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King C, Rogers LG, Jansen J, Sivayokan B, Neyhard J, Warnes E, Hall SE, Plakke B. Adolescent treadmill exercise enhances hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and improves cognition in autism-modeled rats. Physiol Behav 2024; 284:114638. [PMID: 39004196 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by repetitive behaviors and altered communication abilities. Exercise is a low-cost intervention that could improve cognitive function and improve brain plasticity mechanisms. Here, the valproic acid (VPA) model was utilized to induce ASD-like phenotypes in rodents. Animals were exercised on a treadmill and performance was evaluated on a cognitive flexibility task. Biomarkers related to exercise and plasticity regulation were quantified from the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and skeletal muscle. Exercised VPA animals had higher levels of hippocampal BDNF compared to sedentary VPA animals and upregulated antioxidant enzyme expression in skeletal muscle. Cognitive improvements were demonstrated in both sexes, but in different domains of cognitive flexibility. This research demonstrates the benefits of exercise and provides evidence that molecular responses to exercise occur in both the central nervous system and in the periphery. These results suggest that improving regulation of BDNF via exercise, even at low intensity, could provide better synaptic regulation and cognitive benefits for individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cole King
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Liza G Rogers
- Anatomy and Physiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Jeremy Jansen
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Bhavana Sivayokan
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Jenna Neyhard
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Ellie Warnes
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Stephanie E Hall
- Anatomy and Physiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Bethany Plakke
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA.
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2
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Jiang X, Xu C, Xu C, Liu Y, Li L, Li Q, Huang C, Hu J. 2-Ethylhexyl Diphenyl Phosphate Induces Autism Spectrum Disorder-Like Behaviors in Offspring Mice by Disrupting Postsynaptic Development. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:16347-16356. [PMID: 39234944 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c06087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
As organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) are constantly detected in human samples, the neurotoxicity of OPFRs is of concern. In this study, pregnant ICR mice were exposed to 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) in drinking water from gestation to lactation to investigate its effects on autism spectrum disorder-like (ASD-like) behaviors in offspring. Serum EHDPP concentrations in dams in the 0.4, 2, and 10 mg/kg groups were 0.282 ± 0.051, 0.713 ± 0.115, and 0.974 ± 0.048 ng/mL, respectively, within the concentration range in humans. At the highest dose, EHDPP exposure induced ASD-like behaviors in both female and male offspring. Significant reductions in mature dendritic spines and structural damage to the postsynaptic density zone were noted in all but the lowest exposure groups, indicating postsynaptic membrane impairment. Mechanistically, EHDPP significantly downregulated disc large MAGUK scaffold protein 4 expression by inhibiting protein kinase B and type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor phosphorylation. In the heterologous synapse formation assay in vivo, EHDPP significantly reduced the levels of postsynaptic density protein 95 expression in neurons at 1 μM. Overall, the study utilized in vitro and in vivo experiments to confirm that EHDPP damaged postsynaptic membrane formation and might increase the incidence of ASD in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianlei Jiang
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenke Xu
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng Xu
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanan Liu
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Linwan Li
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Li
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Chong Huang
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianying Hu
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
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Litman A, Sauerwald N, Snyder LG, Foss-Feig J, Park CY, Hao Y, Dinstein I, Theesfeld CL, Troyanskaya OG. Decomposition of phenotypic heterogeneity in autism reveals distinct and coherent genetic programs. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.08.15.24312078. [PMID: 39185525 PMCID: PMC11343255 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.15.24312078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Unraveling the phenotypic and genetic complexity of autism is extremely challenging yet critical for understanding the biology, inheritance, trajectory, and clinical manifestations of the many forms of the condition. Here, we leveraged broad phenotypic data from a large cohort with matched genetics to characterize classes of autism and their patterns of core, associated, and co-occurring traits, ultimately demonstrating that phenotypic patterns are associated with distinct genetic and molecular programs. We used a generative mixture modeling approach to identify robust, clinically-relevant classes of autism which we validate and replicate in a large independent cohort. We link the phenotypic findings to distinct patterns of de novo and inherited variation which emerge from the deconvolution of these genetic signals, and demonstrate that class-specific common variant scores strongly align with clinical outcomes. We further provide insights into the distinct biological pathways and processes disrupted by the sets of mutations in each class. Remarkably, we discover class-specific differences in the developmental timing of genes that are dysregulated, and these temporal patterns correspond to clinical milestone and outcome differences between the classes. These analyses embrace the phenotypic complexity of children with autism, unraveling genetic and molecular programs underlying their heterogeneity and suggesting specific biological dysregulation patterns and mechanistic hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aviya Litman
- Quantitative and Computational Biology Program, Princeton University, NJ, USA
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Natalie Sauerwald
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Foss-Feig
- Simons Foundation, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Yun Hao
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ilan Dinstein
- Cognitive and Brain Sciences Department, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel
- Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel
- Psychology Department, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel
| | - Chandra L. Theesfeld
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Princeton Precision Health, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Olga G. Troyanskaya
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Princeton Precision Health, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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4
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Sivayokan B, King C, Mali I, Payne M, Strating H, Warnes E, Bossmann SH, Plakke B. Aerobic exercise improves cognitive flexibility and modulates regional volume changes in a rat model of autism. Behav Brain Res 2024; 471:115136. [PMID: 38971431 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Gestational exposure to valproic acid (VPA) is a risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Rodents exposed to VPA in utero display common features of ASD, including volumetric dysregulation in higher-order cognitive regions like the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and the hippocampus. Exercise has been shown in elderly populations to boost cognition and to buffer against brain volume losses with age. This study employed an adolescent treadmill exercise intervention to facilitate cognitive flexibility and regional brain volume regulation in rats exposed to VPA during gestation. It was found that exercise improved performance on extra-dimensional shifts of attention on a set-shifting task, which is indicative of improved cognitive flexibility. Exercise decreased frontal cortex volume in females, whereas in males exercise increased the ventral hippocampus. These findings suggest that aerobic exercise may be an effective intervention to counteract the altered development of prefrontal and hippocampal regions often observed in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavana Sivayokan
- Kansas State University, Psychological Sciences, 1114 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Cole King
- Kansas State University, Psychological Sciences, 1114 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Ivina Mali
- Kansas State University, Department of Chemistry, 1212 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Macy Payne
- Kansas State University, Department of Chemistry, 1212 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Hunter Strating
- Kansas State University, Psychological Sciences, 1114 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Ellie Warnes
- Kansas State University, Psychological Sciences, 1114 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Stefan H Bossmann
- Kansas State University, Department of Chemistry, 1212 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Bethany Plakke
- Kansas State University, Psychological Sciences, 1114 Mid-Campus Dr. N, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States.
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Camacho-Morales A, Cárdenas-Tueme M. Prenatal Programming of Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 Signaling in Autism Susceptibility. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:6119-6134. [PMID: 38277116 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-03940-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that involves functional and structural defects in selective central nervous system (CNS) regions, harming the individual capability to process and respond to external stimuli, including impaired verbal and non-verbal communications. Etiological causes of ASD have not been fully clarified; however, prenatal activation of the innate immune system by external stimuli might infiltrate peripheral immune cells into the fetal CNS and activate cytokine secretion by microglia and astrocytes. For instance, genomic and postmortem histological analysis has identified proinflammatory gene signatures, microglia-related expressed genes, and neuroinflammatory markers in the brain during ASD diagnosis. Active neuroinflammation might also occur during the developmental stage, promoting the establishment of a defective brain connectome and increasing susceptibility to ASD after birth. While still under investigation, we tested the hypothesis whether the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) signaling is prenatally programmed to favor peripheral immune cell infiltration and activate microglia into the fetal CNS, setting susceptibility to autism-like behavior. In this review, we will comprehensively provide the current understanding of the prenatal activation of MCP-1 signaling by external stimuli during the developmental stage as a new selective node to promote neuroinflammation, brain structural alterations, and behavioral defects associated to ASD diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Camacho-Morales
- College of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
- Center for Research and Development in Health Sciences, Neurometabolism Unit, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon, San Nicolás de los Garza, Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
| | - Marcela Cárdenas-Tueme
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de La Salud and The Institute for Obesity Research, 64710, Monterrey, Mexico
- Nutrition Unit, Center for Research and Development in Health Sciences, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, 64460, Monterrey, Mexico
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Teerikorpi N, Lasser MC, Wang S, Kostyanovskaya E, Bader E, Sun N, Dea J, Nowakowski TJ, Willsey AJ, Willsey HR. Ciliary biology intersects autism and congenital heart disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.30.602578. [PMID: 39131273 PMCID: PMC11312554 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.30.602578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly co-occurs with congenital heart disease (CHD), but the molecular mechanisms underlying this comorbidity remain unknown. Given that children with CHD come to clinical attention by the newborn period, understanding which CHD variants carry ASD risk could provide an opportunity to identify and treat individuals at high risk for developing ASD far before the typical age of diagnosis. Therefore, it is critical to delineate the subset of CHD genes most likely to increase the risk of ASD. However, to date there is relatively limited overlap between high confidence ASD and CHD genes, suggesting that alternative strategies for prioritizing CHD genes are necessary. Recent studies have shown that ASD gene perturbations commonly dysregulate neural progenitor cell (NPC) biology. Thus, we hypothesized that CHD genes that disrupt neurogenesis are more likely to carry risk for ASD. Hence, we performed an in vitro pooled CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) screen to identify CHD genes that disrupt NPC biology similarly to ASD genes. Overall, we identified 45 CHD genes that strongly impact proliferation and/or survival of NPCs. Moreover, we observed that a cluster of physically interacting ASD and CHD genes are enriched for ciliary biology. Studying seven of these genes with evidence of shared risk (CEP290, CHD4, KMT2E, NSD1, OFD1, RFX3, TAOK1), we observe that perturbation significantly impacts primary cilia formation in vitro. While in vivo investigation of TAOK1 reveals a previously unappreciated role for the gene in motile cilia formation and heart development, supporting its prediction as a CHD risk gene. Together, our findings highlight a set of CHD risk genes that may carry risk for ASD and underscore the role of cilia in shared ASD and CHD biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nia Teerikorpi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Tetrad Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Micaela C. Lasser
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Sheng Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Elina Kostyanovskaya
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ethel Bader
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Nawei Sun
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jeanselle Dea
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Tomasz J. Nowakowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA 94158, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA 94158, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA 94158, USA
| | - A. Jeremy Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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7
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Montani C, Balasco L, Pagani M, Alvino FG, Barsotti N, de Guzman AE, Galbusera A, de Felice A, Nickl-Jockschat TK, Migliarini S, Casarosa S, Lau P, Mattioni L, Pasqualetti M, Provenzano G, Bozzi Y, Lombardo MV, Gozzi A. Sex-biasing influence of autism-associated Ube3a gene overdosage at connectomic, behavioral, and transcriptomic levels. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadg1421. [PMID: 38996019 PMCID: PMC11244557 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg1421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
Genomic mechanisms enhancing risk in males may contribute to sex bias in autism. The ubiquitin protein ligase E3A gene (Ube3a) affects cellular homeostasis via control of protein turnover and by acting as transcriptional coactivator with steroid hormone receptors. Overdosage of Ube3a via duplication or triplication of chromosomal region 15q11-13 causes 1 to 2% of autistic cases. Here, we test the hypothesis that increased dosage of Ube3a may influence autism-relevant phenotypes in a sex-biased manner. We show that mice with extra copies of Ube3a exhibit sex-biasing effects on brain connectomics and autism-relevant behaviors. These effects are associated with transcriptional dysregulation of autism-associated genes, as well as genes differentially expressed in 15q duplication and in autistic people. Increased Ube3a dosage also affects expression of genes on the X chromosome, genes influenced by sex steroid hormone, and genes sex-differentially regulated by transcription factors. These results suggest that Ube3a overdosage can contribute to sex bias in neurodevelopmental conditions via influence on sex-differential mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Montani
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Luigi Balasco
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Marco Pagani
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
- Autism Center, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA
- IMT School for Advanced Studies, Lucca, Italy
| | - Filomena Grazia Alvino
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Noemi Barsotti
- Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - A. Elizabeth de Guzman
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alessia de Felice
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Thomas K. Nickl-Jockschat
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Intervention and Research on adaptive and maladaptive brain Circuits underlying mental health (C-I-R-C), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sara Migliarini
- Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Simona Casarosa
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Centre for Medical Sciences (CISMed), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Pierre Lau
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Human Technologies, Genova, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Mattioni
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Massimo Pasqualetti
- Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Provenzano
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Yuri Bozzi
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, Pisa, Italy
| | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
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8
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Zimmermann-Rösner A, Prehn-Kristensen A. The Microbiome in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR KINDER- UND JUGENDPSYCHIATRIE UND PSYCHOTHERAPIE 2024; 52:213-226. [PMID: 38240707 DOI: 10.1024/1422-4917/a000965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Recent research has increasingly emphasized the function of the microbiome in human health. The gut microbiome is essential for digesting food and seems to play a vital role in mental health as well. This review briefly overviews the gut microbiome and its interplay with the central nervous system. We then summarize some of the latest findings on the possible role of the microbiome in psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. In particular, we focus on autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anorexia nervosa, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. Although the role of microbiota in mental development and health still needs to be researched intensively, it has become increasingly apparent that the impact of microbiota must be considered to better understand psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander Prehn-Kristensen
- Institute for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center of Integrative Psychiatry GmbH, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, MSH Medical School Hamburg - University of Applied Sciences and Medical University, Hamburg, Germany
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9
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Lei X, Xie XN, Yang JX, Li YM. The emerging role of extracellular vesicles in the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Psychiatry Res 2024; 337:115954. [PMID: 38744180 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by restricted, repetitive behavioral patterns and deficits in social interactions. The prevalence of ASD has continued to rise in recent years. However, the etiology and pathophysiology of ASD remain largely unknown. Currently, the diagnosis of ASD relies on behavior measures, and there is a lack of reliable and objective biomarkers. In addition, there are still no effective pharmacologic therapies for the core symptoms of ASD. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer nanovesicles secreted by almost all types of cells. EVs play a vital role in cell-cell communications and are known to bear various biological functions. Emerging evidence demonstrated that EVs are involved in many physiological and pathological processes throughout the body and the content in EVs can reflect the status of the originating cells. EVs have demonstrated the potential of broad applications for the diagnosis and treatment of various brain diseases, suggesting that EVs may have also played a role in the pathological process of ASD. Besides, EVs can be utilized as therapeutic agents for their endogenous substances and biological functions. Additionally, EVs can serve as drug delivery tools as nano-sized vesicles with inherent targeting ability. Here, we discuss the potential of EVs to be considered as promising diagnostic biomarkers and their potential therapeutic applications for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Lei
- Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China; School of Public Health, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Xue-Ni Xie
- Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
| | - Jia-Xin Yang
- Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China
| | - Ya-Min Li
- Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China.
