Dataset Information

Mitochondrial dysfunction in autism.

ABSTRACT: Impaired mitochondrial function may influence processes highly dependent on energy, such as neurodevelopment, and contribute to autism. No studies have evaluated mitochondrial dysfunction and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) abnormalities in a well-defined population of children with autism.To evaluate mitochondrial defects in children with autism.Observational study using data collected from patients aged 2 to 5 years who were a subset of children participating in the Childhood Autism Risk From Genes and Environment study in California, which is a population-based, case-control investigation with confirmed autism cases and age-matched, genetically unrelated, typically developing controls, that was launched in 2003 and is still ongoing. Mitochondrial dysfunction and mtDNA abnormalities were evaluated in lymphocytes from 10 children with autism and 10 controls.Oxidative phosphorylation capacity, mtDNA copy number and deletions, mitochondrial rate of hydrogen peroxide production, and plasma lactate and pyruvate.The reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) oxidase activity (normalized to citrate synthase activity) in lymphocytic mitochondria from children with autism was significantly lower compared with controls (mean, 4.4 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 2.8-6.0] vs 12 [95% CI, 8-16], respectively; P = .001). The majority of children with autism (6 of 10) had complex I activity below control range values. Higher plasma pyruvate levels were found in children with autism compared with controls (0.23 mM [95% CI, 0.15-0.31 mM] vs 0.08 mM [95% CI, 0.04-0.12 mM], respectively; P = .02). Eight of 10 cases had higher pyruvate levels but only 2 cases had higher lactate levels compared with controls. These results were consistent with the lower pyruvate dehydrogenase activity observed in children with autism compared with controls (1.0 [95% CI, 0.6-1.4] nmol × [min × mg protein](-1) vs 2.3 [95% CI, 1.7-2.9] nmol × [min × mg protein](-1), respectively; P = .01). Children with autism had higher mitochondrial rates of hydrogen peroxide production compared with controls (0.34 [95% CI, 0.26-0.42] nmol × [min × mg of protein](-1) vs 0.16 [95% CI, 0.12-0.20] nmol × [min × mg protein](-1) by complex III; P = .02). Mitochondrial DNA overreplication was found in 5 cases (mean ratio of mtDNA to nuclear DNA: 239 [95% CI, 217-239] vs 179 [95% CI, 165-193] in controls; P = 10(-4)). Deletions at the segment of cytochrome b were observed in 2 cases (ratio of cytochrome b to ND1: 0.80 [95% CI, 0.68-0.92] vs 0.99 [95% CI, 0.93-1.05] for controls; P = .01).In this exploratory study, children with autism were more likely to have mitochondrial dysfunction, mtDNA overreplication, and mtDNA deletions than typically developing children.

SUBMITTER: Giulivi C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3915058 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Mitochondrial dysfunction in autism.

Giulivi Cecilia C Zhang Yi-Fan YF Omanska-Klusek Alicja A Ross-Inta Catherine C Wong Sarah S Hertz-Picciotto Irva I Tassone Flora F Pessah Isaac N IN

JAMA 20101201 21

<h4>Context</h4>Impaired mitochondrial function may influence processes highly dependent on energy, such as neurodevelopment, and contribute to autism. No studies have evaluated mitochondrial dysfunction and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) abnormalities in a well-defined population of children with autism.<h4>Objective</h4>To evaluate mitochondrial defects in children with autism.<h4>Design, setting, and patients</h4>Observational study using data collected from patients aged 2 to 5 years who were a s ...[more]

