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Campbell TS, Donoghue K, Roth TL. Unlocking the epigenome: Stress and exercise induced Bdnf regulation in the prefrontal cortex. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2024; 103:107353. [PMID: 38648864 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2024.107353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Aversive caregiving in early life is a risk factor for aberrant brain and behavioral development. This outcome is related to epigenetic dysregulation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) gene. The Bdnf gene encodes for BDNF, a neurotrophin involved in early brain development, neural plasticity, learning, and memory. Recent work suggests that exercise may be neuroprotective in part by supporting BDNF protein and gene expression, making it an exciting target for therapeutic interventions. To our knowledge, exercise has never been studied as a therapeutic intervention in preclinical rodent models of caregiver maltreatment. To that end, the current study investigated the effect of an adult voluntary wheel running intervention on Bdnf methylation and expression in the prefrontal cortex of rats who experienced aversive caregiving in infancy. We employed a rodent model (Long Evans rats) wherein rat pups experienced intermittent caregiver-induced stress from postnatal days 1-7 and were given voluntary access to a running wheel (except in the control condition) from postnatal days 70-90 as a young adulthood treatment intervention. Our results indicate that maltreatment and exercise affect Bdnf gene methylation in an exon, CG site, and sex-specific manner. Here we add to a growing body of evidence of the ability for our experiences, including exercise, to permeate the brain. Keywords: Early life stress, Bdnf, exercise, prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor S Campbell
- University of Delaware, Psychological & Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19716, United States of America.
| | - Katelyn Donoghue
- University of Delaware, Psychological & Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19716, United States of America
| | - Tania L Roth
- University of Delaware, Psychological & Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19716, United States of America
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2
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Xia M, Yan R, Kim MH, Xu X. Tet Enzyme-Mediated Response in Environmental Stress and Stress-Related Psychiatric Diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:1594-1608. [PMID: 36534335 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-03168-9] [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: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Mental disorders caused by stress have become a worldwide public health problem. These mental disorders are often the results of a combination of genes and environment, in which epigenetic modifications play a crucial role. At present, the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of mental disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder or depression caused by environmental stress are not entirely clear. Although many epigenetic modifications affect gene regulation, the most well-known modification in eukaryotic cells is the DNA methylation of CpG islands. Stress causes changes in DNA methylation in the brain to participate in the neuronal function or mood-modulating behaviors, and these epigenetic modifications can be passed on to offspring. Ten-eleven translocation (Tet) enzymes are the 5-methylcytosine (5mC) hydroxylases of DNA, which recognize 5mC on the DNA sequence and oxidize it to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC), and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC). Tet regulates gene expression at the transcriptional level through the demethylation of DNA. This review will elaborate on the molecular mechanism and the functions of Tet enzymes in environmental stress-related disorders and discuss future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiling Xia
- Departments of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou City, 215006, China.,Department of Physiology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul City, 03080, Korea
| | - Rui Yan
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou City, China
| | - Myoung-Hwan Kim
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul City, 03080, Korea.
| | - Xingshun Xu
- Departments of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou City, 215006, China. .,Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou City, China. .,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou City, China.
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3
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The lifetime impact of stress on fear regulation and cortical function. Neuropharmacology 2023; 224:109367. [PMID: 36464208 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
A variety of stressful experiences can influence the ability to form and subsequently inhibit fear memory. While nonsocial stress can impact fear learning and memory throughout the lifespan, psychosocial stressors that involve negative social experiences or changes to the social environment have a disproportionately high impact during adolescence. Here, we review converging lines of evidence that suggest that development of prefrontal cortical circuitry necessary for both social experiences and fear learning is altered by stress exposure in a way that impacts both social and fear behaviors throughout the lifespan. Further, we suggest that psychosocial stress, through its impact on the prefrontal cortex, may be especially detrimental during early developmental periods characterized by higher sociability. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Fear, Anxiety and PTSD'.
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Fesser EA, Gianatiempo O, Berardino BG, Ferroni NM, Cambiasso M, Fontana VA, Calvo JC, Sonzogni SV, Cánepa ET. Limited contextual memory and transcriptional dysregulation in the medial prefrontal cortex of mice exposed to early protein malnutrition are intergenerationally transmitted. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 139:139-149. [PMID: 34058653 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.05.041] [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: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Memory contextualization is vital for the subsequent retrieval of relevant memories in specific situations and is a critical dimension of social cognition. The inability to properly contextualize information has been described as characteristic of psychiatric disorders like autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The exposure to early-life adversities, such as nutritional deficiency, increases the risk to trigger alterations in different domains of cognition related to those observed in mental diseases. In this work, we explored the consequences of exposure to perinatal protein malnutrition on contextual memory in a mouse model and assessed whether these consequences are transmitted to the next generation. Female mice were fed with a normal or hypoproteic diet during pregnancy and lactation. To evaluate contextual memory, the object-context mismatch test was performed in both sexes of F1 offspring and in the subsequent F2 generation. We observed that contextual memory was altered in mice of both sexes that had been subjected to maternal protein malnutrition and that the deficit in contextual memory was transmitted to the next generation. The basis of this alteration seems to be a transcriptional dysregulation of genes involved in the excitatory and inhibitory balance and immediate-early genes within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of both generations. The expression of genes encoding enzymes that regulate H3K27me3 levels was altered in the mPFC and partially in sperm of F1 malnourished mice. These results support the hypothesis that early nutritional deficiency represents a risk factor for the emergence of symptoms associated with mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía A Fesser
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Octavio Gianatiempo
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Bruno G Berardino
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nadina M Ferroni
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maite Cambiasso
- Laboratorio de Matriz Extracelular, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Vanina A Fontana
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Matriz Extracelular, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan C Calvo
- Laboratorio de Matriz Extracelular, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvina V Sonzogni
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eduardo T Cánepa
