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Mayfield JM, Hitefield NL, Czajewski I, Vanhye L, Holden L, Morava E, van Aalten DMF, Wells L. O-GlcNAc transferase congenital disorder of glycosylation (OGT-CDG): Potential mechanistic targets revealed by evaluating the OGT interactome. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107599. [PMID: 39059494 PMCID: PMC11381892 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) is the sole enzyme responsible for the post-translational modification of O-GlcNAc on thousands of target nucleocytoplasmic proteins. To date, nine variants of OGT that segregate with OGT Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation (OGT-CDG) have been reported and characterized. Numerous additional variants have been associated with OGT-CDG, some of which are currently undergoing investigation. This disorder primarily presents with global developmental delay and intellectual disability (ID), alongside other variable neurological features and subtle facial dysmorphisms in patients. Several hypotheses aim to explain the etiology of OGT-CDG, with a prominent hypothesis attributing the pathophysiology of OGT-CDG to mutations segregating with this disorder disrupting the OGT interactome. The OGT interactome consists of thousands of proteins, including substrates as well as interactors that require noncatalytic functions of OGT. A key aim in the field is to identify which interactors and substrates contribute to the primarily neural-specific phenotype of OGT-CDG. In this review, we will discuss the heterogenous phenotypic features of OGT-CDG seen clinically, the variable biochemical effects of mutations associated with OGT-CDG, and the use of animal models to understand this disorder. Furthermore, we will discuss how previously identified OGT interactors causal for ID provide mechanistic targets for investigation that could explain the dysregulated gene expression seen in OGT-CDG models. Identifying shared or unique altered pathways impacted in OGT-CDG patients will provide a better understanding of the disorder as well as potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnathan M Mayfield
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Naomi L Hitefield
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Lotte Vanhye
- Department of Clinical Genomics and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Laura Holden
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Eva Morava
- Department of Clinical Genomics and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Daan M F van Aalten
- School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Lance Wells
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
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2
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Kapanaiah SKT, Rosenbrock H, Hengerer B, Kätzel D. Neural effects of dopaminergic compounds revealed by multi-site electrophysiology and interpretable machine-learning. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1412725. [PMID: 39045050 PMCID: PMC11263031 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1412725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Neuropsychopharmacological compounds may exert complex brain-wide effects due to an anatomically and genetically broad expression of their molecular targets and indirect effects via interconnected brain circuits. Electrophysiological measurements in multiple brain regions using electroencephalography (EEG) or local field potential (LFP) depth-electrodes may record fingerprints of such pharmacologically-induced changes in local activity and interregional connectivity (pEEG/pLFP). However, in order to reveal such patterns comprehensively and potentially derive mechanisms of therapeutic pharmacological effects, both activity and connectivity have to be estimated for many brain regions. This entails the problem that hundreds of electrophysiological parameters are derived from a typically small number of subjects, making frequentist statistics ill-suited for their analysis. Methods We here present an optimized interpretable machine-learning (ML) approach which relies on predictive power in individual recording sequences to extract and quantify the robustness of compound-induced neural changes from multi-site recordings using Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) values. To evaluate this approach, we recorded LFPs in mediodorsal thalamus (MD), prefrontal cortex (PFC), dorsal hippocampus (CA1 and CA3), and ventral hippocampus (vHC) of mice after application of amphetamine or of the dopaminergic antagonists clozapine, raclopride, or SCH23390, for which effects on directed neural communication between those brain structures were so far unknown. Results Our approach identified complex patterns of neurophysiological changes induced by each of these compounds, which were reproducible across time intervals, doses (where tested), and ML algorithms. We found, for example, that the action of clozapine in the analysed cortico-thalamo-hippocampal network entails a larger share of D1-as opposed to D2-receptor induced effects, and that the D2-antagonist raclopride reconfigures connectivity in the delta-frequency band. Furthermore, the effects of amphetamine and clozapine were surprisingly similar in terms of decreasing thalamic input to PFC and vHC, and vHC activity, whereas an increase of dorsal-hippocampal communication and of thalamic activity distinguished amphetamine from all tested anti-dopaminergic drugs. Conclusion Our study suggests that communication from the dorsal hippocampus scales proportionally with dopamine receptor activation and demonstrates, more generally, the high complexity of neuropharmacological effects on the circuit level. We envision that the presented approach can aid in the standardization and improved data extraction in pEEG/pLFP-studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Holger Rosenbrock
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Div. Research Germany, Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Bastian Hengerer
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Div. Research Germany, Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Dennis Kätzel
- Institute of Applied Physiology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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3
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Hughes DN, Klein MH, Walder-Christensen KK, Thomas GE, Grossman Y, Waters D, Matthews AE, Carson WE, Filali Y, Tsyglakova M, Fink A, Gallagher NM, Perez-Balaguer M, McClung CA, Zarate JM, Hultman RC, Mague SD, Carlson DE, Dzirasa K. A widespread electrical brain network encodes anxiety in health and depressive states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.26.600900. [PMID: 38979139 PMCID: PMC11230447 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.26.600900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
