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Coyle JT. Passing the torch: The ascendance of the glutamatergic synapse in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 228:116376. [PMID: 38906225 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116376] [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: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
For nearly fifty years, the dopamine hypothesis has dominated our understanding of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and provided the lone target for drug development. However, with the exception of clozapine, the dopamine D2 receptor antagonizing anti-psychotic drugs have little impact on the negative symptoms and cognitive deficits, aspects of the disorder that robustly predict outcome. Pathologic studies reveal cortical atrophy and wide-spread loss of glutamatergic synaptic spines, unexplained by dopaminergic malfunction. Recent genome-wide association studies indicate that at least thirty risk genes for schizophrenia encode proteins localized to the glutamatergic synapse and inhibit glutamate neurotransmission, especially at the NMDA receptor. To function, the NMDA receptor requires the binding of glycine (primarily in the cerebellum and brainstem) or D-serine (in forebrain) to the NR1 channel subunit of the NMDA receptor. Genetically silencing the gene (srr) encoding serine racemase, the biosynthetic enzyme for D-serine, results in forebrain NMDA receptor hypofunction. The srr-/- mice have 90 % loss of endogenous D-serine and approximately 70 % decrease in NMDA receptor function. Several animal models of schizophrenia are based on behavioral and pharmacologic strategies, which have negligible validity with regard to the fundamental etiology of schizophrenia. We summarize here the results of a mouse model, in which srr, one of the two dozen or more risk gene for schizophrenia that affect NMDA receptor function, has been inactivated. The srr-/- mice exhibit striking similarities to schizophrenia including cortical atrophy, loss of cortico-limbic glutamatergic synapses, increased sub-cortical dopamine release, EEG abnormalities, and cognitive impairments. The limited efficacy of drugs targeting the glutamatergic synapse on DSM-5 diagnosed criteria for schizophrenia used in clinical trials may reflect the fact that only 30 % of the patients have impaired glutamatergic neurotransmission, resulting from the genetic heterogeneity of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph T Coyle
- Eben S Draper Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Harvard Medical School (Emeritus), McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St, Belmont, MA 02478, United States.
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2
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Umbricht D, Kas MJH, Dawson GR. The role of biomarkers in clinical development of drugs for neuropsychiatric disorders - A pragmatic guide. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2024; 88:66-77. [PMID: 39236552 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.08.511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
The failure rate of drugs being developed for neuropsychiatric indications remains high. Optimizing drug discovery and development requires not only a better neurobiological understanding of disease aetiology and development, but also the means by which we can measure relevant biological and clinical processes related to disease progression, drug target engagement, and sensitivity to treatment. Here we address the role and key considerations for the selection of biomarkers in clinical drug development for neuropsychiatric disorders. We do not provide an exhaustive list of biomarkers; rather we lay out a pragmatic, well-defined biomarker selection strategy that addresses the main goals for each of the phases in the drug development cycle. We discuss the key questions and issues that concern biomarker selection and implementation in each phase of development. For the better development of biomarkers, we emphasize the need to focus on discrete biological dysfunction and/or symptom domains rather than diagnoses. We also advocate the use of biomarker-based patient stratification in phase 2 and 3 to increase sensitivity and power and reduce costs. Our aim is to enhance precision and chances of success for these complex and heterogeneous brain disorders with a high unmet medical need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Umbricht
- xperimed GmbH, Basel, Switzerland; University of Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Martien J H Kas
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
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3
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Segura-Roman A, Citron YR, Shin M, Sindoni N, Maya-Romero A, Rapp S, Goul C, Mancias JD, Zoncu R. Autophagosomes coordinate an AKAP11-dependent regulatory checkpoint that shapes neuronal PKA signaling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.06.606738. [PMID: 39211170 PMCID: PMC11361107 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.06.606738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Protein Kinase A (PKA) is regulated spatially and temporally via scaffolding of its catalytic (Cα/β) and regulatory (RI/RII) subunits by the A-kinase-anchoring proteins (AKAP). PKA engages in poorly understood interactions with autophagy, a key degradation pathway for neuronal cell homeostasis, partly via its AKAP11 scaffold. Mutations in AKAP11 drive schizophrenia and bipolar disorders (SZ-BP) through unknown mechanisms. Through proteomic-based analysis of immunopurified lysosomes, we identify the Cα-RIα-AKAP11 holocomplex as a prominent autophagy-associated protein kinase complex. AKAP11 scaffolds Cα-RIα to the autophagic machinery via its LC3-interacting region (LIR), enabling both PKA regulation by upstream signals, and its autophagy-dependent degradation. We identify Ser83 on the RIα linker-hinge region as an AKAP11-dependent phospho-residue that modulates RIα-Cα binding and cAMP-induced PKA activation. Decoupling AKAP11-PKA from autophagy alters Ser83 phosphorylation, supporting an autophagy-dependent checkpoint for PKA signaling. Ablating AKAP11 in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons reveals dysregulation of multiple pathways for neuronal homeostasis. Thus, the autophagosome is a novel platform that modulate PKA signaling, providing a possible mechanistic link to SZ/BP pathophysiology.
