveries driven by adverse environments along with their associated behavioral outcomes. While much of the evidence discussed focuses on epigenetics within the central nervous system, several peripheral studies in humans who have experienced significant adversity are also highlighted. As we continue to unravel the link between epigenetics and phenotype, discerning the complexity and specificity of epigenetic changes induced by environments is an important step toward understanding optimal development and how to prevent or ameliorate behavioral deficits bred by disruptive environments.
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48
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Pape JC, Binder EB. The Role of Genetics and Epigenetics in the Pathogenesis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Psychiatr Ann 2016. [DOI: 10.3928/00485713-20160729-02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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49
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Neven KY, Piola M, Angelici L, Cortini F, Fenoglio C, Galimberti D, Pesatori AC, Scarpini E, Bollati V. Repetitive element hypermethylation in multiple sclerosis patients. BMC Genet 2016; 17:84. [PMID: 27317098 PMCID: PMC4912727 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-016-0395-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex disorder of the central nervous system whose cause is currently unknown. Evidence is increasing that DNA methylation alterations could be involved in inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases and could contribute to MS pathogenesis. Repetitive elements Alu, LINE-1 and SAT-α, are widely known as estimators of global DNA methylation. We investigated Alu, LINE-1 and SAT-α methylation levels to evaluate their difference in a case–control setup and their role as a marker of disability. Results We obtained blood samples from 51 MS patients and 137 healthy volunteers matched by gender, age and smoking. Methylation was assessed using bisulfite-PCR-pyrosequencing. For all participants, medical history, physical and neurological examinations and screening laboratory tests were collected. All repetitive elements were hypermethylated in MS patients compared to healthy controls. A lower Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score was associated with a lower levels of LINE-1 methylation for ‘EDSS = 1.0’ and ‘1.5 ≤ EDSS ≤ 2.5’ compared to an EDSS higher than 3, while Alu was associated with a higher level of methylation in these groups: ‘EDSS = 1.0’ and ‘1.5 ≤ EDSS ≤ 2.5’. Conclusions MS patients exhibit an hypermethylation in repetitive elements compared to healthy controls. Alu and LINE-1 were associated with degree of EDSS score. Forthcoming studies focusing on epigenetics and the multifactorial pathogenetic mechanism of MS could elucidate these links further. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12863-016-0395-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Y Neven
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, EPIGET - Epidemiology, Epigenetics and Toxicology Lab, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - M Piola
- Neurology Unit, Saronno ASST Valle Olona Hospital, Saronno, Italy
| | - L Angelici
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, EPIGET - Epidemiology, Epigenetics and Toxicology Lab, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - F Cortini
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Epidemiology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - C Fenoglio
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano and Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - D Galimberti
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano and Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - A C Pesatori
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, EPIGET - Epidemiology, Epigenetics and Toxicology Lab, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Department of Preventive Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Epidemiology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - E Scarpini
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano and Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - V Bollati
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, EPIGET - Epidemiology, Epigenetics and Toxicology Lab, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy. .,Department of Preventive Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Epidemiology Unit, Milan, Italy. .,Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Valentina Bollati, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via San Barnaba 8, 20122, Milan, Italy.
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Abstract
This article highlights the defining principles, progress, and future directions in epigenetics research in relation to this Special Issue. Exciting studies in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry have provided new insights into the epigenetic factors (e.g., DNA methylation) that are responsive to environmental input and serve as biological pathways in behavioral development. Here we highlight the experimental evidence, mainly from animal models, that factors such as psychosocial stress and environmental adversity can become encoded within epigenetic factors with functional consequences for brain plasticity and behavior. We also highlight evidence that epigenetic marking of genes in one generation can have consequences for future generations (i.e., inherited), and work with humans linking epigenetics, cognitive dysfunction, and psychiatric disorder. Though epigenetics has offered more of a beginning than an answer to the centuries-old nature-nurture debate, continued research is certain to yield substantial information regarding biological determinants of central nervous system changes and behavior with relevance for the study of developmental psychopathology.
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