In rodents, anxiety is charactered by heightened vigilance during low-threat and uncertain situations. Though activity in the frontal cortex and limbic system are fundamental to supporting this internal state, the underlying network architecture that integrates activity across brain regions to encode anxiety across animals and paradigms remains unclear. Here, we utilize parallel electrical recordings in freely behaving mice, translational paradigms known to induce anxiety, and machine learning to discover a multi-region network that encodes the anxious brain-state. The network is composed of circuits widely implicated in anxiety behavior, it generalizes across many behavioral contexts that induce anxiety, and it fails to encode multiple behavioral contexts that do not. Strikingly, the activity of this network is also principally altered in two mouse models of depression. Thus, we establish a network-level process whereby the brain encodes anxiety in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalton N Hughes
- Dept. of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Michael Hunter Klein
- Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham North Carolina 27708, USA
| | | | - Gwenaëlle E Thomas
- Dept. of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Yael Grossman
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Diana Waters
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Anna E Matthews
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - William E Carson
- Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Yassine Filali
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242 USA
| | - Mariya Tsyglakova
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Alexandra Fink
- Dept. of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Neil M Gallagher
- Dept. of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Masiel Perez-Balaguer
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Colleen A McClung
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Jean Mary Zarate
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Rainbo C Hultman
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242 USA
| | - Stephen D Mague
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - David E Carlson
- Dept. of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
- Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham North Carolina 27708, USA
- Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham North Carolina 27708, USA
- Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Kafui Dzirasa
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815, USA
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
- Dept. of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
- Dept. of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
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4
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Volitaki E, Forro T, Li K, Nevian T, Ciocchi S. Activity of ventral hippocampal parvalbumin interneurons during anxiety. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114295. [PMID: 38796850 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Anxiety plays a key role in guiding behavior in response to potential threats. Anxiety is mediated by the activation of pyramidal neurons in the ventral hippocampus (vH), whose activity is controlled by GABAergic inhibitory interneurons. However, how different vH interneurons might contribute to anxiety-related processes is unclear. Here, we investigate the role of vH parvalbumin (PV)-expressing interneurons while mice transition from safe to more anxiogenic compartments of the elevated plus maze (EPM). We find that vH PV interneurons increase their activity in anxiogenic EPM compartments concomitant with dynamic changes in inhibitory interactions between PV interneurons and pyramidal neurons. By optogenetically inhibiting PV interneurons, we induce an increase in the activity of vH pyramidal neurons and persistent anxiety. Collectively, our results suggest that vH inhibitory microcircuits may act as a trigger for enduring anxiety states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouela Volitaki
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bühlplatz 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Forro
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bühlplatz 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Kaizhen Li
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bühlplatz 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Nevian
- Neuronal Plasticity Group, Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bühlplatz 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Ciocchi
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bühlplatz 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
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5
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Kember J, Patenaude P, Sweatman H, Van Schaik L, Tabuenca Z, Chai XJ. Specialization of anterior and posterior hippocampal functional connectivity differs in autism. Autism Res 2024; 17:1126-1139. [PMID: 38770780 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3170] [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: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Structural and functional differences in the hippocampus have been related to the episodic memory and social impairments observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In neurotypical individuals, hippocampal-cortical functional connectivity systematically varies between anterior and posterior hippocampus, with changes observed during typical development. It remains unknown whether this specialization of anterior-posterior hippocampal connectivity is disrupted in ASD, and whether age-related differences in this specialization exist in ASD. We examined connectivity of the anterior and posterior hippocampus in an ASD (N = 139) and non-autistic comparison group (N = 133) aged 5-21 using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from the Healthy Brain Network (HBN). Consistent with previous results, we observed lower connectivity between the whole hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex in ASD. Moreover, preferential connectivity of the posterior relative to the anterior hippocampus for memory-sensitive regions in posterior parietal cortex was reduced in ASD, demonstrating a weaker anterior-posterior specialization of hippocampal-cortical connectivity. Finally, connectivity between the posterior hippocampus and precuneus negatively correlated with age in the ASD group but remained stable in the comparison group, suggesting an altered developmental specialization. Together, these differences in hippocampal-cortical connectivity may help us understand the neurobiological basis of the memory and social impairments found in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Kember
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - P Patenaude
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - H Sweatman
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - L Van Schaik
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Z Tabuenca