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10
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Maino E, Scott O, Rizvi SZ, Chan WS, Visuvanathan S, Zablah YB, Li H, Sengar AS, Salter MW, Jia Z, Rossant J, Cohn RD, Gu B, Ivakine EA. An Irak1-Mecp2 tandem duplication mouse model for the study of MECP2 duplication syndrome. Dis Model Mech 2024; 17:dmm050528. [PMID: 38881329 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by tandem duplication of the MECP2 locus and its surrounding genes, including IRAK1. Current MDS mouse models involve transgenic expression of MECP2 only, limiting their applicability to the study of the disease. Herein, we show that an efficient and precise CRISPR/Cas9 fusion proximity-based approach can be utilized to generate an Irak1-Mecp2 tandem duplication mouse model ('Mecp2 Dup'). The Mecp2 Dup mouse model recapitulates the genomic landscape of human MDS by harboring a 160 kb tandem duplication encompassing Mecp2 and Irak1, representing the minimal disease-causing duplication, and the neighboring genes Opn1mw and Tex28. The Mecp2 Dup model exhibits neuro-behavioral abnormalities, and an abnormal immune response to infection not previously observed in other mouse models, possibly owing to Irak1 overexpression. The Mecp2 Dup model thus provides a tool to investigate MDS disease mechanisms and develop potential therapies applicable to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Maino
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Ori Scott
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Department of Pediatrics, the Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1E8, Canada
| | - Samar Z Rizvi
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Wing Suen Chan
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Shagana Visuvanathan
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Youssif Ben Zablah
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Hongbin Li
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Ameet S Sengar
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Michael W Salter
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Zhengping Jia
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Janet Rossant
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, the Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Ronald D Cohn
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Department of Pediatrics, the Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1E8, Canada
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, the Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Bin Gu
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Evgueni A Ivakine
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
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11
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Pravikova PD, Arssan MA, Zalivina EA, Kondaurova EM, Kulikova EA, Belokopytova II, Naumenko VS. Dopamine receptors and key elements of the neurotrophins (BDNF, CDNF) expression patterns during critical periods of ontogenesis in the brain structures of mice with autism-like behavior (BTBR) or its absence (С57BL/6 J). Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii 2024; 28:407-415. [PMID: 39027124 PMCID: PMC11253014 DOI: 10.18699/vjgb-24-46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Analysis of the mechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an urgent task due to the ever-increasing prevalence of this condition. The study of critical periods of neuroontogenesis is of interest, since the manifestation of ASD is often associated with prenatal disorders of the brain development. One of the currently promising hypotheses postulates a connection between the pathogenesis of ASD and the dysfunction of neurotransmitters and neurotrophins. In this study, we investigated the expression of key dopamine receptors (Drd1, Drd2), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), its receptors (Ntrkb2, Ngfr) and the transcription factor Creb1 that mediates BDNF action, as well as cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (Cdnf) during the critical periods of embryogenesis (e14 and e18) and postnatal development (p14, p28, p60) in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of BTBR mice with autism-like behavior compared to the neurotypical C57BL/6 J strain. In BTBR embryos, on the 14th day of prenatal development, an increase in the expression of the Ngfr gene encoding the p75NTR receptor, which may lead to the activation of apoptosis, was found in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. A decrease in the expression of Cdnf, Bdnf and its receptor Ntrkb2, as well as dopamine receptors (Drd1, Drd2) was detected in BTBR mice in the postnatal period of ontogenesis mainly in the frontal cortex, while in the hippocampus of mature mice (p60), only a decrease in the Drd2 mRNA level was revealed. The obtained results suggest that the decrease in the expression levels of CDNF, BDNF-TrkB and dopamine receptors in the frontal cortex in the postnatal period can lead to significant changes in both the morphology of neurons and dopamine neurotransmission in cortical brain structures. At the same time, the increase in p75NTR receptor gene expression observed on the 14th day of embryogenesis, crucial for hippocampus and frontal cortex development, may have direct relevance to the manifestation of early autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- P D Pravikova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - M A Arssan
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - E A Zalivina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - E M Kondaurova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - E A Kulikova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - I I Belokopytova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - V S Naumenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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12
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Sun M, Xue W, Meng H, Sun X, Lu T, Yue W, Wang L, Zhang D, Li J. Dentate Gyrus Morphogenesis is Regulated by an Autism Risk Gene Trio Function in Granule Cells. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-024-01241-y. [PMID: 38907786 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01241-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are reported as a group of neurodevelopmental disorders. The structural changes of brain regions including the hippocampus were widely reported in autistic patients and mouse models with dysfunction of ASD risk genes, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we report that deletion of Trio, a high-susceptibility gene of ASDs, causes a postnatal dentate gyrus (DG) hypoplasia with a zigzagged suprapyramidal blade, and the Trio-deficient mice display autism-like behaviors. The impaired morphogenesis of DG is mainly caused by disturbing the postnatal distribution of postmitotic granule cells (GCs), which further results in a migration deficit of neural progenitors. Furthermore, we reveal that Trio plays different roles in various excitatory neural cells by spatial transcriptomic sequencing, especially the role of regulating the migration of postmitotic GCs. In summary, our findings provide evidence of cellular mechanisms that Trio is involved in postnatal DG morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengwen Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Key laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | | | - Hu Meng
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Key laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Key laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Tianlan Lu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Key laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Weihua Yue
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Key laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Lifang Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Key laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Dai Zhang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Key laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, 102299, China
| | - Jun Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Key laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China.
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, 102299, China.
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13
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Duan K, Eyler L, Pierce K, Lombardo MV, Datko M, Hagler DJ, Taluja V, Zahiri J, Campbell K, Barnes CC, Arias S, Nalabolu S, Troxel J, Ji P, Courchesne E. Differences in regional brain structure in toddlers with autism are related to future language outcomes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5075. [PMID: 38871689 PMCID: PMC11176156 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48952-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Language and social symptoms improve with age in some autistic toddlers, but not in others, and such outcome differences are not clearly predictable from clinical scores alone. Here we aim to identify early-age brain alterations in autism that are prognostic of future language ability. Leveraging 372 longitudinal structural MRI scans from 166 autistic toddlers and 109 typical toddlers and controlling for brain size, we find that, compared to typical toddlers, autistic toddlers show differentially larger or thicker temporal and fusiform regions; smaller or thinner inferior frontal lobe and midline structures; larger callosal subregion volume; and smaller cerebellum. Most differences are replicated in an independent cohort of 75 toddlers. These brain alterations improve accuracy for predicting language outcome at 6-month follow-up beyond intake clinical and demographic variables. Temporal, fusiform, and inferior frontal alterations are related to autism symptom severity and cognitive impairments at early intake ages. Among autistic toddlers, brain alterations in social, language and face processing areas enhance the prediction of the child's future language ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuaikuai Duan
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
| | - Lisa Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- VISN 22 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
| | - Karen Pierce
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, 38068, Italy
| | - Michael Datko
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Donald J Hagler
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Vani Taluja
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Javad Zahiri
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Kathleen Campbell
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Cynthia Carter Barnes
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Steven Arias
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Srinivasa Nalabolu
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Jaden Troxel
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Peng Ji
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Eric Courchesne
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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14
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Courchesne E, Taluja V, Nazari S, Aamodt CM, Pierce K, Duan K, Stophaeros S, Lopez L, Barnes CC, Troxel J, Campbell K, Wang T, Hoekzema K, Eichler EE, Nani JV, Pontes W, Sanchez SS, Lombardo MV, de Souza JS, Hayashi MAF, Muotri AR. Embryonic origin of two ASD subtypes of social symptom severity: the larger the brain cortical organoid size, the more severe the social symptoms. Mol Autism 2024; 15:22. [PMID: 38790065 PMCID: PMC11127428 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00602-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social affective and communication symptoms are central to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet their severity differs across toddlers: Some toddlers with ASD display improving abilities across early ages and develop good social and language skills, while others with "profound" autism have persistently low social, language and cognitive skills and require lifelong care. The biological origins of these opposite ASD social severity subtypes and developmental trajectories are not known. METHODS Because ASD involves early brain overgrowth and excess neurons, we measured size and growth in 4910 embryonic-stage brain cortical organoids (BCOs) from a total of 10 toddlers with ASD and 6 controls (averaging 196 individual BCOs measured/subject). In a 2021 batch, we measured BCOs from 10 ASD and 5 controls. In a 2022 batch, we tested replicability of BCO size and growth effects by generating and measuring an independent batch of BCOs from 6 ASD and 4 control subjects. BCO size was analyzed within the context of our large, one-of-a-kind social symptom, social attention, social brain and social and language psychometric normative datasets ranging from N = 266 to N = 1902 toddlers. BCO growth rates were examined by measuring size changes between 1- and 2-months of organoid development. Neurogenesis markers at 2-months were examined at the cellular level. At the molecular level, we measured activity and expression of Ndel1; Ndel1 is a prime target for cell cycle-activated kinases; known to regulate cell cycle, proliferation, neurogenesis, and growth; and known to be involved in neuropsychiatric conditions. RESULTS At the BCO level, analyses showed BCO size was significantly enlarged by 39% and 41% in ASD in the 2021 and 2022 batches. The larger the embryonic BCO size, the more severe the ASD social symptoms. Correlations between BCO size and social symptoms were r = 0.719 in the 2021 batch and r = 0. 873 in the replication 2022 batch. ASD BCOs grew at an accelerated rate nearly 3 times faster than controls. At the cell level, the two largest ASD BCOs had accelerated neurogenesis. At the molecular level, Ndel1 activity was highly correlated with the growth rate and size of BCOs. Two BCO subtypes were found in ASD toddlers: Those in one subtype had very enlarged BCO size with accelerated rate of growth and neurogenesis; a profound autism clinical phenotype displaying severe social symptoms, reduced social attention, reduced cognitive, very low language and social IQ; and substantially altered growth in specific cortical social, language and sensory regions. Those in a second subtype had milder BCO enlargement and milder social, attention, cognitive, language and cortical differences. LIMITATIONS Larger samples of ASD toddler-derived BCO and clinical phenotypes may reveal additional ASD embryonic subtypes. CONCLUSIONS By embryogenesis, the biological bases of two subtypes of ASD social and brain development-profound autism and mild autism-are already present and measurable and involve dysregulated cell proliferation and accelerated neurogenesis and growth. The larger the embryonic BCO size in ASD, the more severe the toddler's social symptoms and the more reduced the social attention, language ability, and IQ, and the more atypical the growth of social and language brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Courchesne
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
| | - Vani Taluja
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Sanaz Nazari
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Caitlin M Aamodt
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Karen Pierce
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Kuaikuai Duan
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Sunny Stophaeros
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Linda Lopez
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Cynthia Carter Barnes
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Jaden Troxel
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Kathleen Campbell
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Tianyun Wang
- Department of Medical Genetics, Center for Medical Genetics, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China and National Health Commission of China, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Kendra Hoekzema
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Evan E Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Joao V Nani
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Wirla Pontes
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Sandra Sanchez Sanchez
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Janaina S de Souza
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Mirian A F Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alysson R Muotri
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Rady Children's Hospital, Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA), Archealization Center (ArchC), Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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15
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Barón-Mendoza I, Mejía-Hernández M, Hernández-Mercado K, Guzmán-Condado J, Zepeda A, González-Arenas A. Altered hippocampal neurogenesis in a mouse model of autism revealed by genetic polymorphisms and by atypical development of newborn neurons. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4608. [PMID: 38409172 PMCID: PMC10897317 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53614-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit atypical hippocampal anatomy and connectivity throughout their lifespan, potentially linked to alterations in the neurogenic process within the hippocampus. In this study, we performed an in-silico analysis to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes relevant to adult neurogenesis in the C58/J model of idiopathic autism. We found coding non-synonymous (Cn) SNPs in 33 genes involved in the adult neurogenic process, as well as in 142 genes associated with the signature genetic profile of neural stem cells (NSC) and neural progenitors. Based on the potential alterations in adult neurogenesis predicted by the in-silico analysis, we evaluated the number and distribution of newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG) of young adult C58/J mice. We found a reduced number of newborn cells in the whole DG, a higher proportion of early neuroblasts in the subgranular layer (SGZ), and a lower proportion of neuroblasts with morphological maturation signs in the granule cell layer (GCL) of the DG compared to C57BL/6J mice. The observed changes may be associated with a delay in the maturation trajectory of newborn neurons in the C58/J strain, linked to the Cn SNPs in genes involved in adult hippocampal neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Barón-Mendoza
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico City, México
| | - Montserrat Mejía-Hernández
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico City, México
| | - Karina Hernández-Mercado
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico City, México
| | - Jessica Guzmán-Condado
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico City, México
| | - Angélica Zepeda
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico City, México.
