1
|
Andrade-Brito DE, Núñez-Ríos DL, Martínez-Magaña JJ, Nagamatsu ST, Rompala G, Zillich L, Witt SH, Clark SL, Lattig MC, Montalvo-Ortiz JL. Neuronal-specific methylome and hydroxymethylome analysis reveal significant loci associated with alcohol use disorder. Front Genet 2024; 15:1345410. [PMID: 38633406 PMCID: PMC11021708 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1345410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex condition associated with adverse health consequences that affect millions of individuals worldwide. Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation (5 mC), have been associated with AUD and other alcohol-related traits. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) have identified differentially methylated genes associated with AUD in human peripheral and brain tissue. More recently, epigenetic studies of AUD have also evaluated DNA hydroxymethylation (5 hmC) in the human brain. However, most of the epigenetic work in postmortem brain tissue has examined bulk tissue. In this study, we investigated neuronal-specific 5 mC and 5 hmC alterations at CpG sites associated with AUD in the human orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Methods: Neuronal nuclei from the OFC were evaluated in 34 human postmortem brain samples (10 AUD, 24 non-AUD). Reduced representation oxidative bisulfite sequencing was used to assess 5 mC and 5 hmC at the genome-wide level. Differential 5 mC and 5 hmC were evaluated using the methylKit R package and significance was set at false discovery rate < 0.05 and differential methylation > 2. Functional enrichment analyses were performed, and gene-level convergence was evaluated in an independent dataset that assessed 5 mC and 5 hmC of AUD in bulk cortical tissue. Results: We identified 417 5 mC and 363 5hmC significant differential CpG sites associated with AUD, with 59% in gene promoters. Some of the identified genes have been previously implicated in alcohol consumption, including SYK, DNMT3A for 5 mC, GAD1, DLX1, DLX2, for 5 hmC and GATA4 in both. Convergence with a previous AUD 5 mC and 5 hmC study was observed for 28 genes. We also identified 5 and 35 differential regions for 5 mC and 5 hmC, respectively. Lastly, GWAS enrichment analysis showed an association with AUD for differential 5 mC genes. Discussion: This study reveals neuronal-specific methylome and hydroxymethylome dysregulation associated with AUD, identifying both previously reported and potentially novel gene associations with AUD. Our findings provide new insights into the epigenomic dysregulation of AUD in the human brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diego E. Andrade-Brito
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Diana L. Núñez-Ríos
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - José Jaime Martínez-Magaña
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Sheila T. Nagamatsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Gregory Rompala
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Lea Zillich
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie H. Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Shaunna L. Clark
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Maria C. Lattig
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Janitza L. Montalvo-Ortiz
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Nagaoka A, Hino M, Izumi R, Shishido R, Ishibashi M, Hatano M, Sainouchi M, Kakita A, Tomita H, Kunii Y. Availability of individual proteins for quantitative analysis in postmortem brains preserved in two different brain banks. Neuropsychopharmacol Rep 2024. [PMID: 38558385 DOI: 10.1002/npr2.12430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
AIM Postmortem brain research is necessary for elucidating the pathology of schizophrenia; an increasing number of studies require a combination of suitable tissue samples preserved at multiple brain banks. In this study, we examined whether a comparative study of protein expression levels can be conducted using postmortem brain samples preserved in different facilities. METHODS We compared the demographic factors of postmortem brain samples preserved in two institutions and measured and compared the expression levels of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the prefrontal cortex and superior temporal gyrus. GAPDH is generally used as a loading control for western blotting, and GFAP is considered as an astrocyte marker in the brain. RESULTS We found significant differences between the two institutions in postmortem interval, age at death, and preservation time. To reduce the effects of these differences on our measurements, the parameters were set as covariates in our analyses of covariance. Subsequently, no differences in GAPDH and GFAP expression were found between institutions. CONCLUSIONS When studies are conducted using brain samples preserved in different brain banks, differences in demographic factors should be carefully considered and taken into account by statistical methods to minimize their impact as much as possible. Since there was no significant difference in the protein expression levels of GAPDH and GFAP in either region between the two institutions that preserved the postmortem brains, we concluded that it is possible to perform protein quantitative analysis assuming that there is no effect of difference between two institutions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Atsuko Nagaoka
- Department of Psychiatry, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Mizuki Hino
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ryuta Izumi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Risa Shishido
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Miki Ishibashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Masataka Hatano
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Makoto Sainouchi
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Kakita
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Tomita
- Department of Psychiatry, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yasuto Kunii
- Department of Psychiatry, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hino M, Kunii Y, Shishido R, Nagaoka A, Matsumoto J, Akatsu H, Hashizume Y, Hayashi H, Kakita A, Tomita H, Yabe H. Marked alteration of phosphoinositide signaling-associated molecules in postmortem prefrontal cortex with bipolar disorder. Neuropsychopharmacol Rep 2024; 44:121-128. [PMID: 38253804 PMCID: PMC10932789 DOI: 10.1002/npr2.12409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
AIM The etiology of bipolar disorder (BD) remains unknown; however, lipid abnormalities in BD have received increasing attention in recent years. In this study, we examined the expression levels of enzyme proteins associated with the metabolic pathway of phosphoinositides (PIs) and their downstream effectors, protein kinase B (Akt1) and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), which have been assumed to be the targets of mood stabilizers such as lithium, in the postmortem brains of patients with BD. METHODS The protein expression levels of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase type-1 gamma (PIP5K1C), phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase alpha (PIK4CA), phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 (PTEN), Akt1, and GSK3β were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and multiplex fluorescent bead-based immunoassays in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Specifically, PTEN, Akt1, GSK3β, and PIP5K1C were measured in seven BD patients and 48 controls. Additionally, PIK4CA was analyzed in 10 cases and 34 controls. RESULTS PTEN expression levels were markedly decreased in the PFCs of patients with BD, whereas those of Akt and GSK3β were prominently elevated. Moreover, patients medicated with lithium exhibited higher Akt1 expression levels and lower PTEN expression levels in comparison with the untreated group. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that the expression levels of Akt1/GSK3β and its upstream regulator PTEN are considerably altered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mizuki Hino
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster ScienceTohoku UniversitySendaiJapan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of MedicineFukushima Medical UniversityFukushimaJapan
| | - Yasuto Kunii
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster ScienceTohoku UniversitySendaiJapan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of MedicineFukushima Medical UniversityFukushimaJapan
| | - Risa Shishido
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of MedicineFukushima Medical UniversityFukushimaJapan
| | - Atsuko Nagaoka
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of MedicineFukushima Medical UniversityFukushimaJapan
| | - Junya Matsumoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of MedicineFukushima Medical UniversityFukushimaJapan
| | - Hiroyasu Akatsu
- Department of Community‐Based Medical Education/Department of Community‐Based MedicineNagoya City University Graduate School of Medical ScienceNagoyaAichiJapan
- Choju Medical Institute, Fukushimura HospitalToyohashiAichiJapan
| | - Yoshio Hashizume
- Choju Medical Institute, Fukushimura HospitalToyohashiAichiJapan
| | - Hideki Hayashi
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research InstituteNiigata UniversityNiigataJapan
| | - Akiyoshi Kakita
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research InstituteNiigata UniversityNiigataJapan
| | - Hiroaki Tomita
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of MedicineTohoku UniversitySendaiMiyagiJapan
| | - Hirooki Yabe
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster ScienceTohoku UniversitySendaiJapan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rose SE, Williams CA, Hailey DW, Mishra S, Kirkland A, Keene CD, Garden GA, Jayadev S, Young JE. Advancements in high-resolution 3D microscopy analysis of endosomal morphology in postmortem Alzheimer's disease brains. Front Neurosci 2024; 17:1321680. [PMID: 38292900 PMCID: PMC10824887 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1321680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Abnormal endo-lysosomal morphology is an early cytopathological feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have implicated genes involved in the endo-lysosomal network (ELN) as conferring increased risk for developing sporadic, late-onset AD (LOAD). Characterization of ELN pathology and the underlying pathophysiology is a promising area of translational AD research and drug development. However, rigorous study of ELN vesicles in AD and aged control brains poses a unique constellation of methodological challenges due in part to the small size of these structures and subsequent requirements for high-resolution imaging. Here we provide a detailed protocol for high-resolution 3D morphological quantification of neuronal endosomes in postmortem AD brain tissue, using immunofluorescent staining, confocal imaging with image deconvolution, and Imaris software analysis pipelines. To demonstrate these methods, we present neuronal endosome morphology data from 23 sporadic LOAD donors and one aged non-AD control donor. The techniques described here were developed across a range of AD neuropathology to best optimize these methods for future studies with large cohorts. Application of these methods in research cohorts will help advance understanding of ELN dysfunction and cytopathology in sporadic AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E. Rose
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA,United States
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - C. Andrew Williams
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA,United States
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Dale W. Hailey
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Swati Mishra
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA,United States
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Amanda Kirkland
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA,United States
| | - C. Dirk Keene
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA,United States
| | - Gwenn A. Garden
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Suman Jayadev
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Jessica E. Young
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA,United States
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kurano M, Saito Y, Yatomi Y. Comprehensive Analysis of Metabolites in Postmortem Brains of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 97:1139-1159. [PMID: 38250775 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disturbed metabolism has been proposed as being involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and more evidence from human AD brains is required. OBJECTIVE In this study, we attempted to identify or confirm modulations in the levels of metabolites associated with AD in postmortem AD brains. METHODS We performed metabolomics analyses using a gas chromatography mass spectrometry system in postmortem brains of patients with confirmed AD, patients with CERAD score B, and control subjects. RESULTS Impaired phosphorylation of glucose and elevation of several tricarboxylic acid (TCA) metabolites, except citrate, were observed and the degree of impaired phosphorylation and elevation in the levels of the TCA cycle metabolites were negatively and positively correlated, respectively, with the clinical phenotypes of AD. The levels of uronic acid pathway metabolites were modulated in AD and correlated positively with the amyloid-β content. The associations of nucleic acid synthesis and amino acid metabolites with AD depended on the kinds of metabolites; in particular, the contents of ribose 5-phosphate, serine and glycine were negatively correlated, while those of ureidosuccinic acid and indole-3-acetic acid were positively modulated in AD. Comprehensive statistical analyses suggested that alterations in the inositol pathway were most closely associated with AD. CONCLUSIONS The present study revealed many novel associations between metabolites and AD, suggesting that some of these might serve as novel potential therapeutic targets for AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Kurano
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuko Saito
- Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaka Yatomi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Andrade-Brito DE, Núñez-Ríos DL, Martínez-Magaña JJ, Nagamatsu ST, Rompala G, Zillich L, Witt SH, Clark SL, Latig MC, Montalvo-Ortiz JL. Neuronal-specific methylome and hydroxymethylome analysis reveal replicated and novel loci associated with alcohol use disorder. medRxiv 2023:2023.11.28.23299094. [PMID: 38105948 PMCID: PMC10725575 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.28.23299094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex condition associated with adverse health consequences that affect millions of individuals worldwide. Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation (5mC), have been associated with AUD and other alcohol-related traits. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) have identified differentially methylated genes associated with AUD in human peripheral and brain tissue. More recently, epigenetic studies of AUD have also evaluated DNA hydroxymethylation (5hmC) in the human brain. However, most of the epigenetic work in postmortem brain tissue has examined bulk tissue. In this study, we investigated neuronal-specific 5mC and 5hmC alterations at CpG sites associated with AUD in the human orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Neuronal nuclei from the OFC were evaluated in 34 human postmortem brain samples (10 AUD, 24 non-AUD). Reduced representation oxidative bisulfite sequencing was used to assess 5mC and 5hmC at the genome-wide level. Differential 5mC and 5hmC were evaluated using the methylKit R package and significance was set at false discovery rate <0.05 and differential methylation >2. Functional enrichment analyses were performed and replication was evaluated replication in an independent dataset that assessed 5mC and 5hmC of AUD in bulk cortical tissue. We identified 417 5mC and 363 5hmC genome-wide significant differential CpG sites associated with AUD, with 59% in gene promoters. We also identified genes previously implicated in alcohol consumption, such as SYK, CHRM2, DNMT3A, and GATA4, for 5mC and GATA4, and GAD1, GATA4, DLX1 for 5hmC. Replication was observed for 28 CpG sites from a previous AUD 5mC and 5hmC study, including FOXP1. Lastly, GWAS enrichment analysis showed an association with AUD for differential 5mC genes. This study reveals neuronal-specific methylome and hydroxymethylome dysregulation associated with AUD. We replicated previous findings and identified novel associations with AUD for both 5mC and 5hmC marks within the OFC. Our findings provide new insights into the epigenomic dysregulation of AUD in the human brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diego E. Andrade-Brito
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Diana L. Núñez-Ríos
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - José Jaime Martínez-Magaña
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sheila T. Nagamatsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Gregory Rompala
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Lea Zillich
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie H. Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Shaunna L. Clark
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Maria C. Latig
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Janitza L. Montalvo-Ortiz
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kunii Y, Hino M, Tomita H. Editorial: Molecular pathology in psychiatric diseases: frontiers of postmortem brain research. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1286182. [PMID: 37829758 PMCID: PMC10565467 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1286182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuto Kunii
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Tohoku University Hospital, Miyagi, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Mizuki Hino
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Tomita