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Statistics, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - X J Chai
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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6
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Ruggiero RN, Marques DB, Rossignoli MT, De Ross JB, Prizon T, Beraldo IJS, Bueno-Junior LS, Kandratavicius L, Peixoto-Santos JE, Lopes-Aguiar C, Leite JP. Dysfunctional hippocampal-prefrontal network underlies a multidimensional neuropsychiatric phenotype following early-life seizure. eLife 2024; 12:RP90997. [PMID: 38593008 PMCID: PMC11003745 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90997] [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] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain disturbances during development can have a lasting impact on neural function and behavior. Seizures during this critical period are linked to significant long-term consequences such as neurodevelopmental disorders, cognitive impairments, and psychiatric symptoms, resulting in a complex spectrum of multimorbidity. The hippocampus-prefrontal cortex (HPC-PFC) circuit emerges as a potential common link between such disorders. However, the mechanisms underlying these outcomes and how they relate to specific behavioral alterations are unclear. We hypothesized that specific dysfunctions of hippocampal-cortical communication due to early-life seizure would be associated with distinct behavioral alterations observed in adulthood. Here, we performed a multilevel study to investigate behavioral, electrophysiological, histopathological, and neurochemical long-term consequences of early-life Status epilepticus in male rats. We show that adult animals submitted to early-life seizure (ELS) present working memory impairments and sensorimotor disturbances, such as hyperlocomotion, poor sensorimotor gating, and sensitivity to psychostimulants despite not exhibiting neuronal loss. Surprisingly, cognitive deficits were linked to an aberrant increase in the HPC-PFC long-term potentiation (LTP) in a U-shaped manner, while sensorimotor alterations were associated with heightened neuroinflammation, as verified by glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression, and altered dopamine neurotransmission. Furthermore, ELS rats displayed impaired HPC-PFC theta-gamma coordination and an abnormal brain state during active behavior resembling rapid eye movement (REM) sleep oscillatory dynamics. Our results point to impaired HPC-PFC functional connectivity as a possible pathophysiological mechanism by which ELS can cause cognitive deficits and psychiatric-like manifestations even without neuronal loss, bearing translational implications for understanding the spectrum of multidimensional developmental disorders linked to early-life seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Naime Ruggiero
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloRibeirão PretoBrazil
| | - Danilo Benette Marques
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloRibeirão PretoBrazil
| | - Matheus Teixeira Rossignoli
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloRibeirão PretoBrazil
| | - Jana Batista De Ross
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloRibeirão PretoBrazil
| | - Tamiris Prizon
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloRibeirão PretoBrazil
| | - Ikaro Jesus Silva Beraldo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics Federal University of Minas GeraisBelo HorizonteBrazil
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience (LANEC), Federal University of Minas GeraisBelo HorizonteBrazil
| | | | | | - Jose Eduardo Peixoto-Santos
- Neuroscience Discipline, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery,Universidade Federal de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Cleiton Lopes-Aguiar
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics Federal University of Minas GeraisBelo HorizonteBrazil
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience (LANEC), Federal University of Minas GeraisBelo HorizonteBrazil
| | - Joao Pereira Leite
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloRibeirão PretoBrazil
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7
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El-Kadi RA, AbdelKader NF, Zaki HF, Kamel AS. Vilazodone Alleviates Neurogenesis-Induced Anxiety in the Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress Female Rat Model: Role of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04142-3. [PMID: 38584231 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04142-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Defective β-catenin signaling is accompanied with compensatory neurogenesis process that may pave to anxiety. β-Catenin has a distinct role in alleviating anxiety in adolescence; however, it undergoes degradation by the degradation complex Axin and APC. Vilazodone (VZ) is a fast, effective antidepressant with SSRI activity and 5-HT1A partial agonism that amends somatic and/or psychic symptoms of anxiety. Yet, there is no data about anxiolytic effect of VZ on anxiety-related neurogenesis provoked by stress-reduced β-catenin signaling. Furthermore, females have specific susceptibility toward psychopathology. The aim of the present study is to uncover the molecular mechanism of VZ relative to Wnt/β-catenin signaling in female rats. Stress-induced anxiety was conducted by subjecting the rats to different stressful stimuli for 21 days. On the 15th day, stressed rats were treated with VZ(10 mg/kg, p.o.) alone or concomitant with the Wnt inhibitor: XAV939 (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.). Anxious rats showed low β-catenin level turned over by Axin-1 with unanticipated reduction of APC pursued with elevated protein levels of neurogenesis-stimulating proteins: c-Myc and pThr183-Erk likewise gene expressions of miR-17-5p and miR-18. Two weeks of VZ treatment showed anxiolytic effect figured by alleviation of hippocampal histological examination. VZ protected β-catenin signal via reduction in Axin-1 and elevation of APC conjugated with modulation of β-catenin downstream targets. The cytoplasmic β-catenin turnover by Axin-1 was restored by XAV939. Herein, VZ showed anti-anxiety effect, which may be in part through regaining the balance of the reduced β-catenin and its subsequent exaggerated response of p-Erk, c-Myc, Dicer-1, miR-17-5p, and miR-18.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana A El-Kadi
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El-Aini, Cairo, 11562, Egypt
- Alexandria University Hospitals, Champollion Street, El-Khartoum Square, El Azareeta, Alexandria, 21131, Egypt
| | - Noha F AbdelKader
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El-Aini, Cairo, 11562, Egypt
| | - Hala F Zaki
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El-Aini, Cairo, 11562, Egypt
| | - Ahmed S Kamel
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El-Aini, Cairo, 11562, Egypt.
