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Niwa M, Lockhart S, Wood DJ, Yang K, Francis-Oliveira J, Kin K, Ahmed A, Wand GS, Kano SI, Payne JL, Sawa A. Prolonged HPA axis dysregulation in postpartum depression associated with adverse early life experiences: A cross-species translational study. Nat Ment Health 2024; 2:593-604. [PMID: 38736646 PMCID: PMC11087073 DOI: 10.1038/s44220-024-00217-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Childhood and adolescent stress increase the risk of postpartum depression (PPD), often providing an increased probability of treatment refractoriness. Nevertheless, the mechanisms linking childhood/adolescent stress to PPD remain unclear. Our study investigated the longitudinal effects of adolescent stress on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and postpartum behaviors in mice and humans. Adolescent social isolation prolonged glucocorticoid elevation, leading to long-lasting postpartum behavioral changes in female mice. These changes were unresponsive to current PPD treatments but improved with post-delivery glucocorticoid receptor antagonist treatment. Childhood/adolescent stress significantly impacted HPA axis dysregulation and PPD in human females. Repurposing glucocorticoid receptor antagonists for some cases of treatment-resistant PPD may be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minae Niwa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Engineering, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Sedona Lockhart
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniel J. Wood
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jose Francis-Oliveira
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Kyohei Kin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Adeel Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Gary S. Wand
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shin-ichi Kano
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Payne
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlotte, VA, USA
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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2
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Elam HB, Perez SM, Donegan JJ, Eassa NE, Lodge DJ. Knockdown of Lhx6 during embryonic development results in neurophysiological alterations and behavioral deficits analogous to schizophrenia in adult rats. Schizophr Res 2024; 267:113-121. [PMID: 38531158 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
A decreased expression of specific interneuron subtypes, containing either the calcium binding protein parvalbumin (PV) or the neurotransmitter somatostatin (SST), are observed in the cortex and hippocampus of both patients with schizophrenia and rodent models used to study the disorder. Moreover, preclinical studies suggest that this loss of inhibitory function is a key pathological mechanism underlying the symptoms of schizophrenia. Interestingly, decreased expression of Lhx6, a key transcriptional regulator specific to the development and migration of PV and SST interneurons, is seen in human postmortem studies and following multiple developmental disruptions used to model schizophrenia preclinically. These results suggest that disruptions in interneuron development in utero may contribute to the pathology of the disorder. To recapitulate decreased Lhx6 expression during development, we used in utero electroporation to introduce an Lhx6 shRNA plasmid and knockdown Lhx6 expression in the brains of rats on gestational day 17. We then examined schizophrenia-like neurophysiological and behavioral alterations in the offspring once they reached adulthood. In utero Lhx6 knockdown resulted in increased ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neuron population activity and a sex-specific increase in locomotor response to a psychotomimetic, consistent with positive symptomology of schizophrenia. However, Lhx6 knockdown had no effect on social interaction or spatial working memory, suggesting behaviors associated with negative and cognitive symptom domains were unaffected. These results suggest that knockdown of Lhx6 during development results in neurophysiological and behavioral alterations consistent with the positive symptom domain of schizophrenia in adult rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah B Elam
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
| | - Stephanie M Perez
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Jennifer J Donegan
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School at UT Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Nicole E Eassa
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Daniel J Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, USA
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3
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Percelay S, Lahogue C, Billard JM, Freret T, Boulouard M, Bouet V. The 3-hit animal models of schizophrenia: Improving strategy to decipher and treat the disease? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 157:105526. [PMID: 38176632 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex disease related to combination and interactions between genetic and environmental factors, with an epigenetic influence. After the development of the first mono-factorial animal models of schizophrenia (1-hit), that reproduced patterns of either positive, negative and/or cognitive symptoms, more complex models combining two factors (2-hit) have been developed to better fit with the multifactorial etiology of the disease. In the two past decades, a new way to design animal models of schizophrenia have emerged by adding a third hit (3-hit). This review aims to discuss the relevance of the risk factors chosen for the tuning of the 3-hit animal models, as well as the validities measurements and their contribution to schizophrenia understanding. We intended to establish a comprehensive overview to help in the choice of factors for the design of multiple-hit animal models of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solenn Percelay
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM, CYCERON, CHU Caen, COMETE UMR 1075, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Caroline Lahogue
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM, CYCERON, CHU Caen, COMETE UMR 1075, 14000 Caen, France.
| | - Jean-Marie Billard
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM, CYCERON, CHU Caen, COMETE UMR 1075, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Thomas Freret
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM, CYCERON, CHU Caen, COMETE UMR 1075, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Michel Boulouard
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM, CYCERON, CHU Caen, COMETE UMR 1075, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Valentine Bouet
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM, CYCERON, CHU Caen, COMETE UMR 1075, 14000 Caen, France.
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4
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Mastwal S, Li X, Stowell R, Manion M, Zhang W, Kim NS, Yoon KJ, Song H, Ming GL, Wang KH. Adolescent neurostimulation of dopamine circuit reverses genetic deficits in frontal cortex function. eLife 2023; 12:RP87414. [PMID: 37830916 PMCID: PMC10575630 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine system dysfunction is implicated in adolescent-onset neuropsychiatric disorders. Although psychosis symptoms can be alleviated by antipsychotics, cognitive symptoms remain unresponsive and novel paradigms investigating the circuit substrates underlying cognitive deficits are critically needed. The frontal cortex and its dopaminergic input from the midbrain are implicated in cognitive functions and undergo maturational changes during adolescence. Here, we used mice carrying mutations in Arc or Disc1 to model mesofrontal dopamine circuit deficiencies and test circuit-based neurostimulation strategies to restore cognitive functions. We found that in a memory-guided spatial navigation task, frontal cortical neurons were activated coordinately at the decision-making point in wild-type but not Arc-/- mice. Chemogenetic stimulation of midbrain dopamine neurons or optogenetic stimulation of frontal cortical dopamine axons in a limited adolescent period consistently reversed genetic defects in mesofrontal innervation, task-coordinated neuronal activity, and memory-guided decision-making at adulthood. Furthermore, adolescent stimulation of dopamine neurons also reversed the same cognitive deficits in Disc1+/- mice. Our findings reveal common mesofrontal circuit alterations underlying the cognitive deficits caused by two different genes and demonstrate the feasibility of adolescent neurostimulation to reverse these circuit and behavioral deficits. These results may suggest developmental windows and circuit targets for treating cognitive deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surjeet Mastwal
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Xinjian Li
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Rianne Stowell
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterUnited States
| | - Matthew Manion
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Wenyu Zhang
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterUnited States
| | - Nam-Shik Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Ki-Jun Yoon
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Kuan Hong Wang
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterUnited States
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5
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Liu B, Li Y, Ren M, Li X. Targeted approaches to delineate neuronal morphology during early development. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1259360. [PMID: 37854514 PMCID: PMC10579594 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1259360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the developmental changes that affect neurons is a key step in exploring the assembly and maturation of neural circuits in the brain. For decades, researchers have used a number of labeling techniques to visualize neuronal morphology at different stages of development. However, the efficiency and accuracy of neuronal labeling technologies are limited by the complexity and fragility of neonatal brains. In this review, we illustrate the various labeling techniques utilized for examining the neurogenesis and morphological changes occurring during the early stages of development. We compare the advantages and limitations of each technique from different aspects. Then, we highlight the gaps remaining in our understanding of the structure of neurons in the neonatal mouse brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bimin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Yuxiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Miao Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Xiangning Li
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, China
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6
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Mastwal S, Li X, Stowell R, Manion M, Zhang W, Kim NS, Yoon KJ, Song H, Ming GL, Wang KH. Adolescent neurostimulation of dopamine circuit reverses genetic deficits in frontal cortex function. bioRxiv 2023:2023.02.03.526987. [PMID: 36778456 PMCID: PMC9915739 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.03.526987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine system dysfunction is commonly implicated in adolescent-onset neuropsychiatric disorders. Although psychosis symptoms can be alleviated by antipsychotics, cognitive symptoms remain unresponsive to such pharmacological treatments and novel research paradigms investigating the circuit substrates underlying cognitive deficits are critically needed. The frontal cortex and its dopaminergic input from the midbrain are implicated in cognitive functions and undergo maturational changes during adolescence. Here, we used mice carrying mutations in the Arc or DISC1 genes to model mesofrontal dopamine circuit deficiencies and test circuit-based neurostimulation strategies to restore cognitive functions. We found that in a memory-guided spatial navigation task, frontal cortical neurons were activated coordinately at the decision-making point in wild-type but not Arc mutant mice. Chemogenetic stimulation of midbrain dopamine neurons or optogenetic stimulation of frontal cortical dopamine axons in a limited adolescent period consistently reversed genetic defects in mesofrontal innervation, task-coordinated neuronal activity, and memory-guided decision-making at adulthood. Furthermore, adolescent stimulation of dopamine neurons also reversed the same cognitive deficits in DISC1 mutant mice. Our findings reveal common mesofrontal circuit alterations underlying the cognitive deficits caused by two different genes and demonstrate the feasibility of adolescent neurostimulation to reverse these circuit and behavioral deficits. These results may suggest developmental windows and circuit targets for treating cognitive deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surjeet Mastwal
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Xinjian Li
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Rianne Stowell
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Matthew Manion
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Wenyu Zhang
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Nam-Shik Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Ki-jun Yoon
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Guo-li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Kuan Hong Wang
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642
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7
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Dong B, Yue Y, Dong H, Wang Y. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor hypofunction as a potential contributor to the progression and manifestation of many neurological disorders. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1174738. [PMID: 37396784 PMCID: PMC10308130 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1174738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDA) are glutamate-gated ion channels critical for synaptic transmission and plasticity. A slight variation of NMDAR expression and function can result in devastating consequences, and both hyperactivation and hypoactivation of NMDARs are detrimental to neural function. Compared to NMDAR hyperfunction, NMDAR hypofunction is widely implicated in many neurological disorders, such as intellectual disability, autism, schizophrenia, and age-related cognitive decline. Additionally, NMDAR hypofunction is associated with the progression and manifestation of these diseases. Here, we review the underlying mechanisms of NMDAR hypofunction in the progression of these neurological disorders and highlight that targeting NMDAR hypofunction is a promising therapeutic intervention in some neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Dong