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Ivanets NN, Svistunov AA, Chubarev VN, Kinkulkina MA, Tikhonova YG, Syzrantsev NS, Sologova SS, Ignatyeva NV, Mutig K, Tarasov VV. Can Molecular Biology Propose Reliable Biomarkers for Diagnosing Major Depression? Curr Pharm Des 2021; 27:305-318. [PMID: 33234092 DOI: 10.2174/1381612826666201124110437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Modern medicine has provided considerable knowledge of the pathophysiology of mental disorders at the body, systemic, organ and neurochemical levels of the biological organization of the body. Modern clinical diagnostics of depression have some problems, that is why psychiatric society makes use of diagnostics and taxonomy of different types of depression by implemention of modern molecular biomarkers in diagnostic procedures. But up to now, there are no reliable biomarkers of major depressive disorder (MDD) and other types of depression. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this review is to find fundamentals in pathological mechanisms of depression, which could be a basis for development of molecular and genetic biomarkers, being the most feasible for clinical use. METHOD This review summarizes the published data using PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar and Scopus. RESULTS In this review, we summarized and discussed findings in molecular biology, genetics, neuroplasticity, neurotransmitters, and neuroimaging that could increase our understanding of the biological foundations of depression and show new directions for the development of reliable biomarkers. We did not find any molecular and genetic biomarker approved for the clinic. But the Genome-Wide Association Study method promises some progress in the development of biomarkers based on SNP in the future. Epigenetic factors also are a promising target for biomarkers. We have found some differences in the etiology of different types of atypical and melancholic depression. This knowledge could be the basis for development of biomarkers for clinical practice in diagnosis, prognosis and selection of treatment. CONCLUSION Depression is not a monoetiological disease. Many pathological mechanisms are involved in depression, thus up to now, there is no approved and reliable biomarker for diagnosis, prognosis and correction of treatment of depression. The structural and functional complexity of the brain, the lack of invasive technology, poor correlations between genetic and clinical manifestation of depression, imperfect psychiatric classification and taxonomy of subtypes of disease are the main causes of this situation. One of the possible ways to come over this situation can be to pay attention to the trigger mechanism of disease and its subtypes. Researchers and clinicians should focus their efforts on searching the trigger mechanism of depression and different types of it . HPA axis can be a candidate for such trigger in depression caused by stress, because it influences the main branches of disease: neuroinflammation, activity of biogenic amines, oxidative and nitrosative stress, epigenetic factors, metabolomics, etc. But before we shall find any trigger mechanism, we need to create complex biomarkers reflecting genetic, epigenetic, metabolomics and other pathological changes in different types of depression. Recently the most encouraging results have been obtained from genetics and neuroimaging. Continuing research in these areas should be forced by using computational, statistical and systems biology approaches, which can allow to obtain more knowledge about the neurobiology of depression. In order to obtain clinically useful tests, search for biomarkers should use appropriate research methodologies with increasing samples and identifying more homogeneous groups of depressed patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay N Ivanets
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Andrey A Svistunov
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Vladimir N Chubarev
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Marina A Kinkulkina
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Yuliya G Tikhonova
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Nikita S Syzrantsev
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Susanna S Sologova
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Nelly V Ignatyeva
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Kerim Mutig
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Vadim V Tarasov
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
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6
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Hernández-Coro A, Sánchez-Hernández BE, Montes S, Martínez-Lazcano JC, González-Guevara E, Pérez-Severiano F. Alterations in gene expression due to chronic lead exposure induce behavioral changes. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 126:361-367. [PMID: 33819547 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Lead (Pb) is a pollutant commonly found in the environment, despite the implementation of public health policies intended to remove it. Due to its chemical characteristics as a divalent ion, Pb interacts with cells, enzymes, and tissues, causing pathological, physical, and behavioral alterations. Recent biotechnological advances have helped us to understand the mechanisms underlying the damage caused by Pb in human populations and in experimental models, and new evidence on the epigenetic alterations caused by exposition to environmental Pb is available. It is known that Pb exposure impacts on behavior (causing aggressiveness, anxiety, and depression), leading to learning deficit and locomotor activity alterations, and its presence has been linked with the abnormal release of neurotransmitters and other biochemical changes involved in these disorders. Still, further reductionist studies are required to determine the effects of Pb exposure on DNA and protein expression and understand the processes underlying the diseases caused by Pb. This will also indicate possible therapeutic targets to offset the negative effects of the heavy metal. By elucidating the epigenetic changes involved, it would be possible to manipulate them and propose novel therapeutic approaches in this area. This review is aimed to provide an overview of studies that link Pb exposure to behavioral changes, as well as biochemical and epigenetic alterations at a neurotransmitter level, considering the importance of this metal in behavior abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Hernández-Coro
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Molecular y Nanotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía "Manuel Velasco Suárez", Insurgentes Sur #3877, La Fama, 14269, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Beatriz Eugenia Sánchez-Hernández
- Departamento de Genética, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición "Salvador Zubirán", Vasco de Quiroga #15, Col. Belisario Domínguez Sección 16, Tlalpan, 14080, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sergio Montes
- Departamento de Neuroquímica, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía "Manuel Velasco Suárez", Insurgentes Sur # 3877, La Fama, 14269. Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Juan Carlos Martínez-Lazcano
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Molecular y Nanotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía "Manuel Velasco Suárez", Insurgentes Sur #3877, La Fama, 14269, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Edith González-Guevara
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Molecular y Nanotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía "Manuel Velasco Suárez", Insurgentes Sur #3877, La Fama, 14269, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Francisca Pérez-Severiano
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Molecular y Nanotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía "Manuel Velasco Suárez", Insurgentes Sur #3877, La Fama, 14269, Mexico City, Mexico.
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7
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Sun H, Zhang X, Kong Y, Gou L, Lian B, Wang Y, Jiang L, Li Q, Sun H, Sun L. Maternal Separation-Induced Histone Acetylation Correlates with BDNF-Programmed Synaptic Changes in an Animal Model of PTSD with Sex Differences. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:1738-1754. [PMID: 33245480 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02224-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Maternal separation (MS) causes long-lasting epigenetic changes in the brain and increases vulnerability to traumatic events in adulthood. Of interest, there may be sex-specific differences in these epigenetic changes. In this study, the extent of histone acetylation in the hippocampus (HIP) and the expression of BDNF were measured to determine whether BDNF influences risk of PTSD following MS in early life. Rat offspring were separated from their dams (3 h/day or 6 h/day from PND2~PND14). Then, pups were treated with a single prolonged stress (SPS) procedure when they reached adulthood (PND80). In animals stressed with the SPS procedure in adulthood, those that had increased MS intensity in childhood demonstrated more significant changes in performance on tests of anxiety, depression, and contextual fear memory. Reduced levels of total BDNF mRNA and protein were observed after SPS treatment and further declined in groups with greater MS time in childhood. Interestingly, these changes were correlated with decreased H3K9ac levels and increased HDAC2 levels. Additional MS also led to more severe ultrastructural synaptic damage in rats that experienced the SPS procedure, particularly in the CA1 and CA3 region of the HIP, reflecting impaired synaptic plasticity in these regions. Interestingly, male rats in the MS3h-PTSD group showed decreased anxiety, but no similar changes were found in female rats, suggesting a degree of gender specificity in coping with stress after mild MS. In summary, this study suggests that the epigenetic signatures of the BDNF genes can be linked to HIP responses to stress, providing insights that may be relevant for people at risk of stress-related psychopathologies.
