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de Sautu M, Herrmann T, Scanavachi G, Jenni S, Harrison SC. The rotavirus VP5*/VP8* conformational transition permeabilizes membranes to Ca2. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011750. [PMID: 38574119 PMCID: PMC11020617 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011750] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Rotaviruses infect cells by delivering into the cytosol a transcriptionally active inner capsid particle (a "double-layer particle": DLP). Delivery is the function of a third, outer layer, which drives uptake from the cell surface into small vesicles from which the DLPs escape. In published work, we followed stages of rhesus rotavirus (RRV) entry by live-cell imaging and correlated them with structures from cryogenic electron microscopy and tomography (cryo-EM and cryo-ET). The virus appears to wrap itself in membrane, leading to complete engulfment and loss of Ca2+ from the vesicle produced by the wrapping. One of the outer-layer proteins, VP7, is a Ca2+-stabilized trimer; loss of Ca2+ releases both VP7 and the other outer-layer protein, VP4, from the particle. VP4, activated by cleavage into VP8* and VP5*, is a trimer that undergoes a large-scale conformational rearrangement, reminiscent of the transition that viral fusion proteins undergo to penetrate a membrane. The rearrangement of VP5* thrusts a 250-residue, C-terminal segment of each of the three subunits outward, while allowing the protein to remain attached to the virus particle and to the cell being infected. We proposed that this segment inserts into the membrane of the target cell, enabling Ca2+ to cross. In the work reported here, we show the validity of key aspects of this proposed sequence. By cryo-EM studies of liposome-attached virions ("triple-layer particles": TLPs) and single-particle fluorescence imaging of liposome-attached TLPs, we confirm insertion of the VP4 C-terminal segment into the membrane and ensuing generation of a Ca2+ "leak". The results allow us to formulate a molecular description of early events in entry. We also discuss our observations in the context of other work on double-strand RNA virus entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilina de Sautu
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Tobias Herrmann
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Gustavo Scanavachi
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Simon Jenni
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Stephen C. Harrison
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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2
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Prem S, Dev B, Peng C, Mehta M, Alibutud R, Connacher RJ, St Thomas M, Zhou X, Matteson P, Xing J, Millonig JH, DiCicco-Bloom E. Dysregulation of mTOR signaling mediates common neurite and migration defects in both idiopathic and 16p11.2 deletion autism neural precursor cells. eLife 2024; 13:e82809. [PMID: 38525876 PMCID: PMC11003747 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82809] [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: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by common behavioral characteristics, raising the possibility of shared pathogenic mechanisms. Yet, vast clinical and etiological heterogeneity suggests personalized phenotypes. Surprisingly, our iPSC studies find that six individuals from two distinct ASD subtypes, idiopathic and 16p11.2 deletion, have common reductions in neural precursor cell (NPC) neurite outgrowth and migration even though whole genome sequencing demonstrates no genetic overlap between the datasets. To identify signaling differences that may contribute to these developmental defects, an unbiased phospho-(p)-proteome screen was performed. Surprisingly despite the genetic heterogeneity, hundreds of shared p-peptides were identified between autism subtypes including the mTOR pathway. mTOR signaling alterations were confirmed in all NPCs across both ASD subtypes, and mTOR modulation rescued ASD phenotypes and reproduced autism NPC-associated phenotypes in control NPCs. Thus, our studies demonstrate that genetically distinct ASD subtypes have common defects in neurite outgrowth and migration which are driven by the shared pathogenic mechanism of mTOR signaling dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smrithi Prem
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Bharati Dev
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Cynthia Peng
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Monal Mehta
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Rohan Alibutud
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Robert J Connacher
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Madeline St Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Xiaofeng Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Paul Matteson
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Jinchuan Xing
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - James H Millonig
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Emanuel DiCicco-Bloom
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolNew BrunswickUnited States
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Kimchi EY, Burgos-Robles A, Matthews GA, Chakoma T, Patarino M, Weddington JC, Siciliano C, Yang W, Foutch S, Simons R, Fong MF, Jing M, Li Y, Polley DB, Tye KM. Reward contingency gates selective cholinergic suppression of amygdala neurons. eLife 2024; 12:RP89093. [PMID: 38376907 PMCID: PMC10942609 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons modulate how organisms process and respond to environmental stimuli through impacts on arousal, attention, and memory. It is unknown, however, whether basal forebrain cholinergic neurons are directly involved in conditioned behavior, independent of secondary roles in the processing of external stimuli. Using fluorescent imaging, we found that cholinergic neurons are active during behavioral responding for a reward - even prior to reward delivery and in the absence of discrete stimuli. Photostimulation of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons, or their terminals in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), selectively promoted conditioned responding (licking), but not unconditioned behavior nor innate motor outputs. In vivo electrophysiological recordings during cholinergic photostimulation revealed reward-contingency-dependent suppression of BLA neural activity, but not prefrontal cortex. Finally, ex vivo experiments demonstrated that photostimulation of cholinergic terminals suppressed BLA projection neuron activity via monosynaptic muscarinic receptor signaling, while also facilitating firing in BLA GABAergic interneurons. Taken together, we show that the neural and behavioral effects of basal forebrain cholinergic activation are modulated by reward contingency in a target-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Y Kimchi
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - Anthony Burgos-Robles
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- The Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Neuroscience Institute & Brain Health Consortium, University of Texas at San AntonioSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Gillian A Matthews
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Tatenda Chakoma
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Makenzie Patarino
