1
|
Gerra MC, Dallabona C, Cecchi R. Epigenetic analyses in forensic medicine: future and challenges. Int J Legal Med 2024; 138:701-719. [PMID: 38242965 PMCID: PMC11003920 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03165-8] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
The possibility of using epigenetics in forensic investigation has gradually risen over the last few years. Epigenetic changes with their dynamic nature can either be inherited or accumulated throughout a lifetime and be reversible, prompting investigation of their use across various fields. In forensic sciences, multiple applications have been proposed, such as the discrimination of monozygotic twins, identifying the source of a biological trace left at a crime scene, age prediction, determination of body fluids and tissues, human behavior association, wound healing progression, and determination of the post-mortem interval (PMI). Despite all these applications, not all the studies considered the impact of PMI and post-sampling effects on the epigenetic modifications and the tissue-specificity of the epigenetic marks.This review aims to highlight the substantial forensic significance that epigenetics could support in various forensic investigations. First, basic concepts in epigenetics, describing the main epigenetic modifications and their functions, in particular, DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA, with a particular focus on forensic applications, were covered. For each epigenetic marker, post-mortem stability and tissue-specificity, factors that should be carefully considered in the study of epigenetic biomarkers in the forensic context, have been discussed. The advantages and limitations of using post-mortem tissues have been also addressed, proposing directions for these innovative strategies to analyze forensic specimens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carla Gerra
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area Delle Scienze 11a, Viale Delle Scienze 11a, 43124, Parma, PR, Italy
| | - Cristina Dallabona
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area Delle Scienze 11a, Viale Delle Scienze 11a, 43124, Parma, PR, Italy.
| | - Rossana Cecchi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Antonio Gramsci 14, 43126, Parma, PR, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dulka K, Lajkó N, Nacsa K, Gulya K. Opposite and Differently Altered Postmortem Changes in H3 and H3K9me3 Patterns in the Rat Frontal Cortex and Hippocampus. Epigenomes 2024; 8:11. [PMID: 38534795 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes8010011] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Temporal and spatial epigenetic modifications in the brain occur during ontogenetic development, pathophysiological disorders, and aging. When epigenetic marks, such as histone methylations, in brain autopsies or biopsy samples are studied, it is critical to understand their postmortem/surgical stability. For this study, the frontal cortex and hippocampus of adult rats were removed immediately (controls) or after a postmortem delay of 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, or 150 min. The patterns of unmodified H3 and its trimethylated form H3K9me3 were analyzed in frozen samples for Western blot analysis and in formalin-fixed tissues embedded in paraffin for confocal microscopy. We found that both the unmodified H3 and H3K9me3 showed time-dependent but opposite changes and were altered differently in the frontal cortex and hippocampus with respect to postmortem delay. In the frontal cortex, the H3K9me3 marks increased approximately 450% with a slow parallel 20% decrease in the unmodified H3 histones after 150 min. In the hippocampus, the change was opposite, since H3K9me3 marks decreased steadily by approximately 65% after 150 min with a concomitant rapid increase of 20-25% in H3 histones at the same time. Confocal microscopy located H3K9me3 marks in the heterochromatic regions of the nuclei of all major cell types in the control brains: oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, neurons, and microglia. Therefore, epigenetic marks could be affected differently by postmortem delay in different parts of the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Dulka
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Noémi Lajkó
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Kálmán Nacsa
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Karoly Gulya
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Soraci L, Corsonello A, Paparazzo E, Montesanto A, Piacenza F, Olivieri F, Gambuzza ME, Savedra EV, Marino S, Lattanzio F, Biscetti L. Neuroinflammaging: A Tight Line Between Normal Aging and Age-Related Neurodegenerative Disorders. Aging Dis 2024:AD.2023.1001. [PMID: 38300639 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.1001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Aging in the healthy brain is characterized by a low-grade, chronic, and sterile inflammatory process known as neuroinflammaging. This condition, mainly consisting in an up-regulation of the inflammatory response at the brain level, contributes to the pathogenesis of age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Development of this proinflammatory state involves the interaction between genetic and environmental factors, able to induce age-related epigenetic modifications. Indeed, the exposure to environmental compounds, drugs, and infections, can contribute to epigenetic modifications of DNA methylome, histone fold proteins, and nucleosome positioning, leading to epigenetic modulation of neuroinflammatory responses. Furthermore, some epigenetic modifiers, which combine and interact during the life course, can contribute to modeling of epigenome dynamics to sustain, or dampen the neuroinflammatory phenotype. The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge about neuroinflammaging with a particular focus on epigenetic mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of neuroinflammatory cascades in the central nervous system; furthermore, we describe some diagnostic biomarkers that may contribute to increase diagnostic accuracy and help tailor therapeutic strategies in patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Soraci
