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Bales KL, Hang S, Paulus JP, Jahanfard E, Manca C, Jost G, Boyer C, Bern R, Yerumyan D, Rogers S, Mederos SL. Individual differences in social homeostasis. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1068609. [PMID: 36969803 PMCID: PMC10036751 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1068609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The concept of “social homeostasis”, introduced by Matthews and Tye in 2019, has provided a framework with which to consider our changing individual needs for social interaction, and the neurobiology underlying this system. This model was conceived as including detector systems, a control center with a setpoint, and effectors which allow us to seek out or avoid additional social contact. In this article, we review and theorize about the many different factors that might contribute to the setpoint of a person or animal, including individual, social, cultural, and other environmental factors. We conclude with a consideration of the empirical challenges of this exciting new model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L. Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, >Davis, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Karen L. Bales
| | - Sally Hang
- Graduate Group in Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - John P. Paulus
- Graduate Group in Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Elaina Jahanfard
- Graduate Group in Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Claudia Manca
- Graduate Group in Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Geneva Jost
- Graduate Group in Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Chase Boyer
- Graduate Group in Human Development, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Rose Bern
- Graduate Group in Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Daniella Yerumyan
- Graduate Group in Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Sophia Rogers
- Graduate Group in Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Sabrina L. Mederos
- Graduate Group in Animal Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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2
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Mirza S, Docherty AR, Bakian A, Coon H, Soares JC, Walss-Bass C, Fries GR. Genetics and epigenetics of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: Systematic review of the suicide literature and methodological considerations. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2022; 189:221-246. [PMID: 35975759 PMCID: PMC9900606 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Suicide is a multifaceted and poorly understood clinical outcome, and there is an urgent need to advance research on its phenomenology and etiology. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that suicidal behavior is heritable, suggesting that genetic and epigenetic information may serve as biomarkers for suicide risk. Here we systematically review the literature on genetic and epigenetic alterations observed in phenotypes across the full range of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB). We included 577 studies focused on genome-wide and epigenome-wide associations, candidate genes (SNP and methylation), noncoding RNAs, and histones. Convergence of specific genes is limited across units of analysis, although pathway-based analyses do indicate nervous system development and function and immunity/inflammation as potential underlying mechanisms of SITB. We provide suggestions for future work on the genetic and epigenetic correlates of SITB with a specific focus on measurement issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salahudeen Mirza
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, USA,Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Anna R. Docherty
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA,Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA,Department of Psychiatry, The Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Amanda Bakian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA,Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Hilary Coon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA,Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Jair C. Soares
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Consuelo Walss-Bass
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Gabriel R. Fries
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA,Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, USA
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3
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Inhibiting MLL1-WDR5 interaction ameliorates neuropathic allodynia by attenuating histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation-dependent spinal mGluR5 transcription. Pain 2021; 161:1995-2009. [PMID: 32345914 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1)-mediated histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) of a subset of genes has been linked to the transcriptional activation critical for synaptic plasticity, but its potential contribution to neuropathic allodynia development remains poorly explored. Here, we show that MLL1, which is induced in dorsal horn neuron after spinal nerve ligation (SNL), is responsible for mechanical allodynia and increased H3K4me3 at metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) promoter. Moreover, SNL induced WD (Trp-Asp) repeat domain 5 subunit (WDR5) expression as well as the MLL1-WDR5 interaction accompany with H3K4me3 enrichment and transcription of mGluR5 gene in the dorsal horn in neuropathic allodynia progression. Conversely, WDR5-0103, a novel inhibitor of the MLL1-WDR5 interaction, reversed SNL-induced allodynia and inhibited SNL-enhanced mGluR5 transcription/expression as well as MLL1, WDR5, and H3K4me3 at the mGluR5 promoter in the dorsal horn. Furthermore, disrupting the expression of MLL1 or WDR5 using small interfering RNA attenuated mechanical allodynia and reversed protein transcription/expression and complex localizing at mGluR5 promoter in the dorsal horn induced by SNL. This finding revealed that MLL1-WDR5 complex integrity regulates MLL1 and WDR5 recruitment to H3K4me3 enrichment at mGluR5 promoter in the dorsal horn underlying neuropathic allodynia. Collectively, our findings indicated that SNL enhances the MLL1-WDR5 complex, which facilitates MLL1 and WDR5 recruitment to H3K4me3 enrichment at mGluR5 promoter in spinal plasticity contributing to neuropathic allodynia pathogenesis.
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4
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Pruvost M, Moyon S. Oligodendroglial Epigenetics, from Lineage Specification to Activity-Dependent Myelination. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:62. [PMID: 33467699 PMCID: PMC7830029 DOI: 10.3390/life11010062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Oligodendroglial cells are the myelinating cells of the central nervous system. While myelination is crucial to axonal activity and conduction, oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and oligodendrocytes have also been shown to be essential for neuronal support and metabolism. Thus, a tight regulation of oligodendroglial cell specification, proliferation, and myelination is required for correct neuronal connectivity and function. Here, we review the role of epigenetic modifications in oligodendroglial lineage cells. First, we briefly describe the epigenetic modalities of gene regulation, which are known to have a role in oligodendroglial cells. We then address how epigenetic enzymes and/or marks have been associated with oligodendrocyte progenitor specification, survival and proliferation, differentiation, and finally, myelination. We finally mention how environmental cues, in particular, neuronal signals, are translated into epigenetic modifications, which can directly influence oligodendroglial biology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Moyon
- Neuroscience Initiative Advanced Science Research Center, CUNY, 85 St Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY 10031, USA;
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5
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Understanding the epigenetic landscape and cellular architecture of childhood brain tumors. Neurochem Int 2020; 144:104940. [PMID: 33333210 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2020.104940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Pediatric brain tumors are the leading cancer-related cause of death in children and adolescents in the United States, affecting on average 1 in 2000 children per year. Recent advances in cancer genomics have led to profound discoveries about the underlying molecular biology and ontogeny of these tumors. In particular, these studies have revealed epigenetic dysregulation to be one of the main hallmarks of pediatric brain tumorigenesis. In this review, we will highlight a number of important recent findings about the nature of this dysregulation in different types of pediatric brain tumors as well as examine their implications for preclinical research and clinical practice. Specifically, we discuss the emergence of methylation signatures as tools for tumor stratification/classification while also highlighting the importance of mutations that directly affect the epigenome and clarifying their impact on risk stratification and pediatric brain tumor biology. We then incorporate recent advances in our understanding of pediatric brain tumor cellular architecture and emphasize the link between epigenetic dysregulation and the "stalled" development seen in many of these malignant neoplasms. Lastly, we explore recentwork investigating the use of these mutated epigenomic regulators as therapeutic targets and extrapolate their utility in overcoming this "stalling" to halt tumor growth.
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6
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Changes in the Expression of DNA Methylation Related Genes in Leukocytes of Persons with Alcohol and Drug Dependence. ACTA MEDICA BULGARICA 2020. [DOI: 10.2478/amb-2020-0039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background and objectives. Though numerous studies have shown that the dysregulation of the epigenetic control is involved in disease manifestation, limited data is available on the transcriptional activity of DNA methylation related genes in alcohol and drug addiction. With regard to this, in this study we analyzed the expression levels of genes involved in DNA methylation, including DNMT1, DNMT3a, MeCP2, MBD1, MBD2, MBD3 and MBD4, in blood samples of alcohol and drug dependent persons in comparison to healthy abstainers.
Methods. The study included 51 participants: 16 persons with alcohol dependence, 17 persons with drug dependence and 18 clinically healthy controls. To detect the relative mRNA expression levels of the studied genes, Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis was applied.
Results. Of the seven studied genes, four showed altered expression. MeCP2 and MBD1 were downregulated in the alcohol dependent group (FC = 0.805, p = 0.015 and FC = 0.846, p = 0.034, respectively), while DNMT1 and MBD4 were upregulated in the group with drug dependence (FC = 1.262, p = 0.001 and FC = 1.249, p = 0.005, respectively). No statistically significant changes in the relative mRNA expression were found for DNMT3a, MBD2 and MBD3 genes.
Conclusions. Our results are indicative for a role of DNA methylation related genes in alcohol and drug addiction mediated through changes in their transcriptional activity. Studies in this direction will enable better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of addictions supporting the development of more effective therapeutic strategies.