- Department of Geriatrics, Jilin Geriatrics Clinical Research Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yang Yue
- School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Han Dong
- Department of Geriatrics, Jilin Geriatrics Clinical Research Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yuehui Wang
- Department of Geriatrics, Jilin Geriatrics Clinical Research Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Ito T, Yoshida M, Aida T, Kushima I, Hiramatsu Y, Ono M, Yoshimi A, Tanaka K, Ozaki N, Noda Y. Astrotactin 2 (ASTN2) regulates emotional and cognitive functions by affecting neuronal morphogenesis and monoaminergic systems. J Neurochem 2023; 165:211-229. [PMID: 36807153 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Astrotactin2 (ASTN2) regulates neuronal migration and synaptic strength through the trafficking and degradation of surface proteins. Deletion of ASTN2 in copy number variants has been identified in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism spectrum disorder in copy number variant (CNV) analysis. Disruption of ASTN2 is a risk factor for these neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, the importance of ASTN2 in physiological functions remains poorly understood. To elucidate the physiological functions of ASTN2, we investigated whether deficiency of ASTN2 affects cognitive and/or emotional behaviors and neurotransmissions using ASTN2-deficient mice. Astn2 knockout (KO) mice produced by CRISPR/Cas9 technique showed no obvious differences in physical characteristics and circadian rhythm. Astn2 KO mice showed increased exploratory activity in a novel environment, social behavior and impulsivity, or decreased despair-, anxiety-like behaviors and exploratory preference for the novel object. Some behavioral abnormalities, such as increased exploratory activity and impulsivity, or decreased exploratory preference were specifically attenuated by risperidone, but not by haloperidol. While, the both drugs did not affect any emotion-related behavioral abnormalities in Astn2 KO mice. Dopamine contents were decreased in the striatum, and serotonin or dopamine turnover were increased in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, and amygdala of Astn2 KO mice. In morphological analyses, thinning of neural cell layers in the hippocampus, reduction of neural cell bodies in the prefrontal cortex, and decrease in spine density and PSD95 protein in both tissues were observed in Astn2 KO mice. The present findings suggest that ASTN2 deficiency develops some emotional or cognitive impairments related to monoaminergic dysfunctions and abnormal neuronal morphogenesis with shrinkage of neuronal soma. ASTN2 protein may contribute to the pathogenic mechanism and symptom onset of mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Ito
- Division of Clinical Sciences and Neuropsychopharmacology, Meijo University Faculty and Graduate School of Pharmacy, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Mikio Yoshida
- Division of Clinical Sciences and Neuropsychopharmacology, Meijo University Faculty and Graduate School of Pharmacy, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Tomomi Aida
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Itaru Kushima
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
- Medical Genomics Center, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuka Hiramatsu
- Division of Clinical Sciences and Neuropsychopharmacology, Meijo University Faculty and Graduate School of Pharmacy, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Maiko Ono
- Division of Clinical Sciences and Neuropsychopharmacology, Meijo University Faculty and Graduate School of Pharmacy, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Akira Yoshimi
- Division of Clinical Sciences and Neuropsychopharmacology, Meijo University Faculty and Graduate School of Pharmacy, Nagoya, Japan
- Clinical OMICs and Translation Research Center, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kohichi Tanaka
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norio Ozaki
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
- Medical Genomics Center, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Noda
- Division of Clinical Sciences and Neuropsychopharmacology, Meijo University Faculty and Graduate School of Pharmacy, Nagoya, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
- Clinical OMICs and Translation Research Center, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
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9
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Zhu X, Sakamoto S, Ishii C, Smith MD, Ito K, Obayashi M, Unger L, Hasegawa Y, Kurokawa S, Kishimoto T, Li H, Hatano S, Wang TH, Yoshikai Y, Kano SI, Fukuda S, Sanada K, Calabresi PA, Kamiya A. Dectin-1 signaling on colonic γδ T cells promotes psychosocial stress responses. Nat Immunol 2023; 24:625-636. [PMID: 36941398 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01447-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
The intestinal immune system interacts with commensal microbiota to maintain gut homeostasis. Furthermore, stress alters the microbiome composition, leading to impaired brain function; yet how the intestinal immune system mediates these effects remains elusive. Here we report that colonic γδ T cells modulate behavioral vulnerability to chronic social stress via dectin-1 signaling. We show that reduction in specific Lactobacillus species, which are involved in T cell differentiation to protect the host immune system, contributes to stress-induced social-avoidance behavior, consistent with our observations in patients with depression. Stress-susceptible behaviors derive from increased differentiation in colonic interleukin (IL)-17-producing γδ T cells (γδ17 T cells) and their meningeal accumulation. These stress-susceptible cellular and behavioral phenotypes are causally mediated by dectin-1, an innate immune receptor expressed in γδ T cells. Our results highlight the previously unrecognized role of intestinal γδ17 T cells in the modulation of psychological stress responses and the importance of dectin-1 as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of stress-induced behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shinji Sakamoto
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Chiharu Ishii
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Japan
| | - Matthew D Smith
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Koki Ito
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Mizuho Obayashi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lisa Unger
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Institute of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yuto Hasegawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shunya Kurokawa
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taishiro Kishimoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Hills Joint Research Laboratory for Future Preventive Medicine and Wellness, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hui Li
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- School of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Shinya Hatano
- Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tza-Huei Wang
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yasunobu Yoshikai
- Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Kano
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Shinji Fukuda
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Japan
- Gut Environmental Design Group, Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Kawasaki, Japan
- Transborder Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
- Laboratory for Regenerative Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenji Sanada
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Peter A Calabresi
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Atsushi Kamiya
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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10
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Hildebrandt BA, Lee JR, Culbert KM, Sisk CL, Johnson AW, Klump KL. The organizational role of ovarian hormones during puberty on risk for binge-like eating in rats. Physiol Behav 2023; 265:114177. [PMID: 36967031 PMCID: PMC10121844 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2023]
Abstract
Puberty is a high-risk period for the development of dysregulated eating, including binge eating. While risk for binge eating in animals and humans increases in both males and females during puberty, the increased prevalence is significantly greater in females. Emerging data suggest that the organizational effects of gonadal hormones may contribute to the female preponderance of binge eating. In this narrative review, we discuss studies conducted in animals that have examined these organizational effects as well as the neural systems that may serve as intermediary mechanisms. Relatively few studies have been conducted, but data thus far suggest that pubertal estrogens may organize risk for binge eating, potentially by altering key circuits in brain reward pathways. These promising results highlight the need for future studies to directly test organizational effects of pubertal hormones using hormone replacement techniques and circuit-level manipulations that can identify pathways contributing to binge eating across development.
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11
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Rotaru DC, Wallaard I, de Vries M, van der Bie J, Elgersma Y. UBE3A expression during early postnatal brain development is required for proper dorsomedial striatal maturation. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e166073. [PMID: 36810252 PMCID: PMC9977510 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.166073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) caused by loss of functional ubiquitin protein ligase E3A (UBE3A). Previous studies showed that UBE3A plays an important role in the first postnatal weeks of mouse brain development, but its precise role is unknown. Since impaired striatal maturation has been implicated in several mouse models for NDDs, we studied the importance of UBE3A in striatal maturation. We used inducible Ube3a mouse models to investigate the maturation of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) from dorsomedial striatum. MSNs of mutant mice matured properly till postnatal day 15 (P15) but remained hyperexcitable with fewer excitatory synaptic events at later ages, indicative of stalled striatal maturation in Ube3a mice. Reinstatement of UBE3A expression at P21 fully restored MSN excitability but only partially restored synaptic transmission and the operant conditioning behavioral phenotype. Gene reinstatement at P70 failed to rescue both electrophysiological and behavioral phenotypes. In contrast, deletion of Ube3a after normal brain development did not result in these electrophysiological and behavioral phenotypes. This study emphasizes the role of UBE3A in striatal maturation and the importance of early postnatal reinstatement of UBE3A expression to obtain a full rescue of behavioral phenotypes associated with striatal function in AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana C. Rotaru
- Department of Clinical Genetics and
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ilse Wallaard
- Department of Clinical Genetics and
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Maud de Vries
- Department of Clinical Genetics and
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Julia van der Bie
- Department of Clinical Genetics and
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ype Elgersma
- Department of Clinical Genetics and
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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12
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Petty A, Howes O, Eyles D. Animal Models of Relevance to the Schizophrenia Prodrome. Biol Psychiatry Glob Open Sci 2023; 3:22-32. [PMID: 36712558 PMCID: PMC9874082 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia often undergo a prodromal phase prior to diagnosis. Given the absence of significant therapeutic improvements, attention has recently shifted to the possibility of intervention during this early stage to delay or diminish symptom severity or even prevent onset. Unfortunately, the 20 or so trials of intervention to date have not been successful in either preventing onset or improving long-term outcomes in subjects who are at risk of developing schizophrenia. One reason may be that the biological pathways an effective intervention must target are not static. The prodromal phase typically occurs during late adolescence, a period during which a number of brain circuits and structures are still maturing. We propose that developing a deeper understanding of which circuits/processes and brain structures are still maturing at this time and which processes drive the transition to schizophrenia will take us a step closer to developing better prophylactic interventions. Fortunately, such knowledge is now emerging from clinical studies, complemented by work in animal models. Our task here is to describe what would constitute an appropriate animal model to study and to potentially intervene in such processes. Such a model would allow invasive analysis of the cellular and molecular substrates of the progressive neurobiology that defines the schizophrenia prodrome and hopefully offer valuable insights into potential prophylactic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Petty
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Darryl Eyles
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Queensland, Australia
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13