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MESH Headings
- Acetylation
- Animals
- Behavior, Animal
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism
- CA1 Region, Hippocampal/metabolism
- CA1 Region, Hippocampal/ultrastructure
- CA3 Region, Hippocampal/metabolism
- CA3 Region, Hippocampal/ultrastructure
- Corticosterone/blood
- Disease Models, Animal
- Elevated Plus Maze Test
- Fear
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Histone Deacetylase 2/genetics
- Histone Deacetylase 2/metabolism
- Histones/metabolism
- Immobilization
- Male
- Maternal Deprivation
- Open Field Test
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Regression Analysis
- Sex Characteristics
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/blood
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/complications
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/blood
- Stress, Psychological/complications
- Swimming
- Synapses/metabolism
- Synapses/ultrastructure
- Rats
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Sun
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianqiang Zhang
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health and the Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Yujia Kong
- School of Public Health, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Luping Gou
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Lian
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanyu Wang
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Jiang
- Cerebral Center, Sunshine Union Hospital, 9000# Yingqian Street, Weifang, 261205, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Centre for Reproduction Growth and Development, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongwei Sun
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Sun
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
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8
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Oldham Green N, Maniam J, Riese J, Morris MJ, Voineagu I. Transcriptomic signature of early life stress in male rat prefrontal cortex. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 14:100316. [PMID: 33796639 PMCID: PMC7995657 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is associated with adverse mental health outcomes including anxiety, depression and addiction-like behaviours. While ELS is known to affect the developing brain, leading to increased stress responsiveness and increased glucocorticoid levels, the molecular mechanisms underlying the detrimental effects of ELS remain incompletely characterised. Rodent models have been instrumental in beginning to uncover the molecular and cellular underpinnings of ELS. Limited nesting (LN), an ELS behavioural paradigm with significant improvements over maternal separation, mimics human maternal neglect. We have previously shown that LN leads to an increase in one of the behavioural measures of anxiety like-behaviours in rats (percent of entries in the EPM open arm). Here we assessed gene expression changes induced by ELS in rat prefrontal cortex by RNA-sequencing. We show that LN leads primarily to transcriptional repression and identify a molecular signature of LN in rat PFC that is observed across ELS protocols and replicable across rodent species (mouse and rat).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Oldham Green
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jayanthi Maniam
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jessica Riese
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Margaret J Morris
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Irina Voineagu
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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9
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Miao Z, Wang Y, Sun Z. The Relationships Between Stress, Mental Disorders, and Epigenetic Regulation of BDNF. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041375. [PMID: 32085670 PMCID: PMC7073021 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a critical member of the neurotrophic family, plays an important role in multiple stress-related mental disorders. Although alterations in BDNF in multiple brain regions of individuals experiencing stress have been demonstrated in previous studies, it appears that a set of elements are involved in the complex regulation. In this review, we summarize the specific brain regions with altered BDNF expression during stress exposure. How various environmental factors, including both physical and psychological stress, affect the expression of BDNF in specific brain regions are further summarized. Moreover, epigenetic regulation of BDNF, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA, in response to diverse types of stress, as well as sex differences in the sensitivity of BDNF to the stress response, is also summarized. Clarification of the underlying role of BDNF in the stress process will promote our understanding of the pathology of stress-linked mental disorders and provide a potent target for the future treatment of stress-related illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuang Miao
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China;
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Yan Wang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- School of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhongsheng Sun
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China;
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- School of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Correspondence:
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10
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Lin E, Tsai SJ. Gene-Environment Interactions and Role of Epigenetics in Anxiety Disorders. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1191:93-102. [PMID: 32002924 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-32-9705-0_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Several environmental risk factors such as early adverse childhood experiences, stress, and stressful life events are associated with anxiety disorders. Current approaches such as epigenetics and gene-environment interactions were used to identify candidate biomarkers for anxiety disorders to assess determinants of disease. In this chapter, in relation to gene-environment interactions, a variety of association studies regarding anxiety disorders were surveyed. We then showed supporting results from recent association studies such as human studies and animal models in terms of the epigenetic contribution to disease susceptibility to anxiety disorders. At last, future directions and limitations are highlighted. With the advances in multi-omics technologies, innovative ideas regarding disease prevention and drug responsiveness in anxiety disorders require further research in epigenetics and gene-environment interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Lin
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Jen Tsai
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Division of Psychiatry, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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11
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Torres-Berrío A, Issler O, Parise EM, Nestler EJ. Unraveling the epigenetic landscape of depression: focus on early life stress
. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 21:341-357. [PMID: 31949402 PMCID: PMC6952747 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2019.21.4/enestler] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Depression is a devastating psychiatric disorder caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and life events, mainly exposure to stress. Early life stress (ELS) in particular is known to "scar" the brain, leading to an increased susceptibility to developing depression later in life via epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetic processes lead to changes in gene expression that are not due to changes in DNA sequence, but achieved via modulation of chromatin modifications, DNA methylation, and noncoding RNAs. Here we review common epigenetic mechanisms including the enzymes that take part in reading, writing, and erasing specific epigenetic marks. We then describe recent developments in understanding how ELS leads to changes in the epigenome that are manifested in increased susceptibility to depression-like abnormalities in animal models. We conclude with highlighting the need for future studies that will potentially enable the utilisation of the understanding of epigenetic changes linked to ELS for the development of much-needed novel therapeutic strategies and biomarker discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Torres-Berrío
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US
| | - Orna Issler
- Author affiliations: Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US
| | - Eric M Parise
- Author affiliations: Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Author affiliations: Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US
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12
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Keller SM, Nowak A, Roth TL. Female pups receive more maltreatment from stressed dams. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 61:824-831. [PMID: 30810229 PMCID: PMC6711830 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The effects of exposure to developmental stress often diverge for males and females. Using the scarcity-adversity model of low nesting resources outside the home cage, our lab has discovered sex differences in both behavioral and epigenetic consequences of repeated exposure to caregiver maltreatment. For the measures we have performed to date, we have found more consequences for females. The reasons underlying this sex disparity are unknown. In the current experiment, we aimed to discern the quality of maternal care received by male and female pups in our model. As we have previously found more behavioral and epigenetic consequences in females, we hypothesized that females receive more adverse care compared to their male littermates. Our hypothesis was supported; in our maltreatment condition, we found that female pups received more adverse care than males. This sex difference in adverse care was not present in our two control conditions (cross-foster and normal maternal care). These data lend support to the notion that one reason females in our model incur more behavioral and epigenetic consequences is a result of greater mistreatment by the dam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Keller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Anna Nowak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Tania L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
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13
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Depression is associated with various environmental risk factors such as stress, childhood maltreatment experiences, and stressful life events. Current approaches to assess the pathophysiology of depression, such as epigenetics and gene-environment (GxE) interactions, have been widely leveraged to determine plausible markers, genes, and variants for the risk of developing depression. METHODS We focus on the most recent developments for genomic research in epigenetics and GxE interactions. RESULTS In this review, we first survey a variety of association studies regarding depression with consideration of GxE interactions. We then illustrate evidence of epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, microRNAs, and histone modifications to influence depression in terms of animal models and human studies. Finally, we highlight their limitations and future directions. CONCLUSION In light of emerging technologies in artificial intelligence and machine learning, future research in epigenetics and GxE interactions promises to achieve novel innovations that may lead to disease prevention and future potential therapeutic treatments for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Lin