| | - Aliesha González-Arenas
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico City, México.
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16
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Loffi RG, Cruz TKF, Paiva GM, Souto DO, Barreto SR, Santana PAN, Nascimento AAAC, Costa FRM, Cota EB, Haase VG. Theoretical-Methodological Foundations for the Global Integration Method (Método de Integração Global-MIG) in the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 11:191. [PMID: 38397303 PMCID: PMC10887636 DOI: 10.3390/children11020191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Currently, there is no intervention model for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that addresses all levels and factors of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF, WHO). The most researched programs focus on naturalistic, developmental and behavioral approaches to socio-communication. Less attention has been paid to motor and environmental reactivity aspects (behavior/interest restriction and sensory reactivity). The evidence rationale for the Global Integration Method (MIG, "Método de Integração Global"), a model addressing sensorimotor reactivity in addition to socio-communication, is presented. MIG is an integrative, interdisciplinary, family-oriented intervention and naturalistic program that addresses all levels and moderating factors of ASD's impact. MIG's theoretical rationale is based on the predictive coding impairment and embodied cognition hypotheses. MIG incorporates both bottom-up (flexible therapeutic suit, social-motor synchronization) and top-down (schematic social information processing, narratives, imagery) strategies to promote the building and use of accurate, flexible and context-sensitive internal predictive models. MIG is based on the premises that predictive coding improves both socio-communication and environmental reactivity, and that the postural stabilization provided by the flexible therapeutic suit frees information processing resources for socio-cognitive learning. MIG builds on interdisciplinary, professionally and parentally mediated work based on behavioral principles of intensive training in a situated environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Guimarães Loffi
- Instituto de Neurodesenvolvimento, Cognição e Educação Inclusiva (INCEI), TREINITEC Ltda., Rua Carmélia Loffi 17, Justinópolis, Ribeirão das Neves 33900-730, MG, Brazil; (R.G.L.); (G.M.P.); (D.O.S.); (S.R.B.); (P.A.N.S.); (A.A.A.C.N.); (F.R.M.C.); (E.B.C.); (V.G.H.)
| | - Thalita Karla Flores Cruz
- Instituto de Neurodesenvolvimento, Cognição e Educação Inclusiva (INCEI), TREINITEC Ltda., Rua Carmélia Loffi 17, Justinópolis, Ribeirão das Neves 33900-730, MG, Brazil; (R.G.L.); (G.M.P.); (D.O.S.); (S.R.B.); (P.A.N.S.); (A.A.A.C.N.); (F.R.M.C.); (E.B.C.); (V.G.H.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Giulia Moreira Paiva
- Instituto de Neurodesenvolvimento, Cognição e Educação Inclusiva (INCEI), TREINITEC Ltda., Rua Carmélia Loffi 17, Justinópolis, Ribeirão das Neves 33900-730, MG, Brazil; (R.G.L.); (G.M.P.); (D.O.S.); (S.R.B.); (P.A.N.S.); (A.A.A.C.N.); (F.R.M.C.); (E.B.C.); (V.G.H.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Deisiane Oliveira Souto
- Instituto de Neurodesenvolvimento, Cognição e Educação Inclusiva (INCEI), TREINITEC Ltda., Rua Carmélia Loffi 17, Justinópolis, Ribeirão das Neves 33900-730, MG, Brazil; (R.G.L.); (G.M.P.); (D.O.S.); (S.R.B.); (P.A.N.S.); (A.A.A.C.N.); (F.R.M.C.); (E.B.C.); (V.G.H.)
| | - Simone Rosa Barreto
- Instituto de Neurodesenvolvimento, Cognição e Educação Inclusiva (INCEI), TREINITEC Ltda., Rua Carmélia Loffi 17, Justinópolis, Ribeirão das Neves 33900-730, MG, Brazil; (R.G.L.); (G.M.P.); (D.O.S.); (S.R.B.); (P.A.N.S.); (A.A.A.C.N.); (F.R.M.C.); (E.B.C.); (V.G.H.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Fonoaudiológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Aparecida Neves Santana
- Instituto de Neurodesenvolvimento, Cognição e Educação Inclusiva (INCEI), TREINITEC Ltda., Rua Carmélia Loffi 17, Justinópolis, Ribeirão das Neves 33900-730, MG, Brazil; (R.G.L.); (G.M.P.); (D.O.S.); (S.R.B.); (P.A.N.S.); (A.A.A.C.N.); (F.R.M.C.); (E.B.C.); (V.G.H.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Amanda Aparecida Alves Cunha Nascimento
- Instituto de Neurodesenvolvimento, Cognição e Educação Inclusiva (INCEI), TREINITEC Ltda., Rua Carmélia Loffi 17, Justinópolis, Ribeirão das Neves 33900-730, MG, Brazil; (R.G.L.); (G.M.P.); (D.O.S.); (S.R.B.); (P.A.N.S.); (A.A.A.C.N.); (F.R.M.C.); (E.B.C.); (V.G.H.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Fabiana Rachel Martins Costa
- Instituto de Neurodesenvolvimento, Cognição e Educação Inclusiva (INCEI), TREINITEC Ltda., Rua Carmélia Loffi 17, Justinópolis, Ribeirão das Neves 33900-730, MG, Brazil; (R.G.L.); (G.M.P.); (D.O.S.); (S.R.B.); (P.A.N.S.); (A.A.A.C.N.); (F.R.M.C.); (E.B.C.); (V.G.H.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia: Cognição e Comportamento, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Elisa Braz Cota
- Instituto de Neurodesenvolvimento, Cognição e Educação Inclusiva (INCEI), TREINITEC Ltda., Rua Carmélia Loffi 17, Justinópolis, Ribeirão das Neves 33900-730, MG, Brazil; (R.G.L.); (G.M.P.); (D.O.S.); (S.R.B.); (P.A.N.S.); (A.A.A.C.N.); (F.R.M.C.); (E.B.C.); (V.G.H.)
