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Trangle SS, Rosenberg T, Parnas H, Levy G, Bar E, Marco A, Barak B. In individuals with Williams syndrome, dysregulation of methylation in non-coding regions of neuronal and oligodendrocyte DNA is associated with pathology and cortical development. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1112-1127. [PMID: 36577841 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01921-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a heterozygous micro-deletion in the WS critical region (WSCR) and is characterized by hyper-sociability and neurocognitive abnormalities. Nonetheless, whether and to what extent WSCR deletion leads to epigenetic modifications in the brain and induces pathological outcomes remains largely unknown. By examining DNA methylation in frontal cortex, we revealed genome-wide disruption in the methylome of individuals with WS, as compared to typically developed (TD) controls. Surprisingly, differentially methylated sites were predominantly annotated as introns and intergenic loci and were found to be highly enriched around binding sites for transcription factors that regulate neuronal development, plasticity and cognition. Moreover, by utilizing enhancer-promoter interactome data, we confirmed that most of these loci function as active enhancers in the human brain or as target genes of transcriptional networks associated with myelination, oligodendrocyte (OL) differentiation, cognition and social behavior. Cell type-specific methylation analysis revealed aberrant patterns in the methylation of active enhancers in neurons and OLs, and important neuron-glia interactions that might be impaired in individuals with WS. Finally, comparison of methylation profiles from blood samples of individuals with WS and healthy controls, along with other data collected in this study, identified putative targets of endophenotypes associated with WS, which can be used to define brain-risk loci for WS outside the WSCR locus, as well as for other associated pathologies. In conclusion, our study illuminates the brain methylome landscape of individuals with WS and sheds light on how these aberrations might be involved in social behavior and physiological abnormalities. By extension, these results may lead to better diagnostics and more refined therapeutic targets for WS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari Schokoroy Trangle
- The School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Tali Rosenberg
- Neuro-Epigenetics Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Hadar Parnas
- Neuro-Epigenetics Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Gilad Levy
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Ela Bar
- The School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.,The School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry & Biophysics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Asaf Marco
- Neuro-Epigenetics Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
| | - Boaz Barak
- The School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel. .,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
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Çalışkan E, Şahin MN, Güldağ MA. Oxytocin and Oxytocin Receptor Gene Regulation in Williams Syndrome: A Systematic Review. THE YALE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2021; 94:623-635. [PMID: 34970101 PMCID: PMC8686774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Williams Syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic multisystem disorder that occurs because of a deletion of approximately 25 genes in the 7q11.23 chromosome region. This causes dysmorphic facial appearances, multiple congenital cardiovascular defects, delayed motor skills, and abnormalities in connective tissues and the endocrine system. The patients are mostly diagnosed with mild to moderate mental retardation, however, they have a hyper sociable, socially dis-inhibited, and outgoing personality, empathetic behavior, and are highly talkative. Oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide synthesized at the hypothalamus, plays an important role in cognition and behavior, and is thought to be affecting WS patients' attitudes at its different amounts. Oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), on chromosome 3p25.3, is considered regulating oxytocin receptors, via which OT exerts its effect. WS is a crucial disorder to understand gene, hormone, brain, and behavior associations in terms of sociality and neuropsychiatric conditions. Alterations to the WS gene region offer an opportunity to deepen our understandings of autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, or depression. We aim to systematically present the data available of OT/OXTR regulation and expression, and the evidence for whether these mechanisms are dysregulated in WS. These results are important, as they predict strong epigenetic control over social behavior by methylation, single nucleotide polymorphisms, and other alterations. The comparison and collaboration of these studies may help to establish a better treatment or management approach for patients with WS if backed up with future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Çalışkan
- Trakya University School of Medicine, Edirne,
Turkey,To whom all correspondence should be addressed:
Elif Çalışkan, Trakya University School of Medicine, Edirne, Turkey;
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Benítez-Burraco A, Pörtl D, Jung C. Did Dog Domestication Contribute to Language Evolution? Front Psychol 2021; 12:695116. [PMID: 34589022 PMCID: PMC8473740 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.695116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Different factors seemingly account for the emergence of present-day languages in our species. Human self-domestication has been recently invoked as one important force favoring language complexity mostly via a cultural mechanism. Because our self-domestication ultimately resulted from selection for less aggressive behavior and increased prosocial behavior, any evolutionary or cultural change impacting on aggression levels is expected to have fostered this process. Here, we hypothesize about a parallel domestication of humans and dogs, and more specifically, about a positive effect of our interaction with dogs on human self-domestication, and ultimately, on aspects of language evolution, through the mechanisms involved in the control of aggression. We review evidence of diverse sort (ethological mostly, but also archeological, genetic, and physiological) supporting such an effect and propose some ways of testing our hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish, Linguistics, and Theory of Literature (Linguistics), Faculty of Philology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Daniela Pörtl
