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Tanaka M, Spekker E, Szabó Á, Polyák H, Vécsei L. Modelling the neurodevelopmental pathogenesis in neuropsychiatric disorders. Bioactive kynurenines and their analogues as neuroprotective agents-in celebration of 80th birthday of Professor Peter Riederer. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2022; 129:627-642. [PMID: 35624406 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-022-02513-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Following introduction of the monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor selegiline for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD), discovery of the action mechanism of Alzheimer's disease-modifying agent memantine, the role of iron in PD, and the loss of electron transport chain complex I in PD, and development of the concept of clinical neuroprotection, Peter Riederer launched one of the most challenging research project neurodevelopmental aspects of neuropsychiatric disorders. The neurodevelopmental theory holds that a disruption of normal brain development in utero or during early life underlies the subsequent emergence of neuropsychiatric symptoms during later life. Indeed, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition and the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision categorize autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). More and more evidence, especially from preclinical studies, is revealing that neurodevelopmental pathology is not limited to the diagnostic class above, but also contributes to the development of other psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as neurodegenerative diseases such as PD and Huntington's disease. Preclinical animal research is taking a lead in understanding the pathomechanisms of NDDs, searching for novel targets, and developing new neuroprotective agents against NDDs. This narrative review discusses emerging evidence of the neurodevelopmental etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, recent advances in modelling neurodevelopmental pathogenesis, potential strategies of clinical neuroprotection using novel kynurenine metabolites and analogues, and future research direction for NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Tanaka
- MTA-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, University of Szeged (MTA-SZTE), Semmelweis u. 6, 6725, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Eleonóra Spekker
- MTA-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, University of Szeged (MTA-SZTE), Semmelweis u. 6, 6725, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Szabó
- Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-György Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6, 6725, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Helga Polyák
- Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-György Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6, 6725, Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Vécsei
- MTA-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, University of Szeged (MTA-SZTE), Semmelweis u. 6, 6725, Szeged, Hungary. .,Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-György Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6, 6725, Szeged, Hungary.
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Sultana R, Shrestha A, Lee CC, Ogundele OM. Disc1 Carrier Mice Exhibit Alterations in Neural pIGF-1Rβ and Related Kinase Expression. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:94. [PMID: 32431597 PMCID: PMC7214624 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutation of the disc1 gene underlies a broad range of developmental neuropsychiatric defects, including schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder. The pathophysiological phenotypes linked with disc1 mutation are due to the truncation of the DISC1 primary protein structure. This leads to a defective post-synaptic scaffolding and kinase—GSK3β and Erk1/2—signaling. As a result, synaptic function and maintenance are significantly impaired in the disc1 mutant brain. Among several other pathways, GSK3β and Erk1/2 are involved in insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1Rβ) kinase signaling. Although disc1 mutation alters these kinases, it is unclear if the mutation impacts IGF-1R expression and activity in the brain. Here, we demonstrate that the expression of active IGF-1Rβ (pIGF-1Rβ) is altered in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) of disc1 mutant mice and vary with the dose of the mutation (homozygous and heterozygous). The expression of pIGF-1Rβ decreased significantly in 129S (hom, disc1−/−) brains. In contrast, 129S:B6 (het, disc1+/−) brains were characterized by an increase in pIGF-1Rβ when compared with the C57BL/6 (disc1+/+) level. The decrease in pIGF-1Rβ level for the 129S brains was accompanied by the loss of Akt activity (S473 pAkt) and decreased Ser9 phosphorylation of GSK3β (increased basal GSK3β). Additionally, hippocampal and cortical pErk1/2 activity increased in the 129S hippocampus and cortex. Although 129S:B6 recorded alterations in pIGF-1Rβ-pAkt-GSK3β (like 129S), there was no observable change in pErk1/2 activity for the heterozygote (disc1+/−) mutant. In addition to GSK3β inhibition, we conclude that pIGF-1R, pAkt, and pErk1/2 are potential targets in disc1−/− mutant brain. On the other hand, pIGF-1R and pAkt can be further explored in disc1+/− brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razia Sultana
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Amita Shrestha
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Charles C Lee
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Olalekan M Ogundele
