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Daudelin D, Westerhaus A, Zhang N, Leyder E, Savonenko A, Sockanathan S. Loss of GDE2 leads to complex behavioral changes including memory impairment. Behav Brain Funct 2024; 20:7. [PMID: 38575965 PMCID: PMC10993612 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-024-00234-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD) are debilitating neurodegenerative diseases for which there are currently no cures. Familial cases with known genetic causes make up less than 10% of these diseases, and little is known about the underlying mechanisms that contribute to sporadic disease. Accordingly, it is important to expand investigations into possible pathways that may contribute to disease pathophysiology. Glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase 2 (GDE2 or GDPD5) is a membrane-bound enzyme that acts at the cell surface to cleave the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor that tethers distinct proteins to the membrane. GDE2 abnormally accumulates in intracellular compartments in the brain of patients with AD, ALS, and ALS/FTD, indicative of GDE2 dysfunction. Mice lacking GDE2 (Gde2KO) show neurodegenerative changes such as neuronal loss, reduced synaptic proteins and synapse loss, and increased Aβ deposition, raising the possibility that GDE2 disruption in disease might contribute to disease pathophysiology. However, the effect of GDE2 loss on behavioral function and learning/memory has not been characterized. RESULTS Here, we show that GDE2 is expressed throughout the adult mouse brain in areas including the cortex, hippocampus, habenula, thalamus, and amygdala. Gde2KO and WT mice were tested in a set of behavioral tasks between 7 and 16 months of age. Compared to WT, Gde2KO mice display moderate hyperactivity that becomes more pronounced with age across a variety of behavioral tests assessing novelty-induced exploratory activity. Additionally, Gde2KO mice show reduced startle response, with females showing additional defects in prepulse inhibition. No changes in anxiety-associated behaviors were found, but Gde2KOs show reduced sociability. Notably, aged Gde2KO mice demonstrate impaired short/long-term spatial memory and cued fear memory/secondary contextual fear acquisition. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these observations suggest that loss of GDE2 leads to behavioral deficits, some of which are seen in neurodegenerative disease models, implying that loss of GDE2 may be an important contributor to phenotypes associated with neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Daudelin
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, PCTB 1004, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Anna Westerhaus
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, PCTB 1004, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Nan Zhang
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, PCTB 1004, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Erica Leyder
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Graduate Program in Life Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Sensory-Motor Neuroscience (SMN), Center for Scientific Review, ICN Review Branch, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Suite 1010-F, Bethesda, MD, 20892 , USA.
| | - Shanthini Sockanathan
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, PCTB 1004, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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Roh SE, Xiao M, Delgado A, Kwak C, Savonenko A, Bakker A, Kwon HB, Worley P. Sleep and circadian rhythm disruption by NPTX2 loss of function. bioRxiv 2023:2023.09.26.559408. [PMID: 37808783 PMCID: PMC10557648 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.26.559408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Sleep and circadian rhythm disruption (SCRD) is commonly observed in aging, especially in individuals who experience progressive cognitive decline to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, precise molecular mechanisms underlying the association between SCRD and aging are not fully understood. Orexin A is a well-characterized "sleep neuropeptide" that is expressed in hypothalamic neurons and evokes wake behavior. The importance of Orexin is exemplified in narcolepsy where it is profoundly down-regulated. Interestingly, the synaptic immediate early gene NPTX2 is co-expressed in Orexin neurons and is similarly reduced in narcolepsy. NPTX2 is also down-regulated in CSF of some cognitively normal older individuals and predicts the time of transition from normal cognition to MCI. The association between Orexin and NPTX2 is further evinced here where we observe that Orexin A and NPTX2 are highly correlated in CSF of cognitively normal aged individuals and raises the question of whether SCRD that are typically attributed to Orexin A loss of function may be modified by concomitant NPTX2 down-regulation. Is NPTX2 an effector of sleep or simply a reporter of orexin-dependent SCRD? To address this question, we examined NPTX2 KO mice and found they retain Orexin expression in the brain and so provide an opportunity to examine the specific contribution of NPTX2 to SCRD. Our results reveal that NPTX2 KO mice exhibit a disrupted circadian onset time, coupled with increased activity during the sleep phase, suggesting difficulties in maintaining states. Sleep EEG indicates distinct temporal allocation shifts across vigilance states, characterized by reduced wake and increased NREM time. Evident sleep fragmentation manifests through alterations of event occurrences during Wake and NREM, notably during light transition periods, in conjunction with an increased frequency of sleep transitions in NPTX2 KO mice, particularly between Wake and NREM. EEG spectral analysis indicated significant shifts in power across various frequency bands in the wake, NREM, and REM states, suggestive of disrupted neuronal synchronicity. An intriguing observation is the diminished occurrence of sleep spindles, one of the earliest measures of human sleep disruption, in NPTX2 KO mice. These findings highlight the effector role of NPTX2 loss of function as an instigator of SCRD and a potential mediator of sleep disruption in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung-Eon Roh
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Meifang Xiao
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Ana Delgado
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Chuljung Kwak
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Arnold Bakker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Hyung-Bae Kwon
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Paul Worley
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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El-Demerdash N, Pan T, Choi O, Saraswati M, Koehler RC, Robertson CL, Savonenko A. Importance of Control Groups for Evaluating Long-Term Behavioral and Cognitive Outcomes of Controlled Cortical Impact in Immature Rats. J Neurotrauma 2023. [PMID: 36416234 PMCID: PMC10259614 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2021.0376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapies are limited for pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI), especially for the very young who can experience long-term consequences to learning, memory, and social behavior. Animal models of pediatric TBI have yielded mechanistic insights, but demonstration of clinically relevant long-term behavioral and/or cognitive deficits has been challenging. We characterized short- and long-term outcomes in a controlled cortical impact (CCI) model of pediatric TBI using a panel of tests between 2 weeks and ∼4 months after injury. Male rats with CCI at postnatal Day (PND) 10 were compared with three control groups: Naïve, Anesthesia, and Craniotomy. Motor testing (PND 25-33), novel object recognition (NOR; PND 40-50), and multiple tasks in water maze (WM; PND 65-100) were followed by social interaction tests (PND 120-140). Anesthesia rats performed the same as Naïve rats in all tasks. TBI rats, when compared with Naïve controls, had functional impairments across most tests studied. The most sensitive cognitive processes affected by TBI included those that required fast one-trial learning (NOR, WM), flexibility of acquired memory traces (reversals in WM), response strategies (WM), or recognition memory in the setting of reciprocal social interactions. Both TBI and Craniotomy groups demonstrated increased rates of decision making across several WM tasks, suggesting disinhibition of motor responses. When the TBI group was compared with the Craniotomy group, however, deficits were detected in a limited number of outcomes. The latter included learning speed (WM), cognitive flexibility (WM), and social recognition memory. Notably, effects of craniotomy, when compared with Naïve controls, spanned across multiple tasks, and in some tasks, could reach the effect sizes observed in TBI. These results highlight the importance of appropriate control groups in pediatric CCI models. In addition, the study demonstrates the high sensitivity of comprehensive cognitive testing to detect long-term effects of early-age craniotomy and TBI and provides a template for future testing of experimental therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nagat El-Demerdash
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tiffany Pan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Olivia Choi
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Manda Saraswati
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Raymond C Koehler
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Courtney L Robertson
