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Do J. The Role of Epigenetics and Contributing Impact of Stress, Multigenerational, and Developmental Factors in Opiate Addiction. Cureus 2024; 16:e53788. [PMID: 38465047 PMCID: PMC10923639 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.53788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is characterized by maladaptive neural plasticity, particularly in vulnerable individuals exposed to drugs of abuse. Epigenetic factors include environmental influences, events during development, and stress adaptations, which seem to play an important role in the neuropathogenesis of drug addiction. This critical review hypothesizes that epigenetic modulation increases an individual's susceptibility to opiate addiction in three key areas of epigenetic study: developmental, stress-related, and transgenerational effects. The widespread use of opioids for clinical and recreational purposes raises significant societal and scientific concerns. Despite the increasing prevalence of opioid abuse, there is limited comprehensive knowledge about the impact of epigenetic factors on opiate addiction manifestation. This review hypothesizes that epigenetic modulation increases susceptibility to opiate addiction, exploring three key areas of epigenetic study: developmental, stress-related, and transgenerational effects. Current literature reveals a correlation between epigenetic influences and vulnerability to drug addiction, specifically in the context of opioid use. Epigenetics, the modulation of genetic expression beyond genotypic predisposition, plays a crucial role in an individual's susceptibility to drug addiction. Studies suggest that epigenetic mechanisms, once considered static in the adult brain, continue to influence synaptic plasticity and long-term memory, particularly in the endogenous opioid system. This review examines the effects of opioids and stress on epigenetic modifications, providing evidence of increased vulnerability to opiate addiction. Animal studies demonstrate how developmental adversities and adolescent exposure to substances can induce persistent epigenetic changes, predisposing individuals to opiate addiction in adulthood. Moreover, the review explores the transgenerational effects of opioid exposure during adolescence, suggesting that functional epigenetic neuroadaptations within the nucleus accumbens can persist for multiple generations. The examination of DNA methylation patterns in opioid addicts reveals potential markers for identifying susceptibility to opiate vulnerability. A critical analysis of research reports supports the hypothesis that developmental, transgenerational, and stress-related epigenetic mechanisms have a profound role in increasing the risk of opioid addiction susceptibility. Each study confirmed that developmental, stress-related, or transgenerational epigenetic regulations have a correlation to increased opiate sensitization and vulnerability. Unfortunately, every study reviewed was unable to elucidate an epigenetic mechanism to explain a specific neuropathogenesis of opiate drug addiction vulnerability, emphasizing our lack of knowledge in the complex pathology of epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Do
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, USA
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2
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Hassan Z, Coelho D, Bossenmeyer-Pourié C, Matmat K, Arnold C, Savladori A, Alberto JM, Umoret R, Guéant JL, Pourié G. Cognitive Impairment Is Associated with AMPAR Glutamatergic Dysfunction in a Mouse Model of Neuronal Methionine Synthase Deficiency. Cells 2023; 12:cells12091267. [PMID: 37174668 PMCID: PMC10177068 DOI: 10.3390/cells12091267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Impairment of one-carbon metabolism during pregnancy, either due to nutritional deficiencies in B9 or B12 vitamins or caused by specific genetic defects, is often associated with neurological defects, including cognitive dysfunction that persists even after vitamin supplementation. Animal nutritional models do not allow for conclusions regarding the specific brain mechanisms that may be modulated by systemic compensations. Using the Cre-lox system associated to the neuronal promoter Thy1.2, a knock-out model for the methionine synthase specifically in the brain was generated. Our results on the neurobehavioral development of offspring show that the absence of methionine synthase did not lead to growth retardation, despite an effective reduction of both its expression and the methylation status in brain tissues. Behaviors were differently affected according to their functional outcome. Only temporary retardations were recorded in the acquisition of vegetative functions during the suckling period, compared to a dramatic reduction in cognitive performance after weaning. Investigation of the glutamatergic synapses in cognitive areas showed a reduction of AMPA receptors phosphorylation and clustering, indicating an epigenomic effect of the neuronal deficiency of methionine synthase on the reduction of glutamatergic synapses excitability. Altogether, our data indicate that cognitive impairment associated with methionine synthase deficiency may not only result from neurodevelopmental abnormalities, but may also be the consequence of alterations in functional plasticity of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziad Hassan
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE-Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - David Coelho
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE-Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, F-54000 Nancy, France
- National Center of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, University Regional Hospital Center of Nancy, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Carine Bossenmeyer-Pourié
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE-Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Karim Matmat
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE-Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Carole Arnold
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE-Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Aurélie Savladori
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE-Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Jean-Marc Alberto
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE-Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Rémy Umoret