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Tohoku University Hospital, Miyagi, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Arihisa W, Kondo T, Yamaguchi K, Matsumoto J, Nakanishi H, Kunii Y, Akatsu H, Hino M, Hashizume Y, Sato S, Sato S, Niwa S, Yabe H, Sasaki T, Shigenobu S, Setou M. Lipid-correlated alterations in the transcriptome are enriched in several specific pathways in the postmortem prefrontal cortex of Japanese patients with schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacol Rep 2023; 43:403-413. [PMID: 37498306 PMCID: PMC10496066 DOI: 10.1002/npr2.12368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Schizophrenia is a chronic relapsing psychiatric disorder that is characterized by many symptoms and has a high heritability. There were studies showing that the phospholipid abnormalities in subjects with schizophrenia (Front Biosci, S3, 2011, 153; Schizophr Bull, 48, 2022, 1125; Sci Rep, 7, 2017, 6; Anal Bioanal Chem, 400, 2011, 1933). Disturbances in prefrontal cortex phospholipid and fatty acid composition have been reported in subjects with schizophrenia (Sci Rep, 7, 2017, 6; Anal Bioanal Chem, 400, 2011, 1933; Schizophr Res, 215, 2020, 493; J Psychiatr Res, 47, 2013, 636; Int J Mol Sci, 22, 2021). For exploring the signaling pathways contributing to the lipid changes in previous study (Sci Rep, 7, 2017, 6), we performed two types of transcriptome analyses in subjects with schizophrenia: an unbiased transcriptome analysis solely based on RNA-seq data and a correlation analysis between levels of gene expression and lipids. METHODS RNA-Seq analysis was performed in the postmortem prefrontal cortex from 10 subjects with schizophrenia and 5 controls. Correlation analysis between the transcriptome and lipidome from 9 subjects, which are the same samples in the previous lipidomics study (Sci Rep, 7, 2017, 6). RESULTS Extraction of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and further sequence and functional group analysis revealed changes in gene expression levels in phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling and the complement system. In addition, a correlation analysis clarified alterations in ether lipid metabolism pathway, which is not found as DEGs in transcriptome analysis alone. CONCLUSIONS This study provided results of the integrated analysis of the schizophrenia-associated transcriptome and lipidome within the PFC and revealed that lipid-correlated alterations in the transcriptome are enriched in specific pathways including ether lipid metabolism pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Arihisa
- Department of Cellular and Molecular AnatomyHamamatsu University School of MedicineShizuokaJapan
| | - Takeshi Kondo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular AnatomyHamamatsu University School of MedicineShizuokaJapan
- International Mass Imaging CenterHamamatsu University School of MedicineShizuokaJapan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of MedicineHokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | | | - Junya Matsumoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of MedicineFukushima Medical UniversityFukushimaJapan
| | | | - Yasuto Kunii
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of MedicineFukushima Medical UniversityFukushimaJapan
- Department of Disaster PsychiatryInternational Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku UniversitySendaiJapan
| | - Hiroyasu Akatsu
- Choju Medical Institute, Fukushimura HospitalToyohashiJapan
- Department of Community‐based Medical Education/Department of Community‐based MedicineNagoya City University Graduate School of Medical ScienceNagoyaJapan
| | - Mizuki Hino
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of MedicineFukushima Medical UniversityFukushimaJapan
- Department of Disaster PsychiatryInternational Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku UniversitySendaiJapan
| | | | - Shumpei Sato
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics ResearchOsakaJapan
| | - Shinji Sato
- Business Development, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Shinagawa Grand Central TowerTokyoJapan
| | - Shin‐Ichi Niwa
- Department of Psychiatry, Aizu Medical CenterFukushima Medical UniversityFukushimaJapan
| | - Hirooki Yabe
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of MedicineFukushima Medical UniversityFukushimaJapan
| | - Takehiko Sasaki
- Department of Biochemical PathophysiologyMedical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | | | - Mitsutoshi Setou
- Department of Cellular and Molecular AnatomyHamamatsu University School of MedicineShizuokaJapan
- International Mass Imaging CenterHamamatsu University School of MedicineShizuokaJapan
- Preeminent Medical Photonics Education & Research CenterHamamatsu University School of MedicineShizuokaJapan
- Department of AnatomyThe University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Shishido R, Kunii Y, Hino M, Izumi R, Nagaoka A, Hayashi H, Kakita A, Tomita H, Yabe H. Evidence for increased DNA damage repair in the postmortem brain of the high stress-response group of schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1183696. [PMID: 37674553 PMCID: PMC10478254 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1183696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Schizophrenia (SZ) is a disorder diagnosed by specific symptoms and duration and is highly heterogeneous, clinically and pathologically. Although there are an increasing number of studies on the association between genetic and environmental factors in the development of SZ, the actual distribution of the population with different levels of influence of these factors has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we focused on stress as an environmental factor and stratified SZ based on the expression levels of stress-responsive molecules in the postmortem prefrontal cortex. Methods We selected the following stress-responsive molecules: interleukin (IL) -1β, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, glucocorticoid receptor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, synaptophysin, S100 calcium-binding protein B, superoxide dismutase, postsynaptic density protein 95, synuclein, apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), ApoA2, and solute carrier family 6 member 4. We performed RNA sequencing in the prefrontal gray matter of 25 SZ cases and 21 healthy controls and conducted a hierarchical cluster analysis of SZ based on the gene expression levels of stress-responsive molecules, which yielded two clusters. After assessing the validity of the clusters, they were designated as the high stress-response SZ group and the low stress-response SZ group, respectively. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between clusters was performed, and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was conducted on four cases each in the high and low stress-response SZ groups to validate DNA damage. Results We found higher prevalence of family history of SZ in the low stress-response SZ group (0/3 vs. 5/4, p = 0.04). Pathway analysis of DEGs between clusters showed the highest enrichment for DNA double-strand break repair. TUNEL staining showed a trend toward a lower percentage of TUNEL-positive cells in the high stress-response SZ group. Conclusion Our results suggest that there are subgroups of SZ with different degrees of stress impact. Furthermore, the pathophysiology of these subgroups may be associated with DNA damage repair. These results provide new insights into the interactions and heterogeneity between genetic and environmental factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Risa Shishido
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Yasuto Kunii
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Mizuki Hino
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ryuta Izumi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Atsuko Nagaoka
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hideki Hayashi
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Kakita
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Tomita
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hirooki Yabe
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Miyahara K, Hino M, Yu Z, Ono C, Nagaoka A, Hatano M, Shishido R, Yabe H, Tomita H, Kunii Y. The influence of tissue pH and RNA integrity number on gene expression of human postmortem brain. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1156524. [PMID: 37520228 PMCID: PMC10379646 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1156524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Evaluating and controlling confounders are necessary when investigating molecular pathogenesis using human postmortem brain tissue. Particularly, tissue pH and RNA integrity number (RIN) are valuable indicators for controlling confounders. However, the influences of these indicators on the expression of each gene in postmortem brain have not been fully investigated. Therefore, we aimed to assess these effects on gene expressions of human brain samples. Methods We isolated total RNA from occipital lobes of 13 patients with schizophrenia and measured the RIN and tissue pH. Gene expression was analyzed and gene sets affected by tissue pH and RIN were identified. Moreover, we examined the functions of these genes by enrichment analysis and upstream regulator analysis. Results We identified 2,043 genes (24.7%) whose expressions were highly correlated with pH; 3,004 genes (36.3%) whose expressions were highly correlated with RIN; and 1,293 genes (15.6%) whose expressions were highly correlated with both pH and RIN. Genes commonly affected by tissue pH and RIN were highly associated with energy production and the immune system. In addition, genes uniquely affected by tissue pH were highly associated with the cell cycle, whereas those uniquely affected by RIN were highly associated with RNA processing. Conclusion The current study elucidated the influence of pH and RIN on gene expression profiling and identified gene sets whose expressions were affected by tissue pH or RIN. These findings would be helpful in the control of confounders for future postmortem brain studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazusa Miyahara
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Mizuki Hino
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Zhiqian Yu
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Chiaki Ono
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Atsuko Nagaoka
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Masataka Hatano
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Risa Shishido
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hirooki Yabe
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Tomita
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Yasuto Kunii
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Underwood MD, Galfalvy H, Hsiung SC, Liu Y, Simpson NR, Bakalian MJ, Rosoklija GB, Dwork AJ, Arango V, Mann JJ. A Stress Protein Based Suicide Prediction Score and relationship to reported Early Life Adversity and Recent Life Stress. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2023:7181130. [PMID: 37243534 PMCID: PMC10388383 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyad025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a major stress response system, and excessive HPA responses can impact major depressive disorder and suicide. We examined relationships between reported early life adversity (ELA), recent life stress (RLS), suicide, and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), CRH binding protein (CRHBP), FK506-binding protein (FKBP5), glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in postmortem human prefrontal cortex (BA9) and anterior cingulate cortex (BA24). METHODS Thirteen quadruplets, matched for sex, age and postmortem interval, consisting of suicide decedents and healthy controls, were divided equally into those with and without ELA. ELA, RLS and psychiatric diagnoses were determined by psychological autopsy. Protein levels were determined by Western blots. RESULTS There were no suicide- or ELA-related differences in CRH, CRHBP, GR, or FKBP5 in BA9 or BA24, and no interaction between suicide and ELA (p>0.05). For BDNF, there was an interaction between suicide and ELA in BA24; suicides without ELA had less BDNF than controls without ELA, and controls with ELA had less BDNF than controls without ELA. CRH in BA9 and FKBP5 in ACC correlated negatively with RLS. LASSO logistic regression with cross-validation found combining BDNF, GR and FKBP5 BA24 levels predicted suicide but ELA did not contribute. A calculated "suicide risk score" using these measures had 71% sensitivity and 71% specificity. CONCLUSION A dysregulated HPA axis is related to suicide but not with ELA. RLS was related to select HPA axis proteins in specific brain regions. BDNF appears dysregulated in a region-specific way with ELA and suicide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Underwood
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hanga Galfalvy
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Shu-Chi Hsiung
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yan Liu
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Norman R Simpson
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mihran J Bakalian
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gorazd B Rosoklija
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Macedonian Academy of Sciences & Arts, Republic of Macedonia
| | - Andrew J Dwork
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Macedonian Academy of Sciences & Arts, Republic of Macedonia
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Victoria Arango
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - J John Mann
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Sano F, Kikushima K, Benner S, Xu L, Kahyo T, Yamasue H, Setou M. Associations between prefrontal PI (16:0/20:4) lipid, TNC mRNA, and APOA1 protein in schizophrenia: A trans-omics analysis in post-mortem brain. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1145437. [PMID: 37143779 PMCID: PMC10151580 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1145437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Though various mechanisms have been proposed for the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, the full extent of these mechanisms remains unclear, and little is known about the relationships among them. We carried out trans-omics analyses by comparing the results of the previously reported lipidomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics analyses; all of these studies used common post-mortem brain samples. Methods We collected the data from three aforementioned omics studies on 6 common post-mortem samples (3 schizophrenia patients and 3 controls), and analyzed them as a whole group sample. Three correlation analyses were performed for each of the two of three omics studies in these samples. In order to discuss the strength of the correlations in a limited sample size, the p-values of each correlation coefficient were confirmed using the Student's t-test. In addition, partial correlation analysis was also performed for some correlations, to verify the strength of the impact of each factor on the correlations. Results The following three factors were strongly correlated with each other: the lipid level of phosphatidylinositol (PI) (16:0/20:4), the amount of TNC mRNA, and the quantitative signal intensity of APOA1 protein. PI (16:0/20:4) and TNC showed a positive correlation, while PI (16:0/20:4) and APOA1, and TNC and APOA1 showed negative correlations. All of these correlations reached at p < 0.01. PI (16:0/20:4) and TNC were decreased in the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenia samples, while APOA1 was increased. Partial correlation analyses among them suggested that PI (16:0/20:4) and TNC have no direct correlation, but their relationships are mediated by APOA1. Conclusion The current results suggest that these three factors may provide new clues to elucidate the relationships among the candidate mechanisms of schizophrenia, and support the potential of trans-omics analyses as a new analytical method.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fumito Sano
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Kenji Kikushima
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- International Mass Imaging Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- Department of Integrative Anatomy, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Seico Benner
- Department of Psychiatry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Lili Xu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Kahyo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Hidenori Yamasue
- Department of Psychiatry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Mitsutoshi Setou
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- International Mass Imaging Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- Department of Systems Molecular Anatomy, Institute for Medical Photonics Research, Preeminent Medical Photonics Education & Research Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Mendez EF, Grimm SL, Stertz L, Gorski D, Movva SV, Najera K, Moriel K, Meyer TD, Fries GR, Coarfa C, Walss-Bass C. A human stem cell-derived neuronal model of morphine exposure reflects brain dysregulation in opioid use disorder: Transcriptomic and epigenetic characterization of postmortem-derived iPSC neurons. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1070556. [PMID: 36873219 PMCID: PMC9978009 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1070556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Human-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models of brain promise to advance our understanding of neurotoxic consequences of drug use. However, how well these models recapitulate the actual genomic landscape and cell function, as well as the drug-induced alterations, remains to be established. New in vitro models of drug exposure are needed to advance our understanding of how to protect or reverse molecular changes related to substance use disorders. Methods We engineered a novel induced pluripotent stem cell-derived model of neural progenitor cells and neurons from cultured postmortem human skin fibroblasts, and directly compared these to isogenic brain tissue from the donor source. We assessed the maturity of the cell models across differentiation from stem cells to neurons using RNA cell type and maturity deconvolution analyses as well as DNA methylation epigenetic clocks trained on adult and fetal human tissue. As proof-of-concept of this model's utility for substance use disorder studies, we compared morphine- and cocaine-treated neurons to gene expression signatures in postmortem Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD) brains, respectively. Results Within each human subject (N = 2, 2 clones each), brain frontal cortex epigenetic age parallels that of skin fibroblasts and closely approximates the donor's chronological age; stem cell induction from fibroblast cells effectively sets the epigenetic clock to an embryonic age; and differentiation of stem cells to neural progenitor cells and then to neurons progressively matures the cells via DNA methylation and RNA gene expression readouts. In neurons derived from an individual who died of opioid overdose, morphine treatment induced alterations in gene expression similar to those previously observed in OUD ex-vivo brain tissue, including differential expression of the immediate early gene EGR1, which is known to be dysregulated by opioid use. Discussion In summary, we introduce an iPSC model generated from human postmortem fibroblasts that can be directly compared to corresponding isogenic brain tissue and can be used to model perturbagen exposure such as that seen in opioid use disorder. Future studies with this and other postmortem-derived brain cellular models, including cerebral organoids, can be an invaluable tool for understanding mechanisms of drug-induced brain alterations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily F. Mendez