| | - Vitor Geraldi Haase
- Instituto de Neurodesenvolvimento, Cognição e Educação Inclusiva (INCEI), TREINITEC Ltda., Rua Carmélia Loffi 17, Justinópolis, Ribeirão das Neves 33900-730, MG, Brazil; (R.G.L.); (G.M.P.); (D.O.S.); (S.R.B.); (P.A.N.S.); (A.A.A.C.N.); (F.R.M.C.); (E.B.C.); (V.G.H.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia: Cognição e Comportamento, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
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17
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Di Gesù CM, Buffington SA. The early life exposome and autism risk: a role for the maternal microbiome? Gut Microbes 2024; 16:2385117. [PMID: 39120056 PMCID: PMC11318715 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2385117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are highly heritable, heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by clinical presentation of atypical social, communicative, and repetitive behaviors. Over the past 25 years, hundreds of ASD risk genes have been identified. Many converge on key molecular pathways, from translational control to those regulating synaptic structure and function. Despite these advances, therapeutic approaches remain elusive. Emerging data unearthing the relationship between genetics, microbes, and immunity in ASD suggest an integrative physiology approach could be paramount to delivering therapeutic breakthroughs. Indeed, the advent of large-scale multi-OMIC data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation is yielding an increasingly mechanistic understanding of ASD and underlying risk factors, revealing how genetic susceptibility interacts with microbial genetics, metabolism, epigenetic (re)programming, and immunity to influence neurodevelopment and behavioral outcomes. It is now possible to foresee exciting advancements in the treatment of some forms of ASD that could markedly improve quality of life and productivity for autistic individuals. Here, we highlight recent work revealing how gene X maternal exposome interactions influence risk for ASD, with emphasis on the intrauterine environment and fetal neurodevelopment, host-microbe interactions, and the evolving therapeutic landscape for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia M. Di Gesù
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shelly A. Buffington
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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18
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Griffin A, Chen M, Tiwari VK. Dissection of cellular disruptions in autism spectrum disorder comorbidities. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:3921-3931. [PMID: 37807181 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Up to 80% of children with autism spectrum disorder have at least one other neuropsychiatric comorbidity. The causes of such disorders are highly genetic, yet many studies fail to take analysis further than risk gene discovery to see cellular and mechanistic changes occurring. Therefore, the goal of this study was to unveil novel gene expression signatures involved in important neurodevelopmental processes that, when disrupted, lead to each of the autism comorbidities of interest. We achieved this by analysing a single-nuclei RNA sequencing dataset with prefrontal cortex samples from autism spectrum disorder plus comorbidities for differentially expressed genes. The highest number of alterations was seen in excitatory neurons, which also showed differential population and cell-cell interactions across disorders and an increase in expression of genes involved in neurodevelopmental pathways. Interestingly, the group without comorbidities displayed an increase in neuron-neuron interactions yet a decrease in population number, suggesting a major rewiring of neuronal connections. Further analysis of the topmost significant genes from this cell type in developing prefrontal cortex datasets revealed interesting expression trajectories corresponding to important time points during corticogenesis. This further identified four novel candidate genes that show a potential link to developmental pathways that may contribute to autism and its comorbidities when dysregulated. The study provides a better understanding of co-occurring conditions at a transcriptomic and cell-type level and thereby aid future research in providing earlier diagnosis, care and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoife Griffin
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Science, Queen's University Belfast, UK
| | - Mei Chen
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Science, Queen's University Belfast, UK
| | - Vijay K Tiwari
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Science, Queen's University Belfast, UK
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C, Denmark
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University, Belfast, UK
- Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS), Odense M, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark
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19
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Berg LM, Gurr C, Leyhausen J, Seelemeyer H, Bletsch A, Schaefer T, Pretzsch CM, Oakley B, Loth E, Floris DL, Buitelaar JK, Beckmann CF, Banaschewski T, Charman T, Jones EJH, Tillmann J, Chatham CH, Bourgeron T, Murphy DG, Ecker C. The neuroanatomical substrates of autism and ADHD and their link to putative genomic underpinnings. Mol Autism 2023; 14:36. [PMID: 37794485 PMCID: PMC10552404 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-023-00568-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental conditions accompanied by differences in brain development. Neuroanatomical differences in autism are variable across individuals and likely underpin distinct clinical phenotypes. To parse heterogeneity, it is essential to establish how the neurobiology of ASD is modulated by differences associated with co-occurring conditions, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study aimed to (1) investigate between-group differences in autistic individuals with and without co-occurring ADHD, and to (2) link these variances to putative genomic underpinnings. METHODS We examined differences in cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA) and their genomic associations in a sample of 533 individuals from the Longitudinal European Autism Project. Using a general linear model including main effects of autism and ADHD, and an ASD-by-ADHD interaction, we examined to which degree ADHD modulates the autism-related neuroanatomy. Further, leveraging the spatial gene expression data of the Allen Human Brain Atlas, we identified genes whose spatial expression patterns resemble our neuroimaging findings. RESULTS In addition to significant main effects for ASD and ADHD in fronto-temporal, limbic, and occipital regions, we observed a significant ASD-by-ADHD interaction in the left precentral gyrus and the right frontal gyrus for measures of CT and SA, respectively. Moreover, individuals with ASD + ADHD differed in CT to those without. Both main effects and the interaction were enriched for ASD-but not for ADHD-related genes. LIMITATIONS Although we employed a multicenter design to overcome single-site recruitment limitations, our sample size of N = 25 individuals in the ADHD only group is relatively small compared to the other subgroups, which limits the generalizability of the results. Also, we assigned subjects into ADHD positive groupings according to the DSM-5 rating scale. While this is sufficient for obtaining a research diagnosis of ADHD, our approach did not take into account for how long the symptoms have been present, which is typically considered when assessing ADHD in the clinical setting. CONCLUSION Thus, our findings suggest that the neuroanatomy of ASD is significantly modulated by ADHD, and that autistic individuals with co-occurring ADHD may have specific neuroanatomical underpinnings potentially mediated by atypical gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Berg
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital, Goethe University, Deutschordenstrasse 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Department of Biosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Caroline Gurr
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital, Goethe University, Deutschordenstrasse 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Johanna Leyhausen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital, Goethe University, Deutschordenstrasse 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Biosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Hanna Seelemeyer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital, Goethe University, Deutschordenstrasse 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Anke Bletsch
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital, Goethe University, Deutschordenstrasse 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tim Schaefer
- Fries Lab, Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, 60528, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Charlotte M Pretzsch
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Bethany Oakley
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Eva Loth
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Dorothea L Floris
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Methods of Plasticity Research, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Christian F Beckmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7JL, UK
| | - Julian Tillmann
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Chris H Chatham
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Bourgeron
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Declan G Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Christine Ecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital, Goethe University, Deutschordenstrasse 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, SE5 8AF, UK
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20
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Li C, Fleck JS, Martins-Costa C, Burkard TR, Themann J, Stuempflen M, Peer AM, Vertesy Á, Littleboy JB, Esk C, Elling U, Kasprian G, Corsini NS, Treutlein B, Knoblich JA. Single-cell brain organoid screening identifies developmental defects in autism. Nature 2023; 621:373-380. [PMID: 37704762 PMCID: PMC10499611 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06473-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The development of the human brain involves unique processes (not observed in many other species) that can contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders1-4. Cerebral organoids enable the study of neurodevelopmental disorders in a human context. We have developed the CRISPR-human organoids-single-cell RNA sequencing (CHOOSE) system, which uses verified pairs of guide RNAs, inducible CRISPR-Cas9-based genetic disruption and single-cell transcriptomics for pooled loss-of-function screening in mosaic organoids. Here we show that perturbation of 36 high-risk autism spectrum disorder genes related to transcriptional regulation uncovers their effects on cell fate determination. We find that dorsal intermediate progenitors, ventral progenitors and upper-layer excitatory neurons are among the most vulnerable cell types. We construct a developmental gene regulatory network of cerebral organoids from single-cell transcriptomes and chromatin modalities and identify autism spectrum disorder-associated and perturbation-enriched regulatory modules. Perturbing members of the BRG1/BRM-associated factor (BAF) chromatin remodelling complex leads to enrichment of ventral telencephalon progenitors. Specifically, mutating the BAF subunit ARID1B affects the fate transition of progenitors to oligodendrocyte and interneuron precursor cells, a phenotype that we confirmed in patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell-derived organoids. Our study paves the way for high-throughput phenotypic characterization of disease susceptibility genes in organoid models with cell state, molecular pathway and gene regulatory network readouts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Li
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science (IMBA), Vienna, Austria.
| | - Jonas Simon Fleck
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Catarina Martins-Costa
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas R Burkard
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Themann
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Marlene Stuempflen
- Department of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Angela Maria Peer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Ábel Vertesy
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Jamie B Littleboy
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Christopher Esk
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ulrich Elling
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Kasprian
- Department of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nina S Corsini
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science (IMBA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Barbara Treutlein
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Juergen A Knoblich
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science (IMBA), Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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21
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Rabelo LN, Queiroz JPG, Castro CCM, Silva SP, Campos LD, Silva LC, Nascimento EB, Martínez-Cerdeño V, Fiuza FP. Layer-Specific Changes in the Prefrontal Glia/Neuron Ratio Characterizes Patches of Gene Expression Disorganization in Children with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:3648-3658. [PMID: 35704132 PMCID: PMC10084744 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05626-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is manifested by abnormal cell numbers and patches of gene expression disruption in higher-order brain regions. Here, we investigated whether layer-specific changes in glia/neuron ratios (GNR) characterize patches in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DL-PFC) of children with ASD. We analyzed high-resolution digital images of postmortem human brains from 11 ASD and 11 non-ASD children obtained from the Autism Study of the Allen Human Brain Atlas. We found the GNR is overall reduced in the ASD DL-PFC. Moreover, layers II-III belonging to patches presented a lower GNR in comparison with layers V-VI. We here provide a new insight into how brain cells are arranged within patches that contributes to elucidate how neurodevelopmental programs are altered in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Nascimento Rabelo
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, RN, 59280-000, Brazil
| | - José Pablo Gonçalves Queiroz
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, RN, 59280-000, Brazil
| | - Carla Cristina Miranda Castro
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, RN, 59280-000, Brazil
| | - Sayonara Pereira Silva
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, RN, 59280-000, Brazil
| | - Laura Damasceno Campos
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, RN, 59280-000, Brazil
| | - Larissa Camila Silva
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, RN, 59280-000, Brazil
| | | | - Veronica Martínez-Cerdeño
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children of Northern California, MIND Institute, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
| | - Felipe Porto Fiuza
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, RN, 59280-000, Brazil.
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22
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Quillet JC, Siani-Rose M, McKee R, Goldstein B, Taylor M, Kurek I. A machine learning approach for understanding the metabolomics response of children with autism spectrum disorder to medical cannabis treatment. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13022. [PMID: 37608004 PMCID: PMC10444802 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40073-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition impacting behavior, communication, social interaction and learning abilities. Medical cannabis (MC) treatment can reduce clinical symptoms in individuals with ASD. Cannabis-responsive biomarkers are metabolites found in saliva that change in response to MC treatment. Previously we showed levels of these biomarkers in children with ASD successfully treated with MC shift towards the physiological levels detected in typically developing (TD) children, and potentially can quantify the impact. Here, we tested for the first time the capabilities of machine learning techniques applied to our dynamic, high-resolution and rich feature dataset of cannabis-responsive biomarkers from a limited number of children with ASD before and after MC treatment and a TD group to identify: (1) biomarkers distinguishing ASD and TD groups; (2) non-cannabinoid plant molecules with synergistic effects; and (3) biomarkers associated with specific cannabinoids. We found: (1) lysophosphatidylethanolamine can distinguish between ASD and TD groups; (2) novel phytochemicals contribute to the therapeutic effects of MC treatment by inhibition of acetylcholinesterase; and (3) THC- and CBD-associated cannabis-responsive biomarkers are two distinct groups, while CBG is associated with some biomarkers from both groups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Siani-Rose
- Cannformatics, Inc., 3859 Cesar Chavez St, San Francisco, CA, 94131, USA
| | - Robert McKee
- Cannformatics, Inc., 3859 Cesar Chavez St, San Francisco, CA, 94131, USA
| | - Bonni Goldstein
- Cannformatics, Inc., 3859 Cesar Chavez St, San Francisco, CA, 94131, USA
| | - Myiesha Taylor
- Cannformatics, Inc., 3859 Cesar Chavez St, San Francisco, CA, 94131, USA
| | - Itzhak Kurek
- Cannformatics, Inc., 3859 Cesar Chavez St, San Francisco, CA, 94131, USA.
