scholarly journals Modulation of cognition and neuronal plasticity in gain- and loss-of-function mouse models of the schizophrenia risk gene Tcf4

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Badowska ◽  
M. M. Brzózka ◽  
N. Kannaiyan ◽  
C. Thomas ◽  
P. Dibaj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Models ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Gene Dosage ◽  
Long Term Potentiation ◽  
Synaptic Function ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Gene Dosage Effects ◽  
Dosage Effects

Abstract The transcription factor TCF4 was confirmed in several large genome-wide association studies as one of the most significant schizophrenia (SZ) susceptibility genes. Transgenic mice moderately overexpressing Tcf4 in forebrain (Tcf4tg) display deficits in fear memory and sensorimotor gating. As second hit, we exposed Tcf4tg animals to isolation rearing (IR), chronic social defeat (SD), enriched environment (EE), or handling control (HC) conditions and examined mice with heterozygous deletion of the exon 4 (Tcf4Ex4δ+/−) to unravel gene-dosage effects. We applied multivariate statistics for behavioral profiling and demonstrate that IR and SD cause strong cognitive deficits of Tcf4tg mice, whereas EE masked the genetic vulnerability. We observed enhanced long-term depression in Tcf4tg mice and enhanced long-term potentiation in Tcf4Ex4δ+/− mice indicating specific gene-dosage effects. Tcf4tg mice showed higher density of immature spines during development as assessed by STED nanoscopy and proteomic analyses of synaptosomes revealed concurrently increased levels of proteins involved in synaptic function and metabolic pathways. We conclude that environmental stress and Tcf4 misexpression precipitate cognitive deficits in 2-hit mouse models of relevance for schizophrenia.

scholarly journals Differential Gene Dosage Effects of Diabetes-Associated Gene GLIS3 in Pancreatic β Cell Differentiation and Function

Endocrinology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 158 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yisheng Yang ◽  
Sean P. Bush ◽  
Xianjie Wen ◽  
Wei Cao ◽  
Lawrence Chan
Keyword(s):  
Messenger Rna ◽  
Gene Dosage ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Neonatal Diabetes ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Β Cell ◽  
Gene Dosage Effects ◽  
Dosage Effects ◽  
Severe Diabetes ◽  
Deficient Mice

Abstract Mutations of GLI-similar 3 (GLIS3) underlie a neonatal diabetes syndrome. Genome-wide association studies revealed that GLIS3 variants are associated with both common type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Global Glis3-deficient (Glis3−/−) mice die of severe diabetes shortly after birth. GLIS3 controls islet differentiation by transactivating neurogenin 3 (Ngn3). To unravel the function of Glis3 in adults, we generated inducible global Glis3-deficient mice (Glis3fl/fl/RosaCreERT2). Tamoxifen (TAM)-treated Glis3fl/fl/RosaCreERT2 mice developed severe diabetes, which was reproduced in TAM-treated β cell–specific Glis3fl/fl/Pdx1CreERT mice, but not in TAM-treated Glis3fl/fl/MipCreERT mice. Furthermore, we generated constitutive β cell– or pancreas-specific Glis3-deficient mice using either RipCre (Glis3fl/fl/RipCre) or Pdx1Cre (Glis3fl/fl/Pdx1Cre) coexpressing mice. We observed that, remarkably, neither type of β cell– or pancreas-specific Glis3-deficient mice phenocopied the lethal neonatal diabetes observed in Glis3−/− mice. All Glis3fl/fl/RipCre mice survived to adulthood with normal glucose tolerance. Thirty percent of Glis3fl/fl/Pdx1Cre mice developed severe diabetes at 3 to 4 weeks of age, whereas 55% of them developed mild diabetes with age. In contrast to the >90% reduction of Ngn3 and near-total absence of insulin (Ins) in the embryonic pancreas of Glis3−/− mice, we found only 75%–80% reduction of Ngn3 and Ins messenger RNA or protein expression in the fetal pancreas of Glis3fl/fl/Pdx1Cre mice. The expression levels of Ngn3 and Ins correlated negatively with the extent of Cre-mediated Glis3 deletion. These mouse models are powerful tools to decipher Glis3 gene dosage effects and the role of GLIS3 mutations/variants in a spectrum of β cell dysfunction in people.

scholarly journals Genetics advances and learning disability

2000 ◽  
Vol 176 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter J. Muir
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disability ◽  
Gene Dosage ◽  
Genetic Disorders ◽  
Molecular Medicine ◽  
Gene Dosage Effects ◽  
Dosage Effects ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Basic Understanding ◽  
Genetic Mechanisms ◽  
Dynamic Mutations

BackgroundMedicine is rapidly becoming molecular medicine, and little escapes the grasp of modern genetics. Most disorders associated with learning disability have at least a genetic component influencing their expression; in many disorders, disturbances of genetic mechanisms play a pivotal role.AimsDynamic mutations, imprinting mechanisms and gene-dosage effects are explained with reference to genetic disorders that lead to learning disability.MethodA review of recent important studies in the genetics of learning disability.ResultsA host of new genetic connections to conditions associated with learning disability have been made.ConclusionsA basic understanding of these genetic connections is important for all learning disability psychiatrists if they are to follow the rapid changes – already beginning to influence our practice – that hold immense promise for the future.