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7
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Liu Y, Konopka G. An integrative understanding of comparative cognition: lessons from human brain evolution. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:991-1006. [PMID: 32681799 PMCID: PMC7608741 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of animal cognition requires the integration of studies on behavior, electrophysiology, neuroanatomy, development, and genomics. Although studies of comparative cognition are receiving increasing attention from organismal biologists, most current studies focus on the comparison of behaviors and anatomical structures to understand their adaptative values. However, to understand the most potentially complex cognitive program of the human brain a greater synthesis of a multitude of disciplines is needed. In this review, we start with extensive neuroanatomic comparisons between humans and other primates. One likely specialization of the human brain is the expansion of neocortex, especially in regions for high-order cognition (e.g., prefrontal cortex). We then discuss how such an expansion can be linked to heterochrony of the brain developmental program, resulting in a greater number of neurons and enhanced computational capacity. Furthermore, alteration of gene expression in the human brain has been associated with positive selection in DNA sequences of gene regulatory regions. These results not only imply that genes associated with brain development are a major factor in the evolution of cognition, but also that high-quality whole-genome sequencing and gene manipulation techniques are needed for an integrative and functional understanding of comparative cognition in non-model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiang Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Genevieve Konopka
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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8
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Gatta E, Saudagar V, Auta J, Grayson DR, Guidotti A. Epigenetic landscape of stress surfeit disorders: Key role for DNA methylation dynamics. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 156:127-183. [PMID: 33461662 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Chronic exposure to stress throughout lifespan alters brain structure and function, inducing a maladaptive response to environmental stimuli, that can contribute to the development of a pathological phenotype. Studies have shown that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction is associated with various neuropsychiatric disorders, including major depressive, alcohol use and post-traumatic stress disorders. Downstream actors of the HPA axis, glucocorticoids are critical mediators of the stress response and exert their function through specific receptors, i.e., the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), highly expressed in stress/reward-integrative pathways. GRs are ligand-activated transcription factors that recruit epigenetic actors to regulate gene expression via DNA methylation, altering chromatin structure and thus shaping the response to stress. The dynamic interplay between stress response and epigenetic modifiers suggest DNA methylation plays a key role in the development of stress surfeit disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Gatta
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Vikram Saudagar
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - James Auta
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Dennis R Grayson
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Alessandro Guidotti
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
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9
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Lee MY, Lee J, Hyeon SJ, Cho H, Hwang YJ, Shin J, McKee AC, Kowall NW, Kim J, Stein TD, Hwang D, Ryu H. Epigenome signatures landscaped by histone H3K9me3 are associated with the synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. Aging Cell 2020; 19:e13153. [PMID: 32419307 PMCID: PMC7294781 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the commonest cause of dementia in the elderly remain incompletely understood. Recently, epigenetic modifications have been shown to play a potential role in neurodegeneration, but the specific involvement of epigenetic signatures landscaped by heterochromatin has not been studied in AD. Herein, we discovered that H3K9me3-mediated heterochromatin condensation is elevated in the cortex of sporadic AD postmortem brains. In order to identify which epigenomes are modulated by heterochromatin, we performed H3K9me3-chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-sequencing and mRNA-sequencing on postmortem brains from normal subjects and AD patients. The integrated analyses of genome-wide ChIP- and mRNA-sequencing data identified epigenomes that were highly occupied by H3K9me3 and inversely correlated with their mRNA expression levels in AD. Biological network analysis further revealed H3K9me3-landscaped epigenomes to be mainly involved in synaptic transmission, neuronal differentiation, and cell motility. Together, our data show that the abnormal heterochromatin remodeling by H3K9me3 leads to down-regulation of synaptic function-related genes, suggesting that the epigenetic alteration by H3K9me3 is associated with the synaptic pathology of sporadic AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Junghee Lee
- Veteran's Affairs Boston Healthcare SystemBostonMAUSA,Department of NeurologyBoston University Alzheimer’s Disease CenterBoston University School of MedicineBostonMAUSA
| | - Seung Jae Hyeon
- Center for NeuromedicineBrain Science InstituteKorea Institute of Science and TechnologySeoulSouth Korea
| | - Hyesun Cho
- Genome Medicine Institute and Department of BiochemistrySeoul National University College of MedicineSeoulSouth Korea
| | - Yu Jin Hwang
- Center for NeuromedicineBrain Science InstituteKorea Institute of Science and TechnologySeoulSouth Korea
| | - Jong‐Yeon Shin
- Genome Medicine Institute and Department of BiochemistrySeoul National University College of MedicineSeoulSouth Korea
| | - Ann C. McKee
- Veteran's Affairs Boston Healthcare SystemBostonMAUSA,Department of NeurologyBoston University Alzheimer’s Disease CenterBoston University School of MedicineBostonMAUSA,Center for the Study of Traumatic EncephalopathyBoston University School of MedicineBostonMAUSA
| | - Neil W. Kowall
- Veteran's Affairs Boston Healthcare SystemBostonMAUSA,Department of NeurologyBoston University Alzheimer’s Disease CenterBoston University School of MedicineBostonMAUSA
| | - Jong‐Il Kim
- Genome Medicine Institute and Department of BiochemistrySeoul National University College of MedicineSeoulSouth Korea
| | - Thor D. Stein
- Veteran's Affairs Boston Healthcare SystemBostonMAUSA,Department of NeurologyBoston University Alzheimer’s Disease CenterBoston University School of MedicineBostonMAUSA
| | - Daehee Hwang
- Department of Biological SciencesSeoul National UniversitySeoulSouth Korea
| | - Hoon Ryu
- Veteran's Affairs Boston Healthcare SystemBostonMAUSA,Department of NeurologyBoston University Alzheimer’s Disease CenterBoston University School of MedicineBostonMAUSA,Center for NeuromedicineBrain Science InstituteKorea Institute of Science and TechnologySeoulSouth Korea
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10
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Gardea-Resendez M, Kucuker MU, Blacker CJ, Ho AMC, Croarkin PE, Frye MA, Veldic M. Dissecting the Epigenetic Changes Induced by Non-Antipsychotic Mood Stabilizers on Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders: A Systematic Review. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:467. [PMID: 32390836 PMCID: PMC7189731 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epimutations secondary to gene-environment interactions have a key role in the pathophysiology of major psychiatric disorders. In vivo and in vitro evidence suggest that mood stabilizers can potentially reverse epigenetic deregulations found in patients with schizophrenia or mood disorders through mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. However, their activity on epigenetic processes has made them a research target for therapeutic approaches. METHODS We conducted a comprehensive literature search of PubMed and EMBASE for studies investigating the specific epigenetic changes induced by non-antipsychotic mood stabilizers (valproate, lithium, lamotrigine, and carbamazepine) in animal models, human cell lines, or patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder. Each paper was reviewed for the nature of research, the species and tissue examined, sample size, mood stabilizer, targeted gene, epigenetic changes found, and associated psychiatric disorder. Every article was appraised for quality using a modified published process and those who met a quality score of moderate or high were included. RESULTS A total of 2,429 records were identified; 1,956 records remained after duplicates were removed and were screened via title, abstract and keywords; 129 records were selected for full-text screening and a remaining of 38 articles were included in the qualitative synthesis. Valproate and lithium were found to induce broader epigenetic changes through different mechanisms, mainly DNA demethylation and histones acetylation. There was less literature and hence smaller effects attributable to lamotrigine and carbamazepine could be associated overall with the small number of studies on these agents. Findings were congruent across sample types. CONCLUSIONS An advanced understanding of the specific epigenetic changes induced by classic mood stabilizers in patients with major psychiatric disorders will facilitate personalized interventions. Further related drug discovery should target the induction of selective chromatin remodeling and gene-specific expression effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mehmet Utku Kucuker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Depression Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Caren J. Blacker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Depression Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Ada M.-C. Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Depression Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Paul E. Croarkin
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Depression Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Mark A. Frye
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Depression Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Marin Veldic
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Depression Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
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11
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Sartor GC. Epigenetic pharmacotherapy for substance use disorder. Biochem Pharmacol 2019; 168:269-274. [PMID: 31306644 PMCID: PMC6733674 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Identifying novel therapeutics for the treatment of substance use disorder (SUD) is an area of intensive investigation. Prior strategies that have attempted to modify one or a few neurotransmitter receptors have had limited success, and currently there are no FDA-approved medications for the treatment of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana use disorders. Because drugs of abuse are known to alter the expression of numerous genes in reward-related brain regions, epigenetic-based therapies have emerged as intriguing targets for therapeutic innovation. Here, I evaluate potential therapeutic approaches and challenges in targeting epigenetic factors for the treatment of SUD and highlight examples of promising strategies and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory C Sartor
- University of Connecticut, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 69 N. Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269, United States.
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12
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Gusev FE, Reshetov DA, Mitchell AC, Andreeva TV, Dincer A, Grigorenko AP, Fedonin G, Halene T, Aliseychik M, Goltsov AY, Solovyev V, Brizgalov L, Filippova E, Weng Z, Akbarian S, Rogaev EI. Epigenetic-genetic chromatin footprinting identifies novel and subject-specific genes active in prefrontal cortex neurons. FASEB J 2019; 33:8161-8173. [PMID: 30970224 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201802646r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Human prefrontal cortex (PFC) is associated with broad individual variabilities in functions linked to personality, social behaviors, and cognitive functions. The phenotype variabilities associated with brain functions can be caused by genetic or epigenetic factors. The interactions between these factors in human subjects is, as of yet, poorly understood. The heterogeneity of cerebral tissue, consisting of neuronal and nonneuronal cells, complicates the comparative analysis of gene activities in brain specimens. To approach the underlying neurogenomic determinants, we performed a deep analysis of open chromatin-associated histone methylation in PFC neurons sorted from multiple human individuals in conjunction with whole-genome and transcriptome sequencing. Integrative analyses produced novel unannotated neuronal genes and revealed individual-specific chromatin "blueprints" of neurons that, in part, relate to genetic background. Surprisingly, we observed gender-dependent epigenetic signals, implying that gender may contribute to the chromatin variabilities in neurons. Finally, we found epigenetic, allele-specific activation of the testis-specific gene nucleoporin 210 like (NUP210L) in brain in some individuals, which we link to a genetic variant occurring in <3% of the human population. Recently, the NUP210L locus has been associated with intelligence and mathematics ability. Our findings highlight the significance of epigenetic-genetic footprinting for exploring neurologic function in a subject-specific manner.-Gusev, F. E., Reshetov, D. A., Mitchell, A. C., Andreeva, T. V., Dincer, A., Grigorenko, A. P., Fedonin, G., Halene, T., Aliseychik, M., Goltsov, A. Y., Solovyev, V., Brizgalov, L., Filippova, E., Weng, Z., Akbarian, S., Rogaev, E. I. Epigenetic-genetic chromatin footprinting identifies novel and subject-specific genes active in prefrontal cortex neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fedor E Gusev
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Human Genetics and Genomics, Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia.,Center of Brain Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Denis A Reshetov
- Department of Human Genetics and Genomics, Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia.,Center of Brain Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Amanda C Mitchell
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Tatiana V Andreeva
- Department of Human Genetics and Genomics, Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia.,Center of Brain Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Aslihan Dincer
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anastasia P Grigorenko
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Human Genetics and Genomics, Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia.,Center of Brain Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Gennady Fedonin
- Department of Human Genetics and Genomics, Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tobias Halene
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Maria Aliseychik
- Department of Human Genetics and Genomics, Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Andrey Y Goltsov
- Department of Human Genetics and Genomics, Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
| | - Victor Solovyev
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Leonid Brizgalov
- Center of Brain Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elena Filippova
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Evgeny I Rogaev
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Human Genetics and Genomics, Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia.,Center for Genetics and Genetic Technologies, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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Primers on nutrigenetics and nutri(epi)genomics: Origins and development of precision nutrition. Biochimie 2019; 160:156-171. [PMID: 30878492 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2019.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between genotype and phenotype is a central goal not just for genetics but also for medicine and biological sciences. Despite outstanding technological progresses, genetics alone is not able to completely explain phenotypes, in particular for complex diseases. Given the existence of a "missing heritability", growing attention has been given to non-mendelian mechanisms of inheritance and to the role of the environment. The study of interaction between gene and environment represents a challenging but also a promising field with high potential for health prevention, and epigenetics has been suggested as one of the best candidate to mediate environmental effects on the genome. Among environmental factors able to interact with both genome and epigenome, nutrition is one of the most impacting. Not just our genome influences the responsiveness to food and nutrients, but vice versa, nutrition can also modify gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms. In this complex picture, nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics represent appealing disciplines aimed to define new prospectives of personalized nutrition. This review introduces to the study of gene-environment interactions and describes how nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics modulate health, promoting or affecting healthiness through life-style, thus playing a pivotal role in modulating the effect of genetic predispositions.