PMID: 21119085

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Project description:BackgroundThe etiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is very heterogeneous. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been described in ASD; however, primary mitochondrial disease has been genetically proven in a small subset of patients. The main goal of the present study was to investigate correlations between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) changes and alterations of genes associated with mtDNA maintenance or ASD.MethodsSixty patients with ASD and sixty healthy individuals were screened for common mtDNA mutations. Next generation sequencing was performed on patients with major mtDNA deletions (mtdel-ASD) using two gene panels to investigate nuclear genes that are associated with ASD or are responsible for mtDNA maintenance. Cohorts of healthy controls, ASD patients without mtDNA alterations, and patients with mitochondrial disorders (non-ASD) harbouring mtDNA deletions served as comparison groups.ResultsMtDNA deletions were confirmed in 16.6% (10/60) of patients with ASD (mtdel-ASD). In 90% of this mtdel-ASD children we found rare SNVs in ASD-associated genes (one of those was pathogenic). In the intergenomic panel of this cohort one likely pathogenic variant was present. In patients with mitochondrial disease in genes responsible for mtDNA maintenance pathogenic mutations and variants of uncertain significance (VUS) were detected more frequently than those found in patients from the mtdel-ASD or other comparison groups. In healthy controls and in patients without a mtDNA deletion, only VUS were detected in both panel.ConclusionsMtDNA alterations are more common in patients with ASD than in control individuals. MtDNA deletions are not isolated genetic alterations found in ASD; they coexist either with other ASD-associated genetic risk factors or with alterations in genes responsible for intergenomic communication. These findings indicate that mitochondrial dysfunction is not rare in ASD. The occurring mtDNA deletions in ASD may be mostly a consequence of the alterations of the causative culprit genes for autism or genes responsible for mtDNA maintenance, or because of the harmful effect of environmental factors.

Project description:A comprehensive literature search was performed to collate evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) with two primary objectives. First, features of mitochondrial dysfunction in the general population of children with ASD were identified. Second, characteristics of mitochondrial dysfunction in children with ASD and concomitant mitochondrial disease (MD) were compared with published literature of two general populations: ASD children without MD, and non-ASD children with MD. The prevalence of MD in the general population of ASD was 5.0% (95% confidence interval 3.2, 6.9%), much higher than found in the general population (≈ 0.01%). The prevalence of abnormal biomarker values of mitochondrial dysfunction was high in ASD, much higher than the prevalence of MD. Variances and mean values of many mitochondrial biomarkers (lactate, pyruvate, carnitine and ubiquinone) were significantly different between ASD and controls. Some markers correlated with ASD severity. Neuroimaging, in vitro and post-mortem brain studies were consistent with an elevated prevalence of mitochondrial dysfunction in ASD. Taken together, these findings suggest children with ASD have a spectrum of mitochondrial dysfunction of differing severity. Eighteen publications representing a total of 112 children with ASD and MD (ASD/MD) were identified. The prevalence of developmental regression (52%), seizures (41%), motor delay (51%), gastrointestinal abnormalities (74%), female gender (39%), and elevated lactate (78%) and pyruvate (45%) was significantly higher in ASD/MD compared with the general ASD population. The prevalence of many of these abnormalities was similar to the general population of children with MD, suggesting that ASD/MD represents a distinct subgroup of children with MD. Most ASD/MD cases (79%) were not associated with genetic abnormalities, raising the possibility of secondary mitochondrial dysfunction. Treatment studies for ASD/MD were limited, although improvements were noted in some studies with carnitine, co-enzyme Q10 and B-vitamins. Many studies suffered from limitations, including small sample sizes, referral or publication biases, and variability in protocols for selecting children for MD workup, collecting mitochondrial biomarkers and defining MD. Overall, this evidence supports the notion that mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with ASD. Additional studies are needed to further define the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in ASD.

Project description:Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by phenotypic heterogeneity and a complex genetic architecture which includes distinctive epigenetic patterns. We report differential DNA methylation patterns associated with ASD in South African children. An exploratory whole-epigenome methylation screen using the Illumina 450 K MethylationArray identified differentially methylated CpG sites between ASD and controls that mapped to 898 genes (P ≤ 0.05) which were enriched for nine canonical pathways converging on mitochondrial metabolism and protein ubiquitination. Targeted Next Generation Bisulfite Sequencing of 27 genes confirmed differential methylation between ASD and control in our cohort. DNA pyrosequencing of two of these genes, the mitochondrial enzyme Propionyl-CoA Carboxylase subunit Beta (PCCB) and Protocadherin Alpha 12 (PCDHA12), revealed a wide range of methylation levels (9-49% and 0-54%, respectively) in both ASD and controls. Three CpG loci were differentially methylated in PCCB (P ≤ 0.05), while PCDHA12, previously linked to ASD, had two significantly different CpG sites (P ≤ 0.001) between ASD and control. Differentially methylated CpGs were hypomethylated in ASD. Metabolomic analysis of urinary organic acids revealed that three metabolites, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric acid (P = 0.008), 3-methyglutaconic acid (P = 0.018), and ethylmalonic acid (P = 0.043) were significantly elevated in individuals with ASD. These metabolites are directly linked to mitochondrial respiratory chain disorders, with a putative link to PCCB, consistent with impaired mitochondrial function. Our data support an association between DNA methylation and mitochondrial dysfunction in the etiology of ASD. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1079-1093. © 2020 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Epigenetic changes are chemical modifications of DNA which can change gene function. DNA methylation, a type of epigenetic modification, is linked to autism. We examined DNA methylation in South African children with autism and identified mitochondrial genes associated with autism. Mitochondria are power-suppliers in cells and mitochondrial genes are essential to metabolism and energy production, which are important for brain cells during development. Our findings suggest that some individuals with ASD also have mitochondrial dysfunction.