- Unit of Geriatric Medicine, Italian National Research Center of Aging (IRCCS INRCA), Cosenza, Italy
| | - Andrea Corsonello
- Unit of Geriatric Medicine, Italian National Research Center of Aging (IRCCS INRCA), Cosenza, Italy
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Ersilia Paparazzo
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Alberto Montesanto
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Francesco Piacenza
- Advanced Technology Center for Aging Research, Italian National Research Center of Aging (IRCCS INRCA), IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy
| | - Fabiola Olivieri
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
- Clinic of Laboratory and Precision Medicine, Italian National Research Center of Aging (IRCCS INRCA), Ancona, Italy
| | | | | | - Silvia Marino
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino-Pulejo", Messina, Italy
| | | | - Leonardo Biscetti
- Section of Neurology, Italian National Research Center on Aging (IRCCS INRCA), Ancona, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Signal B, Pérez Suárez TG, Taberlay PC, Woodhouse A. Cellular specificity is key to deciphering epigenetic changes underlying Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 186:106284. [PMID: 37683959 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106284] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Different cell types in the brain play distinct roles in Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. Late onset AD (LOAD) is a complex disease, with a large genetic component, but many risk loci fall in non-coding genome regions. Epigenetics implicates the non-coding genome with control of gene expression. The epigenome is highly cell-type specific and dynamically responds to the environment. Therefore, epigenetic mechanisms are well placed to explain genetic and environmental factors that are associated with AD. However, given this cellular specificity, purified cell populations or single cells need to be profiled to avoid effect masking. Here we review the current state of cell-type specific genome-wide profiling in LOAD, covering DNA methylation (CpG, CpH, and hydroxymethylation), histone modifications, and chromatin changes. To date, these data reveal that distinct cell types contribute and react differently to AD progression through epigenetic alterations. This review addresses the current gap in prior bulk-tissue derived work by spotlighting cell-specific changes that govern the complex interplay of cells throughout disease progression and are critical in understanding and developing effective treatments for AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Signal
- School of Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
| | | | - Phillippa C Taberlay
- School of Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Adele Woodhouse
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Yang L, Pang X, Guo W, Zhu C, Yu L, Song X, Wang K, Pang C. An Exploration of the Coherent Effects between METTL3 and NDUFA10 on Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10111. [PMID: 37373264 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210111] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized primarily by a decline in cognitive function. However, the etiopathogenesis of AD is unclear. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is abundant in the brain, and it is interesting to explore the relationship between m6A and AD causes. In this paper, the gene expression of METTL3 and NDUFA10 were found to correlate with the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE), which is a clinical indicator of the degree of dementia. METTL3 is involved in post-transcriptional methylation and the formation of m6A. NDUFA10 encodes the protein with NADH dehydrogenase activity and oxidoreductase activity in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. The following three characteristics were observed in this paper: 1. The lower the expression level of NDUFA10, the smaller the MMSE, and the higher the degree of dementia. 2. If the expression level of METTL3 dropped below its threshold, the patient would have a risk of AD with a probability close to 100%, suggesting a basic necessity for m6A to protect mRNA. 3. The lower the expression levels of both METTL3 and NDUFA10, the more likely the patient would suffer from AD, implying the coherence between METTL3 and NDUFA10. Regarding the above discovery, the following hypothesis is presented: METTL3 expression level is downregulated, then the m6A modification level of NDUFA10 mRNA is also decreased, thereby reducing the expression level of NDUFA10-encoded protein. Furthermore, the abnormal expression of NDUFA10 contributes to the assembly disorder of mitochondrial complex I and affects the process of the electron respiratory chain, with the consequent development of AD. In addition, to confirm the above conclusions, the AI Ant Colony Algorithm was improved to be more suitable for discovering the characteristics of AD data, and the SVM diagnostic model was applied to mine the coherent effects on AD between METTL3 and NDUFA10. In conclusion, our findings suggest that dysregulated m6A leads to altered expression of its target genes, thereby affecting AD's development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lin Yang
- College of Computer Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China
| | - Xinping Pang
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Wenbo Guo
- College of Computer Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China
| | - Chengjiang Zhu
- College of Computer Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China
| | - Lei Yu
- College of Computer Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China
| | - Xianghu Song
- College of Computer Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China
| | - Kui Wang
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Chaoyang Pang