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Leyder E, Suresh P, Jun R, Overbey K, Banerjee T, Melnikova T, Savonenko A. Depression-related phenotypes at early stages of Aβ and tau accumulation in inducible Alzheimer's disease mouse model: Task-oriented and concept-driven interpretations. Behav Brain Res 2023; 438:114187. [PMID: 36343696 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Depression is highly prevalent in Alzheimer Disease (AD); however, there is paucity of studies that focus specifically on the assessment of depression-relevant phenotypes in AD mouse models. Conditional doxycycline-dependent transgenic mouse models reproducing amyloidosis (TetOffAPPsi) and/or tau (TetOffTauP301L) pathology starting at middle age (6 months) were used in this study. As AD patients can experience depressive symptoms relatively early in disease, testing was conducted at early, pre-pathology stages of Aβ and/or tau accumulation (starting from 45 days of transgenes expression). Tau-related differences were detected in the Novelty Suppressed Feeding task (NSF), whereas APP-related differences were observed predominantly in measures of the Open Field (OF) and Forced Swim tasks (FST). Effects of combined production of Aβ and tau were detected in immobility during the 1st half of the Tail Suspension task (TST). These data demonstrate that results from different tasks are difficult to reconcile using task/variable-centered interpretations in which a single task/variable is assigned an ad-hoc meaning relevant to depression. An alternative, concept-oriented, approach is based on multiple variables/tests, with an understanding of their possible inter-dependence and utilization of statistical approaches that handle correlated data sets. The existence of strong correlations within and between some of the tasks supported utilization of factor analyses (FA). FA explained a similar amount of variability across the genotypes (∼80%) and identified two factors stable across genotypes and representing motor activity and anxiety measures in OF. In contrast, variables related to FST, TST, and NSFT did not demonstrate a structure of factor loadings that would support the existence of a single integral factor of "depressive state" measured by these tasks. In addition, factor loadings varied between genotypes, indicating that genotype-specific between-task correlations need to be considered for interpretations of findings in any single task. In general, this study demonstrates that utilization of multiple tasks to characterize behavioral phenotypes, an approach that is finally gaining more widespread adoption, requires a step of data integration across different behavioral tests for appropriate interpretations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Leyder
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Prakul Suresh
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Rachel Jun
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Katherine Overbey
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Tirtho Banerjee
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Tatiana Melnikova
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Smith GS, Kuwabara H, Yan H, Nassery N, Yoon M, Kamath V, Kraut M, Gould NF, Savonenko A, Coughlin JM, Lodge M, Pomper MG, Nandi A, Holt D, Dannals RF, Leoutsakos JM. Serotonin Degeneration and Amyloid-β Deposition in Mild Cognitive Impairment: Relationship to Cognitive Deficits. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 96:215-227. [PMID: 37718818 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuropathological and neuroimaging studies have demonstrated degeneration of the serotonin system in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neuroimaging studies have extended these observations to the preclinical stages of AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Serotonin degeneration has been observed also in transgenic amyloid mouse models, prior to widespread cortical distribution of amyloid-β (Aβ). OBJECTIVE The present study evaluated the regional distribution of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and of Aβ in individuals with MCI and healthy older controls, as well as the contribution of 5-HTT and Aβ to cognitive deficits. METHODS Forty-nine MCI participants and 45 healthy older controls underwent positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of 5-HTT and Aβ, structural magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological assessments. RESULTS Lower cortical, striatal, and limbic 5-HTT and higher cortical Aβ was observed in MCIs relative to healthy controls. Lower 5-HTT, mainly in limbic regions, was correlated with greater deficits in auditory-verbal and visual-spatial memory and semantic, not phonemic fluency. Higher cortical A β was associated with greater deficits in auditory-verbal and visual-spatial memory and in semantic, not phonemic fluency. When modeling the association between cognition, gray matter volumes and Aβ, inclusion of 5-HTT in limbic and in select cortical regions significantly improved model fit for auditory-verbal and visual-spatial memory and semantic, but not phonemic fluency. CONCLUSIONS These results support the role of serotonin degeneration in the memory and semantic fluency deficits observed in MCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwenn S Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hiroto Kuwabara
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Haijuan Yan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Najlla Nassery
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mark Yoon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Vidya Kamath
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael Kraut
- Division of Neuroradiology, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Neda F Gould
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology (Neuropathology), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer M Coughlin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Martin Lodge
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Martin G Pomper
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ayon Nandi
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Holt
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert F Dannals
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeannie M Leoutsakos
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Smith GS, Protas H, Kuwabara H, Savonenko A, Nassery N, Gould NF, Kraut M, Avramopoulos D, Holt D, Dannals RF, Nandi A, Su Y, Reiman EM, Chen K. Molecular imaging of the association between serotonin degeneration and beta-amyloid deposition in mild cognitive impairment. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 37:103322. [PMID: 36680976 PMCID: PMC9869478 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Degeneration of the serotonin system has been observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In transgenic amyloid mouse models, serotonin degeneration is detected prior to widespread cortical beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposition, also suggesting that serotonin degeneration may be observed in preclinical AD. METHODS The differences in the distribution of serotonin degeneration (reflected by the loss of the serotonin transporter, 5-HTT) relative to Aβ deposition was measured with positron emission tomography in a group of individuals with MCI and a group of healthy older adults. A multi-modal partial least squares (mmPLS) algorithm was applied to identify the spatial covariance pattern between 5-HTT availability and Aβ deposition. RESULTS Forty-five individuals with MCI and 35 healthy older adults were studied, 22 and 27 of whom were included in the analyses who were "amyloid positive" and "amyloid negative", respectively. A pattern of lower cortical, subcortical and limbic 5-HTT availability and higher cortical Aβ deposition distinguished the MCI from the healthy older control participants. Greater expression of this pattern was correlated with greater deficits in memory and executive function in the MCI group, not in the control group. CONCLUSION A spatial covariance pattern of lower 5-HTT availability and Aβ deposition was observed to a greater extent in an MCI group relative to a control group and was associated with cognitive impairment in the MCI group. The results support the application of mmPLS to understand the neurochemical changes associated with Aβ deposition in the course of preclinical AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwenn S Smith
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | | | - Hiroto Kuwabara
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology (Neuropathology), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Najlla Nassery
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Neda F Gould
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael Kraut
- Division of Neuroradiology, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dimitri Avramopoulos
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Holt
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert F Dannals
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ayon Nandi
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yi Su
- Banner Alzheimer's Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | | | - Kewei Chen
- Banner Alzheimer's Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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Xiao J, Savonenko A, Yolken RH. Strain-specific pre-existing immunity: A key to understanding the role of chronic Toxoplasma infection in cognition and Alzheimer's diseases? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 137:104660. [PMID: 35405182 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma exposure can elicit cellular and humoral immune responses. In the case of chronic Toxoplasma infection, these immune responses are long-lasting. Some studies suggest that pre-existing immunity from Toxoplasma infection can shape immune responses and resistance to other pathogens and brain insults later in life. Much evidence has been generated suggesting Toxoplasma infection may contribute to cognitive impairment in the elderly. However, there have also been studies that disagree with the conclusion. Toxoplasma has many strain types, with virulence being the most notable difference. There is also considerable variation in the outcomes following Toxoplasma exposure ranging from resolved to persistent infection. Therefore, the brain microenvironment, particularly cellular constituents, differs based on the infecting strain (virulent versus hypovirulent) and infection stage (resolved versus persistent). Such difference might play a critical role in determining the outcome of the host on subsequent challengings to the brain. The ability of Toxoplasma strains to set up distinct stages for neurodegenerative pathology through varying degrees of virulence provides unique experimental tools for characterizing these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianchun Xiao