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE-Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Jean-Louis Guéant
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE-Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, F-54000 Nancy, France
- National Center of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, University Regional Hospital Center of Nancy, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Grégory Pourié
- Inserm UMRS 1256 NGERE-Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, F-54000 Nancy, France
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3
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Raval M, Mishra S, Tiwari AK. Epigenetic regulons in Alzheimer's disease. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 198:185-247. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2023.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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4
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Irwin AB, Bahabry R, Lubin FD. A putative role for lncRNAs in epigenetic regulation of memory. Neurochem Int 2021; 150:105184. [PMID: 34530054 PMCID: PMC8552959 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The central dogma of molecular genetics is defined as encoded genetic information within DNA, transcribed into messenger RNA, which contain the instructions for protein synthesis, thus imparting cellular functionality and ultimately life. This molecular genetic theory has given birth to the field of neuroepigenetics, and it is now well established that epigenetic regulation of gene transcription is critical to the learning and memory process. In this review, we address a potential role for a relatively new player in the field of epigenetic crosstalk - long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). First, we briefly summarize epigenetic mechanisms in memory formation and examine what little is known about the emerging role of lncRNAs during this process. We then focus discussions on how lncRNAs interact with epigenetic mechanisms to control transcriptional programs under various conditions in the brain, and how this may be applied to regulation of gene expression necessary for memory formation. Next, we explore how epigenetic crosstalk in turn serves to regulate expression of various individual lncRNAs themselves. To highlight the importance of further exploring the role of lncRNA in epigenetic regulation of gene expression, we consider the significant relationship between lncRNA dysregulation and declining memory reserve with aging, Alzheimer's disease, and epilepsy, as well as the promise of novel therapeutic interventions. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of the critical questions that remain to be answered regarding a role for lncRNA in memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh B Irwin
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Rudhab Bahabry
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Farah D Lubin
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
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5
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Wimmer ME. Gadd45b: at the intersection of transcriptional and epigenetic changes associated with cocaine-related behaviors. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:685-686. [PMID: 33077898 PMCID: PMC8027223 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00887-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu E. Wimmer
- grid.264727.20000 0001 2248 3398Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Temple University, 1701 N 13th St, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA
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6
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Huang TL, Hsieh MT, Lin CC. Increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor exon IV histone 3 lysine 9 dimethylation in patients with schizophrenia. TAIWANESE JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY 2019. [DOI: 10.4103/tpsy.tpsy_18_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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7
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Lux V. Epigenetic Programming Effects of Early Life Stress: A Dual-Activation Hypothesis. Curr Genomics 2018; 19:638-652. [PMID: 30532644 PMCID: PMC6225448 DOI: 10.2174/1389202919666180307151358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic processes during early brain development can function as 'developmental switches' that contribute to the stability of long-term effects of early environmental influences by programming central feedback mechanisms of the HPA axis and other neural networks. In this thematic review, we summarize accumulated evidence for a dual-activation of stress-related and sensory networks underlying the epigenetic programming effects of early life stress. We discuss findings indicating epigenetic programming of stress-related genes with impact on HPA axis function, the interaction of epigenetic mechanisms with neural activity in stress-related neural networks, epigenetic effects of glucocorticoid exposure, and the impact of stress on sensory development. Based on these findings, we propose that the combined activation of stress-related neural networks and stressor-specific sensory networks leads to both neural and hormonal priming of the epigenetic machinery, which sensitizes these networks for developmental programming effects. This allows stressor-specific adaptations later in life, but may also lead to functional mal-adaptations, depending on timing and intensity of the stressor. Finally, we discuss methodological and clinical implications of the dual-activation hypothesis. We emphasize that, in addition to modifications in stress-related networks, we need to account for functional modifications in sensory networks and their epigenetic underpinnings to elucidate the long-term effects of early life stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Lux