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8
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Jackson AD, Cohen JL, Phensy AJ, Chang EF, Dawes HE, Sohal VS. Amygdala-hippocampus somatostatin interneuron beta-synchrony underlies a cross-species biomarker of emotional state. Neuron 2024; 112:1182-1195.e5. [PMID: 38266646 PMCID: PMC10994747 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.12.017] [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: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Emotional responses arise from limbic circuits including the hippocampus and amygdala. In the human brain, beta-frequency communication between these structures correlates with self-reported mood and anxiety. However, both the mechanism and significance of this biomarker as a readout vs. driver of emotional state remain unknown. Here, we show that beta-frequency communication between ventral hippocampus and basolateral amygdala also predicts anxiety-related behavior in mice, both on long timescales (∼30 min) and immediately preceding behavioral choices. Genetically encoded voltage indicators reveal that this biomarker reflects synchronization between somatostatin interneurons across both structures. Indeed, synchrony between these neurons dynamically predicts approach-avoidance decisions, and optogenetically shifting the phase of synchronization by just 25 ms is sufficient to bidirectionally modulate anxiety-related behaviors. Thus, back-translation establishes a human biomarker as a causal determinant (not just predictor) of emotional state, revealing a novel mechanism whereby interregional synchronization that is frequency, phase, and cell type specific controls emotional processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Jackson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0444, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0444, USA
| | - Joshua L Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0444, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0444, USA
| | - Aarron J Phensy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0444, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0444, USA
| | - Edward F Chang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0444, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0444, USA
| | - Heather E Dawes
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0444, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0444, USA
| | - Vikaas S Sohal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0444, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0444, USA.
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9
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Jiao D, Xu Y, Tian F, Zhou Y, Chen D, Wang Y. Establishment of animal models and behavioral studies for autism spectrum disorders. J Int Med Res 2024; 52:3000605241245293. [PMID: 38619175 PMCID: PMC11022675 DOI: 10.1177/03000605241245293] [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: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased, but the etiology and pathogenesis remain unclear. In this narrative review, we review and systematically summarize the methods used to construct animal models to study ASD and the related behavioral studies based on recent literature. Utilization of various ASD animal models can complement research on the etiology, pathogenesis, and core behaviors of ASD, providing information and a foundation for further basic research and clinical treatment of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiyan Jiao
- Department of Rehabilitation, Affiliated Hai'an Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
- Department of Acupuncture, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yingkai Xu
- Department of Medicine, Hai’an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nantong, China
| | - Fei Tian
- Department of Medical Imaging, Hai’an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nantong, China
| | - Yaqing Zhou
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hai’an Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Dong Chen
- Department of Acupuncture, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yujue Wang
- Department of Paediatrics, Rugao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nantong, China
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10
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Frost NA, Donohue KC, Sohal V. Context-invariant socioemotional encoding by prefrontal ensembles. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.19.563015. [PMID: 37961143 PMCID: PMC10634670 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.19.563015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex plays a key role in social interactions, anxiety-related avoidance, and flexible context- dependent behaviors, raising the question: how do prefrontal neurons represent socioemotional information across different environments? Are contextual and socioemotional representations segregated or intermixed, and does this cause socioemotional encoding to remap or generalize across environments? To address this, we imaged neuronal activity in the medial prefrontal cortex of mice engaged in social interactions or anxiety-related avoidance within different environments. Neuronal ensembles representing context and social interaction overlapped more than expected while remaining orthogonal. Anxiety-related representations similarly generalized across environments while remaining orthogonal to contextual information. This shows how prefrontal cortex multiplexes parallel information streams using the same neurons, rather than distinct subcircuits, achieving context-invariant encoding despite context-specific reorganization of population-level activity.