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Robert H Yolken
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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Stevens DA, Workman CI, Kuwabara H, Butters MA, Savonenko A, Nassery N, Gould N, Kraut M, Joo JH, Kilgore J, Kamath V, Holt DP, Dannals RF, Nandi A, Onyike CU, Smith GS. OUP accepted manuscript. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac016. [PMID: 35233522 PMCID: PMC8882008 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Beta-amyloid deposition is one of the earliest pathological markers associated with Alzheimer's disease. Mild cognitive impairment in the setting of beta-amyloid deposition is considered to represent a preclinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease. In vivo imaging studies are unique in their potential to advance our understanding of the role of beta-amyloid deposition in cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease and in mild cognitive impairment. Previous work has shown an association between global cortical measures of beta-amyloid deposition (‘amyloid positivity’) in mild cognitive impairment with greater cognitive deficits and greater risk of progression to Alzheimer's disease. The focus of the present study was to examine the relationship between the regional distribution of beta-amyloid deposition and specific cognitive deficits in people with mild cognitive impairment and cognitively normal elderly individuals. Forty-seven participants with multi-domain, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (43% female, aged 57–82 years) and 37 healthy, cognitively normal comparison subjects (42% female, aged 55–82 years) underwent clinical and neuropsychological assessments and high-resolution positron emission tomography with the radiotracer 11C-labelled Pittsburgh compound B to measure beta-amyloid deposition. Brain–behaviour partial least-squares analysis was conducted to identify spatial patterns of beta-amyloid deposition that correlated with the performance on neuropsychological assessments. Partial least-squares analysis identified a single significant (P < 0.001) latent variable which accounted for 80% of the covariance between demographic and cognitive measures and beta-amyloid deposition. Performance in immediate verbal recall (R = −0.46 ± 0.07, P < 0.001), delayed verbal recall (R = −0.39 ± 0.09, P < 0.001), immediate visual-spatial recall (R = −0.39 ± 0.08, P < 0.001), delayed visual-spatial recall (R = −0.45 ± 0.08, P < 0.001) and semantic fluency (R = −0.33 ± 0.11, P = 0.002) but not phonemic fluency (R = −0.05 ± 0.12, P < 0.705) negatively covaried with beta-amyloid deposition in the identified regions. Partial least-squares analysis of the same cognitive measures with grey matter volumes showed similar associations in overlapping brain regions. These findings suggest that the regional distribution of beta-amyloid deposition and grey matter volumetric decreases is associated with deficits in executive function and memory in mild cognitive impairment. Longitudinal analysis of these relationships may advance our understanding of the role of beta-amyloid deposition in relation to grey matter volumetric decreases in cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A. Stevens
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Clifford I. Workman
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hiroto Kuwabara
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Meryl A. Butters
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology (Neuropathology), School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Najilla Nassery
- Department of General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Neda Gould
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael Kraut
- Division of Neuroradiology, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jin Hui Joo
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jessica Kilgore
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Vidya Kamath
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniel P. Holt
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert F. Dannals
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ayon Nandi
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Chiadi U. Onyike
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gwenn S. Smith
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Correspondence to: Gwenn S. Smith, PhD, Richman Family Professor Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center 5300 Alpha Commons Drive, 4th Floor Baltimore, MD 21224, USA E-mail:
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9
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Xiao MF, Roh SE, Zhou J, Chien CC, Lucey BP, Craig MT, Hayes LN, Coughlin JM, Leweke FM, Jia M, Xu D, Zhou W, Conover Talbot C, Arnold DB, Staley M, Jiang C, Reti IM, Sawa A, Pelkey KA, McBain CJ, Savonenko A, Worley PF. A biomarker-authenticated model of schizophrenia implicating NPTX2 loss of function. Sci Adv 2021; 7:eabf6935. [PMID: 34818031 PMCID: PMC8612534 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf6935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a polygenetic disorder whose clinical onset is often associated with behavioral stress. Here, we present a model of disease pathogenesis that builds on our observation that the synaptic immediate early gene NPTX2 is reduced in cerebrospinal fluid of individuals with recent onset schizophrenia. NPTX2 plays an essential role in maintaining excitatory homeostasis by adaptively enhancing circuit inhibition. NPTX2 function requires activity-dependent exocytosis and dynamic shedding at synapses and is coupled to circadian behavior. Behavior-linked NPTX2 trafficking is abolished by mutations that disrupt select activity-dependent plasticity mechanisms of excitatory neurons. Modeling NPTX2 loss of function results in failure of parvalbumin interneurons in their adaptive contribution to behavioral stress, and animals exhibit multiple neuropsychiatric domains. Because the genetics of schizophrenia encompasses diverse proteins that contribute to excitatory synapse plasticity, the identified vulnerability of NPTX2 function can provide a framework for assessing the impact of genetics and the intersection with stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Fang Xiao
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Seung-Eon Roh
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jiechao Zhou
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Chun-Che Chien
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Brendan P. Lucey
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Michael T. Craig
- Institute of Biomedical & Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Lindsay N. Hayes
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer M. Coughlin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - F. Markus Leweke
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Youth Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Min Jia
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Desheng Xu
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Weiqiang Zhou
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - C. Conover Talbot
- Transcriptomics and Deep Sequencing Core Facility, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Don B. Arnold
- Department of Biology, Section of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Melissa Staley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Cindy Jiang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Irving M. Reti
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Akira Sawa
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kenneth A. Pelkey
- Program in Developmental Neurobiology, Eunice Kennedy-Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Chris J. McBain
- Program in Developmental Neurobiology, Eunice Kennedy-Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Paul F. Worley
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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10
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Lin R, Learman LN, Bangash MA, Melnikova T, Leyder E, Reddy SC, Naidoo N, Park JM, Savonenko A, Worley PF. Homer1a regulates Shank3 expression and underlies behavioral vulnerability to stress in a model of Phelan-McDermid syndrome. Cell Rep 2021; 37:110014. [PMID: 34788607 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations of SHANK3 cause Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS), and these individuals can exhibit sensitivity to stress, resulting in behavioral deterioration. Here, we examine the interaction of stress with genotype using a mouse model with face validity to PMS. In Shank3ΔC/+ mice, swim stress produces an altered transcriptomic response in pyramidal neurons that impacts genes and pathways involved in synaptic function, signaling, and protein turnover. Homer1a, which is part of the Shank3-mGluR-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor complex, is super-induced and is implicated in the stress response because stress-induced social deficits in Shank3ΔC/+ mice are mitigated in Shank3ΔC/+;Homer1a-/- mice. Several lines of evidence demonstrate that Shank3 expression is regulated by Homer1a in competition with crosslinking forms of Homer, and consistent with this model, Shank3 expression and function that are reduced in Shank3ΔC/+ mice are rescued in Shank3ΔC/+;Homer1a-/- mice. Studies highlight the interaction between stress and genetics and focus attention on activity-dependent changes that may contribute to pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raozhou Lin
- Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Lisa N Learman
- Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - M Ali Bangash
- Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Molecular Nociception Group, Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Tatiana Melnikova
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Erica Leyder
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Sai C Reddy
- Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Nirinjini Naidoo
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Joo Min Park
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon 34126, Republic of Korea; University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea.