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Teal LB, Ingram SM, Bubser M, McClure E, Jones CK. The Evolving Role of Animal Models in the Discovery and Development of Novel Treatments for Psychiatric Disorders. Adv Neurobiol 2023; 30:37-99. [PMID: 36928846 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-21054-9_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Historically, animal models have been routinely used in the characterization of novel chemical entities (NCEs) for various psychiatric disorders. Animal models have been essential in the in vivo validation of novel drug targets, establishment of lead compound pharmacokinetic to pharmacodynamic relationships, optimization of lead compounds through preclinical candidate selection, and development of translational measures of target occupancy and functional target engagement. Yet, with decades of multiple NCE failures in Phase II and III efficacy trials for different psychiatric disorders, the utility and value of animal models in the drug discovery process have come under intense scrutiny along with the widespread withdrawal of the pharmaceutical industry from psychiatric drug discovery. More recently, the development and utilization of animal models for the discovery of psychiatric NCEs has undergone a dynamic evolution with the application of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework for better design of preclinical to clinical translational studies combined with innovative genetic, neural circuitry-based, and automated testing technologies. In this chapter, the authors will discuss this evolving role of animal models for improving the different stages of the discovery and development in the identification of next generation treatments for psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Teal
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Shalonda M Ingram
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michael Bubser
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Elliott McClure
- College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Carrie K Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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14
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Edwards-Faret G, de Vin F, Slezak M, Gollenbeck L, Karaman R, Shinmyo Y, Batiuk MY, Pando CM, Urschitz J, Rincon MY, Moisyadi S, Schnütgen F, Kawasaki H, Schmucker D, Holt MG. A New Technical Approach for Cross-species Examination of Neuronal Wiring and Adult Neuron-glia Functions. Neuroscience 2023; 508:40-51. [PMID: 36464177 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Advances in single cell sequencing have enabled the identification of a large number of genes, expressed in many different cell types, and across a variety of model organisms. In particular, the nervous system harbors an immense number of interacting cell types, which are poorly characterized. Future loss- and gain-of-function experiments will be essential in determining how novel genes play critical roles in diverse cellular, as well as evolutionarily adapted, contexts. However, functional analysis across species is often hampered by technical limitations, in non-genetic animal systems. Here, we describe a new single plasmid system, misPiggy. The system is based around the hyperactive piggyBac transposon system, which combines stable genomic integration of transgenes (for long-term expression) with large cargo capacity. Taking full advantage of these characteristics, we engineered novel expression modules into misPiggy that allow for cell-type specific loss- and gain-of-gene function. These modules work widely across species from frog to ferret. As a proof of principle, we present a loss-of-function analysis of the neuronal receptor Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) of Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles. Single axon tracings of mosaic knock-out cells reveal a specific cell-intrinsic requirement of DCC, specifically in axonal arborization within the frog tectum, rather than retina-to-brain axon guidance. Furthermore, we report additional technical advances that enable temporal control of knock-down or gain-of-function analysis. We applied this to visualize and manipulate labeled neurons, astrocytes and other glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS) of mouse, rat and ferret. We propose that misPiggy will be a valuable tool for rapid, flexible and cost-effective screening of gene function across a variety of animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Edwards-Faret
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; KU Leuven Department of Neuroscience, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Neuronal Wiring Group, Life & Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, Carl-Troll-Straße 31, Bonn D53115, Germany
| | - Filip de Vin
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; KU Leuven Department of Neuroscience, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Michal Slezak
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; KU Leuven Department of Neuroscience, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Lennart Gollenbeck
- Neuronal Wiring Group, Life & Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, Carl-Troll-Straße 31, Bonn D53115, Germany
| | - Ruçhan Karaman
- VIB Center for Cancer Biology, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; KU Leuven Department of Oncology, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Yohei Shinmyo
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Mykhailo Y Batiuk
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; KU Leuven Department of Neuroscience, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Carmen Menacho Pando
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; KU Leuven Department of Neuroscience, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Johann Urschitz
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, University of Hawaii, 1960 East-West Rd. E-124, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Melvin Y Rincon
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; KU Leuven Department of Neuroscience, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Stefan Moisyadi
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, University of Hawaii, 1960 East-West Rd. E-124, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Frank Schnütgen
- Department of Medicine 2, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Theodor Stern Kai 7, Frankfurt am Main D60590, Germany; LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Theodor Stern Kai 7, Frankfurt am Main D60590, Germany; FCI, Frankfurt Cancer Institute, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Theodor Stern Kai 7, Frankfurt am Main D60590, Germany
| | - Hiroshi Kawasaki
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Dietmar Schmucker
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; KU Leuven Department of Neuroscience, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Neuronal Wiring Group, Life & Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, Carl-Troll-Straße 31, Bonn D53115, Germany; Leuven Brain Institute, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
| | - Matthew G Holt
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; KU Leuven Department of Neuroscience, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; University of Porto, Instituto de Investigaçāo e Inovaçāo em Saúde (i3S), Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
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15
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Khan AQ, Thielen L, Le Pen G, Krebs MO, Kebir O, Groh A, Deest M, Bleich S, Frieling H, Jahn K. Methylation pattern and mRNA expression of synapse-relevant genes in the MAM model of schizophrenia in the time-course of adolescence. Schizophrenia (Heidelb) 2022; 8:110. [PMID: 36481661 PMCID: PMC9732294 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-022-00319-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is highly heritable and aggregating in families, but genetics alone does not exclusively explain the pathogenesis. Many risk factors, including childhood trauma, viral infections, migration, and the use of cannabis, are associated with schizophrenia. Adolescence seems to be the critical period where symptoms of the disease manifest. This work focuses on studying an epigenetic regulatory mechanism (the role of DNA methylation) and its interaction with mRNA expression during development, with a particular emphasis on adolescence. The presumptions regarding the role of aberrant neurodevelopment in schizophrenia were tested in the Methyl-Azoxy-Methanol (MAM) animal model. MAM treatment induces neurodevelopmental disruptions and behavioral deficits in off-springs of the treated animals reminiscent of those observed in schizophrenia and is thus considered a promising model for studying this pathology. On a gestational day-17, adult pregnant rats were treated with the antimitotic agent MAM. Experimental animals were divided into groups and subgroups according to substance treatment (MAM and vehicle agent [Sham]) and age of analysis (pre-adolescent and post-adolescent). Methylation and mRNA expression analysis of four candidate genes, which are often implicated in schizophrenia, with special emphasis on the Dopamine hypothesis i.e., Dopamine receptor D2 (Drd2), and the "co-factors" Disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), Synaptophysin (Syp), and Dystrobrevin-binding protein 1 (Dtnbp1), was performed in the Gyrus cingulum (CING) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Data were analyzed to observe the effect of substance treatment between groups and the impact of adolescence within-group. We found reduced pre-adolescent expression levels of Drd2 in both brain areas under the application of MAM. The "co-factor genes" did not show high deviations in mRNA expression levels but high alterations of methylation rates under the application of MAM (up to ~20%), which diminished in the further time course, reaching a comparable level like in Sham control animals after adolescence. The pre-adolescent reduction in DRD2 expression might be interpreted as downregulation of the receptor due to hyperdopaminergic signaling from the ventral tegmental area (VTA), eventually even to both investigated brain regions. The notable alterations of methylation rates in the three analyzed co-factor genes might be interpreted as attempt to compensate for the altered dopaminergic neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Qayyum Khan
- grid.10423.340000 0000 9529 9877Laboratory for Molecular Neurosciences (LMN), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hannover (MHH), Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany ,grid.444940.9University of Management and Technology—School of Pharmacy, 72-A Raiwind Rd, Dubai Town, Lahore Pakistan
| | - Lukas Thielen
- grid.10423.340000 0000 9529 9877Laboratory for Molecular Neurosciences (LMN), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hannover (MHH), Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Gwenaëlle Le Pen
- grid.512035.0Université Paris Cité, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM, Pathophysiology of Psychiatric disorders: Development and Vulnerability, U1266, 102-108 Rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Marie-Odile Krebs
- grid.512035.0Université Paris Cité, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM, Pathophysiology of Psychiatric disorders: Development and Vulnerability, U1266, 102-108 Rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France ,GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, 1 Rue Cabanis, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Oussama Kebir
- grid.512035.0Université Paris Cité, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM, Pathophysiology of Psychiatric disorders: Development and Vulnerability, U1266, 102-108 Rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France ,GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, 1 Rue Cabanis, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Adrian Groh
- grid.10423.340000 0000 9529 9877Laboratory for Molecular Neurosciences (LMN), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hannover (MHH), Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Maximilian Deest
- grid.10423.340000 0000 9529 9877Laboratory for Molecular Neurosciences (LMN), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hannover (MHH), Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Stefan Bleich
- grid.10423.340000 0000 9529 9877Laboratory for Molecular Neurosciences (LMN), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hannover (MHH), Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Helge Frieling
- grid.10423.340000 0000 9529 9877Laboratory for Molecular Neurosciences (LMN), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hannover (MHH), Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Kirsten Jahn
- grid.10423.340000 0000 9529 9877Laboratory for Molecular Neurosciences (LMN), Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hannover (MHH), Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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16
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Dong J, Chen W, Liu N, Chang S, Zhu W, Kang J. NRG1 knockdown rescues PV interneuron GABAergic maturation deficits and schizophrenia behaviors in fetal growth restriction mice. Cell Death Dis 2022; 8:476. [PMID: 36460658 PMCID: PMC9718849 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-022-01271-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a highly debilitating mental disorder, those who experienced fetal growth restriction (FGR) in the early stage of life have a greater probability of schizophrenia. In this study, FGR mice showed hyperactivity in locomotor activity test, sociability dysfunction in three chamber test and nesting social behavior tests, cognition decline in Morris water maze and impaired sensory motor gating function in prepulse inhibition test. Mechanistic studies indicated that the number of parvalbumin (PV) interneuron was significantly reduced in FGR mouse media prefrontal cortex (mPFC). And the mRNA and protein level of neuregulin 1(NRG1), which is a critical schizophrenia gene, increased significantly in FGR mouse mPFC. Furthermore, NRG1 knockdown in FGR mouse mPFC improved PV interneuron GABAergic maturation and rescued schizophrenia behaviors including hyperactivity, social novelty defects, cognition decline, and sensorimotor gating deficits in FGR mice. This study indicates that mPFC NRG1 upregulation is one of the main causes of FGR-induced schizophrenia, which leads to significant reduction of PV interneuron number in mPFC. NRG1 knockdown in mPFC significantly rescues schizophrenia behaviors in FGR mouse. This study thus provides a potential effective therapy target or strategy for schizophrenia patients induced by FGR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng Dong
- grid.24516.340000000123704535Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen Chen
- grid.24516.340000000123704535Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Nana Liu
- grid.24516.340000000123704535Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shujuan Chang
- grid.24516.340000000123704535Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Zhu
