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Potenzieri A, Uccella S, Preiti D, Pisoni M, Rosati S, Lavarello C, Bartolucci M, Debellis D, Catalano F, Petretto A, Nobili L, Fellin T, Tucci V, Ramenghi LA, Savardi A, Cancedda L. Early IGF-1 receptor inhibition in mice mimics preterm human brain disorders and reveals a therapeutic target. Sci Adv 2024; 10:eadk8123. [PMID: 38427732 PMCID: PMC10906931 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk8123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Besides recent advances in neonatal care, preterm newborns still develop sex-biased behavioral alterations. Preterms fail to receive placental insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a major fetal growth hormone in utero, and low IGF-1 serum levels correlate with preterm poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. Here, we mimicked IGF-1 deficiency of preterm newborns in mice by perinatal administration of an IGF-1 receptor antagonist. This resulted in sex-biased brain microstructural, functional, and behavioral alterations, resembling those of ex-preterm children, which we characterized performing parallel mouse/human behavioral tests. Pharmacological enhancement of GABAergic tonic inhibition by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug ganaxolone rescued functional/behavioral alterations in mice. Establishing an unprecedented mouse model of prematurity, our work dissects the mechanisms at the core of abnormal behaviors and identifies a readily translatable therapeutic strategy for preterm brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Potenzieri
- Brain Development and Disease Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
- Università degli Studi di Genova, via Balbi, 5, 16126 Genoa, Italy
| | - Sara Uccella
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
- Patologia Neonatale, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Deborah Preiti
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
- Patologia Neonatale, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Matteo Pisoni
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Silvia Rosati
- Brain Development and Disease Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Lavarello
- Core Facilities - Clinical Proteomics and Metabolomics, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, via Gerolamo Gaslini 5, 16147 Genoa, Italy
| | - Martina Bartolucci
- Core Facilities - Clinical Proteomics and Metabolomics, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, via Gerolamo Gaslini 5, 16147 Genoa, Italy
| | - Doriana Debellis
- Electron Microscopy Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Federico Catalano
- Electron Microscopy Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Petretto
- Core Facilities - Clinical Proteomics and Metabolomics, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, via Gerolamo Gaslini 5, 16147 Genoa, Italy
| | - Lino Nobili
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Tommaso Fellin
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Valter Tucci
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behavior (GEB) Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca A. Ramenghi
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Patologia Neonatale, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Annalisa Savardi
- Brain Development and Disease Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Laura Cancedda
- Brain Development and Disease Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
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2
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Novembre G, Nguyen T, Bigand F, Tucci V, Papaleo F, Bianco R, Koul A. Sociality and Timing: Correlation or Causation? Comment on 'The evolution of social timing' by Verga L., Kotz S. & Ravignani A. Phys Life Rev 2023; 47:179-181. [PMID: 37924673 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Novembre
- Neuroscience of Perception and Action Lab, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Rome, Italy.
| | - Trinh Nguyen
- Neuroscience of Perception and Action Lab, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Félix Bigand
- Neuroscience of Perception and Action Lab, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Valter Tucci
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behavior, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genova, Italy
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Genetics and Cognition, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genova, Italy
| | - Roberta Bianco
- Neuroscience of Perception and Action Lab, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Atesh Koul
- Neuroscience of Perception and Action Lab, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Rome, Italy
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3
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Mai L, Inada H, Kimura R, Kanno K, Matsuda T, Tachibana RO, Tucci V, Komaki F, Hiroi N, Osumi N. Advanced paternal age diversifies individual trajectories of vocalization patterns in neonatal mice. iScience 2022; 25:104834. [PMID: 36039363 PMCID: PMC9418688 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104834] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Infant crying is a communicative behavior impaired in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Because advanced paternal age is a risk factor for NDDs, we performed computational approaches to evaluate how paternal age affected vocal communication and body weight development in C57BL/6 mouse offspring from young and aged fathers. Analyses of ultrasonic vocalization (USV) consisting of syllables showed that advanced paternal age reduced the number and duration of syllables, altered the syllable composition, and caused lower body weight gain in pups. Pups born to young fathers had convergent vocal characteristics with a rich repertoire, whereas those born to aged fathers exhibited more divergent vocal patterns with limited repertoire. Additional analyses revealed that some pups from aged fathers displayed atypical USV trajectories. Thus, our study indicates that advanced paternal age has a significant effect on offspring's vocal development. Our computational analyses are effective in characterizing altered individual diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Mai
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Inada
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.,Laboratory of Health and Sports Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering for Health and Welfare, Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Kimura
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.,Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Kouta Kanno
- Faculty of Law, Economics and Humanities, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
| | - Takeru Matsuda
- Statistical Mathematics Unit, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako 351-0198, Japan
| | - Ryosuke O Tachibana
- Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Valter Tucci
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behavior (GEB) Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Fumiyasu Komaki
- Department of Mathematical Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.,Mathematical Informatics Collaboration Unit, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako 351-0198, Japan
| | - Noboru Hiroi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio 78229, USA.,Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio 78229, USA.,Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio 78229, USA
| | - Noriko Osumi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
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Montalbán-Loro R, Lassi G, Lozano-Ureña A, Perez-Villalba A, Jiménez-Villalba E, Charalambous M, Vallortigara G, Horner AE, Saksida LM, Bussey TJ, Trejo JL, Tucci V, Ferguson-Smith AC, Ferrón SR. Dlk1 dosage regulates hippocampal neurogenesis and cognition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2015505118. [PMID: 33712542 PMCID: PMC7980393 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015505118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurogenesis in the adult brain gives rise to functional neurons, which integrate into neuronal circuits and modulate neural plasticity. Sustained neurogenesis throughout life occurs in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus and is hypothesized to be involved in behavioral/cognitive processes such as memory and in diseases. Genomic imprinting is of critical importance to brain development and normal behavior, and exemplifies how epigenetic states regulate genome function and gene dosage. While most genes are expressed from both alleles, imprinted genes are usually expressed from either the maternally or the paternally inherited chromosome. Here, we show that in contrast to its canonical imprinting in nonneurogenic regions, Delta-like homolog 1 (Dlk1) is expressed biallelically in the SGZ, and both parental alleles are required for stem cell behavior and normal adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus. To evaluate the effects of maternally, paternally, and biallelically inherited mutations within the Dlk1 gene in specific behavioral domains, we subjected Dlk1-mutant mice to a battery of tests that dissociate and evaluate the effects of Dlk1 dosage on spatial learning ability and on anxiety traits. Importantly, reduction in Dlk1 levels triggers specific cognitive abnormalities that affect aspects of discriminating differences in environmental stimuli, emphasizing the importance of selective absence of imprinting in this neurogenic niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Montalbán-Loro
- ERI Biotecmed-Departamento de Biología Celular, Universidad de Valencia, 46010 Valencia,Spain
| | - Glenda Lassi
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour (GEB) Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Translational Science and Experimental Medicine Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0AA, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Lozano-Ureña
- ERI Biotecmed-Departamento de Biología Celular, Universidad de Valencia, 46010 Valencia,Spain
| | - Ana Perez-Villalba
- ERI Biotecmed-Departamento de Biología Celular, Universidad de Valencia, 46010 Valencia,Spain
- Faculty of Psychology, Laboratory of Animal Behavior Phenotype (LABP), Universidad Católica de Valencia, 46100 Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Marika Charalambous
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
| | | | - Alexa E Horner
- Synome Ltd, Babraham, Cambridge CB22 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa M Saksida
- Department of Psychology, Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
- Molecular Medicine Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5K8, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Timothy J Bussey
- Department of Psychology, Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
- Molecular Medicine Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5K8, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - José Luis Trejo
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Cajal Institute, The Spanish National Research Council, Madrid 28002, Spain
| | - Valter Tucci
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour (GEB) Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Sacri R Ferrón
- ERI Biotecmed-Departamento de Biología Celular, Universidad de Valencia, 46010 Valencia,Spain;
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5
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Cataldi M, Arnaldi D, Tucci V, De Carli F, Patti G, Napoli F, Pace M, Maghnie M, Nobili L. Sleep disorders in Prader-Willi syndrome, evidence from animal models and humans. Sleep Med Rev 2021; 57:101432. [PMID: 33567377 DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a complex genetic disorder with multiple cognitive, behavioral and endocrine dysfunctions. Sleep alterations and sleep disorders such as Sleep-disordered breathing and Central disorders of hypersomnolence are frequently recognized (either isolated or in comorbidity). The aim of the review is to highlight the pathophysiology and the clinical features of sleep disorders in PWS, providing the basis for early diagnosis and management. We reviewed the genetic features of the syndrome and the possible relationship with sleep alterations in animal models, and we described sleep phenotypes, diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches in humans. Moreover, we performed a meta-analysis of cerebrospinal fluid orexin levels in patients with PWS; significantly lower levels of orexin were detected in PWS with respect to control subjects (although significantly higher than the ones of narcoleptic patients). Sleep disorders in humans with PWS are multifaceted and are often the result of different mechanisms. Since hypothalamic dysfunction seems to partially influence metabolic, respiratory and sleep/wake characteristics of this syndrome, additional studies are required in this framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Cataldi
- Unit of Child Neuropsychiatry, Department of Medical and Surgical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Dario Arnaldi
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy; Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Valter Tucci
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Fabrizio De Carli
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Research Council, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giuseppa Patti