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Paul F Worley
- Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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11
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Smith GS, Workman CI, Protas H, Su Y, Savonenko A, Kuwabara H, Gould NF, Kraut M, Joo JH, Nandi A, Avramopoulos D, Reiman EM, Chen K. Positron emission tomography imaging of serotonin degeneration and beta-amyloid deposition in late-life depression evaluated with multi-modal partial least squares. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:473. [PMID: 34518514 PMCID: PMC8437937 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01539-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression in late-life is associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and development of all-cause dementia. The neurobiology of late-life depression (LLD) may involve both neurochemical and neurodegenerative mechanisms that are common to depression and dementia. Transgenic amyloid mouse models show evidence of early degeneration of monoamine systems. Informed by these preclinical data, the hypotheses were tested that a spatial covariance pattern of higher beta-amyloid (Aβ) and lower serotonin transporter availability (5-HTT) in frontal, temporal, and parietal cortical regions would distinguish LLD patients from healthy controls and the expression of this pattern would be associated with greater depressive symptoms. Twenty un-medicated LLD patients who met DSM-V criteria for major depression and 20 healthy controls underwent PET imaging with radiotracers for Aβ ([11C]-PiB) and 5-HTT ([11C]-DASB). A voxel-based multi-modal partial least squares (mmPLS) algorithm was applied to the parametric PET images to determine the spatial covariance pattern between the two radiotracers. A spatial covariance pattern was identified, including higher Aβ in temporal, parietal and occipital cortices associated with lower 5-HTT in putamen, thalamus, amygdala, hippocampus and raphe nuclei (dorsal, medial and pontine), which distinguished LLD patients from controls. Greater expression of this pattern, reflected in summary 5-HTT/Aβ mmPLS subject scores, was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. The mmPLS method is a powerful approach to evaluate the synaptic changes associated with AD pathology. This spatial covariance pattern should be evaluated further to determine whether it represents a biological marker of antidepressant treatment response and/or cognitive decline in LLD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwenn S Smith
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Clifford I Workman
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Yi Su
- Banner Alzheimer's Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology (Neuropathology), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hiroto Kuwabara
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Neda F Gould
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael Kraut
- Division of Neuroradiology, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jin Hui Joo
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ayon Nandi
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dimitri Avramopoulos
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Kewei Chen
- Banner Alzheimer's Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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12
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Gao FJ, Klinedinst D, Fernandez FX, Cheng B, Savonenko A, Devenney B, Li Y, Wu D, Pomper MG, Reeves RH. Forebrain Shh overexpression improves cognitive function and locomotor hyperactivity in an aneuploid mouse model of Down syndrome and its euploid littermates. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:137. [PMID: 34399854 PMCID: PMC8365939 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01237-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is the leading genetic cause of intellectual disability and causes early-onset dementia and cerebellar hypoplasia. The prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is elevated in children with DS. The aneuploid DS mouse model "Ts65Dn" shows prominent brain phenotypes, including learning and memory deficits, cerebellar hypoplasia, and locomotor hyperactivity. Previous studies indicate that impaired Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling contributes to neurological phenotypes associated with DS and neurodegenerative diseases. However, because of a lack of working inducible Shh knock-in mice, brain region-specific Shh overexpression and its effects on cognitive function have not been studied in vivo. Here, with Gli1-LacZ reporter mice, we demonstrated that Ts65Dn had reduced levels of Gli1, a sensitive readout of Shh signaling, in both hippocampus and cerebellum at postnatal day 6. Through site-specific transgenesis, we generated an inducible human Shh knock-in mouse, TRE-bi-hShh-Zsgreen1 (TRE-hShh), simultaneously expressing dually-lipidated Shh-Np and Zsgreen1 marker in the presence of transactivator (tTA). Double transgenic mice "Camk2a-tTA;TRE-hShh" and "Pcp2-tTA;TRE-hShh" induced Shh overexpression and activated Shh signaling in a forebrain and cerebellum, respectively, specific manner from the perinatal period. Camk2a-tTA;TRE-hShh normalized locomotor hyperactivity and improved learning and memory in 3-month-old Ts65Dn, mitigated early-onset severe cognitive impairment in 7-month-old Ts65Dn, and enhanced spatial cognition in euploid mice. Camk2a-tTA;TRE-hShh cohort maintained until 600days old showed that chronic overexpression of Shh in forebrain from the perinatal period had no effect on longevity of euploid or Ts65Dn. Pcp2-tTA;TRE-hShh did not affect cognition but mitigated the phenotype of cerebellar hypoplasia in Ts65Dn. Our study provides the first in vivo evidence that Shh overexpression from the perinatal period protects DS brain integrity and enhances learning and memory in normal mice, indicating the broad therapeutic potential of Shh ligand for other neurological conditions. Moreover, the first inducible hShh site-specific knock-in mouse could be widely used for spatiotemporal Shh signaling regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng J Gao
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Genetic Medicine, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Donna Klinedinst
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Fabian-Xosé Fernandez
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- BIO5 and McKnight Brain Research Institutes, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Bei Cheng
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology and Neurology, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Benjamin Devenney
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Yicong Li
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Dan Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Martin G Pomper
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Roger H Reeves
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Genetic Medicine, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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13
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Smith GS, Kuwabara H, Gould NF, Nassery N, Savonenko A, Joo JH, Bigos KL, Kraut M, Brasic J, Holt DP, Hall AW, Mathews WB, Dannals RF, Nandi A, Workman CI. Molecular imaging of the serotonin transporter availability and occupancy by antidepressant treatment in late-life depression. Neuropharmacology 2021; 194:108447. [PMID: 33450276 PMCID: PMC8716112 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Patients with late-life depression (LLD) have a more variable response to pharmacotherapy relative to patients with mid-life depression. Degeneration of the serotonergic system and lower occupancy of the initial target for antidepressant medications, the serotonin transporter (5-HTT), may contribute to variability in treatment response. The focus of this study was to test the hypotheses that lower cortical and limbic serotonin transporter (5-HTT) availability in LLD patients relative to controls and less 5-HTT occupancy by antidepressant medications would be associated with less improvement in mood and cognition with treatment in LLD patients. Twenty LLD patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for a current major depressive episode and 20 non-depressed controls underwent clinical and neuropsychological assessments, magnetic resonance imaging to measure gray matter volumes and high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) scanning to measure 5-HTT before and after 10-12 weeks of treatment with Citalopram or Sertraline (patients only). Prior to treatment, 5-HTT was lower in LLD patients relative to controls in mainly temporal cortical and limbic (amygdala and hippocampus) regions. Gray matter volumes were not significantly different between groups. 5-HTT occupancy was detected throughout cortical, striatal, thalamic and limbic regions. The magnitude of regional 5-HTT occupancy by antidepressants was 70% or greater across cortical and sub-cortical regions, consistent with the magnitude of 5-HTT occupancy observed in mid-life depressed patients. Greater regional 5-HTT occupancy correlated with greater improvement in depressive symptoms and visual-spatial memory performance. These data support the hypothesis that serotonin degeneration and variability in 5-HTT occupancy may contribute to heterogeneity in treatment response in LLD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwenn S Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Hiroto Kuwabara
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Neda F Gould
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Najilla Nassery
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology (Neuropathology), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jin Hui Joo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kristin L Bigos
- Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael Kraut
- Division of Neuroradiology, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James Brasic
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniel P Holt
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andrew W Hall
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - William B Mathews
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert F Dannals
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ayon Nandi
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Clifford I Workman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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14
