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He Q, Li R, Zhong N, Ma J, Nie F, Zhang R. The role and molecular mechanisms of the early growth response 3 gene in schizophrenia. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2024; 195:e32969. [PMID: 38327141 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a chronic, debilitating mental illness caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors play a major role in schizophrenia development. Early growth response 3 (EGR3) is a member of the EGR family, which is associated with schizophrenia. Accumulating studies have investigated the relationship between EGR3 and schizophrenia. However, the role of EGR3 in schizophrenia pathogenesis remains unclear. In the present review, we focus on the progress of research related to the role of EGR3 in schizophrenia, including association studies between EGR3 and schizophrenia, abnormal gene expressional analysis of EGR3 in schizophrenia, biological function studies of EGR3 in schizophrenia, the molecular regulatory mechanism of EGR3 and schizophrenia susceptibility candidate genes, and possible role of EGR3 in the immune system function in schizophrenia. In summary, EGR3 is a schizophrenia risk candidate factor and has comprehensive regulatory roles in schizophrenia pathogenesis. Further studies investigating the molecular mechanisms of EGR3 in schizophrenia are warranted for understanding the pathophysiology of this disorder as well as the development of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment and control of this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi He
- School of Basic Medicine, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine, Shannxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ruochun Li
- Department of Medical Technology, Guiyang Healthcare Vocational University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Nannan Zhong
- Department of Medical Technology, Guiyang Healthcare Vocational University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Jie Ma
- Department of Electron Microscope, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Fayi Nie
- School of Basic Medicine, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine, Shannxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, Shaanxi, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Medical Technology, Guiyang Healthcare Vocational University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
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2
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Ozols A, Meyers K, Damphousse C, Campbell J, Khoshaba R, Wallace S, Hu C, Marrone D, Gallitano A. Data on electroconvulsive seizure in mice, effects of anesthesia on immediate early gene expression. Data Brief 2024; 54:110365. [PMID: 38646190 PMCID: PMC11033168 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2024.110365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Although electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the most effective treatments for severe mood and psychotic disorders, the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects remain unknown. Electroconvulsive stimulation (ECS), the animal model for ECT, can be used to investigate the potential therapeutic mechanisms of ECT in rodents. ECS produces numerous effects in the brain, such as increasing levels of growth factors, inducing dendritic sprouting, and stimulating neurogenesis. It also induces high-level expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, such as early growth response 3 (Egr3) and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), a validated downstream target of Egr3 [1-3]. However, the effect of isoflurane anesthesia preceding ECS on IEG response in mice has not been well characterized. This article provides immunofluorescent data of the activity responsive IEG ARC in the dorsal and ventral dentate gyrus of wildtype (WT) mice following ECS with or without anesthesia, as well as following sham ECS. The data in this article relate to a published article that employed serial ECS in mice to investigate the requirement of Egr3 in the neurobiological effects of this model of ECT [4]. The ability to study the effects of serial ECS has been limited in mice due to high rates of mortality during seizure. Administration of isoflurane anesthesia prior to ECS significantly reduces rodent mortality, irrespective of the number of times ECS is applied [5]. Since general anesthesia is administered to patients prior to ECT, use of isoflurane prior to ECS also more closely models the clinical use of ECT [6].
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Affiliation(s)
- A.B. Ozols
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, 425 N. 5th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - K.T. Meyers
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, 425 N. 5th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - C.C. Damphousse
- Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
| | - J.M. Campbell
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, 425 N. 5th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - R. Khoshaba
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, 425 N. 5th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - S.G. Wallace
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, 425 N. 5th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - C. Hu
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health–Phoenix, 714 E Van Buren St #119, Phoenix, AZ 85006, USA
| | - D.F. Marrone
- Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
| | - A.L. Gallitano
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, 425 N. 5th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
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3
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Lee J, Huh S, Park K, Kang N, Yu HS, Park HG, Kim YS, Kang UG, Won S, Kim SH. Behavioral and transcriptional effects of repeated electroconvulsive seizures in the neonatal MK-801-treated rat model of schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:817-832. [PMID: 38081977 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06511-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment modality for schizophrenia. However, its antipsychotic-like mechanism remains unclear. OBJECTIVES To gain insight into the antipsychotic-like actions of ECT, this study investigated how repeated treatments of electroconvulsive seizure (ECS), an animal model for ECT, affect the behavioral and transcriptomic profile of a neurodevelopmental animal model of schizophrenia. METHODS Two injections of MK-801 or saline were administered to rats on postnatal day 7 (PN7), and either repeated ECS treatments (E10X) or sham shock was conducted daily from PN50 to PN59. Ultimately, the rats were divided into vehicle/sham (V/S), MK-801/sham (M/S), vehicle/ECS (V/E), and MK-801/ECS (M/E) groups. On PN59, prepulse inhibition and locomotor activity were tested. Prefrontal cortex transcriptomes were analyzed with mRNA sequencing and network and pathway analyses, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analyses were subsequently conducted. RESULTS Prepulse inhibition deficit was induced by MK-801 and normalized by E10X. In M/S vs. M/E model, Egr1, Mmp9, and S100a6 were identified as center genes, and interleukin-17 (IL-17), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathways were identified as the three most relevant pathways. In the V/E vs. V/S model, mitophagy, NF-κB, and receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) pathways were identified. qPCR analyses demonstrated that Igfbp6, Btf3, Cox6a2, and H2az1 were downregulated in M/S and upregulated in M/E. CONCLUSIONS E10X reverses the behavioral changes induced by MK-801 and produces transcriptional changes in inflammatory, insulin, and mitophagy pathways, which provide mechanistic insight into the antipsychotic-like mechanism of ECT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeonghoon Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seonghoo Huh
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungtaek Park
- Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Nuree Kang
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Sook Yu
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hong Geun Park
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Sik Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Nowon Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ung Gu Kang
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungho Won
- Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program of Bioinformatics, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- RexSoft Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Se Hyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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4
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Patel A, Dharap A. An Emerging Role for Enhancer RNAs in Brain Disorders. Neuromolecular Med 2024; 26:7. [PMID: 38546891 DOI: 10.1007/s12017-024-08776-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Noncoding DNA undergoes widespread context-dependent transcription to produce noncoding RNAs. In recent decades, tremendous advances in genomics and transcriptomics have revealed important regulatory roles for noncoding DNA elements and the RNAs that they produce. Enhancers are one such element that are well-established drivers of gene expression changes in response to a variety of factors such as external stimuli, cellular responses, developmental cues, and disease states. They are known to act at long distances, interact with multiple target gene loci simultaneously, synergize with other enhancers, and associate with dynamic chromatin architectures to form a complex regulatory network. Recent advances in enhancer biology have revealed that upon activation, enhancers transcribe long noncoding RNAs, known as enhancer RNAs (eRNAs), that have been shown to play important roles in enhancer-mediated gene regulation and chromatin-modifying activities. In the brain, enhancer dysregulation and eRNA transcription has been reported in numerous disorders from acute injuries to chronic neurodegeneration. Because this is an emerging area, a comprehensive understanding of eRNA function has not yet been achieved in brain disorders; however, the findings to date have illuminated a role for eRNAs in activity-driven gene expression and phenotypic outcomes. In this review, we highlight the breadth of the current literature on eRNA biology in brain health and disease and discuss the challenges as well as focus areas and strategies for future in-depth research on eRNAs in brain health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Patel
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
- Byrd Alzheimer's Center & Research Institute, USF Health Neuroscience Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Ashutosh Dharap
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
- Byrd Alzheimer's Center & Research Institute, USF Health Neuroscience Institute, Tampa, FL, USA.