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sandra L. Grimm
- Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Laura Stertz
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Damian Gorski
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sai V. Movva
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Katherine Najera
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Karla Moriel
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Thomas D. Meyer
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Gabriel R. Fries
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Cristian Coarfa
- Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Consuelo Walss-Bass
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Kumar A, Fontana IC, Nordberg A. Reactive astrogliosis: A friend or foe in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. J Neurochem 2023; 164:309-324. [PMID: 34931315 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are highly efficient homeostatic glial cells playing a crucial role in optimal brain functioning and homeostasis. Astrocytes respond to changes in brain homoeostasis following central nervous system (CNS) injury/diseased state by a specific defence mechanism called reactive astrogliosis. Recent studies have implicated and placed reactive astrogliosis in the centre of pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. The AD biomarker field is evolving rapidly with new findings providing strong evidence which supports the notion that a reactive astrogliosis is an early event in the time course of AD progression which may precede other pathological hallmarks of AD. Clinical/translational in vivo PET and in vitro postmortem brain imaging studies demonstrated 'a first and second wave' of reactive astrogliosis in AD with distinct close-loop relationships with other pathological biomarkers at different stages of the disease. At the end stages, reactive astrocytes are found to be associated, or in proximity, with amyloid plaque and tau pathological deposits in postmortem AD brains. Several new PET-tracers, which are being in pipeline and validated at a very fast pace for mapping and visualising reactive astrogliosis in the brain, will provide further invaluable mechanistic insights into AD and other non-AD dementia pathologies. The complementary roles of microglia and astrocyte activation in AD progression, along with the clinical value of new fluid astrocytes biomarkers in the context of existing biomarkers, are the latest avenue that needs further exploration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Igor C Fontana
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Agneta Nordberg
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Theme Aging, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Petrozziello T, Huntress SS, Castillo-Torres AL, Quinn JP, Connors TR, Auger CA, Mills AN, Kim SE, Liu S, Mahmood F, Boudi A, Wu M, Sapp E, Kivisäkk P, Sunderesh SR, Pouladi MA, Arnold SE, Hyman BT, Rosas HD, DiFiglia M, Mouro Pinto R, Kegel-Gleason K, Sadri-Vakili G. Age-Dependent Increase in Tau Phosphorylation at Serine 396 in Huntington's Disease Prefrontal Cortex. J Huntingtons Dis 2023; 12:267-281. [PMID: 37694372 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-230588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To date, it is still controversial whether tau phosphorylation plays a role in Huntington's disease (HD), as previous studies demonstrated either no alterations or increases in phosphorylated tau (pTau) in HD postmortem brain and mouse models. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to determine whether total tau and pTau levels are altered in HD. METHODS Immunohistochemistry, cellular fractionations, and western blots were used to measure total tau and pTau levels in a large cohort of HD and control postmortem prefrontal cortex (PFC). Furthermore, western blots were performed to assess tau, and pTau levels in HD and control isogenic embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived cortical neurons and neuronal stem cells (NSCs). Similarly, western blots were used to assess tau and pTau levels in HttQ111 and transgenic R6/2 mice. Lastly, total tau levels were assessed in HD and healthy control plasma using Quanterix Simoa assay. RESULTS Our results revealed that, while there was no difference in total tau or pTau levels in HD PFC compared to controls, the levels of tau phosphorylated at S396 were increased in PFC samples from HD patients 60 years or older at time of death. Additionally, tau and pTau levels were not changed in HD ESC-derived cortical neurons and NSCs. Similarly, total tau or pTau levels were not altered in HttQ111 and transgenic R6/2 mice compared to wild-type littermates. Lastly, tau levels were not changed in plasma from a small cohort of HD patients compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS Together these findings demonstrate that pTau-S396 levels increase significantly with age in HD PFC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Petrozziello
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sommer S Huntress
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - James P Quinn
- Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Corinne A Auger
- Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexandra N Mills
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Spencer E Kim
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sophia Liu
- Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Farah Mahmood
- Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adel Boudi
- Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Muzhou Wu
- Center for Genomic Medicine, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pia Kivisäkk
- Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Mahmoud A Pouladi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Steven E Arnold
- Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | - H Diana Rosas
- Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ricardo Mouro Pinto
- Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Ghazaleh Sadri-Vakili
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, MassGeneral Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Hagihara H, Murano T, Miyakawa T. The gene expression patterns as surrogate indices of pH in the brain. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1151480. [PMID: 37200901 PMCID: PMC10185791 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1151480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen ion (H+) is one of the most potent intrinsic neuromodulators in the brain in terms of concentration. Changes in H+ concentration, expressed as pH, are thought to be associated with various biological processes, such as gene expression, in the brain. Accumulating evidence suggests that decreased brain pH is a common feature of several neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and Alzheimer's disease. However, it remains unclear whether gene expression patterns can be used as surrogates for pH changes in the brain. In this study, we performed meta-analyses using publicly available gene expression datasets to profile the expression patterns of pH-associated genes, whose expression levels were correlated with brain pH, in human patients and mouse models of major central nervous system (CNS) diseases, as well as in mouse cell-type datasets. Comprehensive analysis of 281 human datasets from 11 CNS disorders revealed that gene expression associated with decreased pH was over-represented in disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorders, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and brain tumors. Expression patterns of pH-associated genes in mouse models of neurodegenerative disease showed a common time course trend toward lower pH over time. Furthermore, cell type analysis identified astrocytes as the cell type with the most acidity-related gene expression, consistent with previous experimental measurements showing a lower intracellular pH in astrocytes than in neurons. These results suggest that the expression pattern of pH-associated genes may be a surrogate for the state- and trait-related changes in pH in brain cells. Altered expression of pH-associated genes may serve as a novel molecular mechanism for a more complete understanding of the transdiagnostic pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.
Collapse
|
17
|
Kundakovic M. BET-ting on histone proteomics in schizophrenia. Trends Neurosci 2022; 45:716-717. [PMID: 35718601 PMCID: PMC9691262 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In a recent study, Farrelly, Zheng, and colleagues used a histone proteomics approach and patient-derived neurons to show increase in histone variant H2A.Z acetylation associated with schizophrenia (SCZ). They identified the bromo- and extraterminal (BET) protein BRD4 as an H2A.Z acetylation 'reader', and showed that a BRD4 inhibitor ameliorated the SCZ-associated transcriptional signature, revealing a new candidate target for treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marija Kundakovic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Rizavi HS, Chase KA, Liu C, Gavin H, Rosen C, Xia C, Guidotti A, Sharma RP. Differential H3K9me2 heterochromatin levels and concordant mRNA expression in postmortem brain tissue of individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar, and controls. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1006109. [PMID: 36386965 PMCID: PMC9644155 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1006109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The existence of repressive and durable chromatin assemblies along gene promoters or networks, especially in the brain, is of theoretical and therapeutic relevance in a subset of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia who experience a chronic, persistent, and treatment-resistant trajectory. We used chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-Seq) to generate an epigenomic map that includes differential sites occupied by di-methylated lysine 9 of histone 3 (H3K9me2), a repressive modification that is yet unexplored in human postmortem brain tissue. We have discovered over 150 significantly differential promoter sites in the postmortem prefrontal cortex tissue of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (n = 15) when compared to controls (n = 15). Potentially dysregulated gene categories include postsynaptic proteins, processing enzymes (for proproteins, lipids, and oxidative stress), cadherin family genes, the complement system, and peptide hormones. Ten genes with significantly increased or decreased H3K9me2 promoter occupation were selected through statistical analysis, function, or previous GWAS association, and Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed on an extended sample of postmortem brain tissue, adding an additional 17 controls, 7 individuals with schizophrenia, and 19 individuals with bipolar samples (n = 32 control, 22 schizophrenia, 19 bipolar). This approach revealed that mRNA expression levels correlated with chromatin modification levels in eight of 10 selected genes, and mRNA expression in the total sample could be predicted by the occupancy of H3K9me2. Utilization of this method and replication in a larger sample open a pathway to durable and restrictive epigenomic assemblies whose accumulation across the lifespan of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia may explain treatment resistance, and advance therapeutic options.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hooriyah S Rizavi
- Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.,Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Kayla A Chase
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Hannah Gavin
- Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Cherise Rosen
- Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Cuihua Xia
- School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Alessandro Guidotti
- Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Rajiv P Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.,Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Vornholt E, Drake J, Mamdani M, McMichael G, Taylor ZN, Bacanu S, Miles MF, Vladimirov VI. Identifying a novel biological mechanism for alcohol addiction associated with circRNA networks acting as potential miRNA sponges. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e13071. [PMID: 34164896 PMCID: PMC8590811 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Our lab and others have shown that chronic alcohol use leads to gene and miRNA expression changes across the mesocorticolimbic (MCL) system. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are noncoding RNAs that form closed-loop structures and are reported to alter gene expression through miRNA sequestration, thus providing a potentially novel neurobiological mechanism for the development of alcohol dependence (AD). Genome-wide expression of circRNA was assessed in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) from 32 AD-matched cases/controls. Significant circRNAs (unadj. p ≤ 0.05) were identified via regression and clustered in circRNA networks via weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). CircRNA interactions with previously generated mRNA and miRNA were detected via correlation and bioinformatic analyses. Significant circRNAs (N = 542) clustered in nine significant AD modules (FWER p ≤ 0.05), within which we identified 137 circRNA hubs. We detected 23 significant circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interactions (FDR ≤ 0.10). Among these, circRNA-406742 and miR-1200 significantly interact with the highest number of mRNA, including genes associated with neuronal functioning and alcohol addiction (HRAS, PRKCB, HOMER1, and PCLO). Finally, we integrate genotypic information that revealed 96 significant circRNA expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) (unadj. p ≤ 0.002) that showed significant enrichment within recent alcohol use disorder (AUD) and smoking genome-wide association study (GWAS). To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the role of circRNA in the neuropathology of AD. We show that circRNAs impact mRNA expression by interacting with miRNA in the NAc of AD subjects. More importantly, we provide indirect evidence for the clinical importance of circRNA in the development of AUD by detecting a significant enrichment of our circRNA eQTLs among GWAS of substance abuse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Vornholt
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral GeneticsVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
- Integrative Life Sciences Doctoral ProgramVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic SciencesIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - John Drake
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Mohammed Mamdani
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral GeneticsVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
| | - Gowon McMichael
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral GeneticsVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
| | - Zachary N. Taylor
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral GeneticsVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
| | - Silviu‐Alin Bacanu
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral GeneticsVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
- Department of PsychiatryVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
| | - Michael F. Miles
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral GeneticsVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
- VCU‐Alcohol Research CenterVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
- Department of NeurologyVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
| | - Vladimir I. Vladimirov
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral GeneticsVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic SciencesIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision MedicineVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
- Department of Physiology & BiophysicsVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
- School of PharmacyVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
- Lieber Institute for Brain DevelopmentJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Vera-Montecinos A, Rodríguez-Mias R, MacDowell KS, García-Bueno B, Bris ÁG, Caso JR, Villén J, Ramos B. Analysis of Molecular Networks in the Cerebellum in Chronic Schizophrenia: Modulation by Early Postnatal Life Stressors in Murine Models. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10076. [PMID: 34576238 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221810076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the growing importance of the cerebellum as a region highly vulnerable to accumulating molecular errors in schizophrenia, limited information is available regarding altered molecular networks with potential therapeutic targets. To identify altered networks, we conducted one-shot liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry in postmortem cerebellar cortex in schizophrenia and healthy individuals followed by bioinformatic analysis (PXD024937 identifier in ProteomeXchange repository). A total of 108 up-regulated proteins were enriched in stress-related proteins, half of which were also enriched in axonal cytoskeletal organization and vesicle-mediated transport. A total of 142 down-regulated proteins showed an enrichment in proteins involved in mitochondrial disease, most of which were also enriched in energy-related biological functions. Network analysis identified a mixed module of mainly axonal-related pathways for up-regulated proteins with a high number of interactions for stress-related proteins. Energy metabolism and neutrophil degranulation modules were found for down-regulated proteins. Further, two double-hit postnatal stress murine models based on maternal deprivation combined with social isolation or chronic restraint stress were used to investigate the most robust candidates of generated networks. CLASP1 from the axonal module in the model of maternal deprivation was combined with social isolation, while YWHAZ was not altered in either model. METTL7A from the degranulation pathway was reduced in both models and was identified as altered also in previous gene expression studies, while NDUFB9 from the energy network was reduced only in the model of maternal deprivation combined with social isolation. This work provides altered stress- and mitochondrial disease-related proteins involved in energy, immune and axonal networks in the cerebellum in schizophrenia as possible novel targets for therapeutic interventions and suggests that METTL7A is a possible relevant altered stress-related protein in this context.
