1
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Hing B, Mitchell SB, Filali Y, Eberle M, Hultman I, Matkovich M, Kasturirangan M, Johnson M, Wyche W, Jimenez A, Velamuri R, Guhmman M, Wickramasignhe H, Christian O, Srivastava S, Hultman R. Transcriptomic Evaluation of a Stress Vulnerability Network using Single Cell RNA-Seq in mouse Prefrontal Cortex. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01363-5. [PMID: 38866174 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increased vulnerability to stress is a major risk factor for several mood disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD). Although cellular and molecular mechanisms associated with depressive behaviors following stress have been identified, little is known about the mechanisms conferring vulnerability that predisposes individuals to future damage from chronic stress. METHODS We used multi-site in vivo neurophysiology in freely behaving male and female C57BL/6 mice (n=12) to measure electrical brain network activity previously identified as indicating a latent stress vulnerability brain state. We combined this neurophysiological approach with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to identify distinct transcriptomic differences between groups of mice with inherent high and low stress vulnerability. RESULTS We identified hundreds of differentially expressed genes (padj <0.05) across five major cell types between animals with high and low stress vulnerability brain network activity. This unique analysis revealed that GABAergic neuron gene expression contributes most to the network activity of the stress vulnerability brain state. Upregulation of mitochondrial and metabolic pathways also distinguished high and low vulnerability brain states, especially in inhibitory neurons. Importantly, genes that were differentially regulated with vulnerability network activity significantly overlapped (above chance) with those identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) as having SNPs significantly associated with depression as well as genes more highly expressed in post-mortem PFC of patients with MDD. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to identify cell types and genes involved in a latent stress vulnerability state in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Hing
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Sara B Mitchell
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Yassine Filali
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Maureen Eberle
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Ian Hultman
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Molly Matkovich
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Mukundan Kasturirangan
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Micah Johnson
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Whitney Wyche
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Alli Jimenez
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Radha Velamuri
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Mahnoor Guhmman
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Himali Wickramasignhe
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Olivia Christian
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Sanvesh Srivastava
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Rainbo Hultman
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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2
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Ritz NL, Bastiaanssen TFS, Cowan CSM, Smith L, Theune N, Brocka M, Myers EM, Moloney RD, Moloney GM, Shkoporov AN, Draper LA, Hill C, Dinan TG, Slattery DA, Cryan JF. Social fear extinction susceptibility is associated with Microbiota-Gut-Brain axis alterations. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 120:315-326. [PMID: 38852762 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder is a common psychiatric condition that severely affects quality of life of individuals and is a significant societal burden. Although many risk factors for social anxiety exist, it is currently unknown how social fear sensitivity manifests biologically. Furthermore, since some individuals are resilient and others are susceptible to social fear, it is important to interrogate the mechanisms underpinning individual response to social fear situations. The microbiota-gut-brain axis has been associated with social behaviour, has recently been linked with social anxiety disorder, and may serve as a therapeutic target for modulation. Here, we assess the potential of this axis to be linked with social fear extinction processes in a murine model of social anxiety disorder. To this end, we correlated differential social fear responses with microbiota composition, central gene expression, and immune responses. Our data provide evidence that microbiota variability is strongly correlated with alterations in social fear behaviour. Moreover, we identified altered gene candidates by amygdalar transcriptomics that are linked with social fear sensitivity. These include genes associated with social behaviour (Armcx1, Fam69b, Kcnj9, Maoa, Serinc5, Slc6a17, Spata2, and Syngr1), inflammation and immunity (Cars, Ckmt1, Klf5, Maoa, Map3k12, Pex5, Serinc5, Sidt1, Spata2), and microbe-host interaction (Klf5, Map3k12, Serinc5, Sidt1). Together, these data provide further evidence for a role of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in social fear responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel L Ritz
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland; Dept. of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland
| | - Thomaz F S Bastiaanssen
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland; Dept. of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland
| | - Caitlin S M Cowan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland; Dept. of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland
| | - Linda Smith
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland; School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, T12K8AF, Ireland
| | - Nigel Theune
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland; Dept. of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland
| | - Marta Brocka
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland; Dept. of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland
| | - Eibhlís M Myers
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland; Dept. of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland
| | - Rachel D Moloney
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland; Dept. of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland
| | - Gerard M Moloney
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland; Dept. of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland
| | - Andrey N Shkoporov
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland; School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, T12K8AF, Ireland
| | - Lorraine A Draper
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland; School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, T12K8AF, Ireland
| | - Colin Hill
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland; School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, T12K8AF, Ireland
| | - Timothy G Dinan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland; Dept. of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland
| | - David A Slattery
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt 60528, Germany
| | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland; Dept. of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork T12YT20, Ireland.
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3
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Teague CD, Markovic T, Zhou X, Martinez-Rivera FJ, Minier-Toribio A, Zinsmaier A, Pulido NV, Schmidt KH, Lucerne KE, Godino A, van der Zee YY, Ramakrishnan A, Futamura R, Browne CJ, Holt LM, Yim YY, Azizian CH, Walker DM, Shen L, Dong Y, Zhang B, Nestler EJ. Circuit-Wide Gene Network Analysis Reveals Sex-Specific Roles for Phosphodiesterase 1b in Cocaine Addiction. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1327232024. [PMID: 38637154 PMCID: PMC11154853 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1327-23.2024] [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: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder is a significant public health issue without an effective pharmacological treatment. Successful treatments are hindered in part by an incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie long-lasting maladaptive plasticity and addiction-like behaviors. Here, we leverage a large RNA sequencing dataset to generate gene coexpression networks across six interconnected regions of the brain's reward circuitry from mice that underwent saline or cocaine self-administration. We identify phosphodiesterase 1b (Pde1b), a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent enzyme that increases cAMP and cGMP hydrolysis, as a central hub gene within a nucleus accumbens (NAc) gene module that was bioinformatically associated with addiction-like behavior. Chronic cocaine exposure increases Pde1b expression in NAc D2 medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in male but not female mice. Viral-mediated Pde1b overexpression in NAc reduces cocaine self-administration in female rats but increases seeking in both sexes. In female mice, overexpressing Pde1b in D1 MSNs attenuates the locomotor response to cocaine, with the opposite effect in D2 MSNs. Overexpressing Pde1b in D1/D2 MSNs had no effect on the locomotor response to cocaine in male mice. At the electrophysiological level, Pde1b overexpression reduces sEPSC frequency in D1 MSNs and regulates the excitability of NAc MSNs. Lastly, Pde1b overexpression significantly reduced the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in NAc following chronic cocaine, with discordant effects on gene transcription between sexes. Together, we identify novel gene modules across the brain's reward circuitry associated with addiction-like behavior and explore the role of Pde1b in regulating the molecular, cellular, and behavioral responses to cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin D Teague
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Tamara Markovic
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Xianxiao Zhou
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Freddyson J Martinez-Rivera
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Angelica Minier-Toribio
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Alexander Zinsmaier
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
| | - Nathalia V Pulido
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Kyra H Schmidt
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Kelsey E Lucerne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Arthur Godino
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Yentl Y van der Zee
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Rita Futamura
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Caleb J Browne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Leanne M Holt
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Yun Young Yim
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Corrine H Azizian
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Deena M Walker
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
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4
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Kim RK, Truby NL, Silva GM, Picone JA, Miller CS, Baldwin AN, Neve RL, Cui X, Hamilton PJ. Histone H1x in mouse ventral hippocampus associates with, but does not cause behavioral adaptations to stress. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:239. [PMID: 38834575 PMCID: PMC11150540 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02931-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Prior research has identified differential protein expression levels of linker histone H1x within the ventral hippocampus (vHipp) of stress-susceptible versus stress-resilient mice. These mice are behaviorally classified based on their divergent responses to chronic social stress. Here, we sought to determine whether elevated vHipp H1x protein levels directly contribute to these diverging behavioral adaptations to stress. First, we demonstrated that stress-susceptible mice uniquely express elevated vHipp H1x protein levels following chronic stress. Given that linker histones coordinate heterochromatin compaction, we hypothesize that elevated levels of H1x in the vHipp may impede pro-resilience transcriptional adaptations and prevent development of the resilient phenotype following social stress. To test this, 8-10-week-old male C57BL/6 J mice were randomly assigned to groups undergoing 10 days of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) or single housing, respectively. Following CSDS, mice were classified as susceptible versus resilient based on their social interaction behaviors. We synthesized a viral overexpression (OE) vector for H1x and transduced all stressed and single housed mice with either H1x or control GFP within vHipp. Following viral delivery, we conducted social, anxiety-like, and memory-reliant behavior tests on distinct cohorts of mice. We found no behavioral adaptations following H1x OE compared to GFP controls in susceptible, resilient, or single housed mice. In sum, although we confirm elevated vHipp protein levels of H1x associate with susceptibility to social stress, we observe no significant behavioral consequence of H1x OE. Thus, we conclude elevated levels of H1x are associated with, but are not singularly sufficient to drive development of behavioral adaptations to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Kijoon Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Natalie L Truby
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Gabriella M Silva
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Joseph A Picone
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Cary S Miller
- Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Amber N Baldwin
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Rachael L Neve
- Gene Delivery Technology Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xiaohong Cui
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Peter J Hamilton
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA.
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5
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Nestler EJ, Russo SJ. Neurobiological basis of stress resilience. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00327-1. [PMID: 38795707 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
A majority of humans faced with severe stress maintain normal physiological and behavioral function, a process referred to as resilience. Such stress resilience has been modeled in laboratory animals and, over the past 15 years, has transformed our understanding of stress responses and how to approach the treatment of human stress disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety disorders. Work in rodents has demonstrated that resilience to chronic stress is an active process that involves much more than simply avoiding the deleterious effects of the stress. Rather, resilience is mediated largely by the induction of adaptations that are associated uniquely with resilience. Such mechanisms of natural resilience in rodents are being characterized at the molecular, cellular, and circuit levels, with an increasing number being validated in human investigations. Such discoveries raise the novel possibility that treatments for human stress disorders, in addition to being geared toward reversing the damaging effects of stress, can also be based on inducing mechanisms of natural resilience in individuals who are inherently more susceptible. This review provides a progress report on this evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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6
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Cuttoli RDD, Sweis BM. Ketamine reverses stress-induced hypersensitivity to sunk costs. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.12.593597. [PMID: 38798536 PMCID: PMC11118454 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.12.593597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
How mood interacts with information processing in the brain is thought to mediate the maladaptive behaviors observed in depressed individuals. However, the neural mechanisms underlying impairments in emotion-cognition interactions are poorly understood. This includes influencing the balance between how past-sensitive vs. future-looking one is during decision-making. Recent insights from the field of neuroeconomics offer novel approaches to study changes in such valuation processes in a manner that is biologically tractable and readily translatable across species. We recently discovered that rodents are sensitive to "sunk costs" - a feature of higher cognition previously thought to be unique to humans. The sunk costs bias describes the phenomenon in which an individual overvalues and escalates commitment to continuing an ongoing endeavor, even if suboptimal, as a function of irrecoverable past (sunk) losses - information that, according to classic economic theory, should be ignored. In the present study, mice were exposed to chronic social defeat stress paradigm, a well-established animal model used for the study of depression. Mice were then tested on our longitudinal neuroeconomic foraging task, Restaurant Row. We found mice exposed to this severe stressor displayed an increased sensitivity to sunk costs, without altering overall willingness to wait. Mice were then randomly assigned to receive a single intraperitoneal injection of either saline or ketamine (20 mg/kg). We discovered that stress-induced hypersensitivity to sunk costs was renormalized following a single dose of ketamine. Interestingly, in non-defeated mice, ketamine treatment completely abolished sunk cost sensitivity, causing mice to no longer value irrecoverable losses during re-evaluation decisions who instead based choices solely on the future investment required to obtain a goal. These findings suggest that the antidepressant effects of ketamine may be mediated in part through changes in the processing of past-sensitive information during on-going decision-making, reducing its weight as a potential source of cognitive dissonance that could modulate behavior and instead promoting more future-thinking behavior.