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Lin R, Learman LN, Na CH, Renuse S, Chen KT, Chen PY, Lee GH, Xiao B, Resnick SM, Troncoso JC, Szumlinski KK, Linden DJ, Park JM, Savonenko A, Pandey A, Worley PF. Persistently Elevated mTOR Complex 1-S6 Kinase 1 Disrupts DARPP-32-Dependent D 1 Dopamine Receptor Signaling and Behaviors. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:1058-1072. [PMID: 33353667 PMCID: PMC8076344 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The serine-threonine kinase mTORC1 (mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1) is essential for normal cell function but is aberrantly activated in the brain in both genetic-developmental and sporadic diseases and is associated with a spectrum of neuropsychiatric symptoms. The underlying molecular mechanisms of cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms remain controversial. METHODS The present study examines behaviors in transgenic models that express Rheb, the most proximal known activator of mTORC1, and profiles striatal phosphoproteomics in a model with persistently elevated mTORC1 signaling. Biochemistry, immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology, and behavior approaches are used to examine the impact of persistently elevated mTORC1 on D1 dopamine receptor (D1R) signaling. The effect of persistently elevated mTORC1 was confirmed using D1-Cre to elevate mTORC1 activity in D1R neurons. RESULTS We report that persistently elevated mTORC1 signaling blocks canonical D1R signaling that is dependent on DARPP-32 (dopamine- and cAMP-regulated neuronal phosphoprotein). The immediate downstream effector of mTORC1, ribosomal S6 kinase 1 (S6K1), phosphorylates and activates DARPP-32. Persistent elevation of mTORC1-S6K1 occludes dynamic D1R signaling downstream of DARPP-32 and blocks multiple D1R responses, including dynamic gene expression, D1R-dependent corticostriatal plasticity, and D1R behavioral responses including sociability. Candidate biomarkers of mTORC1-DARPP-32 occlusion are increased in the brain of human disease subjects in association with elevated mTORC1-S6K1, supporting a role for this mechanism in cognitive disease. CONCLUSIONS The mTORC1-S6K1 intersection with D1R signaling provides a molecular framework to understand the effects of pathological mTORC1 activation on behavioral symptoms in neuropsychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raozhou Lin
- Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Lisa N. Learman
- Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Chan-Hyun Na
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.,Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Santosh Renuse
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First ST SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First ST SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Kevin T. Chen
- Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Po Yu Chen
- Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Gum-Hwa Lee
- Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Bo Xiao
- Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Susan M. Resnick
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Juan C. Troncoso
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.,Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Karen K. Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - David J. Linden
- Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Joo-Min Park
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon 34126, Republic of Korea
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Akhilesh Pandey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First ST SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First ST SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Paul F. Worley
- Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.,Corresponding author. Phone: 410-502-5489
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15
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Kazuki Y, Gao FJ, Li Y, Moyer AJ, Devenney B, Hiramatsu K, Miyagawa-Tomita S, Abe S, Kazuki K, Kajitani N, Uno N, Takehara S, Takiguchi M, Yamakawa M, Hasegawa A, Shimizu R, Matsukura S, Noda N, Ogonuki N, Inoue K, Matoba S, Ogura A, Florea LD, Savonenko A, Xiao M, Wu D, Batista DA, Yang J, Qiu Z, Singh N, Richtsmeier JT, Takeuchi T, Oshimura M, Reeves RH. A non-mosaic transchromosomic mouse model of down syndrome carrying the long arm of human chromosome 21. eLife 2020; 9:56223. [PMID: 32597754 PMCID: PMC7358007 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal models of Down syndrome (DS), trisomic for human chromosome 21 (HSA21) genes or orthologs, provide insights into better understanding and treatment options. The only existing transchromosomic (Tc) mouse DS model, Tc1, carries a HSA21 with over 50 protein coding genes (PCGs) disrupted. Tc1 is mosaic, compromising interpretation of results. Here, we “clone” the 34 MB long arm of HSA21 (HSA21q) as a mouse artificial chromosome (MAC). Through multiple steps of microcell-mediated chromosome transfer, we created a new Tc DS mouse model, Tc(HSA21q;MAC)1Yakaz (“TcMAC21”). TcMAC21 is not mosaic and contains 93% of HSA21q PCGs that are expressed and regulatable. TcMAC21 recapitulates many DS phenotypes including anomalies in heart, craniofacial skeleton and brain, molecular/cellular pathologies, and impairments in learning, memory and synaptic plasticity. TcMAC21 is the most complete genetic mouse model of DS extant and has potential for supporting a wide range of basic and preclinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Kazuki
- Department of Biomedical Science, Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biofunction, Graduate School of Medical Science, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.,Chromosome Engineering Research Center (CERC), Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Feng J Gao
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Yicong Li
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Anna J Moyer
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States.,Department of Genetic Medicine, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Benjamin Devenney
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Kei Hiramatsu
- Department of Biomedical Science, Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biofunction, Graduate School of Medical Science, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Sachiko Miyagawa-Tomita
- Department of Animal Nursing Science, Yamazaki University of Animal Health Technology, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Physiological Chemistry and Metabolism, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Abe
- Chromosome Engineering Research Center (CERC), Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Kanako Kazuki
- Chromosome Engineering Research Center (CERC), Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Naoyo Kajitani
- Chromosome Engineering Research Center (CERC), Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Narumi Uno
- Department of Biomedical Science, Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biofunction, Graduate School of Medical Science, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Shoko Takehara
- Chromosome Engineering Research Center (CERC), Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Masato Takiguchi
- Department of Biomedical Science, Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biofunction, Graduate School of Medical Science, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Miho Yamakawa
- Chromosome Engineering Research Center (CERC), Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hasegawa
- Department of Molecular Hematology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ritsuko Shimizu
- Department of Molecular Hematology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Satoko Matsukura
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Naohiro Noda
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Narumi Ogonuki
- Bioresource Engineering Division, RIKEN BioResource Research Center (BRC), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kimiko Inoue
- Bioresource Engineering Division, RIKEN BioResource Research Center (BRC), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Shogo Matoba
- Bioresource Engineering Division, RIKEN BioResource Research Center (BRC), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Atsuo Ogura
- Bioresource Engineering Division, RIKEN BioResource Research Center (BRC), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Liliana D Florea
- Department of Genetic Medicine, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Departments of Pathology and Neurology, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Meifang Xiao
- Department of Neuroscience, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Dan Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Denise As Batista
- Department of Pathology, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Junhua Yang
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Zhaozhu Qiu
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Nandini Singh
- Department of Anthropology, Penn State University, State College, United States
| | - Joan T Richtsmeier
- Division of Biosignaling, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Takashi Takeuchi
- Department of Anthropology, California State University, Sacramento, United States
| | - Mitsuo Oshimura
- Department of Biomedical Science, Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biofunction, Graduate School of Medical Science, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Roger H Reeves
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States.,Department of Genetic Medicine, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
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16
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Krivinko JM, Koppel J, Savonenko A, Sweet RA. Animal Models of Psychosis in Alzheimer Disease. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2020; 28:1-19. [PMID: 31278012 PMCID: PMC6858948 DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2019.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Psychosis in Alzheimer Disease (AD) represents a distinct clinicopathologic variant associated with increased cognitive and functional morbidity and an accelerated disease course. To date, extant treatments offer modest benefits with significant risks. The development of new pharmacologic treatments for psychosis in AD would be facilitated by validated preclinical models with which to test candidate interventions. The current review provides a brief summary of the process of validating animal models of human disease together with a critical analysis of the challenges posed in attempting to apply those standards to AD-related behavioral models. An overview of phenotypic analogues of human cognitive and behavioral impairments, with an emphasis on those relevant to psychosis, in AD-related mouse models is provided, followed by an update on recent progress in efforts to translate findings in the pathophysiology of psychotic AD into novel models. Finally, some future directions are suggested to expand the catalogue of psychosis-relevant phenotypes that may provide a sturdier framework for model development and targets for preclinical treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh M. Krivinko
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Jeremy Koppel
- The Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Manhasset, NY
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Robert A. Sweet
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA,Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA,Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA
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17
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Roh SE, Xiao M, Zhuo J, Savonenko A, Worley P. Circadian regulation of the immediate early gene Neuronal Pentraxin 2 secretion: in vivo imaging study. IBRO Rep 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ibror.2019.07.856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
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18