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA , USA.,Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Jen Tsai
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Psychiatry, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
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14
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Keller SM, Doherty TS, Roth TL. Pharmacological manipulation of DNA methylation normalizes maternal behavior, DNA methylation, and gene expression in dams with a history of maltreatment. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10253. [PMID: 31311968 PMCID: PMC6635500 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46539-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The quality of parental care received during development profoundly influences an individual's phenotype, including that of maternal behavior. We previously found that female rats with a history of maltreatment during infancy mistreat their own offspring. One proposed mechanism through which early-life experiences influence behavior is via epigenetic modifications. Indeed, our lab has identified a number of brain epigenetic alterations in female rats with a history of maltreatment. Here we sought to investigate the role of DNA methylation in aberrant maternal behavior. We administered zebularine, a drug known to alter DNA methylation, to dams exposed during infancy to the scarcity-adversity model of low nesting resources, and then characterized the quality of their care towards their offspring. First, we replicate that dams with a history of maltreatment mistreat their own offspring. Second, we show that maltreated-dams treated with zebularine exhibit lower levels of adverse care toward their offspring. Third, we show that administration of zebularine in control dams (history of nurturing care) enhances levels of adverse care. Lastly, we show altered methylation and gene expression in maltreated dams normalized by zebularine. These findings lend support to the hypothesis that epigenetic alterations resulting from maltreatment causally relate to behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Keller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Tiffany S Doherty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Tania L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
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15
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Coley EJL, Demaestri C, Ganguly P, Honeycutt JA, Peterzell S, Rose N, Ahmed N, Holschbach M, Trivedi M, Brenhouse HC. Cross-Generational Transmission of Early Life Stress Effects on HPA Regulators and Bdnf Are Mediated by Sex, Lineage, and Upbringing. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:101. [PMID: 31143105 PMCID: PMC6521572 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is a potent developmental disruptor and increases the risk for psychopathology. Various forms of ELS have been studied in both humans and rodents, and have been implicated in altered DNA methylation, gene transcription, stress hormone levels, and behavior. Although recent studies have focused on stress-induced epigenetic changes, the extent to which ELS alters HPA axis function and stress responsivity across generations, whether these effects are sex-specific, and how lineage interacts with upbringing to impact these effects, remain unclear. To address these points, two generations of rodents were utilized, with the first generation subjected to ELS via maternal separation, and the second to a balanced cross-fostering paradigm. We hypothesized that ELS would disrupt normative development in both generations, manifesting as altered methylation and expression of genes associated with stress signaling pathways (Nr3c1, Nr3c2, and Bdnf), blunted corticosterone (CORT), and anxiety-like behaviors. Additionally, we expected deficits in the second generation to be modulated by caretaking environment and for the pattern of results to differ between the sexes. Results suggest that direct exposure to ELS leads to sex-specific effects on gene regulation and HPA functioning in adulthood, with maternal separation leading to increases in Bdnf methylation in both sexes, decreases in Bdnf expression in females, and decreases in Nr3c1 methylation in males, as well as blunted CORT and less anxiety-like behavior in females. These alterations converged with caretaking to impart perturbations upon the subsequent generation. Across sex, ELS lineage led to decreased methylation of Nr3c1, and increased methylation of Bdnf. In fostered animals, upbringing by a previously stressed mother interacted with offspring lineage to impact methylation of Nr3c1 and Bdnf. Upbringing was also implicated in altered anxiety-like behavior in males, and baseline CORT levels in females. Such effects may correspond with observed alterations in maternal behavior across groups. In conclusion, ELS conferred enduring sex-specific alterations, both first-hand and trans-generationally via lineage and upbringing. Importantly, lineage of cross-fostered pups was sufficient to normalize or disturb maternal behavior of foster-dams, an observation requiring further elucidation. These results have implications for multi-generational effects of ELS in humans and may motivate early interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena J L Coley
- Developmental Neuropsychobiology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Camila Demaestri
- Developmental Neuropsychobiology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Prabarna Ganguly
- Developmental Neuropsychobiology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jennifer A Honeycutt
- Developmental Neuropsychobiology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Shayna Peterzell
- Developmental Neuropsychobiology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Natasha Rose
- Neural Metabolism and Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Nida Ahmed
- Neural Metabolism and Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Mary Holschbach
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Psychology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Malav Trivedi
- Neural Metabolism and Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States.,Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Psychology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Heather C Brenhouse
- Developmental Neuropsychobiology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
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16
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Perry RE, Finegood ED, Braren SH, DeJoseph ML, Putrino DF, Wilson DA, Sullivan RM, Raver CC, Blair C. Developing a neurobehavioral animal model of poverty: Drawing cross-species connections between environments of scarcity-adversity, parenting quality, and infant outcome. Dev Psychopathol 2019; 31:399-418. [PMID: 29606185 PMCID: PMC6168440 DOI: 10.1017/s095457941800007x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Children reared in impoverished environments are at risk for enduring psychological and physical health problems. Mechanisms by which poverty affects development, however, remain unclear. To explore one potential mechanism of poverty's impact on social-emotional and cognitive development, an experimental examination of a rodent model of scarcity-adversity was conducted and compared to results from a longitudinal study of human infants and families followed from birth (N = 1,292) who faced high levels of poverty-related scarcity-adversity. Cross-species results supported the hypothesis that altered caregiving is one pathway by which poverty adversely impacts development. Rodent mothers assigned to the scarcity-adversity condition exhibited decreased sensitive parenting and increased negative parenting relative to mothers assigned to the control condition. Furthermore, scarcity-adversity reared pups exhibited decreased developmental competence as indicated by disrupted nipple attachment, distress vocalization when in physical contact with an anesthetized mother, and reduced preference for maternal odor with corresponding changes in brain activation. Human results indicated that scarcity-adversity was inversely correlated with sensitive parenting and positively correlated with negative parenting, and that parenting fully mediated the association of poverty-related risk with infant indicators of developmental competence. Findings are discussed from the perspective of the usefulness of bidirectional-translational research to inform interventions for at-risk families.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - David F. Putrino
- Department of Telemedicine and Virtual Rehabilitation, Burke Medical Research Institute & Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine
| | - Donald A. Wilson
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute & Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine
| | - Regina M. Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute & Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine
| | | | - Clancy Blair
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University
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17
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Intergenerational Sex-Specific Transmission of Maternal Social Experience. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10529. [PMID: 30002484 PMCID: PMC6043535 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28729-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The social environment is a major determinant of individual stress response and lifetime health. The present study shows that (1) social enrichment has a significant impact on neuroplasticity and behaviour particularly in females; and (2) social enrichment in females can be transmitted to their unexposed female descendants. Two generations (F0 and F1) of male and female rats raised in standard and social housing conditions were examined for neurohormonal and molecular alterations along with changes in four behavioural modalities. In addition to higher cortical neuronal density and cortical thickness, social experience in mothers reduced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity in F0 rats and their F1 non-social housing offspring. Only F0 social mothers and their F1 non-social daughters displayed improved novelty-seeking exploratory behaviour and reduced anxiety-related behaviour whereas their motor and cognitive performance remained unchanged. Also, cortical and mRNA measurements in the F1 generation were affected by social experience intergenerationally via the female lineage (mother-to-daughter). These findings indicate that social experience promotes cortical neuroplasticity, neurohormonal and behavioural outcomes, and these changes can be transmitted to the F1 non-social offspring in a sexually dimorphic manner. Thus, a socially stimulating environment may form new biobehavioural phenotypes not only in exposed individuals, but also in their intergenerationally programmed descendants.