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7
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Kovlyagina I, Wierczeiko A, Todorov H, Jacobi E, Tevosian M, von Engelhardt J, Gerber S, Lutz B. Leveraging interindividual variability in threat conditioning of inbred mice to model trait anxiety. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002642. [PMID: 38805548 PMCID: PMC11161093 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Trait anxiety is a major risk factor for stress-induced and anxiety disorders in humans. However, animal models accounting for the interindividual variability in stress vulnerability are largely lacking. Moreover, the pervasive bias of using mostly male animals in preclinical studies poorly reflects the increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders in women. Using the threat imminence continuum theory, we designed and validated an auditory aversive conditioning-based pipeline in both female and male mice. We operationalised trait anxiety by harnessing the naturally occurring variability of defensive freezing responses combined with a model-based clustering strategy. While sustained freezing during prolonged retrieval sessions was identified as an anxiety-endophenotype behavioral marker in both sexes, females were consistently associated with an increased freezing response. RNA-sequencing of CeA, BLA, ACC, and BNST revealed massive differences in phasic and sustained responders' transcriptomes, correlating with transcriptomic signatures of psychiatric disorders, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Moreover, we detected significant alterations in the excitation/inhibition balance of principal neurons in the lateral amygdala. These findings provide compelling evidence that trait anxiety in inbred mice can be leveraged to develop translationally relevant preclinical models to investigate mechanisms of stress susceptibility in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Kovlyagina
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Anna Wierczeiko
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Hristo Todorov
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Eric Jacobi
- Institute of Pathophysiology, and Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Margarita Tevosian
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
| | - Jakob von Engelhardt
- Institute of Pathophysiology, and Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Gerber
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Beat Lutz
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
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8
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Butto T, Chongtham MC, Mungikar K, Hartwich D, Linke M, Ruffini N, Radyushkin K, Schweiger S, Winter J, Gerber S. Characterization of transcriptional profiles associated with stress-induced neuronal activation in Arc-GFP mice. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02555-z. [PMID: 38649752 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02555-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Chronic stress has become a predominant factor associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety, in both human and animal models. Although multiple studies have looked at transcriptional changes after social defeat stress, these studies primarily focus on bulk tissues, which might dilute important molecular signatures of social interaction in activated cells. In this study, we employed the Arc-GFP mouse model in conjunction with chronic social defeat (CSD) to selectively isolate activated nuclei (AN) populations in the ventral hippocampus (vHIP) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) of resilient and susceptible animals. Nuclear RNA-seq of susceptible vs. resilient populations revealed distinct transcriptional profiles linked predominantly with neuronal and synaptic regulation mechanisms. In the vHIP, susceptible AN exhibited increased expression of genes related to the cytoskeleton and synaptic organization. At the same time, resilient AN showed upregulation of cell adhesion genes and differential expression of major glutamatergic subunits. In the PFC, susceptible mice exhibited upregulation of synaptotagmins and immediate early genes (IEGs), suggesting a potentially over-amplified neuronal activity state. Our findings provide a novel view of stress-exposed neuronal activation and the molecular response mechanisms in stress-susceptible vs. resilient animals, which may have important implications for understanding mental resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamer Butto
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Kanak Mungikar
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dewi Hartwich
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias Linke
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Nicolas Ruffini
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Wallstr 7, 55122, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Susann Schweiger
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Wallstr 7, 55122, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jennifer Winter
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Wallstr 7, 55122, Mainz, Germany.
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Susanne Gerber
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
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Hagenauer MH, Sannah Y, Hebda-Bauer EK, Rhoads C, O'Connor AM, Watson SJ, Akil H. Resource: A Curated Database of Brain-Related Functional Gene Sets (Brain.GMT). BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.05.588301. [PMID: 38645214 PMCID: PMC11030436 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.05.588301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Transcriptional profiling has become a common tool for investigating the nervous system. During analysis, differential expression results are often compared to functional ontology databases, which contain curated gene sets representing well-studied pathways. This dependence can cause neuroscience studies to be interpreted in terms of functional pathways documented in better studied tissues (e.g., liver) and topics (e.g., cancer), and systematically emphasizes well-studied genes, leaving other findings in the obscurity of the brain "ignorome". To address this issue, we compiled a curated database of 918 gene sets related to nervous system function, tissue, and cell types ("Brain.GMT") that can be used within common analysis pipelines (GSEA, limma, edgeR) to interpret results from three species (rat, mouse, human). Brain.GMT includes brain-related gene sets curated from the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB) and extracted from public databases (GeneWeaver, Gemma, DropViz, BrainInABlender, HippoSeq) and published studies containing differential expression results. Although Brain.GMT is still undergoing development and currently only represents a fraction of available brain gene sets, "brain ignorome" genes are already better represented than in traditional Gene Ontology databases. Moreover, Brain.GMT substantially improves the quantity and quality of gene sets identified as enriched with differential expression in neuroscience studies, enhancing interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan H Hagenauer
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; MI 48109, USA
| | - Yusra Sannah
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; MI 48109, USA
| | - Elaine K Hebda-Bauer
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; MI 48109, USA
| | - Cosette Rhoads
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; MI 48109, USA
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Angela M O'Connor
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; MI 48109, USA
| | - Stanley J Watson
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; MI 48109, USA
| | - Huda Akil
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; MI 48109, USA
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10
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Kim HD, Wei J, Call T, Ma X, Quintus NT, Summers AJ, Carotenuto S, Johnson R, Nguyen A, Cui Y, Park JG, Qiu S, Ferguson D. SIRT1 Coordinates Transcriptional Regulation of Neural Activity and Modulates Depression-Like Behaviors in the Nucleus Accumbens. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01176-4. [PMID: 38575105 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depression and anxiety disorders are significant causes of disability and socioeconomic burden. Despite the prevalence and considerable impact of these affective disorders, their pathophysiology remains elusive. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutics for these conditions. We evaluated the role of SIRT1 in regulating dysfunctional processes of reward by using chronic social defeat stress to induce depression- and anxiety-like behaviors. Chronic social defeat stress induces physiological and behavioral changes that recapitulate depression-like symptomatology and alters gene expression programs in the nucleus accumbens, but cell type-specific changes in this critical structure remain largely unknown. METHODS We examined transcriptional profiles of D1-expressing medium spiny neurons (MSNs) lacking deacetylase activity of SIRT1 by RNA sequencing in a cell type-specific manner using the RiboTag line of mice. We analyzed differentially expressed genes using gene ontology tools including SynGO and EnrichR and further demonstrated functional changes in D1-MSN-specific SIRT1 knockout (KO) mice using electrophysiological and behavioral measurements. RESULTS RNA sequencing revealed altered transcriptional profiles of D1-MSNs lacking functional SIRT1 and showed specific changes in synaptic genes including glutamatergic and GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) receptors in D1-MSNs. These molecular changes may be associated with decreased excitatory and increased inhibitory neural activity in Sirt1 KO D1-MSNs, accompanied by morphological changes. Moreover, the D1-MSN-specific Sirt1 KO mice exhibited proresilient changes in anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. CONCLUSIONS SIRT1 coordinates excitatory and inhibitory synaptic genes to regulate the GABAergic output tone of D1-MSNs. These findings reveal a novel signaling pathway that has potential for the development of innovative treatments for affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee-Dae Kim
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Jing Wei
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Tanessa Call
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Xiaokuang Ma
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Nicole Teru Quintus
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Alexander J Summers
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Samantha Carotenuto
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Ross Johnson
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Angel Nguyen
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Yuehua Cui
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Jin G Park
- Virginia G. Piper Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Shenfeng Qiu
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Deveroux Ferguson
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona.
