1
|
Quinn S, Zhang N, Fenton TA, Brusel M, Muruganandam P, Peleg Y, Giladi M, Haitin Y, Lerche H, Bassan H, Liu Y, Ben-Shalom R, Rubinstein M. Complex biophysical changes and reduced neuronal firing in an SCN8A variant associated with developmental delay and epilepsy. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024:167127. [PMID: 38519006 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167127] [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: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Mutations in the SCN8A gene, encoding the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.6, are associated with a range of neurodevelopmental syndromes. The p.(Gly1625Arg) (G1625R) mutation was identified in a patient diagnosed with Developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). While most of the characterized DEE-associated SCN8A mutations were shown to cause a gain-of-channel function, we show that the G1625R variant, positioned within the S4 segment of domain IV, results in complex effects. Voltage-clamp analyses of NaV1.6G1625R demonstrated a mixture of gain- and loss-of-function properties, including reduced current amplitudes, increased time constant of fast voltage-dependent inactivation, a depolarizing shift in the voltage dependence of activation and inactivation, and increased channel availability with high-frequency repeated depolarization. Current clamp analyses in transfected cultured neurons revealed that these biophysical properties caused a marked reduction in the number of action potentials when firing was driven by the transfected mutant NaV1.6. Accordingly, computational modeling of mature cortical neurons demonstrated a mild decrease in neuronal firing when mimicking the patients' heterozygous SCN8A expression. Structural modeling of NaV1.6G1625R suggested the formation of a cation-π interaction between R1625 and F1588 within domain IV. Double-mutant cycle analysis revealed that this interaction affects the voltage dependence of inactivation in NaV1.6G1625R. Together, our studies demonstrate that the G1625R variant leads to a complex combination of gain and loss of function biophysical changes that result in an overall mild reduction in neuronal firing, related to the perturbed interaction network within the voltage sensor domain, necessitating personalized multi-tiered analysis for SCN8A mutations for optimal treatment selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shir Quinn
- Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Timothy A Fenton
- Neurology Department, MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Marina Brusel
- Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Preethi Muruganandam
- Neurology Department, MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Yoav Peleg
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Moshe Giladi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yoni Haitin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Holger Lerche
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Haim Bassan
- Pediatric Neurology and Development Center, Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), Zerifin, Israel; Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Roy Ben-Shalom
- Neurology Department, MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Moran Rubinstein
- Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Fenton TA, Haouchine OY, Hallam EL, Smith EM, Jackson KC, Rahbarian D, Canales C, Adhikari A, Nord AS, Ben-Shalom R, Silverman JL. Hyperexcitability and translational phenotypes in a preclinical mouse model of SYNGAP1-Related Intellectual Disability. Res Sq 2024:rs.3.rs-4067746. [PMID: 38562838 PMCID: PMC10984035 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4067746/v1] [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: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Disruption of SYNGAP1 directly causes a genetically identifiable neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) called SYNGAP1-related intellectual disability (SRID). Without functional SynGAP1 protein, individuals are developmentally delayed and have prominent features of intellectual disability, motor impairments, and epilepsy. Over the past two decades, there have been numerous discoveries indicting the critical role of Syngap1. Several rodent models with a loss of Syngap1 have been engineered identifying precise roles in neuronal structure and function, as well as key biochemical pathways key for synapse integrity. Homozygous loss of SYNGAP1/Syngap1 is lethal. Heterozygous mutations of Syngap1 result in a broad range of behavioral phenotypes. Our in vivo functional data, using the original mouse model from the Huganir laboratory, corroborated behaviors including robust hyperactivity and deficits in learning and memory in young adults. Furthermore, we described impairments in the domain of sleep, characterized using