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Wang X, Ma J, Dong Y, Ren X, Li R, Yang G, She G, Tan Y, Chen S. Exploration on the potential efficacy and mechanism of methyl salicylate glycosides in the treatment of schizophrenia based on bioinformatics, molecular docking and dynamics simulation. SCHIZOPHRENIA (HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 10:64. [PMID: 39019913 PMCID: PMC11255270 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-024-00484-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
The etiological and therapeutic complexities of schizophrenia (SCZ) persist, prompting exploration of anti-inflammatory therapy as a potential treatment approach. Methyl salicylate glycosides (MSGs), possessing a structural parent nucleus akin to aspirin, are being investigated for their therapeutic potential in schizophrenia. Utilizing bioinformation mining, network pharmacology, molecular docking and dynamics simulation, the potential value and mechanism of MSGs (including MSTG-A, MSTG-B, and Gaultherin) in the treatment of SCZ, as well as the underlying pathogenesis of the disorder, were examined. 581 differentially expressed genes related to SCZ were identified in patients and healthy individuals, with 349 up-regulated genes and 232 down-regulated genes. 29 core targets were characterized by protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, with the top 10 core targets being BDNF, VEGFA, PVALB, KCNA1, GRIN2A, ATP2B2, KCNA2, APOE, PPARGC1A and SCN1A. The pathogenesis of SCZ primarily involves cAMP signaling, neurodegenerative diseases and other pathways, as well as regulation of ion transmembrane transport. Molecular docking analysis revealed that the three candidates exhibited binding activity with certain targets with binding affinities ranging from -4.7 to -109.2 kcal/mol. MSTG-A, MSTG-B and Gaultherin show promise for use in the treatment of SCZ, potentially through their ability to modulate the expression of multiple genes involved in synaptic structure and function, ion transport, energy metabolism. Molecular dynamics simulation revealed good binding abilities between MSTG-A, MSTG-B, Gaultherin and ATP2B2. It suggests new avenues for further investigation in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuhuan Wang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, 100096, PR China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, PR China
| | - Jiamu Ma
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, PR China
| | - Ying Dong
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, PR China
| | - Xueyang Ren
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, PR China
| | - Ruoming Li
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, 100096, PR China
| | - Guigang Yang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, 100096, PR China
| | - Gaimei She
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, PR China.
| | - Yunlong Tan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, 100096, PR China.
| | - Song Chen
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, 100096, PR China.