Collapse
|
21
|
Kunii Y, Matsumoto J, Izumi R, Nagaoka A, Hino M, Shishido R, Sainouchi M, Akatsu H, Hashizume Y, Kakita A, Yabe H. Evidence for Altered Phosphoinositide Signaling-Associated Molecules in the Postmortem Prefrontal Cortex of Patients with Schizophrenia. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22158280. [PMID: 34361045 PMCID: PMC8348881 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphoinositides (PIs) play important roles in the structure and function of the brain. Associations between PIs and the pathophysiology of schizophrenia have been studied. However, the significance of the PI metabolic pathway in the pathology of schizophrenia is unknown. We examined the expression of PI signaling-associated proteins in the postmortem brain of schizophrenia patients. Protein expression levels of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase type-1 gamma (PIP5K1C), phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase alpha (PIK4CA, also known as PIK4A), phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 (PTEN), protein kinase B (Akt), and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and multiplex fluorescent bead-based immunoassays of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of postmortem samples from 23 schizophrenia patients and 47 normal controls. We also examined the association between PIK4CA expression and its genetic variants in the same brain samples. PIK4CA expression was lower, whereas Akt expression was higher, in the PFC of schizophrenia patients than in that of controls; PIP5K1C, PTEN, and GSK3β expression was not different. No single-nucleotide polymorphism significantly affected protein expression. We identified molecules involved in the pathology of schizophrenia via this lipid metabolic pathway. These results suggest that PIK4CA is involved in the mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and is a potential novel therapeutic target.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuto Kunii
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan; (J.M.); (R.I.); (A.N.); (M.H.); (R.S.); (H.Y.)
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8573, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-22-717-7897
| | - Junya Matsumoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan; (J.M.); (R.I.); (A.N.); (M.H.); (R.S.); (H.Y.)
| | - Ryuta Izumi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan; (J.M.); (R.I.); (A.N.); (M.H.); (R.S.); (H.Y.)
| | - Atsuko Nagaoka
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan; (J.M.); (R.I.); (A.N.); (M.H.); (R.S.); (H.Y.)
| | - Mizuki Hino
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan; (J.M.); (R.I.); (A.N.); (M.H.); (R.S.); (H.Y.)
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8573, Japan
| | - Risa Shishido
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan; (J.M.); (R.I.); (A.N.); (M.H.); (R.S.); (H.Y.)
| | - Makoto Sainouchi
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (M.S.); (A.K.)
| | - Hiroyasu Akatsu
- Department of Community-Based Medical Education, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Science, Aichi 467-8601, Japan;
- Department of Community-Based Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Science, Aichi 467-8601, Japan
- Choju Medical Institute, Fukushimura Hospital, Aichi 441-8124, Japan;
| | - Yoshio Hashizume
- Choju Medical Institute, Fukushimura Hospital, Aichi 441-8124, Japan;
| | - Akiyoshi Kakita
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; (M.S.); (A.K.)
| | - Hirooki Yabe
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan; (J.M.); (R.I.); (A.N.); (M.H.); (R.S.); (H.Y.)
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Liu A, Dai Y, Mendez EF, Hu R, Fries GR, Najera KE, Jiang S, Meyer TD, Stertz L, Jia P, Walss-Bass C, Zhao Z. Genome-Wide Correlation of DNA Methylation and Gene Expression in Postmortem Brain Tissues of Opioid Use Disorder Patients. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 24:879-891. [PMID: 34214162 PMCID: PMC8598308 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opioid use disorder (OUD) affects millions of people, causing nearly 50 000 deaths annually in the United States. While opioid exposure and OUD are known to cause widespread transcriptomic and epigenetic changes, few studies in human samples have been conducted. Understanding how OUD affects the brain at the molecular level could help decipher disease pathogenesis and shed light on OUD treatment. METHODS We generated genome-wide transcriptomic and DNA methylation profiles of 22 OUD subjects and 19 non-psychiatric controls. We applied weighted gene co-expression network analysis to identify genetic markers consistently associated with OUD at both transcriptomic and methylomic levels. We then performed functional enrichment for biological interpretation. We employed cross-omics analysis to uncover OUD-specific regulatory networks. RESULTS We found 6 OUD-associated co-expression gene modules and 6 co-methylation modules (false discovery rate <0.1). Genes in these modules are involved in astrocyte and glial cell differentiation, gliogenesis, response to organic substance, and response to cytokine (false discovery rate <0.05). Cross-omics analysis revealed immune-related transcription regulators, suggesting the role of transcription factor-targeted regulatory networks in OUD pathogenesis. CONCLUSIONS Our integrative analysis of multi-omics data in OUD postmortem brain samples suggested complex gene regulatory mechanisms involved in OUD-associated expression patterns. Candidate genes and their upstream regulators revealed in astrocyte, and glial cells could provide new insights into OUD treatment development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andi Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yulin Dai
- Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,USA
| | - Emily F Mendez
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,USA
| | - Ruifeng Hu
- Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,USA
| | - Gabriel R Fries
- Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,USA,Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,USA
| | - Katherine E Najera
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,USA
| | - Shan Jiang
- Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,USA
| | - Thomas D Meyer
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,USA
| | - Laura Stertz
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,USA
| | - Peilin Jia
- Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,USA
| | - Consuelo Walss-Bass
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,USA,Correspondence: Zhongming Zhao, PhD, Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin St #600, Houston, TX, USA () and Consuelo Walss-Bass, PhD, Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA ()
| | - Zhongming Zhao
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA,Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,USA,Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,USA,MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA,Correspondence: Zhongming Zhao, PhD, Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin St #600, Houston, TX, USA () and Consuelo Walss-Bass, PhD, Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA ()
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Pandey GN, Sharma A, Rizavi HS, Ren X. Dysregulation of Protein Kinase C in Adult Depression and Suicide: Evidence From Postmortem Brain Studies. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 24:400-408. [PMID: 33515455 PMCID: PMC8130206 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several lines of evidence suggest the abnormalities of protein kinase C (PKC) signaling system in mood disorders and suicide based primarily on the studies of PKC and its isozymes in the platelets and postmortem brain of depressed and suicidal subjects. In this study, we examined the role of PKC isozymes in depression and suicide. METHODS We determined the protein and mRNA expression of various PKC isozymes in the prefrontal cortical region (Brodmann area 9) in 24 normal control subjects, 24 depressed suicide (DS) subjects, and 12 depressed nonsuicide (DNS) subjects. The levels of mRNA in the prefrontal cortex were determined by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR, and the protein expression was determined by western blotting. RESULTS We observed a significant decrease in mRNA expression of PKCα, PKCβI, PKCδ, and PKCε and decreased protein expression in either the membrane or the cytosol fraction of PKC isozymes PKCα, PKCβI, PKCβII, and PKCδ in DS and DNS subjects compared with normal control subjects. CONCLUSIONS The current study provides detailed evidence of specific dysregulation of certain PKC isozymes in the postmortem brain of DS and DNS subjects and further supports earlier evidence for the role of PKC in the platelets and brain of the adult and teenage depressed and suicidal population. This comprehensive study may lead to further knowledge of the involvement of PKC in the pathophysiology of depression and suicide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ghanshyam N Pandey
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL, USA,Correspondence: Ghanshyam N. Pandey, PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA ()
| | - Anuradha Sharma
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hooriyah S Rizavi
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Xinguo Ren
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Gatta E, Saudagar V, Drnevich J, Forrest MP, Auta J, Clark LV, Sershen H, Smith RC, Grayson DR, Davis JM, Guidotti A. Concordance of Immune-Related Markers in Lymphocytes and Prefrontal Cortex in Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull Open 2021; 2:sgab002. [PMID: 33585819 PMCID: PMC7865130 DOI: 10.1093/schizbullopen/sgab002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder associated with a wide array of transcriptomic and neurobiochemical changes. Genome-wide transcriptomic profiling conducted in postmortem brain have provided novel insights into the pathophysiology of this disorder, and identified biological processes including immune/inflammatory-related responses, metabolic, endocrine, and synaptic function. However, few studies have investigated whether similar changes are present in peripheral tissue. Here, we used RNA-sequencing to characterize transcriptomic profiles of lymphocytes in 18 nonpsychotic controls and 19 individuals with schizophrenia. We identified 2819 differentially expressed transcripts (P nominal < .05) in the schizophrenia group when compared to controls. Bioinformatic analyses conducted on a subset of 293 genes (P nominal < .01 and |log2 FC| > 0.5) highlighted immune/inflammatory responses as key biological processes in our dataset. Differentially expressed genes in lymphocytes were highly enriched in gene expression profiles associated with cortex layer 5a and immune cells. Thus, we investigated whether the changes in transcripts levels observed in lymphocytes could also be detected in the prefrontal cortex (PFC, BA10) in a second replication cohort of schizophrenia subjects. Remarkably, mRNA levels detected in the PFC and lymphocytes were in strong agreement, and measurements obtained using RNA-sequencing positively correlated with data obtained by reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Collectively, our work supports a role for immune dysfunction in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and suggests that peripheral markers can be used as accessible surrogates to investigate putative central nervous system disruptions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Gatta
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Vikram Saudagar
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Jenny Drnevich
- High-Performance Biological Computing, Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Marc P Forrest
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - James Auta
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Lindsay V Clark
- High-Performance Biological Computing, Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Henry Sershen
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Robert C Smith
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Dennis R Grayson
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - John M Davis
- Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Alessandro Guidotti
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Drake J, McMichael GO, Vornholt ES, Cresswell K, Williamson V, Chatzinakos C, Mamdani M, Hariharan S, Kendler KS, Kalsi G, Riley BP, Dozmorov M, Miles MF, Bacanu SA, Vladimirov VI. Assessing the Role of Long Noncoding RNA in Nucleus Accumbens in Subjects With Alcohol Dependence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:2468-2480. [PMID: 33067813 PMCID: PMC7756309 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) have been implicated in the etiology of alcohol use. Since lncRNA provide another layer of complexity to the transcriptome, assessing their expression in the brain is the first critical step toward understanding lncRNA functions in alcohol use and addiction. Thus, we sought to profile lncRNA expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in a large postmortem alcohol brain sample. Methods LncRNA and protein‐coding gene (PCG) expressions in the NAc from 41 subjects with alcohol dependence (AD) and 41 controls were assessed via a regression model. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis was used to identify lncRNA and PCG networks (i.e., modules) significantly correlated with AD. Within the significant modules, key network genes (i.e., hubs) were also identified. The lncRNA and PCG hubs were correlated via Pearson correlations to elucidate the potential biological functions of lncRNA. The lncRNA and PCG hubs were further integrated with GWAS data to identify expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). Results At Bonferroni adj. p‐value ≤ 0.05, we identified 19 lncRNA and 5 PCG significant modules, which were enriched for neuronal and immune‐related processes. In these modules, we further identified 86 and 315 PCG and lncRNA hubs, respectively. At false discovery rate (FDR) of 10%, the correlation analyses between the lncRNA and PCG hubs revealed 3,125 positive and 1,860 negative correlations. Integration of hubs with genotype data identified 243 eQTLs affecting the expression of 39 and 204 PCG and lncRNA hubs, respectively. Conclusions Our study identified lncRNA and gene networks significantly associated with AD in the NAc, coordinated lncRNA and mRNA coexpression changes, highlighting potentially regulatory functions for the lncRNA, and our genetic (cis‐eQTL) analysis provides novel insights into the etiological mechanisms of AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John Drake
- From the Center for Integrative Life Sciences Education (JD), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Gowon O McMichael
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, (GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S-AB, VIV), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Eric Sean Vornholt
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, (GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S-AB, VIV), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Kellen Cresswell
- Department of Biostatistics, (KC, MD), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Vernell Williamson
- Department of Pathology, (VW), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Chris Chatzinakos
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, (GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S-AB, VIV), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Mohammed Mamdani
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, (GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S-AB, VIV), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Siddharth Hariharan
- Summer Research Fellowship, (SH), School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Kenneth S Kendler
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, (GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S-AB, VIV), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.,Department of Psychiatry, (KSK, BPR, S-AB, VIV), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.,Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, (KSK, BPR), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Gursharan Kalsi
- Department of Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry, (GK), Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
| | - Brien P Riley
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, (GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S-AB, VIV), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.,Department of Psychiatry, (KSK, BPR, S-AB, VIV), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.,Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, (KSK, BPR), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Mikhail Dozmorov
- Department of Biostatistics, (KC, MD), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Michael F Miles
