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Danner B, Gonzalez AD, Corbett WC, Alhneif M, Etemadmoghadam S, Parker-Garza J, Flanagan ME. Brain banking in the United States and Europe: Importance, challenges, and future trends. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2024; 83:219-229. [PMID: 38506125 PMCID: PMC10951968 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlae014] [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: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, brain banks have become valuable resources for examining the molecular underpinnings of various neurological and psychological disorders including Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease. However, the availability of brain tissue has significantly declined. Proper collection, preparation, and preservation of postmortem autopsy tissue are essential for optimal downstream brain tissue distribution and experimentation. Collaborations between brain banks through larger networks such as NeuroBioBank with centralized sample request mechanisms promote tissue distribution where brain donations are disproportionately lower. Collaborations between brain banking networks also help to standardize the brain donation and sample preparation processes, ensuring proper distribution and experimentation. Ethical brain donation and thorough processing enhances the responsible conduct of scientific studies. Education and outreach programs that foster collaboration between hospitals, nursing homes, neuropathologists, and other research scientists help to alleviate concerns among potential brain donors. Furthermore, ensuring that biorepositories accurately reflect the true demographics of communities will result in research data that reliably represent populations. Implementing these measures will grant scientists improved access to brain tissue, facilitating a deeper understanding of the neurological diseases that impact millions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Danner
- Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Angelique D Gonzalez
- Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - William Cole Corbett
- Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Mohammad Alhneif
- Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Shahroo Etemadmoghadam
- Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Julie Parker-Garza
- Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Margaret E Flanagan
- Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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Koenning M, Wang X, Karki M, Jangid RK, Kearns S, Tripathi DN, Cianfrocco M, Verhey KJ, Jung SY, Coarfa C, Ward CS, Kalish BT, Grimm SL, Rathmell WK, Mostany R, Dere R, Rasband MN, Walker CL, Park IY. Neuronal SETD2 activity links microtubule methylation to an anxiety-like phenotype in mice. Brain 2021; 144:2527-2540. [PMID: 34014281 PMCID: PMC8418347 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene discovery efforts in autism spectrum disorder have identified heterozygous defects in chromatin remodeller genes, the 'readers, writers and erasers' of methyl marks on chromatin, as major contributors to this disease. Despite this advance, a convergent aetiology between these defects and aberrant chromatin architecture or gene expression has remained elusive. Recently, data have begun to emerge that chromatin remodellers also function directly on the cytoskeleton. Strongly associated with autism spectrum disorder, the SETD2 histone methyltransferase for example, has now been shown to directly methylate microtubules of the mitotic spindle. However, whether microtubule methylation occurs in post-mitotic cells, for example on the neuronal cytoskeleton, is not known. We found the SETD2 α-tubulin lysine 40 trimethyl mark occurs on microtubules in the brain and in primary neurons in culture, and that the SETD2 C-terminal SRI domain is required for binding and methylation of α-tubulin. A CRISPR knock-in of a pathogenic SRI domain mutation (Setd2SRI) that disables microtubule methylation revealed at least one wild-type allele was required in mice for survival, and while viable, heterozygous Setd2SRI/wtmice exhibited an anxiety-like phenotype. Finally, whereas RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq) showed no concomitant changes in chromatin methylation or gene expression in Setd2SRI/wtmice, primary neurons exhibited structural deficits in axon length and dendritic arborization. These data provide the first demonstration that microtubules of neurons are methylated, and reveals a heterozygous chromatin remodeller defect that specifically disables microtubule methylation is sufficient to drive an autism-associated phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Koenning
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xianlong Wang
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Menuka Karki
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rahul Kumar Jangid
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sarah Kearns
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Durga Nand Tripathi
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Michael Cianfrocco
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kristen J Verhey
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sung Yun Jung
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cristian Coarfa
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Christopher Scott Ward
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Mouse Metabolic and Phenotyping Core, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Sandra L Grimm
- Advanced Technology Cores, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - W Kimryn Rathmell
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Ricardo Mostany
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Ruhee Dere
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Cheryl Lyn Walker
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - In Young Park
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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