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11
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Pavlou IA, Spandidos DA, Zoumpourlis V, Papakosta VK. Neurobiology of bruxism: The impact of stress (Review). Biomed Rep 2024; 20:59. [PMID: 38414628 PMCID: PMC10895390 DOI: 10.3892/br.2024.1747] [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: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Bruxism is a non-functional involuntary muscle activity that affects more than one-third of the population at some point in their lives. A number of factors have been found to be related to the etiopathogenesis of bruxism; therefore, the condition is considered multifactorial. The most commonly accepted factor is stress. Stress has long been considered to increase muscle tone and to reduce the pain threshold. Current evidence indicates that exposure to chronic stress, distress and allostatic load ignite neurological degeneration and the attenuation of critical neuronal pathways that are highly implicated in the orofacial involuntary muscle activity. The present review discusses the negative effects that chronic stress exerts on certain parts of the central nervous system and the mechanisms through which these changes are involved in the etiopathogenesis of bruxism. The extent of these morphological and functional changes on nerves and neuronal tracts provides valuable insight into the obstacles that need to be overcome in order to achieve successful treatment. Additionally, particular emphasis is given on the effects of bruxism on the central nervous system, particularly the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, as this subsequently induces an increase in circulating corticosterone levels, also evidenced by increased levels of salivary cortisol, thereby transforming bruxism into a self-reinforcing loop.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Demetrios A Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Vassilis Zoumpourlis
- Biomedical Applications Unit, Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Veronica K Papakosta
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Attikon, 12462 Athens, Greece
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12
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Kaizuka T, Hirouchi T, Saneyoshi T, Shirafuji T, Collins MO, Grant SGN, Hayashi Y, Takumi T. FAM81A is a postsynaptic protein that regulates the condensation of postsynaptic proteins via liquid-liquid phase separation. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002006. [PMID: 38452102 PMCID: PMC10919877 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Proteome analyses of the postsynaptic density (PSD), a proteinaceous specialization beneath the postsynaptic membrane of excitatory synapses, have identified several thousands of proteins. While proteins with predictable functions have been well studied, functionally uncharacterized proteins are mostly overlooked. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of 35 PSD proteome datasets, encompassing a total of 5,869 proteins. Employing a ranking methodology, we identified 97 proteins that remain inadequately characterized. From this selection, we focused our detailed analysis on the highest-ranked protein, FAM81A. FAM81A interacts with PSD proteins, including PSD-95, SynGAP, and NMDA receptors, and promotes liquid-liquid phase separation of those proteins in cultured cells or in vitro. Down-regulation of FAM81A in cultured neurons causes a decrease in the size of PSD-95 puncta and the frequency of neuronal firing. Our findings suggest that FAM81A plays a crucial role in facilitating the interaction and assembly of proteins within the PSD, and its presence is important for maintaining normal synaptic function. Additionally, our methodology underscores the necessity for further characterization of numerous synaptic proteins that still lack comprehensive understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Kaizuka
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Chuo, Kobe, Japan
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Chancellor’s Building, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Taisei Hirouchi
- Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takeo Saneyoshi
- Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Shirafuji
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Chuo, Kobe, Japan
| | - Mark O. Collins
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- biOMICS Facility, Mass Spectrometry Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Seth G. N. Grant
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Chancellor’s Building, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain (SIDB), Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Yasunori Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Toru Takumi
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Chuo, Kobe, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Chuo, Kobe, Japan
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13
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Petri A, Sullivan A, Allen K, Sachs BD. Genetic loss of the dopamine transporter significantly impacts behavioral and molecular responses to sub-chronic stress in mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1315366. [PMID: 38486964 PMCID: PMC10937361 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1315366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Dopaminergic neurotransmission has emerged as a critical determinant of stress susceptibility and resilience. Although the dopamine transporter (DAT) is known to play a key role in maintaining dopamine (DA) homeostasis, its importance for the regulation of stress susceptibility remains largely unknown. Indeed, while numerous studies have examined the neurochemical and behavioral consequences of genetic loss of DAT, very few have compared responses to stress in wild-type and DAT-knockout (KO) animals. The current study compared the responses of male and female WT and DAT-KO mice to a model of sub-chronic stress. Our results reveal that DAT-KO mice are resistant to stress-induced increases in the latency to enter the light chamber of the light-dark emergence test and demonstrate that DAT-KO mice exhibit baseline reductions in forced swim test immobility and grooming time in the splash test of grooming behavior. In addition to these behavioral changes, our results highlight the importance of sex and dopaminergic neurotransmission on stress-induced changes in the expression and phosphorylation of several signal transduction molecules in the nucleus accumbens that have previously been implicated in the regulation of stress susceptibility, including ERK, GSK3β, and ΔFosB. Overall, these results provide further evidence of the importance of dopaminergic neurotransmission in regulating stress susceptibility and suggest that genetic loss of DAT prevents stress-induced increases in anxiety-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Benjamin D. Sachs
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, United States
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14
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Kim J, Seol S, Kim TE, Lee J, Koo JW, Kang HJ. Synaptotagmin-4 induces anhedonic responses to chronic stress via BDNF signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex. Exp Mol Med 2024; 56:329-343. [PMID: 38297157 PMCID: PMC10907712 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-024-01156-8] [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: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Stressful circumstances are significant contributors to mental illnesses such as major depressive disorder. Anhedonia, defined as loss of the ability to enjoy pleasure in pleasurable situations, including rewarding activities or social contexts, is considered a key symptom of depression. Although stress-induced depression is associated with anhedonia in humans and animals, the underlying molecular mechanisms of anhedonic responses remain poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that synaptotagmin-4 (SYT4), which is involved in the release of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors, is implicated in chronic stress-induced anhedonia. Employing chronic unpredictable stress (CUS), we evaluated two subpopulations of mice, susceptible (SUS, anhedonic) and resilient (RES, nonanhedonic), based on sucrose preference, which was strongly correlated with social reward. The FosTRAP (targeted recombination in active populations) system and optogenetic approach revealed that neural activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was significantly associated with CUS-induced anhedonic behavioral phenotypes. By conducting weighted gene coexpression network analysis of RNA sequencing data from the mPFC of SUS and RES mice, we identified Syt4 as a hub gene in a gene network that was unique to anhedonia. We also confirmed that Syt4 overexpression in the mPFC was pro-susceptible, while Syt4 knockdown was pro-resilient; the pro-susceptible effects of SYT4 were mediated through a reduction in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) signaling in the mPFC. These findings suggest that SYT4-BDNF interactions in the mPFC represent a crucial regulatory mechanism of anhedonic susceptibility to chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeongseop Kim
- Emotion, Cognition & Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI), Dong-gu, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Dalseong-gun, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Sihwan Seol
- Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Eun Kim
- Emotion, Cognition & Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI), Dong-gu, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Dalseong-gun, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Joonhee Lee
- Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Ja Wook Koo
- Emotion, Cognition & Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI), Dong-gu, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Dalseong-gun, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hyo Jung Kang
- Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea.
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15
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Rickelton K, Zintel TM, Pizzollo J, Miller E, Ely JJ, Raghanti MA, Hopkins WD, Hof PR, Sherwood CC, Bauernfeind AL, Babbitt CC. Tempo and mode of gene expression evolution in the brain across primates. eLife 2024; 13:e70276. [PMID: 38275218 PMCID: PMC10876213 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70276] [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: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Primate evolution has led to a remarkable diversity of behavioral specializations and pronounced brain size variation among species (Barton, 2012; DeCasien and Higham, 2019; Powell et al., 2017). Gene expression provides a promising opportunity for studying the molecular basis of brain evolution, but it has been explored in very few primate species to date (e.g. Khaitovich et al., 2005; Khrameeva et al., 2020; Ma et al., 2022; Somel et al., 2009). To understand the landscape of gene expression evolution across the primate lineage, we generated and analyzed RNA-seq data from four brain regions in an unprecedented eighteen species. Here, we show a remarkable level of variation in gene expression among hominid species, including humans and chimpanzees, despite their relatively recent divergence time from other primates. We found that individual genes display a wide range of expression dynamics across evolutionary time reflective of the diverse selection pressures acting on genes within primate brain tissue. Using our samples that represent a 190-fold difference in primate brain size, we identified genes with variation in expression most correlated with brain size. Our study extensively broadens the phylogenetic context of what is known about the molecular evolution of the brain across primates and identifies novel candidate genes for the study of genetic regulation of brain evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Rickelton
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
| | - Trisha M Zintel
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
| | - Jason Pizzollo
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
| | - Emily Miller
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
| | - John J Ely
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
- MAEBIOS Epidemiology UnitAlamogordoUnited States
| | - Mary Ann Raghanti
- Department of Anthropology, School of Biomedical Sciences, and Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State UniversityKentUnited States
| | - William D Hopkins
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine,The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer CentreBastropUnited States
| | - Patrick R Hof
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary PrimatologyNew YorkUnited States
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkUnited States
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Amy L Bauernfeind
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Courtney C Babbitt
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
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16
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Baune BT, Minelli A, Carpiniello B, Contu M, Domínguez Barragán J, Donlo C, Ferensztajn-Rochowiak E, Glaser R, Kelch B, Kobelska P, Kolasa G, Kopeć D, Martínez de Lagrán Cabredo M, Martini P, Mayer MA, Menesello V, Paribello P, Perera Bel J, Perusi G, Pinna F, Pinna M, Pisanu C, Sierra C, Stonner I, Wahner VTH, Xicota L, Zang JCS, Gennarelli M, Manchia M, Squassina A, Potier MC, Rybakowski F, Sanz F, Dierssen M. An integrated precision medicine approach in major depressive disorder: a study protocol to create a new algorithm for the prediction of treatment response. Front Psychiatry 2024; 14:1279688. [PMID: 38348362 PMCID: PMC10859920 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1279688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common psychiatric disease worldwide with a huge socio-economic impact. Pharmacotherapy represents the most common option among the first-line treatment choice; however, only about one third of patients respond to the first trial and about 30% are classified as treatment-resistant depression (TRD). TRD is associated with specific clinical features and genetic/gene expression signatures. To date, single sets of markers have shown limited power in response prediction. Here we describe the methodology of the PROMPT project that aims at the development of a precision medicine algorithm that would help early detection of non-responder patients, who might be more prone to later develop TRD. To address this, the project will be organized in 2 phases. Phase 1 will involve 300 patients with MDD already recruited, comprising 150 TRD and 150 responders, considered as extremes phenotypes of response. A deep clinical stratification will be performed for all patients; moreover, a genomic, transcriptomic and miRNomic profiling will be conducted. The data generated will be exploited to develop an innovative algorithm integrating clinical, omics and sex-related data, in order to predict treatment response and TRD development. In phase 2, a new naturalistic cohort of 300 MDD patients will be recruited to assess, under real-world conditions, the capability of the algorithm to correctly predict the treatment outcomes. Moreover, in this phase we will investigate shared decision making (SDM) in the context of pharmacogenetic testing and evaluate various needs and perspectives of different stakeholders toward the use of predictive tools for MDD treatment to foster active participation and patients' empowerment. This project represents a proof-of-concept study. The obtained results will provide information about the feasibility and usefulness of the proposed approach, with the perspective of designing future clinical trials in which algorithms could be tested as a predictive tool to drive decision making by clinicians, enabling a better prevention and management of MDD resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard T. Baune
- Department of Mental Health, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Alessandra Minelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Genetics Unit, San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli Center (IRCCS), Brescia, Italy
| | - Bernardo Carpiniello
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Martina Contu
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | | | - Chus Donlo
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Rosa Glaser
- Department of Mental Health, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Britta Kelch
- Department of Mental Health, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Paulina Kobelska
- Department of Science, Grants and International Cooperation, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Kolasa
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Dobrochna Kopeć
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | | | - Paolo Martini
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Miguel-Angel Mayer
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valentina Menesello
- Genetics Unit, San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli Center (IRCCS), Brescia, Italy
| | - Pasquale Paribello
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Júlia Perera Bel
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giulia Perusi
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Federica Pinna
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marco Pinna
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Claudia Pisanu
- Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Cesar Sierra
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Inga Stonner
- Department of Mental Health, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Laura Xicota
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Massimo Gennarelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Genetics Unit, San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli Center (IRCCS), Brescia, Italy
| | - Mirko Manchia
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
- Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Alessio Squassina
- Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Marie-Claude Potier
- Paris Brain Institute (ICM), National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Paris, France
| | - Filip Rybakowski
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Ferran Sanz
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mara Dierssen
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona, Spain
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17