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Department of Pediatrics, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Flavia Napoli
- Department of Pediatrics, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Marta Pace
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Mohamad Maghnie
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Department of Pediatrics, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Lino Nobili
- Unit of Child Neuropsychiatry, Department of Medical and Surgical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy; Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
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6
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Tinarelli F, Ivanova E, Colombi I, Barini E, Balzani E, Garcia CG, Gasparini L, Chiappalone M, Kelsey G, Tucci V. Cell-cell coupling and DNA methylation abnormal phenotypes in the after-hours mice. Epigenetics Chromatin 2021; 14:1. [PMID: 33407878 PMCID: PMC7789812 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-020-00373-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background DNA methylation has emerged as an important epigenetic regulator of brain processes, including circadian rhythms. However, how DNA methylation intervenes between environmental signals, such as light entrainment, and the transcriptional and translational molecular mechanisms of the cellular clock is currently unknown. Here, we studied the after-hours mice, which have a point mutation in the Fbxl3 gene and a lengthened circadian period. Methods In this study, we used a combination of in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro approaches. We measured retinal responses in Afh animals and we have run reduced representation bisulphite sequencing (RRBS), pyrosequencing and gene expression analysis in a variety of brain tissues ex vivo. In vitro, we used primary neuronal cultures combined to micro electrode array (MEA) technology and gene expression. Results We observed functional impairments in mutant neuronal networks, and a reduction in the retinal responses to light-dependent stimuli. We detected abnormalities in the expression of photoreceptive melanopsin (OPN4). Furthermore, we identified alterations in the DNA methylation pathways throughout the retinohypothalamic tract terminals and links between the transcription factor Rev-Erbα and Fbxl3. Conclusions The results of this study, primarily represent a contribution towards an understanding of electrophysiological and molecular phenotypic responses to external stimuli in the Afh model. Moreover, as DNA methylation has recently emerged as a new regulator of neuronal networks with important consequences for circadian behaviour, we discuss the impact of the Afh mutation on the epigenetic landscape of circadian biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Tinarelli
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour (GEB) Laboratory, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.,BioMed X Innovation Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elena Ivanova
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ilaria Colombi
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.,Brain Development and Disease, NBT, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Erica Barini
- Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Disease Laboratory, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.,AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co, Knollstr, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Edoardo Balzani
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour (GEB) Laboratory, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, 10006, USA
| | - Celina Garcia Garcia
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour (GEB) Laboratory, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Laura Gasparini
- Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Disease Laboratory, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.,AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co, Knollstr, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Michela Chiappalone
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.,Rehab Technologies, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Gavin Kelsey
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Valter Tucci
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour (GEB) Laboratory, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.
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7
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Pace M, Falappa M, Freschi A, Balzani E, Berteotti C, Lo Martire V, Kaveh F, Hovig E, Zoccoli G, Amici R, Cerri M, Urbanucci A, Tucci V. Loss of Snord116 impacts lateral hypothalamus, sleep, and food-related behaviors. JCI Insight 2020; 5:137495. [PMID: 32365348 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.137495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Imprinted genes are highly expressed in the hypothalamus; however, whether specific imprinted genes affect hypothalamic neuromodulators and their functions is unknown. It has been suggested that Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by lack of paternal expression at chromosome 15q11-q13, is characterized by hypothalamic insufficiency. Here, we investigate the role of the paternally expressed Snord116 gene within the context of sleep and metabolic abnormalities of PWS, and we report a significant role of this imprinted gene in the function and organization of the 2 main neuromodulatory systems of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) - namely, the orexin (OX) and melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) - systems. We observed that the dynamics between neuronal discharge in the LH and the sleep-wake states of mice with paternal deletion of Snord116 (PWScrm+/p-) are compromised. This abnormal state-dependent neuronal activity is paralleled by a significant reduction in OX neurons in the LH of mutant mice. Therefore, we propose that an imbalance between OX- and MCH-expressing neurons in the LH of mutant mice reflects a series of deficits manifested in the PWS, such as dysregulation of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, food intake, and temperature control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Pace
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Italy
| | - Matteo Falappa
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Italy.,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Riabilitazione, Oftalmologia, Genetica e Scienze Materno-Infantili (DINOGMI), Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Andrea Freschi
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Italy
| | - Edoardo Balzani
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Italy
| | - Chiara Berteotti
- PRISM Lab, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Viviana Lo Martire
- PRISM Lab, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fatemeh Kaveh
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eivind Hovig
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Centre for Bioinformatics, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Giovanna Zoccoli
- PRISM Lab, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberto Amici
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Matteo Cerri
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alfonso Urbanucci
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Valter Tucci
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, Italy
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8
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Pace M, Colombi I, Falappa M, Freschi A, Bandarabadi M, Armirotti A, Encarnación BM, Adamantidis AR, Amici R, Cerri M, Chiappalone M, Tucci V. Loss of Snord116 alters cortical neuronal activity in mice: a preclinical investigation of Prader–Willi syndrome. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 29:2051-2064. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by metabolic alteration and sleep abnormalities mostly related to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep disturbances. The disease is caused by genomic imprinting defects that are inherited through the paternal line. Among the genes located in the PWS region on chromosome 15 (15q11-q13), small nucleolar RNA 116 (Snord116) has been previously associated with intrusions of REM sleep into wakefulness in humans and mice. Here, we further explore sleep regulation of PWS by reporting a study with PWScrm+/p− mouse line, which carries a paternal deletion of Snord116. We focused our study on both macrostructural electrophysiological components of sleep, distributed among REMs and nonrapid eye movements. Of note, here, we study a novel electroencephalography (EEG) graphoelements of sleep for mouse studies, the well-known spindles. EEG biomarkers are often linked to the functional properties of cortical neurons and can be instrumental in translational studies. Thus, to better understand specific properties, we isolated and characterized the intrinsic activity of cortical neurons using in vitro microelectrode array. Our results confirm that the loss of Snord116 gene in mice influences specific properties of REM sleep, such as theta rhythms and, for the first time, the organization of REM episodes throughout sleep–wake cycles. Moreover, the analysis of sleep spindles present novel specific phenotype in PWS mice, indicating that a new catalog of sleep biomarkers can be informative in preclinical studies of PWS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Pace
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour (GEB), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Ilaria Colombi
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour (GEB), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova 16163, Italy
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Riabilitazione, Oftalmologia, Genetica e Scienze Materno-Infantili (DINOGMI), Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova 16132, Italy
| | - Matteo Falappa
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour (GEB), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova 16163, Italy
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Riabilitazione, Oftalmologia, Genetica e Scienze Materno-Infantili (DINOGMI), Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova 16132, Italy
| | - Andrea Freschi
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour (GEB), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Mojtaba Bandarabadi
- Centre for Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern 3010, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Armirotti
- Analytical Chemistry Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova 16163, Italy
| | | | - Antoine R Adamantidis
- Centre for Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern 3010, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Research, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern 3010, Switzerland
| | - Roberto Amici
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Bologna 40126, Italy
| | - Matteo Cerri
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Bologna 40126, Italy
| | - Michela Chiappalone
- Rehab Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Valter Tucci
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour (GEB), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova 16163, Italy
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9
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Falappa M, Pace M, Freschi A, Tucci V. Genomic imprinting impacts on sleep throughout neuronal modulation of lateral hypothalamus in mice. Sleep Med 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2019.11.296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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10
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Lau P, Banks G, Hobbs E, Nolan P, Tucci V, Lassi G. Comparison of allelic mutations in the Cacna1c, L-type calcium channel subunit, a risk factor in neuropsychiatric diseases. IBRO Rep 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ibror.2019.07.1586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
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11
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Tucci V, Isles AR, Kelsey G, Ferguson-Smith AC. Genomic Imprinting and Physiological Processes in Mammals. Cell 2019; 176:952-965. [PMID: 30794780 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.01.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 283] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Complex multicellular organisms, such as mammals, express two complete sets of chromosomes per nucleus, combining the genetic material of both parents. However, epigenetic studies have demonstrated violations to this rule that are necessary for mammalian physiology; the most notable parental allele expression phenomenon is genomic imprinting. With the identification of endogenous imprinted genes, genomic imprinting became well-established as an epigenetic mechanism in which the expression pattern of a parental allele influences phenotypic expression. The expanding study of genomic imprinting is revealing a significant impact on brain functions and associated diseases. Here, we review key milestones in the field of imprinting and discuss mechanisms and systems in which imprinted genes exert a significant role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.