- Psychiatric Department, Saale-Unstrut Klinikum, Teaching Hospital Leipzig and Jena Universities, Naumburg, Germany
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Niego A, Benítez-Burraco A. Autism and Williams syndrome: Dissimilar socio-cognitive profiles with similar patterns of abnormal gene expression in the blood. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2020; 25:464-489. [PMID: 33143449 DOI: 10.1177/1362361320965074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome are complex cognitive conditions exhibiting quite opposite features in the social domain: whereas people with autism spectrum disorders are mostly hyposocial, subjects with Williams syndrome are usually reported as hypersocial. At the same time, autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome share some common underlying behavioral and cognitive deficits. It is not clear, however, which genes account for the attested differences (and similarities) in the socio-cognitive domain. In this article, we adopted a comparative molecular approach and looked for genes that might be differentially (or similarly) regulated in the blood of people with these conditions. We found a significant overlap between genes dysregulated in the blood of patients compared to neurotypical controls, with most of them being upregulated or, in some cases, downregulated. Still, genes with similar expression trends can exhibit quantitative differences between conditions, with most of them being more dysregulated in Williams syndrome than in autism spectrum disorders. Differentially expressed genes are involved in aspects of brain development and function (particularly dendritogenesis) and are expressed in brain areas (particularly the cerebellum, the thalamus, and the striatum) of relevance for the autism spectrum disorder and the Williams syndrome etiopathogenesis. Overall, these genes emerge as promising candidates for the similarities and differences between the autism spectrum disorder and the Williams syndrome socio-cognitive profiles.
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Kimura R, Tomiwa K, Inoue R, Suzuki S, Nakata M, Awaya T, Kato T, Okazaki S, Heike T, Hagiwara M. Dysregulation of the oxytocin receptor gene in Williams syndrome. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 115:104631. [PMID: 32114409 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Williams syndrome (WS) is caused by a microdeletion of chromosome 7q11.23, and is characterized by various physical and cognitive symptoms. In particular, WS is characterized by hypersocial (overfriendly) behavior; WS has gained attention as aspects of the WS phenotype contrast with those of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) contributes to social phenotypes in relation to regulation of oxytocin (OXT) secretion. Additionally, mounting evidence has recently shown that DNA methylation of OXTR is associated with human social behavior. However, the role of OXTR in WS remains unclear. This study investigated the regulation of OXTR in WS. We examined the gene expression levels in blood from WS patients and controls, and then analyzed the methylation levels in two independent cohorts. We showed that OXTR was down-regulated and hypermethylated in WS patients compared to controls. Our findings may provide an insight into OXTR in mediating complex social phenotypes in WS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Kimura
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
| | - Kiyotaka Tomiwa
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Child Neurology, Osaka City General Hospital, Osaka 534-0021 Japan; Todaiji Ryoiku Hospital for Children, Nara 630-8211, Japan
| | - Ryo Inoue
- Laboratory of Animal Science, Department of Agriculture and Life Science, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto, 606-8522, Japan
| | - Shiho Suzuki
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Nakata
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tomonari Awaya
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Takeo Kato
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Pediatrics, Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki General Medical Center, Amagasaki 660-8550, Japan
| | - Shin Okazaki
- Department of Child Neurology, Osaka City General Hospital, Osaka 534-0021 Japan
| | - Toshio Heike
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Pediatrics, Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki General Medical Center, Amagasaki 660-8550, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Hagiwara
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
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6
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Pörtl D, Jung C. Physiological pathways to rapid prosocial evolution. Biol Futur 2019; 70:93-102. [PMID: 34554422 DOI: 10.1556/019.70.2019.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) descend from wolves (Canis lupus) sharing the same ecological niche of cooperative hunters, as humans. Initially, humans and wolves were competitors starting interspecific communication in order to avoid risk of injury. The evolutionary continuity of mammalian brains enabled interspecific prosocial contacts between both of them, which reduced stress, and enabled behavioral cultures leading to genetic isolation of those wolves. Dogs are the first domesticated animal living together with humans for about 25,000 years. Domestication means decreased aggression and flight distance toward humans, thus changes in the stress axis are crucial. The hypothesis of Active Social Domestication considers genetic selection as a necessary prediction but not a sufficient explanation of dog domestication. In addition, dog domestication is suggested to be an epigenetic disclosure. Due to changed stress activity, epigenetic mechanisms affect cerebral receptor activity and regulate transposon expressions, thus shaping brain function and behavior. Interspecific prosocial contacts initiated via serotonin release an enzymatic cascade enhancing, epigeneti-cally, the glucocorticoid negative feedback loop. Reduced chronic stress improved social learning capability and inhibitory control. Over time, those wolves could integrate themselves into human social structures, thus becoming dogs. In analogy, human mental skills, such as creating art and culture, might have also improved during the Upper Paleolithic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Pörtl
- Psychiatric Department, Saale-Unstrut Klinikum, Teaching Hospital Leipzig and Jena Universities, Naumburg, Germany.