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Griñán-Ferré C, Izquierdo V, Otero E, Puigoriol-Illamola D, Corpas R, Sanfeliu C, Ortuño-Sahagún D, Pallàs M. Environmental Enrichment Improves Cognitive Deficits, AD Hallmarks and Epigenetic Alterations Presented in 5xFAD Mouse Model. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:224. [PMID: 30158856 PMCID: PMC6104164 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cumulative evidence shows that modifications in lifestyle factors constitute an effective strategy to modulate molecular events related to neurodegenerative diseases, confirming the relevant role of epigenetics. Accordingly, Environmental Enrichment (EE) represents an approach to ameliorate cognitive decline and neuroprotection in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is characterized by specific neuropathological hallmarks, such as β-amyloid plaques and Neurofibrillary Tangles, which severely affect the areas of the brain responsible for learning and memory. We evaluated EE neuroprotective influence on 5xFAD mice. We found a better cognitive performance on EE vs. Control (Ct) 5xFAD mice, until being similar to Wild-Type (Wt) mice group. Neurodegenerative markers as β-CTF and tau hyperphosphorylation, reduced protein levels whiles APPα, postsynaptic density 95 (PSD95) and synaptophysin (SYN) protein levels increased protein levels in the hippocampus of 5xFAD-EE mice group. Furthermore, a reduction in gene expression of Il-6, Gfap, Hmox1 and Aox1 was determined. However, no changes were found in the gene expression of neurotrophins, such as Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), Nerve growth factor (Ngf), Tumor growth factor (Tgf) and Nerve growth factor inducible (Vgf) in mice with EE. Specifically, we found a reduced DNA-methylation level (5-mC) and an increased hydroxymethylation level (5-hmC), as well as an increased histone H3 and H4 acetylation level. Likewise, we found changes in the hippocampal gene expression of some chromatin-modifying enzyme, such as Dnmt3a/b, Hdac1, and Tet2. Extensive molecular analysis revealed a correlation between neuronal function and changes in epigenetic marks after EE that explain the cognitive improvement in 5xFAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Griñán-Ferré
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Institut de Neurociències, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vanesa Izquierdo
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Institut de Neurociències, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Otero
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Institut de Neurociències, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dolors Puigoriol-Illamola
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Institut de Neurociències, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rubén Corpas
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona (IIBB), CSIC, IDIBAPS and CIBERESP, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Coral Sanfeliu
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona (IIBB), CSIC, IDIBAPS and CIBERESP, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Ortuño-Sahagún
- Laboratorio de Neuroinmunomodulación Molecular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas (IICB), Centro Universitario de Ciencias de las Salud (CUCS), Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Mercè Pallàs
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Institut de Neurociències, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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9
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Ducsay CA, Goyal R, Pearce WJ, Wilson S, Hu XQ, Zhang L. Gestational Hypoxia and Developmental Plasticity. Physiol Rev 2018; 98:1241-1334. [PMID: 29717932 PMCID: PMC6088145 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00043.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is one of the most common and severe challenges to the maintenance of homeostasis. Oxygen sensing is a property of all tissues, and the response to hypoxia is multidimensional involving complicated intracellular networks concerned with the transduction of hypoxia-induced responses. Of all the stresses to which the fetus and newborn infant are subjected, perhaps the most important and clinically relevant is that of hypoxia. Hypoxia during gestation impacts both the mother and fetal development through interactions with an individual's genetic traits acquired over multiple generations by natural selection and changes in gene expression patterns by altering the epigenetic code. Changes in the epigenome determine "genomic plasticity," i.e., the ability of genes to be differentially expressed according to environmental cues. The genomic plasticity defined by epigenomic mechanisms including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs during development is the mechanistic substrate for phenotypic programming that determines physiological response and risk for healthy or deleterious outcomes. This review explores the impact of gestational hypoxia on maternal health and fetal development, and epigenetic mechanisms of developmental plasticity with emphasis on the uteroplacental circulation, heart development, cerebral circulation, pulmonary development, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and adipose tissue. The complex molecular and epigenetic interactions that may impact an individual's physiology and developmental programming of health and disease later in life are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles A. Ducsay
- The Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - Ravi Goyal
- The Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - William J. Pearce
- The Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - Sean Wilson
- The Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - Xiang-Qun Hu
- The Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - Lubo Zhang
- The Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
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10
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Abstract