| | - Anthony R Isles
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 44H, UK
| | - Gavin Kelsey
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK; Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Anne C Ferguson-Smith
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
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12
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Abstract
Genetically modified mice are used as models for a variety of human behavioral conditions. However, behavioral phenotyping can be a major bottleneck in mouse genetics because many of the classic protocols are too long and/or are vulnerable to unaccountable sources of variance, leading to inconsistent results between centers. We developed a home-cage approach using a Chora feeder that is controlled by-and sends data to-software. In this approach, mice are tested in the standard cages in which they are held for husbandry, which removes confounding variables such as the stress induced by out-of-cage testing. This system increases the throughput of data gathering from individual animals and facilitates data mining by offering new opportunities for multimodal data comparisons. In this protocol, we use a simple work-for-food testing strategy as an example application, but the approach can be adapted for other experiments looking at, e.g., attention, decision-making or memory. The spontaneous behavioral activity of mice in performing the behavioral task can be monitored 24 h a day for several days, providing an integrated assessment of the circadian profiles of different behaviors. We developed a Python-based open-source analytical platform (Phenopy) that is accessible to scientists with no programming background and can be used to design and control such experiments, as well as to collect and share data. This approach is suitable for large-scale studies involving multiple laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Balzani
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Matteo Falappa
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Riabilitazione, Oftalmologia, Genetica e Scienze Materno-Infantili (DINOGMI), Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Fuat Balci
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.,Research Center for Translational Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
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13
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Katsageorgiou VM, Lassi G, Tucci V, Murino V, Sona D. Sleep-stage scoring in mice: The influence of data pre-processing on a system's performance. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2018; 2015:598-601. [PMID: 26736333 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2015.7318433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Sleep-stage analysis in mice and rats has received growing attention in recent years, due to the fact that mice display electrical activity during sleep which has underlying similarities with that of human sleep. Both conventional manual and automatic sleep-wakefulness scoring are rule based tasks which use brain waves measured by Electroencephalogram (EEG) and activity detected by Electromyography (EMG) of skeletal muscles. Several works have been conducted trying to provide an automatic sleep-scoring system on the basis of machine learning methods. In this study we try to understand the reasons behind the complexity of this problem and we emphasize the importance of normalization procedure that leads to a better stage discrimination comparing different classification methods.
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14
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Kafkafi N, Agassi J, Chesler EJ, Crabbe JC, Crusio WE, Eilam D, Gerlai R, Golani I, Gomez-Marin A, Heller R, Iraqi F, Jaljuli I, Karp NA, Morgan H, Nicholson G, Pfaff DW, Richter SH, Stark PB, Stiedl O, Stodden V, Tarantino LM, Tucci V, Valdar W, Williams RW, Würbel H, Benjamini Y. Reproducibility and replicability of rodent phenotyping in preclinical studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 87:218-232. [PMID: 29357292 PMCID: PMC6071910 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [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: 10/25/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The scientific community is increasingly concerned with the proportion of
published “discoveries” that are not replicated in subsequent
studies. The field of rodent behavioral phenotyping was one of the first to
raise this concern, and to relate it to other methodological issues: the complex
interaction between genotype and environment; the definitions of behavioral
constructs; and the use of laboratory mice and rats as model species for
investigating human health and disease mechanisms. In January 2015, researchers
from various disciplines gathered at Tel Aviv University to discuss these
issues. The general consensus was that the issue is prevalent and of concern,
and should be addressed at the statistical, methodological and policy levels,
but is not so severe as to call into question the validity and the usefulness of
model organisms as a whole. Well-organized community efforts, coupled with
improved data and metadata sharing, have a key role in identifying specific
problems and promoting effective solutions. Replicability is closely related to
validity, may affect generalizability and translation of findings, and has
important ethical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - John C Crabbe
- Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Natasha A Karp
- Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - William Valdar
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
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15
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Colombi I, Pace M, Tucci V, Chiappalone M. Sleep- related electrophysiological activity of cortical cultures on MEA. Front Cell Neurosci 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/conf.fncel.2018.38.00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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16
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Maggi S, Balzani E, Lassi G, Garcia-Garcia C, Plano A, Espinoza S, Mus L, Tinarelli F, Nolan PM, Gainetdinov RR, Balci F, Nieus T, Tucci V. The after-hours circadian mutant has reduced phenotypic plasticity in behaviors at multiple timescales and in sleep homeostasis. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17765. [PMID: 29259298 PMCID: PMC5736711 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18130-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian clock is known to adapt to environmental changes and can significantly influence cognitive and physiological functions. In this work, we report specific behavioral, cognitive, and sleep homeostatic defects in the after hours (Afh) circadian mouse mutant, which is characterized by lengthened circadian period. We found that the circadian timing irregularities in Afh mice resulted in higher interval timing uncertainty and suboptimal decisions due to incapability of processing probabilities. Our phenotypic observations further suggested that Afh mutants failed to exhibit the necessary phenotypic plasticity for adapting to temporal changes at multiple time scales (seconds-to-minutes to circadian). These behavioral effects of Afh mutation were complemented by the specific disruption of the Per/Cry circadian regulatory complex in brain regions that govern food anticipatory behaviors, sleep, and timing. We derive statistical predictions, which indicate that circadian clock and sleep are complementary processes in controlling behavioral/cognitive performance during 24 hrs. The results of this study have pivotal implications for understanding how the circadian clock modulates sleep and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Maggi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.,Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Edoardo Balzani
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Glenda Lassi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Celina Garcia-Garcia
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Andrea Plano
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Stefano Espinoza
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Liudmila Mus
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Federico Tinarelli
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Patrick M Nolan
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Raul R Gainetdinov
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Skolkovo Institute of Science & Technology, Skolkovo, Moscow, Russia
| | - Fuat Balci
- Koç University, Department of Psychology, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Thierry Nieus
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.
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17
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Cosentini I, Balzani E, Tucci V. Parent-of-origin epigenetic processes influence sleep and behavior. Sleep Med 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2017.11.200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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18
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Balzani E, Pace M, Falappa M, Tucci V. A pre-clinical investigation into the potential use of pitolisant as new intervention for sleep problems in Prader-Willi syndrome. Sleep Med 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2017.11.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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19
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Lassi G, Tucci V. Gene-environment interaction influences attachment-like style in mice. Genes Brain Behav 2017; 16:612-618. [PMID: 28421709 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Attachment styles are established soon after birth and form the basis for a healthy psychological life during adulthood. Here, we investigated whether genetic background (i.e. isogenic strains: C57BL/6N and BALB/c) and parent-of-origin (i.e. reciprocal hybrids) epigenetic effects influence attachment-like styles in mice. We discovered that a specific genetic and epigenetic assortment exerts a role on the development of a secure or insecure attachment-like style. In particular, when biological mothers raise their pups, the attachment-like style is mainly secure, independently of the genetic background. However, when foster mothers raise pups, the attachment-like style can be either secure or insecure, depending on the particular genetic background, and this effect is paternally transmitted. Finally, we observed that secure attachment-like in mice leads to greater sociability during adulthood, while insecure attachment-like leads to reduced sociability. Our study sheds light on gene-environment interactions that shape the attachment-like style early in development and pave the way for a healthy psychological life.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Lassi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies (NBT), Genetic and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - V Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies (NBT), Genetic and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
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20
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Semprini M, Boi F, Tucci V, Vato A. A study on the effect of multisensory stimulation in behaving rats. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2017; 2016:4707-4710. [PMID: 28269322 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2016.7591778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
This study explored the psychophysical effects of intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) coupled to auditory stimulation during a behavioral detection task in rats. ICMS directed to the sensory areas of the cortex can be instrumental in facilitating operant conditioning behavior. Moreover, multisensory stimulation promotes learning by enabling the subject to access multiple information channels. However, the extent to which multisensory information can be used as a cue to make decisions has not been fully understood. This study addressed the exploration of the parameters of multisensory stimulation delivered to behaving rats in an operant conditioning task. Preliminary data indicate that animal decisions can be shaped by online changing the stimulation parameters.