- grid.24516.340000000123704535Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiuhong Kang
- grid.24516.340000000123704535Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, National Stem Cell Translational Resource Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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17
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Obray JD, Landin JD, Vaughan DT, Scofield MD, Chandler LJ. Adolescent alcohol exposure reduces dopamine 1 receptor modulation of prelimbic neurons projecting to the nucleus accumbens and basolateral amygdala. Addict Neurosci 2022; 4:100044. [PMID: 36643604 PMCID: PMC9836047 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Binge drinking during adolescence is highly prevalent despite increasing evidence of its long-term impact on behaviors associated with modulation of behavioral flexibility by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). In the present study, male and female rats underwent adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure by vapor inhalation. After aging to adulthood, retrograde bead labelling and viral tagging were used to identify populations of neurons in the prelimbic region (PrL) of the mPFC that project to specific subcortical targets. Electrophysiological recording from bead-labelled neurons in PrL slices revealed that AIE did not alter the intrinsic excitability of PrL neurons that projected to either the NAc or the BLA. Similarly, recordings of spontaneous inhibitory and excitatory post-synaptic currents revealed no AIE-induced changes in synaptic drive onto either population of projection neurons. In contrast, AIE exposure was associated with a loss of dopamine receptor 1 (D1), but no change in dopamine receptor 2 (D2), modulation of evoked firing of both populations of projection neurons. Lastly, confocal imaging of proximal and apical dendritic tufts of viral-labelled PrL neurons that projected to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) revealed AIE did not alter the density of dendritic spines. Together, these observations provide evidence that AIE exposure results in disruption of D1 receptor modulation of PrL inputs to at least two major subcortical target regions that have been implicated in AIE-induced long-term changes in behavioral control.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Daniel Obray
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston SC 29425, USA
| | - Justine D. Landin
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston SC 29425, USA
| | - Dylan T. Vaughan
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston SC 29425, USA
| | - Michael D. Scofield
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston SC 29425, USA,Department of Anesthesiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC, USA
| | - L. Judson Chandler
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston SC 29425, USA,Corresponding author. (L.J. Chandler)
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18
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Hazra D, Yoshinaga S, Yoshida K, Takata N, Tanaka KF, Kubo KI, Nakajima K. Rhythmic activation of excitatory neurons in the mouse frontal cortex improves the prefrontal cortex-mediated cognitive function. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:5243-5258. [PMID: 35136976 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays essential roles in cognitive processes. Previous studies have suggested the layer and the cell type-specific activation for cognitive enhancement. However, the mechanism by which a temporal pattern of activation affects cognitive function remains to be elucidated. Here, we investigated whether the specific activation of excitatory neurons in the superficial layers mainly in the PFC according to a rhythmic or nonrhythmic pattern could modulate the cognitive functions of normal mice. We used a C128S mutant of channelrhodopsin 2, a step function opsin, and administered two light illumination patterns: (i) alternating pulses of blue and yellow light for rhythmic activation or (ii) pulsed blue light only for nonrhythmic activation. Behavioral analyses were performed to compare the behavioral consequences of these two neural activation patterns. The alternating blue and yellow light pulses, but not the pulsed blue light only, significantly improved spatial working memory and social recognition without affecting motor activity or the anxiety level. These results suggest that the rhythmic, but not the nonrhythmic, activation could enhance cognitive functions. This study indicates that not only the population of neurons that are activated but also the pattern of activation plays a crucial role in the cognitive enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debabrata Hazra
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yoshinaga
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.,Department of Anatomy, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan
| | - Keitaro Yoshida
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Norio Takata
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Kenji F Tanaka
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichiro Kubo
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.,Department of Anatomy, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan
| | - Kazunori Nakajima
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
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19
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Stutz B, Waterson MJ, Šestan-Peša M, Dietrich MO, Škarica M, Sestan N, Racz B, Magyar A, Sotonyi P, Liu ZW, Gao XB, Matyas F, Stoiljkovic M, Horvath TL. AgRP neurons control structure and function of the medial prefrontal cortex. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:3951-3960. [PMID: 35906488 PMCID: PMC9891653 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01691-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hypothalamic agouti-related peptide and neuropeptide Y-expressing (AgRP) neurons have a critical role in both feeding and non-feeding behaviors of newborn, adolescent, and adult mice, suggesting their broad modulatory impact on brain functions. Here we show that constitutive impairment of AgRP neurons or their peripubertal chemogenetic inhibition resulted in both a numerical and functional reduction of neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of mice. These changes were accompanied by alteration of oscillatory network activity in mPFC, impaired sensorimotor gating, and altered ambulatory behavior that could be reversed by the administration of clozapine, a non-selective dopamine receptor antagonist. The observed AgRP effects are transduced to mPFC in part via dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area and may also be conveyed by medial thalamic neurons. Our results unmasked a previously unsuspected role for hypothalamic AgRP neurons in control of neuronal pathways that regulate higher-order brain functions during development and in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo Stutz
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael J Waterson
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Matija Šestan-Peša
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Marcelo O Dietrich
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mario Škarica
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nenad Sestan
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Bence Racz
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Aletta Magyar
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Center for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Peter Sotonyi
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zhong-Wu Liu
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Xiao-Bing Gao
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ferenc Matyas
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Center for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Milan Stoiljkovic
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tamas L Horvath
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Yale Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
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20
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Zhu X, Hollinger KR, Huang Y, Borjabad A, Kim BH, Arab T, Thomas AG, Moniruzzaman M, Lovell L, Turchinovich A, Witwer KW, Volsky DJ, Haughey NJ, Slusher BS. Neutral sphingomyelinase 2 inhibition attenuates extracellular vesicle release and improves neurobehavioral deficits in murine HIV. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 169:105734. [PMID: 35462006 PMCID: PMC9202342 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
People living with HIV (PLH) have significantly higher rates of cognitive impairment (CI) and major depressive disorder (MDD) versus the general population. The enzyme neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) is involved in the biogenesis of ceramide and extracellular vesicles (EVs), both of which are dysregulated in PLH, CI, and MDD. Here we evaluated EcoHIV-infected mice for behavioral abnormalities relevant to depression and cognition deficits, and assessed the behavioral and biochemical effects of nSMase2 inhibition. Mice were infected with EcoHIV and daily treatment with either vehicle or the nSMase2 inhibitor (R)-(1-(3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2,6-dimethylimidazo[1,2-b]pyridazin-8-yl)pyrrolidin-3-yl)-carbamate (PDDC) began 3 weeks post-infection. After 2 weeks of treatment, mice were subjected to behavior tests. EcoHIV-infected mice exhibited behavioral abnormalities relevant to MDD and CI that were reversed by PDDC treatment. EcoHIV infection significantly increased cortical brain nSMase2 activity, resulting in trend changes in sphingomyelin and ceramide levels that were normalized by PDDC treatment. EcoHIV-infected mice also exhibited increased levels of brain-derived EVs and altered microRNA cargo, including miR-183-5p, miR-200c-3p, miR-200b-3p, and miR-429-3p, known to be associated with MDD and CI; all were normalized by PDDC. In conclusion, inhibition of nSMase2 represents a possible new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HIV-associated CI and MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Zhu
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kristen R. Hollinger
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yiyao Huang
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alejandra Borjabad
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Division, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, New York, USA
| | - Boe-Hyun Kim
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Division, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, New York, USA
| | - Tanina Arab
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ajit G. Thomas
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mohammed Moniruzzaman
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lyndah Lovell
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andrey Turchinovich
- Heidelberg Biolabs GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany,Division of Cancer Genome Research, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kenneth W. Witwer
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David J. Volsky
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Division, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, New York, USA
| | - Norman J. Haughey
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Barbara S. Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Corresponding author at: 855 N. Wolfe Street, Rangos 278, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. (B.S. Slusher)
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21
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Seidisarouei M, Schäble S, van Wingerden M, Trossbach SV, Korth C, Kalenscher T. Social anhedonia as a Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1-dependent phenotype. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10182. [PMID: 35715502 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14102-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficits in social interaction or social cognition are key phenotypes in a variety of chronic mental diseases, yet, their modeling and molecular dissection are only in their infancy. The Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) signaling pathway is considered to play a role in different psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, and biopolar disorders. DISC1 is involved in regulating the dopaminergic neurotransmission in, among others, the mesolimbic reward system. A transgenic rat line tgDISC1 has been introduced as a model system to study behavioral phenotypes associated with abnormal DISC1 signaling pathways. Here, we evaluated the impact of impaired DISC1 signaling on social (social interaction) and non-social (sucrose) reward preferences in the tgDISC1 animal model. In a plus-maze setting, rats chose between the opportunity for social interaction with an unfamiliar juvenile conspecific (social reward) or drinking sweet solutions with variable sucrose concentrations (non-social reward). tgDISC1 rats differed from wild-type rats in their social, but not in their non-social reward preferences. Specifically, DISC1 rats showed a lower interest in interaction with the juvenile conspecific, but did not differ from wild-type rats in their preference for higher sucrose concentrations. These results suggest that disruptions of the DISC1 signaling pathway that is associated with altered dopamine transmission in the brain result in selective deficits in social motivation reminiscent of phenotypes seen in neuropsychiatric illness.
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22
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Abstract
Mental illness modeling is still a major challenge for scientists. Animal models of schizophrenia are essential to gain a better understanding of the disease etiopathology and mechanism of action of currently used antipsychotic drugs and help in the search for new and more effective therapies. We can distinguish among pharmacological, genetic, and neurodevelopmental models offering various neuroanatomical disorders and a different spectrum of symptoms of schizophrenia. Modeling schizophrenia is based on inducing damage or changes in the activity of relevant regions in the rodent brain (mainly the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus). Such artificially induced dysfunctions approximately correspond to the lesions found in patients with schizophrenia. However, notably, animal models of mental illness have numerous limitations and never fully reflect the disease state observed in humans.