neurophysiological data collected with wireless, telemetric electroencephalography (EEG). Syngap1+/- mice exhibited elevated spiking events and spike trains, in addition to elevated power, most notably in the delta power frequency. For the first time, we illustrated primary neurons from Syngap1+/- mice displayed increased network firing activity, greater bursts, and shorter inter-burst intervals between peaks by employing high density microelectrode arrays (HD-MEA). Our work bridges in-vitro electrophysiological neuronal activity and function with in vivo neurophysiological brain activity and function. These data elucidate quantitative, translational biomarkers in vivo and in vitro that can be utilized for the development and efficacy assessment of targeted treatments for SRID.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Fenton
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
| | - Olivia Y Haouchine
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
| | - Elizabeth L Hallam
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
| | - Emily M Smith
- UC Davis Center for Neuroscience; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences & Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Kiya C. Jackson
- UC Davis Center for Neuroscience; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences & Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Darlene Rahbarian
- UC Davis Center for Neuroscience; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences & Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Cesar Canales
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
- UC Davis Center for Neuroscience; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences & Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Anna Adhikari
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
| | - Alexander S. Nord
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
- UC Davis Center for Neuroscience; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences & Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Roy Ben-Shalom
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
| | - Jill L Silverman
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Fenton TA, Haouchine OY, Hallam EL, Smith EM, Jackson KC, Rahbarian D, Canales C, Adhikari A, Nord AS, Ben-Shalom R, Silverman JL. Hyperexcitability and translational phenotypes in a preclinical model of SYNGAP1 mutations. bioRxiv 2023:2023.07.24.550093. [PMID: 37546838 PMCID: PMC10402099 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.24.550093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
SYNGAP1 is a critical gene for neuronal development, synaptic structure, and function. Although rare, the disruption of SYNGAP1 directly causes a genetically identifiable neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) called SYNGAP1-related intellectual disability. Without functional SynGAP1 protein, patients present with intellectual disability, motor impairments, and epilepsy. Previous work using mouse models with a variety of germline and conditional mutations has helped delineate SynGAP1's critical roles in neuronal structure and function, as well as key biochemical signaling pathways essential to synapse integrity. Homozygous loss of SYNGAP1 is embryonically lethal. Heterozygous mutations of SynGAP1 result in a broad range of phenotypes including increased locomotor activity, impaired working spatial memory, impaired cued fear memory, and increased stereotypic behavior. Our in vivo functional data, using the original germline mutation mouse line from the Huganir laboratory, corroborated robust hyperactivity and learning and memory deficits. Here, we describe impairments in the translational biomarker domain of sleep, characterized using neurophysiological data collected with wireless telemetric electroencephalography (EEG). We discovered Syngap1 +/- mice exhibited elevated spike trains in both number and duration, in addition to elevated power, most notably in the delta power band. Primary neurons from Syngap1 +/- mice displayed increased network firing activity, greater spikes per burst, and shorter inter-burst intervals between peaks using high density micro-electrode arrays (HD-MEA). This work is translational, innovative, and highly significant as it outlines functional impairments in Syngap1 mutant mice. Simultaneously, the work utilized untethered, wireless neurophysiology that can discover potential biomarkers of Syngap1R-ID, for clinical trials, as it has done with other NDDs. Our work is substantial forward progress toward translational work for SynGAP1R-ID as it bridges in-vitro electrophysiological neuronal activity and function with in vivo neurophysiological brain activity and function. These data elucidate multiple quantitative, translational biomarkers in vivo and in vitro for the development of treatments for SYNGAP1-related intellectual disability.