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Shepard N, Baez-Nieto D, Iqbal S, Kurganov E, Budnik N, Campbell AJ, Pan JQ, Sheng M, Farsi Z. Differential functional consequences of GRIN2A mutations associated with schizophrenia and neurodevelopmental disorders. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2798. [PMID: 38307912 PMCID: PMC10837427 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53102-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Human genetic studies have revealed rare missense and protein-truncating variants in GRIN2A, encoding for the GluN2A subunit of the NMDA receptors, that confer significant risk for schizophrenia (SCZ). Mutations in GRIN2A are also associated with epilepsy and developmental delay/intellectual disability (DD/ID). However, it remains enigmatic how alterations to the same protein can result in diverse clinical phenotypes. Here, we performed functional characterization of human GluN1/GluN2A heteromeric NMDA receptors that contain SCZ-linked GluN2A variants, and compared them to NMDA receptors with GluN2A variants associated with epilepsy or DD/ID. Our findings demonstrate that SCZ-associated GRIN2A variants were predominantly loss-of-function (LoF), whereas epilepsy and DD/ID-associated variants resulted in both gain- and loss-of-function phenotypes. We additionally show that M653I and S809R, LoF GRIN2A variants associated with DD/ID, exert a dominant-negative effect when co-expressed with a wild-type GluN2A, whereas E58Ter and Y698C, SCZ-linked LoF variants, and A727T, an epilepsy-linked LoF variant, do not. These data offer a potential mechanism by which SCZ/epilepsy and DD/ID-linked variants can cause different effects on receptor function and therefore result in divergent pathological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nate Shepard
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David Baez-Nieto
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sumaiya Iqbal
- The Center for the Development of Therapeutics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Erkin Kurganov
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nikita Budnik
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Arthur J Campbell
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jen Q Pan
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Morgan Sheng
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Zohreh Farsi
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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6
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Scott MR, McClung CA. Bipolar Disorder. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 83:102801. [PMID: 38223491 PMCID: PMC10786345 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102801] [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] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
This review focuses on recent advances made towards understanding the neurobiology of bipolar disorder (BD), a chronic neuropsychiatric illness characterized by altered mood and energy states. The past few years have seen the completion of the largest genetic studies by far, which have emphasized the polygenic nature of BD as well as it's connection to other psychiatric illnesses. Furthermore, the use of inducible pluripotent stem cells has rapidly expanded. These studies support previous work that implicates dysregulation of neurodevelopment, mitochondria, and calcium homeostasis, while also allowing for investigation into the underlying mechanisms of individual responsivity to lithium. Sleep and circadian rhythms have also been heavily implicated in BD, from disruptions in activity patterns to molecular abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline R Scott
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Colleen A McClung
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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7
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Farsi Z, Nicolella A, Simmons SK, Aryal S, Shepard N, Brenner K, Lin S, Herzog L, Moran SP, Stalnaker KJ, Shin W, Gazestani V, Song BJ, Bonanno K, Keshishian H, Carr SA, Pan JQ, Macosko EZ, Datta SR, Dejanovic B, Kim E, Levin JZ, Sheng M. Brain-region-specific changes in neurons and glia and dysregulation of dopamine signaling in Grin2a mutant mice. Neuron 2023; 111:3378-3396.e9. [PMID: 37657442 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
A genetically valid animal model could transform our understanding of schizophrenia (SCZ) disease mechanisms. Rare heterozygous loss-of-function (LoF) mutations in GRIN2A, encoding a subunit of the NMDA receptor, greatly increase the risk of SCZ. By transcriptomic, proteomic, and behavioral analyses, we report that heterozygous Grin2a mutant mice show (1) large-scale gene expression changes across multiple brain regions and in neuronal (excitatory and inhibitory) and non-neuronal cells (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes), (2) evidence of hypoactivity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hyperactivity in the hippocampus and striatum, (3) an elevated dopamine signaling in the striatum and hypersensitivity to amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion (AIH), (4) altered cholesterol biosynthesis in astrocytes, (5) a reduction in glutamatergic receptor signaling proteins in the synapse, and (6) an aberrant locomotor pattern opposite of that induced by antipsychotic drugs. These findings reveal potential pathophysiologic mechanisms, provide support for both the "hypo-glutamate" and "hyper-dopamine" hypotheses of SCZ, and underscore the utility of Grin2a-deficient mice as a genetic model of SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohreh Farsi
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Ally Nicolella
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sean K Simmons
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sameer Aryal
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nate Shepard
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kira Brenner
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sherry Lin
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Linnea Herzog
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sean P Moran
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Katherine J Stalnaker
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wangyong Shin
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Vahid Gazestani
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bryan J Song
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kevin Bonanno
- Proteomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hasmik Keshishian
- Proteomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Steven A Carr
- Proteomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jen Q Pan
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Evan Z Macosko
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Borislav Dejanovic
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eunjoon Kim
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, South Korea; Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Joshua Z Levin
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Morgan Sheng
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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8
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Harrison PJ, Bannerman DM. GRIN2A (NR2A): a gene contributing to glutamatergic involvement in schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:3568-3572. [PMID: 37736757 PMCID: PMC10730418 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02265-y] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Involvement of the glutamate system, particularly N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor hypofunction, has long been postulated to be part of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. An important development is provided by recent data that strongly implicate GRIN2A, the gene encoding the NR2A (GluN2A) NMDA receptor subunit, in the aetiology of the disorder. Rare variants and common variants are both robustly associated with genetic risk for schizophrenia. Some of the rare variants are point mutations likely affecting channel function, but most are predicted to cause protein truncation and thence result, like the common variants, in reduced gene expression. We review the genomic evidence, and the findings from Grin2a mutant mice and other models which give clues as to the likely phenotypic impacts of GRIN2A genetic variation. We suggest that one consequence of NR2A dysfunction is impairment in a form of hippocampal synaptic plasticity, producing deficits in short-term habituation and thence elevated and dysregulated levels of attention, a phenotype of relevance to schizophrenia and its cognitive aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Harrison
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK.
