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Rock KD, Folts LM, Zierden HC, Marx-Rattner R, Leu NA, Nugent BM, Bale TL. Developmental transcriptomic patterns can be altered by transgenic overexpression of Uty. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21082. [PMID: 38030664 PMCID: PMC10687263 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47977-x] [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: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The genetic material encoded on X and Y chromosomes provides the foundation by which biological sex differences are established. Epigenetic regulators expressed on these sex chromosomes, including Kdm6a (Utx), Kdm5c, and Ddx3x have far-reaching impacts on transcriptional control of phenotypic sex differences. Although the functionality of UTY (Kdm6c, the Y-linked homologue of UTX), has been supported by more recent studies, its role in developmental sex differences is not understood. Here we test the hypothesis that UTY is an important transcriptional regulator during development that could contribute to sex-specific phenotypes and disease risks across the lifespan. We generated a random insertion Uty transgenic mouse (Uty-Tg) to overexpress Uty. By comparing transcriptomic profiles in developmental tissues, placenta and hypothalamus, we assessed potential UTY functional activity, comparing Uty-expressing female mice (XX + Uty) with wild-type male (XY) and female (XX) mice. To determine if Uty expression altered physiological or behavioral outcomes, adult mice were phenotypically examined. Uty expression masculinized female gene expression patterns in both the placenta and hypothalamus. Gene ontology (GO) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) consistently identified pathways including immune and synaptic signaling as biological processes associated with UTY. Interestingly, adult females expressing Uty gained less weight and had a greater glucose tolerance compared to wild-type male and female mice when provided a high-fat diet. Utilizing a Uty-overexpressing transgenic mouse, our results provide novel evidence as to a functional transcriptional role for UTY in developing tissues, and a foundation to build on its prospective capacity to influence sex-specific developmental and health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie D Rock
- Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Lillian M Folts
- Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Hannah C Zierden
- Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20740, USA
| | - Ruth Marx-Rattner
- Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Nicolae Adrian Leu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Bridget M Nugent
- Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, CU Anschutz Medical Campus, 12800 E. 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
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2
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Zhou S, Qi K, Nugent BM, Bersoff-Matcha SJ, Struble K. Participation of HIV-1 infected treatment-naive females in clinical trials and sex differences in efficacy and safety outcomes. AIDS 2023; 37:895-903. [PMID: 36728423 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000003478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine female participation and the observed efficacy and safety by sex from phase 3 HIV-1 trials submitted to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to support approval or a major labeling change. DESIGN Our analyses were based on phase 3 trials in HIV-1 infected treatment-naive adults submitted to FDA since 2010. METHODS We evaluated enrollment of treatment-naive females in 18 clinical trials for HIV-1. Participation to prevalence ratio (PPR) was calculated as the percentage of females among trial participants divided by the percentage of females in the disease population. PPR between 0.8 and 1.2 reflects similar representation of females in the trial and the disease population. Sex differences in efficacy (virologic response rates) and selected safety events were evaluated. RESULTS United States (US) females, particularly US Black females were not adequately represented in clinical trials. The PPR for US females overall was 0.59 and for US Black females was 0.63. Statistically significant sex differences favoring males were observed for efficacy outcomes in both the global population and US participants. Statistically significant sex differences were observed for some safety outcomes. CONCLUSIONS US females are underrepresented in phase 3 HIV-1 clinical trials. Underrepresentation was not likely due to enrollment criteria. Statistically significant sex differences were noted for efficacy and selected safety outcomes; however, some differences were not clinically relevant. The ability to detect sex differences was hindered by low numbers of female participants overall and within subgroups. Additional research into innovative approaches to recruit and retain females in clinical trials should continue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Zhou
- Food and Drug Administration Office of Women's Health Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Division of Antivirals
| | - Karen Qi
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Office of Biostatistics
| | - Bridget M Nugent
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Division of Rare Disease and Medical Genetics
| | | | - Kimberly Struble