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Javier C Weddington
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Cody Siciliano
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
| | - Wannan Yang
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Shaun Foutch
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Renee Simons
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Ming-fai Fong
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech & Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Miao Jing
- Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences; PKUIDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and EarBostonUnited States
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Kay M Tye
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- HHMI Investigator, Member of the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, and Wylie Vale Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
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4
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Feldman JI, Garla V, Dunham K, Markfeld JE, Bowman SM, Golden AJ, Daly C, Kaiser S, Mailapur N, Raj S, Santapuram P, Suzman E, Augustine AE, Muhumuza A, Cascio CJ, Williams KL, Kirby AV, Keceli-Kaysili B, Woynaroski TG. Longitudinal Relations Between Early Sensory Responsiveness and Later Communication in Infants with Autistic and Non-autistic Siblings. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:594-606. [PMID: 36441431 PMCID: PMC9707174 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05817-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Early differences in sensory responsiveness may contribute to difficulties with communication among autistic children; however, this theory has not been longitudinally assessed in infants at increased familial versus general population-level likelihood for autism (Sibs-autism vs. Sibs-NA) using a comprehensive battery of sensory responsiveness and communication. In a sample of 40 infants (20 Sibs-autism, of whom six were later diagnosed with autism; 20 Sibs-NA), we tested (a) associations between sensory responsiveness at 12-18 months and communication 9 months later and (b) evaluated whether such associations were moderated by sibling group, autism diagnosis, or age. We found negative zero-order correlations between sensory responsiveness (i.e., caregiver reported hyperresponsiveness and hyporesponsiveness; an observational measure of hyperresponsiveness) and later communication. Additionally, caregiver reported sensory seeking was negatively associated with later expressive communication only in Sibs-NA. Limitations include our relatively small sample size of infants diagnosed with autism. Implications for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob I Feldman
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 8310 South Tower, 1215 21St Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Varsha Garla
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kacie Dunham
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jennifer E Markfeld
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sarah M Bowman
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 8310 South Tower, 1215 21St Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Alexandra J Golden
- Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Claire Daly
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sophia Kaiser
- Cognitive Studies Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nisha Mailapur
- Economics Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sweeya Raj
- Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Pooja Santapuram
- Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Evan Suzman
- Master's Program in Biomedical Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, University of Texas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ashley E Augustine
- Biological Sciences Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Cleveland, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Aine Muhumuza
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Carissa J Cascio
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kathryn L Williams
- Department of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science, Towson University, Towson, MD, USA
| | - Anne V Kirby
- Department of Occupational and Recreational Therapies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Bahar Keceli-Kaysili
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 8310 South Tower, 1215 21St Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Tiffany G Woynaroski
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 8310 South Tower, 1215 21St Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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5
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Feldman JI, Dunham K, DiCarlo GE, Cassidy M, Liu Y, Suzman E, Williams ZJ, Pulliam G, Kaiser S, Wallace MT, Woynaroski TG. A Randomized Controlled Trial for Audiovisual Multisensory Perception in Autistic Youth. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:4318-4335. [PMID: 36028729 PMCID: PMC9417081 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05709-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Differences in audiovisual integration are commonly observed in autism. Temporal binding windows (TBWs) of audiovisual speech can be trained (i.e., narrowed) in non-autistic adults; this study evaluated a computer-based perceptual training in autistic youth and assessed whether treatment outcomes varied according to individual characteristics. Thirty autistic youth aged 8-21 were randomly assigned to a brief perceptual training (n = 15) or a control condition (n = 15). At post-test, the perceptual training group did not differ, on average, on TBWs for trained and untrained stimuli and perception of the McGurk illusion compared to the control group. The training benefited youth with higher language and nonverbal IQ scores; the training caused widened TBWs in youth with co-occurring cognitive and language impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob I Feldman
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MCE 8310 South Tower, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Kacie Dunham
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Gabriella E DiCarlo
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Mass General Brigham Neurology Residency Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Margaret Cassidy
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yupeng Liu
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Evan Suzman
- Master's Program in Biomedical Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Southwestern School of Medicine, University of Texas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Zachary J Williams
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Grace Pulliam
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sophia Kaiser
- Cognitive Studies Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Tiffany G Woynaroski
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MCE 8310 South Tower, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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6