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, (GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S-AB, VIV), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, (MFM), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Silviu-Alin Bacanu
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, (GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S-AB, VIV), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.,Department of Psychiatry, (KSK, BPR, S-AB, VIV), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Vladimir I Vladimirov
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, (GOM, ESV, CC, MM, KSK, BPR, MFM, S-AB, VIV), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.,Department of Psychiatry, (KSK, BPR, S-AB, VIV), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.,Center for Biomarker Research and Personalized Medicine, (VIV), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.,Lieber Institute for Brain Development, (VIV), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Shimamoto-Mitsuyama C, Nakaya A, Esaki K, Balan S, Iwayama Y, Ohnishi T, Maekawa M, Toyota T, Dean B, Yoshikawa T. Lipid Pathology of the Corpus Callosum in Schizophrenia and the Potential Role of Abnormal Gene Regulatory Networks with Reduced Microglial Marker Expression. Cereb Cortex 2020; 31:448-462. [PMID: 32924060 PMCID: PMC7727339 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural changes in the corpus callosum have been reported in schizophrenia; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. As the corpus callosum is high in lipid content, we analyzed the lipid contents of the corpora callosa from 15 patients with schizophrenia and 15 age- and sex-matched controls using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry and identified lipid combinations associated with schizophrenia. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses using extended samples (schizophrenia, n = 95; control, n = 91) showed low expression levels of lipid metabolism-related genes and their potential upstream transcription factors in schizophrenia. Subsequent pathway analysis identified a gene regulatory network where nuclear factor of activated T cells 2 (NFATC2) is placed most upstream. We also observed low gene expression levels of microglial markers, inflammatory cytokines, and colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R), which is known to regulate the density of microglia, in the corpus callosum in schizophrenia. The interactions between CSF1R and several genes in the presently identified gene network originating from NFATC2 have been reported. Collectively, this study provides evidence regarding lipid abnormalities in the corpora callosa of patients with schizophrenia and proposes the potential role of impaired “NFATC2-relevant gene network-microglial axis” as its underlying mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Akihiro Nakaya
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan.,Laboratory of Genome Data Science, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kayoko Esaki
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shabeesh Balan
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yoshimi Iwayama
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan.,Support Unit for Bio-Material Analysis, Research Resources Division, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Ohnishi
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Motoko Maekawa
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Tomoko Toyota
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Brian Dean
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Howard Florey Laboratories, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,The Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
| | - Takeo Yoshikawa
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Ohi K, Kuwata A, Shimada T, Kataoka Y, Yasuyama T, Uehara T, Kawasaki Y. Genome-Wide Variants Shared Between Smoking Quantity and Schizophrenia on 15q25 Are Associated With CHRNA5 Expression in the Brain. Schizophr Bull 2019; 45:813-823. [PMID: 30202994 PMCID: PMC6581148 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sby093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cigarette smokers with schizophrenia consume more cigarettes than smokers in the general population. Schizophrenia and smoking quantity may have shared genetic liability. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of schizophrenia and smoking quantity have highlighted a biological pleiotropy in which a robust 15q25 locus affects both traits. To identify the genetic variants shared between these traits on 15q25, we used summary statistics from large-scale GWAS meta-analyses of schizophrenia in the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium 2 and smoking quantity assessed by cigarettes smoked per day in the Tobacco and Genetics Consortium. To evaluate the regulatory potential of the shared genetic variants, expression quantitative trait loci analysis in 10 postmortem brain regions was performed using the BRAINEAC dataset in 134 neuropathologically normal individuals. Twenty-two genetic variants on 15q25 were associated with both smoking quantity and schizophrenia at the genome-wide significance level (P < 5.00 × 10-8). Major alleles of all variants were associated with higher smoking quantity and risk of schizophrenia. These genetic variants were associated with PSMA4, CHRNA3, and CHRNB4 expression in specific brain regions (lowest P = 4.81 × 10-4) and with CHRNA5 expression in multiple brain regions (lowest P = 8.70 × 10-6). Risk-associated major alleles of these variants were commonly associated with higher expression in several brain regions, excluding the medulla, at the transcript level. In addition, the risk-associated major allele at rs637137 was associated with higher CHRNA5 expression at the specific exon level in multiple brain regions (lowest P = 2.37 × 10-5). Our findings suggest that genome-wide variants shared between smoking quantity and schizophrenia contribute to a common pathophysiology underlying these traits involving altered CHRNA5 expression in the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazutaka Ohi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan,Medical Research Institute, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kanazawa Medical University, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan; tel: +81-76-286-2211, fax: +81-76-286-3341, e-mail:
| | - Aki Kuwata
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Takamitsu Shimada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Yuzuru Kataoka
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Toshiki Yasuyama
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Takashi Uehara
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kawasaki
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Ramos-Miguel A, Barakauskas V, Alamri J, Miyauchi M, Barr AM, Beasley CL, Rosoklija G, Mann JJ, Dwork AJ, Moradian A, Morin GB, Honer WG. The SNAP25 Interactome in Ventromedial Caudate in Schizophrenia Includes the Mitochondrial Protein ARF1. Neuroscience 2019; 420:97-111. [PMID: 30610939 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.12.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Abnormalities of SNAP25 (synaptosome-associated protein 25) amount and protein-protein interactions occur in schizophrenia, and may contribute to abnormalities of neurotransmitter release in patients. However, presynaptic terminal function depends on multiple subcellular mechanisms, including energy provided by mitochondria. To explore the SNAP25 interactome in schizophrenia, we immunoprecipitated SNAP25 along with interacting proteins from the ventromedial caudate of 15 cases of schizophrenia and 13 controls. Proteins were identified with mass spectrometry-based proteomics. As well as 15 SNARE- (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) associated proteins, we identified 17 mitochondria-associated and four other proteins. The mitochondrial small GTPase ARF1 (ADP-ribosylation factor 1) was identified in eight schizophrenia SNAP25 immunoprecipitates and none from controls (P = 0.004). Although the ARF1-SNAP25 interaction may be increased, immunoblotting demonstrated 21% lower ARF1-21 (21 kiloDaltons) in schizophrenia samples (P = 0.04). In contrast, the mitochondrial protein UQCRC1 (ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase core protein 1) did not differ. Lower ARF1-21 levels were associated with the previously reported increased SNAP25-syntaxin interaction in schizophrenia (r = -0.39, P = 0.04). Additional immunoprecipitation studies confirmed the ARF1-21-SNAP25 interaction, independent of UQCRC1. Both ARF1 and SNAP25 were localized to synaptosomes. Confocal microscopy demonstrated co-localization of ARF1 and SNAP25, and further suggested fivefold enrichment of ARF1 in synaptosomes containing an excitatory marker (vesicular glutamate transporter) compared with synaptosomes containing an inhibitory marker (vesicular GABA transporter). The present findings suggest an association between abnormalities of SNARE proteins involved with vesicular neurotransmission and the mitochondrial protein ARF1 that may contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Ramos-Miguel
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, 938 West 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada; Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940 Leioa, Biscay, Spain
| | - Vilte Barakauskas
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, 938 West 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2J9-4500 Oak St., Vancouver, BC V6H 3B1, Canada
| | - Jehan Alamri
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, 938 West 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Masatoshi Miyauchi
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, 938 West 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Alasdair M Barr
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, 938 West 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, 2176 Health Sciences Mall Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Clare L Beasley
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, 938 West 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Gorazd Rosoklija
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - J John Mann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Andrew J Dwork
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Annie Moradian
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, C234-4500 Oak St., Vancouver, BC V6H 3B1, Canada
| | - Gregg B Morin
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, C234-4500 Oak St., Vancouver, BC V6H 3B1, Canada
| | - William G Honer
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, 938 West 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Ramos-Miguel A, Gicas K, Alamri J, Beasley CL, Dwork AJ, Mann JJ, Rosoklija G, Cai F, Song W, Barr AM, Honer WG. Reduced SNAP25 Protein Fragmentation Contributes to SNARE Complex Dysregulation in Schizophrenia Postmortem Brain. Neuroscience 2018; 420:112-128. [PMID: 30579835 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies associated schizophrenia with enhanced functionality of the presynaptic SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) complex. Altered degradation pathways of the three core SNARE proteins: synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (SNAP25), syntaxin-1 and vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP) could contribute to enhanced complex function. To investigate these pathways, we first identified a 15-kDa SNAP25 fragment (f-S25) in human and rat brains, highly enriched in synaptosomal extractions, and mainly attached to cytosolic membranes with low hydrophobicity. The presence of f-S25 is consistent with reports of calpain-mediated SNAP25 cleavage. Co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that f-S25 retains the ability to bind syntaxin-1, which might prevent VAMP and/or Munc18-1 assembly into the complex. Quantitative analyses in postmortem human orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) revealed that schizophrenia (n = 35), but not major depression (n = 15), is associated with lower amounts of f-S25 (-37%, P = 0.027), and greater SNARE protein-protein interactions (35%, P < 0.001), compared with healthy matched controls (n = 28). Enhanced SNARE complex formation was strongly correlated with lower SNAP25 fragmentation rates (R = 0.563, P < 0.001). Statistical mediation analyses supported the hypothesis that reduced f-S25 density could upregulate SNARE fusion events in schizophrenia. Cortical calpain activity in schizophrenia did not differ from controls. f-S25 levels did not correlate with total calpain activity, indicating that if present, schizophrenia-related calpain dysfunction might occur locally at the presynaptic terminals. Overall, the present findings suggest the existence of an endogenous SNARE complex inhibitor related to SNAP25 proteolysis, associated with enhanced SNARE activity in schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Ramos-Miguel
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, 938 West 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Biscay, Spain
| | - Kristina Gicas
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, 938 West 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Jehan Alamri
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, 938 West 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, 2176 Health Sciences Mall Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Clare L Beasley
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, 938 West 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Andrew J Dwork
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - J John Mann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Gorazd Rosoklija
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Fang Cai
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Weihong Song
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Alasdair M Barr
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, 938 West 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, 2176 Health Sciences Mall Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - William G Honer
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, 938 West 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Takahashi Y, Kubo R, Sano R, Kuninaka H, Murayama M, Hayakawa A, Kominato Y. DNA methylation of the NR3C1 promoter region in brains of pediatric victims of physical abuse. Neurocase 2018; 24:269-275. [PMID: 30810493 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2019.1582678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) has been suggested to cause epigenetic changes to genes in the brain, such as the Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 3, Group C, Member 1 gene (NR3C1). Conversely, evaluation of the epigenetic status in the postmortem brain might provide clues to the antemortem ELS experience. We examined DNA methylation of the 1F promoter region of NR3C1 in the postmortem brains of eight children including four ELS cases. As a result, DNA methylation was evident in ELS cases due to severe physical abuse. Epigenetic status may have potential application as a biomarker for clarifying the antemortem experiences of deceased.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoichiro Takahashi
- a Department of Legal Medicine , Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine , Maebashi , Japan.,b Lieber Institute for Brain Development , Johns Hopkins Medical Campus , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Rieko Kubo
- a Department of Legal Medicine , Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine , Maebashi , Japan
| | - Rie Sano
- a Department of Legal Medicine , Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine , Maebashi , Japan
| | - Hikaru Kuninaka
- a Department of Legal Medicine , Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine , Maebashi , Japan
| | - Masayuki Murayama
- a Department of Legal Medicine , Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine , Maebashi , Japan
| | - Akira Hayakawa
- a Department of Legal Medicine , Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine , Maebashi , Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Kominato
- a Department of Legal Medicine , Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine , Maebashi , Japan