Electro photonic imaging (EPI) is being researched relative to its application for yoga therapy. Three parameters of interest in EPI measurements are as follows: Communication energy (C), integral or normalized area (IA), and Entropy (E). It is important to note that C indicates the total energy of communication for the organ system; IA is an indication of total amount of energy that is available for the organ system while entropy is an indication of the amount of coherence of the energy. Coherence and entropy are inversely related; this means less the entropy, more the coherence and vice versa. Illustrative cases of successful therapy with yoga practices in a wide variety of abnormal conditions are examined, and in every case, entropy is shown to decrease for the affected organ system while communication energy stays within stable range. Relative to the electromagnetic (Rubik) and living matrix (Oschman) models, it is suggested that the regulation of energy, its coherence in the biological system and interaction with life processes provide the basis for model building and design of health-promoting procedures. Further, this approach is examined relative to yoga theory, traditional medicine systems, and scientific developments in the field of gene expression and neuroplasticity and a generalized model that we call Unified System of Medicine is proposed. This model has direct implications on methods used to control the environmental factors to get robust results from EPI application for therapeutic purposes. Implications for furthering research in yoga therapy using EPI and implications of EPI as a translational technology between traditional medicine systems and modern medicine is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Konstantin Korotkov
- Department of Innovation Technologies, Research Institute of Physical Culture and Sport, St. Petersburg, Russia
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11
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Fujita Y, Yamashita T. Spatial organization of genome architecture in neuronal development and disease. Neurochem Int 2017; 119:49-56. [PMID: 28757389 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2017.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Revised: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Although mammalian genomes encode genetic information in their linear sequences, their fundamental function with regard to gene expression depends on the higher-order structure of chromosomes. Current techniques for the evaluation of chromosomal structure have revealed that genomes are arranged at several hierarchical levels in three-dimensional space. The spatial organization of genomes involves the formation of chromatin loops that bypass a wide range of genomic distances, providing a connection between enhancers and chromosomal domains. Furthermore, they form chromatin domains that are arranged into chromosome territories in the three-dimensional space of the cell nucleus. Recent studies have shown that the spatial organization of the genome is essential for normal brain development and function. Activity-dependent alterations in the spatial organization of the genome can regulate transcriptional activity related to neuronal plasticity. Disruptions in the higher-order chromatin architecture have been implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as cognitive dysfunction and anxiety. Here, we discuss the growing interest in the role of genome organization in brain development and neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Fujita
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Suita, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Toshihide Yamashita
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Suita, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
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12
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Makhathini KB, Abboussi O, Stein DJ, Mabandla MV, Daniels WM. Repetitive stress leads to impaired cognitive function that is associated with DNA hypomethylation, reduced BDNF and a dysregulated HPA axis. Int J Dev Neurosci 2017; 60:63-69. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2016] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Khayelihle B. Makhathini
- Department of Human PhysiologyCollege of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu‐ NatalDurbanSouth Africa
| | - Oualid Abboussi
- Department of Human PhysiologyCollege of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu‐ NatalDurbanSouth Africa
| | - Dan J. Stein
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Musa V. Mabandla
- Department of Human PhysiologyCollege of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu‐ NatalDurbanSouth Africa
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13
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Bonnaud EM, Suberbielle E, Malnou CE. Histone acetylation in neuronal (dys)function. Biomol Concepts 2017; 7:103-16. [PMID: 27101554 DOI: 10.1515/bmc-2016-0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive functions require the expression of an appropriate pattern of genes in response to environmental stimuli. Over the last years, many studies have accumulated knowledge towards the understanding of molecular mechanisms that regulate neuronal gene expression. Epigenetic modifications have been shown to play an important role in numerous neuronal functions, from synaptic plasticity to learning and memory. In particular, histone acetylation is a central player in these processes. In this review, we present the molecular mechanisms of histone acetylation and summarize the data underlying the relevance of histone acetylation in cognitive functions in normal and pathological conditions. In the last part, we discuss the different mechanisms underlying the dysregulation of histone acetylation associated with neurological disorders, with a particular focus on environmental causes (stress, drugs, or infectious agents) that are linked to impaired histone acetylation.
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14
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Abstract
The last decade has been marked by an increased interest in relating epigenetic mechanisms to complex human behaviors, although this interest has not been balanced, accentuating various types of affective and primarily ignoring cognitive functioning. Recent animal model data support the view that epigenetic processes play a role in learning and memory consolidation and help transmit acquired memories even across generations. In this review, we provide an overview of various types of epigenetic mechanisms in the brain (DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA action) and discuss their impact proximally on gene transcription, protein synthesis, and synaptic plasticity and distally on learning, memory, and other cognitive functions. Of particular importance are observations that neuronal activation regulates the dynamics of the epigenome's functioning under precise timing, with subsequent alterations in the gene expression profile. In turn, epigenetic regulation impacts neuronal action, closing the circle and substantiating the signaling pathways that underlie, at least partially, learning, memory, and other cognitive processes.