Collapse
|
4
|
O'Geen H, Beitnere U, Garcia MS, Adhikari A, Cameron DL, Fenton TA, Copping NA, Deng P, Lock S, Halmai JANM, Villegas IJ, Liu J, Wang D, Fink KD, Silverman JL, Segal DJ. Transcriptional reprogramming restores UBE3A brain-wide and rescues behavioral phenotypes in an Angelman syndrome mouse model. Mol Ther 2023; 31:1088-1105. [PMID: 36641623 PMCID: PMC10124086 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder caused by the loss of ubiquitin ligase E3A (UBE3A) gene expression in the brain. The UBE3A gene is paternally imprinted in brain neurons. Clinical features of AS are primarily due to the loss of maternally expressed UBE3A in the brain. A healthy copy of paternal UBE3A is present in the brain but is silenced by a long non-coding antisense transcript (UBE3A-ATS). Here, we demonstrate that an artificial transcription factor (ATF-S1K) can silence Ube3a-ATS in an adult mouse model of Angelman syndrome (AS) and restore endogenous physiological expression of paternal Ube3a. A single injection of adeno-associated virus (AAV) expressing ATF-S1K (AAV-S1K) into the tail vein enabled whole-brain transduction and restored UBE3A protein in neurons to ∼25% of wild-type protein. The ATF-S1K treatment was highly specific to the target site with no detectable inflammatory response 5 weeks after AAV-S1K administration. AAV-S1K treatment of AS mice showed behavioral rescue in exploratory locomotion, a task involving gross and fine motor abilities, similar to low ambulation and velocity in AS patients. The specificity and tolerability of a single injection of AAV-S1K therapy for AS demonstrate the use of ATFs as a promising translational approach for AS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anna Adhikari
- MIND Institute, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - David L Cameron
- Neurology Department, Stem Cell Program and Gene Therapy Center, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA; MIND Institute, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Timothy A Fenton
- MIND Institute, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Nycole A Copping
- MIND Institute, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Peter Deng
- Neurology Department, Stem Cell Program and Gene Therapy Center, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA; MIND Institute, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Samantha Lock
- Neurology Department, Stem Cell Program and Gene Therapy Center, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA; MIND Institute, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Julian A N M Halmai
- Neurology Department, Stem Cell Program and Gene Therapy Center, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA; MIND Institute, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Isaac J Villegas
- Neurology Department, Stem Cell Program and Gene Therapy Center, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA; MIND Institute, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Jiajian Liu
- Genome Editing and Novel Modalities (GENM), MilliporeSigma, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Danhui Wang
- Genome Editing and Novel Modalities (GENM), MilliporeSigma, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kyle D Fink
- Neurology Department, Stem Cell Program and Gene Therapy Center, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA; MIND Institute, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Jill L Silverman
- MIND Institute, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - David J Segal
- Genome Center, UC Davis, Davis, CA, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis, Davis, CA, USA; MIND Institute, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Adhikari A, Buchanan FKB, Fenton TA, Cameron DL, Halmai JANM, Copping NA, Fink KD, Silverman JL. Touchscreen Cognitive Deficits, Hyperexcitability, and Hyperactivity in Males and Females Using Two Models of Cdkl5 Deficiency. Hum Mol Genet 2022; 31:3032-3050. [PMID: 35445702 PMCID: PMC9476626 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac091] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Many neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are the result of mutations on the X chromosome. One severe NDD resulting from mutations on the X chromosome is CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD). CDD is an epigenetic, X-linked NDD characterized by intellectual disability (ID), pervasive seizures and severe sleep disruption, including recurring hospitalizations. CDD occurs at a 4:1 ratio, with a female bias. CDD is driven by the loss of cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5), a serine/threonine kinase that is essential for typical brain development, synapse formation and signal transmission. Previous studies focused on male subjects from animal models, likely to avoid the complexity of X mosaicism. For the first time, we report translationally relevant behavioral phenotypes in young adult (8–20 weeks) females and males with robust signal size, including impairments in learning and memory, substantial hyperactivity and increased susceptibility to seizures/reduced seizure thresholds, in both sexes, and in two models of CDD preclinical mice, one with a general loss-of-function mutation and one that is a patient-derived mutation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Adhikari
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Fiona K B Buchanan
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA.,Stem Cell Program and Gene Therapy Center, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Timothy A Fenton
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - David L Cameron
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA.,Stem Cell Program and Gene Therapy Center, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Julian A N M Halmai
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA.,Stem Cell Program and Gene Therapy Center, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Nycole A Copping
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Kyle D Fink
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA.,Department of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA.,Stem Cell Program and Gene Therapy Center, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Jill L Silverman