- College of Computer Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kurihara M, Mano T, Eto F, Yao I, Sato K, Ohtomo G, Bannai T, Shibata S, Ishiura H, Ikemura M, Matsubara T, Morishima M, Saito Y, Murayama S, Toda T, Setou M, Iwata A. Proteomic profile of nuclei containing p62-positive inclusions in a patient with neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 177:105989. [PMID: 36621630 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.105989] [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: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by eosinophilic hyaline intranuclear inclusions in the neurons, glial cells, and other somatic cells. Although CGG repeat expansions in NOTCH2NLC have been identified in most East Asian patients with NIID, the pathophysiology of NIID remains unclear. Ubiquitin- and p62-positive intranuclear inclusions are the pathological hallmark of NIID. Targeted immunostaining studies have identified several other proteins present in these inclusions. However, the global molecular changes within nuclei with these inclusions remained unclear. Herein, we analyzed the proteomic profile of nuclei with p62-positive inclusions in a NIID patient with CGG repeat expansion in NOTCH2NLC to discover candidate proteins involved in the NIID pathophysiology. We used fluorescence-activated cell sorting and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to quantify each protein identified in the nuclei with p62-positive inclusions. The distribution of increased proteins was confirmed via immunofluorescence in autopsy brain samples from three patients with genetically confirmed NIID. Overall, 526 proteins were identified, of which 243 were consistently quantified using MS. A 1.4-fold increase was consistently observed for 20 proteins in nuclei with p62-positive inclusions compared to those without. Fifteen proteins identified with medium or high confidence in the LC-MS/MS analysis were further evaluated. Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed enrichment of several terms, including poly(A) RNA binding, nucleosomal DNA binding, and protein binding. Immunofluorescence studies confirmed that the fluorescent intensities of increased RNA-binding proteins identified by proteomic analysis, namely hnRNP A2/B1, hnRNP A3, and hnRNP C1/C2, were higher in the nuclei with p62-positive inclusions than in those without, which were not confined to the intranuclear inclusions. We identified several increased proteins in nuclei with p62-positive inclusions. Although larger studies are needed to validate our results, these proteomic data may form the basis for understanding the pathophysiology of NIID.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masanori Kurihara
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Mano
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fumihiro Eto
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy and International Mass Imaging Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Ikuko Yao
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy and International Mass Imaging Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan; Department of Biomedical Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, Sanda, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Kenichiro Sato
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo. Tokyo, Japan
| | - Gaku Ohtomo
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taro Bannai
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shota Shibata
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Ishiura
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masako Ikemura
- Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoyasu Matsubara
- Department of Neuropathology (the Brain Bank for Aging Research), Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Maho Morishima
- Department of Neuropathology (the Brain Bank for Aging Research), Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuko Saito
- Department of Neuropathology (the Brain Bank for Aging Research), Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeo Murayama
- Department of Neuropathology (the Brain Bank for Aging Research), Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan; Brain Bank for Neurodevelopmental, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tatsushi Toda
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsutoshi Setou
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy and International Mass Imaging Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Atsushi Iwata
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Nott A, Schlachetzki JCM, Fixsen BR, Glass CK. Nuclei isolation of multiple brain cell types for omics interrogation. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:1629-1646. [PMID: 33495627 PMCID: PMC7969463 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-020-00472-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [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: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We present a nuclei isolation protocol for genomic and epigenomic interrogation of multiple cell type populations in the human and rodent brain. The nuclei isolation protocol allows cell type-specific profiling of neurons, microglia, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes, being compatible with fresh and frozen samples obtained from either resected or postmortem brain tissue. This 2-day procedure consists of tissue homogenization with fixation, nuclei extraction, and antibody staining followed by fluorescence-activated nuclei sorting (FANS) and does not require specialized skillsets. Cell type-specific nuclei populations can be used for downstream omic-scale sequencing applications with an emphasis on epigenomic interrogation such as histone modifications, transcription factor binding, chromatin accessibility, and chromosome architecture. The nuclei isolation protocol enables translational examination of archived healthy and diseased brain specimens through utilization of existing medical biorepositories.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexi Nott
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, White City Campus, London, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London, White City Campus, London, UK.
| | - Johannes C M Schlachetzki
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Bethany R Fixsen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christopher K Glass
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|