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He BH, Yang YH, Hsiao BW, Lin WT, Chuang YF, Chen SY, Liu FC. Foxp2 Is Required for Nucleus Accumbens-mediated Multifaceted Limbic Function. Neuroscience 2024; 542:33-46. [PMID: 38354901 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The forkhead box protein P2 (Foxp2), initially identified for its role in speech and language development, plays an important role in neural development. Previous studies investigated the function of the Foxp2 gene by deleting or mutating Foxp2 from developmental stages. Little is known about its physiological function in adult brains. Although Foxp2 has been well studied in the dorsal striatum, its function in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of the ventral striatum remains elusive. Here, we examine the physiological function of Foxp2 in NAc of mouse brains. We conditionally knocked out Foxp2 by microinjections of AAV-EGFP-Cre viruses into the medial shell of NAc of Foxp2 floxed (cKO) mice. Immunostaining showed increased c-Fos positive cells in cKO NAc at basal levels, suggesting an abnormality in Foxp2-deficient NAc cells. Unbiased behavioral profiling of Foxp2 cKO mice showed abnormalities in limbic-associated function. Foxp2 cKO mice exhibited abnormal social novelty without preference for interaction with strangers and familiar mice. In appetitive reward learning, Foxp2 cKO mice failed to learn the time expectancy of food delivery. In fear learning, Foxp2 cKO mice exhibited abnormal increases in freezing levels in response to tone paired with foot shock during fear conditioning. The extinction of the fear response was also altered in Foxp2 cKO mice. In contrast, conditional knockout of Foxp2 in NAc did not affect locomotion, motor coordination, thermal pain sensation, anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. Collectively, our study suggests that Foxp2 has a multifaceted physiological role in NAc in the regulation of limbic function in the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-Han He
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Hui Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Bo-Wen Hsiao
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Ting Lin
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Fang Chuang
- Institute of Public Health, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Yun Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Chin Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan.
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Ehweiner A, Duch C, Brembs B. Wings of Change: aPKC/FoxP-dependent plasticity in steering motor neurons underlies operant self-learning in Drosophila. F1000Res 2024; 13:116. [PMID: 38779314 PMCID: PMC11109550 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.146347.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Motor learning is central to human existence, such as learning to speak or walk, sports moves, or rehabilitation after injury. Evidence suggests that all forms of motor learning share an evolutionarily conserved molecular plasticity pathway. Here, we present novel insights into the neural processes underlying operant self-learning, a form of motor learning in the fruit fly Drosophila. Methods We operantly trained wild type and transgenic Drosophila fruit flies, tethered at the torque meter, in a motor learning task that required them to initiate and maintain turning maneuvers around their vertical body axis (yaw torque). We combined this behavioral experiment with transgenic peptide expression, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated, spatio-temporally controlled gene knock-out and confocal microscopy. Results We find that expression of atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) in direct wing steering motoneurons co-expressing the transcription factor FoxP is necessary for this type of motor learning and that aPKC likely acts via non-canonical pathways. We also found that it takes more than a week for CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of FoxP in adult animals to impair motor learning, suggesting that adult FoxP expression is required for operant self-learning. Conclusions Our experiments suggest that, for operant self-learning, a type of motor learning in Drosophila, co-expression of atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) and the transcription factor FoxP is necessary in direct wing steering motoneurons. Some of these neurons control the wing beat amplitude when generating optomotor responses, and we have discovered modulation of optomotor behavior after operant self-learning. We also discovered that aPKC likely acts via non-canonical pathways and that FoxP expression is also required in adult flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Ehweiner
- Institut für Zoologie - Neurogenetik, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Bavaria, 93040, Germany
| | - Carsten Duch
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Neurobiology (iDN), Johannes Gutenberg Universitat Mainz, Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
| | - Björn Brembs
- Institut für Zoologie - Neurogenetik, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Bavaria, 93040, Germany
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Ludington SC, McKinney JE, Butler JM, Gaines-Richardson M, O’Connell LA. Activity of FoxP2-positive neurons correlate with tadpole begging behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.26.542531. [PMID: 37292748 PMCID: PMC10246011 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.26.542531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Motor function is a critical aspect of social signaling in a wide range of taxa. The transcription factor FoxP2 is well studied in the context of vocal communication in humans, mice, and songbirds, but its role in regulating social signaling in other vertebrate taxa is unclear. We examined the distribution and activity of FoxP2-positive neurons in tadpoles of the mimetic poison frog (Ranitomeya imitator). In this species, tadpoles are reared in isolated plant nurseries and are aggressive to other tadpoles. Mothers provide unfertilized egg meals to tadpoles that perform a begging display by vigorously vibrating back and forth. We found that FoxP2 is widely distributed in the tadpole brain and parallels the brain distribution in mammals, birds, and fishes. We then tested the hypothesis that FoxP2-positive neurons would have differential activity levels in begging or aggression contexts compared to non-social controls. We found that FoxP2-positive neurons showed increased activation in the striatum and cerebellum only during begging. Overall, this work suggests a generalizable role for FoxP2 in social signaling across terrestrial vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Julie M. Butler
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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Varlamova EG, Borisova EV, Evstratova YA, Newman AG, Kuldaeva VP, Gavrish MS, Kondakova EV, Tarabykin VS, Babaev AA, Turovsky EA. Socrates: A Novel N-Ethyl-N-nitrosourea-Induced Mouse Mutant with Audiogenic Epilepsy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17104. [PMID: 38069426 PMCID: PMC10707124 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242317104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the common neurological diseases that affects not only adults but also infants and children. Because epilepsy has been studied for a long time, there are several pharmacologically effective anticonvulsants, which, however, are not suitable as therapy for all patients. The genesis of epilepsy has been extensively investigated in terms of its occurrence after injury and as a concomitant disease with various brain diseases, such as tumors, ischemic events, etc. However, in the last decades, there are multiple reports that both genetic and epigenetic factors play an important role in epileptogenesis. Therefore, there is a need for further identification of genes and loci that can be associated with higher susceptibility to epileptic seizures. Use of mouse knockout models of epileptogenesis is very informative, but it has its limitations. One of them is due to the fact that complete deletion of a gene is not, in many cases, similar to human epilepsy-associated syndromes. Another approach to generating mouse models of epilepsy is N-Ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-directed mutagenesis. Recently, using this approach, we generated a novel mouse strain, soc (socrates, formerly s8-3), with epileptiform activity. Using molecular biology methods, calcium neuroimaging, and immunocytochemistry, we were able to characterize the strain. Neurons isolated from soc mutant brains retain the ability to differentiate in vitro and form a network. However, soc mutant neurons are characterized by increased spontaneous excitation activity. They also demonstrate a high degree of Ca2+ activity compared to WT neurons. Additionally, they show increased expression of NMDA receptors, decreased expression of the Ca2+-conducting GluA2 subunit of AMPA receptors, suppressed expression of phosphoinositol 3-kinase, and BK channels of the cytoplasmic membrane involved in protection against epileptogenesis. During embryonic and postnatal development, the expression of several genes encoding ion channels is downregulated in vivo, as well. Our data indicate that soc mutation causes a disruption of the excitation-inhibition balance in the brain, and it can serve as a mouse model of epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena G. Varlamova
- Institute of Cell Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center “Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, 142290 Pushchino, Russia;
| | - Ekaterina V. Borisova
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; (E.V.B.); (A.G.N.)
- Institute of Neuroscience, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 23 Gagarin Ave., 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (V.P.K.); (M.S.G.); (E.V.K.); (A.A.B.)
| | - Yuliya A. Evstratova
- Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “MIREA—Russian Technological University”, 78, Vernadskogo Ave., 119454 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Andrew G. Newman
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; (E.V.B.); (A.G.N.)
| | - Vera P. Kuldaeva
- Institute of Neuroscience, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 23 Gagarin Ave., 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (V.P.K.); (M.S.G.); (E.V.K.); (A.A.B.)
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Nab. Ushaiki, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Maria S. Gavrish
- Institute of Neuroscience, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 23 Gagarin Ave., 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (V.P.K.); (M.S.G.); (E.V.K.); (A.A.B.)
| | - Elena V. Kondakova
- Institute of Neuroscience, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 23 Gagarin Ave., 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (V.P.K.); (M.S.G.); (E.V.K.); (A.A.B.)
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Nab. Ushaiki, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Victor S. Tarabykin
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; (E.V.B.); (A.G.N.)
- Institute of Neuroscience, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 23 Gagarin Ave., 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (V.P.K.); (M.S.G.); (E.V.K.); (A.A.B.)
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Nab. Ushaiki, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Alexey A. Babaev
- Institute of Neuroscience, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 23 Gagarin Ave., 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (V.P.K.); (M.S.G.); (E.V.K.); (A.A.B.)
| | - Egor A. Turovsky
- Institute of Cell Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center “Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, 142290 Pushchino, Russia;
- Institute of Neuroscience, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 23 Gagarin Ave., 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (V.P.K.); (M.S.G.); (E.V.K.); (A.A.B.)