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Zhang W, Chuang YA, Na Y, Ye Z, Yang L, Lin R, Zhou J, Wu J, Qiu J, Savonenko A, Leahy DJ, Huganir R, Linden DJ, Worley PF. Arc Oligomerization Is Regulated by CaMKII Phosphorylation of the GAG Domain: An Essential Mechanism for Plasticity and Memory Formation. Mol Cell 2019; 75:13-25.e5. [PMID: 31151856 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Arc is a synaptic protein essential for memory consolidation. Recent studies indicate that Arc originates in evolution from a Ty3-Gypsy retrotransposon GAG domain. The N-lobe of Arc GAG domain acquired a hydrophobic binding pocket in higher vertebrates that is essential for Arc's canonical function to weaken excitatory synapses. Here, we report that Arc GAG also acquired phosphorylation sites that can acutely regulate its synaptic function. CaMKII phosphorylates the N-lobe of the Arc GAG domain and disrupts an interaction surface essential for high-order oligomerization. In Purkinje neurons, CaMKII phosphorylation acutely reverses Arc's synaptic action. Mutant Arc that cannot be phosphorylated by CaMKII enhances metabotropic receptor-dependent depression in the hippocampus but does not alter baseline synaptic transmission or long-term potentiation. Behavioral studies indicate that hippocampus- and amygdala-dependent learning requires Arc GAG domain phosphorylation. These studies provide an atomic model for dynamic and local control of Arc function underlying synaptic plasticity and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenchi Zhang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Yang-An Chuang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Youn Na
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Zengyou Ye
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Liuqing Yang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Raozhou Lin
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jiechao Zhou
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jing Wu
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jessica Qiu
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Daniel J Leahy
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Richard Huganir
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - David J Linden
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Paul F Worley
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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19
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Brose RD, Savonenko A, Devenney B, Smith KD, Reeves RH. Hydroxyurea Improves Spatial Memory and Cognitive Plasticity in Mice and Has a Mild Effect on These Parameters in a Down Syndrome Mouse Model. Front Aging Neurosci 2019; 11:96. [PMID: 31139073 PMCID: PMC6527804 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS), a genetic disorder caused by partial or complete triplication of chromosome 21, is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability. DS mouse models and cell lines display defects in cellular adaptive stress responses including autophagy, unfolded protein response, and mitochondrial bioenergetics. We tested the ability of hydroxyurea (HU), an FDA-approved pharmacological agent that activates adaptive cellular stress response pathways, to improve the cognitive function of Ts65Dn mice. The chronic HU treatment started at a stage when early mild cognitive deficits are present in this model (∼3 months of age) and continued until a stage of advanced cognitive deficits in untreated mice (∼5–6 months of age). The HU effects on cognitive performance were analyzed using a battery of water maze tasks designed to detect changes in different types of memory with sensitivity wide enough to detect deficits as well as improvements in spatial memory. The most common characteristic of cognitive deficits observed in trisomic mice at 5–6 months of age was their inability to rapidly acquire new information for long-term storage, a feature akin to episodic-like memory. On the background of severe cognitive impairments in untreated trisomic mice, HU-treatment produced mild but significant benefits in Ts65Dn by improving memory acquisition and short-term retention of spatial information. In control mice, HU treatment facilitated memory retention in constant (reference memory) as well as time-variant conditions (episodic-like memory) implicating a robust nootropic effect. This was the first proof-of-concept study of HU treatment in a DS model, and indicates that further studies are warranted to assess a window to optimize timing and dosage of the treatment in this pre-clinical phase. Findings of this study indicate that HU has potential for improving memory retention and cognitive flexibility that can be harnessed for the amelioration of cognitive deficits in normal aging and in cognitive decline (dementia) related to DS and other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Deering Brose
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Departments of Pathology and Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Benjamin Devenney
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kirby D Smith
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Roger H Reeves
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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20
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Xiao MF, Xu D, Craig MT, Pelkey KA, Chien CC, Shi Y, Zhang J, Resnick S, Pletnikova O, Salmon D, Brewer J, Edland S, Wegiel J, Tycko B, Savonenko A, Reeves RH, Troncoso JC, McBain CJ, Galasko D, Worley PF. NPTX2 and cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28440221 PMCID: PMC5404919 DOI: 10.7554/elife.23798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is attributed to pervasive weakening and loss of synapses. Here, we present findings supporting a special role for excitatory synapses connecting pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus and cortex with fast-spiking parvalbumin (PV) interneurons that control network excitability and rhythmicity. Excitatory synapses on PV interneurons are dependent on the AMPA receptor subunit GluA4, which is regulated by presynaptic expression of the synaptogenic immediate early gene NPTX2 by pyramidal neurons. In a mouse model of AD amyloidosis, Nptx2-/- results in reduced GluA4 expression, disrupted rhythmicity, and increased pyramidal neuron excitability. Postmortem human AD cortex shows profound reductions of NPTX2 and coordinate reductions of GluA4. NPTX2 in human CSF is reduced in subjects with AD and shows robust correlations with cognitive performance and hippocampal volume. These findings implicate failure of adaptive control of pyramidal neuron-PV circuits as a pathophysiological mechanism contributing to cognitive failure in AD. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23798.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Fang Xiao
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States.,Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States.,Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Desheng Xu
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Michael T Craig
- Program in Developmental Neurobiology, Eunice Kennedy-Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, United States
| | - Kenneth A Pelkey
- Program in Developmental Neurobiology, Eunice Kennedy-Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, United States
| | - Chun-Che Chien
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Yang Shi
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Juhong Zhang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Susan Resnick
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, United States
| | - Olga Pletnikova
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - David Salmon
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, United States.,Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, United States
| | - James Brewer
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, United States.,Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, United States
| | - Steven Edland
- Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, United States.,Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Jerzy Wegiel
- Institute for Basic Research, New York City, United States
| | - Benjamin Tycko
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York City, United States
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Roger H Reeves
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States.,Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Juan C Troncoso
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Chris J McBain
- Program in Developmental Neurobiology, Eunice Kennedy-Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, United States
| | - Douglas Galasko
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, United States.,Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, United States
| | - Paul F Worley
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
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21
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Bangash M, Park J, Melnikova T, Wang D, Jeon S, Lee D, Syeda S, Kim J, Kouser M, Schwartz J, Cui Y, Zhao X, Speed H, Kee S, Tu J, Hu JH, Petralia R, Linden D, Powell C, Savonenko A, Xiao B, Worley P. Retraction notice to: Enhanced polyubiquitination of Shank3 and NMDA receptor in a mouse model of autism. Cell 2013; 152:367. [PMID: 23332766 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.12.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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22
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Vivian Chow WH, Lin S, Savonenko A, Hong W, Price D, Troncoso J, Wong P. O4‐08‐04: Modeling a combination therapy for Alzheimer's disease: Inhibition of secretases and immunotherapy. Alzheimers Dement 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2011.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sophie Lin
- Johns Hopkins Medical InstituteBaltimoreMarylandUnited States
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Johns Hopkins Medical InstituteBaltimoreMarylandUnited States
| | - William Hong
- Johns Hopkins Medical InstituteBaltimoreMarylandUnited States
| | - Donald Price
- Johns Hopkins Medical InstituteBaltimoreMarylandUnited States
| | - Juan Troncoso
- Johns Hopkins Medical InstituteBaltimoreMarylandUnited States
| | - Philip Wong
- Johns Hopkins Medical InstituteBaltimoreMarylandUnited States
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23
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Tabatadze N, Savonenko A, Song H, Bandaru VVR, Chu M, Haughey NJ. Inhibition of neutral sphingomyelinase-2 perturbs brain sphingolipid balance and spatial memory in mice. J Neurosci Res 2010; 88:2940-51. [PMID: 20629193 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.22438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The sphingolipid ceramide is a bioactive signaling lipid that is thought to play important roles in modulating synaptic activity, in part by regulating the function of excitatory postsynaptic receptors. However, the molecular mechanisms by which ceramide exerts its effects on synaptic activity remain largely unknown. We recently demonstrated that a rapid generation of ceramide by neutral sphingomyelinase-2 (nSMase2; also known as "sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase-3") played a key role in modulating excitatory postsynaptic currents by controlling the insertion and clustering of NMDA receptors (Wheeler et al. [2009] J. Neurochem. 109:1237-1249). We now demonstrate that nSMase2 plays a role in memory. Inhibition of nSMase2 impaired spatial and episodic-like memory in mice. At the molecular level, inhibition of nSMase2 decreased ceramide, increased PSD-95, increased the number of AMPA receptors, and altered the subunit composition of NMDA receptors. Our study identifies nSMase2 as an important component for efficient memory formation and underscores the importance of ceramide in regulating synaptic events related to learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nino Tabatadze