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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Gogos JA, Crabtree G, Diamantopoulou A. The abiding relevance of mouse models of rare mutations to psychiatric neuroscience and therapeutics. Schizophr Res 2020; 217:37-51. [PMID: 30987923 PMCID: PMC6790166 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.03.018] [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: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Studies using powerful family-based designs aided by large scale case-control studies, have been instrumental in cracking the genetic complexity of the disease, identifying rare and highly penetrant risk mutations and providing a handle on experimentally tractable model systems. Mouse models of rare mutations, paired with analysis of homologous cognitive and sensory processing deficits and state-of-the-art neuroscience methods to manipulate and record neuronal activity have started providing unprecedented insights into pathogenic mechanisms and building the foundation of a new biological framework for understanding mental illness. A number of important principles are emerging, namely that degradation of the computational mechanisms underlying the ordered activity and plasticity of both local and long-range neuronal assemblies, the building blocks necessary for stable cognition and perception, might be the inevitable consequence and the common point of convergence of the vastly heterogeneous genetic liability, manifesting as defective internally- or stimulus-driven neuronal activation patterns and triggering the constellation of schizophrenia symptoms. Animal models of rare mutations have the unique potential to help us move from "which" (gene) to "how", "where" and "when" computational regimes of neural ensembles are affected. Linking these variables should improve our understanding of how symptoms emerge and how diagnostic boundaries are established at a circuit level. Eventually, a better understanding of pathophysiological trajectories at the level of neural circuitry in mice, aided by basic human experimental biology, should guide the development of new therapeutics targeting either altered circuitry itself or the underlying biological pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A. Gogos
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA,Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA,Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032 USA,Correspondence should be addressed to: Joseph A. Gogos ()
| | - Gregg Crabtree
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA,Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Anastasia Diamantopoulou
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA,Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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4
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Sultana R, Lee CC. Expression of Behavioral Phenotypes in Genetic and Environmental Mouse Models of Schizophrenia. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:29. [PMID: 32184711 PMCID: PMC7058961 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by multifactorial etiology involving complex interactions among genetic and environmental factors. "Multiple-hit" models of the disorder can explain its variable incidence and prevalence in related individuals. Hence, there is a dire need to understand these interactions in the emergence of schizophrenia. To test these factors in the emergence of schizophrenia-like behaviors, we employed a genetic mouse model of the disorder (harboring the DISC1 mutation) along with various environmental insults, such as early life stress (maternal separation of pups) and/or pharmacological interventions (ketamine injections). When assessed on a battery of behavioral tests, we found that environmental interventions affect the severity of behavioral phenotypes in terms of increased negative behavior, as shown by reduced mobility in the forced swim and tail suspension tests, and changes to positive and cognitive symptoms, such as increased locomotion and disrupted PPI along with reduced working memory, respectively. Among the various interventions, the genetic mutation had the most profound effect on behavioral aberrations, followed by an environmental intervention by ketamine injections and ketamine-injected animals that were maternally separated during early postnatal days. We conclude that although environmental factors increased the prevalence of aberrant behavioral phenotypes, genetic background is still the predominant influence on phenotypic alterations in these mouse models of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razia Sultana
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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Sultana R, Ogundele OM, Lee CC. Contrasting characteristic behaviours among common laboratory mouse strains. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190574. [PMID: 31312505 PMCID: PMC6599779 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Mice are widely used to model wide-ranging human neurological disorders, from development to degenerative pathophysiology. Behavioural and molecular characteristics of these mouse models are influenced by the genetic background of each strain. Among the most commonly used strains, the inbred C57BL/6J, BALB/c, CBA and 129SvEv lines and the CD1 outbred line are particularly predominant. Despite their prevalence, comparative performance of these strains on many standard behavioural tests commonly used to assess neurological conditions remains diffusely and indirectly accessible in the literature. Given that independent studies may be conducted with mice of differing genetic backgrounds, any variation in characteristic behavioural responses of specific strains should be delineated in order to properly interpret results among studies. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to characterize these commonly used mice strains through several standard behavioural tests. Here, we found that animals from different genetic background strains exhibited varying behavioural patterns when assessed for sociability/novelty, memory function, and negative behaviours like despair and stress calls. These results suggest that genetic variation among strains may be responsible-in part-for strain-specific behavioural phenotypes and potential predisposition to some neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razia Sultana