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23
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Wilke SA, Lavi K, Byeon S, Donohue KC, Sohal VS. Convergence of Clinically Relevant Manipulations on Dopamine-Regulated Prefrontal Activity Underlying Stress Coping Responses. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:810-820. [PMID: 35090617 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is pleiotropic and influenced by diverse genetic, environmental, and pharmacological factors. Identifying patterns of circuit activity on which many of these factors converge would be important, because studying these patterns could reveal underlying pathophysiological processes and/or novel therapies. Depression is commonly assumed to involve changes within prefrontal circuits, and dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) agonists are increasingly used as adjunctive antidepressants. Nevertheless, how D2Rs influence disease-relevant patterns of prefrontal circuit activity remains unknown. METHODS We used brain slice calcium imaging to measure how patterns of prefrontal activity are modulated by D2Rs, antidepressants, and manipulations that increase depression susceptibility. To validate the idea that prefrontal D2Rs might contribute to antidepressant responses, we used optogenetic and genetic manipulations to test how dopamine, D2Rs, and D2R+ neurons contribute to stress-coping behavior. RESULTS Patterns of positively correlated activity in prefrontal microcircuits are specifically enhanced by D2R stimulation as well as by two mechanistically distinct antidepressants, ketamine and fluoxetine. Conversely, this D2R-driven effect was disrupted in two etiologically distinct depression models, a genetic susceptibility model and mice that are susceptible to chronic social defeat. Phasic stimulation of dopaminergic afferents to the prefrontal cortex and closed-loop stimulation of D2R+ neurons increased effortful responses to tail suspension stress, whereas prefrontal D2R deletion reduced the duration of individual struggling episodes. CONCLUSIONS Correlated prefrontal microcircuit activity represents a point of convergence for multiple depression-related manipulations. Prefrontal D2Rs enhance this activity. Through this mechanism, prefrontal D2Rs may promote network states associated with antidepressant actions and effortful responses to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Wilke
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Karen Lavi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Sujin Byeon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Kevin C Donohue
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Vikaas S Sohal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
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24
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Wang AL, Chao OY, Nikolaus S, Lamounier-Zepter V, Hollenberg CP, Lubec G, Trossbach SV, Korth C, Huston JP. Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 Protein Misassembly Impairs Cognitive Flexibility and Social Behaviors in a Transgenic Rat Model. Neuroscience 2022; 493:41-51. [PMID: 35461978 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in cognitive functions, social behaviors and stress reactions are commonly diagnosed in chronic mental illnesses (CMI). Animal models expressing mutant genes associated to CMI represent either rare mutations or those contributing only minimally to genetic risk. Non-genetic causes of CMI can be modeled by disturbing downstream signaling pathways, for example through inducing protein misassembly or aggregation. The Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) gene was identified to be disrupted and thereby haploinsufficient in a large pedigree where it associated to CMI. The DISC1 protein misassembles to an insoluble protein in a subset of CMI patients and this has been modeled in a rat (tgDISC1 rat) where the full-length, non mutant human transgene was overexpressed and cognitive impairments were observed. Here, we investigated the scope of effects of DISC1 protein misassembly by investigating spatial memory, social behavior and stress resilience. In water maze tasks, the tgDISC1 rats showed intact spatial learning and memory, but were deficient in flexible adaptation to spatial reversal learning compared to littermate controls. They also displayed less social interaction. Additionally, there was a trend towards increased corticosterone levels after restraint stress in the tgDISC1 rats. Our findings suggest that DISC1 protein misassembly leads to disturbances of cognitive flexibility and social behaviors, and might also be involved in stress sensitization. Since the observed behavioral features resemble symptoms of CMI, the tgDISC1 rat may be a valuable model for the investigation of cognitive, social and - possibly - also stress-related symptoms of major mental illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Li Wang
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Owen Y Chao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, USA.
| | - Susanne Nikolaus
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | | | - Cornelis P Hollenberg
- Institute of Microbiology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Paracelsus Private Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Svenja V Trossbach
- Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Carsten Korth
- Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Joseph P Huston
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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25
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Wang J, Su P, Yang J, Xu L, Yuan A, Li C, Zhang T, Dong F, Zhou J, Samsom J, Wong AH, Liu F. The D2R-DISC1 protein complex and associated proteins are altered in schizophrenia and normalized with antipsychotic treatment. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2022; 47:E134-E147. [PMID: 35361701 PMCID: PMC8979657 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.210145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND For decades, the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) has been known as the main target of antipsychotic medications, but the mechanism for antipsychotic effects beyond this pharmacological target remains unclear. Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is a gene implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia, and we have found elevated levels of the D2R-DISC1 complex in the postmortem brain tissue of patients with schizophrenia. METHODS We used coimmunoprecipitation to measure D2R-DISC1 complex levels in peripheral blood samples from patients with schizophrenia and unaffected controls in 3 cohorts (including males and females) from different hospitals. We also used label-free mass spectrometry to conduct proteomic analysis of these samples. RESULTS Levels of the D2R-DISC1 complex were elevated in the peripheral blood samples of patients with schizophrenia from 3 independent cohorts, and were normalized with antipsychotic treatment. Proteomic analysis of the blood samples from patients with high D2R-DISC1 complex levels that were normalized with antipsychotic treatment revealed a number of altered proteins and pathways associated with D2R, DISC1 and the D2R-DISC1 complex. We identified additional proteins and pathways that were associated with antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia, and that may also be novel targets for schizophrenia treatment. LIMITATIONS Sample sizes were relatively small, but were sufficient to detect associations between D2R-DISC1 levels, schizophrenia and treatment response. The relevance of leukocyte changes to the symptoms of schizophrenia is unknown. The coimmunoprecipitation lanes included several nonspecific bands. CONCLUSION Levels of the D2R-DISC1 complex were elevated in patients with schizophrenia and reduced with antipsychotic treatment. This finding reinforces the independent role of each protein in schizophrenia. Our results enhanced our understanding of the molecular pathways involved in schizophrenia and in antipsychotic medications, and identified novel potential molecular targets for treating schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Fang Liu
- From the Shanghai Mental Health Centre, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China (Wang, Xu, Yuan, Li, Zhang, Liu); the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ont. (Su, Samsom, Wong, Liu); the National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders, Beijing AnDing Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China (Yang, Dong, Zhou); the Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Samsom, Wong); the Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Wong, Liu); the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Wong, Liu); the Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Liu)
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26
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Molinard-Chenu A, Godel M, Rey A, Musardo S, Bodogan T, Vutskits L, Bellone C, Dayer A. Down-regulation of the schizophrenia risk-gene Dgcr2 alters early microcircuit development in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex. Int J Dev Neurosci 2022; 82:277-285. [PMID: 35212007 PMCID: PMC9313615 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in the generation, migration and integration of different subtypes of neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) microcircuit could play an important role in vulnerability to schizophrenia. Using in vivo cell‐type specific manipulation of pyramidal neurons (PNs) progenitors, we aim to investigate the role of the schizophrenia risk‐gene DiGeorge Critical Region 2 (Dgcr2) on cortical circuit formation in the mPFC of developing mice. This report describes how Dgcr2 knock down in upper‐layer PNs impacts the functional maturation of PNs and interneurons (INs) in the mPFC. First, we demonstrate that Dgcr2 knock‐down disrupts laminar positioning, dendritic morphology and excitatory activity of upper‐layer PNs. Interestingly, inhibitory activity is also modified in Dgcr2 knock‐down PNs, suggesting a broader microcircuit alteration involving interneurons. Further analyses show that the histological maturation of parvalbumin (PV) INs is not dramatically impaired, thus implying that other INs subtypes might be at play in the reported microcircuit alteration. Overall, this study unravels how local functional deficits of the early postnatal development of the mPFC can be induced by Dgcr2 knock‐down in PNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aude Molinard-Chenu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Michel Godel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Alicia Rey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Musardo
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Timea Bodogan
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Laszlo Vutskits
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Camilla Bellone
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Dayer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland
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27
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Gao WJ, Yang SS, Mack NR, Chamberlin LA. Aberrant maturation and connectivity of prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia-contribution of NMDA receptor development and hypofunction. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:731-43. [PMID: 34163013 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01196-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The neurobiology of schizophrenia involves multiple facets of pathophysiology, ranging from its genetic basis over changes in neurochemistry and neurophysiology, to the systemic level of neural circuits. Although the precise mechanisms associated with the neuropathophysiology remain elusive, one essential aspect is the aberrant maturation and connectivity of the prefrontal cortex that leads to complex symptoms in various stages of the disease. Here, we focus on how early developmental dysfunction, especially N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) development and hypofunction, may lead to the dysfunction of both local circuitry within the prefrontal cortex and its long-range connectivity. More specifically, we will focus on an "all roads lead to Rome" hypothesis, i.e., how NMDAR hypofunction during development acts as a convergence point and leads to local gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) deficits and input-output dysconnectivity in the prefrontal cortex, which eventually induce cognitive and social deficits. Many outstanding questions and hypothetical mechanisms are listed for future investigations of this intriguing hypothesis that may lead to a better understanding of the aberrant maturation and connectivity associated with the prefrontal cortex.
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28
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Abstract
Schizophrenia is a chronic, debilitating disorder with diverse symptomatology, including disorganized cognition and behavior. Despite considerable research effort, we have only a limited understanding of the underlying brain dysfunction. In this article, we review the potential role of oscillatory circuits in the disorder with a particular focus on the hippocampus, a region that encodes sequential information across time and space, as well as the frontal cortex. Several mechanistic explanations of schizophrenia propose that a loss of oscillatory synchrony between and within these brain regions may underlie some of the symptoms of the disorder. We describe how these oscillations are affected in several animal models of schizophrenia, including models of genetic risk, maternal immune activation (MIA) models, and models of NMDA receptor hypofunction. We then critically discuss the evidence for disorganized oscillatory activity in these models, with a focus on gamma, sharp wave ripple, and theta activity, including the role of cross-frequency coupling as a synchronizing mechanism. Finally, we focus on phase precession, which is an oscillatory phenomenon whereby individual hippocampal place cells systematically advance their firing phase against the background theta oscillation. Phase precession is important because it allows sequential experience to be compressed into a single 120 ms theta cycle (known as a 'theta sequence'). This time window is appropriate for the induction of synaptic plasticity. We describe how disruption of phase precession could disorganize sequential processing, and thereby disrupt the ordered storage of information. A similar dysfunction in schizophrenia may contribute to cognitive symptoms, including deficits in episodic memory, working memory, and future planning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David K. Bilkey
- Department of Psychology, Otago University, Dunedin, New Zealand
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29
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Espana A, Seth H, Jézéquel J, Huang T, Bouchet D, Lepleux M, Gréa H, Bechter K, Schneider M, Hanse E, Groc L. Alteration of NMDA receptor trafficking as a cellular hallmark of psychosis. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:444. [PMID: 34462417 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01549-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A dysfunction of the glutamatergic transmission, especially of the NMDA receptor (NMDAR), constitutes one of the main biological substrate of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia. The NMDAR signaling hypofunction, through genetic and/or environmental insults, would cause a neurodevelopmental myriad of molecular, cellular, and network alterations that persist throughout life. Yet, the mechanisms underpinning NMDAR dysfunctions remain elusive. Here, we compared the membrane trafficking of NMDAR in three gold-standard models of schizophrenia, i.e., patient's cerebrospinal fluids, genetic manipulations of susceptibility genes, and prenatal developmental alterations. Using a combination of single nanoparticle tracking, electrophysiological, biochemical, and behavioral approaches in rodents, we identified that the NMDAR trafficking in hippocampal neurons was consistently altered in all these different models. Artificial manipulations of the NMDAR surface dynamics with competing ligands or antibody-induced receptor cross-link in the developing rat brain were sufficient to regulate the adult acoustic startle reflex and compensate for an early pathological challenge. Collectively, we show that the NMDAR trafficking is markedly altered in all clinically relevant models of psychosis, opening new avenues of therapeutical strategies.