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Rodríguez-Urgellés E, Casas-Torremocha D, Sancho-Balsells A, Ballasch I, García-García E, Miquel-Rio L, Manasanch A, Del Castillo I, Chen W, Pupak A, Brito V, Tornero D, Rodríguez MJ, Bortolozzi A, Sanchez-Vives MV, Giralt A, Alberch J. Thalamic Foxp2 regulates output connectivity and sensory-motor impairments in a model of Huntington's Disease. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:367. [PMID: 37987826 PMCID: PMC10663254 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-05015-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's Disease (HD) is a disorder that affects body movements. Altered glutamatergic innervation of the striatum is a major hallmark of the disease. Approximately 30% of those glutamatergic inputs come from thalamic nuclei. Foxp2 is a transcription factor involved in cell differentiation and reported low in patients with HD. However, the role of the Foxp2 in the thalamus in HD remains unexplored. METHODS We used two different mouse models of HD, the R6/1 and the HdhQ111 mice, to demonstrate a consistent thalamic Foxp2 reduction in the context of HD. We used in vivo electrophysiological recordings, microdialysis in behaving mice and rabies virus-based monosynaptic tracing to study thalamo-striatal and thalamo-cortical synaptic connectivity in R6/1 mice. Micro-structural synaptic plasticity was also evaluated in the striatum and cortex of R6/1 mice. We over-expressed Foxp2 in the thalamus of R6/1 mice or reduced Foxp2 in the thalamus of wild type mice to evaluate its role in sensory and motor skills deficiencies, as well as thalamo-striatal and thalamo-cortical connectivity in such mouse models. RESULTS Here, we demonstrate in a HD mouse model a clear and early thalamo-striatal aberrant connectivity associated with a reduction of thalamic Foxp2 levels. Recovering thalamic Foxp2 levels in the mouse rescued motor coordination and sensory skills concomitant with an amelioration of neuropathological features and with a repair of the structural and functional connectivity through a restoration of neurotransmitter release. In addition, reduction of thalamic Foxp2 levels in wild type mice induced HD-like phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, we show that a novel identified thalamic Foxp2 dysregulation alters basal ganglia circuits implicated in the pathophysiology of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ened Rodríguez-Urgellés
- Facultat de Medicina, Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Anna Sancho-Balsells
- Facultat de Medicina, Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Iván Ballasch
- Facultat de Medicina, Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther García-García
- Facultat de Medicina, Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lluis Miquel-Rio
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona (IIBB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Arnau Manasanch
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignacio Del Castillo
- Facultat de Medicina, Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Wanqi Chen
- Facultat de Medicina, Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Anika Pupak
- Facultat de Medicina, Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Veronica Brito
- Facultat de Medicina, Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Tornero
- Facultat de Medicina, Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies (Creatio), University of Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel J Rodríguez
- Facultat de Medicina, Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Analia Bortolozzi
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona (IIBB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria V Sanchez-Vives
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca I Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Giralt
- Facultat de Medicina, Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies (Creatio), University of Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Jordi Alberch
- Facultat de Medicina, Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies (Creatio), University of Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
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Cording KR, Bateup HS. Altered motor learning and coordination in mouse models of autism spectrum disorder. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1270489. [PMID: 38026686 PMCID: PMC10663323 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1270489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with increasing prevalence. Over 1,000 risk genes have now been implicated in ASD, suggesting diverse etiology. However, the diagnostic criteria for the disorder still comprise two major behavioral domains - deficits in social communication and interaction, and the presence of restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior (RRBs). The RRBs associated with ASD include both stereotyped repetitive movements and other motor manifestations including changes in gait, balance, coordination, and motor skill learning. In recent years, the striatum, the primary input center of the basal ganglia, has been implicated in these ASD-associated motor behaviors, due to the striatum's role in action selection, motor learning, and habit formation. Numerous mouse models with mutations in ASD risk genes have been developed and shown to have alterations in ASD-relevant behaviors. One commonly used assay, the accelerating rotarod, allows for assessment of both basic motor coordination and motor skill learning. In this corticostriatal-dependent task, mice walk on a rotating rod that gradually increases in speed. In the extended version of this task, mice engage striatal-dependent learning mechanisms to optimize their motor routine and stay on the rod for longer periods. This review summarizes the findings of studies examining rotarod performance across a range of ASD mouse models, and the resulting implications for the involvement of striatal circuits in ASD-related motor behaviors. While performance in this task is not uniform across mouse models, there is a cohort of models that show increased rotarod performance. A growing number of studies suggest that this increased propensity to learn a fixed motor routine may reflect a common enhancement of corticostriatal drive across a subset of mice with mutations in ASD-risk genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R. Cording
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Helen S. Bateup
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, United States
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7
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Kuo HY, Chen SY, Huang RC, Takahashi H, Lee YH, Pang HY, Wu CH, Graybiel AM, Liu FC. Speech- and language-linked FOXP2 mutation targets protein motors in striatal neurons. Brain 2023; 146:3542-3557. [PMID: 37137515 PMCID: PMC10393416 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human speech and language are among the most complex motor and cognitive abilities. The discovery of a mutation in the transcription factor FOXP2 in KE family members with speech disturbances has been a landmark example of the genetic control of vocal communication in humans. Cellular mechanisms underlying this control have remained unclear. By leveraging FOXP2 mutation/deletion mouse models, we found that the KE family FOXP2R553H mutation directly disables intracellular dynein-dynactin 'protein motors' in the striatum by induction of a disruptive high level of dynactin1 that impairs TrkB endosome trafficking, microtubule dynamics, dendritic outgrowth and electrophysiological activity in striatal neurons alongside vocalization deficits. Dynactin1 knockdown in mice carrying FOXP2R553H mutations rescued these cellular abnormalities and improved vocalization. We suggest that FOXP2 controls vocal circuit formation by regulating protein motor homeostasis in striatal neurons, and that its disruption could contribute to the pathophysiology of FOXP2 mutation/deletion-associated speech disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Ying Kuo
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Yun Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Rui-Chi Huang
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Hiroshi Takahashi
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization, Tottori Medical Center, Tottori 689-0203, Japan
| | - Yen-Hui Lee
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Hao-Yu Pang
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hsi Wu
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Ann M Graybiel
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Fu-Chin Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
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8
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Salles A, Neunuebel J. What do mammals have to say about the neurobiology of acoustic communication? MOLECULAR PSYCHOLOGY : BRAIN, BEHAVIOR, AND SOCIETY 2023; 2:5. [PMID: 38827277 PMCID: PMC11141777 DOI: 10.12688/molpsychol.17539.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Auditory communication is crucial across taxa, including humans, because it enables individuals to convey information about threats, food sources, mating opportunities, and other social cues necessary for survival. Comparative approaches to auditory communication will help bridge gaps across taxa and facilitate our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying this complex task. In this work, we briefly review the field of auditory communication processing and the classical champion animal, the songbird. In addition, we discuss other mammalian species that are advancing the field. In particular, we emphasize mice and bats, highlighting the characteristics that may inform how we think about communication processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeles Salles
- Biological Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joshua Neunuebel
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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9
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Oliveira-Stahl G, Farboud S, Sterling ML, Heckman JJ, van Raalte B, Lenferink D, van der Stam A, Smeets CJLM, Fisher SE, Englitz B. High-precision spatial analysis of mouse courtship vocalization behavior reveals sex and strain differences. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5219. [PMID: 36997591 PMCID: PMC10063627 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31554-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mice display a wide repertoire of vocalizations that varies with sex, strain, and context. Especially during social interaction, including sexually motivated dyadic interaction, mice emit sequences of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) of high complexity. As animals of both sexes vocalize, a reliable attribution of USVs to their emitter is essential. The state-of-the-art in sound localization for USVs in 2D allows spatial localization at a resolution of multiple centimeters. However, animals interact at closer ranges, e.g. snout-to-snout. Hence, improved algorithms are required to reliably assign USVs. We present a novel algorithm, SLIM (Sound Localization via Intersecting Manifolds), that achieves a 2-3-fold improvement in accuracy (13.1-14.3 mm) using only 4 microphones and extends to many microphones and localization in 3D. This accuracy allows reliable assignment of 84.3% of all USVs in our dataset. We apply SLIM to courtship interactions between adult C57Bl/6J wildtype mice and those carrying a heterozygous Foxp2 variant (R552H). The improved spatial accuracy reveals that vocalization behavior is dependent on the spatial relation between the interacting mice. Female mice vocalized more in close snout-to-snout interaction while male mice vocalized more when the male snout was in close proximity to the female's ano-genital region. Further, we find that the acoustic properties of the ultrasonic vocalizations (duration, Wiener Entropy, and sound level) are dependent on the spatial relation between the interacting mice as well as on the genotype. In conclusion, the improved attribution of vocalizations to their emitters provides a foundation for better understanding social vocal behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Oliveira-Stahl
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Soha Farboud
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Max L Sterling
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jesse J Heckman
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bram van Raalte
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dionne Lenferink
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Amber van der Stam
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Cleo J L M Smeets
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Simon E Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bernhard Englitz
- Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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10
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Morison LD, Meffert E, Stampfer M, Steiner-Wilke I, Vollmer B, Schulze K, Briggs T, Braden R, Vogel A, Thompson-Lake D, Patel C, Blair E, Goel H, Turner S, Moog U, Riess A, Liegeois F, Koolen DA, Amor DJ, Kleefstra T, Fisher SE, Zweier C, Morgan AT. In-depth characterisation of a cohort of individuals with missense and loss-of-function variants disrupting FOXP2. J Med Genet 2022; 60:597-607. [DOI: 10.1136/jmg-2022-108734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BackgroundHeterozygous disruptions ofFOXP2were the first identified molecular cause for severe speech disorder: childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), and yet few cases have been reported, limiting knowledge of the condition.MethodsHere we phenotyped 28 individuals from 17 families with pathogenicFOXP2-only variants (12 loss-of-function, five missense variants; 14 males; aged 2 to 62 years). Health and development (cognitive, motor, social domains) were examined, including speech and language outcomes with the first cross-linguistic analysis of English and German.ResultsSpeech disorders were prevalent (23/25, 92%) and CAS was most common (22/25, 88%), with similar speech presentations across English and German. Speech was still impaired in adulthood, and some speech sounds (eg, ‘th’, ‘r’, ‘ch’, ‘j’) were never acquired. Language impairments (21/25, 84%) ranged from mild to severe. Comorbidities included feeding difficulties in infancy (10/27, 37%), fine (13/26, 50%) and gross (13/26, 50%) motor impairment, anxiety (5/27, 19%), depression (6/27, 22%) and sleep disturbance (11/15, 44%). Physical features were common (22/27, 81%) but with no consistent pattern. Cognition ranged from average to mildly impaired and was incongruent with language ability; for example, seven participants with severe language disorder had average non-verbal cognition.ConclusionsAlthough we identify an increased prevalence of conditions like anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance, we confirm that the consequences ofFOXP2dysfunction remain relatively specific to speech disorder, as compared with other recently identified monogenic conditions associated with CAS. Thus, our findings reinforce thatFOXP2provides a valuable entry point for examining the neurobiological bases of speech disorder.