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18
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Keller SM, Doherty TS, Roth TL. Pharmacological Manipulation of DNA Methylation in Adult Female Rats Normalizes Behavioral Consequences of Early-Life Maltreatment. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:126. [PMID: 30008666 PMCID: PMC6034089 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00126] [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: 03/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to adversity early in development alters brain and behavioral trajectories. Data continue to accumulate that epigenetic mechanisms are a mediating factor between early-life adversity and adult behavioral phenotypes. Previous work from our laboratory has shown that female Long-Evans rats exposed to maltreatment during infancy display both aberrant forced swim behavior and patterns of brain DNA methylation in adulthood. Therefore, we examined the possibility of rescuing the aberrant forced swim behavior in maltreated-adult females by administering an epigenome-modifying drug (zebularine) at a dose previously shown to normalize DNA methylation. We found that zebularine normalized behavior in the forced swim test in maltreated females such that they performed at the levels of controls (females that had been exposed to only nurturing care during infancy). These data help link DNA methylation to an adult phenotype in our maltreatment model, and more broadly provide additional evidence that non-targeted epigenetic manipulations can change behavior associated with early-life adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Keller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Tiffany S Doherty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Tania L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
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19
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Park SW, Seo MK, Lee JG, Hien LT, Kim YH. Effects of maternal separation and antidepressant drug on epigenetic regulation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor exon I promoter in the adult rat hippocampus. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2018; 72:255-265. [PMID: 28990703 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
AIM Early life stress can induce epigenetic changes through genetic and environmental interactions and is a risk factor for depression. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression and antidepressant drug action. We investigated epigenetic changes at the BDNF exon I promoter in the hippocampus of adult rats subjected to maternal separation (MS) during early life and treated with an antidepressant drug as adults. METHODS Rat pups were subjected to MS from postnatal day 1 to 21 and received chronic escitalopram (ESC) as adults. We assessed the effects of MS and ESC on BDNF exon I and DNA methyltransferases (DNMT) mRNA levels (quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction), acetylated histone H3, and MeCP2 binding to the BDNF promoter I (chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by real-time polymerase chain reaction), and BDNF protein levels (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). RESULTS The levels of BDNF protein, exon I mRNA, histone H3 acetylation, and DNMT1 and DNMT3a mRNA were altered in the MS group compared with the control group. Significant decreases were observed in the BDNF protein, exon I mRNA, and histone H3 acetylation levels and there were significant increases in DNMT1 and DNMT3a mRNA levels. The comparison between the MS + ESC and MS groups revealed significant increases in BDNF protein, exon I mRNA, and histone H3 acetylation levels and significant decreases in MeCP2 and DNMT1 and DNMT3a mRNA levels. CONCLUSION These findings indicate that MS induced epigenetic changes at the BDNF exon I promoter and these changes were prevented by antidepressant drug treatment during adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Woo Park
- Paik Institute for Clinical Research, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea.,Departments of Health Science and Technology, Graduate School, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Convergence Biomedical Science, College of Medicine, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi Kyoung Seo
- Paik Institute for Clinical Research, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Goo Lee
- Paik Institute for Clinical Research, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea.,Departments of Health Science and Technology, Graduate School, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Le Thi Hien
- Departments of Health Science and Technology, Graduate School, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Hoon Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Gongju National Hospital, Gongju, Republic of Korea
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20
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Hing B, Sathyaputri L, Potash JB. A comprehensive review of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that regulate BDNF expression and function with relevance to major depressive disorder. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2018; 177:143-167. [PMID: 29243873 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mood disorder that affects behavior and impairs cognition. A gene potentially important to this disorder is the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as it is involved in processes controlling neuroplasticity. Various mechanisms exist to regulate BDNF's expression level, subcellular localization, and sorting to appropriate secretory pathways. Alterations to these processes by genetic factors and negative stressors can dysregulate its expression, with possible implications for MDD. Here, we review the mechanisms governing the regulation of BDNF expression, and discuss how disease-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can alter these mechanisms, and influence MDD. As negative stressors increase the likelihood of MDD, we will also discuss the impact of these stressors on BDNF expression, the cellular effect of such a change, and its impact on behavior in animal models of stress. We will also describe epigenetic processes that mediate this change in BDNF expression. Similarities in BDNF expression between animal models of stress and those in MDD will be highlighted. We will also contrast epigenetic patterns at the BDNF locus between animal models of stress, and MDD patients, and address limitations to current clinical studies. Future work should focus on validating current genetic and epigenetic findings in tightly controlled clinical studies. Regions outside of BDNF promoters should also be explored, as should other epigenetic marks, to improve identification of biomarkers for MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Hing
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Leela Sathyaputri
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - James B Potash
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
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21
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Boschen KE, Keller SM, Roth TL, Klintsova AY. Epigenetic mechanisms in alcohol- and adversity-induced developmental origins of neurobehavioral functioning. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2018; 66:63-79. [PMID: 29305195 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2017.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The long-term effects of developmental alcohol and stress exposure are well documented in both humans and non-human animal models. Damage to the brain and attendant life-long impairments in cognition and increased risk for psychiatric disorders are debilitating consequences of developmental exposure to alcohol and/or psychological stress. Here we discuss evidence for a role of epigenetic mechanisms in mediating these consequences. While we highlight some of the common ways in which stress or alcohol impact the epigenome, we point out that little is understood of the epigenome's response to experiencing both stress and alcohol exposure, though stress is a contributing factor as to why women drink during pregnancy. Advancing our understanding of this relationship is of critical concern not just for the health and well-being of individuals directly exposed to these teratogens, but for generations to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- K E Boschen
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
| | - S M Keller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States
| | - T L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
| | - A Y Klintsova
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
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22
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Doherty TS, Blaze J, Keller SM, Roth TL. Phenotypic outcomes in adolescence and adulthood in the scarcity-adversity model of low nesting resources outside the home cage. Dev Psychobiol 2017; 59:703-714. [PMID: 28767135 PMCID: PMC5569321 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Early life adversity is known to disrupt behavioral trajectories and many rodent models have been developed to characterize these stress-induced outcomes. One example is the scarcity-adversity model of low nesting resources. This model employs resource scarcity (i.e., low nesting materials) to elicit adverse caregiving conditions (including maltreatment) toward rodent neonates. Our lab utilizes a version of this model wherein caregiving exposures occur outside the home cage during the first postnatal week. The aim of this study was to determine adolescent and adult phenotypic outcomes associated with this model, including assessment of depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors and performance in different cognitive domains. Exposure to adverse caregiving had no effect on adolescent behavioral performance whereas exposure significantly impaired adult behavioral performance. Further, adult behavioral assays revealed substantial differences between sexes. Overall, data demonstrate the ability of repeated exposure to brief bouts of maltreatment outside the home cage in infancy to impact the development of several behavioral domains later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany S. Doherty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware,
Newark DE 19716
| | | | | | - Tania L. Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware,
Newark DE 19716
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23
