Proteomic and transcriptional profiling of rat amygdala following social play
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Social play is a frequently studied behavior and it is the most characteristic form of social interaction observed in adolescent rats. Social play is necessary for adolescents to develop proper cognitive, emotional, and social competency. Deficits in social play have been observed in several neurodegenerative disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, the information available on neural substrates and the mechanism involved in social play is still limited. This study characterized social play by proteomic and transcriptional profiling studies. Social play was performed on male Sprague Dawley rats on postnatal day 38 and protein and gene expression in the amygdala was determined following behavioral testing. The proteomic analysis led to the identification of 170 differentially expressed proteins (p≤0.05) with 67 upregulated and 103 downregulated proteins. The transcriptomic analysis led to the identification of 188 genes (adjusted p≤0.05) with 55 upregulated and 133 downregulated genes. Based on both protein and gene expression data, DAVID analysis revealed that social play altered neurotransmitter signaling including GABAergic and glutamatergic signaling and G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling. These data suggest that the synaptic levels of GABA and glutamate increased during play. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) confirmed these alterations. IPA also revealed that differentially expressed genes/proteins in our data had significant over representation of additional neurotransmitter signaling systems, including the opioid, serotonin, and dopamine systems, suggesting that play alters the systems involved in the regulation of reward. In addition, corticotropin-releasing hormone signaling was altered indicating that an increased level of stress occurs during play. Our data suggest that increased inhibitory GPCR signaling in these neurotransmitter pathways occurs following social play as a physiological response to regulate the induced level of reward and stress and to maintain the excitatory-inhibitory balance in the neurotransmitter systems.
Project description:Fragile X Syndrome is an inherited X-linked disorder associated with intellectual disabilities that begin in childhood and last a lifetime. The symptoms overlap with autism spectrum disorder, and the syndrome predominantly affects males. Consequently, FXS research tends to favor analysis of social behaviors in males, leaving a gap in our understanding of other behavioral traits, especially in females. Here we used a mouse model of FXS to analyze developmental, behavioral, neurochemical, and transcriptomic profiles in males and females. Our behavioral assays demonstrated locomotor hyperactivity, motor impulsivity, increased “approach” behavior in an approach-avoidance assay, and deficits in nest building behavior. Analysis of brain neurotransmitter content revealed deficits in striatal GABA, glutamate, and serotonin content. RNA sequencing of the ventral striatum unveiled expression changes associated with neurotransmission as well as motivation and substance use pathways. Sex differences were identified in nest building behavior, striatal neurotransmitter content, and ventral striatal gene expression. In summary, our study identified sex differences in specific behavioral, neurotransmitter, and gene expression phenotypes and gene set enrichment analysis identified significant enrichment of pathways associated with motivation and drug reward.
Project description:Obtaining a systems view of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling in its native environment is the key in development of GPCR therapeutics with fewer side effects. Using the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) as model GPCR, we employed high-throughput phosphoproteomics to investigate downstream signaling induced by structurally diverse agonists in five mouse brain-regions. Through quantification of 50,000 different phosphosites, this approach yielded a systems view of KOR in vivo signaling, revealing novel mechanisms of drug action. Pathway-selective agonists elicited differential dynamic phosphorylation of synaptic proteins, linking GPCR signaling to modulation of brain functions. We also discovered enrichment of mTOR pathway in agonists associated with aversion, a side effect. Consequently, mTOR inhibition during KOR activation abolished aversion, while preserving therapeutic analgesic and anticonvulsant effects. Our results establish high-throughput phosphoproteomics as a general strategy to investigate GPCR in vivo signaling, enabling prediction and modulation of behavioral outcomes.
Project description:A substantial proportion of basal amygdala (BA) glutamate neurons project to nucleus accumbens (NAc). The evidence that these neurons are activated by reward and/or aversion is equivocal. Social stimuli are highly salient, and in male mice we conducted a detailed analysis of the responsiveness of BA-NAc neurons to estrous female (social reward, SR) or aggressive male (social aversion, SA). Both SR and SA activated c-Fos expression in a relatively high number of BA-NAc neurons in intermediate (int) BA. Using Fos-TRAP2 mice, the majority of social int-BA-NAc neurons were activated by either SR or SA, i.e. were monovalent, and in similar numbers. Fiber photometry provided corroborative evidence that int-BA-NAc neural pathway activity was similar in response to SR or SA. These findings contribute substantially to understanding the topography and valence-specificity of BA-NAc neurons with respect to highly salient stimuli, and to identifying molecular targets for treatment of reward- or aversion-specific psychopathologies.