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11
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Breach MR, Dye CN, Galan A, Lenz KM. Prenatal allergic inflammation in rats programs the developmental trajectory of dendritic spine patterning in brain regions associated with cognitive and social behavior. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 102:279-291. [PMID: 35245680 PMCID: PMC9070022 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Allergic inflammation during pregnancy increases risk for a diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders such as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the offspring. Previously, we found a model of such inflammation, allergy-induced maternal immune activation (MIA), produced symptoms analogous to those associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in rats, including reduced juvenile play behavior, hyperactivity, and cognitive inflexibility. These behaviors were preceded by perinatal changes in microglia colonization and phenotype in multiple relevant brain regions. Given the role that microglia play in synaptic patterning as well as evidence for altered synaptic architecture in neurodevelopmental disorders, we investigated whether allergic MIA altered the dynamics of dendritic spine patterning throughout key regions of the rat forebrain across neurodevelopment. Adult virgin female rats were sensitized to the allergen, ovalbumin, with alum adjuvant, bred, and allergically challenged on gestational day 15. Brain tissue was collected from male and female offspring on postnatal days (P) 5, 15, 30, and 100-120 and processed for Golgi-Cox staining. Mean dendritic spine density was calculated for neurons in brain regions associated with cognition and social behavior, including the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), basal ganglia, septum, nucleus accumbens (NAc), and amygdala. Allergic MIA reduced dendritic spine density in the neonatal (P5) and juvenile (P15) mPFC, but these mPFC spine deficits were normalized by P30. Allergic inflammation reduced spine density in the septum of juvenile (P30) rats, with an interaction suggesting increased density in males and reduced density in females. MIA-induced reductions in spine density were also found in the female basal ganglia at P15, as well as in the NAc at P30. Conversely, MIA-induced increases were found in the NAc in adulthood. While amygdala dendritic spine density was generally unaffected throughout development, MIA reduced density in both medial and basolateral subregions in adult offspring. Correlational analyses revealed disruption to amygdala-related networks in the neonatal animals and cortico-striatal related networks in juvenile and adult animals in a sex-specific manner. Collectively, these data suggest that communication within and between these cognitive and social brain regions may be altered dynamically throughout development after prenatal exposure to allergic inflammation. They also provide a basis for future intervention studies targeted at rescuing spine and behavior changes via immunomodulatory treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela R. Breach
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Courtney N. Dye
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Anabel Galan
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kathryn M. Lenz
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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12
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Mapelli L, Soda T, D’Angelo E, Prestori F. The Cerebellar Involvement in Autism Spectrum Disorders: From the Social Brain to Mouse Models. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073894. [PMID: 35409253 PMCID: PMC8998980 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders that include a variety of forms and clinical phenotypes. This heterogeneity complicates the clinical and experimental approaches to ASD etiology and pathophysiology. To date, a unifying theory of these diseases is still missing. Nevertheless, the intense work of researchers and clinicians in the last decades has identified some ASD hallmarks and the primary brain areas involved. Not surprisingly, the areas that are part of the so-called “social brain”, and those strictly connected to them, were found to be crucial, such as the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, limbic system, and dopaminergic pathways. With the recent acknowledgment of the cerebellar contribution to cognitive functions and the social brain, its involvement in ASD has become unmistakable, though its extent is still to be elucidated. In most cases, significant advances were made possible by recent technological developments in structural/functional assessment of the human brain and by using mouse models of ASD. Mouse models are an invaluable tool to get insights into the molecular and cellular counterparts of the disease, acting on the specific genetic background generating ASD-like phenotype. Given the multifaceted nature of ASD and related studies, it is often difficult to navigate the literature and limit the huge content to specific questions. This review fulfills the need for an organized, clear, and state-of-the-art perspective on cerebellar involvement in ASD, from its connections to the social brain areas (which are the primary sites of ASD impairments) to the use of monogenic mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Mapelli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (T.S.); (E.D.)
- Correspondence: (L.M.); (F.P.)
| | - Teresa Soda
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (T.S.); (E.D.)
| | - Egidio D’Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (T.S.); (E.D.)
- Brain Connectivity Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Francesca Prestori
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (T.S.); (E.D.)
- Correspondence: (L.M.); (F.P.)
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13
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Resveratrol attenuates methylmercury-induced neurotoxicity by modulating synaptic homeostasis. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2022; 440:115952. [DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2022.115952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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14
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Kamitakahara AK, Ali Marandi Ghoddousi R, Lanjewar AL, Magalong VM, Wu HH, Levitt P. MET Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Regulates Lifespan Ultrasonic Vocalization and Vagal Motor Neuron Development. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:768577. [PMID: 34803597 PMCID: PMC8600253 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.768577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The intrinsic muscles of the larynx are innervated by the vagal motor nucleus ambiguus (nAmb), which provides direct motor control over vocal production in humans and rodents. Here, we demonstrate in mice using the Phox2b Cre line, that conditional embryonic deletion of the gene encoding the MET receptor tyrosine kinase (MET) in the developing brainstem (cKO) results in highly penetrant, severe deficits in ultrasonic vocalization in early postnatal life. Major deficits and abnormal vocalization patterns persist into adulthood in more than 70% of mice, with the remaining recovering the ability to vocalize, reflecting heterogeneity in circuit restitution. We show that underlying the functional deficits, conditional deletion of Met results in a loss of approximately one-third of MET+ nAmb motor neurons, which begins as early as embryonic day 14.5. The loss of motor neurons is specific to the nAmb, as other brainstem motor and sensory nuclei are unaffected. In the recurrent laryngeal nerve, through which nAmb motor neurons project to innervate the larynx, there is a one-third loss of axons in cKO mice. Together, the data reveal a novel, heterogenous MET-dependence, for which MET differentially affects survival of a subset of nAmb motor neurons necessary for lifespan ultrasonic vocal capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K. Kamitakahara
- Program in Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Ramin Ali Marandi Ghoddousi
- Program in Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Alexandra L. Lanjewar
- Program in Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Valerie M. Magalong
- Program in Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Hsiao-Huei Wu
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Pat Levitt
- Program in Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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15
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Increased locomotor activity via regulation of GABAergic signalling in foxp2 mutant zebrafish-implications for neurodevelopmental disorders. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:529. [PMID: 34650032 PMCID: PMC8517032 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01651-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in the genetics of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) have identified the transcription factor FOXP2 as one of numerous risk genes, e.g. in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). FOXP2 function is suggested to be involved in GABAergic signalling and numerous studies demonstrate that GABAergic function is altered in NDDs, thus disrupting the excitation/inhibition balance. Interestingly, GABAergic signalling components, including glutamate-decarboxylase 1 (Gad1) and GABA receptors, are putative transcriptional targets of FOXP2. However, the specific role of FOXP2 in the pathomechanism of NDDs remains elusive. Here we test the hypothesis that Foxp2 affects behavioural dimensions via GABAergic signalling using zebrafish as model organism. We demonstrate that foxp2 is expressed by a subset of GABAergic neurons located in brain regions involved in motor functions, including the subpallium, posterior tuberculum, thalamus and medulla oblongata. Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing we generated a novel foxp2 zebrafish loss-of-function mutant that exhibits increased locomotor activity. Further, genetic and/or pharmacological disruption of Gad1 or GABA-A receptors causes increased locomotor activity, resembling the phenotype of foxp2 mutants. Application of muscimol, a GABA-A receptor agonist, rescues the hyperactive phenotype induced by the foxp2 loss-of-function. By reverse translation of the therapeutic effect on hyperactive behaviour exerted by methylphenidate, we note that application of methylphenidate evokes different responses in wildtype compared to foxp2 or gad1b loss-of-function animals. Together, our findings support the hypothesis that foxp2 regulates locomotor activity via GABAergic signalling. This provides one targetable mechanism, which may contribute to behavioural phenotypes commonly observed in NDDs.
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16
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Trelles MP, Levy T, Lerman B, Siper P, Lozano R, Halpern D, Walker H, Zweifach J, Frank Y, Foss-Feig J, Kolevzon A, Buxbaum J. Individuals with FOXP1 syndrome present with a complex neurobehavioral profile with high rates of ADHD, anxiety, repetitive behaviors, and sensory symptoms. Mol Autism 2021; 12:61. [PMID: 34588003 PMCID: PMC8482569 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00469-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background FOXP1 syndrome is an autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability, developmental delay, speech and language delays, and externalizing behaviors. We previously evaluated nine children and adolescents with FOXP1 syndrome to better characterize its phenotype. We identified specific areas of interest to be further explored, namely autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and internalizing and externalizing behaviors.
Methods Here, we assess a prospective cohort of additional 17 individuals to expand our initial analyses and focus on these areas of interest. An interdisciplinary group of clinicians evaluated neurodevelopmental, behavioral, and medical features in participants. We report results from this cohort both alone, and in combination with the previous cohort, where possible.
