1
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Koskuvi M, Pörsti E, Hewitt T, Räsänen N, Wu YC, Trontti K, McQuade A, Kalyanaraman S, Ojansuu I, Vaurio O, Cannon TD, Lönnqvist J, Therman S, Suvisaari J, Kaprio J, Blurton-Jones M, Hovatta I, Lähteenvuo M, Rolova T, Lehtonen Š, Tiihonen J, Koistinaho J. Genetic contribution to microglial activation in schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02529-1. [PMID: 38519640 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02529-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Several lines of evidence indicate the involvement of neuroinflammatory processes in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SCZ). Microglia are brain resident immune cells responding toward invading pathogens and injury-related products, and additionally, have a critical role in improving neurogenesis and synaptic functions. Aberrant activation of microglia in SCZ is one of the leading hypotheses for disease pathogenesis, but due to the lack of proper human cell models, the role of microglia in SCZ is not well studied. We used monozygotic twins discordant for SCZ and healthy individuals to generate human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia to assess the transcriptional and functional differences in microglia between healthy controls, affected twins and unaffected twins. The microglia from affected twins had increased expression of several common inflammation-related genes compared to healthy individuals. Microglia from affected twins had also reduced response to interleukin 1 beta (IL1β) treatment, but no significant differences in migration or phagocytotic activity. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) showed abnormalities related to extracellular matrix signaling. RNA sequencing predicted downregulation of extracellular matrix structure constituent Gene Ontology (GO) terms and hepatic fibrosis pathway activation that were shared by microglia of both affected and unaffected twins, but the upregulation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II receptors was observed only in affected twin microglia. Also, the microglia of affected twins had heterogeneous response to clozapine, minocycline, and sulforaphane treatments. Overall, despite the increased expression of inflammatory genes, we observed no clear functional signs of hyperactivation in microglia from patients with SCZ. We conclude that microglia of the patients with SCZ have gene expression aberrations related to inflammation response and extracellular matrix without contributing to increased microglial activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marja Koskuvi
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elina Pörsti
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tristen Hewitt
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Noora Räsänen
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ying-Chieh Wu
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Amanda McQuade
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | | | - Ilkka Ojansuu
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Olli Vaurio
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tyrone D Cannon
- Department of Psychology and Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jouko Lönnqvist
- Mental Health Unit, Department of Public Health Solutions, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sebastian Therman
- Mental Health Unit, Department of Public Health Solutions, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaana Suvisaari
- Mental Health Unit, Department of Public Health Solutions, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaakko Kaprio
- Institute for Molecular Medicine FIMM, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mathew Blurton-Jones
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Markku Lähteenvuo
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Taisia Rolova
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Šárka Lehtonen
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jari Tiihonen
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jari Koistinaho
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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2
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Gigliotta A, Mingardi J, Cummings S, Alikhani V, Trontti K, Barbon A, Kothary R, Hovatta I. Genetic background modulates the effect of glucocorticoids on proliferation, differentiation and myelin formation of oligodendrocyte lineage cells. Eur J Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38385867 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16285] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are prevalent mental disorders. Their predisposition involves a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors, such as psychosocial stress. Myelin plasticity was recently associated with chronic stress in several mouse models. Furthermore, we found that changes in both myelin thickness and node of Ranvier morphology after chronic social defeat stress are influenced by the genetic background of the mouse strain. To understand cellular and molecular effects of stress-associated myelin plasticity, we established an oligodendrocyte (OL) model consisting of OL primary cell cultures isolated from the C57BL/6NCrl (B6; innately non-anxious and mostly stress-resilient strain) and DBA/2NCrl (D2; innately anxious and mostly stress-susceptible strain) mice. Characterization of naïve cells revealed that D2 cultures contained more pre-myelinating and mature OLs compared with B6 cultures. However, B6 cultures contained more proliferating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) than D2 cultures. Acute exposure to corticosterone, the major stress hormone in mice, reduced OPC proliferation and increased OL maturation and myelin production in D2 cultures compared with vehicle treatment, whereas only OL maturation was reduced in B6 cultures. In contrast, prolonged exposure to the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone reduced OPC proliferation in both D2 and B6 cultures, but only D2 cultures displayed a reduction in OPC differentiation and myelin production. Taken together, our results reveal that genetic factors influence OL sensitivity to glucocorticoids, and this effect is dependent on the cellular maturation stage. Our model provides a novel framework for the identification of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying stress-associated myelin plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Gigliotta
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jessica Mingardi
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Sarah Cummings
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vida Alikhani
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alessandro Barbon
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Rashmi Kothary
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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3
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Koskinen MK, Laine M, Abdollahzadeh A, Gigliotta A, Mazzini G, Journée S, Alenius V, Trontti K, Tohka J, Hyytiä P, Sierra A, Hovatta I. Node of Ranvier remodeling in chronic psychosocial stress and anxiety. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1532-1540. [PMID: 36949148 PMCID: PMC10425340 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01568-6] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Differential expression of myelin-related genes and changes in myelin thickness have been demonstrated in mice after chronic psychosocial stress, a risk factor for anxiety disorders. To determine whether and how stress affects structural remodeling of nodes of Ranvier, another form of myelin plasticity, we developed a 3D reconstruction analysis of node morphology in C57BL/6NCrl and DBA/2NCrl mice. We identified strain-dependent effects of chronic social defeat stress on node morphology in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) gray matter, including shortening of paranodes in C57BL/6NCrl stress-resilient and shortening of node gaps in DBA/2NCrl stress-susceptible mice compared to controls. Neuronal activity has been associated with changes in myelin thickness. To investigate whether neuronal activation is a mechanism influencing also node of Ranvier morphology, we used DREADDs to repeatedly activate the ventral hippocampus-to-mPFC pathway. We found reduced anxiety-like behavior and shortened paranodes specifically in stimulated, but not in the nearby non-stimulated axons. Altogether, our data demonstrate (1) nodal remodeling of the mPFC gray matter axons after chronic stress and (2) axon-specific regulation of paranodes in response to repeated neuronal activity in an anxiety-associated pathway. Nodal remodeling may thus contribute to aberrant circuit function associated with anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maija-Kreetta Koskinen
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mikaela Laine
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ali Abdollahzadeh
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Adrien Gigliotta
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Giulia Mazzini
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sarah Journée
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Varpu Alenius
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jussi Tohka
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Petri Hyytiä