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21
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Lee SA, Tucci V, Vallortigara G. Spatial Impairment and Memory in Genetic Disorders: Insights from Mouse Models. Brain Sci 2017; 7:E17. [PMID: 28208764 PMCID: PMC5332960 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7020017] [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: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Research across the cognitive and brain sciences has begun to elucidate some of the processes that guide navigation and spatial memory. Boundary geometry and featural landmarks are two distinct classes of environmental cues that have dissociable neural correlates in spatial representation and follow different patterns of learning. Consequently, spatial navigation depends both on the type of cue available and on the type of learning provided. We investigated this interaction between spatial representation and memory by administering two different tasks (working memory, reference memory) using two different environmental cues (rectangular geometry, striped landmark) in mouse models of human genetic disorders: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWScrm+/p- mice, n = 12) and Beta-catenin mutation (Thr653Lys-substituted mice, n = 12). This exploratory study provides suggestive evidence that these models exhibit different abilities and impairments in navigating by boundary geometry and featural landmarks, depending on the type of memory task administered. We discuss these data in light of the specific deficits in cognitive and brain function in these human syndromes and their animal model counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Ah Lee
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto 38068, Italy.
| | - Valter Tucci
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy.
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22
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Yoshizaki K, Furuse T, Kimura R, Tucci V, Kaneda H, Wakana S, Osumi N. Paternal Aging Affects Behavior in Pax6 Mutant Mice: A Gene/Environment Interaction in Understanding Neurodevelopmental Disorders. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0166665. [PMID: 27855195 PMCID: PMC5113965 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have increased over the last few decades. These neurodevelopmental disorders are characterized by a complex etiology, which involves multiple genes and gene-environmental interactions. Various genes that control specific properties of neural development exert pivotal roles in the occurrence and severity of phenotypes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Moreover, paternal aging has been reported as one of the factors that contribute to the risk of ASD and ADHD. Here we report, for the first time, that paternal aging has profound effects on the onset of behavioral abnormalities in mice carrying a mutation of Pax6, a gene with neurodevelopmental regulatory functions. We adopted an in vitro fertilization approach to restrict the influence of additional factors. Comprehensive behavioral analyses were performed in Sey/+ mice (i.e., Pax6 mutant heterozygotes) born from in vitro fertilization of sperm taken from young or aged Sey/+ fathers. No body weight changes were found in the four groups, i.e., Sey/+ and wild type (WT) mice born to young or aged father. However, we found important differences in maternal separation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations of Sey/+ mice born from young father and in the level of hyperactivity of Sey/+ mice born from aged fathers in the open-field test, respectively, compared to WT littermates. Phenotypes of anxiety were observed in both genotypes born from aged fathers compared with those born from young fathers. No significant difference was found in social behavior and sensorimotor gating among the four groups. These results indicate that mice with a single genetic risk factor can develop different phenotypes depending on the paternal age. Our study advocates for serious considerations on the role of paternal aging in breeding strategies for animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaichi Yoshizaki
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Tamio Furuse
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, The Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BRC, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Kimura
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies. Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Hideki Kaneda
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, The Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BRC, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Shigeharu Wakana
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, The Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BRC, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Noriko Osumi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
- * E-mail:
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23
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Lassi G, Maggi S, Balzani E, Cosentini I, Garcia-Garcia C, Tucci V. Working-for-Food Behaviors: A Preclinical Study in Prader-Willi Mutant Mice. Genetics 2016; 204:1129-1138. [PMID: 27672097 PMCID: PMC5105846 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.192286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal feeding behavior is one of the main symptoms of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). By studying a PWS mouse mutant line, which carries a paternally inherited deletion of the small nucleolar RNA 116 (Snord116), we observed significant changes in working-for-food behavioral responses at various timescales. In particular, we report that PWS mutant mice show a significant delay compared to wild-type littermate controls in responding to both hour-scale and seconds-to-minutes-scale time intervals. This timing shift in mutant mice is associated with better performance in the working-for-food task, and results in better decision making in these mutant mice. The results of our study reveal a novel aspect of the organization of feeding behavior, and advance the understanding of the interplay between the metabolic functions and cognitive mechanisms of PWS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenda Lassi
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Silvia Maggi
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Edoardo Balzani
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Ilaria Cosentini
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Celina Garcia-Garcia
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Valter Tucci
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
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24
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Colombi I, Tinarelli F, Pasquale V, Tucci V, Chiappalone M. Corrigendum: A Simplified In vitro Experimental Model Encompasses the Essential Features of Sleep. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:409. [PMID: 27610075 PMCID: PMC5013038 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Colombi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenova, Italy; Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Riabilitazione, Oftalmologia, Genetica e Scienze Materno-Infantili (DINOGMI), Università degli Studi di GenovaGenova, Italy
| | - Federico Tinarelli
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova, Italy
| | - Valentina Pasquale
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova, Italy
| | - Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova, Italy
| | - Michela Chiappalone
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova, Italy
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25
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Colombi I, Tinarelli F, Pasquale V, Tucci V, Chiappalone M. A Simplified In vitro Experimental Model Encompasses the Essential Features of Sleep. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:315. [PMID: 27458335 PMCID: PMC4935686 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we show that neuronal assemblies plated on Micro Electrode Arrays present synchronized, low frequency firing patterns similar to in vivo slow wave oscillations, which are a key parameter of sleep-like state. Although neuronal cultures lack the characteristic high-frequency waves of wakefulness, it is possible to modulate their spontaneous firing pattern through the administration of specific neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine. We thus stimulated the cortical cultures with an agonist of acetylcholine receptor, Carbachol, which caused a desynchronization of the spontaneous firing of the cultures. We recorded and monitored the cultures for a period of over 31 h. We analyzed the electrophysiological signals by exploiting novel methodological approaches, taking into account the different temporal scales of the recorded signals, and considering both spikes and local field potentials. Supporting the electrophysiological analysis results, gene expressions of targeted genes showed the activation of specific markers involved in sleep-wake rhythms. Our results demonstrate that the Carbachol treatment induces desynchronization of neuronal activity, altering sleep-like properties in an in vitro model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Colombi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenova, Italy; Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, riabilitazione, oftalmologia, genetica e scienze materno-infantili (DINOGMI), Università degli Studi di GenovaGenova, Italy
| | - Federico Tinarelli
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova, Italy
| | - Valentina Pasquale
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova, Italy
| | - Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova, Italy
| | - Michela Chiappalone
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova, Italy
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Balzani E, Lassi G, Maggi S, Sethi S, Parsons MJ, Simon M, Nolan PM, Tucci V. The Zfhx3-Mediated Axis Regulates Sleep and Interval Timing in Mice. Cell Rep 2016; 16:615-21. [PMID: 27373158 PMCID: PMC5991551 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 04/13/2015] [Revised: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
An AT motif-dependent axis, modulated by the transcription factor Zfhx3, influences the circadian clock in mice. In particular, gain of function of Zfhx3 significantly shortens circadian rhythms and alters the transcriptional activity of an important class of neuropeptides that controls intercellular signaling in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. The ZFHX3/AT axis revealed an important, largely cell-nonautonomous control of the circadian clock. Here, by studying the recently identified circadian mouse mutant Zfhx3Sci/+, we identify significant effects on sleep homeostasis, a phenomenon that is outside the canonical circadian clock system and that is modulated by the activity of those neuropeptides at a circuit level. We show that the Zfhx3Sci/+ mutation accelerates the circadian clock at both the hourly scale (i.e., advancing circadian rhythms) and the seconds-to-minutes scale (i.e., anticipating behavioral responses) in mice. The in vivo results are accompanied by a significant presence of sleep targets among protein-protein interactions of the Zfhx3Sci/+-dependent network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Balzani