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5
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Jiang SZ, Shahoha M, Zhang HY, Brancaleone W, Elkahloun A, Tejeda HA, Ashery U, Eiden LE. The guanine nucleotide exchange factor RapGEF2 is required for ERK-dependent immediate-early gene (Egr1) activation during fear memory formation. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:48. [PMID: 38236296 PMCID: PMC11071968 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04999-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The MAP kinase ERK is important for neuronal plasticity underlying associative learning, yet specific molecular pathways for neuronal ERK activation are undetermined. RapGEF2 is a neuron-specific cAMP sensor that mediates ERK activation. We investigated whether it is required for cAMP-dependent ERK activation leading to other downstream neuronal signaling events occurring during associative learning, and if RapGEF2-dependent signaling impairments affect learned behavior. Camk2α-cre+/-::RapGEF2fl/fl mice with depletion of RapGEF2 in hippocampus and amygdala exhibit impairments in context- and cue-dependent fear conditioning linked to corresponding impairment in Egr1 induction in these two brain regions. Camk2α-cre+/-::RapGEF2fl/fl mice show decreased RapGEF2 expression in CA1 and dentate gyrus associated with abolition of pERK and Egr1, but not of c-Fos induction, following fear conditioning, impaired freezing to context after fear conditioning, and impaired cAMP-dependent long-term potentiation at perforant pathway and Schaffer collateral synapses in hippocampal slices ex vivo. RapGEF2 expression is largely eliminated in basolateral amygdala, also involved in fear memory, in Camk2α-cre+/-::RapGEF2fl/fl mice. Neither Egr1 nor c-fos induction in BLA after fear conditioning, nor cue-dependent fear learning, are affected by ablation of RapGEF2 in BLA. However, Egr1 induction (but not that of c-fos) in BLA is reduced after restraint stress-augmented fear conditioning, as is freezing to cue after restraint stress-augmented fear conditioning, in Camk2α-cre+/-::RapGEF2fl/fl mice. Cyclic AMP-dependent GEFs have been genetically associated as risk factors for schizophrenia, a disorder associated with cognitive deficits. Here we show a functional link between one of them, RapGEF2, and cognitive processes involved in associative learning in amygdala and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunny Zhihong Jiang
- Section On Molecular Neuroscience, NIMH Intramural Research Program, 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 49, Room 5A38, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Meishar Shahoha
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Sherman Building Rm 719, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Hai-Ying Zhang
- Section On Molecular Neuroscience, NIMH Intramural Research Program, 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 49, Room 5A38, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - William Brancaleone
- Section On Molecular Neuroscience, NIMH Intramural Research Program, 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 49, Room 5A38, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | | | - Hugo A Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, NIMH-IRP, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Uri Ashery
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Sherman Building Rm 719, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Lee E Eiden
- Section On Molecular Neuroscience, NIMH Intramural Research Program, 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 49, Room 5A38, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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6
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Li YE, Preissl S, Miller M, Johnson ND, Wang Z, Jiao H, Zhu C, Wang Z, Xie Y, Poirion O, Kern C, Pinto-Duarte A, Tian W, Siletti K, Emerson N, Osteen J, Lucero J, Lin L, Yang Q, Zhu Q, Zemke N, Espinoza S, Yanny AM, Nyhus J, Dee N, Casper T, Shapovalova N, Hirschstein D, Hodge RD, Linnarsson S, Bakken T, Levi B, Keene CD, Shang J, Lein E, Wang A, Behrens MM, Ecker JR, Ren B. A comparative atlas of single-cell chromatin accessibility in the human brain. Science 2023; 382:eadf7044. [PMID: 37824643 PMCID: PMC10852054 DOI: 10.1126/science.adf7044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in single-cell transcriptomics have illuminated the diverse neuronal and glial cell types within the human brain. However, the regulatory programs governing cell identity and function remain unclear. Using a single-nucleus assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (snATAC-seq), we explored open chromatin landscapes across 1.1 million cells in 42 brain regions from three adults. Integrating this data unveiled 107 distinct cell types and their specific utilization of 544,735 candidate cis-regulatory DNA elements (cCREs) in the human genome. Nearly a third of the cCREs demonstrated conservation and chromatin accessibility in the mouse brain cells. We reveal strong links between specific brain cell types and neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and major depression, and have developed deep learning models to predict the regulatory roles of noncoding risk variants in these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Eric Li
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sebastian Preissl
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Michael Miller
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | | | - Zihan Wang
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Henry Jiao
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Chenxu Zhu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Zhaoning Wang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Yang Xie
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Olivier Poirion
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Colin Kern
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | | | - Wei Tian
- The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Kimberly Siletti
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nora Emerson
- The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Julia Osteen
- The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jacinta Lucero
- The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Lin Lin
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Qian Yang
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Quan Zhu
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Nathan Zemke
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sarah Espinoza
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | | | - Julie Nyhus
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Nick Dee
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Tamara Casper
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | | | | | - Sten Linnarsson
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Trygve Bakken
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Boaz Levi