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alejandra Sierra
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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4
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Gigliotta A, Trontti K, Väänänen J, Hovatta I. Gene expression profiling reveals a role of immune system and inflammation in innate and stress-induced anxiety-like behavior. Front Genet 2023; 14:1173376. [PMID: 37260777 PMCID: PMC10229056 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1173376] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety is an evolutionarily conserved response that is essential for survival. Pathological anxiety, however, is a maladaptive response to nonthreatening situations and greatly affects quality of life. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has increased the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and highlighted the urge to identify the molecular events that initiate pathological anxiety. To this aim, we investigated the extent of similarity of brain region-specific gene expression patterns associated with innate and stress-induced anxiety-like behavior. We compared the cortico-frontal (FCx) and hippocampal (Hpc) gene expression patterns of five inbred mouse strains with high or low levels of innate anxiety-like behavior with gene expression patterns of mice subjected to chronic social defeat stress. We found significantly large overlap of the Hpc but small overlap of the FCx gene expression patterns in innate and stress-induced anxiety, that however, converged onto common inflammation and immune system canonical pathways. Comparing the gene expression data with drug-gene interaction datasets revealed drug candidates, including medrysone, simvastatin, captopril, and sulpiride, that produced gene expression changes opposite to those observed in innate or stress-induced anxiety-like behavior. Together, our data provide a comprehensive overview of FCx and Hpc gene expression differences between innate and stress-induced anxiety and support the role of inflammation and immune system in anxiety-like behavior.
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5
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Kurki SN, Uvarov P, Pospelov AS, Trontti K, Hübner AK, Srinivasan R, Watanabe M, Hovatta I, Hübner CA, Kaila K, Virtanen MA. Expression patterns of NKCC1 in neurons and non-neuronal cells during cortico-hippocampal development. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:5906-5923. [PMID: 36573432 PMCID: PMC10183754 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The Na-K-2Cl cotransporter NKCC1 is widely expressed in cells within and outside the brain. However, our understanding of its roles in brain functions throughout development, as well as in neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders, has been severely hindered by the lack of reliable data on its developmental and (sub)cellular expression patterns. We provide here the first properly controlled analysis of NKCC1 protein expression in various cell types of the mouse brain using custom-made antibodies and an NKCC1 knock-out validated immunohistochemical procedure, with parallel data based on advanced mRNA approaches. NKCC1 protein and mRNA are expressed at remarkably high levels in oligodendrocytes. In immature neurons, NKCC1 protein was located in the somata, whereas in adult neurons, only NKCC1 mRNA could be clearly detected. NKCC1 immunoreactivity is also seen in microglia, astrocytes, developing pericytes, and in progenitor cells of the dentate gyrus. Finally, a differential expression of NKCC1 splice variants was observed, with NKCC1a predominating in non-neuronal cells and NKCC1b in neurons. Taken together, our data provide a cellular basis for understanding NKCC1 functions in the brain and enable the identification of major limitations and promises in the development of neuron-targeting NKCC1-blockers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samu N Kurki
- University of Helsinki Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki Neuroscience Center, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
| | - Pavel Uvarov
- University of Helsinki Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki Neuroscience Center, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
| | - Alexey S Pospelov
- University of Helsinki Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki Neuroscience Center, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki Neuroscience Center, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
- University of Helsinki SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
- University of Helsinki Department of Psychology and Logopedics, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
| | - Antje K Hübner
- Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller Universität Institute of Human Genetics, , 07747 Jena , Germany
| | - Rakenduvadhana Srinivasan
- University of Helsinki Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki Neuroscience Center, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
| | - Masahiko Watanabe
- Hokkaido University Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, , Sapporo 060–8638 , Japan
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki Neuroscience Center, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
- University of Helsinki SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
- University of Helsinki Department of Psychology and Logopedics, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
| | - Christian A Hübner
- Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller Universität Institute of Human Genetics, , 07747 Jena , Germany
| | - Kai Kaila
- University of Helsinki Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki Neuroscience Center, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
| | - Mari A Virtanen
- University of Helsinki Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki Neuroscience Center, , 00014 Helsinki , Finland
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6
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Jäntti H, Oksanen M, Kettunen P, Manta S, Mouledous L, Koivisto H, Ruuth J, Trontti K, Dhungana H, Keuters M, Weert I, Koskuvi M, Hovatta I, Linden AM, Rampon C, Malm T, Tanila H, Koistinaho J, Rolova T. Human PSEN1 Mutant Glia Improve Spatial Learning and Memory in Aged Mice. Cells 2022; 11:cells11244116. [PMID: 36552881 PMCID: PMC9776487 DOI: 10.3390/cells11244116] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The PSEN1 ΔE9 mutation causes a familial form of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by shifting the processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) towards the generation of highly amyloidogenic Aβ42 peptide. We have previously shown that the PSEN1 ΔE9 mutation in human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived astrocytes increases Aβ42 production and impairs cellular responses. Here, we injected PSEN1 ΔE9 mutant astrosphere-derived glial progenitors into newborn mice and investigated mouse behavior at the ages of 8, 12, and 16 months. While we did not find significant behavioral changes in younger mice, spatial learning and memory were paradoxically improved in 16-month-old PSEN1 ΔE9 glia-transplanted male mice as compared to age-matched isogenic control-transplanted animals. Memory improvement was associated with lower levels of soluble, but not insoluble, human Aβ42 in the mouse brain. We also found a decreased engraftment of PSEN1 ΔE9 mutant cells in the cingulate cortex and significant transcriptional changes in both human and mouse genes in the hippocampus, including the extracellular matrix-related genes. Overall, the presence of PSEN1 ΔE9 mutant glia exerted a more beneficial effect on aged mouse brain than the isogenic control human cells likely as a combination of several factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henna Jäntti
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Minna Oksanen
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Pinja Kettunen
- Neuroscience Center, HILIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Stella Manta
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, CEDEX 09, 31062 Toulouse, France
- Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Lionel Mouledous
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, CEDEX 09, 31062 Toulouse, France
- Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Hennariikka Koivisto
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Johanna Ruuth
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hiramani Dhungana
- Neuroscience Center, HILIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Meike Keuters
- Neuroscience Center, HILIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Isabelle Weert
- Neuroscience Center, HILIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marja Koskuvi
- Neuroscience Center, HILIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Solna, Sweden
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anni-Maija Linden
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Claire Rampon
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, CEDEX 09, 31062 Toulouse, France
- Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Tarja Malm
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Heikki Tanila
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jari Koistinaho
- Neuroscience Center, HILIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Correspondence: (J.K.); (T.R.)