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Holt LM, Gyles TM, Parise EM, Minier-Toribio A, Markovic T, Rivera M, Yeh SY, Nestler EJ. Astrocytic CREB in nucleus accumbens promotes susceptibility to chronic stress. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.15.575728. [PMID: 38293227 PMCID: PMC10827054 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.15.575728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Background Increasing evidence implicates astrocytes in stress and depression in both rodent models and human Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Despite this, little is known about the transcriptional responses to stress of astrocytes within the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain reward region, and their influence on behavioral outcomes. Methods We used whole cell sorting, RNA-sequencing, and bioinformatic analyses to investigate the NAc astrocyte transcriptome in male mice in response to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). Immunohistochemistry was used to determine stress-induced changes in astrocytic CREB within the NAc. Finally, astrocytic regulation of depression-like behavior was investigated using viral-mediated manipulation of CREB in combination with CSDS. Results We found a robust transcriptional response in NAc astrocytes to CSDS in stressed mice, with changes seen in both stress-susceptible and stress-resilient animals. Bioinformatic analysis revealed CREB, a transcription factor widely studied in neurons, as one of the top-predicted upstream regulators of the NAc astrocyte transcriptome, with opposite activation states seen in resilient versus susceptible mice. This bioinformatic result was confirmed at the protein level with immunohistochemistry. Viral overexpression of CREB selectively in NAc astrocytes promoted susceptibility to chronic stress. Conclusions Together, our data demonstrate that the astrocyte transcriptome responds robustly to CSDS and, for the first time, that transcriptional regulation in astrocytes contributes to depressive-like behaviors. A better understanding of transcriptional regulation in astrocytes may reveal unknown molecular mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanne M Holt
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Trevonn M Gyles
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Eric M Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Angelica Minier-Toribio
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Tamara Markovic
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Matthew Rivera
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Szu-Ying Yeh
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
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Okonogi T, Kuga N, Yamakawa M, Kayama T, Ikegaya Y, Sasaki T. Stress-induced vagal activity influences anxiety-relevant prefrontal and amygdala neuronal oscillations in male mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:183. [PMID: 38195621 PMCID: PMC10776769 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44205-y] [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: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The vagus nerve crucially affects emotions and psychiatric disorders. However, the detailed neurophysiological dynamics of the vagus nerve in response to emotions and its associated pathological changes remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that the spike rates of the cervical vagus nerve change depending on anxiety behavior in an elevated plus maze test, and these changes were eradicated in stress-susceptible male mice. Furthermore, instantaneous spike rates of the vagus nerve were negatively and positively correlated with the power of 2-4 Hz and 20-30 Hz oscillations, respectively, in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. The oscillations also underwent dynamic changes depending on the behavioral state in the elevated plus maze, and these changes were no longer observed in stress-susceptible and vagotomized mice. Chronic vagus nerve stimulation restored behavior-relevant neuronal oscillations with the recovery of altered behavioral states in stress-susceptible mice. These results suggested that physiological vagal-brain communication underlies anxiety and mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toya Okonogi
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Nahoko Kuga
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Musashi Yamakawa
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Tasuku Kayama
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Yuji Ikegaya
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takuya Sasaki
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
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19
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Gyles TM, Nestler EJ, Parise EM. Advancing preclinical chronic stress models to promote therapeutic discovery for human stress disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:215-226. [PMID: 37349475 PMCID: PMC10700361 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01625-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
There is an urgent need to develop more effective treatments for stress-related illnesses, which include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety. We view animal models as playing an essential role in this effort, but to date, such approaches have generally not succeeded in developing therapeutics with new mechanisms of action. This is partly due to the complexity of the brain and its disorders, but also to inherent difficulties in modeling human disorders in rodents and to the incorrect use of animal models: namely, trying to recapitulate a human syndrome in a rodent which is likely not possible as opposed to using animals to understand underlying mechanisms and evaluating potential therapeutic paths. Recent transcriptomic research has established the ability of several different chronic stress procedures in rodents to recapitulate large portions of the molecular pathology seen in postmortem brain tissue of individuals with depression. These findings provide crucial validation for the clear relevance of rodent stress models to better understand the pathophysiology of human stress disorders and help guide therapeutic discovery. In this review, we first discuss the current limitations of preclinical chronic stress models as well as traditional behavioral phenotyping approaches. We then explore opportunities to dramatically enhance the translational use of rodent stress models through the application of new experimental technologies. The goal of this review is to promote the synthesis of these novel approaches in rodents with human cell-based approaches and ultimately with early-phase proof-of-concept studies in humans to develop more effective treatments for human stress disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevonn M Gyles
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Eric M Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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20
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Wang T, Song Z, Zhao X, Wu Y, Wu L, Haghparast A, Wu H. Spatial transcriptomic analysis of the mouse brain following chronic social defeat stress. EXPLORATION (BEIJING, CHINA) 2023; 3:20220133. [PMID: 38264685 PMCID: PMC10742195 DOI: 10.1002/exp.20220133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Depression is a highly prevalent and disabling mental disorder, involving numerous genetic changes that are associated with abnormal functions in multiple regions of the brain. However, there is little transcriptomic-wide characterization of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) to comprehensively compare the transcriptional changes in multiple brain regions. Spatial transcriptomics (ST) was used to reveal the spatial difference of gene expression in the control, resilient (RES) and susceptible (SUS) mouse brains, and annotated eight anatomical brain regions and six cell types. The gene expression profiles uncovered that CSDS leads to gene synchrony changes in different brain regions. Then it was identified that inhibitory neurons and synaptic functions in multiple regions were primarily affected by CSDS. The brain regions Hippocampus (HIP), Isocortex, and Amygdala (AMY) present more pronounced transcriptional changes in genes associated with depressive psychiatric disorders than other regions. Signalling communication between these three brain regions may play a critical role in susceptibility to CSDS. Taken together, this study provides important new insights into CSDS susceptibility at the ST level, which offers a new approach for understanding and treating depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Wang
- Department of NeurobiologyBeijing Institute of Basic Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Zhihong Song
- Department of NeurobiologyBeijing Institute of Basic Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xin Zhao
- Department of NeurobiologyBeijing Institute of Basic Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yan Wu
- Department of NeurobiologyBeijing Institute of Basic Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Liying Wu
- Department of NeurobiologyBeijing Institute of Basic Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Abbas Haghparast
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of MedicineShahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | - Haitao Wu
- Department of NeurobiologyBeijing Institute of Basic Medical SciencesBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Co‐innovation Center of NeuroregenerationNantong UniversityNantongChina
- Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
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21
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Kim RK, Truby NL, Silva GM, Picone JA, Miller CS, Neve RL, Cui X, Hamilton PJ. Histone H1x in mouse ventral hippocampus correlates with, but does not cause behavioral adaptations to stress. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.06.565881. [PMID: 37986938 PMCID: PMC10659322 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.06.565881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Prior research has identified differential protein expression levels of linker histone H1x within the ventral hippocampus (vHipp) of stress-susceptible versus stress-resilient mice. These mice are behaviorally classified based on their divergent responses to chronic social stress. Here, we sought to determine whether elevated vHipp H1x protein levels directly contribute to these diverging behavioral adaptations to stress. First, we demonstrate that stress-susceptible mice uniquely express elevated vHipp H1x protein levels following chronic stress. Given that linker histones coordinate heterochromatin compaction, we hypothesize that elevated levels of H1x in the vHipp may impede pro-resilience transcriptional adaptations and prevent development of the resilient phenotype following social stress. To test this, 8-10-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to stressed and unstressed groups undergoing 10 days of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) or single housing respectively. Following CSDS, mice were classified as susceptible versus resilient based on their social interaction behaviors. We synthesized a viral overexpression (OE) vector for H1x and transduced experimental mice with either H1x or control GFP within vHipp. Following viral delivery, we conducted social, anxiety-like, and memory-reliant behavior tests on distinct cohorts of mice. We found no behavioral adaptations following H1x OE compared to GFP controls in susceptible, resilient, or unstressed mice. In sum, although we confirm vHipp protein levels of H1x correlate with susceptibility to social stress, we observe no significant behavioral consequence of H1x OE. Thus, we conclude elevated levels of H1x are correlated with, but are not singularly sufficient to drive development of behavioral adaptations to stress.
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22
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Falconnier C, Caparros-Roissard A, Decraene C, Lutz PE. Functional genomic mechanisms of opioid action and opioid use disorder: a systematic review of animal models and human studies. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4568-4584. [PMID: 37723284 PMCID: PMC10914629 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02238-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
In the past two decades, over-prescription of opioids for pain management has driven a steep increase in opioid use disorder (OUD) and death by overdose, exerting a dramatic toll on western countries. OUD is a chronic relapsing disease associated with a lifetime struggle to control drug consumption, suggesting that opioids trigger long-lasting brain adaptations, notably through functional genomic and epigenomic mechanisms. Current understanding of these processes, however, remain scarce, and have not been previously reviewed systematically. To do so, the goal of the present work was to synthesize current knowledge on genome-wide transcriptomic and epigenetic mechanisms of opioid action, in primate and rodent species. Using a prospectively registered methodology, comprehensive literature searches were completed in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Of the 2709 articles identified, 73 met our inclusion criteria and were considered for qualitative analysis. Focusing on the 5 most studied nervous system structures (nucleus accumbens, frontal cortex, whole striatum, dorsal striatum, spinal cord; 44 articles), we also conducted a quantitative analysis of differentially expressed genes, in an effort to identify a putative core transcriptional signature of opioids. Only one gene, Cdkn1a, was consistently identified in eleven studies, and globally, our results unveil surprisingly low consistency across published work, even when considering most recent single-cell approaches. Analysis of sources of variability detected significant contributions from species, brain structure, duration of opioid exposure, strain, time-point of analysis, and batch effects, but not type of opioid. To go beyond those limitations, we leveraged threshold-free methods to illustrate how genome-wide comparisons may generate new findings and hypotheses. Finally, we discuss current methodological development in the field, and their implication for future research and, ultimately, better care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Falconnier
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives UPR 3212, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Alba Caparros-Roissard
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives UPR 3212, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Charles Decraene
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives UPR 3212, 67000, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre-Eric Lutz
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives UPR 3212, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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23
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Wang F, Yang X, Ren Z, Chen C, Liu C. Alternative splicing in mouse brains affected by psychological stress is enriched in the signaling, neural transmission and blood-brain barrier pathways. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4707-4718. [PMID: 37217679 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02103-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Psychological stress increases the risk of major psychiatric disorders. Psychological stress on mice was reported to induce differential gene expression (DEG) in mice brain regions. Alternative splicing is a fundamental aspect of gene expression and has been associated with psychiatric disorders but has not been investigated in the stressed brain yet. This study investigated changes in gene expression and splicing under psychological stress, the related pathways, and possible relationship with psychiatric disorders. RNA-seq raw data of 164 mouse brain samples from 3 independent datasets with stressors including chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), early life stress (ELS), and two-hit stress of combined CSDS and ELS were collected. There were more changes in splicing than in gene expression in the ventral hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex, but stress-induced changes of individual genes by differential splicing and differential expression could not be replicated. In contrast, pathway analyses produced robust findings: stress-induced differentially spliced genes (DSGs) were reproducibly enriched in neural transmission and blood-brain barrier systems, and DEGs were reproducibly enriched in stress response-related functions. The hub genes of DSG-related PPI networks were enriched in synaptic functions. The corresponding human homologs of stress-induced DSGs were robustly enriched in AD-related DSGs as well as BD and SCZ in GWAS. These results suggested that stress-induced DSGs from different datasets belong to the same biological system throughout the stress response process, resulting in consistent stress response effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feiran Wang
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiuju Yang
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zongyao Ren
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
- National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA.
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24
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Mansouri S, Pessoni AM, Marroquín-Rivera A, Parise EM, Tamminga CA, Turecki G, Nestler EJ, Chen TH, Labonté B. Transcriptional dissection of symptomatic profiles across the brain of men and women with depression. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6835. [PMID: 37884562 PMCID: PMC10603117 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42686-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most important causes of disability worldwide. While recent work provides insights into the molecular alterations in the brain of patients with MDD, whether these molecular signatures can be associated with the expression of specific symptom domains remains unclear. Here, we identified sex-specific gene modules associated with the expression of MDD, combining differential gene expression and co-expression network analyses in six cortical and subcortical brain regions. Our results show varying levels of network homology between males and females across brain regions, although the associations between these structures and the expression of MDD remain highly sex specific. We refined these associations to several symptom domains and identified transcriptional signatures associated with distinct functional pathways, including GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission, metabolic processes and intracellular signal transduction, across brain regions associated with distinct symptomatic profiles in a sex-specific fashion. In most cases, these associations were specific to males or to females with MDD, although a subset of gene modules associated with common symptomatic features in both sexes were also identified. Together, our findings suggest that the expression of distinct MDD symptom domains associates with sex-specific transcriptional structures across brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samaneh Mansouri
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - André M Pessoni
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Arturo Marroquín-Rivera
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Eric M Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Carol A Tamminga
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ting-Huei Chen
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Benoit Labonté
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec, QC, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada.