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA
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24
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Nikolskaya K, Shtemler V, Yeschenko O, Savonenko A, Osipov A, Nickolsky S. The Sensitivity of Cognitive Processes to the Inhomogeneity of Natural Magnetic Fields. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.3109/15368379609012872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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25
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Savonenko A, Munoz P, Melnikova T, Wang Q, Liang X, Breyer RM, Montine TJ, Kirkwood A, Andreasson K. Impaired cognition, sensorimotor gating, and hippocampal long-term depression in mice lacking the prostaglandin E2 EP2 receptor. Exp Neurol 2009; 217:63-73. [PMID: 19416671 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2009.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2008] [Revised: 12/19/2008] [Accepted: 01/16/2009] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a neuronal immediate early gene that is regulated by N-methyl d aspartate (NMDA) receptor activity. COX-2 enzymatic activity catalyzes the first committed step in prostaglandin synthesis. Recent studies demonstrate an emerging role for the downstream PGE(2) EP2 receptor in diverse models of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity and a significant function in models of neurological disease including cerebral ischemia, Familial Alzheimer's disease, and Familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Little is known, however, about the normal function of the EP2 receptor in behavior and cognition. Here we report that deletion of the EP2 receptor leads to significant cognitive deficits in standard tests of fear and social memory. EP2-/- mice also demonstrated impaired prepulse inhibition (PPI) and heightened anxiety, but normal startle reactivity, exploratory behavior, and spatial reference memory. This complex behavioral phenotype of EP2-/- mice was associated with a deficit in long-term depression (LTD) in hippocampus. Our findings suggest that PGE(2) signaling via the EP2 receptors plays an important role in cognitive and emotional behaviors that recapitulate some aspects of human psychopathology related to schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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26
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Schreckinger M, Geocadin RG, Savonenko A, Yamashita S, Melnikova T, Thakor NV, Hanley DF. Long-lasting cognitive injury in rats with apparent full gross neurological recovery after short-term cardiac arrest. Resuscitation 2007; 75:105-13. [PMID: 17475391 DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2007.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2006] [Revised: 02/17/2007] [Accepted: 02/19/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The long-term behavioral effects of mild global ischemia have not been well described. We used short (5 min) asphyxic-cardiac arrest that resulted in no apparent gross neurological deficits to study the long-term effects of mild hypoxic ischemia on the neurobehavioral status of rats. METHODS Fifteen adult, male Wistar rats were studied. One group was given asphyxic-cardiac arrest (CA) for 5 min (n=10) and the other group had Sham procedure (n=5). Neurobehavioral testing was performed before and 2 weeks after CA. The neurobehavioral evaluations were: neurological deficit score (NDS), Y Maze, open field, pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle reflex (ASR), wire hanging, and inclined screen. RESULTS At 24h post-CA, all of the rats regained normal neurological function as measured by NDS, an integral score for consciousness, brainstem reflexes, sensorimotor function and simple behavioral reflex tests. However, 1 week after CA, the rats exhibited significant activity reductions in the open field and in spontaneous alternation in the Y maze. The CA rats also showed a significant decrease in startle reaction amplitude and startle inhibition in the PPI tests. Two weeks after CA, the changes in motor activity and deficits in PPI remained significant, but the spontaneous alternation recovered. The muscle strength test of wire hanging and inclined screen tests did not exhibit significant change. CONCLUSION We present a rodent model of mild CA that, despite apparent full recovery of global neurological function at 24h post-resuscitation, exhibited long-term cognitive injury lasting for at least 2 weeks after CA. This model may help understand better the injury associated with CA and develop management strategies for mild brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Schreckinger
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Szymczak S, Kalita K, Jaworski J, Mioduszewska B, Savonenko A, Markowska A, Merchenthaler I, Kaczmarek L. Increased estrogen receptor beta expression correlates with decreased spine formation in the rat hippocampus. Hippocampus 2006; 16:453-63. [PMID: 16526034 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Estrogens play an important role in the brain function acting through two receptor types, ERalpha and ERbeta, both well-recognized as transcription factors. In this study, we investigated the ERbeta mRNA and protein levels in the rat hippocampus by using two in vivo models that are known to affect synapse formation. Natural estrous-proestrous cycle was used as a model in which a marked decrease in the density of hippocampal synapses was previously observed between proestrus and estrus. We have found that ERbeta mRNA and protein were displayed in high levels in the estrus and in low levels in the proestrous phase. By applying kainic acid (KA) to adult rats, we demonstrated that up-regulation of ERbeta mRNA and protein in hippocampal CA regions was vulnerable to KA-induced excitotoxicity. Furthermore, we note a concomitant decrease of ERbeta in the excitotoxicity-resistant denate gyrus that undergoes intense plastic changes, including synaptogenesis. These data suggested that decreases in ERbeta expression correlated with increase in synapse formation. This notion has been tested in vitro in hippocampal cultures, in which overexpression of ERbeta by means of gene transfection resulted in the lowering of the dendritic spine density that was elevated by estrogen. In summary, our results suggest that ERbeta inhibits synapse formation in hippocampal neurons.
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Melnikova T, Savonenko A, Wang Q, Liang X, Hand T, Wu L, Kaufmann WE, Vehmas A, Andreasson KI. Cycloxygenase-2 activity promotes cognitive deficits but not increased amyloid burden in a model of Alzheimer’s disease in a sex-dimorphic pattern. Neuroscience 2006; 141:1149-62. [PMID: 16753269 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2005] [Revised: 03/30/2006] [Accepted: 05/01/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in normal aging populations, an effect that may occur from inhibition of the cyclooxygenases, the rate-limiting enzymes in the formation of prostaglandins. In this study, we investigated whether increased activity of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the inducible isoform of cyclooxygenase, potentiates disease progression in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. To study the functional effects of COX-2 activity, male and female bigenic mice (amyloid precursor protein with Swedish mutation [APPswe]-presenilin-1 protein with deletion of exon 9 [PS1dE9] and trigenic COX-2/APPswe-PS1dE9) were behaviorally tested +/-administration of the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib. Behavioral testing included a three-trial Y maze that measures spatial working and recognition memories and an open field task that tested levels of hyperactivity. Overexpression of COX-2 in APPswe-PS1dE9 mice resulted in specific deficits in spatial working memory in female but not male mice. These sex-specific deficits were abolished by pharmacological inhibition of COX-2 activity. Importantly, COX-2-associated deficits were dependent on co-expression of all three transgenes since COX-2 single transgenic and APPswe-PS1dE9 bigenic mice showed normal memory. Quantification of amyloid plaque load and total Abeta 40 and 42 peptides did not reveal significant differences in trigenic versus bigenic mice treated with either vehicle or celecoxib. Taken together, these data indicate an interaction between the effects of COX-2 and Abeta peptides on cognition that occurs in a sex-specific manner in the absence of significant changes in amyloid burden. These findings suggest that pathological activation of COX-2 may potentiate the toxicity of Abeta peptides, particularly in females, without significantly affecting Abeta accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Melnikova
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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29
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Savonenko A, Xu GM, Melnikova T, Morton JL, Gonzales V, Wong MPF, Price DL, Tang F, Markowska AL, Borchelt DR. Episodic-like memory deficits in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease: relationships to beta-amyloid deposition and neurotransmitter abnormalities. Neurobiol Dis 2005; 18:602-17. [PMID: 15755686 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2004.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 297] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2003] [Revised: 10/18/2004] [Accepted: 10/21/2004] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Transgenic mice made by crossing animals expressing mutant amyloid precursor protein (APPswe) to mutant presenilin 1 (PS1dE9) allow for incremental increases in Abeta42 production and provide a model of Alzheimer-type amyloidosis. Here, we examine cognition in 6- and 18-month old transgenic mice expressing APPswe and PS1dE9, alone and in combination. Spatial reference memory was assessed in a standard Morris Water Maze task followed by assessment of episodic-like memory in Repeated Reversal and Radial Water maze tasks. We then used factor analysis to relate changes in performance in these tasks with cholinergic markers, somatostatin levels, and amyloid burden. At 6 months of age, APPswe/PS1dE9 double-transgenic mice showed visible plaque deposition; however, all genotypes, including double-transgenic mice, were indistinguishable from nontransgenic animals in all cognitive measures. In the 18-month-old cohorts, amyloid burdens were much higher in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice with statistically significant but mild decreases in cholinergic markers (cortex and hippocampus) and somatostatin levels (cortex). APPswe/PS1dE9 mice performed all cognitive tasks less well than mice from all other genotypes. Factor and correlation analyses defined the strongest correlation as between deficits in episodic-like memory tasks and total Abeta loads in the brain. Collectively, we find that, in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse model, some form of Abeta associated with amyloid deposition can disrupt cognitive circuits when the cholinergic and somatostatinergic systems remain relatively intact; and that episodic-like