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15
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Xu S, Elefant F. Tip off the HAT- Epigenetic control of learning and memory by Drosophila Tip60. Fly (Austin) 2016; 9:22-8. [PMID: 26327426 DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2015.1080887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Disruption of epigenetic gene control mechanisms involving histone acetylation in the brain causes cognitive impairment, a debilitating hallmark of most neurodegenerative disorders. Histone acetylation regulates cognitive gene expression via chromatin packaging control in neurons. Unfortunately, the histone acetyltransferases (HATs) that generate such neural epigenetic signatures and their mechanisms of action remain unclear. Our recent findings provide insight into this question by demonstrating that Tip60 HAT action is critical for morphology and function of the mushroom body (MB), the learning and memory center in the Drosophila brain. We show that Tip60 is robustly produced in MB Kenyon cells and extending axonal lobes and that targeted MB Tip60 HAT loss results in axonal outgrowth disruption. Functional consequences of loss and gain of Tip60 HAT levels in the MB are evidenced by defects in memory. Tip60 ChIP-Seq analysis reveals enrichment for genes that function in cognitive processes and accordingly, key genes representing these pathways are misregulated in the Tip60 HAT mutant fly brain. Remarkably, increasing levels of Tip60 in the MB rescues learning and memory deficits resulting from Alzheimer's disease associated amyloid precursor protein (APP) induced neurodegeneration. Our studies highlight the potential of HAT activators as a therapeutic option for cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songjun Xu
- a Department of Biology ; Drexel University ; Philadelphia , PA USA
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16
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Cadet JL. Epigenetics of Stress, Addiction, and Resilience: Therapeutic Implications. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 53:545-560. [PMID: 25502297 PMCID: PMC4703633 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-9040-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 11/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are highly prevalent. SUDs involve vicious cycles of binges followed by occasional periods of abstinence with recurrent relapses despite treatment and adverse medical and psychosocial consequences. There is convincing evidence that early and adult stressful life events are risks factors for the development of addiction and serve as cues that trigger relapses. Nevertheless, the fact that not all individuals who face traumatic events develop addiction to licit or illicit drugs suggests the existence of individual and/or familial resilient factors that protect these mentally healthy individuals. Here, I give a brief overview of the epigenetic bases of responses to stressful events and of epigenetic changes associated with the administration of drugs of abuse. I also discuss the psychobiology of resilience and alterations in epigenetic markers that have been observed in models of resilience. Finally, I suggest the possibility that treatment of addiction should involve cognitive and pharmacological approaches that enhance resilience in at risk individuals. Similar approaches should also be used with patients who have already succumbed to the nefarious effects of addictive substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Lud Cadet
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, DHHS/NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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17
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Lindholm M. DNA Dispose, but Subjects Decide. Learning and the Extended Synthesis. BIOSEMIOTICS 2015; 8:443-461. [PMID: 26640605 PMCID: PMC4661179 DOI: 10.1007/s12304-015-9242-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Adaptation by means of natural selection depends on the ability of populations to maintain variation in heritable traits. According to the Modern Synthesis this variation is sustained by mutations and genetic drift. Epigenetics, evodevo, niche construction and cultural factors have more recently been shown to contribute to heritable variation, however, leading an increasing number of biologists to call for an extended view of speciation and evolution. An additional common feature across the animal kingdom is learning, defined as the ability to change behavior according to novel experiences or skills. Learning constitutes an additional source for phenotypic variation, and change in behavior may induce long lasting shifts in fitness, and hence favor evolutionary novelties. Based on published studies, I demonstrate how learning about food, mate choice and habitats has contributed substantially to speciation in the canonical story of Darwin's finches on the Galapagos Islands. Learning cannot be reduced to genetics, because it demands decisions, which requires a subject. Evolutionary novelties may hence emerge both from shifts in allelic frequencies and from shifts in learned, subject driven behavior. The existence of two principally different sources of variation also prevents the Modern Synthesis from self-referring explanations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Lindholm
- />Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
- />Rudolf Steiner University College, Dahls gate 30, 0260 Oslo, Norway
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18
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Jarome TJ, Lubin FD. Epigenetic mechanisms of memory formation and reconsolidation. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2014; 115:116-27. [PMID: 25130533 PMCID: PMC4250295 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2014.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Revised: 08/02/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Memory consolidation involves transcriptional control of genes in neurons to stabilize a newly formed memory. Following retrieval, a once consolidated memory destabilizes and again requires gene transcription changes in order to restabilize, a process referred to as reconsolidation. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of gene transcription during the consolidation and reconsolidation processes could provide crucial insights into normal memory formation and memory dysfunction associated with psychiatric disorders. In the past decade, modifications of epigenetic markers such as DNA methylation and posttranslational modifications of histone proteins have emerged as critical transcriptional regulators of gene expression during initial memory formation and after retrieval. In light of the rapidly growing literature in this exciting area of research, we here examine the most recent and latest evidence demonstrating how memory acquisition and retrieval trigger epigenetic changes during the consolidation and reconsolidation phases to impact behavior. In particular we focus on the reconsolidation process, where we discuss the already identified epigenetic regulators of gene transcription during memory reconsolidation, while exploring other potential epigenetic modifications that may also be involved, and expand on how these epigenetic modifications may be precisely and temporally controlled by important signaling cascades critical to the reconsolidation process. Finally, we explore the possibility that epigenetic mechanisms may serve to regulate a system or circuit level reconsolidation process and may be involved in retrieval-dependent memory updating. Hence, we propose that epigenetic mechanisms coordinate changes in neuronal gene transcription, not only during the initial memory consolidation phase, but are triggered by retrieval to regulate molecular and cellular processes during memory reconsolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Jarome
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Farah D Lubin
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States.