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11
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Király B, Domonkos A, Jelitai M, Lopes-Dos-Santos V, Martínez-Bellver S, Kocsis B, Schlingloff D, Joshi A, Salib M, Fiáth R, Barthó P, Ulbert I, Freund TF, Viney TJ, Dupret D, Varga V, Hangya B. The medial septum controls hippocampal supra-theta oscillations. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6159. [PMID: 37816713 PMCID: PMC10564782 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41746-0] [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: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal theta oscillations orchestrate faster beta-to-gamma oscillations facilitating the segmentation of neural representations during navigation and episodic memory. Supra-theta rhythms of hippocampal CA1 are coordinated by local interactions as well as inputs from the entorhinal cortex (EC) and CA3 inputs. However, theta-nested gamma-band activity in the medial septum (MS) suggests that the MS may control supra-theta CA1 oscillations. To address this, we performed multi-electrode recordings of MS and CA1 activity in rodents and found that MS neuron firing showed strong phase-coupling to theta-nested supra-theta episodes and predicted changes in CA1 beta-to-gamma oscillations on a cycle-by-cycle basis. Unique coupling patterns of anatomically defined MS cell types suggested that indirect MS-to-CA1 pathways via the EC and CA3 mediate distinct CA1 gamma-band oscillations. Optogenetic activation of MS parvalbumin-expressing neurons elicited theta-nested beta-to-gamma oscillations in CA1. Thus, the MS orchestrates hippocampal network activity at multiple temporal scales to mediate memory encoding and retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bálint Király
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Biological Physics, Institute of Physics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Andor Domonkos
- Subcortical Modulation Research Group, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márta Jelitai
- Subcortical Modulation Research Group, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Vítor Lopes-Dos-Santos
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sergio Martínez-Bellver
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Barnabás Kocsis
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dániel Schlingloff
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Abhilasha Joshi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Minas Salib
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Richárd Fiáth
- Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Barthó
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - István Ulbert
- Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás F Freund
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tim J Viney
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David Dupret
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Viktor Varga
- Subcortical Modulation Research Group, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Hangya
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
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12
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Sun X, Zhang T, Tong B, Cheng L, Jiang W, Sun Y. POGZ suppresses 2C transcriptional program and retrotransposable elements. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112867. [PMID: 37494184 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The POGZ gene has been found frequently mutated in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). We have recently shown that POGZ maintains mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, the exact mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show that POGZ plays an important role in the maintenance of ESCs by silencing Dux and endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). POGZ maintains a silent chromatin state at Dux and ERVs by associating with and recruiting TRIM28 and SETDB1, and its loss leads to decreased levels of H3K9me3/H4K20me3, resulting in up-regulation of 2C transcripts and ESC transition to a 2C-like state. POGZ suppresses different classes of ERVs through direct (IAPEy, the intracisternal A-type particle elements) and indirect regulation (MERVL). Activation of POGZ-bound ERVs is associated with up-regulation of nearby neural disease genes such as Serpina3m. Our findings provide important insights into understanding the disease mechanism caused by POGZ dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyun Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China
| | - Tianzhe Zhang
- Department of Biological Repositories, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Bei Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China
| | - Linxi Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China
| | - Wei Jiang
- Department of Biological Repositories, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yuhua Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China; The Innovation of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China.
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13
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Günther A, Hanganu-Opatz IL. Neuronal oscillations: early biomarkers of psychiatric disease? Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1038981. [PMID: 36600993 PMCID: PMC9806131 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1038981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the environmental and genetic factors contributing to the wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders has significantly increased in recent years. Impairment of neuronal network activity during early development has been suggested as a contributor to the emergence of neuropsychiatric pathologies later in life. Still, the neurobiological substrates underlying these disorders remain yet to be fully understood and the lack of biomarkers for early diagnosis has impeded research into curative treatment options. Here, we briefly review current knowledge on potential biomarkers for emerging neuropsychiatric disease. Moreover, we summarize recent findings on aberrant activity patterns in the context of psychiatric disease, with a particular focus on their potential as early biomarkers of neuropathologies, an essential step towards pre-symptomatic diagnosis and, thus, early intervention.