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Epigenetic Memory of Early-Life Parental Perturbation: Dopamine Decrease and DNA Methylation Changes in Offspring. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2019; 2019:1472623. [PMID: 30915194 PMCID: PMC6399534 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1472623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Early-life exposure (from postnatal day 6 to postnatal day 21) to permethrin has been associated with long-term development of dopaminergic neurodegeneration in rats. Here, we first investigated if the dopamine decrease observed following early postnatal exposure to permethrin, an oxidative stressor, can impair the dopamine level in the brain of their untreated offspring. Secondly, we evaluated whether this adverse event affects the epigenome of both directly exposed rats (F0) and their untreated offspring (F1). The results show that early-life exposure to the stressor is associated with changes in global DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation in adult age. Furthermore, parental exposure leads to a significant reduction in dopamine level in the offspring (F1) born from parents or just mothers early-life treated (72.72% and 47.35%, respectively). About 2/3 of pups from exposed mothers showed a significant reduction in dopamine level compared to controls. Global DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation impairment was associated with the F1 pups that showed reduced dopamine. This study provides pivotal evidences on intergenerational effects of postnatal exposure to permethrin emphasizing that this xenobiotic can influence the epigenetic memory of early-life parental perturbations disturbing offspring health.
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15
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Li C, Tao H, Yang X, Zhang X, Liu Y, Tang Y, Tang A. Assessment of a combination of Serum Proteins as potential biomarkers to clinically predict Schizophrenia. Int J Med Sci 2018; 15:900-906. [PMID: 30008602 PMCID: PMC6036096 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.24346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a devastating psychiatric disorder. Validation of potential serum biomarkers during first-episode psychosis (FEP) is especially helpful to understand the onset and prognosis of this disorder. To address this question, we examined multiple blood biomarkers and assessed the efficacy to diagnose SZ. The expression levels of Neuregulin1 (NRG1), ErbB4, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), DNA methyltransferases 1 (DNMT1) and ten-eleven translocation 1 (TET1) proteins in peripheral blood of 53 FEP patients and 57 healthy controls were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Multivariable logistic regression including biomarker concentration as covariates was used to predict SZ. Differentiating performance of these five serum protein levels was analyzed by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. We found that patients with SZ present a higher concentration of DNMT1, and TET1 in peripheral blood, but a lower concentration of NRG1, ErbB4 and BDNF than controls. Multivariable logistic regression showed that ErbB4, BDNF and TET1 were independent predictors of SZ, and when combined, provided high diagnostic accuracy for SZ. Together, our findings highlight that altered expression of NRG1, ErbB4, BDNF, DNMT1 and TET1 are involved in schizophrenia development and they may serve as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of the schizophrenia. Therefore, our study provides evidence that combination of ErbB4, BDNF and TET1 biomarkers could greatly improve the diagnostic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cunyan Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, The first affiliated hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410005, Hunan, China
| | - Huai Tao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Xiudeng Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Xianghui Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Mental Health Institute of Central South University & Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, China; China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya) & China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, China
| | - Yong Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China; Mental Health Institute of Central South University & Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, China; China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya) & China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, China
| | - Yamei Tang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Aiguo Tang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China
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Sweatt JD, Tamminga CA. An epigenomics approach to individual differences and its translation to neuropsychiatric conditions. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2017. [PMID: 27757063 PMCID: PMC5067146 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2016.18.3/dsweatt] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
This review concerns epigenetic mechanisms and their roles in conferring interindividual differences, especially as related to experientially acquired and genetically driven changes in central nervous system (CNS) function. In addition, the review contains commentary regarding the possible ways in which epigenomic changes may contribute to neuropsychiatric conditions and disorders and ways in which epigenotyping might be cross-correlated with clinical phenotyping in the context of precision medicine. The review begins with a basic description of epigenetic marking in the CNS and how these changes are powerful regulators of gene readout. Means for characterizing the individual epigenotype are briefly described, with a focus on DNA cytosine methylation as a readily measurable, stable epigenetic mark. This background enables a discussion of how “epigenotyping” might be integrated along with genotyping and deep phenotyping as a means of implementing advanced precision medicine. Finally, the commentary addresses two exemplars when considering how epigenotype may correlate with and modulate cognitive and behavioral phenotype: schizophrenia and Rett syndrome. These two disorders provide an interesting compare-and-contrast example regarding possible epigenotypic regulation of behavior: whereas Rett syndrome is clearly established as being caused by disruption of the function of an epigenetic “reader” of the DNA cytosine methylome—methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2)—the case for a role for epigenetic mechanisms in schizophrenia is still quite speculative.
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Affiliation(s)
- J David Sweatt
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Carol A Tamminga
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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17
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Kundakovic M, Jiang Y, Kavanagh DH, Dincer A, Brown L, Pothula V, Zharovsky E, Park R, Jacobov R, Magro I, Kassim B, Wiseman J, Dang K, Sieberts SK, Roussos P, Fromer M, Harris B, Lipska BK, Peters MA, Sklar P, Akbarian S. Practical Guidelines for High-Resolution Epigenomic Profiling of Nucleosomal Histones in Postmortem Human Brain Tissue. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:162-170. [PMID: 27113501 PMCID: PMC5017897 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.03.1048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Revised: 02/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nervous system may include more than 100 residue-specific posttranslational modifications of histones forming the nucleosome core that are often regulated in cell-type-specific manner. On a genome-wide scale, some of the histone posttranslational modification landscapes show significant overlap with the genetic risk architecture for several psychiatric disorders, fueling PsychENCODE and other large-scale efforts to comprehensively map neuronal and nonneuronal epigenomes in hundreds of specimens. However, practical guidelines for efficient generation of histone chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) datasets from postmortem brains are needed. METHODS Protocols and quality controls are given for the following: 1) extraction, purification, and NeuN neuronal marker immunotagging of nuclei from adult human cerebral cortex; 2) fluorescence-activated nuclei sorting; 3) preparation of chromatin by micrococcal nuclease digest; 4) ChIP for open chromatin-associated histone methylation and acetylation; and 5) generation and sequencing of ChIP-seq libraries. RESULTS We present a ChIP-seq pipeline for epigenome mapping in the neuronal and nonneuronal nuclei from the postmortem brain. This includes a stepwise system of quality controls and user-friendly data presentation platforms. CONCLUSIONS Our practical guidelines will be useful for projects aimed at histone posttranslational modification mapping in chromatin extracted from hundreds of postmortem brain samples in cell-type-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Kundakovic
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Yan Jiang
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - David H Kavanagh
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute, and Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Aslihan Dincer
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute, and Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Leanne Brown
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Venu Pothula
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Elizabeth Zharovsky
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Royce Park
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Rivka Jacobov
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Isabelle Magro
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Bibi Kassim
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Jennifer Wiseman
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | | | | | - Panos Roussos
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute, and Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Menachem Fromer
- Friedman Brain Institute, and Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Brent Harris
- Department of Neurology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC; Human Brain Collection Core, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Barbara K Lipska
- Human Brain Collection Core, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Pamela Sklar
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute, and Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
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Alfimova MV, Kondratiev NV, Golimbet VE. Results and promises of genetics of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia: epigenetic approaches. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2017. [DOI: 10.17116/jnevro201711721130-135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Dissecting bipolar disorder complexity through epigenomic approach. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:1490-1498. [PMID: 27480490 PMCID: PMC5071130 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, numerous studies of gene regulation mechanisms have emerged in neuroscience. Epigenetic modifications, described as heritable but reversible changes, include DNA methylation, DNA hydroxymethylation, histone modifications and noncoding RNAs. The pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder, may be ascribed to a complex gene-environment interaction (G × E) model, linking the genome, environmental factors and epigenetic marks. Both the high complexity and the high heritability of bipolar disorder make it a compelling candidate for neurobiological analyses beyond DNA sequencing. Questions that are being raised in this review are the precise phenotype of the disorder in question, and also the trait versus state debate and how these concepts are being implemented in a variety of study designs.