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Hing B, Braun P, Cordner ZA, Ewald ER, Moody L, McKane M, Willour VL, Tamashiro KL, Potash JB. Chronic social stress induces DNA methylation changes at an evolutionary conserved intergenic region in chromosome X. Epigenetics 2018; 13:627-641. [PMID: 29943663 PMCID: PMC6140912 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2018.1486654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress resulting from prolonged exposure to negative life events increases the risk of mood and anxiety disorders. Although chronic stress can change gene expression relevant for behavior, molecular regulators of this change have not been fully determined. One process that could play a role is DNA methylation, an epigenetic process whereby a methyl group is added onto nucleotides, predominantly cytosine in the CpG context, and which can be induced by chronic stress. It is unknown to what extent chronic social defeat, a model of human social stress, influences DNA methylation patterns across the genome. Our study addressed this question by using a targeted-capture approach called Methyl-Seq to investigate DNA methylation patterns of the dentate gyrus at putative regulatory regions across the mouse genome from mice exposed to 14 days of social defeat. Findings were replicated in independent cohorts by bisulfite-pyrosequencing. Two differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified. One DMR was located at intron 9 of Drosha, and it showed reduced methylation in stressed mice. This observation replicated in one of two independent cohorts. A second DMR was identified at an intergenic region of chromosome X, and methylation in this region was increased in stressed mice. This methylation difference replicated in two independent cohorts and in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) postmortem brains. These results highlight a region not previously known to be differentially methylated by chronic social defeat stress and which may be involved in MDD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Hing
- a Department of Psychiatry , University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine , Iowa City , IA , USA
| | - Patricia Braun
- a Department of Psychiatry , University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine , Iowa City , IA , USA
| | - Zachary A Cordner
- b Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences , Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Erin R Ewald
- b Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences , Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Laura Moody
- b Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences , Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Melissa McKane
- a Department of Psychiatry , University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine , Iowa City , IA , USA
| | - Virginia L Willour
- a Department of Psychiatry , University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine , Iowa City , IA , USA
| | - Kellie L Tamashiro
- b Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences , Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - James B Potash
- a Department of Psychiatry , University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine , Iowa City , IA , USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Weickert CS, Rothmond DA, Purves-Tyson TD. Considerations for optimal use of postmortem human brains for molecular psychiatry: lessons from schizophrenia. Handb Clin Neurol 2018; 150:221-235. [PMID: 29496143 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63639-3.00016-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a disabling disease impacting millions of people around the world, for which there is no known cure. Current antipsychotic treatments for schizophrenia mainly target psychotic symptoms, do little to ameliorate social or cognitive deficits, have side-effects that cause weight gain, and diabetes and 30% of people do not respond. Thus, better therapeutics for schizophrenia aimed at the route biologic changes are needed and discovering the underlying neurobiology is key to this quest. Postmortem brain studies provide the most direct and detailed way to determine the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. This chapter outlines steps that can be taken to ensure the best-quality molecular data from postmortem brain tissue are obtained. In this chapter, we also discuss targeted and high-throughput methods for examining gene and protein expression and some of the strengths and limitations of each method. We briefly consider why gene and protein expression changes may not always concur within brain tissue. We conclude that postmortem brain research that investigates gene and protein expression in well-characterized and matched brain cohorts provides an important foundation to be considered when interpreting data obtained from studies of living schizophrenia patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Debora A Rothmond
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Tertia D Purves-Tyson
- School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Pandey GN, Rizavi HS, Zhang H, Bhaumik R, Ren X. The Expression of the Suicide-Associated Gene SKA2 Is Decreased in the Prefrontal Cortex of Suicide Victims but Not of Nonsuicidal Patients. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2016; 19:pyw015. [PMID: 26902949 PMCID: PMC5006192 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyw015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent study of genome-wide DNA methylation profiling in the postmortem brain of suicidal and nonsuicidal subjects found that gene expression of spindle and kinetochore associated complex subunit 2 (SKA2) is decreased in the postmortem brain of suicide victims compared with nonsuicidal, nonpsychiatric control subjects. METHODS To determine if decreased SKA2 is specific to suicide and independent of diagnosis, we determined gene and protein expression of SKA2 in the prefrontal cortex obtained from suicide victims (n= 52), nonsuicidal psychiatric subjects (n= 27), and normal controls (n= 24). We determined gene expression by quantitative PCR technique and protein expression by Western blot. The postmortem brain samples were obtained from the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. RESULTS We found that protein and gene expression of SKA2 was significantly reduced in the prefrontal cortex of suicide victims compared with normal control subjects and nonsuicidal patients. We also found that SKA2 protein and gene expression in depressed suicide victims, schizophrenic suicide victims, and suicide victims with substance abuse and/or conduct disorders was significantly decreased compared with normal control subjects and also with nonsuicidal depressed or schizophrenic subjects. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that decreased gene and protein expression of SKA2 observed in the prefrontal cortex of suicide victims is specific to suicide, which was not observed in the brain of nonsuicidal patients. It also indicates reduced SKA2 expression in suicide is independent of psychiatric diagnosis, since it is observed in all diagnostic groups studied. Therefore, SKA2 may be a potential biomarker for suicide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ghanshyam N Pandey
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL.
| | - Hooriyah S Rizavi
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL
| | - Hui Zhang
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL
| | - Runa Bhaumik
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL
| | - Xinguo Ren
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Toulorge D, Schapira AHV, Hajj R. Molecular changes in the postmortem parkinsonian brain. J Neurochem 2016; 139 Suppl 1:27-58. [PMID: 27381749 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2016] [Revised: 05/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer disease. Although PD has a relatively narrow clinical phenotype, it has become clear that its etiological basis is broad. Post-mortem brain analysis, despite its limitations, has provided invaluable insights into relevant pathogenic pathways including mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and protein homeostasis dysregulation. Identification of the genetic causes of PD followed the discovery of these abnormalities, and reinforced the importance of the biochemical defects identified post-mortem. Recent genetic studies have highlighted the mitochondrial and lysosomal areas of cell function as particularly significant in mediating the neurodegeneration of PD. Thus the careful analysis of post-mortem PD brain biochemistry remains a crucial component of research, and one that offers considerable opportunity to pursue etiological factors either by 'reverse biochemistry' i.e. from defective pathway to mutant gene, or by the complex interplay between pathways e.g. mitochondrial turnover by lysosomes. In this review we have documented the spectrum of biochemical defects identified in PD post-mortem brain and explored their relevance to metabolic pathways involved in neurodegeneration. We have highlighted the complex interactions between these pathways and the gene mutations causing or increasing risk for PD. These pathways are becoming a focus for the development of disease modifying therapies for PD. Parkinson's is accompanied by multiple changes in the brain that are responsible for the progression of the disease. We describe here the molecular alterations occurring in postmortem brains and classify them as: Neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors; Lewy bodies and Parkinson's-linked genes; Transition metals, calcium and calcium-binding proteins; Inflammation; Mitochondrial abnormalities and oxidative stress; Abnormal protein removal and degradation; Apoptosis and transduction pathways. This article is part of a special issue on Parkinson disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rodolphe Hajj
- Department of Discovery, Pharnext, Issy-Les-Moulineaux, France.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Wada A, Kunii Y, Matsumoto J, Hino M, Nagaoka A, Niwa SI, Yabe H. Decreased calcineurin immunoreactivity in the postmortem brain of a patient with schizophrenia who had been prescribed the calcineurin inhibitor, tacrolimus, for leukemia. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2016; 12:1645-50. [PMID: 27462157 PMCID: PMC4940021 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s106371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The calcineurin (CaN) inhibitor, tacrolimus, is widely used in patients undergoing allogeneic organ transplantation and in those with certain allergic diseases. Recently, several reports have suggested that CaN is also associated with schizophrenia. However, little data are currently available on the direct effect of tacrolimus on the human brain. CASE A 23-year-old Japanese female experienced severe delusion of persecution, delusional mood, suspiciousness, aggression, and excitement. She visited our hospital and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. When she was 27 years old, she had severe general fatigue, persistent fever, systemic joint pain, gingival bleeding, and breathlessness and was diagnosed with acute myelomonocytic leukemia. Later she underwent bone marrow transplantation (BMT), she was administered methotrexate and cyclosporin A to prevent graft versus host disease (GVHD). Three weeks after BMT, she showed initial symptoms of GVHD and was prescribed tacrolimus instead of cyclosporin A. Seven months after BMT at the age of 31 years, she died of progression of GVHD. Pathological anatomy was examined after her death, including immunohistochemical analysis of her brain using anti-CaN antibodies. For comparison, we used our previous data from both a schizophrenia group and a healthy control group. No significant differences were observed in the percentage of CaN-immunoreactive neurons among the schizophrenia group, healthy control group, and the tacrolimus case (all P>0.5, analysis of covariance). Compared with the healthy control group and schizophrenia group, the percentages of CaN-immunoreactive neurons in layers III-VI of the BA46 and the putamen tended to be lower in the tacrolimus case. CONCLUSION Tacrolimus may decrease CaN immunoreactivity in some regions of the human brain. Thus, tacrolimus may introduce side effects such as cognitive dysfunction and extrapyramidal symptoms. In addition, we also found that the effect of tacrolimus on CaN immunore-activity in human brain was stronger than the effect of schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akira Wada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima City, Fukushima; Department of Neuropsychiatry, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
| | - Yasuto Kunii
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima City, Fukushima
| | - Jyunya Matsumoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima City, Fukushima
| | - Mizuki Hino
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima City, Fukushima
| | - Atsuko Nagaoka
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima City, Fukushima
| | - Shin-Ichi Niwa
- Department of Psychiatry, Aizu Medical Center, Fukushima Medical University, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hirooki Yabe
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima City, Fukushima
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Banerjee A, Wang HY, Borgmann-Winter KE, MacDonald ML, Kaprielian H, Stucky A, Kvasic J, Egbujo C, Ray R, Talbot K, Hemby SE, Siegel SJ, Arnold SE, Sleiman P, Chang X, Hakonarson H, Gur RE, Hahn CG. Src kinase as a mediator of convergent molecular abnormalities leading to NMDAR hypoactivity in schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry 2015; 20:1091-100. [PMID: 25330739 PMCID: PMC5156326 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2014.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2014] [Revised: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Numerous investigations support decreased glutamatergic signaling as a pathogenic mechanism of schizophrenia, yet the molecular underpinnings for such dysregulation are largely unknown. In the post-mortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), we found striking decreases in tyrosine phosphorylation of N-methyl-D aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit 2 (GluN2) that is critical for neuroplasticity. The decreased GluN2 activity in schizophrenia may not be because of downregulation of NMDA receptors as MK-801 binding and NMDA receptor complexes in postsynaptic density (PSD) were in fact increased in schizophrenia cases. At the postreceptor level, however, we found striking reductions in the protein kinase C, Pyk 2 and Src kinase activity that in tandem can decrease GluN2 activation. Given that Src serves as a hub of various signaling mechanisms affecting GluN2 phosphorylation, we postulated that Src hypoactivity may result from convergent alterations of various schizophrenia susceptibility pathways and thus mediate their effects on NMDA receptor signaling. Indeed, the DLPFC of schizophrenia cases exhibit increased PSD-95 and erbB4 and decreased receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase-α (RPTPα) and dysbindin-1, each of which reduces Src activity via protein interaction with Src. To test genomic underpinnings for Src hypoactivity, we examined genome-wide association study results, incorporating 13 394 cases and 34 676 controls. We found no significant association of individual variants of Src and its direct regulators with schizophrenia. However, a protein-protein interaction-based network centered on Src showed significant enrichment of gene-level associations with schizophrenia compared with other psychiatric illnesses. Our results together demonstrate striking decreases in NMDA receptor signaling at the postreceptor level and propose Src as a nodal point of convergent dysregulations affecting NMDA receptor pathway via protein-protein associations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anamika Banerjee
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403
| | - Hoau-Yan Wang
- Department of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, City University of New York Medical School, New York, NY 10031
| | | | - Mathew L. MacDonald
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403
| | - Hagop Kaprielian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403
| | - Andres Stucky
- Department of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, City University of New York Medical School, New York, NY 10031
| | - Jessica Kvasic
- Department of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, City University of New York Medical School, New York, NY 10031
| | - Chijioke Egbujo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403
| | - Rabindranath Ray
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403
| | - Konrad Talbot
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403
| | - Scott E Hemby
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
| | - Steven J. Siegel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403
| | - Steven E. Arnold
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403
| | - Patrick Sleiman
- The Center for Applied Genomics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
| | - Xiao Chang
- The Center for Applied Genomics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
| | - Hakon Hakonarson
- The Center for Applied Genomics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
| | - Raquel E. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403