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19
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Eisenhardt D. Molecular mechanisms underlying formation of long-term reward memories and extinction memories in the honeybee (Apis mellifera). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 21:534-42. [PMID: 25225299 PMCID: PMC4175491 DOI: 10.1101/lm.033118.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The honeybee (Apis mellifera) has long served as an invertebrate model organism for reward learning and memory research. Its capacity for learning and memory formation is rooted in the ecological need to efficiently collect nectar and pollen during summer to ensure survival of the hive during winter. Foraging bees learn to associate a flower's characteristic features with a reward in a way that resembles olfactory appetitive classical conditioning, a learning paradigm that is used to study mechanisms underlying learning and memory formation in the honeybee. Due to a plethora of studies on appetitive classical conditioning and phenomena related to it, the honeybee is one of the best characterized invertebrate model organisms from a learning psychological point of view. Moreover, classical conditioning and associated behavioral phenomena are surprisingly similar in honeybees and vertebrates, suggesting a convergence of underlying neuronal processes, including the molecular mechanisms that contribute to them. Here I review current thinking on the molecular mechanisms underlying long-term memory (LTM) formation in honeybees following classical conditioning and extinction, demonstrating that an in-depth analysis of the molecular mechanisms of classical conditioning in honeybees might add to our understanding of associative learning in honeybees and vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea Eisenhardt
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute of Biology, Neurobiology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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20
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Coppedè F. The potential of epigenetic therapies in neurodegenerative diseases. Front Genet 2014; 5:220. [PMID: 25071843 PMCID: PMC4094885 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Available treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington's disease, do not arrest disease progression but mainly help keeping patients from getting worse for a limited period of time. Increasing evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone tail modifications are dynamically regulated in neurons and play a fundamental role in learning and memory processes. In addition, both global and gene-specific epigenetic changes and deregulated expression of the writer and eraser proteins of epigenetic marks are believed to contribute to the onset and progression of neurodegeneration. Studies in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases have highlighted the potential role of epigenetic drugs, including inhibitors of histone deacetylases and methyl donor compounds, in ameliorating the cognitive symptoms and preventing or delaying the motor symptoms of the disease, thereby opening the way for a potential application in human pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Coppedè
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa Pisa, Italy
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21
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Cacioppo JT, Cacioppo S, Dulawa S, Palmer AA. Social neuroscience and its potential contribution to psychiatry. World Psychiatry 2014; 13:131-9. [PMID: 24890058 PMCID: PMC4102278 DOI: 10.1002/wps.20118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Most mental disorders involve disruptions of normal social behavior. Social neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field devoted to understanding the biological systems underlying social processes and behavior, and the influence of the social environment on biological processes, health and well-being. Research in this field has grown dramatically in recent years. Active areas of research include brain imaging studies in normal children and adults, animal models of social behavior, studies of stroke patients, imaging studies of psychiatric patients, and research on social determinants of peripheral neural, neuroendocrine and immunological processes. Although research in these areas is proceeding along largely independent trajectories, there is increasing evidence for connections across these trajectories. We focus here on the progress and potential of social neuroscience in psychiatry, including illustrative evidence for a rapid growth of neuroimaging and genetic studies of mental disorders. We also argue that neuroimaging and genetic research focused on specific component processes underlying social living is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T Cacioppo
- Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience, University of Chicago5848 S. University Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Stephanie Cacioppo
- High Performance Electrical Neuroimaging Laboratory, University of ChicagoChicago, IL, USA
| | - Stephanie Dulawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, ChicagoIL, USA
| | - Abraham A Palmer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, ChicagoIL, USA,Department of Human Genetics, University of ChicagoChicago, IL, USA
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22
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Novo FJ. Habit acquisition in the context of neuronal genomic and epigenomic mosaicism. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:255. [PMID: 24795609 PMCID: PMC4007014 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J Novo
- Biochemistry and Genetics, University of Navarra Pamplona, Spain
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23
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Wilczynski GM. Significance of higher-order chromatin architecture for neuronal function and dysfunction. Neuropharmacology 2014; 80:28-33. [PMID: 24456745 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Revised: 01/08/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies in neurons indicate that the large-scale chromatin architectural framework, including chromosome territories or lamina-associated chromatin, undergoes dynamic changes that represent an emergent level of regulation of neuronal gene-expression. This phenomenon has been implicated in neuronal differentiation, long-term potentiation, seizures, and disorders of neural plasticity such as Rett syndrome and epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz M Wilczynski
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pasteura 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland.