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20
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Matrisciano F, Panaccione I, Grayson DR, Nicoletti F, Guidotti A. Metabotropic Glutamate 2/3 Receptors and Epigenetic Modifications in Psychotic Disorders: A Review. Curr Neuropharmacol 2016; 14:41-7. [PMID: 26813121 PMCID: PMC4787284 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x13666150713174242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Revised: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder are chronic psychiatric disorders, both considered as “major psychosis”; they are thought to share some pathogenetic factors involving a dysfunctional gene x environment interaction. Alterations in the glutamatergic transmission have been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of psychosis. Our group developed an epigenetic model of schizophrenia originated by Prenatal Restraint Stress (PRS) paradigm in mice. PRS mice developed some behavioral alterations observed in schizophrenic patients and classic animal models of schizophrenia, i.e. deficits in social interaction, locomotor activity and prepulse inhibition. They also showed specific changes in promoter DNA methylation activity of genes related to schizophrenia such as reelin, BDNF and GAD67, and altered expression and function of mGlu2/3 receptors in the frontal cortex. Interestingly, behavioral and molecular alterations were reversed by treatment with mGlu2/3 agonists. Based on these findings, we speculate that pharmacological modulation of these receptors could have a great impact on early phase treatment of psychosis together with the possibility to modulate specific epigenetic key protein involved in the development of psychosis. In this review, we will discuss in more details the specific features of the PRS mice as a suitable epigenetic model for
major psychosis. We will then focus on key proteins of chromatin remodeling machinery as potential target for new
pharmacological treatment through the activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Matrisciano
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 303E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611.
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21
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Mendizabal I, Shi L, Keller TE, Konopka G, Preuss TM, Hsieh TF, Hu E, Zhang Z, Su B, Yi SV. Comparative Methylome Analyses Identify Epigenetic Regulatory Loci of Human Brain Evolution. Mol Biol Evol 2016; 33:2947-2959. [PMID: 27563052 PMCID: PMC5062329 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msw176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
How do epigenetic modifications change across species and how do these modifications affect evolution? These are fundamental questions at the forefront of our evolutionary epigenomic understanding. Our previous work investigated human and chimpanzee brain methylomes, but it was limited by the lack of outgroup data which is critical for comparative (epi)genomic studies. Here, we compared whole genome DNA methylation maps from brains of humans, chimpanzees and also rhesus macaques (outgroup) to elucidate DNA methylation changes during human brain evolution. Moreover, we validated that our approach is highly robust by further examining 38 human-specific DMRs using targeted deep genomic and bisulfite sequencing in an independent panel of 37 individuals from five primate species. Our unbiased genome-scan identified human brain differentially methylated regions (DMRs), irrespective of their associations with annotated genes. Remarkably, over half of the newly identified DMRs locate in intergenic regions or gene bodies. Nevertheless, their regulatory potential is on par with those of promoter DMRs. An intriguing observation is that DMRs are enriched in active chromatin loops, suggesting human-specific evolutionary remodeling at a higher-order chromatin structure. These findings indicate that there is substantial reprogramming of epigenomic landscapes during human brain evolution involving noncoding regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Mendizabal
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
| | - Lei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China The Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Thomas E Keller
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
| | - Genevieve Konopka
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Todd M Preuss
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases & Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Tzung-Fu Hsieh
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Enzhi Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Bing Su
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Soojin V Yi
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
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22
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Genetic architecture, epigenetic influence and environment exposure in the pathogenesis of Autism. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2016; 58:958-67. [PMID: 26490976 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-015-4941-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a spectral neurodevelopment disorder affecting approximately 1% of the population. ASD is characterized by impairments in reciprocal social interaction, communication deficits and restricted patterns of behavior. Multiple factors, including genetic/genomic, epigenetic/epigenomic and environmental, are thought to be necessary for autism development. Recent reviews have provided further insight into the genetic/genomic basis of ASD. It has long been suspected that epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, chromatin structures and long non-coding RNAs may play important roles in the pathology of ASD. In addition to genetic/genomic alterations and epigenetic/epigenomic influences, environmental exposures have been widely accepted as an important role in autism etiology, among which immune dysregulation and gastrointestinal microbiota are two prominent ones.
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23
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Dong E, Tueting P, Matrisciano F, Grayson DR, Guidotti A. Behavioral and molecular neuroepigenetic alterations in prenatally stressed mice: relevance for the study of chromatin remodeling properties of antipsychotic drugs. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e711. [PMID: 26756904 PMCID: PMC5068871 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Revised: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We have recently reported that mice born from dams stressed during pregnancy (PRS mice), in adulthood, have behavioral deficits reminiscent of behaviors observed in schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar (BP) disorder patients. Furthermore, we have shown that the frontal cortex (FC) and hippocampus of adult PRS mice, like that of postmortem chronic SZ patients, are characterized by increases in DNA-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), ten-eleven methylcytosine dioxygenase 1 (TET1) and exhibit an enrichment of 5-methylcytosine (5MC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5HMC) at neocortical GABAergic and glutamatergic gene promoters. Here, we show that the behavioral deficits and the increased 5MC and 5HMC at glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (Gad1), reelin (Reln) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) promoters and the reduced expression of the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and proteins corresponding to these genes in FC of adult PRS mice is reversed by treatment with clozapine (5 mg kg(-1) twice a day for 5 days) but not by haloperidol (1 mg kg(-1) twice a day for 5 days). Interestingly, clozapine had no effect on either the behavior, promoter methylation or the expression of these mRNAs and proteins when administered to offspring of nonstressed pregnant mice. Clozapine, but not haloperidol, reduced the elevated levels of DNMT1 and TET1, as well as the elevated levels of DNMT1 binding to Gad1, Reln and Bdnf promoters in PRS mice suggesting that clozapine, unlike haloperidol, may limit DNA methylation by interfering with DNA methylation dynamics. We conclude that the PRS mouse model may be useful preclinically in screening for the potential efficacy of antipsychotic drugs acting on altered epigenetic mechanisms. Furthermore, PRS mice may be invaluable for understanding the etiopathogenesis of SZ and BP disorder and for predicting treatment responses at early stages of the illness allowing for early detection and remedial intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Dong
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - P Tueting
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - F Matrisciano
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - D R Grayson
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - A Guidotti
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA,The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St. M/C 912, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. E-mail:
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24
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Lardenoije R, Iatrou A, Kenis G, Kompotis K, Steinbusch HWM, Mastroeni D, Coleman P, Lemere CA, Hof PR, van den Hove DLA, Rutten BPF. The epigenetics of aging and neurodegeneration. Prog Neurobiol 2015; 131:21-64. [PMID: 26072273 PMCID: PMC6477921 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Revised: 05/13/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetics is a quickly growing field encompassing mechanisms regulating gene expression that do not involve changes in the genotype. Epigenetics is of increasing relevance to neuroscience, with epigenetic mechanisms being implicated in brain development and neuronal differentiation, as well as in more dynamic processes related to cognition. Epigenetic regulation covers multiple levels of gene expression; from direct modifications of the DNA and histone tails, regulating the level of transcription, to interactions with messenger RNAs, regulating the level of translation. Importantly, epigenetic dysregulation currently garners much attention as a pivotal player in aging and age-related neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease, where it may mediate interactions between genetic and environmental risk factors, or directly interact with disease-specific pathological factors. We review current knowledge about the major epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation and DNA demethylation, chromatin remodeling and non-coding RNAs, as well as the involvement of these mechanisms in normal aging and in the pathophysiology of the most common neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, we examine the current state of epigenetics-based therapeutic strategies for these diseases, which either aim to restore the epigenetic homeostasis or skew it to a favorable direction to counter disease pathology. Finally, methodological challenges of epigenetic investigations and future perspectives are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Lardenoije
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Artemis Iatrou
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Gunter Kenis
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Konstantinos Kompotis
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Genopode Building, 1015 Lausanne-Dorigny, Switzerland
| | - Harry W M Steinbusch
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Diego Mastroeni
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands; L.J. Roberts Alzheimer's Disease Center, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, 10515 W. Santa Fe Drive, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA
| | - Paul Coleman
- L.J. Roberts Alzheimer's Disease Center, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, 10515 W. Santa Fe Drive, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA
| | - Cynthia A Lemere
- Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Daniel L A van den Hove
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands; Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Wuerzburg, Fuechsleinstrasse 15, 97080 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Bart P F Rutten
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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Guidotti A, Grayson DR. DNA methylation and demethylation as targets for antipsychotic therapy. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2015. [PMID: 25364290 PMCID: PMC4214182 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2014.16.3/aguidotti] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BPD) patients show a downregulation of GAD67, reelin (RELN), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and other genes expressed in telencephalic GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons. This downregulation is associated with the enrichment of 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine proximally at gene regulatory domains at the respective genes. A pharmacological strategy to reduce promoter hypermethylation and to induce a more permissive chromatin conformation is to administer drugs, such as the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor valproate (VPA), that facilitate chromatin remodeling. Studies in mouse models of SZ indicate that clozapine induces DNA demethylation at relevant promoters, and that this action is potentiated by VPA. By activating DNA demethylation, clozapine or its derivatives with VPA or other more potent and selective HDAC inhibitors may be a promising treatment strategy to correct the gene expression deficits detected in postmortem brain of SZ and BPD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Guidotti
- Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Dennis R Grayson
- Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Neuronal Kmt2a/Mll1 histone methyltransferase is essential for prefrontal synaptic plasticity and working memory. J Neurosci 2015; 35:5097-108. [PMID: 25834037 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3004-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal histone H3-lysine 4 methylation landscapes are defined by sharp peaks at gene promoters and other cis-regulatory sequences, but molecular and cellular phenotypes after neuron-specific deletion of H3K4 methyl-regulators remain largely unexplored. We report that neuronal ablation of the H3K4-specific methyltransferase, Kmt2a/Mixed-lineage leukemia 1 (Mll1), in mouse postnatal forebrain and adult prefrontal cortex (PFC) is associated with increased anxiety and robust cognitive deficits without locomotor dysfunction. In contrast, only mild behavioral phenotypes were observed after ablation of the Mll1 ortholog Kmt2b/Mll2 in PFC. Impaired working memory after Kmt2a/Mll1 ablation in PFC neurons was associated with loss of training-induced transient waves of Arc immediate early gene expression critical for synaptic plasticity. Medial prefrontal layer V pyramidal neurons, a major output relay of the cortex, demonstrated severely impaired synaptic facilitation and temporal summation, two forms of short-term plasticity essential for working memory. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing in Mll1-deficient cortical neurons revealed downregulated expression and loss of the transcriptional mark, trimethyl-H3K4, at <50 loci, including the homeodomain transcription factor Meis2. Small RNA-mediated Meis2 knockdown in PFC was associated with working memory defects similar to those elicited by Mll1 deletion. Therefore, mature prefrontal neurons critically depend on maintenance of Mll1-regulated H3K4 methylation at a subset of genes with an essential role in cognition and emotion.