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Glenda Lassi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Silvia Maggi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Siddharth Sethi
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Michael J Parsons
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Michelle Simon
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Patrick M Nolan
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valter Tucci
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Lee SA, Tucci V, Sovrano VA, Vallortigara G. Working memory and reference memory tests of spatial navigation in mice (Mus musculus). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 129:189-197. [PMID: 25984938 DOI: 10.1037/a0039129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Researchers in spatial cognition have debated for decades the specificity of the mechanisms through which spatial information is processed and stored. Interestingly, although rodents are the preferred animal model for studying spatial navigation, the behavioral methods traditionally used to assess spatial memory do not effectively test the predictions of specificity in their representation. To address such issues, the present study tested the ability of mice to use boundary geometry and features to remember a goal location across 2 types of tasks--a working memory task with a changing goal location, and a reference memory task with 1 rewarded goal location. We show for the first time that mice, like other animals, can successfully encode boundary geometry in a working memory spatial mapping task, just as they do in a reference memory task. Their use of a nongeometric featural cue (striped pattern), in contrast, was more limited in the working memory task, although it quickly improved in the reference memory task. We discuss the implications of these findings for future research on the neural and genetic underpinnings of spatial representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Ah Lee
- Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento
| | - Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
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Lassi G, Priano L, Maggi S, Garcia-Garcia C, Balzani E, El-Assawy N, Pagani M, Tinarelli F, Giardino D, Mauro A, Peters J, Gozzi A, Grugni G, Tucci V. Deletion of the Snord116/SNORD116 Alters Sleep in Mice and Patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome. Sleep 2016; 39:637-44. [PMID: 26446116 DOI: 10.5665/sleep.5542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [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: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Sleep-wake disturbances are often reported in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a rare neurodevelopmental syndrome that is associated with paternally-expressed genomic imprinting defects within the human chromosome region 15q11-13. One of the candidate genes, prevalently expressed in the brain, is the small nucleolar ribonucleic acid-116 (SNORD116). Here we conducted a translational study into the sleep abnormalities of PWS, testing the hypothesis that SNORD116 is responsible for sleep defects that characterize the syndrome. METHODS We studied sleep in mutant mice that carry a deletion of Snord116 at the orthologous locus (mouse chromosome 7) of the human PWS critical region (PWScr). In particular, we assessed EEG and temperature profiles, across 24-h, in PWScr (m+/p-) heterozygous mutants compared to wild-type littermates. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to explore morphoanatomical differences according to the genotype. Moreover, we complemented the mouse work by presenting two patients with a diagnosis of PWS and characterized by atypical small deletions of SNORD116. We compared the individual EEG parameters of patients with healthy subjects and with a cohort of obese subjects. RESULTS By studying the mouse mutant line PWScr(m+/p-), we observed specific rapid eye movement (REM) sleep alterations including abnormal electroencephalograph (EEG) theta waves. Remarkably, we observed identical sleep/EEG defects in the two PWS cases. We report brain morphological abnormalities that are associated with the EEG alterations. In particular, mouse mutants have a bilateral reduction of the gray matter volume in the ventral hippocampus and in the septum areas, which are pivotal structures for maintaining theta rhythms throughout the brain. In PWScr(m+/p-) mice we also observed increased body temperature that is coherent with REM sleep alterations in mice and human patients. CONCLUSIONS Our study indicates that paternally expressed Snord116 is involved in the 24-h regulation of sleep physiological measures, suggesting that it is a candidate gene for the sleep disturbances that most individuals with PWS experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenda Lassi
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies (NBT) Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), via Morego 30, 16163 Genova (Italy)
| | - Lorenzo Priano
- Department of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, S. Giuseppe Hospital, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piancavallo (VB), Italy. Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Italy
| | - Silvia Maggi
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies (NBT) Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), via Morego 30, 16163 Genova (Italy)
| | - Celina Garcia-Garcia
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies (NBT) Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), via Morego 30, 16163 Genova (Italy)
| | - Edoardo Balzani
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies (NBT) Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), via Morego 30, 16163 Genova (Italy)
| | - Nadia El-Assawy
- Department of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, S. Giuseppe Hospital, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piancavallo (VB), Italy. Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Italy
| | - Marco Pagani
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Rovereto, Italy.,Center for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Federico Tinarelli
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies (NBT) Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), via Morego 30, 16163 Genova (Italy)
| | - Daniela Giardino
- Laboratory of Medical Cytogenetics, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Cusano Milanino (MI), Italy
| | - Alessandro Mauro
- Department of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, S. Giuseppe Hospital, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piancavallo (VB), Italy. Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Italy
| | - Jo Peters
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Graziano Grugni
- Division of Auxology, S. Giuseppe Hospital, Research Institute, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piancavallo di Oggebbio (VB), Verbania, Italy
| | - Valter Tucci
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies (NBT) Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), via Morego 30, 16163 Genova (Italy)
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30
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Barini E, Antico O, Zhao Y, Asta F, Tucci V, Catelani T, Marotta R, Xu H, Gasparini L. Metformin promotes tau aggregation and exacerbates abnormal behavior in a mouse model of tauopathy. Mol Neurodegener 2016; 11:16. [PMID: 26858121 PMCID: PMC4746897 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-016-0082-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [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: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alzheimer disease (AD) and other tauopathies develop cerebral intracellular inclusions of hyperphosphorylated tau. Epidemiological and experimental evidence suggests a clear link between type 2 diabetes mellitus and AD. In AD animal models, tau pathology is exacerbated by metabolic comorbidities, such as insulin resistance and diabetes. Within this context, anitidiabetic drugs, including the widely-prescribed insulin-sensitizing drug metformin, are currently being investigated for AD therapy. However, their efficacy for tauopathy in vivo has not been tested. Results Here, we report that in the P301S mutant human tau (P301S) transgenic mouse model of tauopathy, chronic administration of metformin exerts paradoxical effects on tau pathology. Despite reducing tau phosphorylation in the cortex and hippocampus via AMPK/mTOR and PP2A, metformin increases insoluble tau species (including tau oligomers) and the number of inclusions with β-sheet aggregates in the brain of P301S mice. In addition, metformin exacerbates hindlimb atrophy, increases P301S hyperactive behavior, induces tau cleavage by caspase 3 and disrupts synaptic structures. Conclusions These findings indicate that metformin pro-aggregation effects mitigate the potential benefits arising from its dephosphorylating action, possibly leading to an overall increase of the risk of tauopathy in elderly diabetic patients. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13024-016-0082-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Barini
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa, Italy
| | - Odetta Antico
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa, Italy
| | - Yingjun Zhao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China.,Degenerative Diseases Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Francesco Asta
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa, Italy
| | - Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa, Italy
| | - Tiziano Catelani
- Nanochemistry Department, Electron Microscopy Lab, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa, Italy
| | - Roberto Marotta
- Nanochemistry Department, Electron Microscopy Lab, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa, Italy
| | - Huaxi Xu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China.,Degenerative Diseases Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Laura Gasparini
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa, Italy. .,Present Address: AbbVie Deutschland GmbH &Co. KG, Knollstr., 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
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31
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Guadagno L, Raimondo M, Vietri U, Vertuccio L, Barra G, De Vivo B, Lamberti P, Spinelli G, Tucci V, Volponi R, Cosentino G, De Nicola F. Effective formulation and processing of nanofilled carbon fiber reinforced composites. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c4ra12156b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A very simple process to manufacture CFRCs was used. DC conductivity values (20 kS m−1 for the in plane value and 3.9 S m−1 for the out of plane at T = 30 °C) are among the highest values found for CFRCs impregnated with MWCNTs based epoxy-resin.