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Division of Antivirals, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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3
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Nugent BM, Madabushi R, Buch B, Peiris V, Crentsil V, Miller VM, Bull J, R Jenkins M. Heterogeneity in treatment effects across diverse populations. Pharm Stat 2021; 20:929-938. [PMID: 34396690 DOI: 10.1002/pst.2161] [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: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Differences in patient characteristics, including age, sex, and race influence the safety and effectiveness of drugs, biologic products, and medical devices. Here we provide a summary of the topics discussed during the opening panel at the 2018 Johns Hopkins Center for Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation symposium on Assessing and Communicating Heterogeneity of Treatment Effects for Patient Subpopulations: Challenges and Opportunities. The goal of this session was to provide a brief overview of FDA-regulated therapeutics, including drugs, biologics and medical devices, and some of the major sources of heterogeneity of treatment effects (HTE) related to patient demographics, such as age, sex and race. The panel discussed the US Food and Drug Administration's role in reviewing and regulating drugs, devices, and biologic products and the challenges associated with ensuring that diverse patient populations benefit from these therapeutics. Ultimately, ensuring diverse demographic inclusion in clinical trials, and designing basic and clinical research studies to account for the intended patient population's age, sex, race, and genetic factors among other characteristics, will lead to better, safer therapies for diverse patient populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget M Nugent
- Office of Women's Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Rajanikanth Madabushi
- Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Sciences, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Barbara Buch
- Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Vasum Peiris
- Center for Devices and Radiological Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Victor Crentsil
- Office of Drug Evaluation III, Office of New Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Virginia M Miller
- Departments of Surgery, and Physiology and Bioengineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jonca Bull
- Global Product Development, PPDi, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
| | - Marjorie R Jenkins
- Office of Women's Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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Vasisht KP, Nugent BM, Woodcock J. Progress and opportunities for women in clinical trials: A look at recent data and initiatives from the U.S. FDA. Med 2021; 2:456-459. [DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Cissé YM, Chan JC, Nugent BM, Banducci C, Bale TL. Brain and placental transcriptional responses as a readout of maternal and paternal preconception stress are fetal sex specific. Placenta 2020; 100:164-170. [PMID: 32980048 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2020.06.019] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite a wealth of epidemiological evidence that cumulative parental lifetime stress experiences prior to conception are determinant of offspring developmental trajectories, there is a lack of insight on how these previous stress experiences are stored and communicated intergenerationally. Preconception experiences may impact offspring development through alterations in transcriptional regulation of the placenta, a major determinant of offspring growth and sex-specific developmental outcomes. We evaluated the lasting influence of maternal and paternal preconception stress (PCS) on the mid-gestation placenta and fetal brain, utilizing their transcriptomes as proximate readouts of intergenerational impact. METHODS To assess the combined vs. dominant influence of maternal and paternal preconception environment on sex-specific fetal development, we compared transcriptional outcomes using a breeding scheme of one stressed parent, both stressed parents, or no stressed parents as controls. RESULTS Interestingly, offspring sex affected the directionality of transcriptional changes in response to PCS, where male tissues showed a predominant downregulation, and female tissues showed an upregulation. There was also an intriguing effect of parental sex on placental programming where paternal PCS drove more effects in female placentas, while maternal PCS produced more transcriptional changes in male placentas. However, in the fetal brain, maternal PCS produced overall more changes in gene expression than paternal PCS, supporting the idea that the intrauterine environment may have a larger overall influence on the developing brain than it does on shaping the placenta. DISCUSSION Preconception experiences drive changes in the placental and the fetal brain transcriptome at a critical developmental timepoint. While not determinant, these altered transcriptional states may underlie sex-biased risk or resilience to stressful experiences later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine M Cissé
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Jennifer C Chan
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Bridget M Nugent
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Caitlin Banducci
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States.