scholarly journals GPR68 deletion impairs hippocampal long-term potentiation and passive avoidance behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanyuan Xu ◽  
Mike T. Lin ◽  
Xiang-ming Zha
Keyword(s):  
Passive Avoidance ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Granule Cells ◽  
Hippocampal Slices ◽  
Synaptic Cleft ◽  
Long Term Potentiation ◽  
Synaptic Function ◽  
Metabotropic Receptor ◽  
Term Potentiation

Abstract Increased neural activities reduced pH at the synaptic cleft and interstitial spaces. Recent studies have shown that protons function as a neurotransmitter. However, it remains unclear whether protons signal through a metabotropic receptor to regulate synaptic function. Here, we showed that GPR68, a proton-sensitive GPCR, exhibited wide expression in the hippocampus, with higher expression observed in CA3 pyramidal neurons and dentate granule cells. In organotypic hippocampal slice neurons, ectopically expressed GPR68-GFP was present in dendrites, dendritic spines, and axons. Recordings in hippocampal slices isolated from GPR68−/− mice showed a reduced fiber volley at the Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses, a reduced long-term potentiation (LTP), but unaltered paired-pulse ratio. In a step-through passive avoidance test, GPR68−/− mice exhibited reduced avoidance to the dark chamber. These findings showed that GPR68 contributes to hippocampal LTP and aversive fear memory.

scholarly journals Putative role of pharmacogenetics to elucidate the mechanism of tardive dyskinesia in schizophrenia

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (17) ◽  
pp. 1199-1223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton JM Loonen ◽  
Bob Wilffert ◽  
Svetlana A Ivanova
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Tardive Dyskinesia ◽  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Long Term Potentiation ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Medium Spiny Neurons ◽  
Spiny Neurons ◽  
Long Term Treatment

Identifying biomarkers which can be used as a diagnostic tool is a major objective of pharmacogenetic studies. Most mental and many neurological disorders have a compiled multifaceted nature, which may be the reason why this endeavor has hitherto not been very successful. This is also true for tardive dyskinesia (TD), an involuntary movement complication of long-term treatment with antipsychotic drugs. The observed associations of specific gene variants with the prevalence and severity of a disorder can also be applied to try to elucidate the pathogenesis of the condition. In this paper, this strategy is used by combining pharmacogenetic knowledge with theories on the possible role of a dysfunction of specific cellular elements of neostriatal parts of the (dorsal) extrapyramidal circuits: various glutamatergic terminals, medium spiny neurons, striatal interneurons and ascending monoaminergic fibers. A peculiar finding is that genetic variants which would be expected to increase the neostriatal dopamine concentration are not associated with the prevalence and severity of TD. Moreover, modifying the sensitivity to glutamatergic long-term potentiation (and excitotoxicity) shows a relationship with levodopa-induced dyskinesia, but not with TD. Contrasting this, TD is associated with genetic variants that modify vulnerability to oxidative stress. Reducing the oxidative stress burden of medium spiny neurons may also be the mechanism behind the protective influence of 5-HT2 receptor antagonists. It is probably worthwhile to discriminate between neostriatal matrix and striosomal compartments when studying the mechanism of TD and between orofacial and limb-truncal components in epidemiological studies.

scholarly journals Pre- and Postnatal Propylthiouracil-Induced Hypothyroidism Impairs Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity in Area CA1 of the Neonatal Rat Hippocampus

Endocrinology ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 144 (9) ◽  
pp. 4195-4203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Sui ◽  
M. E. Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Hormone ◽  
Synaptic Transmission ◽  
Long Term Potentiation ◽  
Synaptic Function ◽  
Learning Deficits ◽  
Paired Pulse ◽  
Area Ca1 ◽  
Term Potentiation ◽  
Paired Pulse Depression

Abstract Thyroid hormones are essential for neonatal brain development. It is well established that insufficiency of thyroid hormone during critical periods of development can impair cognitive functions. The mechanisms that underlie learning deficits in hypothyroid animals, however, are not well understood. As impairments in synaptic function are likely to contribute to cognitive deficits, the current study tested whether thyroid hormone insufficiency during development would alter quantitative characteristics of synaptic function in the hippocampus. Developing rats were exposed in utero and postnatally to 0, 3, or 10 ppm propylthiouracil (PTU), a thyroid hormone synthesis inhibitor, administered in the drinking water of dams from gestation d 6 until postnatal day (PN) 30. Excitatory postsynaptic potentials and population spikes were recorded from the stratum radiatum and the pyramidal cell layer, respectively, in area CA1 of hippocampal slices from offspring between PN21 and PN30. Baseline synaptic transmission was evaluated by comparing input-output relationships between groups. Paired-pulse facilitation, paired-pulse depression, long-term potentiation, and long-term depression were recorded to examine short- and long-term synaptic plasticity. PTU reduced thyroid hormones, reduced body weight gain, and delayed eye-opening in a dose-dependent manner. Excitatory synaptic transmission was increased by developmental exposure to PTU. Thyroid hormone insufficiency was also dose-dependently associated with a reduction paired-pulse facilitation and long-term potentiation of the excitatory postsynaptic potential and elimination of paired-pulse depression of the population spike. The results indicate that thyroid hormone insufficiency compromises the functional integrity of synaptic communication in area CA1 of developing rat hippocampus and suggest that these changes may contribute to learning deficits associated with developmental hypothyroidism.

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