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Nishitani S, Parets SE, Haas BW, Smith AK. DNA methylation analysis from saliva samples for epidemiological studies. Epigenetics 2018; 13:352-362. [PMID: 29912612 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2018.1461295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Saliva is a non-invasive, easily accessible tissue, which is regularly collected in large epidemiological studies to examine genetic questions. Recently, it is becoming more common to use saliva to assess DNA methylation. However, DNA extracted from saliva is a mixture of both bacterial and human DNA derived from epithelial and immune cells in the mouth. Thus, there are unique challenges to using salivary DNA in methylation studies that can influence data quality. This study assesses: (1) quantification of human DNA after extraction; (2) delineation of human and bacterial DNA; (3) bisulfite conversion (BSC); (4) quantification of BSC DNA; (5) PCR amplification of BSC DNA from saliva and; (6) quantitation of DNA methylation with a targeted assay. The framework proposed will allow saliva samples to be more widely used in targeted epigenetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Nishitani
- a Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA.,b Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Sasha E Parets
- b Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Brian W Haas
- c Department of Psychology , University of Georgia , Athens , GA , USA
| | - Alicia K Smith
- a Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA.,b Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA
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Crespi BJ, Procyshyn TL. Williams syndrome deletions and duplications: Genetic windows to understanding anxiety, sociality, autism, and schizophrenia. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 79:14-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Swartz JR, Waller R, Bogdan R, Knodt AR, Sabhlok A, Hyde LW, Hariri AR. A Common Polymorphism in a Williams Syndrome Gene Predicts Amygdala Reactivity and Extraversion in Healthy Adults. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:203-210. [PMID: 26853120 PMCID: PMC4909599 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Revised: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 12/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Williams syndrome (WS), a genetic disorder resulting from hemizygous microdeletion of chromosome 7q11.23, has emerged as a model for identifying the genetic architecture of socioemotional behavior. Common polymorphisms in GTF2I, which is found within the WS microdeletion, have been associated with reduced social anxiety in the general population. Identifying neural phenotypes affected by these polymorphisms would help advance our understanding not only of this specific genetic association but also of the broader neurogenetic mechanisms of variability in socioemotional behavior. METHODS Through an ongoing parent protocol, the Duke Neurogenetics Study, we measured threat-related amygdala reactivity to fearful and angry facial expressions using functional magnetic resonance imaging, assessed trait personality using the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, and imputed GTF2I rs13227433 from saliva-derived DNA using custom Illumina arrays. Participants included 808 non-Hispanic Caucasian, African American, and Asian university students. RESULTS The GTF2I rs13227433 AA genotype, previously associated with lower social anxiety, predicted decreased threat-related amygdala reactivity. An indirect effect of GTF2I genotype on the warmth facet of extraversion was mediated by decreased threat-related amygdala reactivity in women but not men. CONCLUSIONS A common polymorphism in the WS gene GTF2I associated with reduced social anxiety predicts decreased threat-related amygdala reactivity, which mediates an association between genotype and increased warmth in women. These results are consistent with reduced threat-related amygdala reactivity in WS and suggest that common variation in GTF2I contributes to broader variability in socioemotional brain function and behavior, with implications for understanding the neurogenetic bases of WS as well as social anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnna R. Swartz
- Laboratory of NeuroGenetics, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA,Correspondence to: Johnna Swartz, Address: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Campus Box 90086, 417 Chapel Drive, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, Phone: (919) 660-5789,
| | - Rebecca Waller
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ryan Bogdan
- Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Annchen R. Knodt
- Laboratory of NeuroGenetics, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Aditi Sabhlok
- Laboratory of NeuroGenetics, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Luke W. Hyde
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ahmad R. Hariri
- Laboratory of NeuroGenetics, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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Schweiger JI, Meyer-Lindenberg A. Common Variation in the GTF2I Gene: A Promising Neurogenetic Mechanism for Affiliative Drive and Social Anxiety. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:175-176. [PMID: 28024705 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Janina I Schweiger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
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Theofanopoulou C. Implications of Oxytocin in Human Linguistic Cognition: From Genome to Phenome. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:271. [PMID: 27378840 PMCID: PMC4906233 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurohormone oxytocin (OXT) has been found to mediate the regulation of complex socioemotional cognition in multiple ways both in humans and other animals. Recent studies have investigated the effects of OXT in different levels of analysis (from genetic to behavioral) chiefly targeting its impact on the social component and only indirectly indicating its implications in other components of our socio-interactive abilities. This article aims at shedding light onto how OXT might be modulating the multimodality that characterizes our higher-order linguistic abilities (vocal-auditory-attentional-memory-social systems). Based on evidence coming from genetic, EEG, fMRI, and behavioral studies, I attempt to establish the promises of this perspective with the goal of stressing the need for neuropeptide treatments to enter clinical practice.
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