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
- Synapse Biology Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
- Author for correspondence: Razia Sultana e-mail:
| | - Olalekan M. Ogundele
- Synapse Biology Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Charles C. Lee
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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Winship IR, Dursun SM, Baker GB, Balista PA, Kandratavicius L, Maia-de-Oliveira JP, Hallak J, Howland JG. An Overview of Animal Models Related to Schizophrenia. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE 2019; 64:5-17. [PMID: 29742910 PMCID: PMC6364139 DOI: 10.1177/0706743718773728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous psychiatric disorder that is poorly treated with current therapies. In this brief review, we provide an update regarding the use of animal models to study schizophrenia in an attempt to understand its aetiology and develop novel therapeutic strategies. Tremendous progress has been made developing and validating rodent models that replicate the aetiologies, brain pathologies, and behavioural abnormalities associated with schizophrenia in humans. Here, models are grouped into 3 categories-developmental, drug induced, and genetic-to reflect the heterogeneous risk factors associated with schizophrenia. Each of these models is associated with varied but overlapping pathophysiology, endophenotypes, behavioural abnormalities, and cognitive impairments. Studying schizophrenia using multiple models will permit an understanding of the core features of the disease, thereby facilitating preclinical research aimed at the development and validation of better pharmacotherapies to alter the progression of schizophrenia or alleviate its debilitating symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian R Winship
- 1 Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
| | - Serdar M Dursun
- 2 Department of Psychiatry, Neurochemical Research Unit and Bebensee Schizophrenia Research Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta.,3 National Institute of Science and Technology-Translational Science, Brazil
| | - Glen B Baker
- 2 Department of Psychiatry, Neurochemical Research Unit and Bebensee Schizophrenia Research Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta.,3 National Institute of Science and Technology-Translational Science, Brazil
| | - Priscila A Balista
- 4 Department of Pharmacy, Centro Universitario das Faculdades Metropolitanas Unidas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ludmyla Kandratavicius
- 5 Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
| | - Joao Paulo Maia-de-Oliveira
- 3 National Institute of Science and Technology-Translational Science, Brazil.,6 Department of Clinical Medicine, Rio Grande do Norte Federal University, Natal, Brazil
| | - Jaime Hallak
- 3 National Institute of Science and Technology-Translational Science, Brazil.,5 Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.,7 Department of Psychiatry (NRU), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
| | - John G Howland
- 8 Department of Physiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
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Scott D, Tamminga CA. Effects of genetic and environmental risk for schizophrenia on hippocampal activity and psychosis-like behavior in mice. Behav Brain Res 2018; 339:114-123. [PMID: 29155005 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.10.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness most notably characterized by psychotic symptoms. In humans, psychotic disorders are associated with specific hippocampal pathology. However, animal model systems for psychosis often lack this pathology, and have been weak in providing a representation of psychosis. We utilized a double-risk model system combining genetic risk with environmental stress. We hypothesized these factors will induce hippocampal subfield pathology consistent with human findings, as well as behavioral phenotypes relevant to psychosis. To address this, we exposed wild-type and transgenic Disc1 dominant negative (Disc1-deficient) mice to maternal deprivation. In adulthood, hippocampal subfields were examined for signs of cellular and behavioral pathology associated with psychosis. Mice exposed to maternal deprivation showed a decrease in dentate gyrus activity, and an increase in CA3/CA1 activity. Furthermore, results demonstrated a differential behavioral effect between maternal deprivation and Disc1 deficiency, with maternal deprivation associated with a hyperactive phenotype and impaired prepulse inhibition, and Disc1 deficiency causing an impairment in fear conditioning. These results suggest distinct consequences of environmental and genetic risk factors contributing to psychosis, with maternal deprivation inducing a state more wholly consistent with schizophrenia psychosis. Further research is needed to determine if this pathology is causally related to a specific behavioral phenotype. The development of a strong inference animal model system for psychosis would satisfy a high medical need in schizophrenia research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Scott
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas TX, 75390-9127, United States.
