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Sun YY, Chen WJ, Huang ZP, Yang G, Wu ML, Xu DE, Yang WL, Luo YC, Xiao ZC, Xu RX, Ma QH. TRIM32 Deficiency Impairs the Generation of Pyramidal Neurons in Developing Cerebral Cortex. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030449. [PMID: 35159260 PMCID: PMC8834167 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Excitatory-inhibitory imbalance (E/I) is a fundamental mechanism underlying autism spectrum disorders (ASD). TRIM32 is a risk gene genetically associated with ASD. The absence of TRIM32 causes impaired generation of inhibitory GABAergic interneurons, neural network hyperexcitability, and autism-like behavior in mice, emphasizing the role of TRIM32 in maintaining E/I balance, but despite the description of TRIM32 in regulating proliferation and differentiation of cultured mouse neural progenitor cells (NPCs), the role of TRIM32 in cerebral cortical development, particularly in the production of excitatory pyramidal neurons, remains unknown. The present study observed that TRIM32 deficiency resulted in decreased numbers of distinct layer-specific cortical neurons and decreased radial glial cell (RGC) and intermediate progenitor cell (IPC) pool size. We further demonstrated that TRIM32 deficiency impairs self-renewal of RGCs and IPCs as indicated by decreased proliferation and mitosis. A TRIM32 deficiency also affects or influences the formation of cortical neurons. As a result, TRIM32-deficient mice showed smaller brain size. At the molecular level, RNAseq analysis indicated reduced Notch signalling in TRIM32-deficient mice. Therefore, the present study indicates a role for TRIM32 in pyramidal neuron generation. Impaired generation of excitatory pyramidal neurons may explain the hyperexcitability observed in TRIM32-deficient mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Yun Sun
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Research Center of Neurological Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (Y.-Y.S.); (Z.-P.H.); (M.-L.W.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Wen-Jin Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China;
| | - Ze-Ping Huang
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Research Center of Neurological Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (Y.-Y.S.); (Z.-P.H.); (M.-L.W.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Gang Yang
- Lab Center, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China;
| | - Ming-Lei Wu
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Research Center of Neurological Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (Y.-Y.S.); (Z.-P.H.); (M.-L.W.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - De-En Xu
- Wuxi No. 2 People’s Hospital, Wuxi 214001, China;
| | - Wu-Lin Yang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China;
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Yong-Chun Luo
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100028, China;
| | - Zhi-Cheng Xiao
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia;
| | - Ru-Xiang Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China;
- Correspondence: (Q.-H.M.); (R.-X.X.)
| | - Quan-Hong Ma
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Research Center of Neurological Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (Y.-Y.S.); (Z.-P.H.); (M.-L.W.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
- Correspondence: (Q.-H.M.); (R.-X.X.)
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Wang C, Pan YH, Wang Y, Blatt G, Yuan XB. Segregated expressions of autism risk genes Cdh11 and Cdh9 in autism-relevant regions of developing cerebellum. Mol Brain 2019; 12:40. [PMID: 31046797 PMCID: PMC6498582 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-019-0461-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Results of recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) highlighted type II cadherins as risk genes for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). To determine whether these cadherins may be linked to the morphogenesis of ASD-relevant brain regions, in situ hybridization (ISH) experiments were carried out to examine the mRNA expression profiles of two ASD-associated cadherins, Cdh9 and Cdh11, in the developing cerebellum. During the first postnatal week, both Cdh9 and Cdh11 were expressed at high levels in segregated sub-populations of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, and the expression of both genes was declined as development proceeded. Developmental expression of Cdh11 was largely confined to dorsal lobules (lobules VI/VII) of the vermis as well as the lateral hemisphere area equivalent to the Crus I and Crus II areas in human brains, areas known to mediate high order cognitive functions in adults. Moreover, in lobules VI/VII of the vermis, Cdh9 and Cdh11 were expressed in a complementary pattern with the Cdh11-expressing areas flanked by Cdh9-expressing areas. Interestingly, the high level of Cdh11 expression in the central domain of lobules VI/VII was correlated with a low level of expression of the Purkinje cell marker calbindin, coinciding with a delayed maturation of Purkinje cells in the same area. These findings suggest that these two ASD-associated cadherins may exert distinct but coordinated functions to regulate the wiring of ASD-relevant circuits in the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunlei Wang
- Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Yi-Hsuan Pan
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Science and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Wang
- Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Gene Blatt
- Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Xiao-Bing Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Science and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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Baum SH, Stevenson RA, Wallace MT. Behavioral, perceptual, and neural alterations in sensory and multisensory function in autism spectrum disorder. Prog Neurobiol 2015; 134:140-60. [PMID: 26455789 PMCID: PMC4730891 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Revised: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Although sensory processing challenges have been noted since the first clinical descriptions of autism, it has taken until the release of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in 2013 for sensory problems to be included as part of the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the diagnostic profile. Because sensory information forms the building blocks for higher-order social and cognitive functions, we argue that sensory processing is not only an additional piece of the puzzle, but rather a critical cornerstone for characterizing and understanding ASD. In this review we discuss what is currently known about sensory processing in ASD, how sensory function fits within contemporary models of ASD, and what is understood about the differences in the underlying neural processing of sensory and social communication observed between individuals with and without ASD. In addition to highlighting the sensory features associated with ASD, we also emphasize the importance of multisensory processing in building perceptual and cognitive representations, and how deficits in multisensory integration may also be a core characteristic of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Baum
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ryan A Stevenson
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Douet V, Chang L, Cloak C, Ernst T. Genetic influences on brain developmental trajectories on neuroimaging studies: from infancy to young adulthood. Brain Imaging Behav 2015; 8:234-50. [PMID: 24077983 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-013-9260-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Human brain development has been studied intensively with neuroimaging. However, little is known about how genes influence developmental brain trajectories, even though a significant number of genes (about 10,000, or approximately one-third) in the human genome are expressed primarily in the brain and during brain development. Interestingly, in addition to showing differential expression among tissues, many genes are differentially expressed across the ages (e.g., antagonistic pleiotropy). Age-specific gene expression plays an important role in several critical events in brain development, including neuronal cell migration, synaptogenesis and neurotransmitter receptor specificity, as well as in aging and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). In addition, the majority of psychiatric and mental disorders are polygenic, and many have onsets during childhood and adolescence. In this review, we summarize the major findings from neuroimaging studies that link genetics with brain development, from infancy to young adulthood. Specifically, we focus on the heritability of brain structures across the ages, age-related genetic influences on brain development and sex-specific developmental trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Douet
- Department of Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA,
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Hernandez LM, Rudie JD, Green SA, Bookheimer S, Dapretto M. Neural signatures of autism spectrum disorders: insights into brain network dynamics. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:171-89. [PMID: 25011468 PMCID: PMC4262896 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Revised: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Neuroimaging investigations of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have advanced our understanding of atypical brain function and structure, and have recently converged on a model of altered network-level connectivity. Traditional task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and volume-based structural MRI studies have identified widespread atypicalities in brain regions involved in social behavior and other core ASD-related behavioral deficits. More recent advances in MR-neuroimaging methods allow for quantification of brain connectivity using diffusion tensor imaging, functional connectivity, and graph theoretic methods. These newer techniques have moved the field toward a systems-level understanding of ASD etiology, integrating functional and structural measures across distal brain regions. Neuroimaging findings in ASD as a whole have been mixed and at times contradictory, likely due to the vast genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity characteristic of the disorder. Future longitudinal studies of brain development will be crucial to yield insights into mechanisms of disease etiology in ASD sub-populations. Advances in neuroimaging methods and large-scale collaborations will also allow for an integrated approach linking neuroimaging, genetics, and phenotypic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanna M Hernandez
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Rudie
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Susan Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Lenroot RK, Yeung PK. Heterogeneity within Autism Spectrum Disorders: What have We Learned from Neuroimaging Studies? Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:733. [PMID: 24198778 PMCID: PMC3812662 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) display significant heterogeneity. Although most neuroimaging studies in ASD have been designed to identify commonalities among affected individuals, rather than differences, some studies have explored variation within ASD. There have been two general types of approaches used for this in the neuroimaging literature to date: comparison of subgroups within ASD, and analyses using dimensional measures to link clinical variation to brain differences. This review focuses on structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies that have used these approaches to begin to explore heterogeneity between individuals with ASD. Although this type of data is yet sparse, recognition is growing of the limitations of behaviorally defined categorical diagnoses for understanding neurobiology. Study designs that are more informative regarding the sources of heterogeneity in ASD have the potential to improve our understanding of the neurobiological processes underlying ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhoshel K Lenroot
