1
|
Plasil SL, Farris SP, Blednov Y, Mayfield RD, Mangieri RA, Nwokeji UJ, Aziz HC, Lambeth PS, Harris RA, Homanics GE. Mutation of novel ethanol-responsive lncRNA Gm41261 impacts ethanol-related behavioral responses in mice. Genes Brain Behav 2024; 23:e12886. [PMID: 38373108 PMCID: PMC10876150 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12886] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Chronic alcohol exposure results in widespread dysregulation of gene expression that contributes to the pathogenesis of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Long noncoding RNAs are key regulators of the transcriptome that we hypothesize coordinate alcohol-induced transcriptome dysregulation and contribute to AUD. Based on RNA-Sequencing data of human prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala and nucleus accumbens of AUD versus non-AUD brain, the human LINC01265 and its predicted murine homolog Gm41261 (i.e., TX2) were selected for functional interrogation. We tested the hypothesis that TX2 contributes to ethanol drinking and behavioral responses to ethanol. CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis was used to create a TX2 mutant mouse line in which 306 base-pairs were deleted from the locus. RNA analysis revealed that an abnormal TX2 transcript was produced at an unchanged level in mutant animals. Behaviorally, mutant mice had reduced ethanol, gaboxadol and zolpidem-induced loss of the righting response and reduced tolerance to ethanol in both sexes. In addition, a male-specific reduction in two-bottle choice every-other-day ethanol drinking was observed. Male TX2 mutants exhibited evidence of enhanced GABA release and altered GABAA receptor subunit composition in neurons of the nucleus accumbens shell. In C57BL6/J mice, TX2 within the cortex was cytoplasmic and largely present in Rbfox3+ neurons and IBA1+ microglia, but not in Olig2+ oligodendrocytes or in the majority of GFAP+ astrocytes. These data support the hypothesis that TX2 mutagenesis and dysregulation impacts ethanol drinking behavior and ethanol-induced behavioral responses in mice, likely through alterations in the GABAergic system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S. L. Plasil
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical BiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - S. P. Farris
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative MedicineUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- The Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction ResearchThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
| | - Y. Blednov
- The Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction ResearchThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
| | - R. D. Mayfield
- The Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction ResearchThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
- Department of NeuroscienceThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
| | - R. A. Mangieri
- The Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction ResearchThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of PharmacyThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
| | - U. J. Nwokeji
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical BiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - H. C. Aziz
- The Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction ResearchThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of PharmacyThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
| | - P. S. Lambeth
- The Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction ResearchThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
- Department of NeuroscienceThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
| | - R. A. Harris
- The Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction ResearchThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
| | - G. E. Homanics
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical BiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative MedicineUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of NeurobiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Plasil SL, Collins VJ, Baratta AM, Farris SP, Homanics GE. Hippocampal ceRNA networks from chronic intermittent ethanol vapor-exposed male mice and functional analysis of top-ranked lncRNA genes for ethanol drinking phenotypes. Adv Drug Alcohol Res 2022; 2:10831. [PMID: 36908580 PMCID: PMC10004261 DOI: 10.3389/adar.2022.10831] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms regulating the development and progression of alcohol use disorder (AUD) are largely unknown. While noncoding RNAs have previously been implicated as playing key roles in AUD, long-noncoding RNA (lncRNA) remains understudied in relation to AUD. In this study, we first identified ethanol-responsive lncRNAs in the mouse hippocampus that are transcriptional network hub genes. Microarray analysis of lncRNA, miRNA, circular RNA, and protein coding gene expression in the hippocampus from chronic intermittent ethanol vapor- or air- (control) exposed mice was used to identify ethanol-responsive competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks. Highly interconnected lncRNAs (genes that had the strongest overall correlation to all other dysregulated genes identified) were ranked. The top four lncRNAs were novel, previously uncharacterized genes named Gm42575, 4930413E15Rik, Gm15767, and Gm33447, hereafter referred to as Pitt1, Pitt2, Pitt3, and Pitt4, respectively. We subsequently tested the hypothesis that CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis of the putative promoter and first exon of these lncRNAs in C57BL/6J mice would alter ethanol drinking behavior. The Drinking in the Dark (DID) assay was used to examine binge-like drinking behavior, and the Every-Other-Day Two-Bottle Choice (EOD-2BC) assay was used to examine intermittent ethanol consumption and preference. No significant differences between control and mutant mice were observed in the DID assay. Female-specific reductions in ethanol consumption were observed in the EOD-2BC assay for Pitt1, Pitt3, and Pitt4 mutant mice compared to controls. Male-specific alterations in ethanol preference were observed for Pitt1 and Pitt2. Female-specific increases in ethanol preference were observed for Pitt3 and Pitt4. Total fluid consumption was reduced in Pitt1 and Pitt2 mutants at 15% v/v ethanol and in Pitt3 and Pitt4 at 20% v/v ethanol in females only. We conclude that all lncRNAs targeted altered ethanol drinking behavior, and that lncRNAs Pitt1, Pitt3, and Pitt4 influenced ethanol consumption in a sex-specific manner. Further research is necessary to elucidate the biological mechanisms for these effects. These findings add to the literature implicating noncoding RNAs in AUD and suggest lncRNAs also play an important regulatory role in the disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- SL Plasil
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - VJ Collins
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - AM Baratta
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - SP Farris
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - GE Homanics
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| |
Collapse
|