Results Previous observations of intellectual disability, motor delays, and language deficits were confirmed. In addition, 24% of the cohort met criteria for ASD. Seventy-five percent of individuals met DSM-5 criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and 38% for an anxiety disorder. Repetitive behaviors were almost universally present (95%) even without a diagnosis of ASD. Sensory symptoms, in particular sensory seeking, were common. Limitations As FOXP1 syndrome is a rare disorder, sample size is limited. Conclusions These findings have important implications for the treatment and care of individuals with FOXP1 syndrome. Notably, standardized testing for ASD showed high sensitivity, but low specificity, when compared to expert consensus diagnosis. Furthermore, many individuals in our cohort who received diagnoses of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or anxiety disorder were not being treated for these symptoms; therefore, our findings suggest that there may be immediate areas for improvements in treatment for some individuals. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-021-00469-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pilar Trelles
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. .,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Tess Levy
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bonnie Lerman
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paige Siper
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Reymundo Lozano
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Danielle Halpern
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hannah Walker
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jessica Zweifach
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yitzchak Frank
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer Foss-Feig
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexander Kolevzon
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph Buxbaum
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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17
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von Merten S, Pfeifle C, Künzel S, Hoier S, Tautz D. A humanized version of Foxp2 affects ultrasonic vocalization in adult female and male mice. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 20:e12764. [PMID: 34342113 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor FoxP2 is involved in setting up the neuronal circuitry for vocal learning in mammals and birds and is thought to have played a special role in the evolution of human speech and language. It has been shown that an allele with a humanized version of the murine Foxp2 gene changes the ultrasonic vocalization of mouse pups compared to pups of the wild-type inbred strain. Here we tested if this humanized allele would also affect the ultrasonic vocalization of adult female and male mice. In a previous study, in which only male vocalization was considered and the mice were recorded under a restricted spatial and temporal regime, no difference in adult vocalization between genotypes was found. Here, we use a different test paradigm in which both female and male vocalizations are recorded in extended social contact. We found differences in temporal, spectral and syntactical parameters between the genotypes in both sexes, and between sexes. Mice carrying the humanized Foxp2 allele were using higher frequencies and more complex syllable types than mice of the corresponding wildtype inbred strain. Our results support the notion that the humanized Foxp2 allele has a differential effect on mouse ultrasonic vocalization. As mice carrying the humanized version of the Foxp2 gene show effects opposite to those of mice carrying disrupted or mutated alleles of this gene, we conclude that this mouse line represents an important model for the study of human speech and language evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie von Merten
- CESAM - Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Department for Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Christine Pfeifle
- Department for Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Sven Künzel
- Department for Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Svenja Hoier
- Department for Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Diethard Tautz
- Department for Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
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18
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den Hoed J, Devaraju K, Fisher SE. Molecular networks of the FOXP2 transcription factor in the brain. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e52803. [PMID: 34260143 PMCID: PMC8339667 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202152803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery of the FOXP2 transcription factor, and its implication in a rare severe human speech and language disorder, has led to two decades of empirical studies focused on uncovering its roles in the brain using a range of in vitro and in vivo methods. Here, we discuss what we have learned about the regulation of FOXP2, its downstream effectors, and its modes of action as a transcription factor in brain development and function, providing an integrated overview of what is currently known about the critical molecular networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joery den Hoed
- Language and Genetics DepartmentMax Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegenThe Netherlands
- International Max Planck Research School for Language SciencesMax Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Karthikeyan Devaraju
- Language and Genetics DepartmentMax Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Simon E Fisher
- Language and Genetics DepartmentMax Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
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19
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Klenova AV, Volodin IA, Volodina EV, Ranneva SV, Amstislavskaya TG, Lipina TV. Vocal and physical phenotypes of calsyntenin2 knockout mouse pups model early-life symptoms of the autism spectrum disorder. Behav Brain Res 2021; 412:113430. [PMID: 34182007 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
This study discovered a novel acoustic phenotype in Calsyntenin2 deficient knockout (Clstn2-KO) pups in the neurodevelopment period of 5-9 postnatal days (PND 5-9). The narrowband ultrasonic calls (nUSVs) were less complex (mostly one-note, shorter in duration and higher in peak frequency) in Clsnt2-KO than in wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 J pups. The wideband ultrasonic calls (wUSVs) were produced substantially more often by Clstn2-KO than WT pups. The clicks were longer in duration and higher in peak frequency and power quartiles in Clstn2-KO pups. The elevated discomfort due to additional two-minute maternal separation coupled with experimenter's touch, resulted in significantly higher call rates of both nUSVs and clicks in pups of both genotypes and sexes compared to the previous two-minute maternal separation, whereas the call rate of wUSVs was not affected. In Clstn2-KO pups, the prevalence of emission of wUSVs retained at both sex and both degrees of discomfort, thus providing a reliable quantitative acoustic indicator for this genetic line. Besides the acoustic differences, we also detected the increased head-to-body ratio in Clstn2-KO pups. Altogether, this study demonstrated that lack of such synaptic adhesion protein as calsyntenin2 affects neurodevelopment of vocalization in a mouse as a model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna V Klenova
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia.
| | - Ilya A Volodin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia; Department of Behaviour and Behavioural Ecology of Mammals, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia.
| | - Elena V Volodina
- Department of Behaviour and Behavioural Ecology of Mammals, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia.
| | - Svetlana V Ranneva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Department of Genetics, Novosibirsk, Russia.
| | - Tamara G Amstislavskaya
- Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution «Scientific Research Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine» (SRINM), Novosibirsk, 630117, Russia.
| | - Tatiana V Lipina
- Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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20
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Input-selective adenosine A 1 receptor-mediated synaptic depression of excitatory transmission in dorsal striatum. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6345. [PMID: 33737568 PMCID: PMC7973535 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85513-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The medial (DMS) and lateral (DLS) dorsal striatum differentially drive goal-directed and habitual/compulsive behaviors, respectively, and are implicated in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. These subregions receive distinct inputs from cortical and thalamic regions which uniquely determine dorsal striatal activity and function. Adenosine A1 receptors (A1Rs) are prolific within striatum and regulate excitatory glutamate transmission. Thus, A1Rs may have regionally-specific effects on neuroadaptive processes which may ultimately influence striatally-mediated behaviors. The occurrence of A1R-driven plasticity at specific excitatory inputs to dorsal striatum is currently unknown. To better understand how A1Rs may influence these behaviors, we first sought to understand how A1Rs modulate these distinct inputs. We evaluated A1R-mediated inhibition of cortico- and thalamostriatal transmission using in vitro whole-cell, patch clamp slice electrophysiology recordings in medium spiny neurons from both the DLS and DMS of C57BL/6J mice in conjunction with optogenetic approaches. In addition, conditional A1R KO mice lacking A1Rs at specific striatal inputs to DMS and DLS were generated to directly determine the role of these presynaptic A1Rs on the measured electrophysiological responses. Activation of presynaptic A1Rs produced significant and prolonged synaptic depression (A1R-SD) of excitatory transmission in the both the DLS and DMS of male and female animals. Our findings indicate that A1R-SD at corticostriatal and thalamostriatal inputs to DLS can be additive and that A1R-SD in DMS occurs primarily at thalamostriatal inputs. These findings advance the field's understanding of the functional roles of A1Rs in striatum and implicate their potential contribution to neuropsychiatric diseases.
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21
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Pearson CA, Moore DM, Tucker HO, Dekker JD, Hu H, Miquelajáuregui A, Novitch BG. Foxp1 Regulates Neural Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Bias Toward Deep Layer Cortical Fates. Cell Rep 2021; 30:1964-1981.e3. [PMID: 32049024 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The laminar architecture of the mammalian neocortex depends on the orderly generation of distinct neuronal subtypes by apical radial glia (aRG) during embryogenesis. Here, we identify critical roles for the autism risk gene Foxp1 in maintaining aRG identity and gating the temporal competency for deep-layer neurogenesis. Early in development, aRG express high levels of Foxp1 mRNA and protein, which promote self-renewing cell divisions and deep-layer neuron production. Foxp1 levels subsequently decline during the transition to superficial-layer neurogenesis. Sustained Foxp1 expression impedes this transition, preserving a population of cells with aRG identity throughout development and extending the early neurogenic period into postnatal life. FOXP1 expression is further associated with the initial formation and expansion of basal RG (bRG) during human corticogenesis and can promote the formation of cells exhibiting characteristics of bRG when misexpressed in the mouse cortex. Together, these findings reveal broad functions for Foxp1 in cortical neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Alayne Pearson
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Destaye M Moore
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Haley O Tucker
- Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Joseph D Dekker
- Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Hui Hu
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA
| | - Amaya Miquelajáuregui
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR 00911, USA
| | - Bennett G Novitch
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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22
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Herrero MJ, Wang L, Hernandez-Pineda D, Banerjee P, Matos HY, Goodrich M, Panigrahi A, Smith NA, Corbin JG. Sex-Specific Social Behavior and Amygdala Proteomic Deficits in Foxp2 +/- Mutant Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:706079. [PMID: 34421555 PMCID: PMC8374433 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.706079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, mutations in the transcription factor encoding gene, FOXP2, are associated with language and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), the latter characterized by deficits in social interactions. However, little is known regarding the function of Foxp2 in male or female social behavior. Our previous studies in mice revealed high expression of Foxp2 within the medial subnucleus of the amygdala (MeA), a limbic brain region highly implicated in innate social behaviors such as mating, aggression, and parental care. Here, using a comprehensive panel of behavioral tests in male and female Foxp2 +/- heterozygous mice, we investigated the role Foxp2 plays in MeA-linked innate social behaviors. We reveal significant deficits in olfactory processing, social interaction, mating, aggressive, and parental behaviors. Interestingly, some of these deficits are displayed in a sex-specific manner. To examine the consequences of Foxp2 loss of function specifically in the MeA, we conducted a proteomic analysis of microdissected MeA tissue. This analyses revealed putative sex differences expression of a host of proteins implicated in neuronal communication, connectivity, and dopamine signaling. Consistent with this, we discovered that MeA Foxp2-lineage cells were responsive to dopamine with differences between males and females. Thus, our findings reveal a central and sex-specific role for Foxp2 in social behavior and MeA function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Jesus Herrero
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Li Wang
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
- *Correspondence: Li Wang Joshua G. Corbin
| | - David Hernandez-Pineda
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Payal Banerjee
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Heidi Y. Matos
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Meredith Goodrich
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Aswini Panigrahi
- Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Nathan Anthony Smith
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Joshua G. Corbin
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
- *Correspondence: Li Wang Joshua G. Corbin
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23