| | - Chang-Gyu Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Pandey GN, Rizavi HS, Tripathi M, Ren X. Region-specific dysregulation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β and β-catenin in the postmortem brains of subjects with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Bipolar Disord 2015; 17:160-71. [PMID: 25041379 PMCID: PMC4287464 DOI: 10.1111/bdi.12228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2013] [Accepted: 03/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES There is both direct and indirect evidence suggesting abnormalities of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β and β-catenin, two important components of the Wingless-type (Wnt) signaling pathway, in the pathophysiology of bipolar illness and possibly schizophrenia (SZ). In order to further clarify the role of the Wnt signaling pathway in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BP) and SZ, we studied GSK-3β and β-catenin in the postmortem brains of subjects with these disorders. METHODS We determined the protein expression of GSK-3β, phosphorylated form at serine 9 position (pGSK-3-ser-9), and β-catenin using the western blot technique, and mRNA using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method, in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), cingulate gyrus (CG), and temporal cortex (TEMP) obtained from 19 subjects with BP, 20 subjects with SZ, and 20 normal control (NC) subjects. RESULTS We found that the protein expression of GSK-3β, pGSK-3β-ser-9, and β-catenin was significantly decreased in the DLPFC and TEMP, but not in the CG, of subjects with BP compared with NC subjects. The mRNA expression of GSK-3β and β-catenin was significantly decreased in the DLPFC and TEMP, but not in the CG, of subjects with BP compared with NC subjects. There were no significant differences in the protein or mRNA expression of GSK-3β, pGSK-3β-ser-9, or β-catenin between subjects with SZ and NC subjects in any of the brain areas studied. CONCLUSIONS These studies show region-specific abnormalities of both protein and mRNA expression of GSK-3β and β-catenin in postmortem brains of subjects with BP but not subjects with SZ. Thus, abnormalities of the Wnt signaling pathway may be associated with the pathophysiology of bipolar illness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ghanshyam N Pandey
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Illinois at Chicago; Chicago IL USA
| | - Hooriyah S Rizavi
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Illinois at Chicago; Chicago IL USA
| | - Madhulika Tripathi
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Illinois at Chicago; Chicago IL USA
| | - Xinguo Ren
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Illinois at Chicago; Chicago IL USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Mueller TM, Haroutunian V, Meador-Woodruff JH. N-Glycosylation of GABAA receptor subunits is altered in Schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:528-37. [PMID: 23917429 PMCID: PMC3895232 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2013] [Revised: 07/23/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms of schizophrenia have been under investigation for decades; however, the exact causes of this debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder are still unknown. Previous studies have identified multiple affected neurotransmitter systems, brain regions, and cell types, each making a unique contribution to symptom presentation and pathophysiology. Numerous studies have identified gene and protein expression changes in schizophrenia, but the role of post-translational modifications, specifically N-glycosylation, has only recently become a target of investigation. N-glycosylation of molecules associated with glutamatergic neurotransmission is disrupted in schizophrenia, but it was unknown if these alterations are exclusive to the glutamatergic system or due to a more generalized deficit.In normal human cortex, we found evidence for N-glycosylation of the α1, β1, and β2 γ-aminobutyric type A receptor (GABAAR) subunits using deglycosylation protein shift assays. This was confirmed with lectin affinity assays that revealed glycan attachment on the α1, α4, and β1-3 GABAAR subunits. Examining GABAAR subunit N-glycosylation in matched pairs of schizophrenia (N=14) and comparison (N=14) of superior temporal gyrus revealed a smaller molecular mass of immature N-glycans on the α1 subunit, more immature N-glycosylation of the 49-kDa β1 subunit isoform, and altered total N-glycosylation of the β2 GABAAR subunit in schizophrenia. Measures of altered N-glycosylation of the β1 and β2 subunits were confounded by an increased apparent molecular mass of all β1 and β2 subunit isoforms in schizophrenia. Although N-glycosylation of α1, β1, and β2 were all changed in schizophrenia, the concentrations of GABAAR subunits themselves were unchanged. These findings suggest that disruptions of N-glycosylation in schizophrenia are not exclusive to glutamate and may indicate a potential disruption of a central cell signaling process in this disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Toni Marie Mueller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1719 6th Avenue South, CIRC 589A, Birmingham, AL 35294 0021, USA, Tel: +1 205 996 6170, Fax: +1 205 975 4879, E-mail:
| | - Vahram Haroutunian
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - James H Meador-Woodruff
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Hwang Y, Kim J, Shin JY, Kim JI, Seo JS, Webster MJ, Lee D, Kim S. Gene expression profiling by mRNA sequencing reveals increased expression of immune/inflammation-related genes in the hippocampus of individuals with schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2013; 3:e321. [PMID: 24169640 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2013.94] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Revised: 09/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole-genome expression profiling in postmortem brain tissue has recently provided insight into the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Previous microarray and RNA-Seq studies identified several biological processes including synaptic function, mitochondrial function and immune/inflammation response as altered in the cortex of subjects with schizophrenia. Now using RNA-Seq data from the hippocampus, we have identified 144 differentially expressed genes in schizophrenia cases as compared with unaffected controls. Immune/inflammation response was the main biological process over-represented in these genes. The upregulation of several of these genes, IFITM1, IFITM2, IFITM3, APOL1 (Apolipoprotein L1), ADORA2A (adenosine receptor 2A), IGFBP4 and CD163 were validated in the schizophrenia subjects using data from the SNCID database and with quantitative RT-PCR. We identified a co-expression module associated with schizophrenia that includes the majority of differentially expressed genes related to immune/inflammation response as well as with the density of parvalbumin-containing neurons in the hippocampus. The results indicate that abnormal immune/inflammation response in the hippocampus may underlie the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and may be associated with abnormalities in the parvalbumin-containing neurons that lead to the cognitive deficits of the disease.
Collapse
|
40
|
Banerjee R, Ghosh AK, Ghosh B, Bhattacharyya S, Mondal AC. Decreased mRNA and Protein Expression of BDNF, NGF, and their Receptors in the Hippocampus from Suicide: An Analysis in Human Postmortem Brain. Clin Med Insights Pathol 2013; 6:1-11. [PMID: 24031163 PMCID: PMC3767649 DOI: 10.4137/cmpath.s12530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the devastating effect of suicide on numerous lives, there is still a lack of knowledge concerning its neurochemical aspects. There is increasing evidence that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) are involved in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression through binding and activating their cognate receptors TrkB and TrkA respectively. The present study was performed to examine whether the expression profiles of BDNF and/or TrkB as well as NGF and/or TrkA were altered in the hippocampus of postmortem brain of the participants, who had committed suicide and whether these alterations were associated with specific psychopathologic conditions. These studies were performed on the hippocampus of 21 suicide victims and 19 non-psychiatric control individuals. The protein and mRNA levels of BDNF, TrkB, NGF, and TrkA were determined by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot and reverse transcription-PCR. Given the importance of BDNF and NGF and their cognate receptors in mediating physiological functions, including cell survival and synaptic plasticity, our findings of reduced expression of BDNF, TrkB, NGF, and TrkA on both the protein and mRNA levels of postmortem brains of suicide victims suggest that these molecules may play an important role in the pathophysiological aspects of suicidal behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ritabrata Banerjee
- Research Fellow (SERB Research Project,
Govt. of India) Raja Peary Mohan College (Affiliated to the University of Calcutta),
Uttarpara, Hooghly, West Bengal-712258, India
| | - Anup K. Ghosh
- Department of Instrumentation Science,
Jadavpur University, Calcutta, West Bengal-700032, India
| | - Balaram Ghosh
- Department of Pharmacology, Calcutta Medical
College and Hospital, Calcutta, West Bengal-700073, India
| | - Somnath Bhattacharyya
- Department of Genetics, Bidhan Chandra
Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal-741252. India
| | - Amal C. Mondal
- Department of Physiology, Raja Peary Mohan
College (Affiliated to the University of Calcutta), Uttarpara, Hooghly, West
Bengal-712258, India
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Tucholski J, Simmons MS, Pinner AL, McMillan LD, Haroutunian V, Meador-Woodruff JH. N-linked glycosylation of cortical N-methyl-D-aspartate and kainate receptor subunits in schizophrenia. Neuroreport 2013; 24:688-91. [PMID: 23820740 PMCID: PMC3919653 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0b013e328363bd8a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [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: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Dysfunctional glutamate neurotransmission has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Abnormal expressions in schizophrenia of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) and the proteins that regulate their trafficking have been found to be region and subunit specific in brain, suggesting that abnormal trafficking of iGluRs may contribute toward altered glutamatergic neurotransmission. The post-translational modification N-glycosylation of iGluR subunits can be used as a proxy for their intracellular localization. Receptor complexes assemble in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum, where N-glycosylation begins with the addition of N-linked oligomannose glycans, and is subsequently trimmed and replaced by more elaborate glycans while trafficking through the Golgi apparatus. Previously, we found abnormalities in N-glycosylation of the GluR2 AMPA receptor subunit in schizophrenia. Here, we investigated N-glycosylation of N-methyl-D-aspartate and kainate (KA) receptor subunits in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex from patients with schizophrenia and a comparison group. We used enzymatic deglycosylation with two glycosidases: endoglycosidase H (Endo H), which removes immature high mannose-containing sugars, and peptide-N-glycosidase F (PNGase F), which removes all N-linked sugars. The NR1, NR2A, NR2B, GluR6, and KA2 subunits were all sensitive to treatment with Endo H and PNGase F. The GluR6 KA receptor subunit was significantly more sensitive to Endo H-mediated deglycosylation in schizophrenia, suggesting a larger molecular mass of N-linked high mannose and/or hybrid sugars on GluR6. This finding, taken with our previous work, suggests that a cellular mechanism underlying abnormal glutamate neurotransmission in schizophrenia may involve abnormal trafficking of both AMPA and KA receptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janusz Tucholski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0017, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Chana G, Bousman CA, Money TT, Gibbons A, Gillett P, Dean B, Everall IP. Biomarker investigations related to pathophysiological pathways in schizophrenia and psychosis. Front Cell Neurosci 2013; 7:95. [PMID: 23805071 PMCID: PMC3693064 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2013.00095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-mortem brain investigations of schizophrenia have generated swathes of data in the last few decades implicating candidate genes and protein. However, the relation of these findings to peripheral biomarker indicators and symptomatology remain to be elucidated. While biomarkers for disease do not have to be involved with underlying pathophysiology and may be largely indicative of diagnosis or prognosis, the ideal may be a biomarker that is involved in underlying disease processes and which is therefore more likely to change with progression of the illness as well as potentially being more responsive to treatment. One of the main difficulties in conducting biomarker investigations for major psychiatric disorders is the relative inconsistency in clinical diagnoses between disorders such as bipolar and schizophrenia. This has led some researchers to investigate biomarkers associated with core symptoms of these disorders, such as psychosis. The aim of this review is to evaluate the contribution of post-mortem brain investigations to elucidating the pathophysiology pathways involved in schizophrenia and psychosis, with an emphasis on major neurotransmitter systems that have been implicated. This data will then be compared to functional neuroimaging findings as well as findings from blood based gene expression investigations in schizophrenia in order to highlight the relative overlap in pathological processes between these different modalities used to elucidate pathogenesis of schizophrenia. In addition we will cover some recent and exciting findings demonstrating microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation in both the blood and the brain in patients with schizophrenia. These changes are pertinent to the topic due to their known role in post-transcriptional modification of gene expression with the potential to contribute or underlie gene expression changes observed in schizophrenia. Finally, we will discuss how post-mortem studies may aid future biomarker investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gursharan Chana
- Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Brain Centre, The University of Melbourne Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Tucholski J, Simmons MS, Pinner AL, Haroutunian V, McCullumsmith RE, Meador-Woodruff JH. Abnormal N-linked glycosylation of cortical AMPA receptor subunits in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2013; 146:177-83. [PMID: 23462048 PMCID: PMC3655690 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2013.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2012] [Revised: 01/20/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Numerous studies have demonstrated brain region- and subunit-specific abnormalities in the expression of subunits of the AMPA subtype of glutamate receptors in schizophrenia. In addition, abnormalities in the expression of proteins that regulate the forward trafficking of AMPA receptors through the cell have been reported. These findings suggest abnormal trafficking of AMPA receptors as a mechanism underlying dysregulated glutamate neurotransmission in schizophrenia. AMPA receptor subunits (GluR1-4) assemble to form AMPA receptor complexes in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These subunits undergo the posttranslational modification of N-linked glycosylation in the ER and the Golgi apparatus before the assembled receptors are transported to the plasma membrane. In this study, we measured expression of AMPA receptors and the extent of their N-glycosylation using Western blot analysis in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in subjects with schizophrenia (N = 35) and a comparison group (N = 31). N-glycosylation was assessed using molecular mass shift assays following digestion with endoglycosidase H (Endo H), which removes immature high mannose-containing sugars, and with peptide-N-glycosidase F (PNGase F), which removes all N-linked sugars. Of the four AMPA receptor subunits, only GluR4 was significantly increased in schizophrenia. GluR2 and GluR4 were both sensitive to Endo H and PNGase F treatment. Endo H-mediated deglycosylation of GluR2 resulted in a significantly smaller pool of GluR2 protein to shift in schizophrenia, reflecting less N-linked high mannose and/or hybrid sugars on the GluR2 protein in this illness. This was confirmed by immunoisolation of GluR2 and probing with Concanavalin A, a mannose specific lectin; in subjects with schizophrenia GluR2 was significantly less reactive to Concanavalin A. Altered N-linked glycosylation of the GluR2 subunit in schizophrenia suggests abnormal trafficking of AMPA receptors from the ER to the synaptic membrane in schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janusz Tucholski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-0017, USA.