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Chen XS, Huang N, Michael N, Xiao L. Advancements in the Underlying Pathogenesis of Schizophrenia: Implications of DNA Methylation in Glial Cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:451. [PMID: 26696822 PMCID: PMC4667081 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a chronic and severe mental illness for which currently there is no cure. At present, the exact molecular mechanism involved in the underlying pathogenesis of SZ is unknown. The disease is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Recent studies have shown that epigenetic regulation is involved in SZ pathology. Specifically, DNA methylation, one of the earliest found epigenetic modifications, has been extensively linked to modulation of neuronal function, leading to psychiatric disorders such as SZ. However, increasing evidence indicates that glial cells, especially dysfunctional oligodendrocytes undergo DNA methylation changes that contribute to the pathogenesis of SZ. This review primarily focuses on DNA methylation involved in glial dysfunctions in SZ. Clarifying this mechanism may lead to the development of new therapeutic interventional strategies for the treatment of SZ and other illnesses by correcting abnormal methylation in glial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing-Shu Chen
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical UniversityChongqing, China
| | - Nanxin Huang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical UniversityChongqing, China
| | - Namaka Michael
- College of Pharmacy and Medicine, Joint Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry Between Shantou University Medical College and the College of Medicine, University of ManitobaWinnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Lan Xiao
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical UniversityChongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Lan Xiao
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Hess JL, Quinn TP, Akbarian S, Glatt SJ. Bioinformatic analyses and conceptual synthesis of evidence linking ZNF804A to risk for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2015; 168B:14-35. [PMID: 25522715 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 11/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Advances in molecular genetics, fueled by the results of large-scale genome-wide association studies, meta-analyses, and mega-analyses, have provided the means of identifying genetic risk factors for human disease, thereby enriching our understanding of the functionality of the genome in the post-genomic era. In the past half-decade, research on neuropsychiatric disorders has reached an important milestone: the identification of susceptibility genes reliably associated with complex psychiatric disorders at genome-wide levels of significance. This age of discovery provides the groundwork for follow-up studies designed to elucidate the mechanism(s) by which genetic variants confer susceptibility to these disorders. The gene encoding zinc-finger protein 804 A (ZNF804A) is among these candidate genes, recently being found to be strongly associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder via one of its non-coding mutations, rs1344706. Neurobiological, molecular, and bioinformatic analyses have improved our understanding of ZNF804A in general and this variant in particular; however, more work is needed to establish the mechanism(s) by which ZNF804A variants impinge on the biological substrates of the two disorders. Here, we review literature recently published on ZNF804A, and analyze critical concepts related to the biology of ZNF804A and the role of rs1344706 in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. We synthesize the results of new bioinformatic analyses of ZNF804A with key elements of the existing literature and knowledge base. Furthermore, we suggest some potentially fruitful short- and long-term research goals in the assessment of ZNF804A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan L Hess
- Psychiatric Genetic Epidemiology & Neurobiology Laboratory (PsychGENe Lab), Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, New York City, New York
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Chiu S, Woodbury-Fariña MA, Shad MU, Husni M, Copen J, Bureau Y, Cernovsky Z, Hou JJ, Raheb H, Terpstra K, Sanchez V, Hategan A, Kaushal M, Campbell R. The role of nutrient-based epigenetic changes in buffering against stress, aging, and Alzheimer's disease. Psychiatr Clin North Am 2014; 37:591-623. [PMID: 25455068 DOI: 10.1016/j.psc.2014.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Converging evidence identifies stress-related disorders as putative risk factors for Alzheimer Disease (AD). This article reviews evidence on the complex interplay of stress, aging, and genes-epigenetics interactions. The recent classification of AD into preclinical, mild cognitive impairment, and AD offers a window for intervention to prevent, delay, or modify the course of AD. Evidence in support of the cognitive effects of epigenetics-diet, and nutraceuticals is reviewed. A proactive epigenetics diet and nutraceuticals program holds promise as potential buffer against the negative impact of aging and stress responses on cognition, and can optimize vascular, metabolic, and brain health in the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Chiu
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6G 4X8, Canada.
| | - Michel A Woodbury-Fariña
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, 307 Calle Eleonor Roosevelt, San Juan, PR 00918-2720, USA
| | - Mujeeb U Shad
- Oregon Health & Science University, Department Psychiatry, 3181 South West Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA
| | - Mariwan Husni
- Northern Ontario Medical School/Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - John Copen
- Vancouver Island Health Authority, Department of Psychiatry, Victoria, BC, University of British Columbia-Victoria Medical Campus, Island Medical Program, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC V8N-1M5, Canada
| | - Yves Bureau
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6G 4X8, Canada
| | - Zack Cernovsky
- Certificate Professional Qualification (CPQ), Clinical Psychology, Association of State and Provincial Psychology Board (ASPB): USA and Canada
| | - J Jurui Hou
- Epigenetics Research Group, Lawson Health Research Institute, St Joseph Health Care, 268 Grosvenor Street, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
| | - Hana Raheb
- Epigenetics Research Group, Lawson Health Research Institute, St Joseph Health Care, 268 Grosvenor Street, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
| | - Kristen Terpstra
- Accelerated B.Sc.N. Nursing Program, Lawrence S. Bloomberg, Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Suite 130 Toronto, ON M5T 1P8, Canada
| | - Veronica Sanchez
- McGill University, Meakins-Christie Labs, 3626 St., Urbain Street, Montreal, QC H2X 2P2, Canada
| | - Ana Hategan
- Geriatric Psychiatry Division, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton /McMaster University Health Sciences, West 5th Campus 100 West 5th Hamilton, ON L8N 3K7, Canada
| | - Mike Kaushal
- Epigenetics Research Group, Lawson Health Research Institute, St Joseph Health Care, 268 Grosvenor Street, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
| | - Robbie Campbell
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6G 4X8, Canada
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30
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Qiang-long Z, Shi L, Peng G, Fei-shi L. High-throughput Sequencing Technology and Its Application. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/s1006-8104(14)60073-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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31
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Sánchez Delgado M, Camprubí C, Tümer Z, Martínez F, Milà M, Monk D. Screening individuals with intellectual disability, autism and Tourette's syndrome for KCNK9 mutations and aberrant DNA methylation within the 8q24 imprinted cluster. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2014; 165B:472-8. [PMID: 24980697 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The phenotype overlap between autism spectrum disorders (ASD) & intellectual disabilities (ID) is mirrored at the genetic level, with common genes being reported mutated in variety of developmental disabilities. However despite widespread genetic screening for mutations, in approximately 40-60% of childhood developmental disorders the genetic cause remains unknown. Several genome-wide linkage screens in ASD have identified a locus mapping to distal 8q. We have recently identified a novel brain-specific imprinted cluster at this location, which contains the reciprocally expressed maternal KCNK9 and paternally expressed non-coding PEG13 transcripts, the latter located within an intron of TRAPPC9. Interestingly, mutations of KCNK9 and TRAPPC9 have been reported in Birk-Barel mental retardation and non-syndromic familial forms of ID, respectively. Here, we report a genetic screen for KCNK9 coding mutations and potential epigenetic aberrations that could result in deregulated imprinting in a cohort of 120 ID, 86 ASD and 86 Tourette syndrome patients. Fifteen of the ID patients had clinical characteristics overlapping with Birk-Barel syndrome. Sequencing of the two coding exons of KCNK9 failed to identify pathologic mutations, with only one variant, rs2615374, being present with allele frequencies similar to those described in dbSNP database. DNA methylation profiling of the KCNK9 and TRAPPC9 promoters, the maternally methylated PEG13 DMR and a long-range enhancer region were normal in all patients. Our findings suggest that mutations of KCNK9 or epigenetic disturbances within the PEG13 imprinted cluster do not significantly contribute to the cause of the developmental disabilities tested in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Sánchez Delgado
- Imprinting and Cancer Group, Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain
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32
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Mitchell AC, Bharadwaj R, Whittle C, Krueger W, Mirnics K, Hurd Y, Rasmussen T, Akbarian S. The genome in three dimensions: a new frontier in human brain research. Biol Psychiatry 2014; 75:961-9. [PMID: 23958183 PMCID: PMC3925763 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Revised: 06/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Less than 1.5% of the human genome encodes protein. However, vast portions of the human genome are subject to transcriptional and epigenetic regulation, and many noncoding regulatory DNA elements are thought to regulate the spatial organization of interphase chromosomes. For example, chromosomal "loopings" are pivotal for the orderly process of gene expression, by enabling distal regulatory enhancer or silencer elements to directly interact with proximal promoter and transcription start sites, potentially bypassing hundreds of kilobases of interspersed sequence on the linear genome. To date, however, epigenetic studies in the human brain are mostly limited to the exploration of DNA methylation and posttranslational modifications of the nucleosome core histones. In contrast, very little is known about the regulation of supranucleosomal structures. Here, we show that chromosome conformation capture, a widely used approach to study higher-order chromatin, is applicable to tissue collected postmortem, thereby informing about genome organization in the human brain. We introduce chromosome conformation capture protocols for brain and compare higher-order chromatin structures at the chromosome 6p22.2-22.1 schizophrenia and bipolar disorder susceptibility locus, and additional neurodevelopmental risk genes, (DPP10, MCPH1) in adult prefrontal cortex and various cell culture systems, including neurons derived from reprogrammed skin cells. We predict that the exploration of three-dimensional genome architectures and function will open up new frontiers in human brain research and psychiatric genetics and provide novel insights into the epigenetic risk architectures of regulatory noncoding DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C. Mitchell
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Rahul Bharadwaj
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY,Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester MA
| | - Catheryne Whittle
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester MA
| | - Winfried Krueger
- Center for Regenerative Biology and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Karoly Mirnics
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Yasmin Hurd
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Theodore Rasmussen
- Center for Regenerative Biology and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience , Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute , University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts.