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - C Dirk Keene
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - Jingbo Shang
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ed Lein
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Allen Wang
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | | | - Joseph R Ecker
- The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Bing Ren
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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7
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Cheung SKK, Kwok J, Or PMY, Wong CW, Feng B, Choy KW, Chang RCC, Burbach JPH, Cheng ASL, Chan AM. Neuropathological signatures revealed by transcriptomic and proteomic analysis in Pten-deficient mouse models. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6763. [PMID: 37185447 PMCID: PMC10130134 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33869-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
PTEN hamartoma tumour syndrome is characterised by mutations in the human PTEN gene. We performed transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of neural tissues and primary cultures from heterozygous and homozygous Pten-knockout mice. The somatosensory cortex of heterozygous Pten-knockout mice was enriched in immune response and oligodendrocyte development Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Parallel proteomic analysis revealed differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) related to dendritic spine development, keratinisation and hamartoma signatures. However, primary astrocytes (ASTs) from heterozygous Pten-knockout mice were enriched in the extracellular matrix GO term, while primary cortical neurons (PCNs) were enriched in immediate-early genes. In ASTs from homozygous Pten-knockout mice, cilium-related activity was enriched, while PCNs exhibited downregulation of forebrain neuron generation and differentiation, implying an altered excitatory/inhibitory balance. By integrating DEPs with pre-filtered differentially expressed genes, we identified the enrichment of traits of intelligence, cognitive function and schizophrenia, while DEPs in ASTs were significantly associated with intelligence and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley K K Cheung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Jacinda Kwok
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Penelope M Y Or
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Chi Wai Wong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Bo Feng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Kwong Wai Choy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Raymond C C Chang
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - J Peter H Burbach
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alfred S L Cheng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Andrew M Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 4/F, Hui Yeung Shing Building, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
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8
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Cao R, Chen P, Wang H, Jing H, Zhang H, Xing G, Luo B, Pan J, Yu Z, Xiong WC, Mei L. Intrafusal-fiber LRP4 for muscle spindle formation and maintenance in adult and aged animals. Nat Commun 2023; 14:744. [PMID: 36765071 PMCID: PMC9918736 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36454-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Proprioception is sensed by muscle spindles for precise locomotion and body posture. Unlike the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) for muscle contraction which has been well studied, mechanisms of spindle formation are not well understood. Here we show that sensory nerve terminals are disrupted by the mutation of Lrp4, a gene required for NMJ formation; inducible knockout of Lrp4 in adult mice impairs sensory synapses and movement coordination, suggesting that LRP4 is required for spindle formation and maintenance. LRP4 is critical to the expression of Egr3 during development; in adult mice, it interacts in trans with APP and APLP2 on sensory terminals. Finally, spindle sensory endings and function are impaired in aged mice, deficits that could be diminished by LRP4 expression. These observations uncovered LRP4 as an unexpected regulator of muscle spindle formation and maintenance in adult and aged animals and shed light on potential pathological mechanisms of abnormal muscle proprioception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rangjuan Cao
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.,Department of Hand and Foot Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Peng Chen
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Hongsheng Wang
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Hongyang Jing
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Hongsheng Zhang
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Guanglin Xing
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Bin Luo
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Jinxiu Pan
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Zheng Yu
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Wen-Cheng Xiong
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA. .,Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| | - Lin Mei
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA. .,Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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9
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Wang L, Wang B, Wu C, Wang J, Sun M. Autism Spectrum Disorder: Neurodevelopmental Risk Factors, Biological Mechanism, and Precision Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24031819. [PMID: 36768153 PMCID: PMC9915249 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous, behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder. Over the past two decades, the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders has progressively increased, however, no clear diagnostic markers and specifically targeted medications for autism have emerged. As a result, neurobehavioral abnormalities, neurobiological alterations in ASD, and the development of novel ASD pharmacological therapy necessitate multidisciplinary collaboration. In this review, we discuss the development of multiple animal models of ASD to contribute to the disease mechanisms of ASD, as well as new studies from multiple disciplines to assess the behavioral pathology of ASD. In addition, we summarize and highlight the mechanistic advances regarding gene transcription, RNA and non-coding RNA translation, abnormal synaptic signaling pathways, epigenetic post-translational modifications, brain-gut axis, immune inflammation and neural loop abnormalities in autism to provide a theoretical basis for the next step of precision therapy. Furthermore, we review existing autism therapy tactics and limits and present challenges and opportunities for translating multidisciplinary knowledge of ASD into clinical practice.