| | - Micah S. Simmons
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0017
| | - Anita L. Pinner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0017
| | - Vahram Haroutunian
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - James H. Meador-Woodruff
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0017
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Abstract
Numerous studies have examined gene expression profiles in post-mortem human brain samples from individuals with schizophrenia compared with healthy controls, to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms of the disease. Although some findings have been replicated across studies, there is a general lack of consensus on which genes or pathways are affected. It has been unclear if these differences are due to the underlying cohorts or methodological considerations. Here, we present the most comprehensive analysis to date of expression patterns in the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenic, compared with unaffected controls. Using data from seven independent studies, we assembled a data set of 153 affected and 153 control individuals. Remarkably, we identified expression differences in the brains of schizophrenics that are validated by up to seven laboratories using independent cohorts. Our combined analysis revealed a signature of 39 probes that are upregulated in schizophrenia and 86 that are downregulated. Some of these genes were previously identified in studies that were not included in our analysis, while others are novel to our analysis. In particular, we observe gene expression changes associated with various aspects of neuronal communication and alterations of processes affected as a consequence of changes in synaptic functioning. A gene network analysis predicted previously unidentified functional relationships among the signature genes. Our results provide evidence for a common underlying expression signature in this heterogeneous disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meeta Mistry
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jesse Gillis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Paul Pavlidis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada,Centre for High-throughput Biology, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
IRITANI SHUJI. What happens in the brain of schizophrenia patients?: an investigation from the viewpoint of neuropathology. Nagoya J Med Sci 2013; 75:11-28. [PMID: 23544264 PMCID: PMC4345712] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Studies that seek to determine the etiology of schizophrenia through pathological images and morphological abnormalities of the brain have been conducted since the era of E. Kraepelin, and pioneers in neuropathology such as A. Alzheimer have also eagerly pursued such studies. However, there have been no disease-specific findings, and there was a brief era in which it was said that "schizophrenia is the graveyard of neuropathologists." However, since the 1980s, neuroimaging studies with CT and MRI etc., have been used in many reports of cases of schizophrenia with abnormal brain morphology, thus generating renewed interest in developments within brain tissue and leading to new neuropathological studies. There are now many reports in which, in addition to morphological observations, cell distribution and the like are image-processed and statistically processed through computers. Due to methodological problems in making progress in the field of cerebral pathology, we have not yet been able to observe disease-specific findings, although there are several findings with high certainty. However, the neurodevelopmental hypothesis has been supported as being able to reasonably explain the accumulated findings of previous studies. At the same time, results of recent molecular-biological studies have revealed the risk genes for this disease, and because many of those genes are associated with functions related to nerve differentiation, development, and plasticity, there is growing interest in their correlations with cerebral pathology. We are now on the verge of uncovering the etiology of this disease by integrating cerebral neuroimaging, molecular genetics, and cerebral neuropathology. In that sense, neuropathological studies of this disease from new viewpoints have become essential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- SHUJI IRITANI
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Abstract
Many cellular constituents in the human brain permanently exit from the cell cycle during pre- or early postnatal development, but little is known about epigenetic regulation of neuronal and glial epigenomes during maturation and aging, including changes in mood and psychosis spectrum disorders and other cognitive or emotional disease. Here, we summarize the current knowledge base as it pertains to genome organization in the human brain, including the regulation of DNA cytosine methylation and hydroxymethylation, and a subset of (altogether >100) residue-specific histone modifications associated with gene expression, and silencing and various other functional chromatin states. We propose that high-resolution mapping of epigenetic markings in postmortem brain tissue or neural cultures derived from induced pluripotent cells (iPS), in conjunction with transcriptome profiling and whole-genome sequencing, will increasingly be used to define the molecular pathology of specific cases diagnosed with depression, schizophrenia, autism, or other major psychiatric disease. We predict that these highly integrative explorations of genome organization and function will provide an important alternative to conventional approaches in human brain studies, which mainly are aimed at uncovering group effects by diagnosis but generally face limitations because of cohort size.
Collapse
|
47
|
Ye T, Lipska BK, Tao R, Hyde TM, Wang L, Li C, Choi KH, Straub RE, Kleinman JE, Weinberger DR. Analysis of copy number variations in brain DNA from patients with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2012; 72:651-4. [PMID: 22795968 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2011] [Revised: 06/11/2012] [Accepted: 06/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical studies have identified several regions of the genome with copy number variations (CNVs) associated with diverse neurodevelopmental behavioral disorders. METHODS We analyzed 1 million (M) single nucleotide polymorphism genotype arrays for evidence of previously reported recurrent CNVs and enriched genome-wide CNV burden in DNA from 600 brains, including 441 individuals with various psychiatric diagnoses. We explored gene expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in selected cases with CNVs and in other subjects with Illumina BeadArrays (568 subjects in total) and additionally in 66-92 subjects with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS The CNVs in previously reported genomic regions were identified in 4 of 193 patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia (1q21.1, 11q25, 15q11.2, 22q11), 4 of 238 patients with mood disorders (11q25, 15q11.2, 22q11), and 1 of 10 patients with autism (2p16.3). No evidence of increased genome-wide CNV burden was observed in cases with schizophrenia or mood disorders, although the study is underpowered to observe rare events. Messenger RNA expression patterns suggested incomplete molecular penetrance of observed CNVs. CONCLUSIONS Our data confirm in brain DNA the presence of certain recurrent CNVs in a small percentage of patients with psychiatric diagnoses.
Collapse
|
48
|
Abstract
During the past two decades, in vivo neuroimaging studies have permitted significant insights into the general location of dysfunctional brain regions in depression. In parallel and often intersecting ways, neuroanatomical, pharmacological, and biochemical studies of postmortem brain tissue are permitting new insights into the pathophysiology of depression. In addition to long-recognized neurochemical abnormalities in depression, novel studies at the microscopic level support the contention that mood disorders are associated with abnormalities in cell morphology and distribution. In the past 6 years, cell-counting studies have identified changes in the density and size of both neurons and glia in a number of frontolimbic brain regions, including dorsolateral prefrontal, orbitofrontal, and anterior cingulate cortex, and the amygdala and hippocampus. Convergence of cellular changes at the microscopic level with neuroimaging changes detected in vivo provides a compelling integration of clinical and basic research for disentangling the pathophysiology of depression. The ultimate integration of these two research approaches will occur with premortem longitudinal clinical studies on well-characterized patients linked to postmortem studies of the same subjects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Craig A Stockmeier
- The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Jackson, Miss, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Weickert CS, Tiwari Y, Schofield PR, Mowry BJ, Fullerton JM. Schizophrenia-associated HapICE haplotype is associated with increased NRG1 type III expression and high nucleotide diversity. Transl Psychiatry 2012; 2:e104. [PMID: 22832904 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2012.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Excitement and controversy have followed neuregulin (NRG1) since its discovery as a putative schizophrenia susceptibility gene; however, the mechanism of action of the associated risk haplotype (HapICE) has not been identified, and specific genetic variations, which may increase risk to schizophrenia have remained elusive. Using a postmortem brain cohort from 37 schizophrenia cases and 37 controls, we resequenced upstream of the type I-IV promoters, and the HapICE repeat regions in intron 1. Relative abundance of seven NRG1 mRNA transcripts in the prefrontal cortex were determined and compared across diagnostic and genotypic groups. We identified 26 novel DNA variants and showed an increased novel variant load in cases compared with controls (χ(2)=7.815; P=0.05). The average nucleotide diversity (θ = 10.0 × 10(-4)) was approximately twofold higher than that previously reported for BDNF, indicating that NRG1 may be particularly prone to genetic change. A greater nucleotide diversity was observed in the HapICE linkage disequilibrium block in schizophrenia cases (θ((case)) = 13.2 × 10(-4); θ((control)) = 10.0 × 10(-4)). The specific HapICE risk haplotype was associated with increased type III mRNA (F = 3.76, P = 0.028), which in turn, was correlated with an earlier age of onset (r = -0.343, P = 0.038). We found a novel intronic five-SNP haplotype ~730 kb upstream of the type I promoter and determined that this region functions as transcriptional enhancer that is suppressed by SRY. We propose that the HapICE risk haplotype increases expression of the most brain-abundant form of NRG1, which in turn, elicits an earlier clinical presentation, thus providing a novel mechanism through which this genetic association may increase risk of schizophrenia.
Collapse
|
50
|
Pandey GN, Rizavi HS, Ren X, Fareed J, Hoppensteadt DA, Roberts RC, Conley RR, Dwivedi Y. Proinflammatory cytokines in the prefrontal cortex of teenage suicide victims. J Psychiatr Res 2012; 46:57-63. [PMID: 21906753 PMCID: PMC3224201 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 249] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2011] [Revised: 08/15/2011] [Accepted: 08/18/2011] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Teenage suicide is a major public health concern, but its neurobiology is not well understood. Proinflammatory cytokines play an important role in stress and in the pathophysiology of depression-two major risk factors for suicide. Cytokines are increased in the serum of patients with depression and suicidal behavior; however, it is not clear if similar abnormality in cytokines occurs in brains of suicide victims. We therefore measured the gene and protein expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tissue necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of 24 teenage suicide victims and 24 matched normal control subjects. Our results show that the mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly increased in Brodmann area 10 (BA-10) of suicide victims compared with normal control subjects. These results suggest an important role for IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the pathophysiology of suicidal behavior and that proinflammatory cytokines may be an appropriate target for developing therapeutic agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ghanshyam N. Pandey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Hooriyah S. Rizavi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Xinguo Ren
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jawed Fareed
- Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois
| | | | | | | | - Yogesh Dwivedi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| |
Collapse
|