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25
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Buckhaults K, Swack BD, Sachs BD. Estrogen administration and withdrawal in a model of hormone-simulated pregnancy lead to alterations in behavior and gene expression but do not induce depression-like phenotypes in mice. Physiol Behav 2023; 269:114288. [PMID: 37414236 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114288] [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: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Pregnancy and the post-partum period are associated with substantial fluctuations in hormone levels and are frequently associated with significant stress. Many individuals also experience affective disturbances during the peri‑partum period, including anxiety, the 'baby blues,' and post-partum depression. However, the extent to which these affective changes result from rapidly altering hormone levels, increased stress, or the combination of both remains largely unknown. The current study sought to evaluate the consequences of pregnancy-like hormonal changes on behavior and gene expression in c57BL/6 mice in the absence of stress using a hormone-simulated pregnancy model. Our results reveal that animals receiving hormone injections to simulate the high levels of estrogen observed in late pregnancy and animals withdrawn from estrogen to mimic the rapid decline in this hormone following parturition both exhibit increased anxiety-like behavior compared to ovariectomized controls in the novel open field test. However, no other significant anxiety- or depression-like alterations were observed in either hormone-treated group compared to ovariectomized controls. Both hormone administration and estrogen withdrawal were shown to induce several significant alterations in gene expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. In contrast to the estrogen withdrawal hypothesis of post-partum depression, our results suggest that this method estrogen withdrawal following hormone-simulated pregnancy in the absence of stress does not induce phenotypes consistent with post-partum depression in c57BL/6 mice. However, given that estrogen withdrawal does lead to significant gene expression changes in two stress-sensitive brain regions, it remains possible that estrogen withdrawal could still contribute to affective dysregulation in the peri-partum period by influencing susceptibility to stress. Future research is required to evaluate this possibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry Buckhaults
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA
| | - Benjamin D Swack
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA
| | - Benjamin D Sachs
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA.
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26
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Zhang X, Eladawi MA, Ryan WG, Fan X, Prevoznik S, Devale T, Ramnani B, Malathi K, Sibille E, Mccullumsmith R, Tomoda T, Shukla R. Ribosomal dysregulation: A conserved pathophysiological mechanism in human depression and mouse chronic stress. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad299. [PMID: 37822767 PMCID: PMC10563789 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
The underlying biological mechanisms that contribute to the heterogeneity of major depressive disorder (MDD) presentation remain poorly understood, highlighting the need for a conceptual framework that can explain this variability and bridge the gap between animal models and clinical endpoints. Here, we hypothesize that comparative analysis of molecular data from different experimental systems of chronic stress, and MDD has the potential to provide insight into these mechanisms and address this gap. Thus, we compared transcriptomic profiles of brain tissue from postmortem MDD subjects and from mice exposed to chronic variable stress (CVS) to identify orthologous genes. Ribosomal protein genes (RPGs) were down-regulated, and associated ribosomal protein (RP) pseudogenes were up-regulated in both conditions. A seeded gene co-expression analysis using altered RPGs common between the MDD and CVS groups revealed that down-regulated RPGs homeostatically regulated the synaptic changes in both groups through a RP-pseudogene-driven mechanism. In vitro analysis demonstrated that the RPG dysregulation was a glucocorticoid-driven endocrine response to stress. In silico analysis further demonstrated that the dysregulation was reversed during remission from MDD and selectively responded to ketamine but not to imipramine. This study provides the first evidence that ribosomal dysregulation during stress is a conserved phenotype in human MDD and chronic stress-exposed mouse. Our results establish a foundation for the hypothesis that stress-induced alterations in RPGs and, consequently, ribosomes contribute to the synaptic dysregulation underlying MDD and chronic stress-related mood disorders. We discuss the role of ribosomal heterogeneity in the variable presentations of depression and other mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Centre, Shreveport, LA 71105, USA
| | - Mahmoud Ali Eladawi
- Department of Neurosciences, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - William George Ryan
- Department of Neurosciences, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Xiaoming Fan
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Stephen Prevoznik
- Department of Neurosciences, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Trupti Devale
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Barkha Ramnani
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Krishnamurthy Malathi
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Etienne Sibille
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Robert Mccullumsmith
- Department of Neurosciences, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
- Neurosciences Institute, ProMedica, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Toshifumi Tomoda
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Rammohan Shukla
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
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27
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Fitzgerald E, Arcego DM, Shen MJ, O'Toole N, Wen X, Nagy C, Mostafavi S, Craig K, Silveira PP, Rayan NA, Diorio J, Meaney MJ, Zhang TY. Sex and cell-specific gene expression in corticolimbic brain regions associated with psychiatric disorders revealed by bulk and single-nuclei RNA sequencing. EBioMedicine 2023; 95:104749. [PMID: 37549631 PMCID: PMC10432187 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104749] [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: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are sex-specific differences in the prevalence, symptomology and course of psychiatric disorders. However, preclinical models have primarily used males, such that the molecular mechanisms underlying sex-specific differences in psychiatric disorders are not well established. METHODS In this study, we compared transcriptome-wide gene expression profiles in male and female rats within the corticolimbic system, including the cingulate cortex, nucleus accumbens medial shell (NAcS), ventral dentate gyrus and the basolateral amygdala (n = 22-24 per group/region). FINDINGS We found over 3000 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the NAcS between males and females. Of these DEGs in the NAcS, 303 showed sex-dependent conservation DEGs in humans and were significantly enriched for gene ontology terms related to blood vessel morphogenesis and regulation of cell migration. Single nuclei RNA sequencing in the NAcS of male and female rats identified widespread sex-dependent expression, with genes upregulated in females showing a notable enrichment for synaptic function. Female upregulated genes in astrocytes, Drd3+MSNs and oligodendrocyte were also enriched in several psychiatric genome-wide association studies (GWAS). INTERPRETATION Our data provide comprehensive evidence of sex- and cell-specific molecular profiles in the NAcS. Importantly these differences associate with anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and cross-disorder, suggesting an intrinsic molecular basis for sex-based differences in psychiatric disorders that strongly implicates the NAcS. FUNDING This work was supported by funding from the Hope for Depression Research Foundation (MJM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Eamon Fitzgerald
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Danusa Mar Arcego
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Mo Jun Shen
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nicholas O'Toole
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Xianglan Wen
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Corina Nagy
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Sara Mostafavi
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, 185 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 9819, USA
| | - Kelly Craig
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Patricia Pelufo Silveira
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nirmala Arul Rayan
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences and Brain - Body Initiative, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore
| | - Josie Diorio
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Translational Neuroscience Program, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences and Brain - Body Initiative, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tie-Yuan Zhang
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada.
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28
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Hing B, Mitchell SB, Eberle M, Filali Y, Hultman I, Matkovich M, Kasturirangan M, Wyche W, Jimenez A, Velamuri R, Johnson M, Srivastava S, Hultman R. Single Cell Transcriptome of Stress Vulnerability Network in mouse Prefrontal Cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.14.540705. [PMID: 37662266 PMCID: PMC10473598 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.14.540705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Increased vulnerability to stress is a major risk factor for the manifestation of several mood disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD). Despite the status of MDD as a significant donor to global disability, the complex integration of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the behavioral display of such disorders has made a thorough understanding of related etiology elusive. Recent developments suggest that a brain-wide network approach is needed, taking into account the complex interplay of cell types spanning multiple brain regions. Single cell RNA-sequencing technologies can provide transcriptomic profiling at the single-cell level across heterogenous samples. Furthermore, we have previously used local field potential oscillations and machine learning to identify an electrical brain network that is indicative of a predisposed vulnerability state. Thus, this study combined single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-Seq) with electrical brain network measures of the stress-vulnerable state, providing a unique opportunity to access the relationship between stress network activity and transcriptomic changes within individual cell types. We found especially high numbers of differentially expressed genes between animals with high and low stress vulnerability brain network activity in astrocytes and glutamatergic neurons but we estimated that vulnerability network activity depends most on GABAergic neurons. High vulnerability network activity included upregulation of microglia and mitochondrial and metabolic pathways, while lower vulnerability involved synaptic regulation. Genes that were differentially regulated with vulnerability network activity significantly overlapped with genes identified as having significant SNPs by human GWAS for depression. Taken together, these data provide the gene expression architecture of a previously uncharacterized stress vulnerability brain state, enabling new understanding and intervention of predisposition to stress susceptibility.
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Rosenberg AM, Saggar M, Monzel AS, Devine J, Rogu P, Limoges A, Junker A, Sandi C, Mosharov EV, Dumitriu D, Anacker C, Picard M. Brain mitochondrial diversity and network organization predict anxiety-like behavior in male mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4726. [PMID: 37563104 PMCID: PMC10415311 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39941-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain and behavior are under energetic constraints, limited by mitochondrial energy transformation capacity. However, the mitochondria-behavior relationship has not been systematically studied at a brain-wide scale. Here we examined the association between multiple features of mitochondrial respiratory chain capacity and stress-related behaviors in male mice with diverse behavioral phenotypes. Miniaturized assays of mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme activities and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content were deployed on 571 samples across 17 brain areas, defining specific patterns of mito-behavior associations. By applying multi-slice network analysis to our brain-wide mitochondrial dataset, we identified three large-scale networks of brain areas with shared mitochondrial signatures. A major network composed of cortico-striatal areas exhibited the strongest mitochondria-behavior correlations, accounting for up to 50% of animal-to-animal behavioral differences, suggesting that this mito-based network is functionally significant. The mito-based brain networks also overlapped with regional gene expression and structural connectivity, and exhibited distinct molecular mitochondrial phenotype signatures. This work provides convergent multimodal evidence anchored in enzyme activities, gene expression, and animal behavior that distinct, behaviorally-relevant mitochondrial phenotypes exist across the male mouse brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayelet M Rosenberg
- Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Manish Saggar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anna S Monzel
- Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jack Devine
- Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter Rogu
- Columbia University Institute for Developmental Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alex Junker
- Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Eugene V Mosharov
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dani Dumitriu
- Columbia University Institute for Developmental Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christoph Anacker
- Columbia University Institute for Developmental Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martin Picard
- Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Neurology, H. Houston Merritt Center, Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Robert N Butler Columbia Aging Center, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
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30