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Urbanus BHA, Peter S, Fisher SE, De Zeeuw CI. Region-specific Foxp2 deletions in cortex, striatum or cerebellum cannot explain vocalization deficits observed in spontaneous global knockouts. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21631. [PMID: 33303861 PMCID: PMC7730140 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78531-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
FOXP2 has been identified as a gene related to speech in humans, based on rare mutations that yield significant impairments in speech at the level of both motor performance and language comprehension. Disruptions of the murine orthologue Foxp2 in mouse pups have been shown to interfere with production of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). However, it remains unclear which structures are responsible for these deficits. Here, we show that conditional knockout mice with selective Foxp2 deletions targeting the cerebral cortex, striatum or cerebellum, three key sites of motor control with robust neural gene expression, do not recapture the profile of pup USV deficits observed in mice with global disruptions of this gene. Moreover, we observed that global Foxp2 knockout pups show substantive reductions in USV production as well as an overproduction of short broadband noise “clicks”, which was not present in the brain region-specific knockouts. These data indicate that deficits of Foxp2 expression in the cortex, striatum or cerebellum cannot solely explain the disrupted vocalization behaviours in global Foxp2 knockouts. Our findings raise the possibility that the impact of Foxp2 disruption on USV is mediated at least in part by effects of this gene on the anatomical prerequisites for vocalizing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saša Peter
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Simon E Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Chris I De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. .,Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, KNAW, 1105 CA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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24
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Audible calls and their ontogenetic relationship with ultrasonic vocalization in a rodent with a wide vocal range, the fat-tailed gerbil (Pachyuromys duprasi). Behav Processes 2020; 180:104241. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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25
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Valle-Bautista R, Márquez-Valadez B, Fragoso-Cabrera AD, García-López G, Díaz NF, Herrera-López G, Griego E, Galván EJ, Arias-Montaño JA, Molina-Hernández A. Impaired Cortical Cytoarchitecture and Reduced Excitability of Deep-Layer Neurons in the Offspring of Diabetic Rats. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:564561. [PMID: 33042999 PMCID: PMC7527606 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.564561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal diabetes has been related to low verbal task scores, impaired fine and gross motor skills, and poor performance in graphic and visuospatial tasks during childhood. The primary motor cortex is important for controlling motor functions, and embryos exposed to high glucose show changes in cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation during corticogenesis. However, the existing studies do not discriminate between embryos with or without neural tube defects, making it difficult to conclude whether the reported changes are related to neural tube defects or other anomalies. Furthermore, postnatal effects on central nervous system cytoarchitecture and function have been scarcely addressed. Through molecular, biochemical, morphological, and electrophysiological approaches, we provide evidence of impaired primary motor cerebral cortex lamination and neuronal function in pups from diabetic rats, showing an altered distribution of SATB2, FOXP2, and TBR1, impaired cell migration and polarity, and decreased excitability of deep-layer cortical neurons, suggesting abnormalities in cortico-cortical and extra-cortical innervation. Furthermore, phase-plot analysis of action potentials suggests changes in the activity of potassium channels. These results indicate that high-glucose insult during development promotes complex changes in migration, neurogenesis, cell polarity establishment, and dendritic arborization, which in turn lead to reduced excitability of deep-layer cortical neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Valle-Bautista
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico.,Laboratorio de Investigación en Células Troncales y Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Fisiología y Desarrollo Celular, Subdirección de Investigación Biomédica, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Berenice Márquez-Valadez
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Células Troncales y Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Fisiología y Desarrollo Celular, Subdirección de Investigación Biomédica, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - América D Fragoso-Cabrera
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Células Troncales y Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Fisiología y Desarrollo Celular, Subdirección de Investigación Biomédica, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Guadalupe García-López
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Células Troncales y Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Fisiología y Desarrollo Celular, Subdirección de Investigación Biomédica, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Néstor Fabián Díaz
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Células Troncales y Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Fisiología y Desarrollo Celular, Subdirección de Investigación Biomédica, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gabriel Herrera-López
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ernesto Griego
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Emilio J Galván
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - José-Antonio Arias-Montaño
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Anayansi Molina-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Células Troncales y Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Fisiología y Desarrollo Celular, Subdirección de Investigación Biomédica, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Mexico City, Mexico
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26
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An Etiological Foxp2 Mutation Impairs Neuronal Gain in Layer VI Cortico-Thalamic Cells through Increased GABA B/GIRK Signaling. J Neurosci 2020; 40:8543-8555. [PMID: 33020214 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2615-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A rare mutation affecting the Forkhead-box protein P2 (FOXP2) transcription factor causes a severe monogenic speech and language disorder. Mice carrying an identical point mutation to that observed in affected patients (Foxp2+/R552H mice) display motor deficits and impaired synaptic plasticity in the striatum. However, the consequences of the mutation on neuronal function, in particular in the cerebral cortex, remain little studied. Foxp2 is expressed in a subset of Layer VI cortical neurons. Here, we used Ntsr1-EGFP mice to identify Foxp2+ neurons in the mouse auditory cortex ex vivo. We studied the functional impact of the R552H mutation on the morphologic and functional properties of Layer VI cortical neurons from Ntsr1-EGFP; Foxp2+/R552H male and female mice. The complexity of apical, but not basal dendrites was significantly lower in Foxp2+/R552H cortico-thalamic neurons than in control Foxp2+/+ neurons. Excitatory synaptic inputs, but not inhibitory synaptic inputs, were decreased in Foxp2+/R552H mice. In response, homeostatic mechanisms would be expected to increase neuronal gain, i.e., the conversion of a synaptic input into a firing output. However, the intrinsic excitability of Foxp2+ cortical neurons was lower in Foxp2+/R552H neurons. A-type and delayed-rectifier (DR) potassium currents, two putative transcriptional targets of Foxp2, were not affected by the mutation. In contrast, GABAB/GIRK signaling, another presumed target of Foxp2, was increased in mutant neurons. Blocking GIRK channels strongly attenuated the difference in intrinsic excitability between wild-type (WT) and Foxp2+/R552H neurons. Our results reveal a novel role for Foxp2 in the control of neuronal input/output homeostasis.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mutations of the Forkhead-box protein 2 (FOXP2) gene in humans are the first known monogenic cause of a speech and language disorder. The Foxp2 mutation may directly affect neuronal development and function in neocortex, where Foxp2 is expressed. Brain imaging studies in patients with a heterozygous mutation in FOXP2 showed abnormalities in cortical language-related regions relative to the unaffected members of the same family. However, the role of Foxp2 in neocortical neurons is poorly understood. Using mice with a Foxp2 mutation equivalent to that found in patients, we studied functional modifications in auditory cortex neurons ex vivo We found that mutant neurons exhibit alterations of synaptic input and GABAB/GIRK signaling, reflecting a loss of neuronal homeostasis.
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27
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Co M, Anderson AG, Konopka G. FOXP transcription factors in vertebrate brain development, function, and disorders. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2020; 9:e375. [PMID: 31999079 PMCID: PMC8286808 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
FOXP transcription factors are an evolutionarily ancient protein subfamily coordinating the development of several organ systems in the vertebrate body. Association of their genes with neurodevelopmental disorders has sparked particular interest in their expression patterns and functions in the brain. Here, FOXP1, FOXP2, and FOXP4 are expressed in distinct cell type-specific spatiotemporal patterns in multiple regions, including the cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellum. These varied sites and timepoints of expression have complicated efforts to link FOXP1 and FOXP2 mutations to their respective developmental disorders, the former affecting global neural functions and the latter specifically affecting speech and language. However, the use of animal models, particularly those with brain region- and cell type-specific manipulations, has greatly advanced our understanding of how FOXP expression patterns could underlie disorder-related phenotypes. While many questions remain regarding FOXP expression and function in the brain, studies to date have illuminated the roles of these transcription factors in vertebrate brain development and have greatly informed our understanding of human development and disorders. This article is categorized under: Nervous System Development > Vertebrates: General Principles Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Gene Networks and Genomics Nervous System Development > Vertebrates: Regional Development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Co
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Ashley G Anderson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Genevieve Konopka
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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28
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Kosubek-Langer J, Scharff C. Dynamic FoxP2 levels in male zebra finches are linked to morphology of adult-born Area X medium spiny neurons. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4787. [PMID: 32179863 PMCID: PMC7075913 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61740-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor FOXP2 is crucial for the formation and function of cortico-striatal circuits. FOXP2 mutations are associated with specific speech and language impairments. In songbirds, experimentally altered FoxP2 expression levels in the striatal song nucleus Area X impair vocal learning and song production. Overall FoxP2 protein levels in Area X are low in adult zebra finches and decrease further with singing. However, some Area X medium spiny neurons (MSNs) express FoxP2 at high levels (FoxP2high MSNs) and singing does not change this. Because Area X receives many new neurons throughout adulthood, we hypothesized that the FoxP2high MSNs are newly recruited neurons, not yet integrated into the local Area X circuitry and thus not active during singing. Contrary to our expectation, FoxP2 protein levels did not predict whether new MSNs were active during singing, assayed via immediate early gene expression. However, new FoxP2high MSNs had more complex dendrites, higher spine density and more mushroom spines than new FoxP2low MSNs. In addition, FoxP2 expression levels correlated positively with nucleus size of new MSNs. Together, our data suggest that dynamic FoxP2 levels in new MSNs shape their morphology during maturation and their incorporation into a neural circuit that enables the maintenance and social modulation of adult birdsong.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Kosubek-Langer
- Department of Animal Behavior, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Constance Scharff
- Department of Animal Behavior, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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29
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Co M, Hickey SL, Kulkarni A, Harper M, Konopka G. Cortical Foxp2 Supports Behavioral Flexibility and Developmental Dopamine D1 Receptor Expression. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:1855-1870. [PMID: 31711176 PMCID: PMC7132914 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic studies have associated FOXP2 variation with speech and language disorders and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) involving pathology of the cortex. In this brain region, FoxP2 is expressed from development into adulthood, but little is known about its downstream molecular and behavioral functions. Here, we characterized cortex-specific Foxp2 conditional knockout mice and found a major deficit in reversal learning, a form of behavioral flexibility. In contrast, they showed normal activity levels, anxiety, and vocalizations, save for a slight decrease in neonatal call loudness. These behavioral phenotypes were accompanied by decreased cortical dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) expression at neonatal and adult stages, while general cortical development remained unaffected. Finally, using single-cell transcriptomics, we identified at least five excitatory and three inhibitory D1R-expressing cell types in neonatal frontal cortex, and we found changes in D1R cell type composition and gene expression upon cortical Foxp2 deletion. Strikingly, these alterations included non-cell-autonomous changes in upper layer neurons and interneurons. Together, these data support a role for Foxp2 in the development of dopamine-modulated cortical circuits and behaviors relevant to NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Co
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Stephanie L Hickey
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ashwinikumar Kulkarni
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Matthew Harper