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Walker CD, Bath KG, Joels M, Korosi A, Larauche M, Lucassen PJ, Morris MJ, Raineki C, Roth TL, Sullivan RM, Taché Y, Baram TZ. Chronic early life stress induced by limited bedding and nesting (LBN) material in rodents: critical considerations of methodology, outcomes and translational potential. Stress 2017; 20:421-448. [PMID: 28617197 PMCID: PMC5705407 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2017.1343296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The immediate and long-term effects of exposure to early life stress (ELS) have been documented in humans and animal models. Even relatively brief periods of stress during the first 10 days of life in rodents can impact later behavioral regulation and the vulnerability to develop adult pathologies, in particular an impairment of cognitive functions and neurogenesis, but also modified social, emotional, and conditioned fear responses. The development of preclinical models of ELS exposure allows the examination of mechanisms and testing of therapeutic approaches that are not possible in humans. Here, we describe limited bedding and nesting (LBN) procedures, with models that produce altered maternal behavior ranging from fragmentation of care to maltreatment of infants. The purpose of this paper is to discuss important issues related to the implementation of this chronic ELS procedure and to describe some of the most prominent endpoints and consequences, focusing on areas of convergence between laboratories. Effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, gut axis and metabolism are presented in addition to changes in cognitive and emotional functions. Interestingly, recent data have suggested a strong sex difference in some of the reported consequences of the LBN paradigm, with females being more resilient in general than males. As both the chronic and intermittent variants of the LBN procedure have profound consequences on the offspring with minimal external intervention from the investigator, this model is advantageous ecologically and has a large translational potential. In addition to the direct effect of ELS on neurodevelopmental outcomes, exposure to adverse early environments can also have intergenerational impacts on mental health and function in subsequent generation offspring. Thus, advancing our understanding of the effect of ELS on brain and behavioral development is of critical concern for the health and wellbeing of both the current population, and for generations to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire-Dominique Walker
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, 6875 Lasalle Blvd, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Kevin G. Bath
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Marian Joels
- Department Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Aniko Korosi
- Brain Plasticity group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Muriel Larauche
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine and Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA
| | - Paul J. Lucassen
- Brain Plasticity group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Margaret J. Morris
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
| | - Charlis Raineki
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical School, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Tania L. Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Regina M. Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical School, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Yvette Taché
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine and Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Pediatrics, of Anatomy & Neurobiology and of Neurology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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24
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Caregiver maltreatment causes altered neuronal DNA methylation in female rodents. Dev Psychopathol 2017; 29:477-489. [PMID: 28401839 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579417000128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Negative experiences with a caregiver during infancy can result in long-term changes in brain function and behavior, but underlying mechanisms are not well understood. It is our central hypothesis that brain and behavior changes are conferred by early childhood adversity through epigenetic changes involving DNA methylation. Using a rodent model of early-life caregiver maltreatment (involving exposure to an adverse caregiving environment for postnatal days 1-7), we have previously demonstrated abnormal methylation of DNA associated with the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) gene in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of adult rats. The aim of the current study was to characterize Bdnf DNA methylation in specific cell populations within the mPFC. In the prefrontal cortex, there is approximately twice as many neurons as glia, and studies have recently shown differential and distinctive DNA methylation patterns in neurons versus nonneurons. Here, we extracted nuclei from the mPFC of adult animals that had experienced maltreatment and used fluorescence-activated cell sorting to isolate cell types before performing bisulfite sequencing to estimate methylation of cytosine-guanine sites. Our data indicate that early-life stress induced methylation of DNA associated with Bdnf IV in a cell-type and sex-specific manner. Specifically, females that experienced early-life maltreatment exhibited greater neuronal cytosine-guanine methylation compared to controls, while no changes were detected in Bdnf methylation in males regardless of cell type. These changes localize the specificity of our previous findings to mPFC neurons and highlight the capacity of maltreatment to cause methylation changes that are likely to have functional consequences for neuronal function.
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25
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Panetta P, Berry A, Bellisario V, Capoccia S, Raggi C, Luoni A, Longo L, Riva MA, Cirulli F. Long-Term Sex-Dependent Vulnerability to Metabolic challenges in Prenatally Stressed Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:113. [PMID: 28706476 PMCID: PMC5489562 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal stress (PNS) might affect the developmental programming of adult chronic diseases such as metabolic and mood disorders. The molecular mechanisms underlying such regulations may rely upon long-term changes in stress-responsive effectors such as Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) that can affect neuronal plasticity underlying mood disorders and may also play a role in metabolic regulation. Based upon previous data, we hypothesized that PNS might lead to greater vulnerability to an obesogenic challenge experienced at adulthood. In order to investigate our hypothesis, pregnant Sprague-Dawley female rats underwent a chronic procedure of restraint stress during the last week of gestation. The adult offspring were then challenged with a high fat diet (HFD) over 8 weeks and tested for metabolic and emotional endpoints. Moreover, brain specific changes in Bdnf expression levels were also assessed. Overall, HFD resulted in increased caloric intake, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance and higher circulating levels of leptin, while PNS increased the leptin/adiponectin ratio, an index of metabolic risk in adult male subjects. Interestingly, HFD consumption increased anxiety-like behaviors in the Elevated Plus Maze, particularly in males, and this effect was buffered by PNS. Levels of Bdnf were finely modulated by PNS and HFD in a region- and sex-dependent fashion: female offspring overall showed greater plasticity, possibly mediated through increased total Bdnf mRNA expression both in the hippocampus and in the hypothalamus. In conclusion, while the experience of maternal stress during intrauterine life promotes metabolic dysfunction induced by a HFD at adulthood, the interaction between PNS and HFD is positive in male subjects, and in agreement with the match-mismatch hypothesis, resulting in a reduction of anxious behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Panetta
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di SanitàRome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Berry
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di SanitàRome, Italy
| | - Veronica Bellisario
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di SanitàRome, Italy
| | - Sara Capoccia
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di SanitàRome, Italy
| | - Carla Raggi
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di SanitàRome, Italy
| | - Alessia Luoni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of MilanMilan, Italy
| | - Linda Longo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of MilanMilan, Italy
| | - Marco A Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of MilanMilan, Italy
| | - Francesca Cirulli
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di SanitàRome, Italy
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26
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Maternal and Early-Life Circadian Disruption Have Long-Lasting Negative Consequences on Offspring Development and Adult Behavior in Mice. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3326. [PMID: 28607386 PMCID: PMC5468226 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03406-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Modern life involves chronic circadian disruption through artificial light and these disruptions are associated with numerous mental and physical health maladies. Because the developing nervous system is particularly vulnerable to perturbation, we hypothesized that early-life circadian disruption would negatively impact offspring development and adult function. Pregnant mice were subjected to chronic circadian disruption from the time of uterine implantation through weaning. To dissociate in utero from postnatal effects, a subset of litters was cross-fostered at birth from disrupted dams to control dams and vice versa. Postnatal circadian disruption was associated with reduced adult body mass, social avoidance, and hyperactivity. In utero disruption resulted in more pronounced social avoidance and hyperactivity, phenotypes not abrogated by cross-fostering to control mothers. To examine whether circadian disruption affects development by acting as an early life stressor, we examined birthweight, litter size, maternal cannibalism, and epigenetic modifications. None of these variables differed between control and disrupted dams, or resembled patterns seen following early-life stress. Our findings indicate that developmental chronic circadian disruption permanently affects somatic and behavioral development in a stage-of-life-dependent manner, independent of early life stress mechanisms, underscoring the importance of temporal structure during development, both in utero and early postnatal life.
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27
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Epigenetic mechanisms of alcoholism and stress-related disorders. Alcohol 2017; 60:7-18. [PMID: 28477725 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Revised: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Stress-related disorders, such as anxiety, early life stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder appear to be important factors in promoting alcoholism, as alcohol consumption can temporarily attenuate the negative affective symptoms of these disorders. Several molecules involved in signaling pathways may contribute to the neuroadaptation induced during alcohol dependence and stress disorders, and among these, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and opioid peptides (i.e., nociceptin and dynorphin) are involved in the interaction of stress and alcohol. In fact, alterations in the expression and function of these molecules have been associated with the pathophysiology of stress-related disorders and alcoholism. In recent years, various studies have focused on the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate chromatin architecture, thereby modifying gene expression. Interestingly, epigenetic modifications in specific brain regions have been shown to be associated with the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders, including alcoholism and stress. In particular, the enzymes responsible for chromatin remodeling (i.e., histone deacetylases and methyltransferases, DNA methyltransferases) have been identified as common molecular mechanisms for the interaction of stress and alcohol and have become promising therapeutic targets to treat or prevent alcoholism and associated emotional disorders.