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23
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Siani-Rose M, McKee R, Cox S, Goldstein B, Abrams D, Taylor M, Kurek I. The Potential of Salivary Lipid-Based Cannabis-Responsive Biomarkers to Evaluate Medical Cannabis Treatment in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2023; 8:642-656. [PMID: 35343818 DOI: 10.1089/can.2021.0224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental conditions affecting social communication and social interaction. Medical cannabis (MC) treatment shows promising results as an approach to reduce behavioral difficulties, as determined mainly by subjective observations. We have recently shown the potential of cannabis-responsive biomarkers detected in saliva of children with ASD to objectively quantify the impact of successful MC treatment using a metabolomics approach. Since the pathology of ASD is associated with abnormal lipid metabolism, we used lipidomics on the same samples to (1) expand the repertoire of cannabis-responsive biomarkers and (2) provide preliminary insight into the role of MC on lipid metabolism. Materials and Methods: Saliva samples collected from children with ASD (n=15) treated with MC (both before and at the time of maximal impact of treatment) and an age-matched group of typically developing (TD) children (n=9) were subjected to untargeted lipidomics. The study was observational. Each child from the ASD group was receiving a unique individualized MC treatment regimen using off-the-shelf products as permitted by California law under physician supervision for at least 1 year. Doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) ranged from 0.05 to 50 mg and cannabidiol (CBD) from 7.5 to 200 mg per treatment. The ASD group was evaluated for signs of improvement using parental brief Likert scale surveys. Results: Twenty-two potential lipid-based cannabis-responsive biomarkers exhibiting a shift toward the TD physiological levels in children with ASD after MC treatment were identified. Members from all five lipid subclasses known to be present in saliva were characterized. Preliminary lipid association network analysis suggests involvement of two subnetworks previously linked to (1) inflammation and/or redox regulation and (2) oxidative stress. The significant changes in sphingomyelin in this study and in N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) previously detected in the metabolomics analysis of the same saliva samples may indicate a role of MC in neuron function. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that lipid metabolites in saliva can potentially serve as cannabis-responsive biomarkers and objectively quantify the impact of MC treatment, and indicate a possible mechanism of action for MC. This preliminary study requires further investigation with a larger population and appropriate clinical trial monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert McKee
- Cannformatics, Inc., San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Stephany Cox
- Cannformatics, Inc., San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Itzhak Kurek
- Cannformatics, Inc., San Francisco, California, USA
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24
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Guo M, Sun L. From rodents to humans: Rodent behavioral paradigms for social behavioral disorders. Brain Circ 2023; 9:154-161. [PMID: 38020957 PMCID: PMC10679632 DOI: 10.4103/bc.bc_48_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Social cognition guides social behavior. Subjects with proper social cognition should be able to: (1) have reasonable social motivation, (2) recognize other people and infer their intentions, and (3) weigh social hierarchies and other values. The choice of appropriate behavioral paradigms enables the use of rodents to study social behavior disorders in humans, thus enabling research to go deeper into neural mechanisms. This paper reviews commonly used rodent behavioral paradigms in studies of social behavior disorders. We focused specifically on sorting out ways to transfer the study of human social behavior to rodents through behavioral paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyue Guo
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Ministry of Science and Technology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Le Sun
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Ministry of Science and Technology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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25
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Arora A, Becker M, Marques C, Oksanen M, Li D, Mastropasqua F, Watts ME, Arora M, Falk A, Daub CO, Lanekoff I, Tammimies K. Screening autism-associated environmental factors in differentiating human neural progenitors with fractional factorial design-based transcriptomics. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10519. [PMID: 37386098 PMCID: PMC10310850 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37488-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Research continues to identify genetic variation, environmental exposures, and their mixtures underlying different diseases and conditions. There is a need for screening methods to understand the molecular outcomes of such factors. Here, we investigate a highly efficient and multiplexable, fractional factorial experimental design (FFED) to study six environmental factors (lead, valproic acid, bisphenol A, ethanol, fluoxetine hydrochloride and zinc deficiency) and four human induced pluripotent stem cell line derived differentiating human neural progenitors. We showcase the FFED coupled with RNA-sequencing to identify the effects of low-grade exposures to these environmental factors and analyse the results in the context of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We performed this after 5-day exposures on differentiating human neural progenitors accompanied by a layered analytical approach and detected several convergent and divergent, gene and pathway level responses. We revealed significant upregulation of pathways related to synaptic function and lipid metabolism following lead and fluoxetine exposure, respectively. Moreover, fluoxetine exposure elevated several fatty acids when validated using mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. Our study demonstrates that the FFED can be used for multiplexed transcriptomic analyses to detect relevant pathway-level changes in human neural development caused by low-grade environmental risk factors. Future studies will require multiple cell lines with different genetic backgrounds for characterising the effects of environmental exposures in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abishek Arora
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum J9:30, Visionsgatan 4, 171 56, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Becker
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum J9:30, Visionsgatan 4, 171 56, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cátia Marques
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marika Oksanen
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum J9:30, Visionsgatan 4, 171 56, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Danyang Li
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum J9:30, Visionsgatan 4, 171 56, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Francesca Mastropasqua
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum J9:30, Visionsgatan 4, 171 56, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michelle Evelyn Watts
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum J9:30, Visionsgatan 4, 171 56, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Manish Arora
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Anna Falk
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Division of Neurobiology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Carsten Oliver Daub
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ingela Lanekoff
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kristiina Tammimies
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum J9:30, Visionsgatan 4, 171 56, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Cunha YGDO, do Amaral GCB, Felix AA, Blumberg B, Amato AA. Early-life exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and autistic traits in childhood and adolescence: a systematic review of epidemiological studies. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1184546. [PMID: 37361542 PMCID: PMC10289191 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1184546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Aims Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during critical neurodevelopmental windows has been associated with the risk of autistic traits. This systematic review of epidemiological studies examined the association between maternal exposure to EDCs during pregnancy and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the offspring. Methods We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar from inception to November 17, 2022, for studies investigating the association between prenatal exposure to EDCs and outcomes related to ASD. Two independent reviewers screened studies for eligibility, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. The review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023389386). Results We included 27 observational studies assessing prenatal exposure to phthalates (8 studies), polychlorinated biphenyls (8 studies), organophosphate pesticides (8 studies), phenols (7 studies), perfluoroalkyl substances (6 studies), organochlorine pesticides (5 studies), brominated flame retardants (3 studies), dioxins (1 study), and parabens (1 study). The number of examined children ranged from 77 to 1,556, the age at the assessment of autistic traits ranged from 3 to 14 years, and most studies assessed autistic traits using the Social Responsiveness Scale. All but one study was considered to have a low risk of bias. Overall, there was no association between maternal exposure to specific ECDs during pregnancy and the occurrence of autistic traits in offspring. Conclusions Findings from the epidemiological studies evaluated here do not support an association between prenatal exposure to ECDs and the likelihood of autistic traits in later in life. These findings should not be interpreted as definitive evidence of the absence of neurodevelopment effects of EDCs affecting ASD risk, given the limitations of current studies such as representative exposure assessment, small sample sizes, inadequacy to assess sexually dimorphic effects, or the effects of EDC mixtures. Future studies should carefully address these limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alana Almeida Felix
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Bruce Blumberg
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Angelica Amorim Amato
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
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Wu J, Li S, Zhang Y. Research progress in role of exosomes exosomes in mental disorders. ZHONG NAN DA XUE XUE BAO. YI XUE BAN = JOURNAL OF CENTRAL SOUTH UNIVERSITY. MEDICAL SCIENCES 2023; 48:771-781. [PMID: 37539580 PMCID: PMC10930398 DOI: 10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2023.220379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Exosomes are a class of extracellular vesicles with a structure of lipid bilayer-membrane. In the central nervous system (CNS), exosomes can be secreted from both neurons and glial cells. Exosomes released into the extracellular matrix can freely cross the blood-brain barrier and function as crucial carriers of cellular communication and substance exchange in the CNS. Exosomes play a key role in the pathological process of mental disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder, and they have the potential to be used as a targeted carrier of antipsychotic medications. Exosomes are likely to become a new tool in the future to aid in the early prevention, accurate diagnosis, and effective treatment for people with mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialing Wu
- Medical Psychological Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011.
| | - Shansi Li
- Medical Psychological Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011
| | - Yi Zhang
- Medical Psychological Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011.
- Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha 410011.
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha 410011, China.
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Carbonell AU, Freire-Cobo C, Deyneko IV, Dobariya S, Erdjument-Bromage H, Clipperton-Allen AE, Page DT, Neubert TA, Jordan BA. Comparing synaptic proteomes across five mouse models for autism reveals converging molecular similarities including deficits in oxidative phosphorylation and Rho GTPase signaling. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1152562. [PMID: 37255534 PMCID: PMC10225639 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1152562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Specific and effective treatments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are lacking due to a poor understanding of disease mechanisms. Here we test the idea that similarities between diverse ASD mouse models are caused by deficits in common molecular pathways at neuronal synapses. To do this, we leverage the availability of multiple genetic models of ASD that exhibit shared synaptic and behavioral deficits and use quantitative mass spectrometry with isobaric tandem mass tagging (TMT) to compare their hippocampal synaptic proteomes. Comparative analyses of mouse models for Fragile X syndrome (Fmr1 knockout), cortical dysplasia focal epilepsy syndrome (Cntnap2 knockout), PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (Pten haploinsufficiency), ANKS1B syndrome (Anks1b haploinsufficiency), and idiopathic autism (BTBR+) revealed several common altered cellular and molecular pathways at the synapse, including changes in oxidative phosphorylation, and Rho family small GTPase signaling. Functional validation of one of these aberrant pathways, Rac1 signaling, confirms that the ANKS1B model displays altered Rac1 activity counter to that observed in other models, as predicted by the bioinformatic analyses. Overall similarity analyses reveal clusters of synaptic profiles, which may form the basis for molecular subtypes that explain genetic heterogeneity in ASD despite a common clinical diagnosis. Our results suggest that ASD-linked susceptibility genes ultimately converge on common signaling pathways regulating synaptic function and propose that these points of convergence are key to understanding the pathogenesis of this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail U. Carbonell
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Carmen Freire-Cobo
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Ilana V. Deyneko
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Saunil Dobariya
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Hediye Erdjument-Bromage
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Amy E. Clipperton-Allen
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute Florida, Jupiter, FL, United States
| | - Damon T. Page
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute Florida, Jupiter, FL, United States
| | - Thomas A. Neubert
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Bryen A. Jordan
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
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Meng H, Li Q, Wang J, Yue W, Zhang D, Sun X, Wang L, Li J. The expansion of newborn neurons in hippocampus improves social recognition deficit in a mouse model of autism. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1162179. [PMID: 37215664 PMCID: PMC10196005 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1162179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by core symptoms of impaired social interaction and communication. The pathological mechanism and treatment are not clear and need further study. Our previous study found that the deletion of high-risk gene Autism Susceptibility 2 (AUTS2) in mice led to dentate gyrus (DG) hypoplasia that highly associated with impaired social novelty recognition. Here we aim to improve the social deficit through increasing the neurogenesis in the subgranular zone (SGZ) and expanding the newborn granule neurons in DG. Methods Three approaches including repeated oxytocin administration, feeding in enriched environment and overexpression of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4)-CyclinD1 complex in DG neural stem cells (NSCs) at the post-weaning stage were conducted. Results We found that the number of EdU labeled proliferative NSCs or retrovirus labeled newborn neurons was significantly increased after manipulations. The social recognition deficit was also significantly improved. Discussion Our findings suggested a possible strategy to restore the social deficit through expansion of newborn neurons in hippocampus, which might provide a new insight into the treatment of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu Meng
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Qiongwei Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Jinxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Weihua Yue
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Dai Zhang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Lifang Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Jun Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
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Xin J, Huang K, Yi A, Feng Z, Liu H, Liu X, Liang L, Huang Q, Xiao Y. Absence of associations with prefrontal cortex and cerebellum may link to early language and social deficits in preschool children with ASD. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1144993. [PMID: 37215652 PMCID: PMC10192852 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1144993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disorder, characterized by language and social deficits that begin to appear in the first years of life. Research in preschool children with ASD has consistently reported increased global brain volume and abnormal cortical patterns, and the brain structure abnormalities have also been found to be clinically and behaviorally relevant. However, little is known regarding the associations between brain structure abnormalities and early language and social deficits in preschool children with ASD. Methods In this study, we collected magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from a cohort of Chinese preschool children with and without ASD (24 ASD/20 non-ASD) aged 12-52 months, explored group differences in brain gray matter (GM) volume, and examined associations between regional GM volume and early language and social abilities in these two groups, separately. Results We observed significantly greater global GM volume in children with ASD as compared to those without ASD, but there were no regional GM volume differences between these two groups. For children without ASD, GM volume in bilateral prefrontal cortex and cerebellum was significantly correlated with language scores; GM volume in bilateral prefrontal cortex was significantly correlated with social scores. No significant correlations were found in children with ASD. Discussion Our data demonstrate correlations of regional GM volume with early language and social abilities in preschool children without ASD, and the absence of these associations appear to underlie language and social deficits in children with ASD. These findings provide novel evidence for the neuroanatomical basis associated with language and social abilities in preschool children with and without ASD, which promotes a better understanding of early deficits in language and social functions in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xin