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Li Q, Takeuchi Y, Wang J, Gellért L, Barcsai L, Pedraza LK, Nagy AJ, Kozák G, Nakai S, Kato S, Kobayashi K, Ohsawa M, Horváth G, Kékesi G, Lőrincz ML, Devinsky O, Buzsáki G, Berényi A. Reinstating olfactory bulb-derived limbic gamma oscillations alleviates depression-like behavioral deficits in rodents. Neuron 2023; 111:2065-2075.e5. [PMID: 37164008 PMCID: PMC10321244 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Although the etiology of major depressive disorder remains poorly understood, reduced gamma oscillations is an emerging biomarker. Olfactory bulbectomy, an established model of depression that reduces limbic gamma oscillations, suffers from non-specific effects of structural damage. Here, we show that transient functional suppression of olfactory bulb neurons or their piriform cortex efferents decreased gamma oscillation power in limbic areas and induced depression-like behaviors in rodents. Enhancing transmission of gamma oscillations from olfactory bulb to limbic structures by closed-loop electrical neuromodulation alleviated these behaviors. By contrast, silencing gamma transmission by anti-phase closed-loop stimulation strengthened depression-like behaviors in naive animals. These induced behaviors were neutralized by ketamine treatment that restored limbic gamma power. Taken together, our results reveal a causal link between limbic gamma oscillations and depression-like behaviors in rodents. Interfering with these endogenous rhythms can affect behaviors in rodent models of depression, suggesting that restoring gamma oscillations may alleviate depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Li
- MTA-SZTE "Momentum" Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary; HCEMM-SZTE Magnetotherapeutics Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - Yuichi Takeuchi
- MTA-SZTE "Momentum" Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary; Department of Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan; Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 545-8585, Japan; Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Jiale Wang
- MTA-SZTE "Momentum" Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary; Faculty of Agriculture, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - Levente Gellért
- MTA-SZTE "Momentum" Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary; HCEMM-SZTE Magnetotherapeutics Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - Livia Barcsai
- MTA-SZTE "Momentum" Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary; HCEMM-SZTE Magnetotherapeutics Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary; Neunos Inc, Boston, MA 02108, USA
| | - Lizeth K Pedraza
- MTA-SZTE "Momentum" Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - Anett J Nagy
- MTA-SZTE "Momentum" Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary; HCEMM-SZTE Magnetotherapeutics Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary; Neunos Inc, Boston, MA 02108, USA
| | - Gábor Kozák
- MTA-SZTE "Momentum" Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - Shinya Nakai
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
| | - Shigeki Kato
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Kazuto Kobayashi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Masahiro Ohsawa
- MTA-SZTE "Momentum" Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary; Department of Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
| | - Gyöngyi Horváth
- Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - Gabriella Kékesi
- Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - Magor L Lőrincz
- MTA-SZTE "Momentum" Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary; Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, Faculty of Sciences University of Szeged, Szeged 6726, Hungary; Neuroscience Division, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Orrin Devinsky
- Department of Neurology, NYU Langone Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - György Buzsáki
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Antal Berényi
- MTA-SZTE "Momentum" Oscillatory Neuronal Networks Research Group, Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary; HCEMM-SZTE Magnetotherapeutics Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary; Neunos Inc, Boston, MA 02108, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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Campeau S, McNulty C, Stanley JT, Gerber AN, Sasse SK, Dowell RD. Determination of steady-state transcriptome modifications associated with repeated homotypic stress in the rat rostral posterior hypothalamic region. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1173699. [PMID: 37360161 PMCID: PMC10288150 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1173699] [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: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress is epidemiologically correlated with physical and psychiatric disorders. Whereas many animal models of chronic stress induce symptoms of psychopathology, repeated homotypic stressors to moderate intensity stimuli typically reduce stress-related responses with fewer, if any, pathological symptoms. Recent results indicate that the rostral posterior hypothalamic (rPH) region is a significant component of the brain circuitry underlying response reductions (habituation) associated with repeated homotypic stress. To test whether posterior hypothalamic transcriptional regulation associates with the neuroendocrine modifications induced by repeated homotypic stress, RNA-seq was performed in the rPH dissected from adult male rats that experienced either no stress, 1, 3, or 7 stressful loud noise exposures. Plasma samples displayed reliable increases of corticosterone in all stressed groups, with the smallest increase in the group exposed to 7 loud noises, indicating significant habituation compared to the other stressed groups. While few or no differentially expressed genes were detected 24-h after one or three loud noise exposures, relatively large numbers of transcripts were differentially expressed between the group exposed to 7 loud noises when compared to the control or 3-stress groups, respectively, which correlated with the corticosterone response habituation observed. Gene ontology analyses indicated multiple significant functional terms related to neuron differentiation, neural membrane potential, pre- and post-synaptic elements, chemical synaptic transmission, vesicles, axon guidance and projection, glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission. Some of the differentially expressed genes (Myt1l, Zmat4, Dlx6, Csrnp3) encode transcription factors that were independently predicted by transcription factor enrichment analysis to target other differentially regulated genes in this study. A similar experiment employing in situ hybridization histochemical analysis in additional animals validated the direction of change of the 5 transcripts investigated (Camk4, Gabrb2, Gad1, Grin2a and Slc32a) with a high level of temporal and regional specificity for the rPH. In aggregate, the results suggest that distinct patterns of gene regulation are obtained in response to a repeated homotypic stress regimen; they also point to a significant reorganization of the rPH region that may critically contribute to the phenotypic modifications associated with repeated homotypic stress habituation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge Campeau
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Connor McNulty
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Jacob T. Stanley
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Anthony N. Gerber
- Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, United States
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Sarah K. Sasse
- Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, United States
| | - Robin D. Dowell
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
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32
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Shiozaki H, Kuga N, Kayama T, Ikegaya Y, Sasaki T. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors suppress sharp wave ripples in the ventral hippocampus. J Pharmacol Sci 2023; 152:136-143. [PMID: 37169478 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Biased memory processing contributes to the development and exacerbation of depression, and thus could represent a potential therapeutic target for stress-induced mental disorders. Synchronized spikes in hippocampal neurons, corresponding to sharp wave ripples (SWRs), may play a crucial role in memory reactivation. In this study, we showed that the frequency of SWRs increased in the ventral hippocampus, but not in the dorsal hippocampus, after stress exposure. Administration of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) fluoxetine and fluvoxamine inhibited the generation of ventral hippocampal SWRs and reduced locomotor activity and local field potential power in the gamma bands. These results suggest that the antidepressant effects of SSRIs may be mediated by the suppression of ventral hippocampal SWRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiromi Shiozaki
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Nahoko Kuga
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Tasuku Kayama
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Yuji Ikegaya
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan; Center for Information and Neural Networks, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takuya Sasaki
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan; Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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Emerson SD, Chevée M, Mews P, Calipari ES. The transcriptional response to acute cocaine is inverted in male mice with a history of cocaine self-administration and withdrawal throughout the mesocorticolimbic system. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103823. [PMID: 36868542 PMCID: PMC10247534 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103823] [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: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A large body of work has demonstrated that cocaine-induced changes in transcriptional regulation play a central role in the onset and maintenance of cocaine use disorder. An underappreciated aspect of this area of research, however, is that the pharmacodynamic properties of cocaine can change depending on an organism's previous drug-exposure history. In this study, we utilized RNA sequencing to characterize how the transcriptome-wide effects of acute cocaine exposure were altered by a history of cocaine self-administration and long-term withdrawal (30 days) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and prefrontal cortex (PFC) in male mice. First, we found that the gene expression patterns induced by a single cocaine injection (10 mg/kg) were discordant between cocaine-naïve mice and mice in withdrawal from cocaine self-administration. Specifically, the same genes that were upregulated by acute cocaine in cocaine-naïve mice were downregulated by the same dose of cocaine in mice undergoing long-term withdrawal; the same pattern of opposite regulation was observed for the genes downregulated by initial acute cocaine exposure. When we analyzed this dataset further, we found that the gene expression patterns that were induced by long-term withdrawal from cocaine self-administration showed a high degree of overlap with the gene expression patterns of acute cocaine exposure - even though animals had not consumed cocaine in 30 days. Interestingly, cocaine re-exposure at this withdrawal time point reversed this expression pattern. Finally, we found that this pattern was similar across the VTA, PFC, NAc, and within each brain region the same genes were induced by acute cocaine, re-induced during long-term withdrawal, and reversed by cocaine re-exposure. Together, we identified a longitudinal pattern of gene regulation that is conserved across the VTA, PFC, and NAc, and characterized the genes constituting this pattern in each brain region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soren D Emerson
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Maxime Chevée
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Philipp Mews
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Torres-Berrío A, Estill M, Ramakrishnan A, Kronman H, Patel V, Minier-Toribio A, Issler O, Browne CJ, Parise EM, van der Zee Y, Walker D, Martínez-Rivera FJ, Lardner CK, Cuttoli RDD, Russo SJ, Shen L, Sidoli S, Nestler EJ. Monomethylation of Lysine 27 at Histone 3 Confers Lifelong Susceptibility to Stress. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.08.539829. [PMID: 37214877 PMCID: PMC10197593 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.08.539829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Histone post-translational modifications are critical for mediating persistent alterations in gene expression. By combining unbiased proteomics profiling, and genome-wide approaches, we uncovered a role for mono-methylation of lysine 27 at histone H3 (H3K27me1) in the enduring effects of stress. Specifically, mice exposed to early life stress (ELS) or to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) in adulthood displayed increased enrichment of H3K27me1, and transient decreases in H3K27me2, in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain-reward region. Stress induction of H3K27me1 was mediated by the VEFS domain of SUZ12, a core subunit of the polycomb repressive complex-2, which is induced by chronic stress and controls H3K27 methylation patterns. Overexpression of the VEFS domain led to social, emotional, and cognitive abnormalities, and altered excitability of NAc D1 mediums spiny neurons. Together, we describe a novel function of H3K27me1 in brain and demonstrate its role as a "chromatin scar" that mediates lifelong stress susceptibility.
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Mansouri S, Pessoni AM, Rivera AM, Tamminga CA, Parise E, Turecki G, Nestler EJ, Chen TH, Labonté B. Transcriptional dissection of symptomatic profiles across the brain of men and women with depression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.21.537733. [PMID: 37131585 PMCID: PMC10153251 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.21.537733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most important causes of disability worldwide. While recent work provides insights into the molecular alterations in the brain of patients with MDD, whether these molecular signatures can be associated with the expression of specific symptom domains in males and females remains unclear. Here, we identified sex-specific gene modules associated with the expression of MDD, combining differential gene expression and co-expression network analyses in six cortical and subcortical brain regions. Our results show varying levels of network homology between males and females across brain regions, although the association between these structures and the expression of MDD remains highly sex-specific. We refined these associations to several symptom domains and identified transcriptional signatures associated with distinct functional pathways, including GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission, metabolic processes, and intracellular signal transduction, across brain regions associated with distinct symptomatic profiles in a sex-specific fashion. In most cases, these associations were specific to males or to females with MDD, although a subset of gene modules associated with common symptomatic features in both sexes was also identified. Together, our findings suggest that the expression of distinct MDD symptom domains is associated with sex-specific transcriptional structures across brain regions.