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24
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Jarome TJ, Thomas JS, Lubin FD. The epigenetic basis of memory formation and storage. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2014; 128:1-27. [PMID: 25410539 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-800977-2.00001-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The formation of long-term memory requires a series of cellular and molecular changes that involve transcriptional regulation of gene expression. While these changes in gene transcription were initially thought to be largely regulated by the activation of transcription factors by intracellular signaling molecules, epigenetic mechanisms have emerged as an important regulator of transcriptional processes across multiple brain regions to form a memory circuit for a learned event or experience. Due to their self-perpetuating nature and ability to bidirectionally control gene expression, these epigenetic mechanisms have the potential to not only regulate initial memory formation but also modify and update memory over time. This chapter focuses on the established, but poorly understood, role for epigenetic mechanisms such as posttranslational modifications of histone proteins and DNA methylation at the different stages of memory storage. Additionally, this chapter emphasizes how these mechanisms interact to control the ideal epigenetic environment for memory formation and modification in neurons. The reader will gain insights into the limitations in our current understanding of epigenetic regulation of memory storage, especially in terms of their cell-type specificity and the lack of understanding in the interactions of various epigenetic modifiers to one another to impact gene expression changes during memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Jarome
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jasmyne S Thomas
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Farah D Lubin
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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25
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Ghahramani Seno MM, Gwadry FG, Hu P, Scherer SW. Neuregulin 1-alpha regulates phosphorylation, acetylation, and alternative splicing in lymphoblastoid cells. Genome 2013; 56:619-25. [DOI: 10.1139/gen-2013-0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Neuregulins (NRGs) are signaling molecules involved in various cellular and developmental processes. Abnormal expression and (or) genomic variations of some of these molecules, such as NRG1, have been associated with disease conditions such as cancer and schizophrenia. To gain a comprehensive molecular insight into possible pathways/networks regulated by NRG1-alpha, we performed a global expression profiling analysis on lymphoblastoid cell lines exposed to NRG1-alpha. Our data show that this signaling molecule mainly regulates coordinated expression of genes involved in three processes: phosphorylation, acetylation, and alternative splicing. These processes have fundamental roles in proper development and function of various tissues including the central nervous system (CNS)—a fact that may explain conditions associated with NRG1 dysregulations such as schizophrenia. The data also suggest NRG1-alpha regulates genes (FBXO41) and miRNAs (miR-33) involved in cholesterol metabolism. Moreover, RPN2, a gene already shown to be dysregulated in breast cancer cells, is also differentially regulated by NRG1-alpha treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad M. Ghahramani Seno
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Fuad G. Gwadry
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Pingzhao Hu
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Stephen W. Scherer
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
- McLaughlin Centre and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
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26
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Ryley Parrish R, Albertson AJ, Buckingham SC, Hablitz JJ, Mascia KL, Davis Haselden W, Lubin FD. Status epilepticus triggers early and late alterations in brain-derived neurotrophic factor and NMDA glutamate receptor Grin2b DNA methylation levels in the hippocampus. Neuroscience 2013; 248:602-19. [PMID: 23811393 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Revised: 06/13/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Status epilepticus (SE) triggers abnormal expression of genes in the hippocampus, such as glutamate receptor subunit epsilon-2 (Grin2b/Nr2b) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), that is thought to occur in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We examined the underlying DNA methylation mechanisms and investigated whether these mechanisms contribute to the expression of these gene targets in the epileptic hippocampus. Experimental TLE was provoked by kainic acid-induced SE. Bisulfite sequencing analysis revealed increased Grin2b/Nr2b and decreased Bdnf DNA methylation levels that corresponded to decreased Grin2b/Nr2b and increased Bdnf mRNA and protein expression in the epileptic hippocampus. Blockade of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity with zebularine decreased global DNA methylation levels and reduced Grin2b/Nr2b, but not Bdnf, DNA methylation levels. Interestingly, we found that DNMT blockade further decreased Grin2b/Nr2b mRNA expression whereas GRIN2B protein expression increased in the epileptic hippocampus, suggesting that a posttranscriptional mechanism may be involved. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis we found that DNMT inhibition restored the decreases in AP2alpha transcription factor levels at the Grin2b/Nr2b promoter in the epileptic hippocampus. DNMT inhibition increased field excitatory postsynaptic potential in hippocampal slices isolated from epileptic rats. Electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring confirmed that DNMT inhibition did not significantly alter the disease course, but promoted the latency to seizure onset or SE. Thus, DNA methylation may be an early event triggered by SE that persists late into the epileptic hippocampus to contribute to gene expression changes in TLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Ryley Parrish
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - A J Albertson
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - S C Buckingham
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - J J Hablitz
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - K L Mascia
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - W Davis Haselden
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - F D Lubin
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
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27