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6
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Chan JC, Morgan CP, Adrian Leu N, Shetty A, Cisse YM, Nugent BM, Morrison KE, Jašarević E, Huang W, Kanyuch N, Rodgers AB, Bhanu NV, Berger DS, Garcia BA, Ament S, Kane M, Neill Epperson C, Bale TL. Reproductive tract extracellular vesicles are sufficient to transmit intergenerational stress and program neurodevelopment. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1499. [PMID: 32198406 PMCID: PMC7083921 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15305-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [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: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a unique mode of intercellular communication capable of incredible specificity in transmitting signals involved in cellular function, including germ cell maturation. Spermatogenesis occurs in the testes, behind a protective barrier to ensure safeguarding of germline DNA from environmental insults. Following DNA compaction, further sperm maturation occurs in the epididymis. Here, we report reproductive tract EVs transmit information regarding stress in the paternal environment to sperm, potentially altering fetal development. Using intracytoplasmic sperm injection, we found that sperm incubated with EVs collected from stress-treated epididymal epithelial cells produced offspring with altered neurodevelopment and adult stress reactivity. Proteomic and transcriptomic assessment of these EVs showed dramatic changes in protein and miRNA content long after stress treatment had ended, supporting a lasting programmatic change in response to chronic stress. Thus, EVs as a normal process in sperm maturation, can also perform roles in intergenerational transmission of paternal environmental experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Chan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Christopher P Morgan
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - N Adrian Leu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Amol Shetty
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Yasmine M Cisse
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Bridget M Nugent
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Kathleen E Morrison
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Eldin Jašarević
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Weiliang Huang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Nickole Kanyuch
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Ali B Rodgers
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Natarajan V Bhanu
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Dara S Berger
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Benjamin A Garcia
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Seth Ament
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Maureen Kane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - C Neill Epperson
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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7
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Nugent BM, Stiver KA, Hofmann HA, Alonzo SH. Experimentally induced variation in neuroendocrine processes affects male reproductive behaviour, sperm characteristics and social interactions. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3464-3481. [PMID: 30586201 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
While extensive research has focused on how social interactions evolve, the fitness consequences of the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying these interactions have rarely been documented, especially in the wild. Here, we measure how the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying male behaviour affect mating success and sperm competition in the ocellated wrasse (Symphodus ocellatus). In this species, males exhibit three alternative reproductive types. "Nesting males" provide parental care, defend territories and form cooperative associations with unrelated "satellites," who cheat by sneaking fertilizations but help by reducing sperm competition from "sneakers" who do not cooperate or provide care. To measure the fitness consequences of the mechanisms underlying these social interactions, we used "phenotypic engineering" that involved administering an androgen receptor antagonist (flutamide) to wild, free-living fish. Nesting males treated with flutamide shifted their aggression from sneakers to satellite males and experienced decreased submissiveness by sneaker males (which correlated with decreased nesting male mating success). The preoptic area (POA), a region controlling male reproductive behaviours, exhibited dramatic down-regulation of androgen receptor (AR) and vasotocin 1a receptor (V1aR) mRNA following experimental manipulation of androgen signalling. We did not find a direct effect of the manipulation on male mating success, paternity or larval production. However, variation in neuroendocrine mechanisms generated by the experimental manipulation was significantly correlated with changes in behaviour and mating success: V1aR expression was negatively correlated with satellite-directed aggression, and expression of its ligand arginine vasotocin (AVT) was positively correlated with courtship and mating success, thus revealing the potential for sexual selection on these mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget M Nugent
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Integrative Biology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Kelly A Stiver
- Department of Psychology, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Suzanne H Alonzo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California
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8
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Chan JC, Nugent BM, Bale TL. Parental Advisory: Maternal and Paternal Stress Can Impact Offspring Neurodevelopment. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:886-894. [PMID: 29198470 PMCID: PMC5899063 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Parental stress exposures are implicated in the risk for offspring neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, prompting critical examination of preconception and prenatal periods as vulnerable to environmental insults such as stress. Evidence from human studies and animal models demonstrates the influence that both maternal and paternal stress exposures have in changing the course of offspring brain development. Mechanistic examination of modes of intergenerational transmission of exposure during pregnancy has pointed to alterations in placental signaling, including changes in inflammatory, nutrient-sensing, and epigenetic pathways. Transmission of preconception paternal stress exposure is associated with changes in epigenetic marks in sperm, with a primary focus on the reprogramming of DNA methylation, histone posttranslational modifications, and small noncoding RNAs. In this review, we discuss evidence supporting the important contribution of intergenerational parental stress in offspring neurodevelopment and disease risk, and the currently known epigenetic mechanisms underlying this transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Chan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Bridget M Nugent
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.