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10
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Rangan P, Lobo F, Parrella E, Rochette N, Morselli M, Stephen TL, Cremonini AL, Tagliafico L, Persia A, Caffa I, Monacelli F, Odetti P, Bonfiglio T, Nencioni A, Pigliautile M, Boccardi V, Mecocci P, Pike CJ, Cohen P, LaDu MJ, Pellegrini M, Xia K, Tran K, Ann B, Chowdhury D, Longo VD. Fasting-mimicking diet cycles reduce neuroinflammation to attenuate cognitive decline in Alzheimer's models. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111417. [PMID: 36170815 PMCID: PMC9648488 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) cycles in reducing many aging and disease risk factors indicate it could affect Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we show that FMD cycles reduce cognitive decline and AD pathology in E4FAD and 3xTg AD mouse models, with effects superior to those caused by protein restriction cycles. In 3xTg mice, long-term FMD cycles reduce hippocampal Aβ load and hyperphosphorylated tau, enhance genesis of neural stem cells, decrease microglia number, and reduce expression of neuroinflammatory genes, including superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase (Nox2). 3xTg mice lacking Nox2 or mice treated with the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin also display improved cognition and reduced microglia activation compared with controls. Clinical data indicate that FMD cycles are feasible and generally safe in a small group of AD patients. These results indicate that FMD cycles delay cognitive decline in AD models in part by reducing neuroinflammation and/or superoxide production in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Rangan
- Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
| | - Fleur Lobo
- Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
| | - Edoardo Parrella
- Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA; Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, Brescia, BS 25123, Italy
| | - Nicolas Rochette
- Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, 611 Charles E. Young Dr. E., Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 612 Charles E. Young Dr. E., Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Marco Morselli
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Dr. S., Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, 611 Charles E. Young Dr. E., Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Terri-Leigh Stephen
- Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
| | - Anna Laura Cremonini
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, Genova, GE 16132, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca Tagliafico
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, Genova, GE 16132, Italy
| | - Angelica Persia
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, Genova, GE 16132, Italy
| | - Irene Caffa
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, Genova, GE 16132, Italy
| | - Fiammetta Monacelli
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, Genova, GE 16132, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Patrizio Odetti
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, Genova, GE 16132, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Tommaso Bonfiglio
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, Genova, GE 16132, Italy
| | - Alessio Nencioni
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, Genova, GE 16132, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Martina Pigliautile
- Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Virginia Boccardi
- Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Patrizia Mecocci
- Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Christian J Pike
- Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
| | - Pinchas Cohen
- Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA; USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3551 Trousdale Pkwy., Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
| | - Mary Jo LaDu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Dr. S., Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, 611 Charles E. Young Dr. E., Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kyle Xia
- Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
| | - Katelynn Tran
- Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
| | - Brandon Ann
- Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
| | - Dolly Chowdhury
- Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
| | - Valter D Longo
- Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1425 San Pablo St., Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; IFOM FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Via Adamello 16, Milano, MI 20139, Italy.
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11
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Identification of activity-induced Egr3-dependent genes reveals genes associated with DNA damage response and schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:320. [PMID: 35941129 PMCID: PMC9360026 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02069-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioinformatics and network studies have identified the immediate early gene transcription factor early growth response 3 (EGR3) as a master regulator of genes differentially expressed in the brains of patients with neuropsychiatric illnesses ranging from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder to Alzheimer's disease. However, few studies have identified and validated Egr3-dependent genes in the mammalian brain. We have previously shown that Egr3 is required for stress-responsive behavior, memory, and hippocampal long-term depression in mice. To identify Egr3-dependent genes that may regulate these processes, we conducted an expression microarray on hippocampi from wildtype (WT) and Egr3-/- mice following electroconvulsive seizure (ECS), a stimulus that induces maximal expression of immediate early genes including Egr3. We identified 69 genes that were differentially expressed between WT and Egr3-/- mice one hour following ECS. Bioinformatic analyses showed that many of these are altered in, or associated with, schizophrenia, including Mef2c and Calb2. Enrichr pathway analysis revealed the GADD45 (growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible) family (Gadd45b, Gadd45g) as a leading group of differentially expressed genes. Together with differentially expressed genes in the AP-1 transcription factor family genes (Fos, Fosb), and the centromere organization protein Cenpa, these results revealed that Egr3 is required for activity-dependent expression of genes involved in the DNA damage response. Our findings show that EGR3 is critical for the expression of genes that are mis-expressed in schizophrenia and reveal a novel requirement for EGR3 in the expression of genes involved in activity-induced DNA damage response.
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12
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Acute sleep deprivation upregulates serotonin 2A receptors in the frontal cortex of mice via the immediate early gene Egr3. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:1599-1610. [PMID: 35001075 PMCID: PMC9210263 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01390-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Serotonin 2A receptors (5-HT2ARs) mediate the hallucinogenic effects of psychedelic drugs and are a key target of the leading class of medications used to treat psychotic disorders. These findings suggest that dysfunction of 5-HT2ARs may contribute to the symptoms of schizophrenia, a mental illness characterized by perceptual and cognitive disturbances. Indeed, numerous studies have found that 5-HT2ARs are reduced in the brains of individuals with schizophrenia. However, the mechanisms that regulate 5-HT2AR expression remain poorly understood. Here, we show that a physiologic environmental stimulus, sleep deprivation, significantly upregulates 5-HT2AR levels in the mouse frontal cortex in as little as 6-8 h (for mRNA and protein, respectively). This induction requires the activity-dependent immediate early gene transcription factor early growth response 3 (Egr3) as it does not occur in Egr3 deficient (-/-) mice. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we show that EGR3 protein binds to the promoter of Htr2a, the gene that encodes the 5-HT2AR, in the frontal cortex in vivo, and drives expression of in vitro reporter constructs via two EGR3 binding sites in the Htr2a promoter. These results suggest that EGR3 directly regulates Htr2a expression, and 5-HT2AR levels, in the frontal cortex in response to physiologic stimuli. Analysis of publicly available post-mortem gene expression data revealed that both EGR3 and HTR2A mRNA are reduced in the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenia patients compared to controls. Together these findings suggest a mechanism by which environmental stimuli alter levels of a brain receptor that may mediate the symptoms, and treatment, of mental illness.