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Gao SQ, Chen JQ, Zhou HY, Luo L, Zhang BY, Li MT, He HY, Chen C, Guo Y. Thrombospondin1 mimics rapidly relieve depression via Shank3 dependent uncoupling between dopamine D1 and D2 receptors. iScience 2023; 26:106488. [PMID: 37091229 PMCID: PMC10119609 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Deficits in astrocyte function contribute to major depressive disorder (MDD) and suicide, but the therapeutic effect of directly reactivating astrocytes for depression remains unclear. Here, specific gains and losses of astrocytic cell functions in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) bidirectionally regulate depression-like symptoms. Remarkably, recombinant human Thrombospondin-1 (rhTSP1), an astrocyte-secreted protein, exerted rapidly antidepressant-like actions through tyrosine hydroxylase (Th)/dopamine (DA)/dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) pathways, but not dopamine D1 receptors (D1Rs), which was dependent on SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3 (Shank3) in the mPFC. TSP1 in the mPFC might have potential as a target for treating clinical depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang-Qi Gao
- Departments of Neurosurgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510630, China
- Corresponding author
| | - Jun-Quan Chen
- Departments of Neurosurgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510630, China
| | - Hai-Yun Zhou
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Lun Luo
- Departments of Neurosurgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510630, China
| | - Bao-Yu Zhang
- Departments of Neurosurgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510630, China
| | - Man-Ting Li
- Departments of Neurosurgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510630, China
| | - Hai-Yong He
- Departments of Neurosurgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510630, China
| | - Chuan Chen
- Departments of Neurosurgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510630, China
- Corresponding author
| | - Ying Guo
- Departments of Neurosurgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510630, China
- Corresponding author
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Kuga N, Nakayama R, Morikawa S, Yagishita H, Konno D, Shiozaki H, Honjoya N, Ikegaya Y, Sasaki T. Hippocampal sharp wave ripples underlie stress susceptibility in male mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2105. [PMID: 37080967 PMCID: PMC10119298 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37736-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The ventral hippocampus (vHC) is a core brain region for emotional memory. Here, we examined how the vHC regulates stress susceptibility from the level of gene expression to neuronal population dynamics in male mice. Transcriptome analysis of samples from stress-naïve mice revealed that intrinsic calbindin (Calb1) expression in the vHC is associated with susceptibility to social defeat stress. Mice with Calb1 gene knockdown in the vHC exhibited increased stress resilience and failed to show the increase in the poststress ventral hippocampal sharp wave ripple (SWR) rate. Poststress vHC SWRs triggered synchronous reactivation of stress memory-encoding neuronal ensembles and facilitated information transfer to the amygdala. Suppression of poststress vHC SWRs by real-time feedback stimulation or walking prevented social behavior deficits. Taken together, our results demonstrate that internal reactivation of memories of negative stressful episodes supported by ventral hippocampal SWRs serves as a crucial neurophysiological substrate for determining stress susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahoko Kuga
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Ryota Nakayama
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Shota Morikawa
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Haruya Yagishita
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Daichi Konno
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Laboratory of Geriatric Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiromi Shiozaki
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Natsumi Honjoya
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Yuji Ikegaya
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takuya Sasaki
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
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Hicks EM, Seah C, Cote A, Marchese S, Brennand KJ, Nestler EJ, Girgenti MJ, Huckins LM. Integrating genetics and transcriptomics to study major depressive disorder: a conceptual framework, bioinformatic approaches, and recent findings. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:129. [PMID: 37076454 PMCID: PMC10115809 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02412-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex and heterogeneous psychiatric syndrome with genetic and environmental influences. In addition to neuroanatomical and circuit-level disturbances, dysregulation of the brain transcriptome is a key phenotypic signature of MDD. Postmortem brain gene expression data are uniquely valuable resources for identifying this signature and key genomic drivers in human depression; however, the scarcity of brain tissue limits our capacity to observe the dynamic transcriptional landscape of MDD. It is therefore crucial to explore and integrate depression and stress transcriptomic data from numerous, complementary perspectives to construct a richer understanding of the pathophysiology of depression. In this review, we discuss multiple approaches for exploring the brain transcriptome reflecting dynamic stages of MDD: predisposition, onset, and illness. We next highlight bioinformatic approaches for hypothesis-free, genome-wide analyses of genomic and transcriptomic data and their integration. Last, we summarize the findings of recent genetic and transcriptomic studies within this conceptual framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Hicks
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Departments of Psychiatry and of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
| | - Carina Seah
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Departments of Psychiatry and of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
| | - Alanna Cote
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Departments of Psychiatry and of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
| | - Shelby Marchese
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Departments of Psychiatry and of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
| | - Kristen J Brennand
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Departments of Psychiatry and of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
| | - Matthew J Girgenti
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
| | - Laura M Huckins
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Departments of Psychiatry and of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
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Koskinen MK, Hovatta I. Genetic insights into the neurobiology of anxiety. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:318-331. [PMID: 36828693 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety and fear are evolutionarily conserved emotions that increase the likelihood of an organism surviving threatening situations. Anxiety and vigilance states are regulated by neural networks involving multiple brain regions. In anxiety disorders, this intricate regulatory system is disturbed, leading to excessive or prolonged anxiety or fear. Anxiety disorders have both genetic and environmental risk factors. Genetic research has the potential to identify specific genetic variants causally associated with specific phenotypes. In recent decades, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have revealed variants predisposing to neuropsychiatric disorders, suggesting novel neurobiological pathways in the etiology of these disorders. Here, we review recent human GWASs of anxiety disorders, and genetic studies of anxiety-like behavior in rodent models. These studies are paving the way for a better understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maija-Kreetta Koskinen
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, PO Box 21, 00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, PO Box 21, 00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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40
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Mahmud A, Avramescu RG, Niu Z, Flores C. Awakening the dormant: Role of axonal guidance cues in stress-induced reorganization of the adult prefrontal cortex leading to depression-like behavior. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1113023. [PMID: 37035502 PMCID: PMC10079902 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1113023] [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: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic and disabling disorder affecting roughly 280 million people worldwide. While multiple brain areas have been implicated, dysfunction of prefrontal cortex (PFC) circuitry has been consistently documented in MDD, as well as in animal models for stress-induced depression-like behavioral states. During brain development, axonal guidance cues organize neuronal wiring by directing axonal pathfinding and arborization, dendritic growth, and synapse formation. Guidance cue systems continue to be expressed in the adult brain and are emerging as important mediators of synaptic plasticity and fine-tuning of mature neural networks. Dysregulation or interference of guidance cues has been linked to depression-like behavioral abnormalities in rodents and MDD in humans. In this review, we focus on the emerging role of guidance cues in stress-induced changes in adult prefrontal cortex circuitry and in precipitating depression-like behaviors. We discuss how modulating axonal guidance cue systems could be a novel approach for precision medicine and the treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashraf Mahmud
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Zhipeng Niu
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Cecilia Flores
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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41
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Lee H, Park J, Kim S. Metabolic and Transcriptomic Signatures of the Acute Psychological Stress Response in the Mouse Brain. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13030453. [PMID: 36984893 PMCID: PMC10052811 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13030453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute stress response triggers various physiological responses such as energy mobilization to meet metabolic demands. However, the underlying molecular changes in the brain remain largely obscure. Here, we used a brief water avoidance stress (WAS) to elicit an acute stress response in mice. By employing RNA-sequencing and metabolomics profiling, we investigated the acute stress-induced molecular changes in the mouse whole brain. The aberrant expression of 60 genes was detected in the brain tissues of WAS-exposed mice. Functional analyses showed that the aberrantly expressed genes were enriched in various processes such as superoxide metabolism. In our global metabolomic profiling, a total of 43 brain metabolites were significantly altered by acute WAS. Metabolic pathways upregulated from WAS-exposed brain tissues relative to control samples included lipolysis, eicosanoid biosynthesis, and endocannabinoid synthesis. Acute WAS also elevated the levels of branched-chain amino acids, 5-aminovalerates, 4-hydroxy-nonenal-glutathione as well as mannose, suggesting complex metabolic changes in the brain. The observed molecular events in the present study provide a valuable resource that can help us better understand how acute psychological stress impacts neural functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haein Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jina Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Seyun Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KAIST Stem Cell Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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42
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Sharma S, Ma W, Ressler KJ, Anderson T, Li DC, Jin P, Gourley SL, Qin Z. Dysregulation of Prefrontal Oligodendrocyte Lineage Cells Across Mouse Models of Adversity and Human Major Depressive Disorder Oligodendrocyte dysregulation in mouse models of stress and MDD. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.09.531989. [PMID: 36945653 PMCID: PMC10028961 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.09.531989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Animal models of adversity have yielded few molecular mechanisms that translate to human stress-related diseases like major depressive disorder (MDD). We congruently analyze publicly available bulk-tissue transcriptomic data from prefrontal cortex (PFC) in multiple mouse models of adversity and in MDD. We apply strategies, to quantify cell-type specific enrichment from bulk-tissue transcriptomics, utilizing reference single cell RNA sequencing datasets. These analyses reveal conserved patterns of oligodendrocyte (OL) dysregulation across animal experiments, including susceptibility to social defeat, acute cocaine withdrawal, chronic unpredictable stress, early life stress, and adolescent social isolation. Using unbiased methodologies, we further identify a dysregulation of layer 6 neurons that associate with deficits in goal-directed behavior after social isolation. Human post-mortem brains with MDD show similar OL transcriptome changes in Brodmann Areas 8/9 in both male and female patients. This work assesses cell type involvement in an unbiased manner from differential expression analyses across animal models of adversity and human MDD and finds a common signature of OL dysfunction in the frontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumeet Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University
| | - Wenjing Ma
- Department of Computer Science, Emory University
| | | | | | - Dan. C. Li
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University
| | - Peng Jin
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University
| | - Shannon L. Gourley
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine; Yerkes National Primate Research Center
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
| | - Zhaohui Qin
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
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43
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Nahvi RJ, Tanelian A, Nwokafor C, Godino A, Parise E, Estill M, Shen L, Nestler EJ, Sabban EL. Transcriptome profiles associated with resilience and susceptibility to single prolonged stress in the locus coeruleus and nucleus accumbens in male sprague-dawley rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 439:114162. [PMID: 36257560 PMCID: PMC9812303 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114162] [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: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Although most people are subjected to traumatic stress at least once in their lifetime, only a subset develop long-lasting, stress-triggered neuropsychiatric disorders, such as PTSD. Here we examined different transcriptome profiles within the locus coeruleus (LC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) that may contribute to stress susceptibility. Sprague Dawley male rats were exposed to the single prolonged stress (SPS) model for PTSD. Two weeks later they were tested for their anxiety/avoidance behavior on the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) and were divided into high and low anxiety-like subgroups. RNA (n = 5 per group) was subsequently isolated from LC and NAc and subjected to RNAseq. Transcriptome analysis was used to identify differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) which differed by at least 50 % with significance of 0.01. The LC had more than six times the number of DEGs than the NAc. Only one DEG was regulated similarly in both locations. Many of the DEGs in the LC were associated with morphological changes, including regulation of actin cytoskeleton, growth factor activity, regulation of cell size, brain development and memory, with KEGG pathway of regulation of actin cytoskeleton. The DEGs in the NAc were primarily related to DNA repair and synthesis, and differential regulation of cytokine production. The analysis identified MTPN (myotrophin) and NR3C1 (glucocorticoid receptor) as important upstream regulators of stress susceptibility in the LC. Overall the study provides new insight into molecular pathways in the LC and NAc that are associated with anxiety-like behavior triggered by stress susceptibility or resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxanna J Nahvi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, United States
| | - Arax Tanelian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, United States
| | - Chiso Nwokafor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, United States
| | - Arthur Godino
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Eric Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Molly Estill
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Esther L Sabban
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, United States.