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32
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Guadagno L, Raimondo M, Vertuccio L, Mauro M, Guerra G, Lafdi K, De Vivo B, Lamberti P, Spinelli G, Tucci V. Optimization of graphene-based materials outperforming host epoxy matrices. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra04558d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Graphitic layers are designed as a self-assembly structure using edge-carboxylated layers approach. The functionalization facilitate the interfacial interaction between polymer and carbon layers enhancing electrical and mechanical performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Guadagno
- Department of Industrial Engineering
- University of Salerno
- Fisciano (SA) 84084
- Italy
| | - M. Raimondo
- Department of Industrial Engineering
- University of Salerno
- Fisciano (SA) 84084
- Italy
| | - L. Vertuccio
- Department of Industrial Engineering
- University of Salerno
- Fisciano (SA) 84084
- Italy
| | - M. Mauro
- Department of Chemistry and Biology
- University of Salerno
- Fisciano (SA)
- Italy
| | - G. Guerra
- Department of Chemistry and Biology
- University of Salerno
- Fisciano (SA)
- Italy
| | - K. Lafdi
- University of Dayton
- Dayton Ohio
- USA
| | - B. De Vivo
- Department of Information Engineering
- Electrical Engineering and Mathematics Applied University of Salerno
- Fisciano (SA)
- Italy
| | - P. Lamberti
- Department of Information Engineering
- Electrical Engineering and Mathematics Applied University of Salerno
- Fisciano (SA)
- Italy
| | - G. Spinelli
- Department of Information Engineering
- Electrical Engineering and Mathematics Applied University of Salerno
- Fisciano (SA)
- Italy
| | - V. Tucci
- Department of Information Engineering
- Electrical Engineering and Mathematics Applied University of Salerno
- Fisciano (SA)
- Italy
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33
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Corrochano S, Männikkö R, Joyce PI, McGoldrick P, Wettstein J, Lassi G, Raja Rayan DL, Blanco G, Quinn C, Liavas A, Lionikas A, Amior N, Dick J, Healy EG, Stewart M, Carter S, Hutchinson M, Bentley L, Fratta P, Cortese A, Cox R, Brown SDM, Tucci V, Wackerhage H, Amato AA, Greensmith L, Koltzenburg M, Hanna MG, Acevedo-Arozena A. Novel mutations in human and mouse SCN4A implicate AMPK in myotonia and periodic paralysis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 137:3171-85. [PMID: 25348630 PMCID: PMC4240299 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awu292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [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] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in the skeletal muscle channel (SCN4A), encoding the Nav1.4 voltage-gated sodium channel, are causative of a variety of muscle channelopathies, including non-dystrophic myotonias and periodic paralysis. The effects of many of these mutations on channel function have been characterized both in vitro and in vivo. However, little is known about the consequences of SCN4A mutations downstream from their impact on the electrophysiology of the Nav1.4 channel. Here we report the discovery of a novel SCN4A mutation (c.1762A>G; p.I588V) in a patient with myotonia and periodic paralysis, located within the S1 segment of the second domain of the Nav1.4 channel. Using N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea mutagenesis, we generated and characterized a mouse model (named draggen), carrying the equivalent point mutation (c.1744A>G; p.I582V) to that found in the patient with periodic paralysis and myotonia. Draggen mice have myotonia and suffer from intermittent hind-limb immobility attacks. In-depth characterization of draggen mice uncovered novel systemic metabolic abnormalities in Scn4a mouse models and provided novel insights into disease mechanisms. We discovered metabolic alterations leading to lean mice, as well as abnormal AMP-activated protein kinase activation, which were associated with the immobility attacks and may provide a novel potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roope Männikkö
- 2 UCL Institute of Neurology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, London, UK
| | - Peter I Joyce
- 1 MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Philip McGoldrick
- 2 UCL Institute of Neurology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, London, UK
| | - Jessica Wettstein
- 3 University of Aberdeen, Institute of Medical Sciences, Scotland, UK
| | - Glenda Lassi
- 4 Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Dipa L Raja Rayan
- 2 UCL Institute of Neurology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, London, UK
| | | | - Colin Quinn
- 6 Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
| | - Andrianos Liavas
- 2 UCL Institute of Neurology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, London, UK
| | | | - Neta Amior
- 2 UCL Institute of Neurology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, London, UK
| | - James Dick
- 2 UCL Institute of Neurology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, London, UK
| | - Estelle G Healy
- 2 UCL Institute of Neurology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, London, UK
| | | | - Sarah Carter
- 1 MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell, Oxfordshire, UK
| | | | - Liz Bentley
- 1 MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Pietro Fratta
- 2 UCL Institute of Neurology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, London, UK
| | - Andrea Cortese
- 7 Mondino National Institute of Neurology Foundation, IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Roger Cox
- 1 MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell, Oxfordshire, UK
| | | | - Valter Tucci
- 4 Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | | | - Anthony A Amato
- 6 Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
| | - Linda Greensmith
- 2 UCL Institute of Neurology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, London, UK
| | - Martin Koltzenburg
- 2 UCL Institute of Neurology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, London, UK
| | - Michael G Hanna
- 2 UCL Institute of Neurology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, London, UK
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Tucci V, Kleefstra T, Hardy A, Heise I, Maggi S, Willemsen MH, Hilton H, Esapa C, Simon M, Buenavista MT, McGuffin LJ, Vizor L, Dodero L, Tsaftaris S, Romero R, Nillesen WN, Vissers LELM, Kempers MJ, Vulto-van Silfhout AT, Iqbal Z, Orlando M, Maccione A, Lassi G, Farisello P, Contestabile A, Tinarelli F, Nieus T, Raimondi A, Greco B, Cantatore D, Gasparini L, Berdondini L, Bifone A, Gozzi A, Wells S, Nolan PM. Dominant β-catenin mutations cause intellectual disability with recognizable syndromic features. J Clin Invest 2014; 124:1468-82. [PMID: 24614104 DOI: 10.1172/jci70372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2013] [Accepted: 01/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent identification of multiple dominant mutations in the gene encoding β-catenin in both humans and mice has enabled exploration of the molecular and cellular basis of β-catenin function in cognitive impairment. In humans, β-catenin mutations that cause a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders have been identified. We identified de novo β-catenin mutations in patients with intellectual disability, carefully characterized their phenotypes, and were able to define a recognizable intellectual disability syndrome. In parallel, characterization of a chemically mutagenized mouse line that displays features similar to those of human patients with β-catenin mutations enabled us to investigate the consequences of β-catenin dysfunction through development and into adulthood. The mouse mutant, designated batface (Bfc), carries a Thr653Lys substitution in the C-terminal armadillo repeat of β-catenin and displayed a reduced affinity for membrane-associated cadherins. In association with this decreased cadherin interaction, we found that the mutation results in decreased intrahemispheric connections, with deficits in dendritic branching, long-term potentiation, and cognitive function. Our study provides in vivo evidence that dominant mutations in β-catenin underlie losses in its adhesion-related functions, which leads to severe consequences, including intellectual disability, childhood hypotonia, progressive spasticity of lower limbs, and abnormal craniofacial features in adults.
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Gallistel CR, Tucci V, Nolan PM, Schachner M, Jakovcevski I, Kheifets A, Barboza L. Cognitive assessment of mice strains heterozygous for cell-adhesion genes reveals strain-specific alterations in timing. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2014; 369:20120464. [PMID: 24446498 PMCID: PMC3895989 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We used a fully automated system for the behavioural measurement of physiologically meaningful properties of basic mechanisms of cognition to test two strains of heterozygous mutant mice, Bfc (batface) and L1, and their wild-type littermate controls. Both of the target genes are involved in the establishment and maintenance of synapses. We find that the Bfc heterozygotes show reduced precision in their representation of interval duration, whereas the L1 heterozygotes show increased precision. These effects are functionally specific, because many other measures made on the same mice are unaffected, namely: the accuracy of matching temporal investment ratios to income ratios in a matching protocol, the rate of instrumental and classical conditioning, the latency to initiate a cued instrumental response, the trials on task and the impulsivity in a switch paradigm, the accuracy with which mice adjust timed switches to changes in the temporal constraints, the days to acquisition, and mean onset time and onset variability in the circadian anticipation of food availability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Patrick M. Nolan
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Melitta Schachner
- Departments of Genetics and Neurobiology, D251 Nelson Labs, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-6999, USA
| | - Igor Jakovcevski
- Zentrum für Molekulare Neurobiologie, Universitaetskrankenhaus Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, Hamburg D20251, Germany
| | - Aaron Kheifets
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8020, USA
| | - Luendro Barboza
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8020, USA
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Tucci V, Buhusi CV, Gallistel R, Meck WH. Towards an integrated understanding of the biology of timing. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2014; 369:20120470. [PMID: 24446503 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, , via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
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Tinarelli F, Garcia-Garcia C, Nicassio F, Tucci V. Parent-of-origin genetic background affects the transcriptional levels of circadian and neuronal plasticity genes following sleep loss. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2014; 369:20120471. [PMID: 24446504 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep homoeostasis refers to a process in which the propensity to sleep increases as wakefulness progresses and decreases as sleep progresses. Sleep is tightly organized around the circadian clock and is regulated by genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. The homoeostatic response of sleep, which is classically triggered by sleep deprivation, is generally measured as a rebound effect of electrophysiological measures, for example delta sleep. However, more recently, gene expression changes following sleep loss have been investigated as biomarkers of sleep homoeostasis. The genetic background of an individual may affect this sleep-dependent gene expression phenotype. In this study, we investigated whether parental genetic background differentially modulates the expression of genes following sleep loss. We tested the progeny of reciprocal crosses of AKR/J and DBA/2J mouse strains and we show a parent-of-origin effect on the expression of circadian, sleep and neuronal plasticity genes following sleep deprivation. Thus, we further explored, by in silico, specific functions or upstream mechanisms of regulation and we observed that several upstream mechanisms involving signalling pathways (i.e. DICER1, PKA), growth factors (CSF3 and BDNF) and transcriptional regulators (EGR2 and ELK4) may be differentially modulated by parental effects. This is the first report showing that a behavioural manipulation (e.g. sleep deprivation) in adult animals triggers specific gene expression responses according to parent-of-origin genomic mechanisms. Our study suggests that the same mechanism may be extended to other behavioural domains and that the investigation of gene expression following experimental manipulations should take seriously into account parent-of-origin effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Tinarelli
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, , via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
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38
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Maggi S, Garbugino L, Heise I, Nieus T, Balcı F, Wells S, Tocchini-Valentini GP, Mandillo S, Nolan PM, Tucci V. A Cross-Laboratory Investigation of Timing Endophenotypes in Mouse Behavior. Timing Time Percept 2014. [DOI: 10.1163/22134468-00002007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Phenotyping behavioral and cognitive processes is a critical practice in mouse research and reliable phenotypic assessment is an essential component of building well-defined links between genes and behavioral/cognitive functions.