| | - Taisia Rolova
- Neuroscience Center, HILIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Correspondence: (J.K.); (T.R.)
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7
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Koskuvi M, Lehtonen Š, Trontti K, Keuters M, Wu YC, Koivisto H, Ludwig A, Plotnikova L, Virtanen PLJ, Räsänen N, Kaipainen S, Hyötyläinen I, Dhungana H, Giniatullina R, Ojansuu I, Vaurio O, Cannon TD, Lönnqvist J, Therman S, Suvisaari J, Kaprio J, Lähteenvuo M, Tohka J, Giniatullin R, Rivera C, Hovatta I, Tanila H, Tiihonen J, Koistinaho J. Contribution of astrocytes to familial risk and clinical manifestation of schizophrenia. Glia 2021; 70:650-660. [PMID: 34936134 PMCID: PMC9306586 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24131] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have implicated several brain cell types in schizophrenia (SCZ), but the genetic impact of astrocytes is unknown. Considering their high complexity in humans, astrocytes are likely key determinants of neurodevelopmental diseases, such as SCZ. Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)‐derived astrocytes differentiated from five monozygotic twin pairs discordant for SCZ and five healthy subjects were studied for alterations related to high genetic risk and clinical manifestation of SCZ in astrocyte transcriptomics, neuron‐astrocyte co‐cultures, and in humanized mice. We found gene expression and signaling pathway alterations related to synaptic dysfunction, inflammation, and extracellular matrix components in SCZ astrocytes, and demyelination in SCZ astrocyte transplanted mice. While Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified SCZ disease and synaptic transmission pathway changes in SCZ astrocytes, the most consistent findings were related to collagen and cell adhesion associated pathways. Neuronal responses to glutamate and GABA differed between astrocytes from control persons, affected twins, and their unaffected co‐twins and were normalized by clozapine treatment. SCZ astrocyte cell transplantation to the mouse forebrain caused gene expression changes in synaptic dysfunction and inflammation pathways of mouse brain cells and resulted in behavioral changes in cognitive and olfactory functions. Differentially expressed transcriptomes and signaling pathways related to synaptic functions, inflammation, and especially collagen and glycoprotein 6 pathways indicate abnormal extracellular matrix composition in the brain as one of the key characteristics in the etiology of SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marja Koskuvi
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Šárka Lehtonen
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Meike Keuters
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ying-Chieh Wu
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hennariikka Koivisto
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Lidiia Plotnikova
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Noora Räsänen
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Satu Kaipainen
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ida Hyötyläinen
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Hiramani Dhungana
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Raisa Giniatullina
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ilkka Ojansuu
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Olli Vaurio
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tyrone D Cannon
- Department of Psychology and Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jouko Lönnqvist
- Mental Health Unit, Department of Public Health Solutions, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sebastian Therman
- Mental Health Unit, Department of Public Health Solutions, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaana Suvisaari
- Mental Health Unit, Department of Public Health Solutions, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaakko Kaprio
- Institute for Molecular Medicine FIMM, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Markku Lähteenvuo
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jussi Tohka
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Rashid Giniatullin
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Claudio Rivera
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,INSERM, Institute of Mediterranean Neurobiology, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heikki Tanila
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jari Tiihonen
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, and Center for Psychiatric Research, Stockholm City Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jari Koistinaho
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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8
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Cui H, Kilpeläinen T, Zouzoula L, Auno S, Trontti K, Kurvonen S, Norrbacka S, Hovatta I, Jensen PH, Myöhänen TT. Prolyl oligopeptidase inhibition reduces alpha-synuclein aggregation in a cellular model of multiple system atrophy. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:9634-9646. [PMID: 34486218 PMCID: PMC8505845 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease where the histopathological hallmark is glial cytoplasmic inclusions in oligodendrocytes, rich of aggregated alpha‐synuclein (aSyn). Therefore, therapies targeting aSyn aggregation and toxicity have been studied as a possible disease‐modifying therapy for MSA. Our earlier studies show that inhibition of prolyl oligopeptidase (PREP) with KYP‐2047 reduces aSyn aggregates in several models. Here, we tested the effects of KYP‐2047 on a MSA cellular models, using rat OLN‐AS7 and human MO3.13 oligodendrocyte cells. As translocation of p25α to cell cytosol has been identified as an inducer of aSyn aggregation in MSA models, the cells were transiently transfected with p25α. Similar to earlier studies, p25α increased aSyn phosphorylation and aggregation, and caused tubulin retraction and impaired autophagy in OLN‐AS7 cells. In both cellular models, p25α transfection increased significantly aSyn mRNA levels and also increased the levels of inactive protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). However, aSyn or p25α did not cause any cellular death in MO3.13 cells, questioning their use as a MSA model. Simultaneous administration of 10 µM KYP‐2047 improved cell viability, decreased insoluble phosphorylated aSyn and normalized autophagy in OLN‐AS7 cells but similar impact was not seen in MO3.13 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hengjing Cui
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy/Drug Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tommi Kilpeläinen
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy/Drug Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lydia Zouzoula
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy/Drug Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Samuli Auno
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy/Drug Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sampo Kurvonen
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy/Drug Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Susanna Norrbacka
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy/Drug Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Timo T Myöhänen
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy/Drug Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology Unit, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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9