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales , Sydney, NSW , Australia ; Neuroscience Research Australia , Sydney, NSW , Australia
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Persico AM, Napolioni V. Autism genetics. Behav Brain Res 2013; 251:95-112. [PMID: 23769996 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2012] [Revised: 06/03/2013] [Accepted: 06/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a severe neuropsychiatric disease with strong genetic underpinnings. However, genetic contributions to autism are extremely heterogeneous, with many different loci underlying the disease to a different extent in different individuals. Moreover, the phenotypic expression (i.e., "penetrance") of these genetic components is also highly variable, ranging from fully penetrant point mutations to polygenic forms with multiple gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. Furthermore, many genes involved in ASD are also involved in intellectual disability, further underscoring their lack of specificity in phenotypic expression. We shall hereby review current knowledge on the genetic basis of ASD, spanning genetic/genomic syndromes associated with autism, monogenic forms due to copy number variants (CNVs) or rare point mutations, mitochondrial forms, and polygenic autisms. Finally, the recent contributions of genome-wide association and whole exome sequencing studies will be highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio M Persico
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy.
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Abstract
The elucidation of epigenetic alterations in the autism brain has potential to provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying abnormal gene expression in this disorder. Given strong evidence that engrailed-2 (EN-2) is a developmentally expressed gene relevant to cerebellar abnormalities and autism, the epigenetic evaluation of this candidate gene was undertaken in 26 case and control post-mortem cerebellar samples. Assessments included global DNA methylation, EN-2 promoter methylation, EN-2 gene expression and EN-2 protein levels. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to evaluate trimethylation status of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) associated with gene downregulation and histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) associated with gene activation. The results revealed an unusual pattern of global and EN-2 promoter region DNA hypermethylation accompanied by significant increases in EN-2 gene expression and protein levels. Consistent with EN-2 overexpression, histone H3K27 trimethylation mark in the EN-2 promoter was significantly decreased in the autism samples relative to matched controls. Supporting a link between reduced histone H3K27 trimethylation and increased EN-2 gene expression, the mean level of histone H3K4 trimethylation was elevated in the autism cerebellar samples. Together, these results suggest that the normal EN-2 downregulation that signals Purkinje cell maturation during late prenatal and early-postnatal development may not have occurred in some individuals with autism and that the postnatal persistence of EN-2 overexpression may contribute to autism cerebellar abnormalities.
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Blatt GJ. The neuropathology of autism. SCIENTIFICA 2012; 2012:703675. [PMID: 24278731 PMCID: PMC3820437 DOI: 10.6064/2012/703675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2012] [Accepted: 11/07/2012] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Autism is a behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder that affects over 1% of new births in the United States and about 2% of boys. The etiologies are unknown and they are genetically complex. There may be epigenetic effects, environmental influences, and other factors that contribute to the mechanisms and affected neural pathway(s). The underlying neuropathology of the disorder has been evolving in the literature to include specific brain areas in the cerebellum, limbic system, and cortex. Part(s) of structures appear to be affected most rather than the entire structure, for example, select nuclei of the amygdala, the fusiform face area, and so forth. Altered cortical organization characterized by more frequent and narrower minicolumns and early overgrowth of the frontal portion of the brain, affects connectivity. Abnormalities include cytoarchitectonic laminar differences, excess white matter neurons, decreased numbers of GABAergic cerebellar Purkinje cells, and other events that can be traced developmentally and cause anomalies in circuitry. Problems with neurotransmission are evident by recent receptor and binding site studies especially in the inhibitory GABA system likely contributing to an imbalance of excitatory/inhibitory transmission. As postmortem findings are related to core behavior symptoms, and technology improves, researchers are gaining a much better perspective of contributing factors to the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gene J. Blatt
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Boston University, 72 East Concord Street L 1004, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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