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Genevieve Konopka
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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30
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Li W, Pozzo-Miller L. Dysfunction of the corticostriatal pathway in autism spectrum disorders. J Neurosci Res 2019; 98:2130-2147. [PMID: 31758607 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The corticostriatal pathway that carries sensory, motor, and limbic information to the striatum plays a critical role in motor control, action selection, and reward. Dysfunction of this pathway is associated with many neurological and psychiatric disorders. Corticostriatal synapses have unique features in their cortical origins and striatal targets. In this review, we first describe axonal growth and synaptogenesis in the corticostriatal pathway during development, and then summarize the current understanding of the molecular bases of synaptic transmission and plasticity at mature corticostriatal synapses. Genes associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been implicated in axonal growth abnormalities, imbalance of the synaptic excitation/inhibition ratio, and altered long-term synaptic plasticity in the corticostriatal pathway. Here, we review a number of ASD-associated high-confidence genes, including FMR1, KMT2A, GRIN2B, SCN2A, NLGN1, NLGN3, MET, CNTNAP2, FOXP2, TSHZ3, SHANK3, PTEN, CHD8, MECP2, DYRK1A, RELN, FOXP1, SYNGAP1, and NRXN, and discuss their relevance to proper corticostriatal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Lucas Pozzo-Miller
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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Aamodt CM, Farias-Virgens M, White SA. Birdsong as a window into language origins and evolutionary neuroscience. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 375:20190060. [PMID: 31735151 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans and songbirds share the key trait of vocal learning, manifested in speech and song, respectively. Striking analogies between these behaviours include that both are acquired during developmental critical periods when the brain's ability for vocal learning peaks. Both behaviours show similarities in the overall architecture of their underlying brain areas, characterized by cortico-striato-thalamic loops and direct projections from cortical neurons onto brainstem motor neurons that control the vocal organs. These neural analogies extend to the molecular level, with certain song control regions sharing convergent transcriptional profiles with speech-related regions in the human brain. This evolutionary convergence offers an unprecedented opportunity to decipher the shared neurogenetic underpinnings of vocal learning. A key strength of the songbird model is that it allows for the delineation of activity-dependent transcriptional changes in the brain that are driven by learned vocal behaviour. To capitalize on this advantage, we used previously published datasets from our laboratory that correlate gene co-expression networks to features of learned vocalization within and after critical period closure to probe the functional relevance of genes implicated in language. We interrogate specific genes and cellular processes through converging lines of evidence: human-specific evolutionary changes, intelligence-related phenotypes and relevance to vocal learning gene co-expression in songbirds. This article is part of the theme issue 'What can animal communication teach us about human language?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Aamodt
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA
| | - Madza Farias-Virgens
- Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA
| | - Stephanie A White
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA.,Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA.,Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA
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32
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Vernes SC, Wilkinson GS. Behaviour, biology and evolution of vocal learning in bats. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 375:20190061. [PMID: 31735153 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The comparative approach can provide insight into the evolution of human speech, language and social communication by studying relevant traits in animal systems. Bats are emerging as a model system with great potential to shed light on these processes given their learned vocalizations, close social interactions, and mammalian brains and physiology. A recent framework outlined the multiple levels of investigation needed to understand vocal learning across a broad range of non-human species, including cetaceans, pinnipeds, elephants, birds and bats. Here, we apply this framework to the current state-of-the-art in bat research. This encompasses our understanding of the abilities bats have displayed for vocal learning, what is known about the timing and social structure needed for such learning, and current knowledge about the prevalence of the trait across the order. It also addresses the biology (vocal tract morphology, neurobiology and genetics) and evolution of this trait. We conclude by highlighting some key questions that should be answered to advance our understanding of the biological encoding and evolution of speech and spoken communication. This article is part of the theme issue 'What can animal communication teach us about human language?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja C Vernes
- Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, PO Box 310, Nijmegen 6500 AH, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Kapittelweg 29, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
| | - Gerald S Wilkinson
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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Abstract
FOXP2 mutations cause a speech and language disorder, raising interest in potential roles of this gene in human evolution. A new study re-evaluates genomic variation at the human FOXP2 locus but finds no evidence of recent adaptive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon E Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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Differential Song Deficits after Lentivirus-Mediated Knockdown of FoxP1, FoxP2, or FoxP4 in Area X of Juvenile Zebra Finches. J Neurosci 2019; 39:9782-9796. [PMID: 31641053 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1250-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the transcription factors FOXP1 and FOXP2 are associated with speech impairments. FOXP1 is additionally linked to cognitive deficits, as is FOXP4. These FoxP proteins are highly conserved in vertebrates and expressed in comparable brain regions, including the striatum. In male zebra finches, experimental manipulation of FoxP2 in Area X, a striatal song nucleus essential for vocal production learning, affects song development, adult song production, dendritic spine density, and dopamine-regulated synaptic transmission of striatal neurons. We previously showed that, in the majority of Area X neurons FoxP1, FoxP2, and FoxP4 are coexpressed, can dimerize and multimerize with each other and differentially regulate the expression of target genes. These findings raise the possibility that FoxP1, FoxP2, and FoxP4 (FoxP1/2/4) affect neural function differently and in turn vocal learning. To address this directly, we downregulated FoxP1 or FoxP4 in Area X of juvenile zebra finches and compared the resulting song phenotypes with the previously described inaccurate and incomplete song learning after FoxP2 knockdown. We found that experimental downregulation of FoxP1 and FoxP4 led to impaired song learning with partly similar features as those reported for FoxP2 knockdowns. However, there were also specific differences between the groups, leading us to suggest that specific features of the song are differentially impacted by developmental manipulations of FoxP1/2/4 expression in Area X.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We compared the effects of experimentally reduced expression of the transcription factors FoxP1, FoxP2, and FoxP4 in a striatal song nucleus, Area X, on vocal production learning in juvenile male zebra finches. We show, for the first time, that these temporally and spatially precise manipulations of the three FoxPs affect spectral and temporal song features differentially. This is important because it raises the possibility that the different FoxPs control different aspects of vocal learning through combinatorial gene expression or by acting in different microcircuits within Area X. These results are consistent with the deleterious effects of human FOXP1 and FOXP2 mutations on speech and language and add FOXP4 as a possible candidate gene for vocal disorders.
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Liu X, Zhang R, Wu Z, Si W, Ren Z, Zhang S, Zhou J, Chen D. miR‑134‑5p/Foxp2/Syn1 is involved in cognitive impairment in an early vascular dementia rat model. Int J Mol Med 2019; 44:1729-1740. [PMID: 31545395 PMCID: PMC6777691 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2019.4331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Forkhead box P2 (Foxp2) is a transcription factor involved in vocal learning. However, the number of previous studies that have investigated the role of Foxp2 in early vascular dementia (VD) is limited. The aim of the present study was to determine whether microRNA (miR)‑134‑5p/Foxp2 contributes to cognitive impairment in a chronic ischemia‑induced early VD model. miR‑134‑5p was found to be significantly increased in the cortex in a rat VD model. Intracerebroventricular injection of miR‑134‑5p antagomir into VD rats prevented the loss of synaptic proteins and the development of cognitive impairment phenotypes. Histopathological analysis revealed that miR‑134‑5p aggravated cognitive impairment in VD rats through damage to cortical neurons and loss of synaptic proteins. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that miR‑134‑5p targets Foxp2 mRNA. Dual luciferase analysis and western blotting supported the prediction that miR‑134‑5p targets Foxp2. Furthermore, the silencing of Foxp2 significantly inhibited the effect of miR‑134‑5p on synaptic protein loss. Chromatin immunoprecipitation‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that Foxp2 binds to the synapsin I (Syn1) promoter at ‑400/‑600 bp upstream of the transcription start site. In conclusion, the miR‑134‑5p/Foxp2/Syn1 axis was found to contribute to cognitive impairment in a chronic ischemia‑induced early VD model, which may enable the development of new therapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of VD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Liu
- Department of Anatomy, The Research Center of Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
| | - Ruilin Zhang
- Department of Anatomy, The Research Center of Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
| | - Zimei Wu
- Department of Anatomy, The Research Center of Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
| | - Wenwen Si
- Department of Anatomy, The Research Center of Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
| | - Zhenxing Ren
- Department of Anatomy, The Research Center of Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
| | - Saixia Zhang
- Department of Anatomy, The Research Center of Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
| | - Jianhong Zhou
- Department of Anatomy, The Research Center of Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
| | - Dongfeng Chen
- Department of Anatomy, The Research Center of Basic Integrative Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
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Schreiweis C, Irinopoulou T, Vieth B, Laddada L, Oury F, Burguière E, Enard W, Groszer M. Mice carrying a humanized Foxp2 knock-in allele show region-specific shifts of striatal Foxp2 expression levels. Cortex 2019; 118:212-222. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Wagner W, Lippmann K, Heisler FF, Gromova KV, Lombino FL, Roesler MK, Pechmann Y, Hornig S, Schweizer M, Polo S, Schwarz JR, Eilers J, Kneussel M. Myosin VI Drives Clathrin-Mediated AMPA Receptor Endocytosis to Facilitate Cerebellar Long-Term Depression. Cell Rep 2019; 28:11-20.e9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Kuo HY, Liu FC. Synaptic Wiring of Corticostriatal Circuits in Basal Ganglia: Insights into the Pathogenesis of Neuropsychiatric Disorders. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0076-19.2019. [PMID: 31097624 PMCID: PMC6553570 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0076-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The striatum is a key hub in the basal ganglia for processing neural information from the sensory, motor, and limbic cortices. The massive and diverse cortical inputs entering the striatum allow the basal ganglia to perform a repertoire of neurological functions ranging from basic level of motor control to high level of cognition. The heterogeneity of the corticostriatal circuits, however, also renders the system susceptible to a repertoire of neurological diseases. Clinical and animal model studies have indicated that defective development of the corticostriatal circuits is linked to various neuropsychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and schizophrenia. Importantly, many neuropsychiatric disease-risk genes have been found to form the molecular building blocks of the circuit wiring at the synaptic level. It is therefore imperative to understand how corticostriatal connectivity is established during development. Here, we review the construction during development of these corticostriatal circuits at the synaptic level, which should provide important insights into the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders related to the basal ganglia and help the development of appropriate therapies for these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Ying Kuo
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Chin Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
- Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
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39
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Developmental Vitamin D Deficiency Produces Behavioral Phenotypes of Relevance to Autism in an Animal Model. Nutrients 2019; 11:nu11051187. [PMID: 31137843 PMCID: PMC6566814 DOI: 10.3390/nu11051187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that gestational or developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency is associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction, lack of verbal and non-verbal communications, stereotyped repetitive behaviors and hyper-activities. There are several other clinical features that are commonly comorbid with ASD, including olfactory impairments, anxiety and delays in motor development. Here we investigate these features in an animal model related to ASD-the DVD-deficient rat. Compared to controls, both DVD-deficient male and female pups show altered ultrasonic vocalizations and stereotyped repetitive behavior. Further, the DVD-deficient animals had delayed motor development and impaired motor control. Adolescent DVD-deficient animals had impaired reciprocal social interaction, while as adults, these animals were hyperactive. The DVD-deficient model is associated with a range of behavioral features of interest to ASD.