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Nugent BM, Wright CL, Shetty AC, Hodes GE, Lenz KM, Mahurkar A, Russo SJ, Devine SE, McCarthy MM. Corrigendum: Brain feminization requires active repression of masculinization via DNA methylation. Nat Neurosci 2017; 20:896. [PMID: 28542152 DOI: 10.1038/nn0617-896a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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10
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Weitekamp CA, Solomon-Lane TK, Del Valle P, Triki Z, Nugent BM, Hofmann HA. A Role for Oxytocin-Like Receptor in Social Habituation in a Teleost. Brain Behav Evol 2017; 89:153-161. [PMID: 28448987 DOI: 10.1159/000464098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) mediates social habituation in rodent model systems, but its role in mediating this effect in other vertebrates is unknown. We used males of the African cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni, to investigate two aspects of isotocin (IT; an OT homolog) signaling in social habituation. First, we examined the expression of IT receptor 2 (ITR2) as well as two immediate early genes in brain regions implicated in social recognition. Next, we examined IT neuron activity using immunohistochemistry. Patterns of gene expression in homologs of the amygdala and hippocampus implicate IT signaling in these regions in social habituation to a territorial neighbor. In the preoptic area, the expression of the ITR2 subtype and IT neuron activity respond to the presence of a male, independent of familiarity. Our results implicate IT in mediating social habituation in a teleost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea A Weitekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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11
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Dean R, Wright AE, Marsh‐Rollo SE, Nugent BM, Alonzo SH, Mank JE. Sperm competition shapes gene expression and sequence evolution in the ocellated wrasse. Mol Ecol 2016; 26:505-518. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Dean
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London London UK
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton VIC Australia
| | - Alison E. Wright
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London London UK
| | - Susan E. Marsh‐Rollo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
- Department of Psychology Neuroscience & Behaviour McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Bridget M. Nugent
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven CT USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA USA
| | - Suzanne H. Alonzo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven CT USA
| | - Judith E. Mank
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London London UK
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Abstract
The notion that epigenetics may play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of sex differences in the brain has garnered great enthusiasm but the reality in terms of actual advances has been slow. Two general approaches include the comparison of a particular epigenetic mark in males vs. females and the inhibition of key epigenetic enzymes or co-factors to determine if this eliminates a particular sex difference in brain or behavior. The majority of emphasis has been on candidate genes such as steroid receptors. Only recently have more generalized survey type approaches been achieved and these promise to open new vistas and accelerate discovery of important roles for DNA methylation, histone modification, genomic imprinting and microRNAs (miRs). Technical challenges abound and, while not unique to this field, will require novel thinking and new approaches by behavioral neuroendocrinologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bridget M Nugent
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
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13
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McCarthy MM, Nugent BM. Epigenetic contributions to hormonally-mediated sexual differentiation of the brain. J Neuroendocrinol 2013; 25:1133-40. [PMID: 23919286 PMCID: PMC5330673 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2013] [Revised: 06/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
It has been long established that hormones exert enduring influences on the developing brain that direct the reproductive response in adulthood, although the cellular mechanisms by which organisational effects are maintained have not been determined satisfactorily. Recent interest in epigenetic modifications to the nervous system has highlighted the potential for hormone-induced changes to the genome that could endure for the lifespan but not be transmitted to the next generation. Preliminary evidence suggests that this is indeed possible because sex differences in the histone code and in the methylation of CpGs in the promoters of specific genes have been identified and, at times, functionally correlated with behaviour. The present review provides an overview of epigenetic processes and discusses the current state-of-the-art, and also identifies future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
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14
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Abstract
Hormones influence countless biological processes across an animal's lifespan. Many hormone-mediated events occur within developmental sensitive periods, during which hormones have the potential to cause permanent tissue-specific alterations in anatomy and physiology. There are numerous selective critical periods in development with different targets being affected during different periods. This review outlines the proceedings of the Hormonal Programming in Development session at the US-South American Workshop in Neuroendocrinology in August 2011. Here we discuss how gonadal steroid hormones impact various biological processes within the brain and gonads during early development and describe the changes that take place in the aging female ovary. At the cellular level, hormonal targets in the brain include neurons, glia, or vasculature. On a genomic/epigenomic level, transcription factor signaling and epigenetic changes alter the expression of critical hormone receptor genes across development and following ischemic brain insult. In addition, organizational hormone exposure alters epigenetic processes in specific brain nuclei and may be an important mediator of sexual differentiation of the neonatal brain. Brain targets of hormonal programming, such as the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, may be critical in influencing the development of peripheral targets, such as the ovary. Exposure to excess hormones can cause abnormalities in the ovary during development leading to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Exposure to excess androgens during fetal development also has a profound effect on the development of the male reproductive system. In addition, increased activity of the sympathetic nerve and stress during early life have been linked to PCOS symptomology in adulthood. Finally, we describe how age-related decreases in fertility are linked to high levels of nerve growth factor (NGF), which enhances sympathetic nerve activity and alters ovarian function.