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13
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Sarkar T, Patro N, Patro IK. Perinatal exposure to synergistic multiple stressors lead to cellular and behavioral deficits mimicking Schizophrenia like pathology. Biol Open 2022; 11:274201. [PMID: 35107124 PMCID: PMC8918990 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein malnourishment and immune stress are potent perinatal stressors, encountered by children born under poor socioeconomic conditions. Thus, it is necessary to investigate how such stressors synergistically contribute towards developing neurological disorders in affected individuals. Pups from Wistar females, maintained on normal (high-protein, HP:20%) and low-protein (LP:8%) diets were used. Single and combined exposures of Poly I:C (viral mimetic: 5 mg/kg body weight) and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS; bacterial endotoxin: 0.3 mg/kg body weight) were injected to both HP and LP pups at postnatal days (PND) 3 and 9 respectively, creating eight groups: HP (control); HP+Poly I:C; HP+LPS; HP+Poly I:C+LPS; LP; LP+Poly I:C; LP+LPS; LP+Poly I:C+LPS (multi-hit). The effects of stressors on hippocampal cytoarchitecture and behavioral abilities were studied at PND 180. LP animals were found to be more vulnerable to immune stressors than HP animals and symptoms like neuronal damage, spine loss, downregulation of Egr 1 and Arc proteins, gliosis and behavioral deficits were maximum in the multi-hit group. Thus, from these findings it is outlined that cellular and behavioral changes that occur following multi-hit exposure may predispose individuals to developing Schizophrenia-like pathologies during adulthood. Summary: This study reports that exposure to perinatal multi-hit stress (protein malnourishment and immune stress) causes changes in the hippocampal cells alongside behavioral deficits which are also observed in Schizophrenic condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiyasha Sarkar
- School of Studies in Neuroscience, Jiwaji University, Gwalior-474011, India
| | - Nisha Patro
- School of Studies in Neuroscience, Jiwaji University, Gwalior-474011, India
| | - Ishan Kumar Patro
- School of Studies in Neuroscience, Jiwaji University, Gwalior-474011, India
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14
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Karouta C, Kucharski R, Hardy K, Thomson K, Maleszka R, Morgan I, Ashby R. Transcriptome-based insights into gene networks controlling myopia prevention. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21846. [PMID: 34405458 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100350rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Myopia (short-sightedness), usually caused by excessive elongation of the eye during development, has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. In animal systems including the chicken model, several treatments have been shown to inhibit ocular elongation and experimental myopia. Although diverse in their apparent mechanism of action, each one leads to a reduction in the rate of ocular growth. We hypothesize that a defined set of retinal molecular changes may underlie growth inhibition, irrespective of the treatment agent used. Accordingly, across five well-established but diverse methods of inhibiting myopia, significant overlap is seen in the retinal transcriptome profile (transcript levels and alternative splicing events) in chicks when analyzed by RNA-seq. Within the two major pathway networks enriched during growth inhibition, that of cell signaling and circadian entrainment, transcription factors form the largest functional grouping. Importantly, a large percentage of those genes forming the defined retinal response are downstream targets of the transcription factor EGR1 which itself shows a universal response to all five growth-inhibitory treatments. This supports EGR1's previously implicated role in ocular growth regulation. Finally, by contrasting our data with human linkage and GWAS studies on refractive error, we confirm the applicability of our study to the human condition. Together, these findings suggest that a universal set of transcriptome changes, which sit within a well-defined retinal network that cannot be bypassed, is fundamental to growth regulation, thus paving a way for designing novel targets for myopia therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Karouta
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Robert Kucharski
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Kristine Hardy
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Kate Thomson
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Ryszard Maleszka
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Ian Morgan
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Regan Ashby
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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15
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Bian Q, Chen J, Wu J, Ding F, Li X, Ma Q, Zhang L, Zou X, Chen J. Bioinformatics analysis of a TF-miRNA-lncRNA regulatory network in major depressive disorder. Psychiatry Res 2021; 299:113842. [PMID: 33751989 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent disease and one of the main causes of disability worldwide. Although many studies have partially revealed the occurrence and development process of MDD, the pathogeny and molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to explore the co-expression modules and hub genes in MDD. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the most significant module and a TF-miRNA-lncRNA regulatory network of MDD were constructed using bioinformatics analysis tools. A KEGG pathway and gene ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis of the genes in the significant module was performed using DAVID. Five hub genes in the PPI network and 10 genes in the TF-miRNA-lncRNA regulatory network with high degree values were identified, which may provide new insights for the investigation of key pathways, diagnostic bio-markers, and therapeutic targets of MDD. This study brings a novel perspective and provides valuable information to explore the molecular mechanism of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinglai Bian
- School of Basic Medical Science, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Jianbei Chen
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jiajia Wu
- School of Basic Medical Science, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Fengmin Ding
- School of Basic Medical Science, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaojuan Li
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Formula-Pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingyu Ma
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Formula-Pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liqing Zhang
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Xiaojuan Zou
- School of Basic Medical Science, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiaxu Chen
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Formula-Pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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16
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Nie F, Zhang Q, Ma J, Wang P, Gu R, Han J, Zhang R. Schizophrenia risk candidate EGR3 is a novel transcriptional regulator of RELN and regulates neurite outgrowth via the Reelin signal pathway in vitro. J Neurochem 2020; 157:1745-1758. [PMID: 33113163 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder with a strong hereditary component that affects approximately 1% of the world's population. The disease is most likely caused by the altered expression of a number of genes that function at the level of biological pathways or gene networks. Transcription factors (TF) are indispensable regulators of gene expression. EGR3 is a TF associated with schizophrenia. In the current study, DNA microarray and ingenuity pathway analyses (IPA) demonstrated that EGR3 regulates Reelin signaling pathway in SH-SY5Y cells. ChIP and luciferase reporter studies confirmed that EGR3 directly binds to the promoter region of RELN thereby activating RELN expression. The expression of both EGR3 and RELN was decreased during neuronal differentiation induced by retinoic acid (RA) in SH-SY5Y cells, and EGR3 over-expression reduced neurite outgrowth which could be partially reversed by the knockdown of RELN. The expression levels of EGR3 and RELN in peripheral blood of subjects with schizophrenia were found to be down-regulated (compared with healthy controls), and were positively correlated. Furthermore, data mining from public databases revealed that the expression levels of EGR3 and RELN were presented a positive correlation in post-mortem brain tissue of subjects with schizophrenia. Taken together, this study suggests that EGR3 is a novel TF of the RELN gene and regulates neurite outgrowth via the Reelin signaling pathway. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the regulatory role of EGR3 in the pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms of schizophrenia, and potentially to the development of new therapies and diagnostic biomarkers for the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fayi Nie