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Ahrendsen JT, Nong Y, Huo Y, Steele J, Anderson MP. CD8 cytotoxic T-cell infiltrates and cellular damage in the hypothalamus in human obesity. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:163. [PMID: 37814324 PMCID: PMC10563257 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01659-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: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Rare cases of paraneoplastic obesity in children suggest sporadic obesity might also arise from an adaptive immune cell-mediated mechanism. Since the hypothalamus is a central regulator of feeding behavior and energy expenditure, we quantified lymphocytic inflammation in this region in a cohort of obese and non-obese human post-mortem brains. We report that CD8-positive cytotoxic T-cells are increased in hypothalamic median eminence/arcuate nucleus (ME/Arc) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in 40% of obese compared to non-obese patients, but not in other hypothalamic nuclei or brain regions. CD8 T-cells were most abundant in individuals with concurrent obesity and diabetes. Markers of cytotoxic T-cell induced damage, activated caspase 3 and poly-ADP ribose, were also elevated in the ME/Arc of obese patients. To provoke CD8 cytotoxic T-cell infiltrates in ventromedial region of hypothalamus in mice we performed stereotactic injections of an adeno-associated virus expressing immunogenic green fluorescent protein or saline. AAV but not saline injections triggered hypothalamic CD8 T-cell infiltrates associated with a rapid weight gain in mice recapitulating the findings in human obesity. This is the first description of the neuropathology of human obesity and when combined with its reconstitution in a mouse model suggests adaptive immunity may drive as much as 40% of the human condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared T Ahrendsen
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yi Nong
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Neuroscience Therapeutic Focus Area, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Yuda Huo
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Neuroscience Therapeutic Focus Area, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Jasmine Steele
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthew P Anderson
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
- Neuroscience Therapeutic Focus Area, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
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7
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Green HL, Shen G, Franzen RE, Mcnamee M, Berman JI, Mowad TG, Ku M, Bloy L, Liu S, Chen YH, Airey M, McBride E, Goldin S, Dipiero MA, Blaskey L, Kuschner ES, Kim M, Konka K, Roberts TPL, Edgar JC. Differential Maturation of Auditory Cortex Activity in Young Children with Autism and Typical Development. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:4076-4089. [PMID: 35960416 PMCID: PMC9372967 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05696-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Maturation of auditory cortex neural encoding processes was assessed in children with typical development (TD) and autism. Children 6-9 years old were enrolled at Time 1 (T1), with follow-up data obtained ~ 18 months later at Time 2 (T2), and ~ 36 months later at Time 3 (T3). Findings suggested an initial period of rapid auditory cortex maturation in autism, earlier than TD (prior to and surrounding the T1 exam), followed by a period of faster maturation in TD than autism (T1-T3). As a result of group maturation differences, post-stimulus group differences were observed at T1 but not T3. In contrast, stronger pre-stimulus activity in autism than TD was found at all time points, indicating this brain measure is stable across time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather L Green
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Guannan Shen
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rose E Franzen
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marybeth Mcnamee
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jeffrey I Berman
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Theresa G Mowad
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Matthew Ku
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Luke Bloy
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Song Liu
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yu-Han Chen
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Megan Airey
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emma McBride
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sophia Goldin
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marissa A Dipiero
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lisa Blaskey
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Autism Research, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emily S Kuschner
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Autism Research, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mina Kim
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kimberly Konka
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Timothy P L Roberts
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - J Christopher Edgar
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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8
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Shin E, Ravichandran C, Renzi D, Pober BR, McDougle CJ, Thom RP. Diversity of Participants in Williams Syndrome Intervention Studies. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-06088-2. [PMID: 37584767 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06088-2] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study describes participant diversity in Williams syndrome (WS) intervention studies. METHODS A literature search was conducted to identify prospective treatment studies including participants with WS. Data was extracted on the reporting of and information provided on age, sex, cognitive ability, socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity. RESULTS Eleven eligible articles were identified. Reporting rates of demographic factors varied considerably, with the highest rates for age and sex (100%) and the lowest reporting rates for race (18%) and ethnicity (9%). Combining demographic data from the two studies that reported on race and/or ethnicity (n = 33), 88% of participants were White. The combined participant mean age was 20.9 years. CONCLUSION There is a low frequency of reporting on several demographic factors including socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity in WS intervention studies. There is a need for increased representation of racial and ethnic minority groups, older participants, and more cognitively impaired patients in WS research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Shin
- Lurie Center for Autism, 1 Maguire Road, Lexington, MA, 02421, USA
- Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA
| | - Caitlin Ravichandran
- Lurie Center for Autism, 1 Maguire Road, Lexington, MA, 02421, USA
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Danielle Renzi
- Lurie Center for Autism, 1 Maguire Road, Lexington, MA, 02421, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Barbara R Pober
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher J McDougle
- Lurie Center for Autism, 1 Maguire Road, Lexington, MA, 02421, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robyn P Thom
- Lurie Center for Autism, 1 Maguire Road, Lexington, MA, 02421, USA.