memory seems to be more sensitive to the toxic effects of Abeta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Ross Building, Room 558, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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Savonenko A, Werka T, Nikolaev E, Zieliñski K, Kaczmarek L. Complex effects of NMDA receptor antagonist APV in the basolateral amygdala on acquisition of two-way avoidance reaction and long-term fear memory. Learn Mem 2003; 10:293-303. [PMID: 12888548 PMCID: PMC202320 DOI: 10.1101/lm.58803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Although much has been learned about the role of the amygdala in Pavlovian fear conditioning, relatively little is known about an involvement of this structure in more complex aversive learning, such as acquisition of an active avoidance reaction. In the present study, rats with a pretraining injection of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (APV), into the basolateral amygdala (BLA) were found to be impaired in two-way active avoidance learning. During multitrial training in a shuttle box, the APV-injected rats were not different from the controls in sensitivity to shock or in acquisition of freezing to contextual cues. However, APV injection led to impaired retention of contextual fear when tested 48 h later, along with an attenuation of c-Fos expression in the amygdala. These results are consistent with the role of NMDA receptors of the BLA in long-term memory of fear, previously documented in Pavlovian conditioning paradigms. The APV-induced impairment in the active avoidance learning coincided with deficits in directionality of the escape reaction and in attention to conditioned stimuli. These data indicate that normal functioning of NMDA receptors in the basolateral amygdala is required during acquisition of adaptive instrumental responses in a shuttle box but is not necessary for acquisition of short-term contextual fear in this situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
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31
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Jankowsky JL, Savonenko A, Schilling G, Wang J, Xu G, Borchelt DR. Transgenic mouse models of neurodegenerative disease: opportunities for therapeutic development. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2002; 2:457-64. [PMID: 12169227 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-002-0073-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases present an extraordinary challenge for medicine due to the grave nature of these illnesses, their prevalence, and their impact on individuals and caregivers. The most common of these age-associated chronic illnesses are Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD); other examples include the prion disorders, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and the trinucleotide (CAG) repeat diseases. All of these diseases are characterized by well-defined clinical syndromes with progressive courses that reflect the dysfunction and eventual loss of specific neuronal populations. Current therapies provide only symptomatic relief; none significantly alter the course of disease. We describe here how transgenic mice designed to model these diseases have substantially contributed to the identification and validation of many promising new therapies, and conversely how they have quickly and cost effectively eliminated several targets with unrealized expectations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna L Jankowsky
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross Building Room 558, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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32
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Abstract
Long-term moderate dietary restriction (DR) has been reported to extend life spans, delay the onset and decrease the incidence of a broad spectrum of age-associated diseases; however, its effect on cognition is still unclear. Our previous results indicated that long-term DR failed to retard cognitive and psychomotor aging in the inbred strain, Fischer-344 rats. In the present experiment, an anti-aging effect of DR on various types of cognitive and sensorimotor behaviors was found in F1 hybrid Fischer-344 x Brown Norway (F-344xBN) rats, while no effect of DR was detected in the second parental inbred strain, Brown-Norway (BN) rats. These findings show that the lack of an effect of DR on cognitive aging, which was previously found in Fischer-344 rats, is not a universal phenomenon. Instead, the effect of DR may depend upon the genetic makeup of the animals. Thus, a more diverse genetic milieu, such as in hybrid rats, relative to inbred rats, may increase the susceptibility to an effect of DR on age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja L Markowska
- Neuromnemonics Laboratory, Department of Psychology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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Andreasson KI, Savonenko A, Vidensky S, Goellner JJ, Zhang Y, Shaffer A, Kaufmann WE, Worley PF, Isakson P, Markowska AL. Age-dependent cognitive deficits and neuronal apoptosis in cyclooxygenase-2 transgenic mice. J Neurosci 2001; 21:8198-209. [PMID: 11588192 PMCID: PMC6763862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The cyclooxygenases catalyze the rate-limiting step in the formation of prostaglandins from arachidonic acid and are the pharmacological targets of (NSAIDs). In brain, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the inducible isoform of cyclooxygenase, is selectively expressed in neurons of the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. As an immediate-early gene, COX-2 is dramatically and transiently induced in these neurons in response to NMDA receptor activation. In models of acute excitotoxic neuronal injury, elevated and sustained levels of COX-2 have been shown to promote neuronal apoptosis, indicating that upregulated COX-2 activity is injurious to neurons. COX-2 may also contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease, for which early administration of NSAIDs is protective against development of the disease. To test the effect of constitutively elevated neuronal COX-2, transgenic mice were generated that overexpressed COX-2 in neurons and produced elevated levels of prostaglandins in brain. In cross-sectional behavioral studies, COX-2 transgenic mice developed an age-dependent deficit in spatial memory at 12 and 20 months but not at 7 months and a deficit in aversive behavior at 20 months of age. These behavioral changes were associated with a parallel age-dependent increase in neuronal apoptosis occurring at 14 and 22 months but not at 8 months of age and astrocytic activation at 24 months of age. These findings suggest that neuronal COX-2 may contribute to the pathophysiology of age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease by promoting memory dysfunction, neuronal apoptosis, and astrocytic activation in an age-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- K I Andreasson
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
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Zieliński K, Nikolaev E, Savonenko A. [Delay inhibition of the active avoidance reflex and intertrial responses in rats in the shuttle box]. Ross Fiziol Zh Im I M Sechenova 2000; 86:1644-55. [PMID: 11212518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
A diminished probability of avoidance response in early phases of a warning signal was revealed with salient signals given after short intertrial intervals. The inhibition of the delay in avoidance response is due to an interaction of the safety state conditioning and the excitation elicited by onset of warning signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Zieliński
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 3 Pasteur St., 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
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35
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Savonenko A, Filipkowski RK, Werka T, Zielinski K, Kaczmarek L. Defensive conditioning-related functional heterogeneity among nuclei of the rat amygdala revealed by c-Fos mapping. Neuroscience 1999; 94:723-33. [PMID: 10579563 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(99)00331-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala is a complex forebrain structure proposed to play a pivotal role in fear conditioning circuitry. In this study, c-Fos immunomapping was applied to investigate the functional activation of particular amygdalar nuclei following a 50-trial training session of two-way active avoidance reaction. To dissect distinctive responses displayed by the animals and to cluster them into groups of correlated behaviors, factor analysis was employed. The training procedure resulted in an increase of c-Fos expression within the cortical, medial, lateral and basolateral, but not central, nuclei. The expression in the cortical nucleus correlated negatively with grooming behavior, whereas c-Fos immunolabeling of the other three subdivisions of the amygdala could be associated with the number of intertrial responses. No correlation was observed between c-Fos expression and avoidance reactions performed or the amount of shock received by the animal. The results obtained with c-Fos mapping of various regions of rat amygdala, combined with a fine dissection of behavioral repertoire, imply that there are specific functional links between particular parts of the structure and distinctive behaviors that reflect various emotional states of the animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Savonenko
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute, Warsaw, Poland
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Lukasiuk K, Savonenko A, Nikolaev E, Rydz M, Kaczmarek L. Defensive conditioning-related increase in AP-1 transcription factor in the rat cortex. Brain Res Mol Brain Res 1999; 67:64-73. [PMID: 10101233 DOI: 10.1016/s0169-328x(99)00045-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In the studies reported herein, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and immunocytochemistry have been applied to document increased levels of AP-1 transcription factor, and its major component, c-Fos in the rat brain following behavioral training of two-way active avoidance. A single training session (50 trials) provoked elevation of AP-1 in the visual, sensory and limbic cortex but not in the hippocampus. A session following long term training (10 sessions, up to asymptotic level of performance) had much smaller effect on AP-1 levels in the visual cortex than single training session. The long term training was used to ensure that observed effects were related to acquisition of the reaction rather than simply to behavioral performance. Supershift EMSA analysis with antibodies directed at individual AP-1 components revealed that AP-1 extracted from the brains of trained as well as naive animals is composed of the same proteins, i.e., in order of relative level within the protein family: c-Fos, Fos B, Fra-2, and Jun D, Jun B, c-Jun. These studies reinforce the notion that transcription factors as regulators of gene expression-and AP-1 in particular-may respond to behavioral stimulation and furthermore may play a role in acquisition of behavioral reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Lukasiuk
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Pasteura 3, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
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