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qiaoxia Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jie Ma
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.,Medical Research Center, Xi'an No. 3 Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Pengjie Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ruiying Gu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jing Han
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Translational Medicine Center, Hong Hui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
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17
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Bloch NI, Corral‐López A, Buechel SD, Kotrschal A, Kolm N, Mank JE. Different mating contexts lead to extensive rewiring of female brain coexpression networks in the guppy. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 20:e12697. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natasha I. Bloch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering Universidad de Los Andes Bogotá D.C. Colombia
| | - Alberto Corral‐López
- Department of Zoology/Ethology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London UK
| | | | - Alexander Kotrschal
- Department of Zoology/Ethology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
- Wageningen University Behavioral Ecology Group Wageningen Netherlands
| | - Niclas Kolm
- Department of Zoology/Ethology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | - Judith E. Mank
- University of British Columbia Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre Vancouver Canada
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London UK
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18
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Knockout of stim2a Increases Calcium Oscillations in Neurons and Induces Hyperactive-Like Phenotype in Zebrafish Larvae. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21176198. [PMID: 32867296 PMCID: PMC7503814 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Stromal interaction molecule (STIM) proteins play a crucial role in store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) as endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ sensors. In neurons, STIM2 was shown to have distinct functions from STIM1. However, its role in brain activity and behavior was not fully elucidated. The present study analyzed behavior in zebrafish (Danio rerio) that lacked stim2a. The mutant animals had no morphological abnormalities and were fertile. RNA-sequencing revealed alterations of the expression of transcription factor genes and several members of the calcium toolkit. Neuronal Ca2+ activity was measured in vivo in neurons that expressed the GCaMP5G sensor. Optic tectum neurons in stim2a-/- fish had more frequent Ca2+ signal oscillations compared with neurons in wildtype (WT) fish. We detected an increase in activity during the visual-motor response test, an increase in thigmotaxis in the open field test, and the disruption of phototaxis in the dark/light preference test in stim2a-/- mutants compared with WT. Both groups of animals reacted to glutamate and pentylenetetrazol with an increase in activity during the visual-motor response test, with no major differences between groups. Altogether, our results suggest that the hyperactive-like phenotype of stim2a-/- mutant zebrafish is caused by the dysregulation of Ca2+ homeostasis and signaling.
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19
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Zhang S, Zhang H, Zhou Y, Qiao M, Zhao S, Kozlova A, Shi J, Sanders AR, Wang G, Luo K, Sengupta S, West S, Qian S, Streit M, Avramopoulos D, Cowan CA, Chen M, Pang ZP, Gejman PV, He X, Duan J. Allele-specific open chromatin in human iPSC neurons elucidates functional disease variants. Science 2020; 369:561-565. [PMID: 32732423 PMCID: PMC7773145 DOI: 10.1126/science.aay3983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Most neuropsychiatric disease risk variants are in noncoding sequences and lack functional interpretation. Because regulatory sequences often reside in open chromatin, we reasoned that neuropsychiatric disease risk variants may affect chromatin accessibility during neurodevelopment. Using human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons that model developing brains, we identified thousands of genetic variants exhibiting allele-specific open chromatin (ASoC). These neuronal ASoCs were partially driven by altered transcription factor binding, overrepresented in brain gene enhancers and expression quantitative trait loci, and frequently associated with distal genes through chromatin contacts. ASoCs were enriched for genetic variants associated with brain disorders, enabling identification of functional schizophrenia risk variants and their cis-target genes. This study highlights ASoC as a functional mechanism of noncoding neuropsychiatric risk variants, providing a powerful framework for identifying disease causal variants and genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siwei Zhang
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Hanwen Zhang
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Yifan Zhou
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- The Graduate Program in Biophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Min Qiao
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Siming Zhao
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Alena Kozlova
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Jianxin Shi
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Alan R Sanders
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Gao Wang
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Kaixuan Luo
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Subhajit Sengupta
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Siobhan West
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Sheng Qian
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Michael Streit
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Dimitrios Avramopoulos
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Chad A Cowan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Mengjie Chen
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Zhiping P Pang
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Pablo V Gejman
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Xin He
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
- Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jubao Duan
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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20
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Gene Regulatory Network of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex: a Master Regulator Analysis of Major Psychiatric Disorders. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 57:1305-1316. [PMID: 31728928 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-01815-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Despite the strong genetic component of psychiatric disorders, traditional genetic studies have failed to find individual genes of large effect size. Thus, alternative methods, using bioinformatics, have been proposed to solve these biological puzzles. Of these, here we employ systems biology-based approaches to identify potential master regulators (MRs) of bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia (SZ), and major depressive disorder (MDD), their association with biological processes and their capacity to differentiate disorders' phenotypes. High-throughput gene expression data was used to reconstruct standard human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex regulatory transcriptional network, which was then queried for regulatory units and MRs associated with the psychiatric disorders of interest. Furthermore, the activity status (active or repressed) of MR candidates was obtained and used in cluster analysis to characterize disease phenotypes. Finally, we explored the biological processes modulated by the MRs using functional enrichment analysis. Thirty-one, thirty-four, and fifteen MR candidates were identified in BD, SZ, and MDD, respectively. The activity state of these MRs grouped the illnesses in three clusters: MDD only, mostly BD, and a third one with BD and SZ. While BD and SZ share several biological processes related to ion transport and homeostasis, synapse, and immune function, SZ showed peculiar enrichment of processes related to cytoskeleton and neuronal structure. Meanwhile, MDD presented mostly processes related to glial development and fatty acid metabolism. Our findings suggest notable differences in functional enrichment between MDD and BD/SZ. Furthermore, similarities between BD and SZ may impose particular challenges in attempts to discriminate these pathologies based solely on their transcriptional profiles. Nevertheless, we believe that systems-oriented approaches are promising strategies to unravel the pathophysiology peculiarities underlying mental illnesses and reveal therapeutic targets.