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Limanaqi F, Busceti CL, Celli R, Biagioni F, Fornai F. Autophagy as a gateway for the effects of methamphetamine: From neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity to psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 204:102112. [PMID: 34171442 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
As a major eukaryotic cell clearing machinery, autophagy grants cell proteostasis, which is key for neurotransmitter release, synaptic plasticity, and neuronal survival. In line with this, besides neuropathological events, autophagy dysfunctions are bound to synaptic alterations that occur in mental disorders, and early on, in neurodegenerative diseases. This is also the case of methamphetamine (METH) abuse, which leads to psychiatric disturbances and neurotoxicity. While consistently altering the autophagy machinery, METH produces behavioral and neurotoxic effects through molecular and biochemical events that can be recapitulated by autophagy blockade. These consist of altered physiological dopamine (DA) release, abnormal stimulation of DA and glutamate receptors, as well as oxidative, excitotoxic, and neuroinflammatory events. Recent molecular insights suggest that METH early impairs the autophagy machinery, though its functional significance remains to be investigated. Here we discuss evidence suggesting that alterations of DA transmission and autophagy are intermingled within a chain of events underlying behavioral alterations and neurodegenerative phenomena produced by METH. Understanding how METH alters the autophagy machinery is expected to provide novel insights into the neurobiology of METH addiction sharing some features with psychiatric disorders and parkinsonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Limanaqi
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 55, 56126, Pisa, PI, Italy
| | | | - Roberta Celli
- IRCCS Neuromed, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli, IS, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Fornai
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 55, 56126, Pisa, PI, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli, IS, Italy.
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31
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Klune CB, Jin B, DeNardo LA. Linking mPFC circuit maturation to the developmental regulation of emotional memory and cognitive flexibility. eLife 2021; 10:e64567. [PMID: 33949949 PMCID: PMC8099425 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and its abundant connections with other brain regions play key roles in memory, cognition, decision making, social behaviors, and mood. Dysfunction in mPFC is implicated in psychiatric disorders in which these behaviors go awry. The prolonged maturation of mPFC likely enables complex behaviors to emerge, but also increases their vulnerability to disruption. Many foundational studies have characterized either mPFC synaptic or behavioral development without establishing connections between them. Here, we review this rich body of literature, aligning major events in mPFC development with the maturation of complex behaviors. We focus on emotional memory and cognitive flexibility, and highlight new work linking mPFC circuit disruption to alterations of these behaviors in disease models. We advance new hypotheses about the causal connections between mPFC synaptic development and behavioral maturation and propose research strategies to establish an integrated understanding of neural architecture and behavioral repertoires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra B Klune
- Physiology Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLALos AngelesUnited States
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Graduate Program, UCLALos AngelesUnited States
| | - Benita Jin
- Physiology Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLALos AngelesUnited States
- Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology Graduate Program, UCLALos AngelesUnited States
| | - Laura A DeNardo
- Physiology Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLALos AngelesUnited States
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32
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Abstract
Understanding excitation and inhibition balance in the brain begins with the tale of two basic types of neurons, glutamatergic projection neurons and GABAergic interneurons. The diversity of cortical interneurons is contributed by multiple origins in the ventral forebrain, various tangential migration routes, and complicated regulations of intrinsic factors, extrinsic signals, and activities. Abnormalities of interneuron development lead to dysfunction of interneurons and inhibitory circuits, which are highly associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, and intellectual disability. In this review, we mainly discuss recent findings on the development of cortical interneuron and on neurodevelopmental disorders related to interneuron dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Yang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, China
| | - Xiong Yang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, China
| | - Ke Tang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, China
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Palanki R, Peranteau WH, Mitchell MJ. Delivery technologies for in utero gene therapy. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 169:51-62. [PMID: 33181188 PMCID: PMC7855052 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2020.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Advances in prenatal imaging, molecular diagnostic tools, and genetic screening have unlocked the possibility to treat congenital diseases in utero prior to the onset of clinical symptoms. While fetal surgery and in utero stem cell transplantation can be harnessed to treat specific structural birth defects and congenital hematological disorders, respectively, in utero gene therapy allows for phenotype correction of a wide range of genetic disorders within the womb. However, key challenges to realizing the broad potential of in utero gene therapy are biocompatibility and efficiency of intracellular delivery of transgenes. In this review, we outline the unique considerations to delivery of in utero gene therapy components and highlight advances in viral and non-viral delivery platforms that meet these challenges. We also discuss specialized delivery technologies for in utero gene editing and provide future directions to engineer novel delivery modalities for clinical translation of this promising therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Palanki
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - William H Peranteau
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; The Center for Fetal Research, Division of General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael J Mitchell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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34
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Xu X, Song L, Hanganu-Opatz IL. Knock-Down of Hippocampal DISC1 in Immune-Challenged Mice Impairs the Prefrontal-Hippocampal Coupling and the Cognitive Performance Throughout Development. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:1240-1258. [PMID: 33037815 PMCID: PMC7786359 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) gene represents an intracellular hub of developmental processes. When combined with early environmental stressors, such as maternal immune activation, but not in the absence of thereof, whole-brain DISC1 knock-down leads to memory and executive deficits as result of impaired prefrontal–hippocampal communication throughout development. While synaptic dysfunction in neonatal prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been recently identified as one source of abnormal long-range coupling, the contribution of hippocampus (HP) is still unknown. Here, we aim to fill this knowledge gap by combining in vivo electrophysiology and optogenetics with morphological and behavioral assessment of immune-challenged mice with DISC1 knock-down either in the whole brain (GE) or restricted to pyramidal neurons in hippocampal CA1 area (GHPE). We found abnormal network activity, sharp-waves, and neuronal firing in CA1 that complement the deficits in upper layer of PFC. Moreover, optogenetic activating CA1 pyramidal neurons fails to activate the prefrontal local circuits. These deficits that persist till prejuvenile age relate to dendrite sparsification and loss of spines of CA1 pyramidal neurons. As a long-term consequence, DISC1 knock-down in HP leads to poorer recognition memory at prejuvenile age. Thus, DISC1-controlled developmental processes in HP in immune-challenged mice are critical for circuit function and cognitive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaxia Xu
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lingzhen Song
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
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35
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Chini M, Hanganu-Opatz IL. Prefrontal Cortex Development in Health and Disease: Lessons from Rodents and Humans. Trends Neurosci 2020; 44:227-240. [PMID: 33246578 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) takes center stage among unanswered questions in modern neuroscience. The PFC has a Janus-faced nature: it enables sophisticated cognitive and social abilities that reach their maximum expression in humans, yet it underlies some of the devastating symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Accordingly, appropriate prefrontal development is crucial for many high-order cognitive abilities and dysregulation of this process has been linked to various neuropsychiatric diseases. Reviewing recent advances in the field, with a primary focus on rodents and humans, we highlight why, despite differences across species, a cross-species approach is a fruitful strategy for understanding prefrontal development. We briefly review the developmental contribution of molecules and extensively discuss how electrical activity controls the early maturation and wiring of prefrontal areas, as well as the emergence and refinement of input-output circuitry involved in cognitive processing. Finally, we highlight the mechanisms of developmental dysfunction and their relevance for psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Chini
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
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36
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Sacai H, Sakoori K, Konno K, Nagahama K, Suzuki H, Watanabe T, Watanabe M, Uesaka N, Kano M. Autism spectrum disorder-like behavior caused by reduced excitatory synaptic transmission in pyramidal neurons of mouse prefrontal cortex. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5140. [PMID: 33046712 PMCID: PMC7552417 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18861-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is thought to result from deviation from normal development of neural circuits and synaptic function. Many genes with mutation in ASD patients have been identified. Here we report that two molecules associated with ASD susceptibility, contactin associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2) and Abelson helper integration site-1 (AHI1), are required for synaptic function and ASD-related behavior in mice. Knockdown of CNTNAP2 or AHI1 in layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons of the developing mouse prefrontal cortex (PFC) reduced excitatory synaptic transmission, impaired social interaction and induced mild vocalization abnormality. Although the causes of reduced excitatory transmission were different, pharmacological enhancement of AMPA receptor function effectively restored impaired social behavior in both CNTNAP2- and AHI1-knockdown mice. We conclude that reduced excitatory synaptic transmission in layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons of the PFC leads to impaired social interaction and mild vocalization abnormality in mice. CNTNAP2 or AHI1 are autism-associated genes. Here the authors show using knockdown of the genes that this results in reduced excitatory synaptic transmission in layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex and is associated with impaired social interaction in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Sacai
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kazuto Sakoori
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kohtarou Konno
- Department of Anatomy, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan
| | - Kenichiro Nagahama
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Honoka Suzuki
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takaki Watanabe
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Masahiko Watanabe
- Department of Anatomy, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan
| | - Naofumi Uesaka
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan. .,International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan. .,Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
| | - Masanobu Kano
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan. .,International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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37
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Nagahama K, Sakoori K, Watanabe T, Kishi Y, Kawaji K, Koebis M, Nakao K, Gotoh Y, Aiba A, Uesaka N, Kano M. Setd1a Insufficiency in Mice Attenuates Excitatory Synaptic Function and Recapitulates Schizophrenia-Related Behavioral Abnormalities. Cell Rep 2020; 32:108126. [PMID: 32937141 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
SETD1A encodes a histone methyltransferase whose de novo mutations are identified in schizophrenia (SCZ) patients and confer a large increase in disease risk. Here, we generate Setd1a mutant mice carrying the frameshift mutation that closely mimics a loss-of-function variant of SCZ. Our Setd1a (+/-) mice display various behavioral abnormalities relevant to features of SCZ, impaired excitatory synaptic transmission in layer 2/3 (L2/3) pyramidal neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and altered expression of diverse genes related to neurodevelopmental disorders and synaptic functions in the mPFC. RNAi-mediated Setd1a knockdown (KD) specifically in L2/3 pyramidal neurons of the mPFC only recapitulates impaired sociality among multiple behavioral abnormalities of Setd1a (+/-) mice. Optogenetics-assisted selective stimulation of presynaptic neurons combined with Setd1a KD reveals that Setd1a at postsynaptic site is essential for excitatory synaptic transmission. Our findings suggest that reduced SETD1A may attenuate excitatory synaptic function and contribute to the pathophysiology of SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichiro Nagahama
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kazuto Sakoori
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takaki Watanabe
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yusuke Kishi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Keita Kawaji
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Michinori Koebis
- Laboratory of Animal Resources, Center for Disease Biology and Integrated Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kazuki Nakao
- Laboratory of Animal Resources, Center for Disease Biology and Integrated Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yukiko Gotoh
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Atsu Aiba
- Laboratory of Animal Resources, Center for Disease Biology and Integrated Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Naofumi Uesaka
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan.