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Misiak B, Frydecka D, Piotrowski P, Kiejna A. The multidimensional nature of metabolic syndrome in schizophrenia: lessons from studies of one-carbon metabolism and DNA methylation. Epigenomics 2013; 5:317-29. [DOI: 10.2217/epi.13.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Large data sets indicate that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is significantly higher in patients with schizophrenia in comparison with the general population. Given that interactions between genes and the environment may underlie the etiology of MetS in subjects with schizophrenia, it is feasible that epigenetic phenomena can serve as the etiological consensus between genetic and environmental factors. However, there is still a striking scarcity of studies aimed at investigating the role of aberrant DNA methylation in the development of MetS in this group of patients. This article provides an update on the epigenetics of schizophrenia and reviews studies on the role of one-carbon metabolism and aberrant DNA methylation in the development of MetS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blazej Misiak
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Pasteura 10, 51-367 Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Dorota Frydecka
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Pasteura 10, 51-367 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Patryk Piotrowski
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Pasteura 10, 51-367 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Andrzej Kiejna
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Pasteura 10, 51-367 Wroclaw, Poland
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28
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Scarr E, Craig JM, Cairns MJ, Seo MS, Galati JC, Beveridge NJ, Gibbons A, Juzva S, Weinrich B, Parkinson-Bates M, Carroll AP, Saffery R, Dean B. Decreased cortical muscarinic M1 receptors in schizophrenia are associated with changes in gene promoter methylation, mRNA and gene targeting microRNA. Transl Psychiatry 2013; 3:e230. [PMID: 23423139 PMCID: PMC3594731 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2013.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have shown decreased cortical muscarinic M1 receptors (CHRM1) in schizophrenia (Sz), with one study showing Sz can be separated into two populations based on a marked loss of CHRM1 (-75%) in -25% of people (Def-Sz) with the disorder. To better understand the mechanism contributing to the loss of CHRM1 in Def-Sz, we measured specific markers of gene expression in the cortex of people with Sz as a whole, people differentiated into Def-Sz and people with Sz that do not have a deficit in cortical CHRM1 (Non-Def-Sz) and health controls. We now report that cortical CHRM1 gene promoter methylation and CHRM1 mRNA are decrease in Sz, Def-Sz and Non-Def-Sz but levels of the micro RNA (miR)-107, a CHRM1 targeting miR, are increased only in Def-Sz. We also report in vitro data strongly supporting the notion that miR-107 levels regulate CHRM1 expression. These data suggest there is a reversal of the expected inverse relationship between gene promoter methylation and CHRM1 mRNA in people with Sz and that a breakdown in gene promoter methylation control of CHRM1 expression is contributing to the global pathophysiology of the syndrome. In addition, our data argues that increased levels of at least one miR, miR-107, is contributing to the marked loss of cortical CHRM1 in Def-Sz and this may be a differentiating pathophysiology. These latter data continue to support the hypothesis that microRNAs (miRNA) have a role in the underlying neurobiology of Sz but argue they are differentially affected in subsets of people within that syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Scarr
- The Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - J M Craig
- The Early Life Epigenetic Group, The Murdoch's Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,The Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - M J Cairns
- The School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, and Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia,The Schizophrenia Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - M S Seo
- The Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - J C Galati
- The Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - N J Beveridge
- The School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, and Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia,The Schizophrenia Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A Gibbons
- The Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - S Juzva
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - B Weinrich
- The Early Life Epigenetic Group, The Murdoch's Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - M Parkinson-Bates
- The Cancer and the Developmental Epigenetics Group, The Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - A P Carroll
- The School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, and Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia,The Schizophrenia Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - R Saffery
- The Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,The Cancer and the Developmental Epigenetics Group, The Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - B Dean
- The Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Mental Health Research Institute, The Kenneth Myer Building, The University of Melbourne, Genetics Lane, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia. E-mail:
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29
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Lipsky RH. Epigenetic mechanisms regulating learning and long-term memory. Int J Dev Neurosci 2012; 31:353-8. [PMID: 23142272 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2012.10.110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2012] [Revised: 10/29/2012] [Accepted: 10/30/2012] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A balance between rapid, short lived, neuronal responses and prolonged ones fulfill the biochemical and cellular requirements for creating a molecular memory. I provide an overview of epigenetic mechanisms in the brain and discuss their impact on synaptic plasticity, cognitive functions, and discuss a recent example of how they can contribute to neurodegeneration and the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert H Lipsky
- Inova Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neurosciences, Inova Health System, 3289 Woodburn Road, Suite 210B, Annandale, VA 22003, United States.
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30
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Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms are regulatory processes that control gene expression changes involved in multiple aspects of neuronal function, including central nervous system development, synaptic plasticity, and memory. Recent evidence indicates that dysregulation of epigenetic mechanisms occurs in several human epilepsy syndromes. Despite this discovery of a potential role for epigenetic mechanisms in epilepsy, few studies have fully explored their contribution to the process of epilepsy development known as epileptogenesis. The purpose of this article is to discuss recent findings suggesting that the process of epileptogenesis may alter the epigenetic landscape, affecting the gene expression patterns observed in epilepsy. Future studies focused on a better characterization of these aberrant epigenetic mechanisms hold the promise of revealing novel treatment options for the prevention and even the reversal of epilepsy.
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