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Affiliation(s)
- B M Nugent
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
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Abstract
Steroid hormones of gonadal origin act on the neonatal brain to produce sex differences that underlie adult reproductive physiology and behavior. Neuronal sex differences occur on a variety of levels, including differences in regional volume and/or cell number, morphology, physiology, molecular signaling, and gene expression. In the rodent, many of these sex differences are determined by steroid hormones, particularly estradiol, and are established by diverse downstream effects. One brain region that is potently organized by estradiol is the preoptic area (POA), a region critically involved in many behaviors that show sex differences, including copulatory and maternal behaviors. This review focuses on the POA as a case study exemplifying the depth and breadth of our knowledge as well as the gaps in understanding the mechanisms through which gonadal hormones produce lasting neural and behavioral sex differences. In the POA, multiple cell types, including neurons, astrocytes, and microglia are masculinized by estradiol. Multiple downstream molecular mediators are involved, including prostaglandins, various glutamate receptors, protein kinase A, and several immune signaling molecules. Moreover, emerging evidence indicates epigenetic mechanisms maintain sex differences in the POA that are organized perinatally and thereby produce permanent behavioral changes. We also review emerging strategies to better elucidate the mechanisms through which genetics and epigenetics contribute to brain and behavioral sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Lenz
- Program in Neuroscience and Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, MD, USA
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Matsuda KI, Mori H, Nugent BM, Pfaff DW, McCarthy MM, Kawata M. Histone deacetylation during brain development is essential for permanent masculinization of sexual behavior. Endocrinology 2011; 152:2760-7. [PMID: 21586557 PMCID: PMC3115610 DOI: 10.1210/en.2011-0193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [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] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic histone modifications are emerging as important mechanisms for conveyance of and maintenance of effects of the hormonal milieu to the developing brain. We hypothesized that alteration of histone acetylation status early in development by sex steroid hormones is important for sexual differentiation of the brain. It was found that during the critical period for sexual differentiation, histones associated with promoters of essential genes in masculinization of the brain (estrogen receptor α and aromatase) in the medial preoptic area, an area necessary for male sexual behavior, were differentially acetylated between the sexes. Consistent with these findings, binding of histone deacetylase (HDAC) 2 and 4 to the promoters was higher in males than in females. To examine the involvement of histone deacetylation on masculinization of the brain at the behavioral level, we inhibited HDAC in vivo by intracerebroventricular infusion of the HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A or antisense oligodeoxynucleotide directed against the mRNA for HDAC2 and -4 in newborn male rats. Aspects of male sexual behavior in adulthood were significantly reduced by administration of either trichostatin A or antisense oligodeoxynucleotide. These results demonstrate that HDAC activity during the early postnatal period plays a crucial role in the masculinization of the brain via modifications of histone acetylation status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Ichi Matsuda
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan.