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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9
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Mercau ME, Akalu YT, Mazzoni F, Gyimesi G, Alberto EJ, Kong Y, Hafler BP, Finnemann SC, Rothlin CV, Ghosh S. Inflammation of the retinal pigment epithelium drives early-onset photoreceptor degeneration in Mertk-associated retinitis pigmentosa. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eade9459. [PMID: 36662852 PMCID: PMC9858494 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade9459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Severe, early-onset photoreceptor (PR) degeneration associated with MERTK mutations is thought to result from failed phagocytosis by retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Notwithstanding, the severity and onset of PR degeneration in mouse models of Mertk ablation are determined by the hypomorphic expression or the loss of the Mertk paralog Tyro3. Here, we find that loss of Mertk and reduced expression/loss of Tyro3 led to RPE inflammation even before eye-opening. Incipient RPE inflammation cascaded to involve microglia activation and PR degeneration with monocyte infiltration. Inhibition of RPE inflammation with the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib mitigated PR degeneration in Mertk-/- mice. Neither inflammation nor severe, early-onset PR degeneration was observed in mice with defective phagocytosis alone. Thus, inflammation drives severe, early-onset PR degeneration-associated with Mertk loss of function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria E. Mercau
- Department of Immunobiology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yemsratch T. Akalu
- Department of Immunobiology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Francesca Mazzoni
- Center for Cancer, Genetic Diseases and Gene Regulation, Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY 10458, USA
| | - Gavin Gyimesi
- Center for Cancer, Genetic Diseases and Gene Regulation, Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY 10458, USA
| | - Emily J. Alberto
- Department of Immunobiology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yong Kong
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, W. M. Keck Foundation Biotechnology Resource Laboratory, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Brian P. Hafler
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Silvia C. Finnemann
- Center for Cancer, Genetic Diseases and Gene Regulation, Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY 10458, USA
| | - Carla V. Rothlin
- Department of Immunobiology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Sourav Ghosh
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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10
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Wang W, Tan T, Cao Q, Zhang F, Rein B, Duan WM, Yan Z. Histone Deacetylase Inhibition Restores Behavioral and Synaptic Function in a Mouse Model of 16p11.2 Deletion. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2022; 25:877-889. [PMID: 35907244 PMCID: PMC9593221 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyac048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microdeletion of the human 16p11.2 gene locus confers risk for autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability. How 16p11.2 deletion is linked to these neurodevelopmental disorders and whether there are treatment avenues for the manifested phenotypes remain to be elucidated. Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic aberrations are strongly implicated in autism. METHODS We performed behavioral and electrophysiological experiments to examine the therapeutic effects of epigenetic drugs in transgenic mice carrying 16p11.2 deletion (16p11del/+). RESULTS We found that 16p11del/+ mice exhibited a significantly reduced level of histone acetylation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). A short (3-day) treatment with class I histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor MS-275 or Romidepsin led to the prolonged (3-4 weeks) rescue of social and cognitive deficits in 16p11del/+ mice. Concomitantly, MS-275 treatment reversed the hypoactivity of PFC pyramidal neurons and the hyperactivity of PFC fast-spiking interneurons. Moreover, the diminished N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated synaptic currents and the elevated GABAA receptor-mediated synaptic currents in PFC pyramidal neurons of 16p11del/+ mice were restored to control levels by MS-275 treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that HDAC inhibition provides a highly effective therapeutic strategy for behavioral deficits and excitation/inhibition imbalance in 16p11del/+ mice, likely via normalization of synaptic function in the PFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Tao Tan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Qing Cao
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Freddy Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin Rein
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Wei-Ming Duan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Zhen Yan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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11
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Ryu J, Torres E. Toward interpretable digital biomarkers of walking and reaching in Parkinson's disease. Wearable Technol 2022; 3:e21. [PMID: 38486899 PMCID: PMC10936352 DOI: 10.1017/wtc.2022.16] [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] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Multimodal digital data registered with wearable biosensors have emerged as highly complementary of clinical pencil-and-paper criteria, offering new insights in ways to detect and diagnose various aspects of Parkinson's disease (PD). A pressing question is how to combine both the clinical knowledge of PD and the new technology to create interpretable digital biomarkers easily obtainable with off-the-shelf technology. Several challenges concerning disparity in biophysical units, anatomical differences across participants, sensor positioning, and sampling resolution are addressed in this work, along with identification of optimal parameters to automatically differentiate patients with PD from controls. We combine data from a multitude of biosensors registering signals from the central (electroencephalography) and peripheral (magnetometry, kinematics) nervous systems, inclusive of the autonomic nervous system (electrocardiogram), as the participants perform natural tasks requiring different levels of intentional planning and automatic control. We find that magnetometer data during walking, across a variety of amplitude and timing signals, provide optimal separation of PD from neurotypical controls. We conclude that using multimodal signals within the context of actions that bear different levels of intent, can be revealing of features of PD that would scape the naked eye. Further, we add that clinical criteria combined with such optimal digital parameter spaces offer a far more complete picture of PD than using either one of these pieces of data alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihye Ryu
- Neurosurgery Department, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California90095, USA
- Psychology Department, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Elizabeth Torres
- Psychology Department, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Rutgers University Center for Cognitive Science, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Computer Science Department, Computational Biomedicine Imaging and Modeling Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
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12