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21
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Yamauchi A, Tone T, Sugimoto K, Seok Lim H, Kaku T, Tohda C, Shindo T, Tamada K, Mizukami Y, Hirano E. Porcine placental extract facilitates memory and learning in aged mice. Food Sci Nutr 2019; 7:2995-3005. [PMID: 31572593 PMCID: PMC6766592 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.1156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging induces a decline in both memory and learning ability without predisposing an individual to diseases of the central nervous system, such as dementia. This decline can have a variety of adverse effects on daily life, and it can also gradually affect the individual and the people they are surrounded by. Since recent evidence indicated that placental extract has effects on brain function such as memory, we hypothesized that placental extract could ameliorate the age-associated reduction in cognitive function in aging. Here, we investigated the effect of new modified porcine placental extract (SD-F) on memory ability in aged mice at both the behavioral and molecular levels. Our results revealed that SD-F significantly enhanced memory ability in the object recognition and object location tasks in a dose-dependent manner in aged mice relative to controls. The numbers of Nissl-positive cells in the hippocampal cornu ammonis 3 (CA3) and dentate gyrus (DG) regions were increased in SD-F-treated aged mice relative to controls. RNA-seq analysis of the hippocampus of aged mice identified 542 differentially expressed genes, of which 216 were up-regulated and 326 were down-regulated in SD-F-treated mice relative to controls. Of the 216 up-regulated genes, we identified four characteristic genes directly related to memory, including early growth response protein 1 (Egr1), growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible, beta (Gadd45b), NGFI-A binding protein 2 (Nab2), and vascular endothelial growth factor a (Vegfa). These results suggest that the efficacy of SD-F involves upregulation of these genes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Takahiro Tone
- Research InstituteJapan Bio Products Co., Ltd.KurumeJapan
| | - Koji Sugimoto
- Research InstituteJapan Bio Products Co., Ltd.KurumeJapan
| | | | | | - Chihiro Tohda
- Division of Neuromedical Science, Department of Bioscience, Institute of Natural MedicineUniversity of ToyamaToyamaJapan
| | - Takayuki Shindo
- Department of Cardiovascular ResearchShinshu University Graduate School of MedicineNaganoJapan
| | - Koji Tamada
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of MedicineYamaguchi UniversityYamaguchiJapan
| | - Yoichi Mizukami
- Institute of Gene ResearchYamaguchi University Science Research CenterYamaguchiJapan
| | - Eiichi Hirano
- Research InstituteJapan Bio Products Co., Ltd.KurumeJapan
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22
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Ye Y, Liu Q, Zhang W, Mastwal S, Wang KH. Developmental Exposure to Psychostimulant Primes Activity-dependent Gene Induction in Frontal Cortex. Dev Neurobiol 2018; 79:96-108. [PMID: 30548567 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Perinatal neurodevelopment involves extensive formation of neural connections and onset of activity-dependent gene expression for synaptic function and plasticity. Exposure to psychostimulants at this stage imposes significant risks for developing cognitive and affective disorders later in life. However, how developmental exposure to psychostimulants may induce long-lasting molecular changes relevant to neural circuit function remains incompletely understood. In this study, we investigated the impacts of psychostimulant amphetamine on the activity-dependent induction of synaptic adaptor molecule Arc in the frontal cortex of neonatal mice. We found that transient exposure to amphetamine not only amplifies activity-dependent Arc mRNA expression immediately, but also potentiates subsequent induction of Arc mRNA in the absence of amphetamine. This priming effect is associated with a rapid and persistent increase in histone mono-methylation (H3K4me1), a marker for transcriptionally permissive chromatin, at the Arc locus, but not any long-lasting change in the phosphorylation of upstream transcription factor CREB. Furthermore, the increase in H3K4me1 at the Arc locus requires dopamine receptor signaling, and the priming of Arc expression correlates with the dopaminergic innervation pattern in the frontal cortex. Together, our results demonstrate that developmental exposure to psychostimulant amphetamine induces long-lasting chromatin changes and primes activity-dependent Arc gene induction. These findings reveal the molecular targets of psychostimulant during perinatal development that may contribute to long-term psychiatric risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhou Ye
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892
| | - Qing Liu
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892
| | - Wenyu Zhang
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892
| | - Surjeet Mastwal
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892
| | - Kuan Hong Wang
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892
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23
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Chen H, Amazit L, Lombès M, Le Menuet D. Crosstalk Between Glucocorticoid Receptor and Early-growth Response Protein 1 Accounts for Repression of Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor Transcript 4 Expression. Neuroscience 2018; 399:12-27. [PMID: 30578973 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a key player in brain functions such as synaptic plasticity, stress, and behavior. Its gene structure in rodents contains 8 untranslated exons (I to VIII) whose expression is finely regulated and which spliced onto a common and unique translated exon IX. Altered Bdnf expression is associated with many pathologies such as depression, Alzheimer's disease and addiction. Through binding to glucocorticoid receptor (GR), glucocorticoids play a pivotal role for stress responses, mood and neuronal plasticity. We recently showed in neuronal primary culture and in the immortalized neuronal-like BZ cells that GR repressed Bdnf expression, notably the bdnf exon IV containing mRNA isoform (Bdnf4) via GR binding to a short 275-bp sequence of Bdnf promoter. Herein, we demonstrate by transient transfection experiments and mutagenesis in BZ cells that GR interacts with an early growth response protein 1 (EGR1) response element (EGR-RE) located in the transcription start site of Bdnf exon IV promoter. Using Chromatin Immunoprecipitation, we find that both GR and EGR1 bind to this promoter sequence in a glucocorticoid-dependent manner and demonstrate by co-immunoprecipitation that GR and EGR1 are interacting physically. Interestingly, EGR1 has been widely characterized as a regulator of brain plasticity. In conclusion, we deciphered a mechanism by which GR downregulates Bdnf expression, identifying a novel functional crosstalk between glucocorticoid pathways, immediate early growth response proteins and Bdnf. As all these factors are well-recognized germane for brain pathophysiology, these findings may have significant implications in neurosciences as well as in therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chen
- Inserm 1185, Fac Med Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Larbi Amazit
- UMS-32, Institut Biomédical de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Marc Lombès
- Inserm 1185, Fac Med Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France; Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Service d'Endocrinologie et des Maladies de la Reproduction, Le Kremlin Bicêtre F-94275, France
| | - Damien Le Menuet
- Inserm 1185, Fac Med Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
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24