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Kaiyu Huang
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Aiwen Yi
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Ziyu Feng
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Heng Liu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi, China
| | - Xiaoqing Liu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi, China
| | - Lili Liang
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Qingshan Huang
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Yaqiong Xiao
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
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Sherazi SAM, Abbasi A, Jamil A, Uzair M, Ikram A, Qamar S, Olamide AA, Arshad M, Fried PJ, Ljubisavljevic M, Wang R, Bashir S. Molecular hallmarks of long non-coding RNAs in aging and its significant effect on aging-associated diseases. Neural Regen Res 2023; 18:959-968. [PMID: 36254975 PMCID: PMC9827784 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.355751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging is linked to the deterioration of many physical and cognitive abilities and is the leading risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. The growing aging population is a significant healthcare problem globally that researchers must investigate to better understand the underlying aging processes. Advances in microarrays and sequencing techniques have resulted in deeper analyses of diverse essential genomes (e.g., mouse, human, and rat) and their corresponding cell types, their organ-specific transcriptomes, and the tissue involved in aging. Traditional gene controllers such as DNA- and RNA-binding proteins significantly influence such programs, causing the need to sort out long non-coding RNAs, a new class of powerful gene regulatory elements. However, their functional significance in the aging process and senescence has yet to be investigated and identified. Several recent researchers have associated the initiation and development of senescence and aging in mammals with several well-reported and novel long non-coding RNAs. In this review article, we identified and analyzed the evolving functions of long non-coding RNAs in cellular processes, including cellular senescence, aging, and age-related pathogenesis, which are the major hallmarks of long non-coding RNAs in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Aoun Mehmood Sherazi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Basic & Applied Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Asim Abbasi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Abdullah Jamil
- Department of Pharmacology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Mohammad Uzair
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Basic & Applied Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Ayesha Ikram
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Shanzay Qamar
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Muhammad Arshad
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Basic & Applied Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Peter J. Fried
- Department of Neurology, Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (KS 158), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Milos Ljubisavljevic
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ran Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
- Mental Health Institute of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
| | - Shahid Bashir
- Neuroscience Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
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Farzan M, Farzan M, Amini-Khoei H, Shahrani M, Bijad E, Anjomshoa M, Shabani S. Protective effects of vanillic acid on autistic-like behaviors in a rat model of maternal separation stress: Behavioral, electrophysiological, molecular and histopathological alterations. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 118:110112. [PMID: 37030116 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Compounds derived from herbs exhibit a range of biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. However, the exact mechanism of action of these compounds in various neurological disorders is not fully discovered yet. Herein, the present work detected the effect of Vanillic acid (VA), a widely-used flavoring agent derived from vanillin, on autistic-like behaviors to assess the probable underlying mechanisms that mediate behavioral, electrophysiological, molecular, and histopathological alterations in the rat model of maternal separation (MS) stress. Maternal separated rats were treated with VA (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg interperitoneally for 14 days). In addition, anxiety-like, autistic-like behaviors, and learning and memory impairment were evaluated using various behavioral tests. Hippocampus samples were assessed histopathologically by H&E staining. Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidant capacity (by the FRAP method), as well as nitrite levels, were measured in brain tissue. Moreover, gene expression of inflammatory markers (IL-1β, TLR-4, TNF-α, and NLRP3) was evaluated in the hippocampus. Electrophysiological alterations were also estimated in the hippocampus by long-term potentiation (LTP) assessments. Results showed that VA reversed the negative effects of MS on behavior. VA increased the diameter and decreased the percentage of dark neurons in the CA3 area. Accordingly, VA decreased MDA and nitrite levels and increased the antioxidant capacity in brain samples and decreased the expression of all inflammatory genes. VA treated rats showed significant improvements in all LTP parameters. This study provided evidence suggesting a possible role for VA in preventing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by regulating immune signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahour Farzan
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran; Student Research Committee, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
| | - Mahan Farzan
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran; Student Research Committee, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
| | - Hossein Amini-Khoei
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Shahrani
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Elham Bijad
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Maryam Anjomshoa
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Sahreh Shabani
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
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Kyriakopoulou V, Davidson A, Chew A, Gupta N, Arichi T, Nosarti C, Rutherford MA. Characterisation of ASD traits among a cohort of children with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1550. [PMID: 36941265 PMCID: PMC10027681 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37242-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetal ventriculomegaly is the most common antenatally-diagnosed brain abnormality. Imaging studies in antenatal isolated ventriculomegaly demonstrate enlarged ventricles and cortical overgrowth which are also present in children with autism-spectrum disorder/condition (ASD). We investigate the presence of ASD traits in a cohort of children (n = 24 [20 males/4 females]) with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly, compared with 10 controls (n = 10 [6 males/4 females]). Neurodevelopmental outcome at school age included IQ, ASD traits (ADOS-2), sustained attention, neurological functioning, behaviour, executive function, sensory processing, co-ordination, and adaptive behaviours. Pre-school language development was assessed at 2 years. 37.5% of children, all male, in the ventriculomegaly cohort scored above threshold for autism/ASD classification. Pre-school language delay predicted an ADOS-2 autism/ASD classification with 73.3% specificity/66.7% sensitivity. Greater pre-school language delay was associated with more ASD symptoms. In this study, the neurodevelopment of children with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly, associated with altered cortical development, includes ASD traits, difficulties in sustained attention, working memory and sensation-seeking behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Kyriakopoulou
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Alice Davidson
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Chew
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Nidhi Gupta
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mary A Rutherford
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
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Shamim S, Khan N, Greene DL, Habiba UE, Umer A. The promise of autologous and allogeneic cellular therapies in the clinical trials of autism spectrum disorder. Regen Med 2023; 18:347-361. [PMID: 36935631 DOI: 10.2217/rme-2022-0176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a consortium of developmental conditions. As scientists have not yet identified the exact underlying cause for these disorders, it is not easy to narrow down a singular therapy to propose a reliable cure. The preponderance of research suggests that stem-cell therapy improves aspects of outcome measure scales in patients with ASD; therefore, future studies should give us more confidence in the results. This overview considers the data that have emerged from the small set of published trials conducted using different approaches in stem-cell therapy for ASD, evaluates their results and proposes additional steps that could be taken if this field of endeavor is to be pursued further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabiha Shamim
- Bello Bio Labs & Therapeutics (SMC) Pvt. Ltd, Jahangir Multiplex, Peshawar Road, Sector H-13 Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan
| | - Nasar Khan
- Bello Bio Labs & Therapeutics (SMC) Pvt. Ltd, Jahangir Multiplex, Peshawar Road, Sector H-13 Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan.,R3 Medical Research LLC, 10045 East Dynamite Boulevard Suite 260, Scottsdale, AZ 85262, United States of America
| | - David L Greene
- Bello Bio Labs & Therapeutics (SMC) Pvt. Ltd, Jahangir Multiplex, Peshawar Road, Sector H-13 Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan.,R3 Medical Research LLC, 10045 East Dynamite Boulevard Suite 260, Scottsdale, AZ 85262, United States of America
| | - Umm E Habiba
- Bello Bio Labs & Therapeutics (SMC) Pvt. Ltd, Jahangir Multiplex, Peshawar Road, Sector H-13 Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan
| | - Amna Umer
- Bello Bio Labs & Therapeutics (SMC) Pvt. Ltd, Jahangir Multiplex, Peshawar Road, Sector H-13 Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan
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Loan A, Leung JWH, Cook DP, Ko C, Vanderhyden BC, Wang J, Chan HM. Prenatal low-dose methylmercury exposure causes premature neuronal differentiation and autism-like behaviors in a rodent model. iScience 2023; 26:106093. [PMID: 36843845 PMCID: PMC9947313 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant neurodevelopment is a core deficit of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here we ask whether a non-genetic factor, prenatal exposure to the environmental pollutant methylmercury (MeHg), is a contributing factor in ASD onset. We showed that adult mice prenatally exposed to non-apoptotic MeHg exhibited key ASD characteristics, including impaired communication, reduced sociability, and increased restrictive repetitive behaviors, whereas in the embryonic cortex, prenatal MeHg exposure caused premature neuronal differentiation. Further single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis disclosed that prenatal exposure to MeHg resulted in cortical radial glial precursors (RGPs) favoring asymmetric differentiation to directly generate cortical neurons, omitting the intermediate progenitor stage. In addition, MeHg exposure in cultured RGPs increased CREB phosphorylation and enhanced the interaction between CREB and CREB binding protein (CBP). Intriguingly, metformin, an FDA-approved drug, can reverse MeHg-induced premature neuronal differentiation via CREB/CBP repulsion. These findings provide insights into ASD etiology, its underlying mechanism, and a potential therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Loan
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Joseph Wai-Hin Leung
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - David P. Cook
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Chelsea Ko
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Barbara C. Vanderhyden
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Jing Wang
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Hing Man Chan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
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Vesicular Zinc Modulates Cell Proliferation and Survival in the Developing Hippocampus. Cells 2023; 12:cells12060880. [PMID: 36980221 PMCID: PMC10047515 DOI: 10.3390/cells12060880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In the brain, vesicular zinc, which refers to a subset of zinc that is sequestered into synaptic vesicles by zinc transporter 3 (ZnT3), has extensive effects on neuronal signalling and modulation. Vesicular zinc-focused research has mainly been directed to its role in the hippocampus, particularly in adult neurogenesis. However, whether vesicular zinc is involved in modulating neurogenesis during the early postnatal period has been less studied. As a first step to understanding this, we used ZnT3 knockout (KO) mice, which lack ZnT3 and, thus, vesicular zinc, to evaluate cell proliferation at three different age points spanning postnatal development (P6, P14, and P28). The survival and the neuronal phenotype of these cells was also assessed in adulthood. We found that male ZnT3 KO mice exhibited lower rates of cell proliferation at P14, but a greater number of these cells survived to adulthood. Additionally, significantly more cells labelled on P6 survived to adulthood in male and female ZnT3 KO mice. We also found sex-dependent differences, whereby male mice showed higher levels of cell proliferation at P28, as well as higher levels of cell survival for P14-labelled cells, compared to female mice. However, female mice showed greater percentages of neuronal differentiation for P14-labelled cells. Finally, we found significant effects of age of BrdU injections on cell proliferation, survival, and neuronal differentiation. Collectively, our results suggest that the loss of vesicular zinc affects normal proliferation and survival of cells born at different age points during postnatal development and highlight prominent sex- and age-dependent differences. Our findings provide the foundation for future studies to further probe the role of vesicular zinc in the modulation of developmental neurogenesis.
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Mali I, Payne M, King C, Maze TR, Davison T, Challans B, Bossmann SH, Plakke B. Adolescent female valproic acid rats have impaired extra-dimensional shifts of attention and enlarged anterior cingulate cortices. Brain Res 2023; 1800:148199. [PMID: 36509128 PMCID: PMC9835202 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.148199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In order to develop better treatments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) it is critical to understand the developmental trajectory of the disorder and the accompanying brain changes. This study used the valproic acid (VPA) model to induce ASD-like symptoms in rodents. Prior studies have demonstrated that VPA animals are impaired on executive function tasks, paralleling results in humans with ASD. Here, VPA adolescent female rats were impaired on a set-shifting task and had enlarged frontal cortices compared to control females. The deficits observed in the VPA female rats mirrors results in females with ASD. In addition, adolescent VPA females with enlarged frontal cortices performed the worst across the entire task. These brain changes in adolescence are also found in adolescent humans with ASD. These novel findings highlight the importance of studying the brain at different developmental stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivina Mali
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Macy Payne
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Cole King
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Tessa R Maze
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Taylor Davison
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Brandon Challans
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Stefan H Bossmann
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Bethany Plakke
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
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Siani-Rose M, Cox S, Goldstein B, Abrams D, Taylor M, Kurek I. Cannabis-Responsive Biomarkers: A Pharmacometabolomics-Based Application to Evaluate the Impact of Medical Cannabis Treatment on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2023; 8:126-137. [PMID: 34874191 PMCID: PMC9940806 DOI: 10.1089/can.2021.0129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental conditions that impact behavior, communication, social interaction, and learning abilities. Treatment of ASD with medical cannabis (MC) shows promising results in reducing the severity of certain behavioral aspects. The goals of this observational study are to demonstrate the potential of metabolic biomarkers to (1) objectively determine the impact on metabolites of MC treatment and (2) suggest the metabolic pathways of children with ASD, who respond to MC treatment. Materials and Methods: The impact of effective physician-supervised MC treatment on children with ASD (n=15), compared with an age-matched group of typically developing (TD; n=9) children, was evaluated in an observational study design. Each child followed a unique MC regimen determined by their specific response over at least 1 year of treatment, which included the following: tetrahydrocannabinol-dominant MC (dosing range 0.05-50 mg per dose) in 40% of children and cannabidiol-dominant MC (dosing range 7.5-200 mg per dose) in 60% of children. Samples from the ASD group collected pre-MC treatment and at time of maximal impact, and from the TD group, were subjected to salivary metabolomics analysis. Ten minutes before saliva sampling, parents filled out behavioral rating surveys. Results: Sixty-five potential cannabis-responsive biomarkers exhibiting a shift toward the TD physiological levels were identified in children with ASD after MC treatment. For each biomarker, the physiological levels were determined based on the values detected in the TD group. A similar qualitative improvement trend in children with ASD treated with MC was also observed in the behavioral surveys. Twenty-three potential Cannabis-Responsive biomarkers exhibiting change toward TD mean were categorized as anti-inflammatory, bioenergy associated, neurotransmitters, amino acids, and endocannabinoids. The changes in the levels of the Cannabis-Responsive biomarkers N-acetylaspartic acid, spermine, and dehydroisoandrosterone 3-sulfate have been previously linked to behavioral symptoms commonly observed in individuals with ASD. Conclusions: Our results suggest Cannabis-Responsive biomarkers shift toward the TD mean after MC treatment and can potentially quantify benefit at the metabolic level. These changes appear to be similar to the trend described in behavior surveys. Larger trials are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephany Cox