| | - Carol A Tamminga
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas TX, 75390-9127, United States
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8
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Eachus H, Bright C, Cunliffe VT, Placzek M, Wood JD, Watt PJ. Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia-1 is essential for normal hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis function. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:1992-2005. [PMID: 28334933 PMCID: PMC5437527 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders arise due to an interplay of genetic and environmental factors, including stress. Studies in rodents have shown that mutants for Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1), a well-accepted genetic risk factor for mental illness, display abnormal behaviours in response to stress, but the mechanisms through which DISC1 affects stress responses remain poorly understood. Using two lines of zebrafish homozygous mutant for disc1, we investigated behaviour and functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis, the fish equivalent of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Here, we show that the role of DISC1 in stress responses is evolutionarily conserved and that DISC1 is essential for normal functioning of the HPI axis. Adult zebrafish homozygous mutant for disc1 show aberrant behavioural responses to stress. Our studies reveal that in the embryo, disc1 is expressed in neural progenitor cells of the hypothalamus, a conserved region of the vertebrate brain that centrally controls responses to environmental stressors. In disc1 mutant embryos, proliferating rx3+ hypothalamic progenitors are not maintained normally and neuronal differentiation is compromised: rx3-derived ff1b+ neurons, implicated in anxiety-related behaviours, and corticotrophin releasing hormone (crh) neurons, key regulators of the stress axis, develop abnormally, and rx3-derived pomc+ neurons are disorganised. Abnormal hypothalamic development is associated with dysfunctional behavioural and neuroendocrine stress responses. In contrast to wild type siblings, disc1 mutant larvae show altered crh levels, fail to upregulate cortisol levels when under stress and do not modulate shoal cohesion, indicative of abnormal social behaviour. These data indicate that disc1 is essential for normal development of the hypothalamus and for the correct functioning of the HPA/HPI axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Eachus
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.,The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Charlotte Bright
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Vincent T Cunliffe
- The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Marysia Placzek
- The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jonathan D Wood
- The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.,Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Penelope J Watt
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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Dittrich L, Petese A, Jackson WS. The natural Disc1-deletion present in several inbred mouse strains does not affect sleep. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5665. [PMID: 28720848 PMCID: PMC5515846 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06015-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The gene Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1) is linked to a range of psychiatric disorders. Two recent transgenic studies suggest DISC1 is also involved in homeostatic sleep regulation. Several strains of inbred mice commonly used for genome manipulation experiments, including several Swiss and likely all 129 substrains, carry a natural deletion mutation of Disc1. This constitutes a potential confound for studying sleep in genetically modified mice. Since disturbed sleep can also influence psychiatric and neurodegenerative disease models, this putative confound might affect a wide range of studies in several fields. Therefore, we asked to what extent the natural Disc1 deletion affects sleep. To this end, we first compared sleep and electroencephalogram (EEG) phenotypes of 129S4 mice carrying the Disc1 deletion and C57BL/6N mice carrying the full-length version. We then bred Disc1 from C57BL/6N into the 129S4 background, resulting in S4-Disc1 mice. The differences between 129S4 and C57BL/6N were not detected in the 129S4 to S4-Disc1 comparison. We conclude that the mutation has no effect on the measured sleep and EEG characteristics. Thus, it is unlikely the widespread Disc1 deletion has led to spurious results in previous sleep studies or that it alters sleep in mouse models of psychiatric or neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Dittrich
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Sigmund-Freud-Str, 27 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Alessandro Petese
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Sigmund-Freud-Str, 27 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Walker S Jackson
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Sigmund-Freud-Str, 27 53127, Bonn, Germany.
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Boyd PJ, Cunliffe VT, Roy S, Wood JD. Sonic hedgehog functions upstream of disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (disc1): implications for mental illness. Biol Open 2015; 4:1336-43. [PMID: 26405049 PMCID: PMC4610215 DOI: 10.1242/bio.012005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
DISRUPTED-IN-SCHIZOPHRENIA (DISC1) has been one of the most intensively studied genetic risk factors for mental illness since it was discovered through positional mapping of a translocation breakpoint in a large Scottish family where a balanced chromosomal translocation was found to segregate with schizophrenia and affective disorders. While the evidence for it being central to disease pathogenesis in the original Scottish family is compelling, recent genome-wide association studies have not found evidence for common variants at the DISC1 locus being associated with schizophrenia in the wider population. It may therefore be the case that DISC1 provides an indication of biological pathways that are central to mental health issues and functional studies have shown that it functions in multiple signalling pathways. However, there is little information regarding factors that function upstream of DISC1 to regulate its expression and function. We herein demonstrate that Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signalling promotes expression of disc1 in the zebrafish brain. Expression of disc1 is lost in smoothened mutants that have a complete loss of Shh signal transduction, and elevated in patched mutants which have constitutive activation of Shh signalling. We previously demonstrated that disc1 knockdown has a dramatic effect on the specification of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPC) in the hindbrain and Shh signalling is known to be essential for the specification of these cells. We show that disc1 is prominently expressed in olig2-positive midline progenitor cells that are absent in smo mutants, while cyclopamine treatment blocks disc1 expression in these cells and mimics the effect of disc1 knock down on OPC specification. Various features of a number of psychiatric conditions could potentially arise through aberrant Hedgehog signalling. We therefore suggest that altered Shh signalling may be an important neurodevelopmental factor in the pathobiology of mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penelope J Boyd