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Rouhiainen A, Kulesskaya N, Mennesson M, Misiewicz Z, Sipilä T, Sokolowska E, Trontti K, Urpa L, McEntegart W, Saarnio S, Hyytiä P, Hovatta I. The bradykinin system in stress and anxiety in humans and mice. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19437. [PMID: 31857655 PMCID: PMC6923437 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55947-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pharmacological research in mice and human genetic analyses suggest that the kallikrein-kinin system (KKS) may regulate anxiety. We examined the role of the KKS in anxiety and stress in both species. In human genetic association analysis, variants in genes for the bradykinin precursor (KNG1) and the bradykinin receptors (BDKRB1 and BDKRB2) were associated with anxiety disorders (p < 0.05). In mice, however, neither acute nor chronic stress affected B1 receptor gene or protein expression, and B1 receptor antagonists had no effect on anxiety tests measuring approach-avoidance conflict. We thus focused on the B2 receptor and found that mice injected with the B2 antagonist WIN 64338 had lowered levels of a physiological anxiety measure, the stress-induced hyperthermia (SIH), vs controls. In the brown adipose tissue, a major thermoregulator, WIN 64338 increased expression of the mitochondrial regulator Pgc1a and the bradykinin precursor gene Kng2 was upregulated after cold stress. Our data suggests that the bradykinin system modulates a variety of stress responses through B2 receptor-mediated effects, but systemic antagonists of the B2 receptor were not anxiolytic in mice. Genetic variants in the bradykinin receptor genes may predispose to anxiety disorders in humans by affecting their function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari Rouhiainen
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Natalia Kulesskaya
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marie Mennesson
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Zuzanna Misiewicz
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tessa Sipilä
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ewa Sokolowska
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lea Urpa
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - William McEntegart
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Suvi Saarnio
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petri Hyytiä
- Department of Pharmacology, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. .,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. .,SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. .,Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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10
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Oksanen M, Hyötyläinen I, Trontti K, Rolova T, Wojciechowski S, Koskuvi M, Viitanen M, Levonen AL, Hovatta I, Roybon L, Lehtonen Š, Kanninen KM, Hämäläinen RH, Koistinaho J. NF-E2-related factor 2 activation boosts antioxidant defenses and ameliorates inflammatory and amyloid properties in human Presenilin-1 mutated Alzheimer's disease astrocytes. Glia 2019; 68:589-599. [PMID: 31670864 PMCID: PMC7003860 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common dementia affecting a vast number of individuals and significantly impairing quality of life. Despite extensive research in animal models and numerous promising treatment trials, there is still no curative treatment for AD. Astrocytes, the most common cell type of the central nervous system, have been shown to play a role in the major AD pathologies, including accumulation of amyloid plaques, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. Here, we show that inflammatory stimulation leads to metabolic activation of human astrocytes and reduces amyloid secretion. On the other hand, the activation of oxidative metabolism leads to increased reactive oxygen species production especially in AD astrocytes. While healthy astrocytes increase glutathione (GSH) release to protect the cells, Presenilin‐1‐mutated AD patient astrocytes do not. Thus, chronic inflammation is likely to induce oxidative damage in AD astrocytes. Activation of NRF2, the major regulator of cellular antioxidant defenses, encoded by the NFE2L2 gene, poses several beneficial effects on AD astrocytes. We report here that the activation of NRF2 pathway reduces amyloid secretion, normalizes cytokine release, and increases GSH secretion in AD astrocytes. NRF2 induction also activates the metabolism of astrocytes and increases the utilization of glycolysis. Taken together, targeting NRF2 in astrocytes could be a potent therapeutic strategy in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minna Oksanen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ida Hyötyläinen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Taisia Rolova
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sara Wojciechowski
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Marja Koskuvi
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matti Viitanen
- Department of Geriatrics, University of Turku, Turku City Hospital, Turku, Finland.,Department of Geriatrics, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna-Liisa Levonen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Laurent Roybon
- Department of Experimental Medical Science and MultiPark and Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Šárka Lehtonen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katja M Kanninen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Riikka H Hämäläinen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jari Koistinaho
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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11
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Misiewicz Z, Iurato S, Kulesskaya N, Salminen L, Rodrigues L, Maccarrone G, Martins J, Czamara D, Laine MA, Sokolowska E, Trontti K, Rewerts C, Novak B, Volk N, Park DI, Jokitalo E, Paulin L, Auvinen P, Voikar V, Chen A, Erhardt A, Turck CW, Hovatta I. Multi-omics analysis identifies mitochondrial pathways associated with anxiety-related behavior. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008358. [PMID: 31557158 PMCID: PMC6762065 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Stressful life events are major environmental risk factors for anxiety disorders, although not all individuals exposed to stress develop clinical anxiety. The molecular mechanisms underlying the influence of environmental effects on anxiety are largely unknown. To identify biological pathways mediating stress-related anxiety and resilience to it, we used the chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) paradigm in male mice of two inbred strains, C57BL/6NCrl (B6) and DBA/2NCrl (D2), that differ in their susceptibility to stress. Using a multi-omics approach, we identified differential mRNA, miRNA and protein expression changes in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and blood cells after chronic stress. Integrative gene set enrichment analysis revealed enrichment of mitochondrial-related genes in the BNST and blood of stressed mice. To translate these results to human anxiety, we investigated blood gene expression changes associated with exposure-induced panic attacks. Remarkably, we found reduced expression of mitochondrial-related genes in D2 stress-susceptible mice and in exposure-induced panic attacks in humans, but increased expression of these genes in B6 stress-susceptible mice. Moreover, stress-susceptible vs. stress-resilient B6 mice displayed more mitochondrial cross-sections in the post-synaptic compartment after CSDS. Our findings demonstrate mitochondrial-related alterations in gene expression as an evolutionarily conserved response in stress-related behaviors and validate the use of cross-species approaches in investigating the biological mechanisms underlying anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzanna Misiewicz
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Stella Iurato
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Natalia Kulesskaya
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Laura Salminen
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Luis Rodrigues
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Giuseppina Maccarrone
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Jade Martins
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Darina Czamara
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Mikaela A. Laine
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ewa Sokolowska
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Christiane Rewerts
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Bozidar Novak
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Naama Volk
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Dong Ik Park
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Eija Jokitalo
- Electron Microscopy Unit, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lars Paulin
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petri Auvinen
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vootele Voikar
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Angelika Erhardt
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- * E-mail: (AE); (CWT); (IH)