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Bharadwaj H, Mamashli F, Khan S, Singh R, Joseph RM, Losh A, Pawlyszyn S, McGuiggan NM, Graham S, Hämäläinen MS, Kenet T. Cortical signatures of auditory object binding in children with autism spectrum disorder are anomalous in concordance with behavior and diagnosis. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001541. [PMID: 35167585 PMCID: PMC8884487 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001541] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Organizing sensory information into coherent perceptual objects is fundamental to everyday perception and communication. In the visual domain, indirect evidence from cortical responses suggests that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have anomalous figure-ground segregation. While auditory processing abnormalities are common in ASD, especially in environments with multiple sound sources, to date, the question of scene segregation in ASD has not been directly investigated in audition. Using magnetoencephalography, we measured cortical responses to unattended (passively experienced) auditory stimuli while parametrically manipulating the degree of temporal coherence that facilitates auditory figure-ground segregation. Results from 21 children with ASD (aged 7-17 years) and 26 age- and IQ-matched typically developing children provide evidence that children with ASD show anomalous growth of cortical neural responses with increasing temporal coherence of the auditory figure. The documented neurophysiological abnormalities did not depend on age, and were reflected both in the response evoked by changes in temporal coherence of the auditory scene and in the associated induced gamma rhythms. Furthermore, the individual neural measures were predictive of diagnosis (83% accuracy) and also correlated with behavioral measures of ASD severity and auditory processing abnormalities. These findings offer new insight into the neural mechanisms underlying auditory perceptual deficits and sensory overload in ASD, and suggest that temporal-coherence-based auditory scene analysis and suprathreshold processing of coherent auditory objects may be atypical in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hari Bharadwaj
- Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Fahimeh Mamashli
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sheraz Khan
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ravinderjit Singh
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Robert M. Joseph
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ainsley Losh
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Stephanie Pawlyszyn
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nicole M. McGuiggan
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Steven Graham
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Matti S. Hämäläinen
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Tal Kenet
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Robert B, Kimchi EY, Watanabe Y, Chakoma T, Jing M, Li Y, Polley DB. A functional topography within the cholinergic basal forebrain for encoding sensory cues and behavioral reinforcement outcomes. eLife 2021; 10:e69514. [PMID: 34821218 PMCID: PMC8654357 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs) project throughout the cortex to regulate arousal, stimulus salience, plasticity, and learning. Although often treated as a monolithic structure, the basal forebrain features distinct connectivity along its rostrocaudal axis that could impart regional differences in BFCN processing. Here, we performed simultaneous bulk calcium imaging from rostral and caudal BFCNs over a 1-month period of variable reinforcement learning in mice. BFCNs in both regions showed equivalently weak responses to unconditioned visual stimuli and anticipated rewards. Rostral BFCNs in the horizontal limb of the diagonal band were more responsive to reward omission, more accurately classified behavioral outcomes, and more closely tracked fluctuations in pupil-indexed global brain state. Caudal tail BFCNs in globus pallidus and substantia innominata were more responsive to unconditioned auditory stimuli, orofacial movements, aversive reinforcement, and showed robust associative plasticity for punishment-predicting cues. These results identify a functional topography that diversifies cholinergic modulatory signals broadcast to downstream brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blaise Robert
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
| | - Eyal Y Kimchi
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Yurika Watanabe
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
| | - Tatenda Chakoma
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
| | - Miao Jing
- Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, BeijingBeijingChina
| | - Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBostonUnited States
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
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Williams ZJ, Gotham KO. Improving the measurement of alexithymia in autistic adults: a psychometric investigation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and generation of a general alexithymia factor score using item response theory. Mol Autism 2021; 12:56. [PMID: 34376227 PMCID: PMC8353782 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00463-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [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: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexithymia, a personality trait characterized by difficulties interpreting emotional states, is commonly elevated in autistic adults, and a growing body of literature suggests that this trait underlies several cognitive and emotional differences previously attributed to autism. Although questionnaires such as the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) are frequently used to measure alexithymia in the autistic population, few studies have investigated the psychometric properties of these questionnaires in autistic adults, including whether differential item functioning (I-DIF) exists between autistic and general population adults. METHODS This study is a revised version of a previous article that was retracted due to copyright concerns (Williams and Gotham in Mol Autism 12:1-40). We conducted an in-depth psychometric analysis of the TAS-20 in a large sample of 743 cognitively able autistic adults recruited from the Simons Foundation SPARK participant pool and 721 general population controls enrolled in a large international psychological study. The factor structure of the TAS-20 was examined using confirmatory factor analysis, and item response theory was used to generate a subset of the items that were strong indicators of a "general alexithymia" factor. Correlations between alexithymia and other clinical outcomes were used to assess the nomological validity of the new alexithymia score in the SPARK sample. RESULTS The TAS-20 did not exhibit adequate model fit in either the autistic or general population samples. Empirically driven item reduction was undertaken, resulting in an 8-item general alexithymia factor score (GAFS-8, with "TAS" no longer referenced due to copyright) with sound psychometric properties and practically ignorable I-DIF between diagnostic groups. Correlational analyses indicated that GAFS-8 scores, as derived from the TAS-20, meaningfully predict autistic trait levels, repetitive behaviors, and depression symptoms, even after controlling for trait neuroticism. The GAFS-8 also presented no meaningful decrement in nomological validity over the full TAS-20 in autistic participants. LIMITATIONS Limitations of the current study include a sample of autistic adults that was majority female, later diagnosed, and well educated; clinical and control groups drawn from different studies with variable measures; only 16 of the TAS-20 items being administered to the non-autistic sample; and an inability to test several other important psychometric characteristics of the GAFS-8, including sensitivity to change and I-DIF across multiple administrations. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate the potential of the GAFS-8 to robustly measure alexithymia in both autistic and non-autistic adults. A free online score calculator has been created to facilitate the use of norm-referenced GAFS-8 latent trait scores in research applications (available at https://asdmeasures.shinyapps.io/alexithymia ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J. Williams