Project description:We characterized the global response of plants carrying a mitochondrial dysfunction induced by the expression of the unedited form of the ATP synthase 9 subunit. The u-ATP9 transgene driven by A9 and Apetala3 promoters induce mitochondrial dysfunction revealed by a decrease in both oxygen uptake and ATP levels, with an increase in ROS and a concomitant oxidative stress response. The transcriptome analysis of young Arabidopsis flowers, validated by RT-PCR and enzymatic or functional tests, show dramatic changes in u-ATP9 plants. Both lines present a modification in the expression of several genes involved in carbon, lipid and cell wall metabolism, suggesting that an important metabolic readjustment occurs in plants with a mitochondrial dysfunction. Interestingly, transcript levels involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, protein synthesis, and degradation are affected. Moreover, several mRNA levels for transcription factors and DNA binding proteins were also changed. Some of them are involved in stress and hormone response, suggesting that several signaling pathways overlap. Indeed, the transcriptome data reveal that the mitochondrial dysfunction dramatically alters genes involved in signaling pathways, including those involved in ethylene, absicic acid and auxin signal transduction. Our data suggest that the mitochondrial dysfunction model used in this rapport may be useful to uncover the retrograde signaling mechanism between the nucleus and mitochondria in plant cells. Arabidopsis oligonucleotide microarrays fabricated by the University of Arizona contain 26,000 oligonucleotides (http://www.ag.arizona.edu/microarray/). RNA was isolated from 6-week-old flowers from u-ATP9 and wt plants. The experimental (mutant) and reference (wild type) RNA samples were reverse-transcribed and directly labeled with either Cy5-dUTP or Cy3-dUTP fluorescent dye (GE Healthcare), using random hexamer primers (Invitrogen). Excess nucleotides and primers were removed using QIAquick PCR Purification Kit (Qiagen). Labeled samples were mixed and then hybridized to microarray for 15 h at 60°C. The slides were washed at room temperature in three wash steps: 2 x SSC, 0.5% SDS; 0.5 x SSC; and 0.05 x SSC for 5 min each with gentle shaking. The slides were scanned with a GenePix 4000B Scanner (Axon Instruments Inc., Union City, CA). Normalization between the Cy3 and Cy5 fluorescent dye emission channels was achieved by adjusting the levels of both image intensities. The experiments were repeated four times with samples from different experiments, as biological replicates. In dye swapping experiments, the RNA samples from different experiments were reciprocally labeled, both as a biological and technical repetition for comparing the reproducibility of the experiments. Hybridization intensities for each microarray element were measured using ScanAlyze 4.24 (available at http://genome-www4.stanford.edu/MicroArray/SMD/restech.html). The two channels were normalized in log space using the z-score normalization on a 95% trimmed data set. We removed unreliable spots according to the following criteria: spots flagged as having false intensity caused by dust or background on the array were removed; and spots for which intensity was less than three fold above background were also eliminated. Data from multiple experiments were normalized (Bolstad, 2003) and signals from spots from different experiments were statistically analyzed using Significance Analysis of Microarrays using the one class response (SAM, http://www-stat.stanford.edu/~tibs/SAM/), cut at a false discovery rate < 10% (Tusher, 2001).

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Mitochondrial dysfunction in autism.

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Mitochondrial dysfunction in autism.

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