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33
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McCarthy SE, Gillis J, Kramer M, Lihm J, Yoon S, Berstein Y, Mistry M, Pavlidis P, Solomon R, Ghiban E, Antoniou E, Kelleher E, O’Brien C, Donohoe G, Gill M, Morris DW, McCombie WR, Corvin A. De novo mutations in schizophrenia implicate chromatin remodeling and support a genetic overlap with autism and intellectual disability. Mol Psychiatry 2014; 19:652-8. [PMID: 24776741 PMCID: PMC4031262 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2014.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 263] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a serious psychiatric disorder with a broadly undiscovered genetic etiology. Recent studies of de novo mutations (DNMs) in schizophrenia and autism have reinforced the hypothesis that rare genetic variation contributes to risk. We carried out exome sequencing on 57 trios with sporadic or familial schizophrenia. In sporadic trios, we observed a ~3.5-fold increase in the proportion of nonsense DNMs (0.101 vs 0.031, empirical P=0.01, Benjamini-Hochberg-corrected P=0.044). These mutations were significantly more likely to occur in genes with highly ranked probabilities of haploinsufficiency (P=0.0029, corrected P=0.006). DNMs of potential functional consequence were also found to occur in genes predicted to be less tolerant to rare variation (P=2.01 × 10(-)(5), corrected P=2.1 × 10(-)(3)). Genes with DNMs overlapped with genes implicated in autism (for example, AUTS2, CHD8 and MECP2) and intellectual disability (for example, HUWE1 and TRAPPC9), supporting a shared genetic etiology between these disorders. Functionally CHD8, MECP2 and HUWE1 converge on epigenetic regulation of transcription suggesting that this may be an important risk mechanism. Our results were consistent in an analysis of additional exome-based sequencing studies of other neurodevelopmental disorders. These findings suggest that perturbations in genes, which function in the epigenetic regulation of brain development and cognition, could have a central role in the susceptibility to, pathogenesis and treatment of mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane E. McCarthy
- The Stanley Institute for Cognitive Genomics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, 11724, USA
| | - Jesse Gillis
- The Stanley Institute for Cognitive Genomics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, 11724, USA
| | - Melissa Kramer
- The Stanley Institute for Cognitive Genomics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, 11724, USA
| | - Jayon Lihm
- The Stanley Institute for Cognitive Genomics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, 11724, USA
| | - Seungtai Yoon
- The Stanley Institute for Cognitive Genomics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, 11724, USA
| | - Yael Berstein
- The Stanley Institute for Cognitive Genomics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, 11724, USA
| | - Meeta Mistry
- Department of Psychiatry and Centre for High-throughput Biology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Paul Pavlidis
- Department of Psychiatry and Centre for High-throughput Biology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Rebecca Solomon
- The Stanley Institute for Cognitive Genomics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, 11724, USA
| | - Elena Ghiban
- The Stanley Institute for Cognitive Genomics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, 11724, USA
| | - Eric Antoniou
- The Stanley Institute for Cognitive Genomics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, 11724, USA
| | - Eric Kelleher
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Carol O’Brien
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Gary Donohoe
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Michael Gill
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Derek W. Morris
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - W. Richard. McCombie
- The Stanley Institute for Cognitive Genomics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, 11724, USA
- The Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, 11724, USA
| | - Aiden Corvin
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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Montalvo-Ortiz JL, Keegan J, Gallardo C, Gerst N, Tetsuka K, Tucker C, Matsumoto M, Fang D, Csernansky JG, Dong H. HDAC inhibitors restore the capacity of aged mice to respond to haloperidol through modulation of histone acetylation. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:1469-78. [PMID: 24366052 PMCID: PMC3988551 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2013] [Revised: 12/05/2013] [Accepted: 12/08/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Antipsychotic drugs are widely prescribed to elderly patients for the treatment of a variety of psychopathological conditions, including psychosis and the behavioral disturbances associated with dementia. However, clinical experience suggests that these drugs may be less efficacious in the elderly individuals than in the young. Recent studies suggest that aging may be associated with epigenetic changes and that valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, may reverse such changes. However, it is not yet known whether HDAC inhibitors can modulate age-related epigenetic changes that may impact antipsychotic drug action. In this study, we analyzed conditioned avoidance response (CAR) and c-Fos expression patterns to elucidate the effect of HDAC inhibitors VPA and entinostat (MS-275) on behavioral and molecular markers of the effects of haloperidol (HAL) in aged mice. Our results showed that HAL administration failed to suppress the avoidance response during the CAR test, suggesting an age-related decrease in drug efficacy. In addition, HAL-induced c-Fos expression in the nucleus accumbens shell and prefrontal cortex was significantly lower in aged mice as compared with young mice. Pretreatment with VPA and MS-275 significantly improved HAL effects on the CAR test in aged mice. Also, VPA and MS-275 pretreatment restored HAL-induced increases in c-Fos expression in the nucleus accumbens shell and prefrontal cortex of aged mice to levels comparable with those observed in young mice. Lastly, but most importantly, increases in c-Fos expression and HAL efficacy in the CAR test of the HAL+VPA and HAL+MS-275 groups were correlated with elevated histone acetylation at the c-fos promoter region in aged mice. These findings suggest that pretreatment with VPA or MS-275 increases the behavioral and molecular effects of HAL in aged mice and that these effects occur via modulation of age-related histone hypoacetylation in the nucleus accumbens shell and prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janitza L Montalvo-Ortiz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jack Keegan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Christopher Gallardo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nicolas Gerst
- Astellas Research Institute of America, Skokie, IL, USA
| | | | - Chris Tucker
- Astellas Research Institute of America, Skokie, IL, USA
| | | | - Deyu Fang
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - John G Csernansky
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hongxin Dong
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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Guidotti A, Auta J, Davis JM, Dong E, Gavin DP, Grayson DR, Sharma RP, Smith RC, Tueting P, Zhubi A. Toward the identification of peripheral epigenetic biomarkers of schizophrenia. J Neurogenet 2014; 28:41-52. [PMID: 24702539 DOI: 10.3109/01677063.2014.892485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a heritable, nonmendelian, neurodevelopmental disorder in which epigenetic dysregulation of the brain genome plays a fundamental role in mediating the clinical manifestations and course of the disease. The authors recently reported that two enzymes that belong to the dynamic DNA methylation/demethylation network-DNMT (DNA methyltransferase) and TET (ten-eleven translocase; 5-hydroxycytosine translocator)-are abnormally increased in corticolimbic structures of SZ postmortem brain, suggesting a causal relationship between clinical manifestations of SZ and changes in DNA methylation and in the expression of SZ candidate genes (e.g., brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], glucocorticoid receptor [GCR], glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 [GAD67], reelin). Because the clinical manifestations of SZ typically begin with a prodrome followed by a first episode in adolescence with subsequent deterioration, it is obvious that the natural history of this disease cannot be studied only in postmortem brain. Hence, the focus is currently shifting towards the feasibility of studying epigenetic molecular signatures of SZ in blood cells. Initial studies show a significant enrichment of epigenetic changes in lymphocytes in gene networks directly relevant to psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, the expression of DNA-methylating/demethylating enzymes and SZ candidate genes such as BDNF and GCR are altered in the same direction in both brain and blood lymphocytes. The coincidence of these changes in lymphocytes and brain supports the hypothesis that common environmental or genetic risk factors are operative in altering the epigenetic components involved in orchestrating transcription of specific genes in brain and peripheral tissues. The identification of DNA methylation signatures for SZ in peripheral blood cells of subjects with genetic and clinical high risk would clearly have potential for the diagnosis of SZ early in its course and would be invaluable for initiating early intervention and individualized treatment plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Guidotti
- Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Illinois , Chicago, Chicago, Illinois , USA
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36