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 1215 21st Avenue South, Medical Center East, Room 8310, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
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15
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Suzman E, Williams ZJ, Feldman JI, Failla M, Cascio CJ, Wallace MT, Niarchou M, Sutcliffe JS, Wodka E, Woynaroski TG. Psychometric validation and refinement of the Interoception Sensory Questionnaire (ISQ) in adolescents and adults on the autism spectrum. Mol Autism 2021; 12:42. [PMID: 34099040 PMCID: PMC8185943 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00440-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals on the autism spectrum are reported to display alterations in interoception, the sense of the internal state of the body. The Interoception Sensory Questionnaire (ISQ) is a 20-item self-report measure of interoception specifically intended to measure this construct in autistic people. The psychometrics of the ISQ, however, have not previously been evaluated in a large sample of autistic individuals. METHODS Using confirmatory factor analysis, we evaluated the latent structure of the ISQ in a large online sample of adults on the autism spectrum and found that the unidimensional model fit the data poorly. Using misspecification analysis to identify areas of local misfit and item response theory to investigate the appropriateness of the seven-point response scale, we removed redundant items and collapsed the response options to put forth a novel eight-item, five-response choice ISQ. RESULTS The revised, five-response choice ISQ (ISQ-8) showed much improved fit while maintaining high internal reliability. Differential item functioning (DIF) analyses indicated that the items of the ISQ-8 were answered in comparable ways by autistic adolescents and adults and across multiple other sociodemographic groups. LIMITATIONS Our results were limited by the fact that we did not collect data for typically developing controls, preventing the analysis of DIF by diagnostic status. Additionally, while this study proposes a new 5-response scale for the ISQ-8, our data were not collected using this method; thus, the psychometric properties for the revised version of this instrument require further investigation. CONCLUSION The ISQ-8 shows promise as a reliable and valid measure of interoception in adolescents and adults on the autism spectrum, but additional work is needed to examine its psychometrics in this population. A free online score calculator has been created to facilitate the use of ISQ-8 latent trait scores for further studies of autistic adolescents and adults (available at https://asdmeasures.shinyapps.io/ISQ_score/ ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Suzman
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Vanderbilt University, 1215 21st Avenue South, Medical Center East, Room 8310, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Zachary J. Williams
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Avenue South, Medical Center East, Room 8310, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Jacob I. Feldman
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Avenue South, Medical Center East, Room 8310, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Michelle Failla
- Center for Healthy Aging, Self Management and Complex Care, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH USA
| | - Carissa J. Cascio
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Mark T. Wallace
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Avenue South, Medical Center East, Room 8310, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Maria Niarchou
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
| | - James S. Sutcliffe
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Ericka Wodka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
- Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Tiffany G. Woynaroski
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Avenue South, Medical Center East, Room 8310, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
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Williams ZJ, Gotham KO. Improving the measurement of alexithymia in autistic adults: a psychometric investigation and refinement of the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Mol Autism 2021; 12:20. [PMID: 33653400 PMCID: PMC7971146 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00427-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexithymia, a personality trait characterized by difficulties interpreting one's own emotional states, is commonly elevated in autistic adults, and a growing body of literature suggests that this trait underlies a number of cognitive and emotional differences previously attributed to autism, such as difficulties in facial emotion recognition and reduced empathy. Although questionnaires such as the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) are frequently used to measure alexithymia in the autistic population, few studies have attempted to determine the psychometric properties of these questionnaires in autistic adults, including whether differential item functioning (I-DIF) exists between autistic and general population adults. METHODS We conducted an in-depth psychometric analysis of the TAS-20 in a large sample of 743 verbal autistic adults recruited from the Simons Foundation SPARK participant pool and 721 general population controls enrolled in a large international psychological study (the Human Penguin Project). The factor structure of the TAS-20 was examined using confirmatory factor analysis, and item response theory was used to further refine the scale based on local model misfit and I-DIF between the groups. Correlations between alexithymia and other clinical outcomes such as autistic traits, anxiety, and quality-of-life were used to assess the nomological validity of the revised alexithymia scale in the SPARK sample. RESULTS The TAS-20 did not exhibit adequate global model fit in either the autistic or general population samples. Empirically driven item reduction was undertaken, resulting in an eight-item unidimensional scale (TAS-8) with sound psychometric properties and practically ignorable I-DIF between diagnostic groups. Correlational analyses indicated that TAS-8 scores meaningfully predict autistic trait levels, anxiety and depression symptoms, and quality of life, even after controlling for trait neuroticism. LIMITATIONS Limitations of the current study include a sample of autistic adults that was overwhelmingly female, later-diagnosed, and well-educated; clinical and control groups drawn from different studies with variable measures; and an inability to test several other important psychometric characteristics of the TAS-8, including sensitivity to change and I-DIF across multiple administrations. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate the potential of the TAS-8 as a psychometrically robust tool to measure alexithymia in both autistic and non-autistic adults. A free online score calculator has been created to facilitate the use of norm-referenced TAS-8 latent trait scores in research applications (available at http://asdmeasures.shinyapps.io/TAS8_Score ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J. Williams
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Avenue South, Medical Center East, Room 8310, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
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17
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Edelson SM, Nicholas DB, Stoddart KP, Bauman MB, Mawlam L, Lawson WB, Jose C, Morris R, Wright SD. Strategies for Research, Practice, and Policy for Autism in Later Life: A Report from a Think Tank on Aging and Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 51:382-390. [PMID: 32361792 PMCID: PMC7195819 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04514-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, there has been a growing interest in adults on the autistic spectrum, and more recently, the challenges related to aging in this population. A two-day Think Tank meeting, focused on aging in autism, was convened amongst international leaders in the field of autism research and practice. This meeting included a series of presentations addressing the current status of aging research, followed by discussions regarding priorities going forward. Attendees shared their thoughts and concerns regarding community services, government policies, societal perspectives and physical and mental health. The goal of these discussions was to consider systematic approaches aimed at providing meaningful supports that can ensure a quality of life for seniors on the autism spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Edelson