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40
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Kast RJ, Lanjewar AL, Smith CD, Levitt P. FOXP2 exhibits projection neuron class specific expression, but is not required for multiple aspects of cortical histogenesis. eLife 2019; 8:e42012. [PMID: 31099752 PMCID: PMC6561705 DOI: 10.7554/elife.42012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The expression patterns of the transcription factor FOXP2 in the developing mammalian forebrain have been described, and some studies have tested the role of this protein in the development and function of specific forebrain circuits by diverse methods and in multiple species. Clinically, mutations in FOXP2 are associated with severe developmental speech disturbances, and molecular studies indicate that impairment of Foxp2 may lead to dysregulation of genes involved in forebrain histogenesis. Here, anatomical and molecular phenotypes of the cortical neuron populations that express FOXP2 were characterized in mice. Additionally, Foxp2 was removed from the developing mouse cortex at different prenatal ages using two Cre-recombinase driver lines. Detailed molecular and circuit analyses were undertaken to identify potential disruptions of development. Surprisingly, the results demonstrate that Foxp2 function is not required for many functions that it has been proposed to regulate, and therefore plays a more limited role in cortical development than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Kast
- Department of Pediatrics and Program in Developmental Neuroscience and NeurogeneticsThe Saban Research Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Alexandra L Lanjewar
- Department of Pediatrics and Program in Developmental Neuroscience and NeurogeneticsThe Saban Research Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Colton D Smith
- Department of Pediatrics and Program in Developmental Neuroscience and NeurogeneticsThe Saban Research Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Pat Levitt
- Department of Pediatrics and Program in Developmental Neuroscience and NeurogeneticsThe Saban Research Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
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41
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Hickey SL, Berto S, Konopka G. Chromatin Decondensation by FOXP2 Promotes Human Neuron Maturation and Expression of Neurodevelopmental Disease Genes. Cell Rep 2019; 27:1699-1711.e9. [PMID: 31067457 PMCID: PMC6794152 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Forkhead box P2 (FOXP2) is a transcription factor expressed in the human brain that peaks during fetal development, and disruption in its ability to regulate downstream target genes leads to vulnerability to neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the mechanisms by which FOXP2 exerts regulatory control over targets during neuronal maturation have not been fully elucidated. Here, we use genome-wide chromatin accessibility assays and transcriptome-wide expression analyses in differentiating human neurons to show that FOXP2 represses proliferation-promoting genes in a DNA-binding-dependent manner. In contrast, FOXP2 and its cofactors, NFIA and NFIB, activate neuronal maturation genes in a manner that does not require FOXP2 to interact with DNA directly. Moreover, comparisons with expression data from the developing human brain suggest that FOXP2 and NFIA- or NFIB-dependent chromatin alterations drive maturation of excitatory cortical neurons. Thus, FOXP2 and its NFI cofactors may be specifically important for the development of cortical circuits underlying neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L Hickey
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Stefano Berto
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Genevieve Konopka
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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42
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Medvedeva VP, Rieger MA, Vieth B, Mombereau C, Ziegenhain C, Ghosh T, Cressant A, Enard W, Granon S, Dougherty JD, Groszer M. Altered social behavior in mice carrying a cortical Foxp2 deletion. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 28:701-717. [PMID: 30357341 PMCID: PMC6381386 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic disruptions of the forkhead box transcription factor FOXP2 in humans cause an autosomal-dominant speech and language disorder. While FOXP2 expression pattern are highly conserved, its role in specific brain areas for mammalian social behaviors remains largely unknown. Here we studied mice carrying a homozygous cortical Foxp2 deletion. The postnatal development and gross morphological architecture of mutant mice was indistinguishable from wildtype (WT) littermates. Unbiased behavioral profiling of adult mice revealed abnormalities in approach behavior towards conspecifics as well as in the reciprocal responses of WT interaction partners. Furthermore mutant mice showed alterations in acoustical parameters of ultrasonic vocalizations, which also differed in function of the social context. Cell type-specific gene expression profiling of cortical pyramidal neurons revealed aberrant regulation of genes involved in social behavior. In particular Foxp2 mutants showed the downregulation of Mint2 (Apba2), a gene involved in approach behavior in mice and autism spectrum disorder in humans. Taken together these data demonstrate that cortical Foxp2 is required for normal social behaviors in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera P Medvedeva
- Inserm, Institut du Fer à Moulin, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Michael A Rieger
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Beate Vieth
- Anthropology & Human Genomics, Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Cédric Mombereau
- Inserm, Institut du Fer à Moulin, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Christoph Ziegenhain
- Anthropology & Human Genomics, Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Tanay Ghosh
- Inserm, Institut du Fer à Moulin, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Arnaud Cressant
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR, Orsay, France
| | - Wolfgang Enard
- Anthropology & Human Genomics, Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sylvie Granon
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR, Orsay, France
| | - Joseph D Dougherty
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Matthias Groszer
- Inserm, Institut du Fer à Moulin, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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43
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Castells-Nobau A, Eidhof I, Fenckova M, Brenman-Suttner DB, Scheffer-de Gooyert JM, Christine S, Schellevis RL, van der Laan K, Quentin C, van Ninhuijs L, Hofmann F, Ejsmont R, Fisher SE, Kramer JM, Sigrist SJ, Simon AF, Schenck A. Conserved regulation of neurodevelopmental processes and behavior by FoxP in Drosophila. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211652. [PMID: 30753188 PMCID: PMC6372147 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
FOXP proteins form a subfamily of evolutionarily conserved transcription factors involved in the development and functioning of several tissues, including the central nervous system. In humans, mutations in FOXP1 and FOXP2 have been implicated in cognitive deficits including intellectual disability and speech disorders. Drosophila exhibits a single ortholog, called FoxP, but due to a lack of characterized mutants, our understanding of the gene remains poor. Here we show that the dimerization property required for mammalian FOXP function is conserved in Drosophila. In flies, FoxP is enriched in the adult brain, showing strong expression in ~1000 neurons of cholinergic, glutamatergic and GABAergic nature. We generate Drosophila loss-of-function mutants and UAS-FoxP transgenic lines for ectopic expression, and use them to characterize FoxP function in the nervous system. At the cellular level, we demonstrate that Drosophila FoxP is required in larvae for synaptic morphogenesis at axonal terminals of the neuromuscular junction and for dendrite development of dorsal multidendritic sensory neurons. In the developing brain, we find that FoxP plays important roles in α-lobe mushroom body formation. Finally, at a behavioral level, we show that Drosophila FoxP is important for locomotion, habituation learning and social space behavior of adult flies. Our work shows that Drosophila FoxP is important for regulating several neurodevelopmental processes and behaviors that are related to human disease or vertebrate disease model phenotypes. This suggests a high degree of functional conservation with vertebrate FOXP orthologues and established flies as a model system for understanding FOXP related pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Castells-Nobau
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ilse Eidhof
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Michaela Fenckova
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Jolanda M. Scheffer-de Gooyert
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Sheren Christine
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Rosa L. Schellevis
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Kiran van der Laan
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Christine Quentin
- Genetics, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lisa van Ninhuijs
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Falko Hofmann
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Radoslaw Ejsmont
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), Dresden, Germany
| | - Simon E. Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute of Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jamie M. Kramer
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Stephan J. Sigrist
- Genetics, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne F. Simon
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Annette Schenck
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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44
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Estruch SB, Graham SA, Quevedo M, Vino A, Dekkers DHW, Deriziotis P, Sollis E, Demmers J, Poot RA, Fisher SE. Proteomic analysis of FOXP proteins reveals interactions between cortical transcription factors associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 27:1212-1227. [PMID: 29365100 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
FOXP transcription factors play important roles in neurodevelopment, but little is known about how their transcriptional activity is regulated. FOXP proteins cooperatively regulate gene expression by forming homo- and hetero-dimers with each other. Physical associations with other transcription factors might also modulate the functions of FOXP proteins. However, few FOXP-interacting transcription factors have been identified so far. Therefore, we sought to discover additional transcription factors that interact with the brain-expressed FOXP proteins, FOXP1, FOXP2 and FOXP4, through affinity-purifications of protein complexes followed by mass spectrometry. We identified seven novel FOXP-interacting transcription factors (NR2F1, NR2F2, SATB1, SATB2, SOX5, YY1 and ZMYM2), five of which have well-estabslished roles in cortical development. Accordingly, we found that these transcription factors are co-expressed with FoxP2 in the deep layers of the cerebral cortex and also in the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, suggesting that they may cooperate with the FoxPs to regulate neural gene expression in vivo. Moreover, we demonstrated that etiological mutations of FOXP1 and FOXP2, known to cause neurodevelopmental disorders, severely disrupted the interactions with FOXP-interacting transcription factors. Additionally, we pinpointed specific regions within FOXP2 sequence involved in mediating these interactions. Thus, by expanding the FOXP interactome we have uncovered part of a broader neural transcription factor network involved in cortical development, providing novel molecular insights into the transcriptional architecture underlying brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara B Estruch
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6525 XD, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah A Graham
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6525 XD, The Netherlands
| | - Martí Quevedo
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam 3015 CN, The Netherlands
| | - Arianna Vino
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6525 XD, The Netherlands
| | - Dick H W Dekkers