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14
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Kupferschmidt DA, Cummings KA, Joffe ME, MacAskill A, Malik R, Sánchez-Bellot C, Tejeda HA, Yarur Castillo H. Prefrontal Interneurons: Populations, Pathways, and Plasticity Supporting Typical and Disordered Cognition in Rodent Models. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8468-8476. [PMID: 36351822 PMCID: PMC9665918 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1136-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prefrontal cortex (PFC) inhibitory microcircuits regulate the gain and timing of pyramidal neuron firing, coordinate neural ensemble interactions, and gate local and long-range neural communication to support adaptive cognition and contextually tuned behavior. Accordingly, perturbations of PFC inhibitory microcircuits are thought to underlie dysregulated cognition and behavior in numerous psychiatric diseases and relevant animal models. This review, based on a Mini-Symposium presented at the 2022 Society for Neuroscience Meeting, highlights recent studies providing novel insights into: (1) discrete medial PFC (mPFC) interneuron populations in the mouse brain; (2) mPFC interneuron connections with, and regulation of, long-range mPFC afferents; and (3) circuit-specific plasticity of mPFC interneurons. The contributions of such populations, pathways, and plasticity to rodent cognition are discussed in the context of stress, reward, motivational conflict, and genetic mutations relevant to psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Kupferschmidt
- Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
| | - Kirstie A Cummings
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, 35233
| | - Max E Joffe
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213
| | - Andrew MacAskill
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom, WC1E 6BT
| | - Ruchi Malik
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, 94158
| | - Candela Sánchez-Bellot
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom, WC1E 6BT
- Laboratorio de Circuitos Neuronales, Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain, 28002
| | - Hugo A Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
| | - Hector Yarur Castillo
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
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15
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Shing N, Walker MC, Chang P. The Role of Aberrant Neural Oscillations in the Hippocampal-Medial Prefrontal Cortex Circuit in Neurodevelopmental and Neurological Disorders. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 195:107683. [PMID: 36174886 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus (HPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) have well-established roles in cognition, emotion, and sensory processing. In recent years, interests have shifted towards developing a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying interactions between the HPC and mPFC in achieving these functions. Considerable research supports the idea that synchronized activity between the HPC and the mPFC is a general mechanism by which brain functions are regulated. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the hippocampal-medial prefrontal cortex (HPC-mPFC) circuit in normal brain function with a focus on oscillations and highlight several neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders associated with aberrant HPC-mPFC circuitry. We further discuss oscillatory dynamics across the HPC-mPFC circuit as potentially useful biomarkers to assess interventions for neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders. Finally, advancements in brain stimulation, gene therapy and pharmacotherapy are explored as promising therapies for disorders with aberrant HPC-mPFC circuit dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathanael Shing
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK; Department of Medicine, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR17BH, UK
| | - Matthew C Walker
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Pishan Chang
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT.
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16
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Sun X, Cheng L, Sun Y. Autism-associated protein POGZ controls ESCs and ESC neural induction by association with esBAF. Mol Autism 2022; 13:24. [PMID: 35650610 PMCID: PMC9161502 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00502-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The POGZ gene has been found frequently mutated in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). However, little is known about its roles in embryonic stem cells (ESCs), neural development and diseases. Methods We generated Pogz−/− ESCs and directed ESC differentiation toward a neural fate. We performed biochemistry, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, and bioinformatics analyses to understand the role of POGZ. Results We show that POGZ is required for the maintenance of ESC identity and the up-regulation of neural genes during ESC differentiation toward a neural fate. Genome-wide binding analysis shows that POGZ is primarily localized to gene promoter and enhancer regions. POGZ functions as both a transcriptional activator and repressor, and its loss leads to deregulation of differentiation genes, including neural genes. POGZ physically associates with the SWI-SNF (esBAF) chromatin remodeler complex, and together they modulate enhancer activities via epigenetic modifications such as chromatin remodeling and histone modification. During ESC neural induction, POGZ-mediated recruitment of esBAF/BRG1 and H3K27ac are important for proper expression of neural progenitor genes. Limitations The genotype and allele relevant to human neurodevelopmental disorders is heterozygous loss of function. This work is designed to study the effects of loss of POGZ function on ESCs and during ESC neural induction. Also, this work lacks of in vivo validation using animal models. Conclusions The data suggest that POGZ is both a transcription factor and a genome regulator, and its loss leads to defects in neural induction and neurogenesis. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-022-00502-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyun Sun
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Linxi Cheng
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430070, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100010, China
| | - Yuhua Sun
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430070, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100010, China. .,Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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17