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Hamilton DE, Cooke CL, Carter BS, Akil H, Watson SJ, Thompson RC. Basal microRNA expression patterns in reward circuitry of selectively bred high-responder and low-responder rats vary by brain region and genotype. Physiol Genomics 2014; 46:290-301. [PMID: 24569673 PMCID: PMC4035657 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00152.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mental health disorders involving altered reward, emotionality, and anxiety are thought to result from the interaction of individual predisposition (genetic factors) and personal experience (environmental factors), although the mechanisms that contribute to an individual's vulnerability to these disorders remain poorly understood. We used an animal model of individual variation [inbred high-responder/low-responder (bHR-bLR) rodents] known to vary in reward, anxiety, and emotional processing to examine neuroanatomical expression patterns of microRNAs (miRNAs). Laser capture microdissection was used to dissect the prelimbic cortex and the nucleus accumbens core and shell prior to analysis of basal miRNA expression in bHR and bLR male rats. These studies identified 187 miRNAs differentially expressed by genotype in at least one brain region, 10 of which were validated by qPCR. Four of these 10 qPCR-validated miRNAs demonstrated differential expression across multiple brain regions, and all miRNAs with validated differential expression between genotypes had lower expression in bHR animals compared with bLR animals. microRNA (miR)-484 and miR-128a expression differences between the prelimbic cortex of bHR and bLR animals were validated by semiquantitative in situ hybridization. miRNA expression analysis independent of genotype identified 101 miRNAs differentially expressed by brain region, seven of which validated by qPCR. Dnmt3a mRNA, a validated target of miR-29b, varied in a direction opposite that of miR-29b's differential expression between bHR and bLR animals. These data provide evidence that basal central nervous system miRNA expression varies in the bHR-bLR model, implicating microRNAs as potential epigenetic regulators of key neural circuits and individual differences associated with mental health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Hamilton
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Fass DM, Schroeder FA, Perlis RH, Haggarty SJ. Epigenetic mechanisms in mood disorders: targeting neuroplasticity. Neuroscience 2014; 264:112-30. [PMID: 23376737 PMCID: PMC3830721 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.01.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Accepted: 01/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Developing novel therapeutics and diagnostic tools based upon an understanding of neuroplasticity is critical in order to improve the treatment and ultimately the prevention of a broad range of nervous system disorders. In the case of mood disorders, such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BPD), where diagnoses are based solely on nosology rather than pathophysiology, there exists a clear unmet medical need to advance our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms and to develop fundamentally new mechanism experimental medicines with improved efficacy. In this context, recent preclinical molecular, cellular, and behavioral findings have begun to reveal the importance of epigenetic mechanisms that alter chromatin structure and dynamically regulate patterns of gene expression that may play a critical role in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Here, we will review recent advances involving the use of animal models in combination with genetic and pharmacological probes to dissect the underlying molecular mechanisms and neurobiological consequence of targeting this chromatin-mediated neuroplasticity. We discuss evidence for the direct and indirect effects of mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and antipsychotics, among their many other effects, on chromatin-modifying enzymes and on the epigenetic state of defined genomic loci, in defined cell types and in specific regions of the brain. These data, as well as findings from patient-derived tissue, have also begun to reveal alterations of epigenetic mechanisms in the pathophysiology and treatment of mood disorders. We summarize growing evidence supporting the notion that selectively targeting chromatin-modifying complexes, including those containing histone deacetylases (HDACs), provides a means to reversibly alter the acetylation state of neuronal chromatin and beneficially impact neuronal activity-regulated gene transcription and mood-related behaviors. Looking beyond current knowledge, we discuss how high-resolution, whole-genome methodologies, such as RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) for transcriptome analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-Seq) for analyzing genome-wide occupancy of chromatin-associated factors, are beginning to provide an unprecedented view of both specific genomic loci as well as global properties of chromatin in the nervous system. These methodologies when applied to the characterization of model systems, including those of patient-derived induced pluripotent cell (iPSC) and induced neurons (iNs), will greatly shape our understanding of epigenetic mechanisms and the impact of genetic variation on the regulatory regions of the human genome that can affect neuroplasticity. Finally, we point out critical unanswered questions and areas where additional data are needed in order to better understand the potential to target mechanisms of chromatin-mediated neuroplasticity for novel treatments of mood and other psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M Fass
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Center for Human Genetic Reseach, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - F A Schroeder
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Center for Human Genetic Reseach, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 149, 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - R H Perlis
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Center for Human Genetic Research, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - S J Haggarty
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Center for Human Genetic Reseach, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Center for Human Genetic Research, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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38
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Abstract
Psychopathology research has focused either on the analysis of the mental state in the here and now or on the synthesis of mental status abnormalities with biological markers and outcome data. These two schools of psychopathology, the analytic and the synthetic, make contrasting assumptions, take different approaches, and pursue divergent goals. Analytic psychopathology favors the individual person and unique biography, whereas synthetic psychopathology abstracts from the single case and generalizes to the population level. The dimension of time, especially the prediction of future outcomes, is viewed differently by these two schools. Here I outline how Carpenter's proposal of strong inference and theory testing in psychopathology research can be used to test the value of analytic and synthetic psychopathology. The emerging field of personalized psychiatry can clarify the relevance of psychopathology for contemporary research in psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Heckers
- *To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, 1601 23rd Avenue South, Room 3060, Nashville, TN 37212, US; tel: 615-322-2665, fax: 615-343-8400, e-mail:
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Dalton VS, Kolshus E, McLoughlin DM. Epigenetics and depression: return of the repressed. J Affect Disord 2014; 155:1-12. [PMID: 24238955 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2013.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Revised: 10/15/2013] [Accepted: 10/16/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Epigenetics has recently emerged as a potential mechanism by which adverse environmental stimuli can result in persistent changes in gene expression. Epigenetic mechanisms function alongside the DNA sequence to modulate gene expression and ultimately influence protein production. The current review provides an introduction and overview of epigenetics with a particular focus on preclinical and clinical studies relevant to major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS PubMed and Web of Science databases were interrogated from January 1995 up to December 2012 using combinations of search terms, including "epigenetic", "microRNA" and "DNA methylation" cross referenced with "depression", "early life stress" and "antidepressant". RESULTS There is an association between adverse environmental stimuli, such as early life stress, and epigenetic modification of gene expression. Epigenetic changes have been reported in humans with MDD and may serve as biomarkers to improve diagnosis. Antidepressant treatments appear to reverse or initiate compensatory epigenetic alterations that may be relevant to their mechanism of action. LIMITATIONS As a narrative review, the current report was interpretive and qualitative in nature. CONCLUSION Epigenetic modification of gene expression provides a mechanism for understanding the link between long-term effects of adverse life events and the changes in gene expression that are associated with depression. Although still a developing field, in the future, epigenetic modifications of gene expression may provide novel biomarkers to predict future susceptibility and/or onset of MDD, improve diagnosis, and aid in the development of epigenetics-based therapies for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria S Dalton
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, St. Patrick's University Hospital, James's Street, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Erik Kolshus
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, St. Patrick's University Hospital, James's Street, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Declan M McLoughlin
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, St. Patrick's University Hospital, James's Street, Dublin 8, Ireland.
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40
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Epigenetic analysis of neurocognitive development at 1 year of age in a community-based pregnancy cohort. Behav Genet 2014; 44:113-25. [PMID: 24452678 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-014-9641-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2013] [Accepted: 01/09/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Multiple studies show that molecular genetic changes and epigenetic modifications affect the risk of cognitive disability or impairment. However, the role of epigenetic variation in cognitive development of neurotypical young children remains largely unknown. Using data from a prospective, community-based study of mother-infant pairs, we investigated the association of DNA methylation patterns in neonatal umbilical cord blood with cognitive and language development at 1 year of age. No CpG loci achieved genome-wide significance, although a small number of weakly suggestive associations with Bayley-III Receptive Communication scales were noted. While umbilical cord blood is a convenient resource for genetic analyses of birth outcomes, our results do not provide conclusive evidence that its use for DNA methylation profiling yields epigenetic markers that are directly related to postnatal neurocognitive outcomes at 1 year of age.