- Autism Research Institute, 4182 Adams Avenue, San Diego, CA, 92116, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | - Wenn B Lawson
- Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Birmingham University, Birmingham, England
| | - Caroline Jose
- Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit, University of Moncton, Moncton, Canada
| | - Rae Morris
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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18
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Abstract
How do we construct a sense of place in a real-world environment? Real-world environments are actively explored via saccades, head turns, and body movements. Yet, little is known about how humans process real-world scene information during active viewing conditions. Here, we exploited recent developments in virtual reality (VR) and in-headset eye-tracking to test the impact of active vs. passive viewing conditions on gaze behavior while participants explored novel, real-world, 360° scenes. In one condition, participants actively explored 360° photospheres from a first-person perspective via self-directed motion (saccades and head turns). In another condition, photospheres were passively displayed to participants while they were head-restricted. We found that, relative to passive viewers, active viewers displayed increased attention to semantically meaningful scene regions, suggesting more exploratory, information-seeking gaze behavior. We also observed signatures of exploratory behavior in eye movements, such as quicker, more entropic fixations during active as compared with passive viewing conditions. These results show that active viewing influences every aspect of gaze behavior, from the way we move our eyes to what we choose to attend to. Moreover, these results offer key benchmark measurements of gaze behavior in 360°, naturalistic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J Haskins
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
| | - Jeff Mentch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Thomas L Botch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Caroline E Robertson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
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19
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Coulter ME, Musaev D, DeGennaro EM, Zhang X, Henke K, James KN, Smith RS, Hill RS, Partlow JN, Muna Al-Saffar, Kamumbu AS, Hatem N, Barkovich AJ, Aziza J, Chassaing N, Zaki MS, Sultan T, Burglen L, Rajab A, Al-Gazali L, Mochida GH, Harris MP, Gleeson JG, Walsh CA. Regulation of human cerebral cortical development by EXOC7 and EXOC8, components of the exocyst complex, and roles in neural progenitor cell proliferation and survival. Genet Med 2020; 22:1040-1050. [PMID: 32103185 PMCID: PMC7272323 DOI: 10.1038/s41436-020-0758-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The exocyst complex is a conserved protein complex that mediates fusion of intracellular vesicles to the plasma membrane and is implicated in processes including cell polarity, cell migration, ciliogenesis, cytokinesis, autophagy, and fusion of secretory vesicles. The essential role of these genes in human genetic disorders, however, is unknown. METHODS We performed homozygosity mapping and exome sequencing of consanguineous families with recessively inherited brain development disorders. We modeled an EXOC7 splice variant in vitro and examined EXOC7 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in developing mouse and human cortex. We modeled exoc7 loss-of-function in a zebrafish knockout. RESULTS We report variants in exocyst complex members, EXOC7 and EXOC8, in a novel disorder of cerebral cortex development. In EXOC7, we identified four independent partial loss-of-function (LOF) variants in a recessively inherited disorder characterized by brain atrophy, seizures, and developmental delay, and in severe cases, microcephaly and infantile death. In EXOC8, we found a homozygous truncating variant in a family with a similar clinical disorder. We modeled exoc7 deficiency in zebrafish and found the absence of exoc7 causes microcephaly. CONCLUSION Our results highlight the essential role of the exocyst pathway in normal cortical development and how its perturbation causes complex brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Coulter
- Division of Genetics and Genomics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Neuroscience and Harvard/MIT MD-PHD Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Damir Musaev
- Department of Neurosciences and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ellen M DeGennaro
- Division of Genetics and Genomics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xiaochang Zhang
- Division of Genetics and Genomics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Katrin Henke
- Division of Orthopedic Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kiely N James
- Department of Neurosciences and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Richard S Smith
- Division of Genetics and Genomics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - R Sean Hill
- Division of Genetics and Genomics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer N Partlow
- Division of Genetics and Genomics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Muna Al-Saffar
- Division of Genetics and Genomics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Paediatrics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - A Stacy Kamumbu
- Division of Genetics and Genomics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicole Hatem
- Division of Genetics and Genomics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - A James Barkovich
- Benioff Children's Hospital, Departments of Radiology, Pediatrics, Neurology, and Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jacqueline Aziza
- Département de Pathologie, Institut Universitaire du Cancer de Toulouse-Oncopole-CHU Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Nicolas Chassaing
- Service de Génétique Médicale, CHU Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- UDEAR; UMR 1056 Inserm-Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Maha S Zaki
- Clinical Genetics Department, Human Genetics and Genome Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Tipu Sultan
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Institute of Child Health & The Children's Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Lydie Burglen
- Centre de référence des malformations et maladies congénitales du cervelet, Département de génétique, AP-HP.Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Hôpital Trousseau and Developmental Brain Disorders Laboratory, Imagine Institute, INSERM UMR 1163, Paris, France
| | - Anna Rajab
- National Genetics Center, Directorate General of Health Affairs, Ministry of Health, Muscat, Oman
| | - Lihadh Al-Gazali
- Department of Paediatrics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ganeshwaran H Mochida
- Division of Genetics and Genomics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew P Harris
- Division of Orthopedic Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph G Gleeson
- Department of Neurosciences and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Christopher A Walsh