| | - Masanobu Kano
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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38
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Serykh A, Khrapova MV, Dubrovina NI, Petrova ES, Mikhnevich N, Starostina MV, Amstislavskaya TG, Lipina TV. The increased density of the habenular neurons, high impulsivity, aggression and resistant fear memory in Disc1-Q31L genetic mouse model of depression. Behav Brain Res 2020; 392:112693. [PMID: 32422236 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mood disorders affect nearly 300 million humans worldwide, and it is a leading cause of death from suicide. In the last decade, the habenula has gained increased attention due to its major role to modulate emotional behavior and related psychopathologies, including depression and bipolar disorder, through the modulation of monoamines' neurotransmission. However, it is still unclear which genetic factors may directly affect the function of the habenula and hence, could contribute to the psychopathological mechanisms of mood disorders. Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1) gene is among robust gene-candidates predisposing to major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in humans. DISC1-Q31L, a well-established genetic mouse model of depression, offers a unique opportunity for translational studies. The current study aimed to probe morphological features of the habenula in the DISC1-Q31L mouse line and detect novel behavioral endophenotypes, including the increased emotionality in mutant females, high aggression in mutant males and deficient extinction of fear memory in DISC1 mutant mice of both sexes. The histological analysis found the increased neural density in the lateral and medial habenula in DISC1-Q31L mice regardless of sex, hence, excluding direct association between the habenular neurons and emotionality in mutant females. Altogether, our findings demonstrated, for the first time, the direct impact of the DISC1 gene on the habenular neurons and affective behavior in the DISC1-Q31L genetic mouse line. These new findings suggest that the combination of the DISC1 genetic analysis together with habenular neuroimaging may improve diagnostics of mood disorder in clinical studies.
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39
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Sellers KJ, Denley MCS, Saito A, Foster EM, Salgarella I, Delogu A, Kamiya A, Srivastava DP. Brain-synthesized oestrogens regulate cortical migration in a sexually divergent manner. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:2646-2663. [PMID: 32314480 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Oestrogens play an important role in brain development where they have been implicated in controlling various cellular processes. Several lines of evidence have been presented showing that oestrogens can be synthesized locally within the brain. Studies have demonstrated that aromatase, the enzyme responsible for the conversion of androgens to oestrogens, is expressed during early development in both male and female cortices. Furthermore, 17β-oestradiol has been measured in foetal brain tissue from multiple species. 17β-oestradiol regulates neural progenitor proliferation as well as the development of early neuronal morphology. However, what role locally derived oestrogens play in regulating cortical migration and, moreover, whether these effects are the same in males and females are unknown. Here, we investigated the impact of knockdown expression of Cyp19a1, which encodes aromatase, between embryonic day (E) 14.5 and postnatal day 0 (P0) had on neural migration within the cortex. Aromatase was expressed in the developing cortex of both sexes, but at significantly higher levels in male than female mice. Under basal conditions, no obvious differences in cortical migration between male and female mice were observed. However, knockdown of Cyp19a1 resulted in an increase in cells within the cortical plate, and a concurrent decrease in the subventricular zone/ventricular zone in P0 male mice. Interestingly, the opposite effect was observed in females, who displayed a significant reduction in cells migrating to the cortical plate. Together, these findings indicate that brain-derived oestrogens regulate radial migration through distinct mechanisms in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine J Sellers
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew C S Denley
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Atsushi Saito
- The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Evangeline M Foster
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Irene Salgarella
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Alessio Delogu
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Atsushi Kamiya
- The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Deepak P Srivastava
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
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40
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Donegan JJ, Boley AM, Glenn JP, Carless MA, Lodge DJ. Developmental alterations in the transcriptome of three distinct rodent models of schizophrenia. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232200. [PMID: 32497066 PMCID: PMC7272013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a debilitating disorder affecting just under 1% of the population. While the symptoms of this disorder do not appear until late adolescence, pathological alterations likely occur earlier, during development in utero. While there is an increasing literature examining transcriptome alterations in patients, it is not possible to examine the changes in gene expression that occur during development in humans that will develop schizophrenia. Here we utilize three distinct rodent developmental disruption models of schizophrenia to examine potential overlapping alterations in the transcriptome, with a specific focus on markers of interneuron development. Specifically, we administered either methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM), Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C), or chronic protein malnutrition, on GD 17 and examined mRNA expression in the developing hippocampus of the offspring 18 hours later. Here, we report alterations in gene expression that may contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, including significant alterations in interneuron development and ribosome function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J. Donegan
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Angela M. Boley
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Jeremy P. Glenn
- Population Health Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Melanie A. Carless
- Population Health Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Daniel J. Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
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41
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Abstract
The onset of schizophrenia is usually in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, accumulating evidence has suggested that the disease condition is an outcome of gene-environment interactions that act in neural development during early life and adolescence. Some children who later develop schizophrenia have early developmental and educational and social challenges. Some patients with schizophrenia have an abundance of nonspecific neurologic soft signs and minor physical anomalies. Adolescence is a sensitive period of increased neuronal plasticity. It is important to consider early detection and intervention from the prodromal stage to early disease to prevent its devastating long-term consequences.
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42
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Mouri A, Lee HJ, Mamiya T, Aoyama Y, Matsumoto Y, Kubota H, Huang WJ, Chiou LC, Nabeshima T. Hispidulin attenuates the social withdrawal in isolated disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1 mutant and chronic phencyclidine-treated mice. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 177:3210-3224. [PMID: 32133633 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Hispidulin is a flavonoid isolated from Clerodendrum inerme that was found to inhibit intractable motor tics. Previously, we found that hispidulin attenuates hyperlocomotion and the disrupted prepulse inhibition induced by methamphetamine and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, two phenotypes of schizophrenia resembling positive symptoms. Hispidulin can inhibit COMT, a dopamine-metabolizing enzyme in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) that is important for social interaction. Here, we investigated whether hispidulin would affect social withdrawal, one of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We examined whether acute administration of hispidulin would attenuate social withdrawal in two mice models, juvenile isolated disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1 mutant (mutDISC1) mice and chronic phencyclidine (PCP)-treated naïve mice. KEY RESULTS In chronic PCP-treated mice, hispidulin (10 mg·kg-1 , i.p.) attenuated social withdrawal similar to that observed with dopamine D1 receptor antagonist (SCH-23390, 0.02 mg·kg-1 , i.p.) and was mimicked by the selective COMT inhibitor, OR-486 (10 mg·kg-1 , i.p.). Hispidulin increased extracellular dopamine levels in the PFC of chronic PCP-treated mice. In isolated mutDISC1 mice, hispidulin also reversed social withdrawal. In both models, intra-PFC microinjection of a D1 agonist (SKF-81297: 10 nmol/mouse/bilateral) reversed the impairment of Ser897 phosphorylation at the GluN1 subunit of NMDA receptors, suggesting the association between GluN1 Ser897 -phosphorylation and D1 activation in the PFC exits in both models. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Hispidulin attenuated social withdrawal by activating D1 receptors indirectly through elevated dopamine levels in the PFC by COMT inhibition. This nature of hispidulin suggests that it a potential novel therapeutic candidate for the treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Mouri
- Advanced Diagnostic System Research Laboratory, Fujita Health University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Japan.,Department of Regulatory Science for Evaluation and Development of Pharmaceuticals and Devices, Fujita Health University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Japan.,Japanese Drug Organization of Appropriate Use and Research, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hsin-Jung Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Takayoshi Mamiya
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuki Aoyama
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yurie Matsumoto
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hisayoshi Kubota
- Department of Regulatory Science for Evaluation and Development of Pharmaceuticals and Devices, Fujita Health University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Wei-Jan Huang
- Graduate Institute of Pharmacognosy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Lih-Chu Chiou
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Toshitaka Nabeshima
- Advanced Diagnostic System Research Laboratory, Fujita Health University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Japan.,Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan.,Japanese Drug Organization of Appropriate Use and Research, Nagoya, Japan
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43
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Mohammad S, Page SJ, Wang L, Ishii S, Li P, Sasaki T, Basha A, Salzberg A, Quezado Z, Imamura F, Nishi H, Isaka K, Corbin JG, Liu JS, Kawasawa YI, Torii M, Hashimoto-Torii K. Kcnn2 blockade reverses learning deficits in a mouse model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Nat Neurosci 2020; 23:533-543. [PMID: 32203497 PMCID: PMC7131887 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-0592-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Learning disabilities are hallmarks of congenital conditions caused by prenatal exposure to harmful agents. Those include Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) with a wide range of cognitive deficiencies including impaired motor skill development. While these effects have been well characterized, the molecular effects that bring about these behavioral consequences remain to be determined. We have previously found that the acute molecular responses to alcohol in the embryonic brain are stochastic, varying among neural progenitor cells. However, the pathophysiological consequences stemming from these heterogeneous responses remain unknown. Here we show that acute responses to alcohol in progenitor cells alter gene expression in their descendant neurons. Among the altered genes, an increase of the calcium-activated potassium channel Kcnn2 in the motor cortex correlates with motor learning deficits in the mouse model of FASD. Pharmacologic blockade of Kcnn2 improves these learning deficits, suggesting Kcnn2 blockers as a novel intervention for learning disabilities in FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahid Mohammad
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Stephen J Page
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Li Wang
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Seiji Ishii
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Peijun Li
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.,Wenzhou Medical University, Ouhai, Wenzhou, China
| | - Toru Sasaki
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Aiesha Basha
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Anna Salzberg
- Department of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Zenaide Quezado
- The Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Division of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Fumiaki Imamura