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Wang J, Yang Y, Liu J, Qiu J, Zhang D, Ou M, Kang Y, Zhu T, Zhou C. Loss of sodium leak channel (NALCN) in the ventral dentate gyrus impairs neuronal activity of the glutamatergic neurons for inflammation-induced depression in male mice. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 110:13-29. [PMID: 36796706 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The dentate gyrus (DG) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. Many studies have revealed the cellular types, neural circuits, and morphological changes of the DG involved in the development of depression. However, the molecular regulating its intrinsic activity in depression is unknown. METHODS Utilizing the mode of depression induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we investigate the involvement of the sodium leak channel (NALCN) in inflammation-induced depressive-like behaviors of male mice. The expression of NALCN was detected by immunohistochemistry and real-time polymerase chain reaction. DG microinjection of the adeno-associated virus or lentivirus was carried out using a stereotaxic instrument and followed by behavioral tests. Neuronal excitability and NALCN conductance were recorded by whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. RESULTS The expression and function of NALCN were reduced in both the dorsal and ventral DG in LPS-treated mice; whereas, only knocking down NALCN in the ventral pole produced depressive-like behaviors and this effect of NALCN was specific to ventral glutamatergic neurons. The excitability of ventral glutamatergic neurons was impaired by both the knockdown of NALCN and/or the treatment of LPS. Then, the overexpression of NALCN in the ventral glutamatergic neurons decreased the susceptibility of mice to inflammation-induced depression, and the intracranial injection of substance P (non-selective NALCN activator) into the ventral DG rapidly ameliorated inflammation-induced depression-like behaviors in an NALCN-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS NALCN, which drives the neuronal activity of the ventral DG glutamatergic neurons, uniquely regulates depressive-like behaviors and susceptibility to depression. Therefore, the NALCN of glutamatergic neurons in the ventral DG may present a molecular target for rapid antidepressant drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinping Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yaoxin Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jin Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jingxuan Qiu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Donghang Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Mengchan Ou
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yi Kang
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Tao Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Cheng Zhou
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
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Peng S, Zhou Y, Xiong L, Wang Q. Identification of novel targets and pathways to distinguish suicide dependent or independent on depression diagnosis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2488. [PMID: 36781900 PMCID: PMC9925752 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29101-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, postmortem brain studies have revealed that some molecular, cellular, and circuit changes associated with suicide, have an independent or additive effect on depression. The aim of the present study is to identify potential phenotypic, tissue, and sex-specific novel targets and pathways to distinguish depression or suicide from major depressive disorder (MDD) comorbid with suicide. The mRNA expression profiling datasets from two previous independent postmortem brain studies of suicide and depression (GSE102556 and GSE101521) were retrieved from the GEO database. Machine learning analysis was used to differentiate three regrouped gene expression profiles, i.e., MDD with suicide, MDD without suicide, and suicide without depression. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was further conducted to identify the key modules and hub genes significantly associated with each of these three sub-phenotypes. TissueEnrich approaches were used to find the essential brain tissues and the difference of tissue enriched genes between depression with or without suicide. Dysregulated gene expression cross two variables, including phenotypes and tissues, were determined by global analysis with Vegan. RRHO analysis was applied to examine the difference in global expression pattern between male and female groups. Using the optimized machine learning model, several ncRNAs and mRNAs with higher AUC and MeanDecreaseGini, including GCNT1P1 and AC092745.1, etc., were identified as potential molecular targets to distinguish suicide with, or without MDD and depression without suicide. WGCNA analysis identified some key modules significantly associated with these three phenotypes, and the gene biological functions of the key modules mainly relate to ncRNA and miRNA processing, as well as oxidoreductase and dehydrogenase activity. Hub genes such as RP11-349A22.5, C20orf196, MAPK8IP3 and RP11-697N18.2 were found in these key modules. TissueEnrich analysis showed that nucleus accumbens and subiculum were significantly changed among the 6 brain regions studied. Global analysis with Vegan and RRHO identified PRS26, ARNT and SYN3 as the most significantly differentially expressed genes across phenotype and tissues, and there was little overlap between the male and female groups. In this study, we have identified novel gene targets, as well as annotated functions of co-expression patterns and hub genes that are significantly distinctive between depression with suicide, depression without suicide, and suicide without depression. Moreover, global analysis across three phenotypes and tissues confirmed the evidence of sex difference in mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Peng
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yalan Zhou
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Lan Xiong
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Qingzhong Wang
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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Saito-Takatsuji H, Yoshitomi Y, Yamamoto R, Furuyama T, Ishigaki Y, Kato N, Yonekura H, Ikeda T. Transthyretin Is Commonly Upregulated in the Hippocampus of Two Stress-Induced Depression Mouse Models. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043736. [PMID: 36835151 PMCID: PMC9964880 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043736] [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: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress can affect gene expression in the hippocampus, which alters neural and cerebrovascular functions, thereby contributing to the development of mental disorders such as depression. Although several differentially expressed genes in the depressed brain have been reported, gene expression changes in the stressed brain remain underexplored. Therefore, this study examines hippocampal gene expression in two mouse models of depression induced by forced swim stress (FSS) and repeated social defeat stress (R-SDS). Transthyretin (Ttr) was commonly upregulated in the hippocampus of both mouse models, as determined by microarray, RT-qPCR, and Western blot analyses. Evaluation of the effects of overexpressed Ttr in the hippocampus using adeno-associated virus-mediated gene transfer revealed that TTR overexpression induced depression-like behavior and upregulation of Lcn2 and several proinflammatory genes (Icam1 and Vcam1) in the hippocampus. Upregulation of these inflammation-related genes was confirmed in the hippocampus obtained from mice vulnerable to R-SDS. These results suggest that chronic stress upregulates Ttr expression in the hippocampus and that Ttr upregulation may be involved in the induction of depression-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidehito Saito-Takatsuji
- Department of Biochemistry, Kanazawa Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Kahoku-gun, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan
| | - Yasuo Yoshitomi
- Department of Biochemistry, Kanazawa Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Kahoku-gun, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan
| | - Ryo Yamamoto
- Department of Physiology, Kanazawa Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Kahoku-gun, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan
| | - Takafumi Furuyama
- Department of Physiology, Kanazawa Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Kahoku-gun, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan
| | - Yasuhito Ishigaki
- Division of Molecular and Cell Biology, Medical Research Institute, Kanazawa Medical University, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Kahoku-gun, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan
| | - Nobuo Kato
- Department of Physiology, Kanazawa Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Kahoku-gun, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan
| | - Hideto Yonekura
- Department of Biochemistry, Kanazawa Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Kahoku-gun, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan
| | - Takayuki Ikeda
- Department of Biochemistry, Kanazawa Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Kahoku-gun, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-76-218-8111
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Hughes BW, Siemsen BM, Tsvetkov E, Berto S, Kumar J, Cornbrooks RG, Akiki RM, Cho JY, Carter JS, Snyder KK, Assali A, Scofield MD, Cowan CW, Taniguchi M. NPAS4 in the medial prefrontal cortex mediates chronic social defeat stress-induced anhedonia-like behavior and reductions in excitatory synapses. eLife 2023; 12:e75631. [PMID: 36780219 PMCID: PMC9925055 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress can produce reward system deficits (i.e., anhedonia) and other common symptoms associated with depressive disorders, as well as neural circuit hypofunction in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). However, the molecular mechanisms by which chronic stress promotes depressive-like behavior and hypofrontality remain unclear. We show here that the neuronal activity-regulated transcription factor, NPAS4, in the mPFC is regulated by chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), and it is required in this brain region for CSDS-induced changes in sucrose preference and natural reward motivation in the mice. Interestingly, NPAS4 is not required for CSDS-induced social avoidance or anxiety-like behavior. We also find that mPFC NPAS4 is required for CSDS-induced reductions in pyramidal neuron dendritic spine density, excitatory synaptic transmission, and presynaptic function, revealing a relationship between perturbation in excitatory synaptic transmission and the expression of anhedonia-like behavior in the mice. Finally, analysis of the mice mPFC tissues revealed that NPAS4 regulates the expression of numerous genes linked to glutamatergic synapses and ribosomal function, the expression of upregulated genes in CSDS-susceptible animals, and differentially expressed genes in postmortem human brains of patients with common neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression. Together, our findings position NPAS4 as a key mediator of chronic stress-induced hypofrontal states and anhedonia-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon W Hughes
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Benjamin M Siemsen
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Evgeny Tsvetkov
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Stefano Berto
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Jaswinder Kumar
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical SchoolBelmontUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Rebecca G Cornbrooks
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Rose Marie Akiki
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Jennifer Y Cho
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Jordan S Carter
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Kirsten K Snyder
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Ahlem Assali
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Michael D Scofield
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
| | - Christopher W Cowan
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical SchoolBelmontUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Makoto Taniguchi
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South CarolinaCharlestonUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical SchoolBelmontUnited States
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Toh H, Bagheri A, Dewey C, Stewart R, Yan L, Clegg D, Thomson JA, Jiang P. A Nile rat transcriptomic landscape across 22 organs by ultra-deep sequencing and comparative RNA-seq pipeline (CRSP). Comput Biol Chem 2023; 102:107795. [PMID: 36436489 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2022.107795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has been a widely used high-throughput method to characterize transcriptomic dynamics spatiotemporally. However, RNA-seq data analysis pipelines typically depend on either a sequenced genome and/or corresponding reference transcripts. This limitation is a challenge for species lacking sequenced genomes and corresponding reference transcripts. The Nile rat (Arvicanthis niloticus) has two key features - it is daytime active, and it is prone to diet-induced diabetes, which makes it more similar to humans than regular laboratory rodents. However, at the time of this study, neither a Nile rat genome nor a reference transcript set were available, making it technically challenging to perform large-scale RNA-seq based transcriptomic studies. This genome-independent work progressed concurrently with our generation of a Nile rat genome. A well-annotated genome requires several iterations of manually reviewing curated transcripts and takes years to achieve. Here, we developed a Comparative RNA-Seq Pipeline (CRSP), integrating a comparative species strategy independent of a specific sequenced genome or species-matched reference transcripts. We performed benchmarking to validate that our CRSP tool can accurately quantify gene expression levels. In this study, we generated the first ultra-deep (2.3 billion × 2 paired-end) Nile rat RNA-seq data from 59 biopsy samples representing 22 major organs, providing a unique resource and spatial gene expression reference for Nile rat researchers. Importantly, CRSP is not limited to the Nile rat species and can be applied to any species without prior genomic knowledge. To facilitate a general use of CRSP, we also characterized the number of RNA-seq reads required for accurate estimation via simulation studies. CRSP and documents are available at: https://github.com/pjiang1105/CRSP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huishi Toh
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Atefeh Bagheri
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA; Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
| | - Colin Dewey
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Computer Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Ron Stewart
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Lili Yan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Dennis Clegg
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - James A Thomson
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Peng Jiang
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA; Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA; Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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49
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Stress resilience is established during development and is regulated by complement factors. Cell Rep 2023; 42:111973. [PMID: 36640352 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals in a population respond differently to stressful situations. While resilient individuals recover efficiently, others are susceptible to the same stressors. However, it remains challenging to determine if resilience is established as a trait during development or acquired later in life. Using a behavioral paradigm in zebrafish larvae, we show that resilience is a stable and heritable trait, which is determined and exhibited early in life. Resilient larvae show unique stress-induced transcriptional response, and larvae with mutations in resilience-associated genes, such as neuropeptide Y and miR218, are less resilient. Transcriptome analysis shows that resilient larvae downregulate multiple factors of the innate immune complement cascade in response to stress. Perturbation of critical complement factors leads to an increase in resilience. We conclude that resilience is established as a stable trait early during development and that neuropeptides and the complement pathway play positive and negative roles in determining resilience, respectively.
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Anderson KR, Rogu PJ, Palumbo TB, Miwa JM. Abnormal response to chronic social defeat stress and fear extinction in a mouse model of cholinergic dysregulation. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2492514. [PMID: 36778356 PMCID: PMC9915767 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2492514/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Cholinergic signaling is critical for an individual to react appropriately and adaptably to salient stimuli while navigating a complex environment. The cholinergic neurotransmitter system drives attention to salient stimuli, such as stressors, and aids in orchestrating the proper neural and behavioral response. Fine-tuned regulation of the cholinergic system has been linked to appropriate stress responses and subsequent mood regulation while dysregulation has been implicated in mood disorders. Among the multiple layers of regulation are cholinergic protein modulators. Here, we use validated models of experiential-based affective disorders to investigate differences in responses to stress in a genetic mouse model of cholinergic dysregulation based on the loss of protein modulator. The lynx2 nicotinic receptor modulatory protein provides negative cholinergic regulation within the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, and other brain regions. We discovered here that lynx2 knockout (KO) mice demonstrate an inability to update behavior with an inability to extinguish learned fear during a fear extinction test. We also observed, under an increased stress load following exposure to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) paradigm, there was a unified resilience phenotype in lynx2KO mice, as opposed to the wild-type cohort which was split between resilience and susceptible phenotypes. Furthermore, we provide evidence for the functional role of α7 nicotinic receptor subtypes by phenotypic rescue with MLA or crossing with an α7 null mutant mouse (e.g. lynx2/α7 double KO mice). We demonstrate a direct physical interaction between lynx2 and α7 nAChR by co-immunoprecipitation of complexes from mouse BLA extracts. The genetic predisposition to heightened basal anxiety-like behavior and altered cholinergic signaling impairs individual behavior responses stressors. Together, these data indicate that the effects of social stress can be influenced by baseline genetic factors involved in anxiety regulation.
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