| | - Christoph W. Turck
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- * E-mail: (AE); (CWT); (IH)
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- * E-mail: (AE); (CWT); (IH)
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12
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Meier SM, Trontti K, Purves KL, Als TD, Grove J, Laine M, Pedersen MG, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Bækved-Hansen M, Sokolowska E, Mortensen PB, Hougaard DM, Werge T, Nordentoft M, Breen G, Børglum AD, Eley TC, Hovatta I, Mattheisen M, Mors O. Genetic Variants Associated With Anxiety and Stress-Related Disorders: A Genome-Wide Association Study and Mouse-Model Study. JAMA Psychiatry 2019; 76:924-932. [PMID: 31116379 PMCID: PMC6537792 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.1119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Anxiety and stress-related disorders are among the most common mental disorders. Although family and twin studies indicate that both genetic and environmental factors play an important role underlying their etiology, the genetic underpinnings of anxiety and stress-related disorders are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES To estimate the single-nucleotide polymorphism-based heritability of anxiety and stress-related disorders; to identify novel genetic risk variants, genes, or biological pathways; to test for pleiotropic associations with other psychiatric traits; and to evaluate the association of psychiatric comorbidities with genetic findings. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS This genome-wide association study included individuals with various anxiety and stress-related diagnoses and controls derived from the population-based Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH) study. Lifetime diagnoses of anxiety and stress-related disorders were obtained through the national Danish registers. Genes of interest were further evaluated in mice exposed to chronic social defeat. The study was conducted between June 2016 and November 2018. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Diagnoses of a relatively broad diagnostic spectrum of anxiety and stress-related disorders. RESULTS The study sample included 12 655 individuals with various anxiety and stress-related diagnoses and 19 225 controls. Overall, 17 740 study participants (55.6%) were women. A total of 7308 participants (22.9%) were born between 1981-1985, 8840 (27.7%) between 1986-1990, 8157 (25.6%) between 1991-1995, 5918 (18.6%) between 1996-2000, and 1657 (5.2%) between 2001-2005. Standard association analysis revealed variants in PDE4B to be associated with anxiety and stress-related disorder (rs7528604; P = 5.39 × 10-11; odds ratio = 0.89; 95% CI, 0.86-0.92). A framework of sensitivity analyses adjusting for mental comorbidity supported this result showing consistent association of PDE4B variants with anxiety and stress-related disorder across analytical scenarios. In mouse models, alterations in Pde4b expression were observed in those mice displaying anxiety-like behavior after exposure to chronic stress in the prefrontal cortex (P = .002; t = -3.33) and the hippocampus (P = .001; t = -3.72). We also found a single-nucleotide polymorphism heritability of 28% (standard error = 0.027) and that the genetic signature of anxiety and stress-related overlapped with psychiatric traits, educational outcomes, obesity-related phenotypes, smoking, and reproductive success. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study highlights anxiety and stress-related disorders as complex heritable phenotypes with intriguing genetic correlations not only with psychiatric traits, but also with educational outcomes and multiple obesity-related phenotypes. Furthermore, we highlight the candidate gene PDE4B as a robust risk locus pointing to the potential of PDE4B inhibitors in treatment of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra M. Meier
- Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark,The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Copenhagen, Denmark,Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany,now with the Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Research Program of Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Medicum, and SleepWell Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kirstin L. Purves
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Damm Als
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Copenhagen, Denmark,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark,Centre for integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jakob Grove
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Copenhagen, Denmark,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark,Centre for integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mikaela Laine
- Research Program of Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Medicum, and SleepWell Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marianne Giørtz Pedersen
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Copenhagen, Denmark,National Centre for Register-Based Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jonas Bybjerg-Grauholm
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Copenhagen, Denmark,Danish Centre for Neonatal Screening, Department for Congenital Disorders, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marie Bækved-Hansen
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Copenhagen, Denmark,Danish Centre for Neonatal Screening, Department for Congenital Disorders, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ewa Sokolowska
- Research Program of Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Medicum, and SleepWell Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Preben B. Mortensen
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Copenhagen, Denmark,Centre for integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark,National Centre for Register-Based Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - David M. Hougaard
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Copenhagen, Denmark,Danish Centre for Neonatal Screening, Department for Congenital Disorders, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Werge
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Copenhagen, Denmark,Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Centre Sct Hans, Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Merete Nordentoft
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Copenhagen, Denmark,Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gerome Breen
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom,National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health, South London and Maudsley National Health Service Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anders D. Børglum
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Copenhagen, Denmark,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark,Centre for integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Thalia C. Eley
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- Research Program of Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Medicum, and SleepWell Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Manuel Mattheisen
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Copenhagen, Denmark,Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ole Mors
- Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark,The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Copenhagen, Denmark
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13