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
| | - David M Bannerman
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
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Farsi Z, Sheng M. Molecular mechanisms of schizophrenia: Insights from human genetics. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 81:102731. [PMID: 37245257 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder that affects millions of people worldwide; however, its etiology is poorly understood at the molecular and neurobiological levels. A particularly important advance in recent years is the discovery of rare genetic variants associated with a greatly increased risk of developing schizophrenia. These primarily loss-of-function variants are found in genes that overlap with those implicated by common variants and are involved in the regulation of glutamate signaling, synaptic function, DNA transcription, and chromatin remodeling. Animal models harboring mutations in these large-effect schizophrenia risk genes show promise in providing additional insights into the molecular mechanisms of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohreh Farsi
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Morgan Sheng
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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10
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Aryal S, Bonanno K, Song B, Mani DR, Keshishian H, Carr SA, Sheng M, Dejanovic B. Deep proteomics identifies shared molecular pathway alterations in synapses of patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and mouse model. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112497. [PMID: 37171958 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic dysfunction is implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BP). We use quantitative mass spectrometry to carry out deep, unbiased proteomic profiling of synapses purified from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of 35 cases of SCZ, 35 cases of BP, and 35 controls. Compared with controls, SCZ and BP synapses show substantial and similar proteomic alterations. Network analyses reveal upregulation of proteins associated with autophagy and certain vesicle transport pathways and downregulation of proteins related to synaptic, mitochondrial, and ribosomal function in the synapses of individuals with SCZ or BP. Some of the same pathways are similarly dysregulated in the synaptic proteome of mutant mice deficient in Akap11, a recently discovered shared risk gene for SCZ and BP. Our work provides biological insights into molecular dysfunction at the synapse in SCZ and BP and serves as a resource for understanding the pathophysiology of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameer Aryal
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kevin Bonanno
- The Proteomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Bryan Song
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - D R Mani
- The Proteomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Hasmik Keshishian
- The Proteomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Steven A Carr
- The Proteomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Morgan Sheng
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Borislav Dejanovic
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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11
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Li BZ, Sumera A, Booker SA, McCullagh EA. Current Best Practices for Analysis of Dendritic Spine Morphology and Number in Neurodevelopmental Disorder Research. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:1561-1572. [PMID: 37070364 PMCID: PMC10161226 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantitative methods for assessing neural anatomy have rapidly evolved in neuroscience and provide important insights into brain health and function. However, as new techniques develop, it is not always clear when and how each may be used to answer specific scientific questions posed. Dendritic spines, which are often indicative of synapse formation and neural plasticity, have been implicated across many brain regions in neurodevelopmental disorders as a marker for neural changes reflecting neural dysfunction or alterations. In this Perspective we highlight several techniques for staining, imaging, and quantifying dendritic spines as well as provide a framework for avoiding potential issues related to pseudoreplication. This framework illustrates how others may apply the most rigorous approaches. We consider the cost-benefit analysis of the varied techniques, recognizing that the most sophisticated equipment may not always be necessary for answering some research questions. Together, we hope this piece will help researchers determine the best strategy toward using the ever-growing number of techniques available to determine neural changes underlying dendritic spine morphology in health and neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben-Zheng Li
- Department
of Physiology and Biophysics, University
of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
| | - Anna Sumera
- Simons
Initiative for the Developing Brain, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, U.K.
| | - Sam A Booker
- Simons
Initiative for the Developing Brain, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, U.K.
| | - Elizabeth A. McCullagh
- Department
of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, United States
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