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Petkova SP, Adhikari A, Berg EL, Fenton TA, Duis J, Silverman JL. Gait as a quantitative translational outcome measure in Angelman syndrome. Autism Res 2022; 15:821-833. [PMID: 35274462 PMCID: PMC9311146 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a genetic neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by developmental delay, lack of speech, seizures, intellectual disability, hypotonia, and motor coordination deficits. Motor abilities are an important outcome measure in AS as they comprise a broad repertoire of metrics including ataxia, hypotonia, delayed ambulation, crouched gait, and poor posture, and motor dysfunction affects nearly every individual with AS. Guided by collaborative work with AS clinicians studying gait, the goal of this study was to perform an in‐depth gait analysis using the automated treadmill assay, DigiGait. Our hypothesis is that gait presents a strong opportunity for a reliable, quantitative, and translational metric that can serve to evaluate novel pharmacological, dietary, and genetic therapies. In this study, we used an automated gait analysis system, in addition to standard motor behavioral assays, to evaluate components of motor, exploration, coordination, balance, and gait impairments across the lifespan in an AS mouse model. Our study demonstrated marked global motoric deficits in AS mice, corroborating previous reports. Uniquely, this is the first report of nuanced aberrations in quantitative spatial and temporal components of gait in AS mice compared to sex‐ and age‐matched wildtype littermates followed longitudinally using metrics that are analogous in AS individuals. Our findings contribute evidence toward the use of nuanced motor outcomes (i.e., gait) as valuable and translationally powerful metrics for therapeutic development for AS, as well as other genetic neurodevelopmental syndromes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stela P Petkova
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Anna Adhikari
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Berg
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Timothy A Fenton
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Jessica Duis
- Section of Genetics & Inherited Metabolic Disease, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado Anshutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Jill L Silverman
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Haigh JL, Adhikari A, Copping NA, Stradleigh T, Wade AA, Catta-Preta R, Su-Feher L, Zdilar I, Morse S, Fenton TA, Nguyen A, Quintero D, Agezew S, Sramek M, Kreun EJ, Carter J, Gompers A, Lambert JT, Canales CP, Pennacchio LA, Visel A, Dickel DE, Silverman JL, Nord AS. Deletion of a non-canonical regulatory sequence causes loss of Scn1a expression and epileptic phenotypes in mice. Genome Med 2021; 13:69. [PMID: 33910599 PMCID: PMC8080386 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-021-00884-0] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genes with multiple co-active promoters appear common in brain, yet little is known about functional requirements for these potentially redundant genomic regulatory elements. SCN1A, which encodes the NaV1.1 sodium channel alpha subunit, is one such gene with two co-active promoters. Mutations in SCN1A are associated with epilepsy, including Dravet syndrome (DS). The majority of DS patients harbor coding mutations causing SCN1A haploinsufficiency; however, putative causal non-coding promoter mutations have been identified. METHODS To determine the functional role of one of these potentially redundant Scn1a promoters, we focused on the non-coding Scn1a 1b regulatory region, previously described as a non-canonical alternative transcriptional start site. We generated a transgenic mouse line with deletion of the extended evolutionarily conserved 1b non-coding interval and characterized changes in gene and protein expression, and assessed seizure activity and alterations in behavior. RESULTS Mice harboring a deletion of the 1b non-coding interval exhibited surprisingly severe reductions of Scn1a and NaV1.1 expression throughout the brain. This was accompanied by electroencephalographic and thermal-evoked seizures, and behavioral deficits. CONCLUSIONS This work contributes to functional dissection of the regulatory wiring of a major epilepsy risk gene, SCN1A. We identified the 1b region as a critical disease-relevant regulatory element and provide evidence that non-canonical and seemingly redundant promoters can have essential function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Haigh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Anna Adhikari
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Nycole A Copping
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Tyler Stradleigh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - A Ayanna Wade
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Rinaldo Catta-Preta
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Linda Su-Feher
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Iva Zdilar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Morse
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Timothy A Fenton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Anh Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Diana Quintero
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Samrawit Agezew
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Michael Sramek
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Ellie J Kreun
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jasmine Carter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Andrea Gompers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jason T Lambert
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Cesar P Canales
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Len A Pennacchio
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
- Comparative Biochemistry Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Axel Visel
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
- Comparative Biochemistry Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Diane E Dickel
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
- Comparative Biochemistry Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jill L Silverman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA.