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Mantere O, Trontti K, García-González J, Balcells I, Saarnio S, Mäntylä T, Lindgren M, Kieseppä T, Raij T, Honkanen JK, Vaarala O, Hovatta I, Suvisaari J. Immunomodulatory effects of antipsychotic treatment on gene expression in first-episode psychosis. J Psychiatr Res 2019; 109:18-26. [PMID: 30463035 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies suggest immunological alterations in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Some studies show that antipsychotic compounds may cause immunomodulatory effects. To evaluate the immunological changes and the possible immunomodulatory effects in FEP, we recruited patients with FEP (n = 67) and matched controls (n = 38), aged 18-40 years, from the catchment area of the Helsinki University Hospital and the City of Helsinki, Finland. Fasting peripheral blood samples were collected between 8 and 10 a.m. in 10 ml PAXgene tubes. We applied the NanoString nCounter in-solution hybridization technology to determine gene expression levels of 147 candidate genes reflecting activation of the immune system. Cases had higher gene expression levels of BDKRB1 and SPP1/osteopontin compared with controls. Of the individual medications used as monotherapy, risperidone was associated with a statistically significant upregulation of 11 immune system genes, including cytokines and cytokine receptors (SPP1, IL1R1, IL1R2), pattern recognition molecules (TLR1, TLR2 and TLR6, dectin-1/CLEC7A), molecules involved in apoptosis (FAS), and some other molecules with functions in immune activation (BDKRB1, IGF1R, CR1). In conclusion, risperidone possessed strong immunomodulatory properties affecting mainly innate immune response in FEP patients, whereas the observed effects of quetiapine and olanzapine were only marginal. Our results further emphasize the importance of understanding the immunomodulatory mechanisms of antipsychotic treatment, especially in terms of specific compounds, doses and duration of medication in patients with severe mental illness. Future studies should evaluate the response pre- and post-treatment, and the possible role of this inflammatory activation for the progression of psychiatric and metabolic symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Outi Mantere
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Bipolar Disorders Clinic, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, 6875, LaSalle Boulevard Montreal, Quebec, H4H 1R3, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, P.O. Box 56, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Judit García-González
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, P.O. Box 56, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ingrid Balcells
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, P.O. Box 56, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Suvi Saarnio
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, P.O. Box 56, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Teemu Mäntylä
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, and Advanced Magnetic Imaging Center, Aalto NeuroImaging, P.O. Box 12200, FI-00076, Aalto University School of Science, Finland; Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Mental Health Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, FI-00271, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maija Lindgren
- Mental Health Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, FI-00271, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tuula Kieseppä
- Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 590, FI-00029 HUS, Finland
| | - Tuukka Raij
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, and Advanced Magnetic Imaging Center, Aalto NeuroImaging, P.O. Box 12200, FI-00076, Aalto University School of Science, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 590, FI-00029 HUS, Finland
| | - Jarno K Honkanen
- Clinicum, P.O. Box 21, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Outi Vaarala
- Clinicum, P.O. Box 21, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, P.O. Box 56, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaana Suvisaari
- Mental Health Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, FI-00271, Helsinki, Finland
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Johansson H, Seppä P, Helanterä H, Trontti K, Sundström L. Weak population structure in the ant Formica fusca. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5024. [PMID: 29942691 PMCID: PMC6014328 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersal is a fundamental trait of a species’ biology. High dispersal results in weakly structured or even panmictic populations over large areas, whereas weak dispersal enables population differentiation and strong spatial structuring. We report on the genetic population structure in the polygyne ant Formica fusca and the relative contribution of the dispersing males and females to this. We sampled 12 localities across a ∼35 km2 study area in Finland and generated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype data and microsatellite data. First, we assessed queen dispersal by estimating population differentiation from mtDNA haplotype data. Second, we analysed nuclear DNA microsatellite data to determine overall population genetic substructure in the study area with principal components analysis, Bayesian clustering, hierarchical F statistics and testing for evidence of isolation-by-distance. Third, we directly compared genetic differentiation estimates from maternally inherited mtDNA and bi-parentally inherited DNA microsatellites to test for sex-bias in dispersal. Our results showed no significant spatial structure or isolation by distance in neither mtDNA nor DNA microsatellite data, suggesting high dispersal of both sexes across the study area. However, mitochondrial differentiation was weaker (Fst-mt = 0.0047) than nuclear differentiation (Fst-nuc = 0.027), which translates into a sixfold larger female migration rate compared to that of males. We conclude that the weak population substructure reflects high dispersal in both sexes, and it is consistent with F. fusca as a pioneer species exploiting unstable habitats in successional boreal forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Johansson
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Perttu Seppä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Tvärminne Research Station, University of Helsinki, Hangö, Finland
| | - Heikki Helanterä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Tvärminne Research Station, University of Helsinki, Hangö, Finland
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liselotte Sundström
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Tvärminne Research Station, University of Helsinki, Hangö, Finland
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Trontti K, Väänänen J, Sipilä T, Greco D, Hovatta I. Strong conservation of inbred mouse strain microRNA loci but broad variation in brain microRNAs due to RNA editing and isomiR expression. RNA 2018; 24:643-655. [PMID: 29445025 PMCID: PMC5900563 DOI: 10.1261/rna.064881.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Diversity in the structure and expression of microRNAs, important regulators of gene expression, arises from SNPs, duplications followed by divergence, production of isomiRs, and RNA editing. Inbred mouse strains and crosses using them are important reference populations for genetic mapping, and as models of human disease. We determined the nature and extent of interstrain miRNA variation by (i) identifying miRNA SNPs in whole-genome sequence data from 36 strains, and (ii) examining miRNA editing and expression in hippocampus (Hpc) and frontal cortex (FCx) of six strains, to facilitate the study of miRNAs in neurobehavioral phenotypes. miRNA loci were strongly conserved among the 36 strains, but even the highly conserved seed region contained 16 SNPs. In contrast, we identified RNA editing in 58.9% of miRNAs, including 11 consistent editing events in the seed region. We confirmed the functional significance of three conserved edits in the miR-379/410 cluster, demonstrating that edited miRNAs gained novel target mRNAs not recognized by the unedited miRNAs. We found significant interstrain differences in miRNA and isomiR expression: Of 779 miRNAs expressed in Hpc and 719 in FCx, 262 were differentially expressed (190 in Hpc, 126 in FCx, 54 in both). We also identified 32 novel miRNA candidates using miRNA prediction tools. Our studies provide the first comprehensive analysis of SNP, isomiR, and RNA editing variation in miRNA loci across inbred mouse strains, and a detailed catalog of expressed miRNAs in Hpc and FCx in six commonly used strains. These findings will facilitate the molecular analysis of neurological and behavioral phenotypes in this model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalevi Trontti
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00790, Finland
| | - Juho Väänänen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00790, Finland
| | - Tessa Sipilä
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00790, Finland
| | - Dario Greco
- Insitute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00790, Finland
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00790, Finland