- Cannformatics, Inc., San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Itzhak Kurek
- Cannformatics, Inc., San Francisco, California, USA
- Address correspondence to: Itzhak Kurek, PhD Cannformatics, Inc., 3869 Cesar Chavez Street, San Francisco, CA 94131, USA,
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Bao B, Zahiri J, Gazestani VH, Lopez L, Xiao Y, Kim R, Wen TH, Chiang AWT, Nalabolu S, Pierce K, Robasky K, Wang T, Hoekzema K, Eichler EE, Lewis NE, Courchesne E. A predictive ensemble classifier for the gene expression diagnosis of ASD at ages 1 to 4 years. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:822-833. [PMID: 36266569 PMCID: PMC9908553 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01826-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis remains behavior-based and the median age of diagnosis is ~52 months, nearly 5 years after its first-trimester origin. Accurate and clinically-translatable early-age diagnostics do not exist due to ASD genetic and clinical heterogeneity. Here we collected clinical, diagnostic, and leukocyte RNA data from 240 ASD and typically developing (TD) toddlers (175 toddlers for training and 65 for test). To identify gene expression ASD diagnostic classifiers, we developed 42,840 models composed of 3570 gene expression feature selection sets and 12 classification methods. We found that 742 models had AUC-ROC ≥ 0.8 on both Training and Test sets. Weighted Bayesian model averaging of these 742 models yielded an ensemble classifier model with accurate performance in Training and Test gene expression datasets with ASD diagnostic classification AUC-ROC scores of 85-89% and AUC-PR scores of 84-92%. ASD toddlers with ensemble scores above and below the overall ASD ensemble mean of 0.723 (on a scale of 0 to 1) had similar diagnostic and psychometric scores, but those below this ASD ensemble mean had more prenatal risk events than TD toddlers. Ensemble model feature genes were involved in cell cycle, inflammation/immune response, transcriptional gene regulation, cytokine response, and PI3K-AKT, RAS and Wnt signaling pathways. We additionally collected targeted DNA sequencing smMIPs data on a subset of ASD risk genes from 217 of the 240 ASD and TD toddlers. This DNA sequencing found about the same percentage of SFARI Level 1 and 2 ASD risk gene mutations in TD (12 of 105) as in ASD (13 of 112) toddlers, and classification based only on the presence of mutation in these risk genes performed at a chance level of 49%. By contrast, the leukocyte ensemble gene expression classifier correctly diagnostically classified 88% of TD and ASD toddlers with ASD risk gene mutations. Our ensemble ASD gene expression classifier is diagnostically predictive and replicable across different toddler ages, races, and ethnicities; out-performs a risk gene mutation classifier; and has potential for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bokan Bao
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Javad Zahiri
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Vahid H Gazestani
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Linda Lopez
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yaqiong Xiao
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Raphael Kim
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Renaissance Computing Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Teresa H Wen
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Austin W T Chiang
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Srinivasa Nalabolu
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Karen Pierce
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kimberly Robasky
- Renaissance Computing Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, US
- School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Carolina Health and Informatics Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Tianyun Wang
- Department of Medical Genetics, Center for Medical Genetics, Peking University Health Science Center, 100191, Beijing, China
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University; Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, 100191, Beijing, China
| | - Kendra Hoekzema
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Evan E Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Nathan E Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Eric Courchesne
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Duan K, Eyler L, Pierce K, Lombardo M, Datko M, Hagler D, Taluja V, Zahiri J, Campbell K, Barnes C, Arias S, Nalabolu S, Troxel J, Courchesne E. Language, Social, and Face Regions Are Affected in Toddlers with Autism and Predictive of Language Outcome. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2451837. [PMID: 36778379 PMCID: PMC9915795 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2451837/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Identifying prognostic early brain alterations is crucial for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Leveraging structural MRI data from 166 ASD and 109 typical developing (TD) toddlers and controlling for brain size, we found that, compared to TD, ASD toddlers showed larger or thicker lateral temporal regions; smaller or thinner frontal lobe and midline structures; larger callosal subregion volume; and smaller cerebellum. Most of these differences were replicated in an independent cohort of 38 ASD and 37 TD toddlers. Moreover, the identified brain alterations were related to ASD symptom severity and cognitive impairments at intake, and, remarkably, they improved the accuracy for predicting later language outcome beyond intake clinical and demographic variables. In summary, brain regions involved in language, social, and face processing were altered in ASD toddlers. These early-age brain alterations may be the result of dysregulation in multiple neural processes and stages and are promising prognostic biomarkers for future language ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuaikuai Duan
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Georgia State University
| | | | | | | | | | - Donald Hagler
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, USA
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Beopoulos A, Géa M, Fasano A, Iris F. RNA epitranscriptomics dysregulation: A major determinant for significantly increased risk of ASD pathogenesis. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1101422. [PMID: 36875672 PMCID: PMC9978375 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1101422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are perhaps the most severe, intractable and challenging child psychiatric disorders. They are complex, pervasive and highly heterogeneous and depend on multifactorial neurodevelopmental conditions. Although the pathogenesis of autism remains unclear, it revolves around altered neurodevelopmental patterns and their implications for brain function, although these cannot be specifically linked to symptoms. While these affect neuronal migration and connectivity, little is known about the processes that lead to the disruption of specific laminar excitatory and inhibitory cortical circuits, a key feature of ASD. It is evident that ASD has multiple underlying causes and this multigenic condition has been considered to also dependent on epigenetic effects, although the exact nature of the factors that could be involved remains unclear. However, besides the possibility for differential epigenetic markings directly affecting the relative expression levels of individual genes or groups of genes, there are at least three mRNA epitranscriptomic mechanisms, which function cooperatively and could, in association with both genotypes and environmental conditions, alter spatiotemporal proteins expression patterns during brain development, at both quantitative and qualitative levels, in a tissue-specific, and context-dependent manner. As we have already postulated, sudden changes in environmental conditions, such as those conferred by maternal inflammation/immune activation, influence RNA epitranscriptomic mechanisms, with the combination of these processes altering fetal brain development. Herein, we explore the postulate whereby, in ASD pathogenesis, RNA epitranscriptomics might take precedence over epigenetic modifications. RNA epitranscriptomics affects real-time differential expression of receptor and channel proteins isoforms, playing a prominent role in central nervous system (CNS) development and functions, but also RNAi which, in turn, impact the spatiotemporal expression of receptors, channels and regulatory proteins irrespective of isoforms. Slight dysregulations in few early components of brain development, could, depending upon their extent, snowball into a huge variety of pathological cerebral alterations a few years after birth. This may very well explain the enormous genetic, neuropathological and symptomatic heterogeneities that are systematically associated with ASD and psychiatric disorders at large.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manuel Géa
- Bio-Modeling Systems, Tour CIT, Paris, France
| | - Alessio Fasano
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Center for Celiac Research and Treatment, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, United States
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Nagai Y, Mizutani Y, Nomura K, Uemura O, Saitoh S, Iwata O. Autistic traits of children born very preterm assessed using Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition. Early Hum Dev 2023; 176:105716. [PMID: 36708635 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2023.105716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Preterm birth has been linked with increased incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite the remarkable difference in the clinical backgrounds between ASD children born preterm and term, cross-sectional studies have found no striking difference in their autistic traits. To highlight autistic traits related with preterm birth, children born very preterm (prospective birth cohort, n = 50) and term (case cohort, n = 16), who were diagnosed as "Autism" by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), 2nd edition, were compared using the calibrated severity scores of ADOS-2 and T-scores of the Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd edition. No significant difference was found in the calibrated severity scores between ASD children born preterm and term. There was a trend that T-scores were smaller for the preterm cohort, which did not reach a statistical significance. Even when detailed cross-sectional information was obtained using ADOS-2, no difference in autistic traits was observed between children born very preterm and term. Our findings were consistent with a previous study, which assessed the entire prospective cohort of children born very preterm and found no difference in original ADOS scores. Further studies are warranted to delineate how preterm birth affects the autistic traits and their parental perception in a large prospective cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukiyo Nagai
- Department of Pediatrics, Japanese Red Cross Aichi Medical Center Nagoya Daini Hospital, Aichi, Japan.
| | - Yuko Mizutani
- Center for Human Development and Family Science, Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Aichi, Japan
| | - Kayo Nomura
- Department of Education, Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Osamu Uemura
- Department of Pediatrics, Ichinomiya Medical Treatment & Habilitation Center, Aichi, Japan
| | - Shinji Saitoh
- Center for Human Development and Family Science, Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Aichi, Japan
| | - Osuke Iwata
- Center for Human Development and Family Science, Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Aichi, Japan
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Ravintaran T, Go KX, Che Isa IN, Mohd Norsuddin N, Sabarudin A, Mohamed Sharif N, Ahmad Zaiki FW, Hashim UF, Said Rahmat SMS. Effectiveness of an educational module in improving knowledge, awareness and perception among pregnant women regarding the safe use of prenatal ultrasound. Heliyon 2023; 9:e12773. [PMID: 36685374 PMCID: PMC9850031 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Lack of public understanding, perception and awareness of the biological effects of prenatal ultrasound has led to the non-medical use of ultrasound. An educational programme is required to enlighten pregnant women and the public regarding prenatal ultrasound safety. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of educational modules (video and brochure) in improving knowledge, awareness and perception (KAP) among pregnant women regarding prenatal ultrasound safety. Methods This is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-and post-test design. This study recruited 51 pregnant women as respondents from the Obstetrics and Gynaecology clinic (O&G) of Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM). The first phase of the study was conducted by distributing a set of closed-ended questionnaires with multiple choice and Likert scale answers to assess the KAP of pregnant women regarding the safe use of prenatal ultrasound, followed by educational modules where the respondents were allocated into three groups (17 watched a video, 17 received brochure and 17 received combined media). After the intervention, the respondents' KAP were assessed using the same questionnaire. Results The Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that educational modules like video, brochure and combined media had a statistically significant increase in post-test scores over the pre-test scores (video: mean rank = 9.00, p < 0.05) (brochure: mean rank = 9.79,p < 0.05) and (combined media: mean rank = 10.17, p > 0.05). The Kruskal Wallis test indicated that educational video was more effective in improving the KAP of pregnant women than the brochure and combined media (mean rank = 34.62, p < 0.05). Among the parameters, the occupation has the strongest positive correlation with the post-test knowledge score in improving the KAP of pregnant women regarding the safe use of prenatal ultrasound. Conclusion The educational video is the most effective approach for enhancing pregnant women's KAP. The educational module on the safety of prenatal ultrasound is thought to dispel myths by providing accurate information to audiences from various backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanaraj Ravintaran
- Program of Diagnostic Imaging & Radiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kai Xiang Go
- Program of Diagnostic Imaging & Radiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Iza Nurzawani Che Isa
- Program of Diagnostic Imaging & Radiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Norhashimah Mohd Norsuddin
- Program of Diagnostic Imaging & Radiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Akmal Sabarudin
- Program of Diagnostic Imaging & Radiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Norhafidzah Mohamed Sharif
- Program of Diagnostic Imaging & Radiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Farah Wahida Ahmad Zaiki
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy, Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
| | - Ummi Farhana Hashim
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy, Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
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Kiso-Farnè K, Yaoi T, Fujimoto T, Itoh K. Low Doses of Bisphenol A Disrupt Neuronal Differentiation of Human Neuronal Stem/Progenitor Cells. Acta Histochem Cytochem 2022; 55:193-202. [PMID: 36688137 PMCID: PMC9840471 DOI: 10.1267/ahc.22-00090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disrupting chemical. Human epidemiological studies have suggested that adverse neurobehavioral outcomes are induced by fetal exposure to BPA. The remarkable differences in the corticogenesis between human and agyrencephalic mammals are an increase in the intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs) and a following increase in the subplate thickness. It is uncertain whether low doses of BPA (low-BPA) affect human early corticogenesis when basal progenitor cells (BPs) produce IPCs resulting in amplified neurogenesis. In this study, human-derived neuronal stem/progenitor cells were exposed to low-BPA or the vehicle only, and the resultant cell type-specific molecular changes and morphology were analyzed. We focused on stem cells immunoreactive for SOX2, BPs for NHLH1, and immature neurons for DCX. SOX2-positive cells significantly decreased at day in vitro (DIV) 4 and 7, whereas NHLH1-positive cells tended to be higher, while DCX-positive cells significantly increased at DIV7 when exposed to 100 nM of BPA compared with the vehicle. Morphologically DCX-positive cells showed a decrease in unipolar cells and an increase in multipolar cells when exposed to 100 nM of BPA compared with the vehicle. These results provide insights into the in vivo effect of low-BPA on neuronal differentiation in the human fetal corticogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Kiso-Farnè
- Department of Pathology and Applied Neurobiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yaoi
- Department of Pathology and Applied Neurobiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takahiro Fujimoto
- Department of Pathology and Applied Neurobiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kyoko Itoh
- Department of Pathology and Applied Neurobiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto, Japan
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Tong Z, Zhou X, Chu Y, Zhang T, Zhang J, Zhao X, Wang Z, Ding R, Meng Q, Yu J, Wang J, Kang Y. Implications of oral streptococcal bacteriophages in autism spectrum disorder. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2022; 8:91. [DOI: 10.1038/s41522-022-00355-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractGrowing evidence suggests altered oral and gut microbiota in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but little is known about the alterations and roles of phages, especially within the oral microbiota in ASD subjects. We enrolled ASD (n = 26) and neurotypical subjects (n = 26) with their oral hygiene controlled, and the metagenomes of both oral and fecal samples (n = 104) are shotgun-sequenced and compared. We observe extensive and diverse oral phageome comparable to that of the gut, and clear signals of mouth-to-gut phage strain transfer within individuals. However, the overall phageomes of the two sites are widely different and show even less similarity in the oral communities between ASD and control subjects. The ASD oral phageome exhibits significantly reduced abundance and alpha diversity, but the Streptococcal phages there are atypically enriched, often dominating the community. The over-representation of Streptococcal phages is accompanied by enriched oral Streptococcal virulence factors and Streptococcus bacteria, all exhibiting a positive correlation with the severity of ASD clinical manifestations. These changes are not observed in the parallel sampling of the gut flora, suggesting a previously unknown oral-specific association between the excessive Streptococcal phage enrichment and ASD pathogenesis. The findings provide new evidence for the independent microbiome-mouth-brain connection, deepen our understanding of how the growth dynamics of bacteriophages and oral microbiota contribute to ASD, and point to novel effective therapeutics.