| | - Alex S Nord
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Petkova SP, Pride M, Klocke C, Fenton TA, White J, Lein PJ, Ellegood J, Lerch JP, Silverman JL, Waldau B. Cyclin D2-knock-out mice with attenuated dentate gyrus neurogenesis have robust deficits in long-term memory formation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8204. [PMID: 32424171 PMCID: PMC7235216 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65090-1] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurobehavioral studies have produced contradictory findings concerning the function of neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus. Previous studies have proved inconsistent across several behavioral endpoints thought to be dependent on dentate neurogenesis, including memory acquisition, short-term and long-term retention of memory, pattern separation, and reversal learning. We hypothesized that the main function of dentate neurogenesis is long-term memory formation because we assumed that a newly formed and integrated neuron would have a long-term impact on the local neural network. We used a cyclin D2-knock-out (cyclin D2−/−) mouse model of endogenously deficient dentate neurogenesis to test this hypothesis. We found that cyclin D2−/− mice had robust and sustained loss of long-term memory in two separate behavioral tasks, Morris water maze (MWM) and touchscreen intermediate pattern separation. Moreover, after adjusting for differences in brain volumes determined by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, reduced dentate neurogenesis moderately correlated with deficits in memory retention after 24 hours. Importantly, cyclin D2−/− mice did not show deficits in learning acquisition in a touchscreen paradigm of intermediate pattern separation or MWM platform location, indicating intact short-term memory. Further evaluation of cyclin D2−/− mice is necessary to confirm that deficits are specifically linked to dentate gyrus neurogenesis since cyclin D2−/− mice also have a reduced size of the olfactory bulb, hippocampus, cerebellum and cortex besides reduced dentate gyrus neurogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stela P Petkova
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, 95817, US
| | - Michael Pride
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, 95817, US
| | - Carolyn Klocke
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA, 95616, US
| | - Timothy A Fenton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, 95817, US
| | - Jeannine White
- Institute for Regenerative Cures, Sacramento, CA, 95817, US
| | - Pamela J Lein
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA, 95616, US.,MIND Institute, UC Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, US
| | - Jacob Ellegood
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3H7, Canada.,Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience,The University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Jill L Silverman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, 95817, US.,MIND Institute, UC Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, US
| | - Ben Waldau
- Department of Neurological Surgery, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, 95817, US.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Berg EL, Pride MC, Petkova SP, Lee RD, Copping NA, Shen Y, Adhikari A, Fenton TA, Pedersen LR, Noakes LS, Nieman BJ, Lerch JP, Harris S, Born HA, Peters MM, Deng P, Cameron DL, Fink KD, Beitnere U, O'Geen H, Anderson AE, Dindot SV, Nash KR, Weeber EJ, Wöhr M, Ellegood J, Segal DJ, Silverman JL. Translational outcomes in a full gene deletion of ubiquitin protein ligase E3A rat model of Angelman syndrome. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:39. [PMID: 32066685 PMCID: PMC7026078 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0720-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by developmental delay, impaired communication, motor deficits and ataxia, intellectual disabilities, microcephaly, and seizures. The genetic cause of AS is the loss of expression of UBE3A (ubiquitin protein ligase E6-AP) in the brain, typically due to a deletion of the maternal 15q11-q13 region. Previous studies have been performed using a mouse model with a deletion of a single exon of Ube3a. Since three splice variants of Ube3a exist, this has led to a lack of consistent reports and the theory that perhaps not all mouse studies were assessing the effects of an absence of all functional UBE3A. Herein, we report the generation and functional characterization of a novel model of Angelman syndrome by deleting the entire Ube3a gene in the rat. We validated that this resulted in the first comprehensive gene deletion rodent model. Ultrasonic vocalizations from newborn Ube3am-/p+ were reduced in the maternal inherited deletion group with no observable change in the Ube3am+/p- paternal transmission cohort. We also discovered Ube3am-/p+ exhibited delayed reflex development, motor deficits in rearing and fine motor skills, aberrant social communication, and impaired touchscreen learning and memory in young adults. These behavioral deficits were large in effect size and easily apparent in the larger rodent species. Low social communication was detected using a playback task that is unique to rats. Structural imaging illustrated decreased brain volume in Ube3am-/p+ and a variety of intriguing neuroanatomical phenotypes while Ube3am+/p- did not exhibit altered neuroanatomy. Our report identifies, for the first time, unique AS relevant functional phenotypes and anatomical markers as preclinical outcomes to test various strategies for gene and molecular therapies in AS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E L Berg
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - M C Pride
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - S P Petkova
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - R D Lee
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - N A Copping