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Maple AM, Rowe RK, Lifshitz J, Fernandez F, Gallitano AL. Influence of Schizophrenia-Associated Gene Egr3 on Sleep Behavior and Circadian Rhythms in Mice. J Biol Rhythms 2018; 33:662-670. [PMID: 30318979 DOI: 10.1177/0748730418803802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Up to 80% of people meeting DSM-IV definitions for schizophrenia will exhibit difficulties with sleep, along with a breakdown in circadian entrainment and rhythmicity. The changes to the sleep and circadian systems in this population are thought to be interdependent, as evidenced by the frequent use of the combined term "sleep and circadian rhythm disruption" or "SCRD" to describe their occurrence. To understand links between sleep and circadian problems in the schizophrenia population, we analyzed the duration and rhythmicity of sleep behavior in mice lacking function of the immediate early gene early growth response 3 ( Egr3). EGR3 has been associated with schizophrenia risk in humans, and Egr3-deficient (-/-) mice display various features of schizophrenia that are responsive to antipsychotic treatment. While Egr3-/- mice slept less than their wildtype (WT) littermates, they showed no evidence of circadian disorganization; in fact, circadian rhythms of activity were more robust in these mice compared with WT, as measured by time series analysis and the relative amplitude index of Van Someren's suite of non-parametric circadian rhythm analyses. Differences in circadian robustness were maintained when the animals were transferred to several weeks of housing under constant darkness or constant light. Together, our results suggest that Egr3-/- mice retain control over the circadian timekeeping of sleep and wake, while showing impaired sleep. The findings are compatible with those from a surprising array of mouse models of schizophrenia and raise the possibility that SCRD may be 2 separate disorders in the schizophrenia population requiring different treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Maple
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Rachel K Rowe
- Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona.,Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona.,Phoenix Veteran Affairs Health Care System, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Jonathan Lifshitz
- Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona.,Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona.,Phoenix Veteran Affairs Health Care System, Phoenix, Arizona.,Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Fabian Fernandez
- Departments of Psychology and Neurology, BIO5 Institute, and The Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Amelia L Gallitano
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona.,Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
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25
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Zhao J, Liu X, Huo C, Zhao T, Ye H. Abnormalities in Prefrontal Cortical Gene Expression Profiles Relevant to Schizophrenia in MK-801-Exposed C57BL/6 Mice. Neuroscience 2018; 390:60-78. [PMID: 30102956 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.07.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
MK-801, a non-competitive NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonist, disturbs NMDAR function in rodents and induces psychological and behavioral changes similar to schizophrenia (SCZ). However, the effects of MK-801 treatment on gene expression are largely unknown. Here we performed RNA-sequencing on the prefrontal cortex of MK-801-exposed male mice in order to analyze gene expression and co-expression patterns related to SCZ and to identify mechanisms that underlie the molecular etiology of this disorder. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes were more often associated with biological processes that included postsynaptic transmission, immune system process, response to external stimulus and hemostasis. In order to extract comprehensive biological information, we used an approach for biclustering, called FABIA, to simultaneously cluster transcriptomic data across genes and conditions. When combined with analyses using DAVID and STRING databases, we found that co-expression patterns were altered in synapse-related genes and genes central to the mitochondrial network. Abnormal co-expression of genes mediating synaptic vesicle cycling could disturb release, uptake and reuptake of glutamate, and the perturbation in co-expression patterns for mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes was extensive. Our study supports the hypothesis that research using MK-801-exposed male mice as an animal model of SCZ offers important insights into the pathogenesis of SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialu Zhao
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Xu Liu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Chunyue Huo
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Yanjing Medical College, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Tian Zhao
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Haihong Ye
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Center of Schizophrenia, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
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26
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Meyers KT, Marballi KK, Brunwasser SJ, Renda B, Charbel M, Marrone DF, Gallitano AL. The Immediate Early Gene Egr3 Is Required for Hippocampal Induction of Bdnf by Electroconvulsive Stimulation. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:92. [PMID: 29867393 PMCID: PMC5958205 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Early growth response 3 (Egr3) is an immediate early gene (IEG) that is regulated downstream of a cascade of genes associated with risk for psychiatric disorders, and dysfunction of Egr3 itself has been implicated in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. As an activity-dependent transcription factor, EGR3 is poised to regulate the neuronal expression of target genes in response to environmental events. In the current study, we sought to identify a downstream target of EGR3 with the goal of further elucidating genes in this biological pathway relevant for psychiatric illness risk. We used electroconvulsive stimulation (ECS) to induce high-level expression of IEGs in the brain, and conducted expression microarray to identify genes differentially regulated in the hippocampus of Egr3-deficient (-/-) mice compared to their wildtype (WT) littermates. Our results replicated previous work showing that ECS induces high-level expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) in the hippocampus of WT mice. However, we found that this induction is absent in Egr3-/- mice. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) validated the microarray results (performed in males) and replicated the findings in two separate cohorts of female mice. Follow-up studies of activity-dependent Bdnf exons demonstrated that ECS-induced expression of both exons IV and VI requires Egr3. In situ hybridization demonstrated high-level cellular expression of Bdnf in the hippocampal dentate gyrus following ECS in WT, but not Egr3-/-, mice. Bdnf promoter analysis revealed eight putative EGR3 binding sites in the Bdnf promoter, suggesting a mechanism through which EGR3 may directly regulate Bdnf gene expression. These findings do not appear to result from a defect in the development of hippocampal neurons in Egr3-/- mice, as cell counts in tissue sections stained with anti-NeuN antibodies, a neuron-specific marker, did not differ between Egr3-/- and WT mice. In addition, Sholl analysis and counts of dendritic spines in golgi-stained hippocampal sections revealed no difference in dendritic morphology or synaptic spine density in Egr3-/-, compared to WT, mice. These findings indicate that Egr3 is required for ECS-induced expression of Bdnf in the hippocampus and suggest that Bdnf may be a downstream gene in our previously identified biologically pathway for psychiatric illness susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly T Meyers
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, United States.,Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Ketan K Marballi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Samuel J Brunwasser
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, United States.,Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Briana Renda
- Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Milad Charbel
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, United States.,Barrett, The Honors college, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Diano F Marrone
- Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada.,Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Amelia L Gallitano
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, United States
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