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385a Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive, 138673, Singapore Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Vincent T Cunliffe
- Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Sudipto Roy
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive, 138673, Singapore Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, 119288, Singapore
| | - Jonathan D Wood
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385a Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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11
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Vanden Berghe T, Hulpiau P, Martens L, Vandenbroucke RE, Van Wonterghem E, Perry SW, Bruggeman I, Divert T, Choi SM, Vuylsteke M, Shestopalov VI, Libert C, Vandenabeele P. Passenger Mutations Confound Interpretation of All Genetically Modified Congenic Mice. Immunity 2015; 43:200-9. [PMID: 26163370 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2015.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2015] [Revised: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Targeted mutagenesis in mice is a powerful tool for functional analysis of genes. However, genetic variation between embryonic stem cells (ESCs) used for targeting (previously almost exclusively 129-derived) and recipient strains (often C57BL/6J) typically results in congenic mice in which the targeted gene is flanked by ESC-derived passenger DNA potentially containing mutations. Comparative genomic analysis of 129 and C57BL/6J mouse strains revealed indels and single nucleotide polymorphisms resulting in alternative or aberrant amino acid sequences in 1,084 genes in the 129-strain genome. Annotating these passenger mutations to the reported genetically modified congenic mice that were generated using 129-strain ESCs revealed that nearly all these mice possess multiple passenger mutations potentially influencing the phenotypic outcome. We illustrated this phenotypic interference of 129-derived passenger mutations with several case studies and developed a Me-PaMuFind-It web tool to estimate the number and possible effect of passenger mutations in transgenic mice of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Vanden Berghe
- Inflammation Research Center, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Paco Hulpiau
- Inflammation Research Center, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Liesbet Martens
- Inflammation Research Center, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Roosmarijn E Vandenbroucke
- Inflammation Research Center, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Elien Van Wonterghem
- Inflammation Research Center, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Seth W Perry
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester NY 14627, USA
| | - Inge Bruggeman
- Inflammation Research Center, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tatyana Divert
- Inflammation Research Center, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sze Men Choi
- Inflammation Research Center, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Valery I Shestopalov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, FL 33136, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Vavilov Institute for General Genetics, Moscow 119333, Russia
| | - Claude Libert
- Inflammation Research Center, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter Vandenabeele
- Inflammation Research Center, VIB, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Methusalem Program, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent.
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Emerging from the bottleneck: benefits of the comparative approach to modern neuroscience. Trends Neurosci 2015; 38:273-8. [PMID: 25800324 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2015.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Revised: 02/24/2015] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Neuroscience has historically exploited a wide diversity of animal taxa. Recently, however, research has focused increasingly on a few model species. This trend has accelerated with the genetic revolution, as genomic sequences and genetic tools became available for a few species, which formed a bottleneck. This coalescence on a small set of model species comes with several costs that are often not considered, especially in the current drive to use mice explicitly as models for human diseases. Comparative studies of strategically chosen non-model species can complement model species research and yield more rigorous studies. As genetic sequences and tools become available for many more species, we are poised to emerge from the bottleneck and once again exploit the rich biological diversity offered by comparative studies.
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Abstract
The C57BL/6 (B6) mouse is the background strain most frequently used for genetically-modified mice. Previous studies have found significant behavioral and genetic differences between the B6J (The Jackson Laboratory) and B6N substrains (National Institutes of Health); however, most studies employed only male mice. We performed a comprehensive battery of motor function and learning and memory tests on male and female mice from both substrains. The B6N male mice had greater improvement in the rotarod test. In contrast, B6J female mice had longer latencies to falling from the rotarod. In the Morris water maze (MWM), B6J males had significantly shorter latencies to finding the hidden platform. However, B6N females had significantly shorter path lengths in the reversal and shifted-reduced phases. In open field locomotor activity, B6J males had higher activity levels, whereas B6N females took longer to habituate. In the fear conditioning test, B6N males had a significantly longer time freezing in the new context compared with B6J males, but no significant differences were found in contextual or cued tests. In summary, our findings demonstrate the importance of testing both males and females in neurobehavioral studies. Both factors (sex and substrain) must be taken into account when designing developmental neurotoxicology studies.
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