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17
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Abstract
Sexual differentiation of the brain is a crucial developmental process that enables the lifelong expression of sexually dimorphic behaviors, including those necessary for successful reproduction. During a perinatal sensitive period, gonadal hormones defeminize and masculinize the male brain, and a lack of gonadal steroids allows for feminization in the female. This hormonally-induced differentiation permanently alters neural structures, creating highly dimorphic brain regions; however, the mechanism by which hormones exert their long-lasting effects are still largely unknown. Epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation and histone modifications serve as an interface for environmental stimuli to exert control over the genome. These modifications have the capacity to activate or repress gene expression, thereby shaping the developmental outcomes of cells, circuits, and structures in the brain. Sex differences in methylation, methyl-binding proteins, and chromatin modifications indicate that epigenetic mechanism may be important for sexual differentiation of the brain. The data outlined in this review provide evidence that gonadal hormones in the neonatal brain influence epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation and histone acetylation, but also emphasize the primitive status of our current understanding of epigenetics and sexual differentiation and the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget M Nugent
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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18
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Nugent BM, Schwarz JM, McCarthy MM. Hormonally mediated epigenetic changes to steroid receptors in the developing brain: implications for sexual differentiation. Horm Behav 2011; 59:338-44. [PMID: 20800064 PMCID: PMC3011040 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2010] [Revised: 08/12/2010] [Accepted: 08/19/2010] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The establishment of sex-specific neural morphology, which underlies sex-specific behaviors, occurs during a perinatal sensitive window in which brief exposure to gonadal steroid hormones produces permanent masculinization of the brain. In the rodent, estradiol derived from testicular androgens is a principal organizational hormone. The mechanism by which transient estradiol exposure induces permanent differences in neuronal anatomy has been widely investigated, but remains elusive. Epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation, allow environmental influences to alter long-term gene expression patterns and therefore may be a potential mediator of estradiol-induced organization of the neonatal brain. Here we review data that demonstrate sex and estradiol-induced differences in DNA methylation on the estrogen receptor α (ERα), estrogen receptor β (ERβ), and progesterone receptor (PR) promoters in sexually dimorphic brain regions across development. Contrary to the overarching view of DNA methylation as a permanent modification directly tied to gene expression, these data demonstrate that methylation patterns on steroid hormone receptors change across the life span and do not necessarily predict expression. Although further exploration into the mechanism and significance of estradiol-induced alterations in DNA methylation patterns in the neonatal brain is necessary, these results provide preliminary evidence that epigenetic alterations can occur in response to early hormone exposure and may mediate estradiol-induced organization of sex differences in the neonatal brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget M Nugent
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Schwarz JM, Nugent BM, McCarthy MM. Developmental and hormone-induced epigenetic changes to estrogen and progesterone receptor genes in brain are dynamic across the life span. Endocrinology 2010; 151:4871-81. [PMID: 20702577 PMCID: PMC2946142 DOI: 10.1210/en.2010-0142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [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] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Sexual differentiation of the rodent brain occurs during a perinatal critical period when androgen production from the male testis is locally converted to estradiol in neurons, resulting in masculinization of adult sexual behavior. Adult brain responses to hormones are programmed developmentally by estradiol exposure, but the mechanism(s) by which these changes are permanently organized remains poorly understood. Activation of steroid receptors plays a major role in organization of the brain, and we hypothesized that estradiol-induced alteration of steroid-receptor gene methylation is a critical component to this process. Estrogen receptor (ER)-α and ER-β and progesterone receptor are expressed at high levels within the preoptic area (POA) and the mediobasal hypothalamus, two brain regions critical for the expression of male and female sexual behavior. The percent methylation on the ER-α promoter increased markedly across development. During the critical period of sexual differentiation, females had significantly increased methylation than males or females masculinized with estradiol at two CpG sites. By adulthood, the neonatal sex difference and hormonal modulation of methylation were replaced with a new pattern at a different CpG site on the ER-α promoter. In contrast, the percent methylation on the progesterone receptor and ER-β promoter did not change developmentally but was modulated by hormones and exhibited only late emerging transient sex differences. These data indicate that sex differences in the methylation pattern of genes important for sexual behavior are epigenetically modified during development, but the specific changes observed do not endure and are not necessarily temporally associated with neonatal hormone exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn M Schwarz
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 655 West Baltimore Street, 5-015, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA
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Matsuda KI, Mori H, Nugent BM, McCarthy MM, Kawata M. Influence of histone deacetylase activity on the masculinization of the developing brain. Neurosci Res 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2010.07.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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