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Y Shen
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - A Adhikari
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - T A Fenton
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - L R Pedersen
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - L S Noakes
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Toronto Centre for Phenogenomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - B J Nieman
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Toronto Centre for Phenogenomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - J P Lerch
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - S Harris
- Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - H A Born
- Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - M M Peters
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - P Deng
- Stem Cell Program, Institute for Regenerative Cures, and Department of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - D L Cameron
- Stem Cell Program, Institute for Regenerative Cures, and Department of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - K D Fink
- Stem Cell Program, Institute for Regenerative Cures, and Department of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - U Beitnere
- MIND Institute, Genome Center, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - H O'Geen
- MIND Institute, Genome Center, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - A E Anderson
- Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - S V Dindot
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - K R Nash
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - E J Weeber
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - M Wöhr
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - J Ellegood
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Toronto Centre for Phenogenomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - D J Segal
- MIND Institute, Genome Center, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - J L Silverman
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Yao AI, Fenton TA, Owsley K, Seitzer P, Larsen DJ, Sit H, Lau J, Nair A, Tantiongloc J, Tagkopoulos I, Facciotti MT. Correction to Promoter Element Arising from the Fusion of Standard BioBrick Parts. ACS Synth Biol 2013. [DOI: 10.1021/sb400031e] [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: 11/28/2022]
|
11
|
Yao AI, Fenton TA, Owsley K, Seitzer P, Larsen DJ, Sit H, Lau J, Nair A, Tantiongloc J, Tagkopoulos I, Facciotti MT. Promoter element arising from the fusion of standard BioBrick parts. ACS Synth Biol 2013; 2:111-20. [PMID: 23656374 DOI: 10.1021/sb300114d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
We characterize the appearance of a constitutive promoter element in the commonly used cI repressor-encoding BioBrick BBa_C0051. We have termed this promoter element pKAT. Full pKAT activity is created by the ordered assembly of sequences in BBa_C0051 downstream of the cI gene encoding the 11 amino acid LVA proteolytic degradation tag, a BioBrick standard double-TAA stop codon, a genetic barcode, and part of the RFC10 SpeI-XbaI BioBrick scar. Placing BBa_C0051 or other pKAT containing parts upstream of other functional RNA coding elements in a polycistronic context may therefore lead to the unintended transcription of the downstream elements. The frequent reuse of pKAT or pKAT-like containing basic parts in the Registry of Biological Parts has resulted in approximately 5% of registry parts encoding at least one instance of a predicted pKAT promoter located directly upstream of a ribosome binding site and ATG start codon. This example highlights that even seemingly simple modifications of a part's sequence (in this case addition of degradation tags and barcodes) may be sufficient to unexpectedly change the contextual behavior of a part and reaffirms the inherent challenge in carefully characterizing the behavior of standardized biological parts across a broad range of reasonable use scenarios.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - David J. Larsen
- Cellular and Molecular Biology
Program, University of Michigan, 1011 North
University Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Patten RM, Moss AA, Fenton TA, Elliott S. OMR, a positive bowel contrast agent for abdominal and pelvic MR imaging: safety and imaging characteristics. J Magn Reson Imaging 1992; 2:25-34. [PMID: 1623278 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.1880020105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
To determine the safety and imaging characteristics of OMR--an effervescent solution of ferric ammonium citrate--as a bowel contrast agent, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 1.5 T was performed in 29 volunteers. T1- and T2-weighted images of the upper abdomen and pelvis were obtained before and after oral administration of OMR at doses of 100-400 mg of iron in 300-600 mL of water. Respiratory-ordered phase encoding and presaturation pulses were used routinely for artifact suppression. All dose levels of OMR provided marking of the bowel by increasing intraluminal signal intensity; however, the degree and percentage of small bowel opacification appeared more prominent at higher dose levels of iron. Semisolid or watery bowel movements were noted in 31% of subjects, but no clinically important laboratory abnormalities were seen. OMR improved delineation of the head of the pancreas on T1-weighted images in 72% of subjects but was less useful in defining the body and tail. OMR is a safe and effective bowel contrast agent for MR imaging. Because artifacts due to movement of hyperintense bowel may degrade the images, OMR may be most useful on short TR/TE or fast imaging pulse sequences or when combined with antiperistaltic agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R M Patten
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|