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Malik R, Li Y, Schamiloglu S, Sohal VS. Top-down control of hippocampal signal-to-noise by prefrontal long-range inhibition. Cell 2022; 185:1602-1617.e17. [PMID: 35487191 PMCID: PMC10027400 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortex (PFC) is postulated to exert "top-down control" on information processing throughout the brain to promote specific behaviors. However, pathways mediating top-down control remain poorly understood. In particular, knowledge about direct prefrontal connections that might facilitate top-down control of hippocampal information processing remains sparse. Here we describe monosynaptic long-range GABAergic projections from PFC to hippocampus. These preferentially inhibit vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-expressing interneurons, which are known to disinhibit hippocampal microcircuits. Indeed, stimulating prefrontal-hippocampal GABAergic projections increases hippocampal feedforward inhibition and reduces hippocampal activity in vivo. The net effect of these actions is to specifically enhance the signal-to-noise ratio for hippocampal encoding of object locations and augment object-induced increases in spatial information. Correspondingly, activating or inhibiting these projections promotes or suppresses object exploration, respectively. Together, these results elucidate a top-down prefrontal pathway in which long-range GABAergic projections target disinhibitory microcircuits, thereby enhancing signals and network dynamics underlying exploratory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruchi Malik
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Selin Schamiloglu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vikaas S Sohal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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18
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Levi H, Rahmanian N, Elkon R, Shamir R. The DOMINO web-server for active module identification analysis. Bioinformatics 2022; 38:2364-2366. [PMID: 35139202 PMCID: PMC9004647 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btac067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Active module identification (AMI) is an essential step in many omics analyses. Such algorithms receive a gene network and a gene activity profile as input and report subnetworks that show significant over-representation of accrued activity signal ('active modules'). Such modules can point out key molecular processes in the analyzed biological conditions. RESULTS We recently introduced a novel AMI algorithm called DOMINO and demonstrated that it detects active modules that capture biological signals with markedly improved rate of empirical validation. Here, we provide an online server that executes DOMINO, making it more accessible and user-friendly. To help the interpretation of solutions, the server provides GO enrichment analysis, module visualizations and accessible output formats for customized downstream analysis. It also enables running DOMINO with various gene identifiers of different organisms. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The server is available at http://domino.cs.tau.ac.il. Its codebase is available at https://github.com/Shamir-Lab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagai Levi
- The Blavatnik School of Computer Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | | | - Ran Elkon
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. or
| | - Ron Shamir
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. or
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19
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Harnessing the Power of Stem Cell Models to Study Shared Genetic Variants in Congenital Heart Diseases and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030460. [PMID: 35159270 PMCID: PMC8833927 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) technology allow one to deconstruct the human body into specific disease-relevant cell types or create functional units representing various organs. hPSC-based models present a unique opportunity for the study of co-occurring disorders where “cause and effect” can be addressed. Poor neurodevelopmental outcomes have been reported in children with congenital heart diseases (CHD). Intuitively, abnormal cardiac function or surgical intervention may stunt the developing brain, leading to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). However, recent work has uncovered several genetic variants within genes associated with the development of both the heart and brain that could also explain this co-occurrence. Given the scalability of hPSCs, straightforward genetic modification, and established differentiation strategies, it is now possible to investigate both CHD and NDD as independent events. We will first overview the potential for shared genetics in both heart and brain development. We will then summarize methods to differentiate both cardiac & neural cells and organoids from hPSCs that represent the developmental process of the heart and forebrain. Finally, we will highlight strategies to rapidly screen several genetic variants together to uncover potential phenotypes and how therapeutic advances could be achieved by hPSC-based models.
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20
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Mack NR, Deng SX, Yang SS, Shu YS, Gao WJ. Prefrontal Cortical Control of Anxiety: Recent Advances. Neuroscientist 2022:10738584211069071. [PMID: 35086369 PMCID: PMC9869286 DOI: 10.1177/10738584211069071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex is commonly implicated in anxiety disorders, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Approach-avoidance conflict tasks have been extensively used in animal research to better understand how changes in neural activity within the prefrontal cortex contribute to avoidance behaviors, which are believed to play a major role in the maintenance of anxiety disorders. In this article, we first review studies utilizing in vivo electrophysiology to reveal the relationship between changes in neural activity and avoidance behavior in rodents. We then review recent studies that take advantage of optical and genetic techniques to test the unique contribution of specific prefrontal cortex circuits and cell types to the control of anxiety-related avoidance behaviors. This new body of work reveals that behavior during approach-avoidance conflict is dynamically modulated by individual cell types, distinct neural pathways, and specific oscillatory frequencies. The integration of these different pathways, particularly as mediated by interactions between excitatory and inhibitory neurons, represents an exciting opportunity for the future of understanding anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy R. Mack
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Sui-Xin Deng
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Sha-Sha Yang
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - You-Sheng Shu