- Division of Genetics and Genomics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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DiStasio MM, Nagakura I, Nadler MJ, Anderson MP. T lymphocytes and cytotoxic astrocyte blebs correlate across autism brains. Ann Neurol 2019; 86:885-898. [PMID: 31591744 PMCID: PMC7210715 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects 1 in 59 children, yet except for rare genetic causes, the etiology in most ASD remains unknown. In the ASD brain, inflammatory cytokine and transcript profiling shows increased expression of genes encoding mediators of the innate immune response. We evaluated postmortem brain tissue for adaptive immune cells and immune cell-mediated cytotoxic damage that could drive this innate immune response in the ASD brain. METHODS Standard neuropathology diagnostic methods including histology and immunohistochemistry were extended with automated image segmentation to quantify identified pathologic features in the postmortem brains. RESULTS We report multifocal perivascular lymphocytic cuffs contain increased numbers of lymphocytes in ~65% of ASD compared to control brains in males and females, across all ages, in most brain regions, and in white and gray matter, and leptomeninges. CD3+ T lymphocytes predominate over CD20+ B lymphocytes and CD8+ over CD4+ T lymphocytes in ASD brains. Importantly, the perivascular cuff lymphocyte numbers correlate to the quantity of astrocyte-derived round membranous blebs. Membranous blebs form as a cytotoxic reaction to lymphocyte attack. Consistent with multifocal immune cell-mediated injury at perivascular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-brain barriers, a subset of white matter vessels have increased perivascular space (with jagged contours) and collagen in ASD compared to control brains. CSF-brain barrier pathology is also evident at cerebral cortex pial and ventricular ependymal surfaces in ASD. INTERPRETATION The findings suggest dysregulated cellular immunity damages astrocytes at foci along the CSF-brain barrier in ASD. ANN NEUROL 2019;86:885-898.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello M. DiStasio
- Departments of Neurology and Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ikue Nagakura
- Departments of Neurology and Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Monica J. Nadler
- Departments of Neurology and Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Matthew P. Anderson
- Departments of Neurology and Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Boston Children’s Hospital Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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21
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Niemann MCE, Weber H, Hluska T, Leonte G, Anderson SM, Novák O, Senes A, Werner T. The Cytokinin Oxidase/Dehydrogenase CKX1 Is a Membrane-Bound Protein Requiring Homooligomerization in the Endoplasmic Reticulum for Its Cellular Activity. Plant Physiol 2018; 176:2024-2039. [PMID: 29301955 PMCID: PMC5841711 DOI: 10.1104/pp.17.00925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Degradation of the plant hormone cytokinin is controlled by cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX) enzymes. The molecular and cellular behavior of these proteins is still largely unknown. In this study, we show that CKX1 is a type II single-pass membrane protein that localizes predominantly to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). This indicates that this CKX isoform is a bona fide ER protein directly controlling the cytokinin, which triggers the signaling from the ER. By using various approaches, we demonstrate that CKX1 forms homodimers and homooligomers in vivo. The amino-terminal part of CKX1 was necessary and sufficient for the protein oligomerization as well as for targeting and retention in the ER. Moreover, we show that protein-protein interaction is largely facilitated by transmembrane helices and depends on a functional GxxxG-like interaction motif. Importantly, mutations rendering CKX1 monomeric interfere with its steady-state localization in the ER and cause a loss of the CKX1 biological activity by increasing its ER-associated degradation. Therefore, our study provides evidence that oligomerization is a crucial parameter regulating CKX1 biological activity and the cytokinin concentration in the ER. The work also lends strong support for the cytokinin signaling from the ER and for the functional relevance of the cytokinin pool in this compartment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C E Niemann
- Institute of Biology/Applied Genetics, Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Henriette Weber
- Institute of Biology/Applied Genetics, Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tomáš Hluska
- Department of Molecular Biology, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Georgeta Leonte
- Institute of Biology/Applied Genetics, Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Samantha M Anderson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Ondřej Novák
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University and Institute of Experimental Botany ASCR, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Alessandro Senes
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Tomáš Werner
- Institute of Biology/Applied Genetics, Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University and Institute of Experimental Botany ASCR, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
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22
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Chenausky K, Norton A, Tager-Flusberg H, Schlaug G. Auditory-Motor Mapping Training: Comparing the Effects of a Novel Speech Treatment to a Control Treatment for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164930. [PMID: 27829034 PMCID: PMC5102445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [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: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This study compared Auditory-Motor Mapping Training (AMMT), an intonation-based treatment for facilitating spoken language in minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), to a matched control treatment, Speech Repetition Therapy (SRT). 23 minimally verbal children with ASD (20 male, mean age 6;5) received at least 25 sessions of AMMT. Seven (all male) were matched on age and verbal ability to seven participants (five male) who received SRT. Outcome measures were Percent Syllables Approximated, Percent Consonants Correct (of 86), and Percent Vowels Correct (of 61) produced on two sets of 15 bisyllabic stimuli. All subjects were assessed on these measures several times at baseline and after 10, 15, 20, and 25 sessions. The post-25 session assessment timepoint, common to all participants, was compared to Best Baseline performance. Overall, after 25 sessions, AMMT participants increased by 19.4% Syllables Approximated, 13.8% Consonants Correct, and19.1% Vowels Correct, compared to Best Baseline. In the matched AMMT-SRT group, after 25 sessions, AMMT participants produced 29.0% more Syllables Approximated (SRT 3.6%);17.9% more Consonants Correct (SRT 0.5); and 17.6% more Vowels Correct (SRT 0.8%). Chi-square tests showed that significantly more AMMT than SRT participants in both the overall and matched groups improved significantly in number of Syllables Approximated per stimulus and number of Consonants Correct per stimulus. Pre-treatment ability to imitate phonemes, but not chronological age or baseline performance on outcome measures, was significantly correlated with amount of improvement after 25 sessions. Intonation-based therapy may offer a promising new interventional approach for teaching spoken language to minimally verbal children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Chenausky
- Music and Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States of America
- Center for Autism Research Excellence, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, United States of America
| | - Andrea Norton
- Music and Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States of America
| | - Helen Tager-Flusberg
- Center for Autism Research Excellence, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, United States of America
| | - Gottfried Schlaug
- Music and Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States of America
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