The success of behavioral screens in neurobehavioral mouse genetics depends on the identification of reliable, reproducible, and high-throughput behavioral/cognitive measures from individual animals irrespective of the differences in opinions regarding how to tackle phenotyping in different behavioral domains. Furthermore, reliable behavioral assays must be resistant to inevitable environmental differences across laboratories since protocols can be replicated but not all the environmental conditions.
Here we present a cross-laboratory study of interval timing behaviors in mice. Two classically used mouse inbred substrains, C57BL/6J and C57BL/6N, were studied over several days in home-cages containing automated testing apparatus. Remarkably, all timing measures in mouse performance showed a robust reproducibility across centers and even small differences between the two substrains were comparable across laboratories. Moreover, we have observed a consistent increase in error rate during the light phase of the light–dark cycle, which suggests that mouse performance during this phase is compromised by a possible sleep inertia-like effect. Overall, our study demonstrates that analysis of mouse timing behavior can lead to robust and reliable endophenotypes in mouse behavioral genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Maggi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Luciana Garbugino
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology-EMMA-Infrafrontier-IMPC, Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Ines Heise
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Thierry Nieus
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Fuat Balcı
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Sara Wells
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Glauco P. Tocchini-Valentini
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology-EMMA-Infrafrontier-IMPC, Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Silvia Mandillo
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology-EMMA-Infrafrontier-IMPC, Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Patrick M. Nolan
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
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Greco B, Managò F, Tucci V, Kao HT, Valtorta F, Benfenati F. Autism-related behavioral abnormalities in synapsin knockout mice. Behav Brain Res 2012; 251:65-74. [PMID: 23280234 PMCID: PMC3730181 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [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: 07/11/2012] [Revised: 11/19/2012] [Accepted: 12/10/2012] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Several synaptic genes predisposing to autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) have been identified. Nonsense and missense mutations in the SYN1 gene encoding for Synapsin I have been identified in families segregating for idiopathic epilepsy and ASD and genetic mapping analyses have identified variations in the SYN2 gene as significantly contributing to epilepsy predisposition. Synapsins (Syn I/II/III) are a multigene family of synaptic vesicle-associated phosphoproteins playing multiple roles in synaptic development, transmission and plasticity. Lack of SynI and/or SynII triggers a strong epileptic phenotype in mice associated with mild cognitive impairments that are also present in the non-epileptic SynIII(-/-) mice. SynII(-/-) and SynIII(-/-) mice also display schizophrenia-like traits, suggesting that Syns could be involved in the regulation of social behavior. Here, we studied social interaction and novelty, social recognition and social dominance, social transmission of food preference and social memory in groups of male SynI(-/-), SynII(-/-) and SynIII(-/-) mice before and after the appearance of the epileptic phenotype and compared their performances with control mice. We found that deletion of Syn isoforms widely impairs social behaviors and repetitive behaviors, resulting in ASD-related phenotypes. SynI or SynIII deletion altered social behavior, whereas SynII deletion extensively impaired various aspects of social behavior and memory, altered exploration of a novel environment and increased self-grooming. Social impairments of SynI(-/-) and SynII(-/-) mice were evident also before the onset of seizures. The results demonstrate an involvement of Syns in generation of the behavioral traits of ASD and identify Syn knockout mice as a useful experimental model of ASD and epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Greco
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
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Contestabile A, Greco B, Ghezzi D, Tucci V, Benfenati F, Gasparini L. Lithium rescues synaptic plasticity and memory in Down syndrome mice. J Clin Invest 2012. [PMID: 23202733 DOI: 10.1172/jci64650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) patients exhibit abnormalities of hippocampal-dependent explicit memory, a feature that is replicated in relevant mouse models of the disease. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis, which is impaired in DS and other neuropsychiatric diseases, plays a key role in hippocampal circuit plasticity and has been implicated in learning and memory. However, it remains unknown whether increasing adult neurogenesis improves hippocampal plasticity and behavioral performance in the multifactorial context of DS. We report that, in the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS, chronic administration of lithium, a clinically used mood stabilizer, promoted the proliferation of neuronal precursor cells through the pharmacological activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and restored adult neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) to physiological levels. The restoration of adult neurogenesis completely rescued the synaptic plasticity of newborn neurons in the DG and led to the full recovery of behavioral performance in fear conditioning, object location, and novel object recognition tests. These findings indicate that reestablishing a functional population of hippocampal newborn neurons in adult DS mice rescues hippocampal plasticity and memory and implicate adult neurogenesis as a promising therapeutic target to alleviate cognitive deficits in DS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Contestabile
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.
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41
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Tucci V, Lassi G, Kas MJ. Current understanding of the interplay between catechol-O-methyltransferase genetic variants, sleep, brain development and cognitive performance in schizophrenia. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets 2012; 11:292-8. [PMID: 22483299 DOI: 10.2174/187152712800672454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2012] [Revised: 03/02/2012] [Accepted: 03/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal sleep is an endophenotype of schizophrenia. Here we provide an overview of the genetic mechanisms that link specific sleep physiological processes to schizophrenia-related cognitive defects. In particular, we will review the possible relationships between catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), sleep regulation and schizophrenia development. Recent studies validate the hypothesis that COMT mutations may trigger disturbances during adolescence that affect sleep and cortical development. Anomalies in cortical development during this critical developmental phase may increase the susceptibility for schizophrenia. In conclusion, in view of therapeutic efficacy, we can envisage indications for future investigations into the role of COMT for sleep regulation, cognitive performance and sleep-related cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.