- Center for Proteomics, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam 3015 CN, The Netherlands
| | - Pelagia Deriziotis
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6525 XD, The Netherlands
| | - Elliot Sollis
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6525 XD, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Demmers
- Center for Proteomics, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam 3015 CN, The Netherlands
| | - Raymond A Poot
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam 3015 CN, The Netherlands
| | - Simon E Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6525 XD, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
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French CA, Vinueza Veloz MF, Zhou K, Peter S, Fisher SE, Costa RM, De Zeeuw CI. Differential effects of Foxp2 disruption in distinct motor circuits. Mol Psychiatry 2019; 24:447-462. [PMID: 30108312 PMCID: PMC6514880 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0199-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Disruptions of the FOXP2 gene cause a speech and language disorder involving difficulties in sequencing orofacial movements. FOXP2 is expressed in cortico-striatal and cortico-cerebellar circuits important for fine motor skills, and affected individuals show abnormalities in these brain regions. We selectively disrupted Foxp2 in the cerebellar Purkinje cells, striatum or cortex of mice and assessed the effects on skilled motor behaviour using an operant lever-pressing task. Foxp2 loss in each region impacted behaviour differently, with striatal and Purkinje cell disruptions affecting the variability and the speed of lever-press sequences, respectively. Mice lacking Foxp2 in Purkinje cells showed a prominent phenotype involving slowed lever pressing as well as deficits in skilled locomotion. In vivo recordings from Purkinje cells uncovered an increased simple spike firing rate and decreased modulation of firing during limb movements. This was caused by increased intrinsic excitability rather than changes in excitatory or inhibitory inputs. Our findings show that Foxp2 can modulate different aspects of motor behaviour in distinct brain regions, and uncover an unknown role for Foxp2 in the modulation of Purkinje cell activity that severely impacts skilled movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A. French
- 0000 0004 0453 9636grid.421010.6Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - María F. Vinueza Veloz
- 000000040459992Xgrid.5645.2Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.442230.3School of Medicine, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Ecuador
| | - Kuikui Zhou
- 000000040459992Xgrid.5645.2Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands ,0000000119573309grid.9227.eThe Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Saša Peter
- 000000040459992Xgrid.5645.2Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Simon E. Fisher
- 0000 0004 0501 3839grid.419550.cLanguage and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands ,0000000122931605grid.5590.9Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rui M. Costa
- 0000 0004 0453 9636grid.421010.6Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal ,0000000419368729grid.21729.3fDepartment of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Chris I. De Zeeuw
- 000000040459992Xgrid.5645.2Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands ,0000 0001 2153 6865grid.418101.dNetherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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A set of regulatory genes co-expressed in embryonic human brain is implicated in disrupted speech development. Mol Psychiatry 2019; 24:1065-1078. [PMID: 29463886 PMCID: PMC6756287 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0020-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 12/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Genetic investigations of people with impaired development of spoken language provide windows into key aspects of human biology. Over 15 years after FOXP2 was identified, most speech and language impairments remain unexplained at the molecular level. We sequenced whole genomes of nineteen unrelated individuals diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech, a rare disorder enriched for causative mutations of large effect. Where DNA was available from unaffected parents, we discovered de novo mutations, implicating genes, including CHD3, SETD1A and WDR5. In other probands, we identified novel loss-of-function variants affecting KAT6A, SETBP1, ZFHX4, TNRC6B and MKL2, regulatory genes with links to neurodevelopment. Several of the new candidates interact with each other or with known speech-related genes. Moreover, they show significant clustering within a single co-expression module of genes highly expressed during early human brain development. This study highlights gene regulatory pathways in the developing brain that may contribute to acquisition of proficient speech.
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Zhao X, Bhattacharyya A. Human Models Are Needed for Studying Human Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Am J Hum Genet 2018; 103:829-857. [PMID: 30526865 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2018.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The analysis of animal models of neurological disease has been instrumental in furthering our understanding of neurodevelopment and brain diseases. However, animal models are limited in revealing some of the most fundamental aspects of development, genetics, pathology, and disease mechanisms that are unique to humans. These shortcomings are exaggerated in disorders that affect the brain, where the most significant differences between humans and animal models exist, and could underscore failures in targeted therapeutic interventions in affected individuals. Human pluripotent stem cells have emerged as a much-needed model system for investigating human-specific biology and disease mechanisms. However, questions remain regarding whether these cell-culture-based models are sufficient or even necessary. In this review, we summarize human-specific features of neurodevelopment and the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, present discrepancies between animal models and human diseases, demonstrate how human stem cell models can provide meaningful information, and discuss the challenges that exist in our pursuit to understand distinctively human aspects of neurodevelopment and brain disease. This information argues for a more thoughtful approach to disease modeling through consideration of the valuable features and limitations of each model system, be they human or animal, to mimic disease characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Zhao
- Waisman Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI 53705, USA; Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI 53705, USA.
| | - Anita Bhattacharyya
- Waisman Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI 53705, USA; Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI 53705, USA.
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48
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No association between FOXP2 rs10447760 and schizophrenia in a replication study of the Chinese Han population. Psychiatr Genet 2018; 28:19-23. [PMID: 29346177 DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0000000000000193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe and heritable psychiatric disorder, and previous studies have shown that regulation of the forkhead-box P2 gene (FOXP2) may play a role in schizophrenia. Moreover, just a few studies have identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs10447760 within the gene that was a risk variant for SCZ in the Chinese Han population. METHODS To examine whether the variant in the FOXP2 gene contributes toward SCZ susceptibility, we carried out an association analysis of the SNP rs10447760 of the FOXP2 gene in a case-control study (1405 cases, 1137 controls) from China. RESULTS We identified no association of rs10447760 in the FOXP2 gene with SCZ (all P>0.05). In addition, a meta-analysis indicated that the SNP rs10447760 was not associated with susceptibility to SCZ in Han Chinese populations (pooled odds ratio=1.44, 95% confidence interval: 0.63-3.31, P=0.39). CONCLUSION Thus, our results did not support the association between FOXP2 rs10447760 and schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population, and large-scale genetic replication studies with different racial and geographic origins are required in the future.
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Zhang S, Zhao J, Guo Z, Jones JA, Liu P, Liu H. The Association Between Genetic Variation in FOXP2 and Sensorimotor Control of Speech Production. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:666. [PMID: 30294257 PMCID: PMC6158330 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Significant advances have been made in understanding the role of auditory feedback in sensorimotor integration for speech production. The neurogenetic basis of this feedback-based control process, however, remains largely unknown. Mutations of FOXP2 gene in humans are associated with severe deficits in speech motor behavior. The present study examined the associations between a FOXP2 common variant, rs6980093 (A/G), and the behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) responses to -50 and -200 cents pitch perturbations during vocal production in a sample of 133 Chinese adults. Behaviorally, the GG genotype was associated with significantly smaller vocal compensations for -200 cents perturbations relative to the AA and AG genotypes. Furthermore, both the AA and AG genotypes exhibited significant positive correlations between the degree of vocal compensation for -50 and -200 cents perturbations and the variability of normal voice fundamental frequency, whereas no such correlation existed for the GG genotype. At the cortical level, significantly larger P2 responses to -200 cents perturbations were associated with the GG genotype as compared to the AA and AG genotypes due to increased left-lateralized activity in the superior, middle, and inferior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, middle temporal gyrus, and insula. The neurobehavioral responses to -50 cents perturbations, however, did not vary as a function of genotype. These findings present the first neurobehavioral evidence for an association between FOXP2 genetic variant and auditory-motor integration for vocal pitch regulation. The differential effects of FOXP2 genotypes at rs6980093 may reflect their influences on the weighting of feedback and feedforward control of speech production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyun Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiangli Zhao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Guo
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, Zhuhai College of Jilin University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Jeffery A Jones
- Department of Psychology, Laurier Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Peng Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hanjun Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Foxp2 loss of function increases striatal direct pathway inhibition via increased GABA release. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:4211-4226. [PMID: 30187194 PMCID: PMC6267273 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1746-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Heterozygous mutations of the Forkhead-box protein 2 (FOXP2) gene in humans cause childhood apraxia of speech. Loss of Foxp2 in mice is known to affect striatal development and impair motor skills. However, it is unknown if striatal excitatory/inhibitory balance is affected during development and if the imbalance persists into adulthood. We investigated the effect of reduced Foxp2 expression, via a loss-of-function mutation, on striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs). Our data show that heterozygous loss of Foxp2 decreases excitatory (AMPA receptor-mediated) and increases inhibitory (GABA receptor-mediated) currents in D1 dopamine receptor positive MSNs of juvenile and adult mice. Furthermore, reduced Foxp2 expression increases GAD67 expression, leading to both increased presynaptic content and release of GABA. Finally, pharmacological blockade of inhibitory activity in vivo partially rescues motor skill learning deficits in heterozygous Foxp2 mice. Our results suggest a novel role for Foxp2 in the regulation of striatal direct pathway activity through managing inhibitory drive.
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