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28
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Bondar NP, Merkulova TI. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and early-life stress: Multifaceted interplay. J Biosci 2017; 41:751-758. [PMID: 27966494 DOI: 10.1007/s12038-016-9648-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a key regulator of neural development and plasticity. Longterm changes in the BDNF pathway are associated with childhood adversity and adult depression symptoms. Initially, stress-induced decreases in the BDNF pathway were found in some studies, but subsequent reports indicated the relationship between stress and BDNF to be much more complex, and the concept was significantly revised. In the present mini-review, we focus on the structure and regulation of the Bbnf gene as well as on the stress-BDNF interactions under early-life adverse conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalya P Bondar
- Laboratory of Gene Expression Regulation, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia,
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29
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Weaver ICG, Korgan AC, Lee K, Wheeler RV, Hundert AS, Goguen D. Stress and the Emerging Roles of Chromatin Remodeling in Signal Integration and Stable Transmission of Reversible Phenotypes. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:41. [PMID: 28360846 PMCID: PMC5350110 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The influence of early life experience and degree of parental-infant attachment on emotional development in children and adolescents has been comprehensively studied. Structural and mechanistic insight into the biological foundation and maintenance of mammalian defensive systems (metabolic, immune, nervous and behavioral) is slowly advancing through the emerging field of developmental molecular (epi)genetics. Initial evidence revealed that differential nurture early in life generates stable differences in offspring hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) regulation, in part, through chromatin remodeling and changes in DNA methylation of specific genes expressed in the brain, revealing physical, biochemical and molecular paths for the epidemiological concept of gene-environment interactions. Herein, a primary molecular mechanism underpinning the early developmental programming and lifelong maintenance of defensive (emotional) responses in the offspring is the alteration of chromatin domains of specific genomic regions from a condensed state (heterochromatin) to a transcriptionally accessible state (euchromatin). Conversely, DNA methylation promotes the formation of heterochromatin, which is essential for gene silencing, genomic integrity and chromosome segregation. Therefore, inter-individual differences in chromatin modifications and DNA methylation marks hold great potential for assessing the impact of both early life experience and effectiveness of intervention programs—from guided psychosocial strategies focused on changing behavior to pharmacological treatments that target chromatin remodeling and DNA methylation enzymes to dietary approaches that alter cellular pools of metabolic intermediates and methyl donors to affect nutrient bioavailability and metabolism. In this review article, we discuss the potential molecular mechanism(s) of gene regulation associated with chromatin modeling and programming of endocrine (e.g., HPA and metabolic or cardiovascular) and behavioral (e.g., fearfulness, vigilance) responses to stress, including alterations in DNA methylation and the role of DNA repair machinery. From parental history (e.g., drugs, housing, illness, nutrition, socialization) to maternal-offspring exchanges of nutrition, microbiota, antibodies and stimulation, the nature of nurture provides not only mechanistic insight into how experiences propagate from external to internal variables, but also identifies a composite therapeutic target, chromatin modeling, for gestational/prenatal stress, adolescent anxiety/depression and adult-onset neuropsychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian C G Weaver
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Austin C Korgan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Kristen Lee
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Ryan V Wheeler
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Amos S Hundert
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Donna Goguen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University Halifax, NS, Canada
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30
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Zhang B. Consequences of early adverse rearing experience(EARE) on development: insights from non-human primate studies. Zool Res 2017; 38:7-35. [PMID: 28271667 PMCID: PMC5368383 DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2017.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Early rearing experiences are important in one's whole life, whereas early adverse rearing experience(EARE) is usually related to various physical and mental disorders in later life. Although there were many studies on human and animals, regarding the effect of EARE on brain development, neuroendocrine systems, as well as the consequential mental disorders and behavioral abnormalities, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Due to the close genetic relationship and similarity in social organizations with humans, non-human primate(NHP) studies were performed for over 60 years. Various EARE models were developed to disrupt the early normal interactions between infants and mothers or peers. Those studies provided important insights of EARE induced effects on the physiological and behavioral systems of NHPs across life span, such as social behaviors(including disturbance behavior, social deficiency, sexual behavior, etc), learning and memory ability, brain structural and functional developments(including influences on neurons and glia cells, neuroendocrine systems, e.g., hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis, etc). In this review, the effects of EARE and the underlying epigenetic mechanisms were comprehensively summarized and the possibility of rehabilitation was discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming Yunnan 650500, China; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming Yunnan 650500, China; National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
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31
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Histone Posttranslational Modifications in Schizophrenia. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 978:237-254. [PMID: 28523550 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-53889-1_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder with high heritability; however, family and twin studies have indicated that environmental factors also play important roles in the etiology of disease. Environmental triggers exert their influence on behavior via epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetic modifications, such as histone acetylation and methylation, as well as DNA methylation, can induce lasting changes in gene expression and have therefore been implicated in promoting the behavioral and neuronal behaviors that characterize this disorder. Importantly, because epigenetic processes are potentially reversible, they might serve as targets in the design of novel therapies in psychiatry. This chapter will review the current information regarding histone modifications in schizophrenia and the potential therapeutic relevance of such marks.
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32
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McCarty R. Cross-fostering: Elucidating the effects of gene×environment interactions on phenotypic development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 73:219-254. [PMID: 28034661 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Cross-fostering of litters from soon after birth until weaning is a valuable tool to study the ways in which gene×environment interactions program the development of neural, physiological and behavioral characteristics of mammalian species. In laboratory mice and rats, the primary focus of this review, cross-fostering of litters between mothers of different strains or treatment groups (intraspecific) or between mothers of different species (interspecific) has been conducted over the past 9 decades. Areas of particular interest have included maternal effects on emotionality, social preferences, responses to stressful stimulation, nutrition and growth, blood pressure regulation, and epigenetic effects on brain development and behavior. Results from these areas of research highlight the critical role of the postnatal maternal environment in programming the development of offspring phenotypic characteristics. In addition, experimental paradigms that have included cross-fostering have permitted investigators to tease apart prenatal versus postnatal effects of various treatments on offspring development and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard McCarty
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240 USA.