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Lassi G, Ball ST, Maggi S, Colonna G, Nieus T, Cero C, Bartolomucci A, Peters J, Tucci V. Loss of Gnas imprinting differentially affects REM/NREM sleep and cognition in mice. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1002706. [PMID: 22589743 PMCID: PMC3349741 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2011] [Accepted: 03/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that imprinted genes are important in the regulation of sleep. However, the fundamental question of whether genomic imprinting has a role in sleep has remained elusive up to now. In this work we show that REM and NREM sleep states are differentially modulated by the maternally expressed imprinted gene Gnas. In particular, in mice with loss of imprinting of Gnas, NREM and complex cognitive processes are enhanced while REM and REM-linked behaviors are inhibited. This is the first demonstration that a specific overexpression of an imprinted gene affects sleep states and related complex behavioral traits. Furthermore, in parallel to the Gnas overexpression, we have observed an overexpression of Ucp1 in interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) and a significant increase in thermoregulation that may account for the REM/NREM sleep phenotypes. We conclude that there must be significant evolutionary advantages in the monoallelic expression of Gnas for REM sleep and for the consolidation of REM-dependent memories. Conversely, biallelic expression of Gnas reinforces slow wave activity in NREM sleep, and this results in a reduction of uncertainty in temporal decision-making processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenda Lassi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Simon T. Ball
- Medical Research Council Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Maggi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Giovanni Colonna
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Thierry Nieus
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Cheryl Cero
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Alessandro Bartolomucci
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Jo Peters
- Medical Research Council Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell, United Kingdom
| | - Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Iurilli G, Ghezzi D, Olcese U, Lassi G, Nazzaro C, Tonini R, Tucci V, Benfenati F, Medini P. Sound-driven synaptic inhibition in primary visual cortex. Neuron 2012; 73:814-28. [PMID: 22365553 PMCID: PMC3315003 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Multimodal objects and events activate many sensory cortical areas simultaneously. This is possibly reflected in reciprocal modulations of neuronal activity, even at the level of primary cortical areas. However, the synaptic character of these interareal interactions, and their impact on synaptic and behavioral sensory responses are unclear. Here, we found that activation of auditory cortex by a noise burst drove local GABAergic inhibition on supragranular pyramids of the mouse primary visual cortex, via cortico-cortical connections. This inhibition was generated by sound-driven excitation of a limited number of cells in infragranular visual cortical neurons. Consequently, visually driven synaptic and spike responses were reduced upon bimodal stimulation. Also, acoustic stimulation suppressed conditioned behavioral responses to a dim flash, an effect that was prevented by acute blockade of GABAergic transmission in visual cortex. Thus, auditory cortex activation by salient stimuli degrades potentially distracting sensory processing in visual cortex by recruiting local, translaminar, inhibitory circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliano Iurilli
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
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Tucci V. Sleep, circadian rhythms, and interval timing: evolutionary strategies to time information. Front Integr Neurosci 2012; 5:92. [PMID: 22319478 PMCID: PMC3250947 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2011.00092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2011] [Accepted: 12/15/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova, Italy
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Bonizzoli M, Bigazzi E, Peduto C, Tucci V, Zagli G, Pecile P, Peris A. Microbiological survey following the conversion from a bay-room to single-room intensive care unit design. J Hosp Infect 2011; 77:84-6. [PMID: 20970883 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2010.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2010] [Accepted: 07/29/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Tucci V, Merritt R, Somai K, Cheng P, O'Keefe K, Sanson T. 46: Is There Is a Sex Bias In Descriptions of Applicants In Standard Letters of Recommendation for Emergency Medicine Residencies? Ann Emerg Med 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2010.06.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Achilli F, Bros-Facer V, Williams HP, Banks GT, AlQatari M, Chia R, Tucci V, Groves M, Nickols CD, Seburn KL, Kendall R, Cader MZ, Talbot K, van Minnen J, Burgess RW, Brandner S, Martin JE, Koltzenburg M, Greensmith L, Nolan PM, Fisher EMC. An ENU-induced mutation in mouse glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GARS) causes peripheral sensory and motor phenotypes creating a model of Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2D peripheral neuropathy. Dis Model Mech 2009; 2:359-73. [PMID: 19470612 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.002527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the enzyme glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GARS) cause motor and sensory axon loss in the peripheral nervous system in humans, described clinically as Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2D or distal spinal muscular atrophy type V. Here, we characterise a new mouse mutant, Gars(C201R), with a point mutation that leads to a non-conservative substitution within GARS. Heterozygous mice with a C3H genetic background have loss of grip strength, decreased motor flexibility and disruption of fine motor control; this relatively mild phenotype is more severe on a C57BL/6 background. Homozygous mutants have a highly deleterious set of features, including movement difficulties and death before weaning. Heterozygous animals have a reduction in axon diameter in peripheral nerves, slowing of nerve conduction and an alteration in the recovery cycle of myelinated axons, as well as innervation defects. An assessment of GARS levels showed increased protein in 15-day-old mice compared with controls; however, this increase was not observed in 3-month-old animals, indicating that GARS function may be more crucial in younger animals. We found that enzyme activity was not reduced detectably in heterozygotes at any age, but was diminished greatly in homozygous mice compared with controls; thus, homozygous animals may suffer from a partial loss of function. The Gars(C201R) mutation described here is a contribution to our understanding of the mechanism by which mutations in tRNA synthetases, which are fundamentally important, ubiquitously expressed enzymes, cause axonopathy in specific sets of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Achilli
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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Mandillo S, Tucci V, Hölter SM, Meziane H, Banchaabouchi MA, Kallnik M, Lad HV, Nolan PM, Ouagazzal AM, Coghill EL, Gale K, Golini E, Jacquot S, Krezel W, Parker A, Riet F, Schneider I, Marazziti D, Auwerx J, Brown SDM, Chambon P, Rosenthal N, Tocchini-Valentini G, Wurst W. Reliability, robustness, and reproducibility in mouse behavioral phenotyping: a cross-laboratory study. Physiol Genomics 2008; 34:243-55. [PMID: 18505770 PMCID: PMC2519962 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.90207.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2008] [Accepted: 05/23/2008] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Establishing standard operating procedures (SOPs) as tools for the analysis of behavioral phenotypes is fundamental to mouse functional genomics. It is essential that the tests designed provide reliable measures of the process under investigation but most importantly that these are reproducible across both time and laboratories. For this reason, we devised and tested a set of SOPs to investigate mouse behavior. Five research centers were involved across France, Germany, Italy, and the UK in this study, as part of the EUMORPHIA program. All the procedures underwent a cross-validation experimental study to investigate the robustness of the designed protocols. Four inbred reference strains (C57BL/6J, C3HeB/FeJ, BALB/cByJ, 129S2/SvPas), reflecting their use as common background strains in mutagenesis programs, were analyzed to validate these tests. We demonstrate that the operating procedures employed, which includes open field, SHIRPA, grip-strength, rotarod, Y-maze, prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle response, and tail flick tests, generated reproducible results between laboratories for a number of the test output parameters. However, we also identified several uncontrolled variables that constitute confounding factors in behavioral phenotyping. The EUMORPHIA SOPs described here are an important start-point for the ongoing development of increasingly robust phenotyping platforms and their application in large-scale, multicentre mouse phenotyping programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Mandillo
- Gesellschaft für Strahlenforschungdagger-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Institute of Developmental Genetics, Neuherberg, Germany
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Tucci V, Achilli F, Blanco G, Lad HV, Wells S, Godinho S, Nolan PM. Reaching and grasping phenotypes in the mouse (Mus musculus): a characterization of inbred strains and mutant lines. Neuroscience 2007; 147:573-82. [PMID: 17574766 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2007] [Revised: 04/17/2007] [Accepted: 04/19/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Skilled movements, such as reaching and grasping, have classically been considered as originating in the primate lineage. For this reason, the use of rodents to investigate the genetic and molecular machinery of reaching and grasping has been limited in research. A few studies in rodents have now shown that these movements are not exclusive to primates. Here we present a new test, the Mouse Reaching and Grasping (MoRaG) performance scale, intended to help researchers in the characterization of these motor behaviors in the mouse. Within the MoRaG test battery we identified early phenotypes for the characterization of motor neurone (Tg[SOD1-G93A](dl)1Gur mice) and neurodegenerative (TgN(HD82Gln)81Dbo transgenic mice) disease models in addition to specific motor deficits associated with aging (C3H/HeH inbred strain). We conclude that the MoRaG test can be used to further investigate complex neuromuscular, neurological, neurodegenerative and behavioral disorders. Moreover, our study supports the validity of the mouse as a model for reaching and grasping studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Tucci
- MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK.
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50
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Godinho SIH, Maywood ES, Shaw L, Tucci V, Barnard AR, Busino L, Pagano M, Kendall R, Quwailid MM, Romero MR, O'neill J, Chesham JE, Brooker D, Lalanne Z, Hastings MH, Nolan PM. The after-hours mutant reveals a role for Fbxl3 in determining mammalian circadian period. Science 2007; 316:897-900. [PMID: 17463252 DOI: 10.1126/science.1141138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 356] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
By screening N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-mutagenized animals for alterations in rhythms of wheel-running activity, we identified a mouse mutation, after hours (Afh). The mutation, a Cys(358)Ser substitution in Fbxl3, an F-box protein with leucine-rich repeats, results in long free-running rhythms of about 27 hours in homozygotes. Circadian transcriptional and translational oscillations are attenuated in Afh mice. The Afh allele significantly affected Per2 expression and delayed the rate of Cry protein degradation in Per2::Luciferase tissue slices. Our in vivo and in vitro studies reveal a central role for Fbxl3 in mammalian circadian timekeeping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia I H Godinho
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
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