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China,Corresponding author: You-Sheng Shu, Ph.D., Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, 131 Dong’an Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China, ; Wen-Jun Gao, M.D., Ph.D.,
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129,Corresponding author: You-Sheng Shu, Ph.D., Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, 131 Dong’an Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China, ; Wen-Jun Gao, M.D., Ph.D.,
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21
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Williams OOF, Coppolino M, Perreault ML. Sex differences in neuronal systems function and behaviour: beyond a single diagnosis in autism spectrum disorders. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:625. [PMID: 34887388 PMCID: PMC8660826 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01757-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that is associated with functional brain alterations that underlie the expression of behaviour. Males are diagnosed up to four times more than females, and sex differences have been identified in memory, cognitive flexibility, verbal fluency, and social communication. Unfortunately, there exists a lack of information on the sex-dependent mechanisms of ASD, as well as biological markers to distinguish sex-specific symptoms in ASD. This can often result in a standardized diagnosis for individuals across the spectrum, despite significant differences in the various ASD subtypes. Alterations in neuronal connectivity and oscillatory activity, such as is observed in ASD, are highly coupled to behavioural states. Yet, despite the well-identified sexual dimorphisms that exist in ASD, these functional patterns have rarely been analyzed in the context of sex differences or symptomology. This review summarizes alterations in neuronal oscillatory function in ASD, discusses the age, region, symptom and sex-specific differences that are currently observed across the spectrum, and potential targets for regulating neuronal oscillatory activity in ASD. The need to identify sex-specific biomarkers, in order to facilitate specific diagnostic criteria and allow for more targeted therapeutic approaches for ASD will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Melissa L Perreault
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
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22
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Markenscoff-Papadimitriou E, Binyameen F, Whalen S, Price J, Lim K, Ypsilanti AR, Catta-Preta R, Pai ELL, Mu X, Xu D, Pollard KS, Nord AS, State MW, Rubenstein JL. Autism risk gene POGZ promotes chromatin accessibility and expression of clustered synaptic genes. Cell Rep 2021; 37:110089. [PMID: 34879283 PMCID: PMC9512081 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Deleterious genetic variants in POGZ, which encodes the chromatin regulator Pogo Transposable Element with ZNF Domain protein, are strongly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although it is a high-confidence ASD risk gene, the neurodevelopmental functions of POGZ remain unclear. Here we reveal the genomic binding of POGZ in the developing forebrain at euchromatic loci and gene regulatory elements (REs). We profile chromatin accessibility and gene expression in Pogz-/- mice and show that POGZ promotes the active chromatin state and transcription of clustered synaptic genes. We further demonstrate that POGZ forms a nuclear complex and co-occupies loci with ADNP, another high-confidence ASD risk gene, and provide evidence that POGZ regulates other neurodevelopmental disorder risk genes as well. Our results reveal a neurodevelopmental function of an ASD risk gene and identify molecular targets that may elucidate its function in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirene Markenscoff-Papadimitriou
- Department of Psychiatry, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Fadya Binyameen
- Department of Psychiatry, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sean Whalen
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - James Price
- Department of Psychiatry, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth Lim
- Department of Psychiatry, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Athena R Ypsilanti
- Department of Psychiatry, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rinaldo Catta-Preta
- Departments of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Emily Ling-Lin Pai
- Department of Psychiatry, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Katherine S Pollard
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA; Institute for Computational Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Quantitative Biology Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alex S Nord
- Departments of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Matthew W State
- Department of Psychiatry, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John L Rubenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Cunniff MM, Markenscoff-Papadimitriou E, Ostrowski J, Rubenstein JLR, Sohal VS. Altered hippocampal-prefrontal communication during anxiety-related avoidance in mice deficient for the autism-associated gene Pogz. eLife 2020; 9:e54835. [PMID: 33155545 PMCID: PMC7682992 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Many genes have been linked to autism. However, it remains unclear what long-term changes in neural circuitry result from disruptions in these genes, and how these circuit changes might contribute to abnormal behaviors. To address these questions, we studied behavior and physiology in mice heterozygous for Pogz, a high confidence autism gene. Pogz+/- mice exhibit reduced anxiety-related avoidance in the elevated plus maze (EPM). Theta-frequency communication between the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is known to be necessary for normal avoidance in the EPM. We found deficient theta-frequency synchronization between the vHPC and mPFC in vivo. When we examined vHPC-mPFC communication at higher resolution, vHPC input onto prefrontal GABAergic interneurons was specifically disrupted, whereas input onto pyramidal neurons remained intact. These findings illustrate how the loss of a high confidence autism gene can impair long-range communication by causing inhibitory circuit dysfunction within pathways important for specific behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M Cunniff
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Eirene Markenscoff-Papadimitriou
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Julia Ostrowski
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - John LR Rubenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Vikaas Singh Sohal
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
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