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33
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Rincón-Cortés M, Sullivan RM. Emergence of social behavior deficit, blunted corticolimbic activity and adult depression-like behavior in a rodent model of maternal maltreatment. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e930. [PMID: 27779623 PMCID: PMC5290349 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Disrupted social behavior is a core symptom of multiple psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Many of these disorders are exacerbated by adverse infant experiences, including maltreatment and abuse, which negatively affect amygdala development. Although a link between impaired social behavior, abnormal amygdala function and depressive-like behavior following early adversity has been demonstrated in humans and animal models, the developmental emergence of maltreatment-related social deficits and associated amygdala neural activity are unknown. We used a naturalistic rodent model of maternal maltreatment during a sensitive period, postnatal days 8-12 (PN8-12), which produces social behavior deficits that precede adolescent depressive-like behavior and amygdala dysfunction, to examine social behavior in infancy, periweaning and adolescence. Neural activity in response to the social behavior test was assessed via c-Fos immunohistochemistry at these ages. A separate group of animals was tested for adult depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test. Maltreatment spared infant (PN16-18) social behavior but disrupted periweaning (PN20-22) and adolescent (PN42-48) social behavior. Maltreated rats exhibited blunted neural activation in the amygdala and other areas implicated in social functioning, including the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, at these ages and increased adult depressive-like behavior. These findings may suggest corticolimbic involvement in the emergence of maltreatment-induced social deficits that are linked to adult depressive-like behavior, thereby highlighting potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Understanding how infant experiences influence social behavior and age-specific expression across development may provide insights into basic neural mechanisms of social behaviors and disease-relevant social dysfunction exacerbated by early-life stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Rincón-Cortés
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA,Neuroscience and Physiology, Sackler Institute for Graduate Biomedical Studies, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA,Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, 1 Park Avenue, 8th Floor, Room 8-431, New York, NY 10016, USA. E-mail:
| | - R M Sullivan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA,Neuroscience and Physiology, Sackler Institute for Graduate Biomedical Studies, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA,Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
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34
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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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35
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Viola TW, Wearick-Silva LE, De Azeredo LA, Centeno-Silva A, Murphy C, Marshall P, Li X, Singewald N, Garcia F, Bredy TW, Grassi-Oliveira R. Increased cocaine-induced conditioned place preference during periadolescence in maternally separated male BALB/c mice: the role of cortical BDNF, microRNA-212, and MeCP2. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:3279-88. [PMID: 27392631 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4373-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Early life stress is a major risk factor for cocaine addiction; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain relatively unexplored. MicroRNA-212 (miR-212) and methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) have recently emerged as key regulators of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling during the acquisition and maintenance of cocaine-seeking behaviors. OBJECTIVES We therefore investigated the effect of maternal separation (MS) on cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) during periadolescence and how this influences miR-212, Mecp2, and Bdnf expressions in the prefrontal cortex. METHODS Male BALB/c mice subjected to MS (3 h/day) from postnatal day 2 to 15 or normal animal facility rearing (AFR) were tested for CPP at postnatal day 45, or not exposed to experimental manipulations (drug-naïve animals). Cultured primary cortical neurons were used to determine miR-212 expression changes following depolarization by KCL treatment. RESULTS MS increased cocaine-induced CPP and decreased Bdnf exon IV expression, which correlated with higher CPP scores in such animals. An experience-dependent decrease in miR-212 expression was observed following CPP test. This effect was mimicked in primary cortical neurons in vitro, under activity-dependent conditions. In contrast, increased Mecp2 expression was found after CPP test, suggesting an opposing relationship between miR-212 and Mecp2 expression following cocaine place preference acquisition. However, these effects were not present in mice exposed to MS. CONCLUSIONS Together, our results suggest that early life stress can enhance the motivational salience for cocaine-paired cues during periadolescence, and that altered expression of miR-212, Mecp2, and Bdnf in the prefrontal cortex is involved in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Wendt Viola
- Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics and Child Health, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Avenida Ipiranga, 6681, prédio 11, sala 928, Porto Alegre, 90619-900, RS, Brazil
| | - Luis Eduardo Wearick-Silva
- Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics and Child Health, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Avenida Ipiranga, 6681, prédio 11, sala 928, Porto Alegre, 90619-900, RS, Brazil
| | - Lucas Araújo De Azeredo
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Avenida Ipiranga, 6681, prédio 11, sala 928, Porto Alegre, 90619-900, RS, Brazil.,Postgraduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Anderson Centeno-Silva
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Avenida Ipiranga, 6681, prédio 11, sala 928, Porto Alegre, 90619-900, RS, Brazil
| | - Conor Murphy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Paul Marshall
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, 92697, CA, USA
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, 92697, CA, USA
| | - Nicolas Singewald
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Frederico Garcia
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Timothy W Bredy
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, 92697, CA, USA.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
- Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics and Child Health, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. .,Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Avenida Ipiranga, 6681, prédio 11, sala 928, Porto Alegre, 90619-900, RS, Brazil.
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36
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Hu YD, Pang W, He CC, Lu H, Liu W, Wang ZY, Liu YQ, Huang CY, Jiang YG. The cognitive impairment induced by zinc deficiency in rats aged 0∼2 months related to BDNF DNA methylation changes in the hippocampus. Nutr Neurosci 2016; 20:519-525. [PMID: 27329329 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2016.1194554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study was carried out to understand the effects of zinc deficiency in rats aged 0∼2 months on learning and memory, and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene methylation status in the hippocampus. METHODS The lactating mother rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 12): zinc-adequate group (ZA: zinc 30 mg/kg diet), zinc-deprived group (ZD: zinc 1 mg/kg diet), and a pair-fed group (PF: zinc 30 mg/kg diet), in which the rats were pair-fed to those in the ZD group. After weaning (on day 23), offspring were fed the same diets as their mothers. After 37 days, the zinc concentrations in the plasma and hippocampus were measured, and the behavioral function of the offspring rats was measured using the passive avoidance performance test. We then assessed the DNA methylation patterns of the exon IX of BDNF by methylation-specific quantitative real-time PCR and the mRNA expression of BDNF in the hippocampus by RT-PCR. RESULTS Compared with the ZA and PF groups, rats in the ZD group had shorter latency period, lower zinc concentrations in the plasma and hippocampus (P < 0.05). Interestingly, the DNA methylation of the BDNF exon IX was significantly increased in the ZD group, compared with the ZA and PF groups, whereas the expression of the BDNF mRNA was decreased. In addition, the DNMT1 mRNA expression was significantly upregulated and DNMT3A was downregulated in the ZD group, but not in the ZA and PF groups. CONCLUSION The learning and memory damage in offspring may be a result of the epigenetic changes of the BDNF genes in response to the zinc-deficient diet during 0∼2 month period. Furthermore, this work supports the speculative notion that altered DNA methylation of BDNF in the hippocampus is one of the main causes of cognitive impairment by zinc deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Dan Hu
- a Department of Nutrition , Tianjin Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine , Tianjin 300050 , China.,b Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene , West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University , Chengdu 610041 , China
| | - Wei Pang
- a Department of Nutrition , Tianjin Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine , Tianjin 300050 , China
| | - Cong-Cong He
- c College of Life Science, Nan Kai University , Tianjin 300000 , China
| | - Hao Lu
- b Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene , West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University , Chengdu 610041 , China
| | - Wei Liu
- a Department of Nutrition , Tianjin Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine , Tianjin 300050 , China
| | - Zi-Yu Wang
- a Department of Nutrition , Tianjin Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine , Tianjin 300050 , China
| | - Yan-Qiang Liu
- c College of Life Science, Nan Kai University , Tianjin 300000 , China
| | - Cheng-Yu Huang
- b Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene , West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University , Chengdu 610041 , China
| | - Yu-Gang Jiang
- a Department of Nutrition , Tianjin Institute of Health and Environmental Medicine , Tianjin 300050 , China
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