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41
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Guidotti A, Dong E, Tueting P, Grayson DR. Modeling the molecular epigenetic profile of psychosis in prenatally stressed mice. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2014; 128:89-101. [PMID: 25410542 PMCID: PMC4283473 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-800977-2.00004-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Based on postmortem brain studies, our overarching epigenetic hypothesis is that chronic schizophrenia (SZ) is a psychopathological condition involving dysregulation of the dynamic equilibrium among DNA methylation/demethylation network components and the expression of SZ target genes, including GABAergic and glutamatergic genes. SZ has a natural course, starting with a prodromal phase, a first episode that occurs in adolescents or in young adults, and later deterioration over the adult years. Hence, the epigenetic status at each neurodevelopmental stage of the disease cannot be studied just in postmortem brain of chronic SZ patients, but requires the use of neurodevelopmental animal models. We have directed the focus of our research toward studying the epigenetic signature of the SZ brain in the offspring of dams stressed during pregnancy (PRS mice). Adult PRS mice have behavioral deficits reminiscent of behaviors observed in psychotic patients. The adult PRS brain, like that of postmortem chronic SZ patients, is characterized by a significant increase in DNA methyltransferase 1, Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 1 (TET1), 5-methylcytosine, and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine at SZ candidate gene promoters and a reduction in the expression of glutamatergic and GABAergic genes. In PRS mice, measurements of epigenetic biomarkers for SZ can be assessed at different stages of development with the goal of further elucidating the pathophysiology of this disease and predicting treatment responses at specific stages of the illness, with particular attention to early detection and possibly early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Guidotti
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Erbo Dong
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Patricia Tueting
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Dennis R Grayson
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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42
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Zhubi A, Cook EH, Guidotti A, Grayson DR. Epigenetic Mechanisms in Autism Spectrum Disorder. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2014; 115:203-44. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-801311-3.00006-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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43
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Agis-Balboa RC, Fischer A. Generating new neurons to circumvent your fears: the role of IGF signaling. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:21-42. [PMID: 23543251 PMCID: PMC11113432 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1316-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2012] [Revised: 02/12/2013] [Accepted: 03/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Extinction of fear memory is a particular form of cognitive function that is of special interest because of its involvement in the treatment of anxiety and mood disorders. Based on recent literature and our previous findings (EMBO J 30(19):4071-4083, 2011), we propose a new hypothesis that implies a tight relationship among IGF signaling, adult hippocampal neurogenesis and fear extinction. Our proposed model suggests that fear extinction-induced IGF2/IGFBP7 signaling promotes the survival of neurons at 2-4 weeks old that would participate in the discrimination between the original fear memory trace and the new safety memory generated during fear extinction. This is also called "pattern separation", or the ability to distinguish similar but different cues (e.g., context). To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying fear extinction is therefore of great clinical importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- R C Agis-Balboa
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Grisebach Str. 5, 37077, Göttingen, Germany,
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44
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Pickersgill M, Niewöhner J, Müller R, Martin P, Cunningham-Burley S. Mapping the new molecular landscape: social dimensions of epigenetics. NEW GENETICS AND SOCIETY 2013; 32:429-447. [PMID: 24482610 PMCID: PMC3898699 DOI: 10.1080/14636778.2013.861739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Revised: 10/29/2013] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the DNA itself. The field is rapidly growing and being widely promoted, attracting attention in diverse arenas. These include those of the social sciences, where some researchers have been encouraged by the resonance between imaginaries of development within epigenetics and social theory. Yet, sustained attention from science and technology studies (STS) scholars to epigenetics and the praxis it propels has been lacking. In this article, we reflexively consider some of the ways in which epigenetics is being constructed as an area of biomedical novelty and discuss the content and logics underlying the ambivalent promises being made by scientists working in this area. We then reflect on the scope, limits and future of engagements between epigenetics and the social sciences. Our discussion is situated within wider literatures on biomedicine and society, the politics of "interventionist STS," and on the problems of "caseness" within empirical social science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyn Pickersgill
- University of Edinburgh, Centre for Population Health Sciences, Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
| | | | | | | | - Sarah Cunningham-Burley
- University of Edinburgh, Centre for Population Health Sciences, Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
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45
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Uddin M, Sipahi L, Li J, Koenen KC. Sex differences in DNA methylation may contribute to risk of PTSD and depression: a review of existing evidence. Depress Anxiety 2013; 30:1151-60. [PMID: 23959810 PMCID: PMC4530966 DOI: 10.1002/da.22167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2013] [Revised: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 07/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
There are well-established sex differences in the prevalence of certain mental disorders. Work in animal models has provided us with an emerging understanding of the role that epigenetic factors play in establishing sex differences in the brain during development. Similarly, work in animal models, and a more limited but growing literature based on human studies, has demonstrated that DNA methylation (DNAm) changes occur in response to environmental stress, with some of these occurring in a sex-specific manner. In this review, we explore whether DNAm plays a role in contributing to the observed sex differences in prevalence of mental disorders in which stress contributes significantly to their etiologies, specifically posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. We propose that investigating sex differences in DNAm among genes known to influence brain development may help to shed light on the sexually dimorphic risk for, or resilience to, developing PTSD and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Uddin
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | - Levent Sipahi
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | - Jia Li
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI
| | - Karestan C. Koenen
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
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46
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de Lacy N, King BH. Revisiting the relationship between autism and schizophrenia: toward an integrated neurobiology. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2013; 9:555-87. [PMID: 23537488 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050212-185627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia and autism have been linked since their earliest descriptions. Both are disorders of cerebral specialization originating in the embryonic period. Genetic, molecular, and cytologic research highlights a variety of shared contributory mechanisms that may lead to patterns of abnormal connectivity arising from altered development and topology. Overt behavioral pathology likely emerges during or after neurosensitive periods in which resource demands overwhelm system resources and the individual's ability to compensate using interregional activation fails. We are at the threshold of being able to chart autism and schizophrenia from the inside out. In so doing, the door is opened to the consideration of new therapeutics that are developed based upon molecular, synaptic, and systems targets common to both disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina de Lacy
- University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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47
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Hall L, Kelley E. The contribution of epigenetics to understanding genetic factors in autism. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2013; 18:872-81. [PMID: 24126868 DOI: 10.1177/1362361313503501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a grouping of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social communication and language, as well as by repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. While the environment is believed to play a role in the development of autism spectrum disorder, there is now strong evidence for a genetic link to autism. Despite such evidence, studies investigating a potential single-gene cause for autism, although insightful, have been highly inconclusive. A consideration of an epigenetic approach proves to be very promising in clarifying genetic factors involved in autism. The present article is intended to provide a review of key findings pertaining to epigenetics in autism in such a way that a broader audience of individuals who do not have a strong background in genetics may better understand this highly specific and scientific content. Epigenetics refers to non-permanent heritable changes that alter expression of genes without altering the DNA sequence itself and considers the role of environment in this modulation of gene expression. This review provides a brief description of epigenetic processes, highlights evidence in the literature of epigenetic dysregulation in autism, and makes use of noteworthy findings to illustrate how a consideration of epigenetic factors can deepen our understanding of the development of autism. Furthermore, this discussion will present a promising new way for moving forward in the investigation of genetic factors within autism.
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48
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Auta J, Smith R, Dong E, Tueting P, Sershen H, Boules S, Lajtha A, Davis J, Guidotti A. DNA-methylation gene network dysregulation in peripheral blood lymphocytes of schizophrenia patients. Schizophr Res 2013; 150:312-8. [PMID: 23938174 PMCID: PMC4121849 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2013.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Revised: 07/10/2013] [Accepted: 07/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The epigenetic dysregulation of the brain genome associated with the clinical manifestations of schizophrenia (SZ) includes altered DNA promoter methylation of several candidate genes. We and others have reported that two enzymes that belong to the DNA-methylation/demethylation network pathways-DNMT1 (DNA-methyltransferase) and ten-eleven translocator-1(TET1) methylcytosine deoxygenase are abnormally increased in corticolimbic structures of SZ postmortem brain. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the expression of these components of the DNA-methylation-demethylation pathways known to be altered in the brain of SZ patients are also altered in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). The data show that increases in DNMT1 and TET1 and in glucocorticoid receptor (GCortR) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNAs in PBL of SZ patients are comparable to those reported in the brain of SZ patients. The finding that the expressions of DNMT1 and TET1 are increased and SZ candidate genes such as BDNF and GCortR are altered in the same direction in both the brain and PBL together with recent studies showing highly correlated patterns of DNA methylation across the brain and blood, support the hypothesis that a common epigenetic dysregulation may be operative in the brain and peripheral tissues of SZ patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Auta
- Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago
| | - R.C. Smith
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY,Dept of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, NY, N.Y
| | - E. Dong
- Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago
| | - P. Tueting
- Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago
| | - H. Sershen
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY,Dept of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, NY, N.Y
| | - S. Boules
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY
| | - A. Lajtha
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY,Dept of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, NY, N.Y
| | - J. Davis
- Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago
| | - A. Guidotti
- Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago
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49
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Carter CJ. Susceptibility genes are enriched in those of the herpes simplex virus 1/host interactome in psychiatric and neurological disorders. Pathog Dis 2013; 69:240-61. [PMID: 23913659 DOI: 10.1111/2049-632x.12077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2013] [Revised: 07/11/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) can promote beta-amyloid deposition and tau phosphorylation, demyelination or cognitive deficits relevant to Alzheimer's disease or multiple sclerosis and to many neuropsychiatric disorders with which it has been implicated. A seroprevalence much higher than disease incidence has called into question any primary causal role. However, as also the case with risk-promoting polymorphisms (also present in control populations), any causal effects are likely to be conditional. During its life cycle, the virus binds to many proteins and modifies the expression of multiple genes creating a host/pathogen interactome involving 1347 host genes. This data set is heavily enriched in the susceptibility genes for multiple sclerosis (P = 1.3E-99) > Alzheimer's disease > schizophrenia > Parkinsonism > depression > bipolar disorder > childhood obesity > chronic fatigue > autism > and anorexia (P = 0.047) but not attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a relationship maintained for genome-wide association study data sets in multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Overlapping susceptibility gene/interactome data sets disrupt signalling networks relevant to each disease, suggesting that disease susceptibility genes may filter the attentions of the pathogen towards particular pathways and pathologies. In this way, the same pathogen could contribute to multiple diseases in a gene-dependent manner and condition the risk-promoting effects of the genes whose function it disrupts.
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50
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Abstract
This review provides a comprehensive overview of clinical and molecular genetic as well as pharmacogenetic studies regarding the clinical phenotype of "psychotic depression." Results are discussed with regard to the long-standing debate on categorical vs dimensional disease models of affective and psychotic disorders on a continuum from unipolar depression over bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder to schizophrenia. Clinical genetic studies suggest a familial aggregation and a considerable heritability (39%) of psychotic depression partly shared with schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, and affective disorders. Molecular genetic studies point to potential risk loci of psychotic depression shared with schizoaffective disorder (1q42, 22q11, 19p13), depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia (6p, 8p22, 10p13-12, 10p14, 13q13-14, 13q32, 18p, 22q11-13) and several vulnerability genes possibly contributing to an increased risk of psychotic symptoms in depression (eg, BDNF, DBH, DTNBP1, DRD2, DRD4, GSK-3beta, MAO-A). Pharmacogenetic studies implicate 5-HTT, TPH1, and DTNBP1 gene variation in the mediation of antidepressant treatment response in psychotic depression. Genetic factors are suggested to contribute to the disease risk of psychotic depression in partial overlap with disorders along the affective-psychotic spectrum. Thus, genetic research focusing on psychotic depression might inspire a more dimensional, neurobiologically and symptom-oriented taxonomy of affective and psychotic disorders challenging the dichotomous Kraepelinian view. Additionally, pharmacogenetic studies might aid in the development of a more personalized treatment of psychotic depression with an individually tailored antidepressive/antipsychotic pharmacotherapy according to genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
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