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Dong C, Zhao C, Chen X, Berry K, Wang J, Zhang F, Liao Y, Han R, Ogurek S, Xu L, Zhang L, Lin Y, Zhou W, Xin M, Lim DA, Campbell K, Nakafuku M, Waclaw RR, Lu QR. Conserved and Distinct Functions of the Autism-Related Chromatin Remodeler CHD8 in Embryonic and Adult Forebrain Neurogenesis. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8373-8392. [PMID: 36127134 PMCID: PMC9653284 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2400-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The chromatin remodeler CHD8 represents a high-confidence risk factor in autism, a multistage progressive neurologic disorder, however the underlying stage-specific functions remain elusive. In this study, by analyzing Chd8 conditional knock-out mice (male and female), we find that CHD8 controls cortical neural stem/progenitor cell (NSC) proliferation and survival in a stage-dependent manner. Strikingly, inducible genetic deletion reveals that CHD8 is required for the production and fitness of transit-amplifying intermediate progenitors (IPCs) essential for upper-layer neuron expansion in the embryonic cortex. p53 loss of function partially rescues apoptosis and neurogenesis defects in the Chd8-deficient brain. Further, transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling indicates that CHD8 regulates the chromatin accessibility landscape to activate neurogenesis-promoting factors including TBR2, a key regulator of IPC neurogenesis, while repressing DNA damage- and p53-induced apoptotic programs. In the adult brain, CHD8 depletion impairs forebrain neurogenesis by impeding IPC differentiation from NSCs in both subventricular and subgranular zones; however, unlike in embryos, it does not affect NSC proliferation and survival. Treatment with an antidepressant approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), fluoxetine, partially restores adult hippocampal neurogenesis in Chd8-ablated mice. Together, our multistage functional studies identify temporally specific roles for CHD8 in developmental and adult neurogenesis, pointing to a potential strategy to enhance neurogenesis in the CHD8-deficient brain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The role of the high-confidence autism gene CHD8 in neurogenesis remains incompletely understood. Here, we identify a stage-specific function of CHD8 in development of NSCs in developing and adult brains by conserved, yet spatiotemporally distinct, mechanisms. In embryonic cortex, CHD8 is critical for the proliferation, survival, and differentiation of both NSC and IPCs during cortical neurogenesis. In adult brain, CHD8 is required for IPC generation but not the proliferation and survival of adult NSCs. Treatment with FDA-approved antidepressant fluoxetine partially rescues the adult neurogenesis defects in CHD8 mutants. Thus, our findings help resolve CHD8 functions throughout life during embryonic and adult neurogenesis and point to a potential avenue to promote neurogenesis in CHD8 deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Dong
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Chuntao Zhao
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
| | - Kalen Berry
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
| | - Jiajia Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
| | - Feng Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
| | - Yunfei Liao
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
| | - Rong Han
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
| | - Sean Ogurek
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
| | - Lingli Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
| | - Yifeng Lin
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Wenhao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Mei Xin
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
| | - Daniel A Lim
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143
| | - Kenneth Campbell
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
| | - Masato Nakafuku
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
| | - Ronald R Waclaw
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
| | - Q Richard Lu
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
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Gagliano A, Murgia F, Capodiferro AM, Tanca MG, Hendren A, Falqui SG, Aresti M, Comini M, Carucci S, Cocco E, Lorefice L, Roccella M, Vetri L, Sotgiu S, Zuddas A, Atzori L. 1H-NMR-Based Metabolomics in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome. J Clin Med 2022; 11:6493. [PMID: 36362721 PMCID: PMC9658067 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11216493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
We recently described a unique plasma metabolite profile in subjects with pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS), suggesting pathogenic models involving specific patterns of neurotransmission, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. Here, we extend the analysis to a group of patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as a consensus has recently emerged around its immune-mediated pathophysiology with a widespread involvement of brain networks. This observational case-control study enrolled patients referred for PANS and ASD from June 2019 to May 2020, as well as neurotypical age and gender-matched control subjects. Thirty-four PANS outpatients, fifteen ASD outpatients, and twenty-five neurotypical subjects underwent physical and neuropsychiatric evaluations, alongside serum metabolomic analysis with 1H-NMR. In supervised models, the metabolomic profile of ASD was significantly different from controls (p = 0.0001), with skewed concentrations of asparagine, aspartate, betaine, glycine, lactate, glucose, and pyruvate. Metabolomic separation was also observed between PANS and ASD subjects (p = 0.02), with differences in the concentrations of arginine, aspartate, betaine, choline, creatine phosphate, glycine, pyruvate, and tryptophan. We confirmed a unique serum metabolomic profile of PANS compared with both ASD and neurotypical subjects, distinguishing PANS as a pathophysiological entity per se. Tryptophan and glycine appear as neuroinflammatory fingerprints of PANS and ASD, respectively. In particular, a reduction in glycine would primarily affect NMDA-R excitatory tone, overall impairing downstream glutamatergic, dopaminergic, and GABAergic transmissions. Nonetheless, we found metabolomic similarities between PANS and ASD that suggest a putative role of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) dysfunction in both disorders. Metabolomics-based approaches could contribute to the identification of novel ASD and PANS biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Gagliano
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, “A. Cao” Paediatric Hospital, University of Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
- Department of Health Science, “Magna Graecia” University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Federica Murgia
- Clinical Metabolomics Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Agata Maria Capodiferro
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, “A. Cao” Paediatric Hospital, University of Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marcello Giuseppe Tanca
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, “A. Cao” Paediatric Hospital, University of Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Aran Hendren
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Stella Giulia Falqui
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, “A. Cao” Paediatric Hospital, University of Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Michela Aresti
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, “A. Cao” Paediatric Hospital, University of Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Martina Comini
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, “A. Cao” Paediatric Hospital, University of Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Sara Carucci
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, “A. Cao” Paediatric Hospital, University of Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Eleonora Cocco
- Multiple Sclerosis Regional Center, ASSL Cagliari, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Lorena Lorefice
- Multiple Sclerosis Regional Center, ASSL Cagliari, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Michele Roccella
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Luigi Vetri
- Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy
| | - Stefano Sotgiu
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Farmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Alessandro Zuddas
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, “A. Cao” Paediatric Hospital, University of Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Luigi Atzori
- Clinical Metabolomics Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Cagliari, Italy
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Escher J, Yan W, Rissman EF, Wang HLV, Hernandez A, Corces VG. Beyond Genes: Germline Disruption in the Etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52:4608-4624. [PMID: 34596807 PMCID: PMC9035896 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05304-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Investigations into the etiology of autism spectrum disorders have been largely confined to two realms: variations in DNA sequence and somatic developmental exposures. Here we suggest a third route-disruption of the germline epigenome induced by exogenous toxicants during a parent's gamete development. Similar to cases of germline mutation, these molecular perturbations may produce dysregulated transcription of brain-related genes during fetal and early development, resulting in abnormal neurobehavioral phenotypes in offspring. Many types of exposures may have these impacts, and here we discuss examples of anesthetic gases, tobacco components, synthetic steroids, and valproic acid. Alterations in parental germline could help explain some unsolved phenomena of autism, including increased prevalence, missing heritability, skewed sex ratio, and heterogeneity of neurobiology and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Escher
- Escher Fund for Autism, 1590 Calaveras Avenue, San Jose, CA, USA.
| | - Wei Yan
- The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Emilie F Rissman
- Center for Human Health and the Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Hsiao-Lin V Wang
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Arturo Hernandez
- Maine Medical Center Research Institute, MaineHealth, Scarborough, ME, USA
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Victor G Corces
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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49
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Griffin A, Mahesh A, Tiwari VK. Disruption of the gene regulatory programme in neurodevelopmental disorders. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2022; 1865:194860. [PMID: 36007842 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2022.194860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cortical development consists of a series of synchronised events, including fate transition of cortical progenitors, neuronal migration, specification and connectivity. It is becoming clear that gene expression programs governing these events rely on the interplay between signalling molecules, transcription factors and epigenetic mechanisms. When genetic or environmental factors disrupt expression of genes involved in important brain development processes, neurodevelopmental disorders can occur. This review aims to highlight how recent advances in technologies have helped uncover and imitate the gene regulatory mechanisms commonly disrupted in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoife Griffin
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Science, Queens University, Belfast BT9 7BL, United Kingdom
| | - Arun Mahesh
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Science, Queens University, Belfast BT9 7BL, United Kingdom
| | - Vijay K Tiwari
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Science, Queens University, Belfast BT9 7BL, United Kingdom.
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50
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Zoodsma JD, Keegan EJ, Moody GR, Bhandiwad AA, Napoli AJ, Burgess HA, Wollmuth LP, Sirotkin HI. Disruption of grin2B, an ASD-associated gene, produces social deficits in zebrafish. Mol Autism 2022; 13:38. [PMID: 36138431 PMCID: PMC9502958 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00516-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), like many neurodevelopmental disorders, has complex and varied etiologies. Advances in genome sequencing have identified multiple candidate genes associated with ASD, including dozens of missense and nonsense mutations in the NMDAR subunit GluN2B, encoded by GRIN2B. NMDARs are glutamate-gated ion channels with key synaptic functions in excitatory neurotransmission. How alterations in these proteins impact neurodevelopment is poorly understood, in part because knockouts of GluN2B in rodents are lethal. METHODS Here, we use CRISPR-Cas9 to generate zebrafish lacking GluN2B (grin2B-/-). Using these fish, we run an array of behavioral tests and perform whole-brain larval imaging to assay developmental roles and functions of GluN2B. RESULTS We demonstrate that zebrafish GluN2B displays similar structural and functional properties to human GluN2B. Zebrafish lacking GluN2B (grin2B-/-) surprisingly survive into adulthood. Given the prevalence of social deficits in ASD, we assayed social preference in the grin2B-/- fish. Wild-type fish develop a strong social preference by 3 weeks post fertilization. In contrast, grin2B-/- fish at this age exhibit significantly reduced social preference. Notably, the lack of GluN2B does not result in a broad disruption of neurodevelopment, as grin2B-/- larvae do not show alterations in spontaneous or photic-evoked movements, are capable of prey capture, and exhibit learning. Whole-brain imaging of grin2B-/- larvae revealed reduction of an inhibitory neuron marker in the subpallium, a region linked to ASD in humans, but showed that overall brain size and E/I balance in grin2B-/- is comparable to wild type. LIMITATIONS Zebrafish lacking GluN2B, while useful in studying developmental roles of GluN2B, are unlikely to model nuanced functional alterations of human missense mutations that are not complete loss of function. Additionally, detailed mammalian homologies for larval zebrafish brain subdivisions at the age of whole-brain imaging are not fully resolved. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that zebrafish completely lacking the GluN2B subunit of the NMDAR, unlike rodent models, are viable into adulthood. Notably, they exhibit a highly specific deficit in social behavior. As such, this zebrafish model affords a unique opportunity to study the roles of GluN2B in ASD etiologies and establish a disease-relevant in vivo model for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josiah D Zoodsma
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Emma J Keegan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Gabrielle R Moody
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Ashwin A Bhandiwad
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Amalia J Napoli
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Harold A Burgess
- Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lonnie P Wollmuth
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
- Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - Howard I Sirotkin
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA.
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