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Dhaygude K, Trontti K, Paviala J, Morandin C, Wheat C, Sundström L, Helanterä H. Transcriptome sequencing reveals high isoform diversity in the ant Formica exsecta. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3998. [PMID: 29177112 PMCID: PMC5701548 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptome resources for social insects have the potential to provide new insight into polyphenism, i.e., how divergent phenotypes arise from the same genome. Here we present a transcriptome based on paired-end RNA sequencing data for the ant Formica exsecta (Formicidae, Hymenoptera). The RNA sequencing libraries were constructed from samples of several life stages of both sexes and female castes of queens and workers, in order to maximize representation of expressed genes. We first compare the performance of common assembly and scaffolding software (Trinity, Velvet-Oases, and SOAPdenovo-trans), in producing de novo assemblies. Second, we annotate the resulting expressed contigs to the currently published genomes of ants, and other insects, including the honeybee, to filter genes that have annotation evidence of being true genes. Our pipeline resulted in a final assembly of altogether 39,262 mRNA transcripts, with an average coverage of >300X, belonging to 17,496 unique genes with annotation in the related ant species. From these genes, 536 genes were unique to one caste or sex only, highlighting the importance of comprehensive sampling. Our final assembly also showed expression of several splice variants in 6,975 genes, and we show that accounting for splice variants affects the outcome of downstream analyses such as gene ontologies. Our transcriptome provides an outstanding resource for future genetic studies on F. exsecta and other ant species, and the presented transcriptome assembly can be adapted to any non-model species that has genomic resources available from a related taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kishor Dhaygude
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Department of Biosciences, Neurogenomics Laboratory, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jenni Paviala
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Claire Morandin
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Christopher Wheat
- Department of Zoology Ecology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Liselotte Sundström
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
| | - Heikki Helanterä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
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Abstract
DNA methylation is emerging as an important regulator of polyphenism in the social insects. Research has concentrated on differences in methylation between queens and workers, though we hypothesized that methylation is involved in mediating other flexible phenotypes, including pheromone-dependent changes in worker behaviour and physiology. Here, we find that exposure to queen pheromone affects the expression of two DNA methyltransferase genes in Apis mellifera honeybees and in two species of Lasius ants, but not in Bombus terrestris bumblebees. These results suggest that queen pheromones influence the worker methylome, pointing to a novel proximate mechanism for these key social signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Holman
- Division of Ecology, Evolution & Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Department of Biosciences, Division of Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Heikki Helanterä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki 00014, Finland Tvärminne Zoological Station, J. A. Palménin tie 260, Hanko 10900, Finland
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Morandin C, Dhaygude K, Paviala J, Trontti K, Wheat C, Helanterä H. Caste-biases in gene expression are specific to developmental stage in the ant Formica exsecta. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1705-18. [PMID: 26172873 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 03/13/2015] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how a single genome creates and maintains distinct phenotypes is a central goal in evolutionary biology. Social insects are a striking example of co-opted genetic backgrounds giving rise to dramatically different phenotypes, such as queen and worker castes. A conserved set of molecular pathways, previously envisioned as a set of 'toolkit' genes, has been hypothesized to underlie queen and worker phenotypes in independently evolved social insect lineages. Here, we investigated the toolkit from a developmental point of view, using RNA-Seq to compare caste-biased gene expression patterns across three life stages (pupae, emerging adult and old adult) and two female castes (queens and workers) in the ant Formica exsecta. We found that the number of genes with caste-biased expression increases dramatically from pupal to old adult stages. This result suggests that phenotypic differences between queens and workers at the pupal stage may derive from a relatively low number of caste-biased genes, compared to higher number of genes required to maintain caste differences at the adult stage. Gene expression patterns were more similar among castes within developmental stages than within castes despite the extensive phenotypic differences between queens and workers. Caste-biased expression was highly variable among life stages at the level of single genes, but more consistent when gene functions (gene ontology terms) were investigated. Finally, we found that a large part of putative toolkit genes were caste-biased at least in some life stages in F. exsecta, and the caste-biases, but not their direction, were more often shared between F. exsecta and other ant species than between F. exsecta and bees. Our results indicate that gene expression should be examined across several developmental stages to fully reveal the genetic basis of polyphenisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Morandin
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland.,Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
| | - K Dhaygude
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
| | - J Paviala
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
| | - K Trontti
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
| | - C Wheat
- Department of Zoology, Population Genetics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - H Helanterä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland.,Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
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Morandin C, Havukainen H, Kulmuni J, Dhaygude K, Trontti K, Helanterä H. Not only for egg yolk--functional and evolutionary insights from expression, selection, and structural analyses of Formica ant vitellogenins. Mol Biol Evol 2014; 31:2181-93. [PMID: 24895411 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msu171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitellogenin (Vg), a storage protein, has been extensively studied for its egg-yolk precursor role, and it has been suggested to be fundamentally involved in caste differences in social insects. More than one Vg copy has been reported in several oviparous species, including ants. However, the number and function of different Vgs, their phylogenetic relatedness, and their role in reproductive queens and nonreproductive workers have been studied in few species only. We studied caste-biased expression of Vgs in seven Formica ant species. Only one copy of conventional Vg was identified in Formica species, and three Vg homologs, derived from ancient duplications, which represent yet undiscovered Vg-like genes. We show that each of these Vg-like genes is present in all studied Hymenoptera and some of them in other insects as well. We show that after each major duplication event, at least one of the Vg-like genes has experienced a period of positive selection. This, combined with the observation that the Vg-like genes have acquired or lost specific protein domains suggests sub- or neofunctionalization between Vg and the duplicated genes. In contrast to earlier studies, Vg was not consistently queen biased in its expression, and the caste bias of the three Vg-like genes was highly variable among species. Furthermore, a truncated and Hymenoptera-specific Vg-like gene, Vg-like-C, was consistently worker biased. Multispecies comparisons are essential for Vg expression studies, and for gene expression studies in general, as we show that expression and also, putative functions cannot be generalized even among closely related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Morandin
- Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandTvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heli Havukainen
- Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
| | - Jonna Kulmuni
- Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Biology and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Kishor Dhaygude
- Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Heikki Helanterä
- Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandTvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Johansson H, Dhaygude K, Lindström S, Helanterä H, Sundström L, Trontti K. A metatranscriptomic approach to the identification of microbiota associated with the ant Formica exsecta. PLoS One 2013; 8:e79777. [PMID: 24260298 PMCID: PMC3832538 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [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: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 09/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Social insects live in cooperative colonies, often in high densities and with closely related individuals, and interact using social contact behaviours. Compared to solitary insects, social insects have evolved multi-level immunity that includes immune responses common to holometabolous insects, and social immunity, which is exclusive to social taxa. This suggests that social insects may be subject to high pathogen pressure, yet relatively little is known about the range of symbiotic and pathogenic microbial communities that associate with social insects. In this study we examined transcriptome data generated from the ant Formica exsecta for sequences identifying as microbes (or other organisms potentially of non-ant origin). Sequences showing homology to two viruses and several other potentially or obligate intracellular organisms, such as Wolbachia, Arsenophonus, Entomoplasmatales and Microsporidia, were present in the transcriptome data. These homologous sequence matches correspond to genera/species that have previously been associated with a variety of insects, including social insects. There were also sequences with identity to several other microbes such as common moulds and soil bacteria. We conclude that this sequence data provides a starting point for a deeper understanding of the biological interactions between a species of ant and the micro- and macrobiotic communities that it potentially encounters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Johansson
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- * E-mail:
| | - Kishor Dhaygude
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Stafva Lindström
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heikki Helanterä
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liselotte Sundström
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Martin S, Trontti K, Shemilt S, Drijfhout F, Butlin R, Jackson D. Weak patriline effects are present in the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of isolated Formica exsecta ants but they disappear in the colony environment. Ecol Evol 2012; 2:2333-46. [PMID: 23139891 PMCID: PMC3488683 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 05/22/2012] [Revised: 06/15/2012] [Accepted: 06/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical recognition cues are used to discriminate among species, con-specifics, and potentially between patrilines in social insect colonies. There is an ongoing debate about the possible persistence of patriline cues despite evidence for the mixing of colony odors via a “gestalt” mechanism in social insects, because patriline recognition could lead to nepotism. We analyzed the variation in recognition cues (cuticular hydrocarbons) with different mating frequencies or queen numbers in 688 Formica exsecta ants from 76 colonies. We found no increase in the profile variance as genetic diversity increased, indicating that patriline effects were absent or possibly obscured by a gestalt mechanism. We then demonstrated that an isolated individual's profile changed considerably relative to their colony profile, before stabilizing after 5 days. We used these isolated individuals to eliminate the masking effects of the gestalt mechanism, and we detected a weak but statistically significant patriline effect in isolated adult workers and also in newly emerged callow workers. Thus, our evidence suggests that genetic variation in the cuticular hydrocarbon profile of F. exsecta ants (n-alkanes and alkenes) resulted in differences among patrilines, but they were obscured in the colony environment, thereby avoiding costly nepotistic behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Martin
- Department of Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield Sheffield, S10 2TN, U.K
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Abstract
Sperm competition can produce fascinating adaptations with far-reaching evolutionary consequences. Social taxa make particularly interesting models, because the outcome of sexual selection determines the genetic composition of groups, with attendant sociobiological consequences. Here, we use molecular tools to uncover some of the mechanisms and consequences of sperm competition in the leaf-cutting ant Atta colombica, a species with extreme worker size polymorphism. Competitive PCR allowed quantification of the relative numbers of sperm stored by queens from different males, and offspring genotyping revealed how sperm number translated into paternity of eggs and adult workers. We demonstrate that fertilization success is directly related to sperm numbers, that stored sperm are well-mixed and that egg paternity is constant over time. Moreover, worker size was found to have a considerable genetic component, despite expectations that genetic effects on caste fate should be minor in species with a low degree of polyandry. Our data suggest that sexual conflict over paternity is largely resolved by the lifetime commitment between mates generated by long-term sperm storage, and show that genetic variation for caste can persist in societies with comparatively high relatedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Holman
- Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Trontti K, Thurin N, Sundstrom L, Aron S. Mating for convenience or genetic diversity? Mating patterns in the polygynous ant Plagiolepis pygmaea. Behav Ecol 2006. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arl083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Abstract
In ants the presence of multiple reproductive queens (polygyny) decreases the relatedness among workers and the brood they rear, and subsequently dilutes their inclusive fitness benefits from helping. However, adoption of colony daughters, low male dispersal in conjunction with intranidal (within nest) mating and colony reproduction by budding may preserve local genetic differences, and slow down the erosion of relatedness. Reduced dispersal and intranidal mating may, however, also lead to detrimental effects owing to competition and inbreeding. We studied mating and dispersal patterns, and colony kinship in three populations of the polygynous ant Plagiolepis pygmaea using microsatellite markers. We found that the populations were genetically differentiated, but also a considerable degree of genetic structuring within populations. The genetic viscosity within populations can be attributed to few genetically homogeneous colony networks, which presumably have arisen through colony reproduction by budding. Hence, selection may act at different levels, the individuals, the colonies and colony networks. All populations were also significantly inbred (F=0.265) suggesting high frequencies of intranidal mating and low male dispersal. Consequently the mean regression relatedness among workers was significantly higher (r = 0.529-0.546) than would be expected under the typically reported number (5-35) of queens in nests of the species. Furthermore, new queens were mainly recruited from their natal or a neighbouring related colony. Finally, the effective number of queens coincided with that found upon excavation, suggesting low reproductive skew.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Trontti
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
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