- Department of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Hirotaka Nishi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keiichi Isaka
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Joshua G Corbin
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Judy S Liu
- Department of Neurology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Yuka Imamura Kawasawa
- Department of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
| | - Masaaki Torii
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Kazue Hashimoto-Torii
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
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Wang B, Ji L, Bishayee K, Li C, Huh SO. Identification and prevention of heterotopias in mouse neocortical neural cell migration incurred by surgical damages during utero electroporation procedures. Anim Cells Syst (Seoul) 2020; 24:114-123. [PMID: 32489691 PMCID: PMC7241496 DOI: 10.1080/19768354.2020.1737225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In utero electroporation (IUE) is a useful technique for gene delivery in embryonic mouse brain. IUE technique is used to investigate the mammalian brain development in vivo. However, according to recent studies, IUE methodology has some limitations like the formation of artificial ectopias and heterotopias at the micro-injection site. Thus far, the artificial heterotopias generated by physical trauma during IUE are rarely reported. Here, we reported the artificial heterotopias and ectopias generated from surgical damages of micropipette in detail, and moreover, we described the protocol to avoid these phenotypes. For the experimental purpose, we transferred empty plasmids (pCAGIG-GFP) with green fluorescent-labelled protein into the cortical cortex by IUE and then compared the structure of the cortex region between the injected and un-injected cerebral hemispheres. The coronary section showed that ectopias and heterotopias were appeared on imperfect-injected brains, and layer maker staining, which including Ctip2 and TBR1 and laminin, can differentiate the physical damage, revealing the neurons in artificial ectopic and heterotopic area were not properly arranged. Moreover, premature differentiation of neurons in ectopias and heterotopias were observed. To avoid heterotopias and ectopias, we carefully manipulated the method of IUE application. Thus, this study might be helpful for the in utero electroporator to distinguish the artificial ectopias and heterotopias that caused by the physical injury by microneedle and the ways to avoid those undesirable circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bolin Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Liting Ji
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Kausik Bishayee
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Institute of Natural Medicine, Hallym University,Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Changyu Li
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Sung-Oh Huh
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Institute of Natural Medicine, Hallym University,Chuncheon, South Korea
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45
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Delevich K, Jaaro-Peled H, Penzo M, Sawa A, Li B. Parvalbumin Interneuron Dysfunction in a Thalamo-Prefrontal Cortical Circuit in Disc1 Locus Impairment Mice. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0496-19.2020. [PMID: 32029441 PMCID: PMC7054897 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0496-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered cortical excitation-inhibition (E-I) balance resulting from abnormal parvalbumin interneuron (PV IN) function is a proposed pathophysiological mechanism of schizophrenia and other major psychiatric disorders. Preclinical studies have indicated that disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1 (Disc1) is a useful molecular lead to address the biology of prefrontal cortex (PFC)-dependent cognition and PV IN function. To date, PFC inhibitory circuit function has not been investigated in depth in Disc1 locus impairment (LI) mouse models. Therefore, we used a Disc1 LI mouse model to investigate E-I balance in medial PFC (mPFC) circuits. We found that inhibition onto layer 2/3 excitatory pyramidal neurons in the mPFC was significantly reduced in Disc1 LI mice. This reduced inhibition was accompanied by decreased GABA release from local PV, but not somatostatin (SOM) INs, and by impaired feedforward inhibition (FFI) in the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) to mPFC circuit. Our mechanistic findings of abnormal PV IN function in a Disc1 LI model provide insight into biology that may be relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Delevich
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - Hanna Jaaro-Peled
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Mario Penzo
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Bo Li
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
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46
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Snyder MA, Gao WJ. NMDA receptor hypofunction for schizophrenia revisited: Perspectives from epigenetic mechanisms. Schizophr Res 2020; 217:60-70. [PMID: 30979669 PMCID: PMC7258307 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with cognitive deficits manifesting during early stages of the disease. Evidence suggests that genetic factors in combination with environmental insults lead to complex changes to glutamatergic, GABAergic, and dopaminergic systems. In particular, the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), a major glutamate receptor subtype, is implicated in both the disease progression and symptoms of SZ. NMDARs are critical for synaptic plasticity and cortical maturation, as well as learning and memory processes. In fact, any deviation from normal NMDAR expression and function can have devastating consequences. Surprisingly, there is little evidence from human patients that direct mutations of NMDAR genes contribute to SZ. One intriguing hypothesis is that epigenetic changes, which could result from early insults, alter protein expression and contribute to the NMDAR hypofunction found in SZ. Epigenetics is referred to as modifications that alter gene transcription without changing the DNA sequence itself. In this review, we first discuss how epigenetic changes to NMDAR genes could contribute to NMDAR hypofunction. We then explore how NMDAR hypofunction may contribute to epigenetic changes in other proteins or genes that lead to synaptic dysfunction and symptoms in SZ. We argue that NMDAR hypofunction occurs in early stage of the disease, and it may consequentially initiate GABA and dopamine deficits. Therefore, targeting NMDAR dysfunction during the early stages would be a promising avenue for prevention and therapeutic intervention of cognitive and social deficits that remain untreatable. Finally, we discuss potential questions regarding the epigenetic of SZ and future directions for research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A. Snyder
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8M5,Correspondence: Wen-Jun Gao, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, Phone: (215) 991-8907, Fax: (215) 843-9802, ; Melissa A. Snyder, Ph.D.,
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, United States of America.
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47
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Sultana R, Lee CC. Expression of Behavioral Phenotypes in Genetic and Environmental Mouse Models of Schizophrenia. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:29. [PMID: 32184711 PMCID: PMC7058961 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by multifactorial etiology involving complex interactions among genetic and environmental factors. "Multiple-hit" models of the disorder can explain its variable incidence and prevalence in related individuals. Hence, there is a dire need to understand these interactions in the emergence of schizophrenia. To test these factors in the emergence of schizophrenia-like behaviors, we employed a genetic mouse model of the disorder (harboring the DISC1 mutation) along with various environmental insults, such as early life stress (maternal separation of pups) and/or pharmacological interventions (ketamine injections). When assessed on a battery of behavioral tests, we found that environmental interventions affect the severity of behavioral phenotypes in terms of increased negative behavior, as shown by reduced mobility in the forced swim and tail suspension tests, and changes to positive and cognitive symptoms, such as increased locomotion and disrupted PPI along with reduced working memory, respectively. Among the various interventions, the genetic mutation had the most profound effect on behavioral aberrations, followed by an environmental intervention by ketamine injections and ketamine-injected animals that were maternally separated during early postnatal days. We conclude that although environmental factors increased the prevalence of aberrant behavioral phenotypes, genetic background is still the predominant influence on phenotypic alterations in these mouse models of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razia Sultana
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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48
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Abstract
The UBE3A gene is part of the chromosome 15q11-q13 region that is frequently deleted or duplicated, leading to several neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Angelman syndrome (AS) is caused by the absence of functional maternally derived UBE3A protein, while the paternal UBE3A gene is present but silenced specifically in neurons. Patients with AS present with severe neurodevelopmental delay, with pronounced motor deficits, absence of speech, intellectual disability, epilepsy, and sleep problems. The pathophysiology of AS is still unclear and a treatment is lacking. Animal models of AS recapitulate the genotypic and phenotypic features observed in AS patients, and have been invaluable for understanding the disease process as well as identifying apropriate drug targets. Using these AS mouse models we have learned that loss of UBE3A probably affects many areas of the brain, leading to increased neuronal excitability and a loss of synaptic spines, along with changes in a number of distinct behaviours. Inducible AS mouse models have helped to identify the critical treatment windows for the behavioral and physiological phenotypes. Additionally, AS mouse models indicate an important role for the predominantly nuclear UBE3A isoform in generating the characteristic AS pathology. Last, but not least, the AS mice have been crucial in guiding Ube3a gene reactivation treatments, which present a very promising therapy to treat AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana C Rotaru
- Department of Neuroscience, The ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin J Mientjes
- Department of Neuroscience, The ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ype Elgersma
- Department of Neuroscience, The ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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49
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Mavrovic M, Uvarov P, Delpire E, Vutskits L, Kaila K, Puskarjov M. Loss of non-canonical KCC2 functions promotes developmental apoptosis of cortical projection neurons. EMBO Rep 2020; 21:e48880. [PMID: 32064760 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201948880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
KCC2, encoded in humans by the SLC12A5 gene, is a multifunctional neuron-specific protein initially identified as the chloride (Cl- ) extruder critical for hyperpolarizing GABAA receptor currents. Independently of its canonical function as a K-Cl cotransporter, KCC2 regulates the actin cytoskeleton via molecular interactions mediated through its large intracellular C-terminal domain (CTD). Contrary to the common assumption that embryonic neocortical projection neurons express KCC2 at non-significant levels, here we show that loss of KCC2 enhances apoptosis of late-born upper-layer cortical projection neurons in the embryonic brain. In utero electroporation of plasmids encoding truncated, transport-dead KCC2 constructs retaining the CTD was as efficient as of that encoding full-length KCC2 in preventing elimination of migrating projection neurons upon conditional deletion of KCC2. This was in contrast to the effect of a full-length KCC2 construct bearing a CTD missense mutation (KCC2R952H ), which disrupts cytoskeletal interactions and has been found in patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders, notably seizures and epilepsy. Together, our findings indicate ion transport-independent, CTD-mediated regulation of developmental apoptosis by KCC2 in migrating cortical projection neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Mavrovic
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pavel Uvarov
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eric Delpire
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Laszlo Vutskits
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Kai Kaila
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Martin Puskarjov
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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50
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Abstract
In utero electroporation is a rapid and powerful technique to study the development of many brain regions. This approach presents several advantages over other methods to study specific steps of brain development in vivo, from proliferation to synaptic integration. Here, we describe in detail the individual steps necessary to carry out the technique. We also highlight the variations that can be implemented to target different cerebral structures and to study specific steps of development.
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