Project description:Nair2015 - Interaction between
neuromodulators via GPCRs - Effect on cAMP/PKA signaling (D1
Neuron)
This model is described in the article:
Sensing Positive versus
Negative Reward Signals through Adenylyl Cyclase-Coupled GPCRs
in Direct and Indirect Pathway Striatal Medium Spiny
Neurons.
Nair AG, Gutierrez-Arenas O,
Eriksson O, Vincent P, Hellgren Kotaleski J.
J. Neurosci. 2015 Oct; 35(41):
14017-14030
Abstract:
Transient changes in striatal dopamine (DA) concentration
are considered to encode a reward prediction error (RPE) in
reinforcement learning tasks. Often, a phasic DA change occurs
concomitantly with a dip in striatal acetylcholine (ACh),
whereas other neuromodulators, such as adenosine (Adn), change
slowly. There are abundant adenylyl cyclase (AC) coupled GPCRs
for these neuromodulators in striatal medium spiny neurons
(MSNs), which play important roles in plasticity. However,
little is known about the interaction between these
neuromodulators via GPCRs. The interaction between these
transient neuromodulator changes and the effect on cAMP/PKA
signaling via Golf- and Gi/o-coupled GPCR are studied here
using quantitative kinetic modeling. The simulations suggest
that, under basal conditions, cAMP/PKA signaling could be
significantly inhibited in D1R+ MSNs via ACh/M4R/Gi/o and an
ACh dip is required to gate a subset of D1R/Golf-dependent PKA
activation. Furthermore, the interaction between ACh dip and DA
peak, via D1R and M4R, is synergistic. In a similar fashion,
PKA signaling in D2+ MSNs is under basal inhibition via
D2R/Gi/o and a DA dip leads to a PKA increase by disinhibiting
A2aR/Golf, but D2+ MSNs could also respond to the DA peak via
other intracellular pathways. This study highlights the
similarity between the two types of MSNs in terms of high basal
AC inhibition by Gi/o and the importance of interactions
between Gi/o and Golf signaling, but at the same time predicts
differences between them with regard to the sign of RPE
responsible for PKA activation.Dopamine transients are
considered to carry reward-related signal in reinforcement
learning. An increase in dopamine concentration is associated
with an unexpected reward or salient stimuli, whereas a
decrease is produced by omission of an expected reward. Often
dopamine transients are accompanied by other neuromodulatory
signals, such as acetylcholine and adenosine. We highlight the
importance of interaction between acetylcholine, dopamine, and
adenosine signals via adenylyl-cyclase coupled GPCRs in shaping
the dopamine-dependent cAMP/PKA signaling in striatal neurons.
Specifically, a dopamine peak and an acetylcholine dip must
interact, via D1 and M4 receptor, and a dopamine dip must
interact with adenosine tone, via D2 and A2a receptor, in
direct and indirect pathway neurons, respectively, to have any
significant downstream PKA activation.
This model is hosted on
BioModels Database
and identified by:
BIOMD0000000635.
To cite BioModels Database, please use:
BioModels Database:
An enhanced, curated and annotated resource for published
quantitative kinetic models.
To the extent possible under law, all copyright and related or
neighbouring rights to this encoded model have been dedicated to
the public domain worldwide. Please refer to
CC0
Public Domain Dedication for more information.
Project description:Nair2015 - Interaction between
neuromodulators via GPCRs - Effect on cAMP/PKA signaling (D2
Neuron)
This model is described in the article:
Sensing Positive versus
Negative Reward Signals through Adenylyl Cyclase-Coupled GPCRs
in Direct and Indirect Pathway Striatal Medium Spiny
Neurons.
Nair AG, Gutierrez-Arenas O,
Eriksson O, Vincent P, Hellgren Kotaleski J.
J. Neurosci. 2015 Oct; 35(41):
14017-14030
Abstract:
Transient changes in striatal dopamine (DA) concentration
are considered to encode a reward prediction error (RPE) in
reinforcement learning tasks. Often, a phasic DA change occurs
concomitantly with a dip in striatal acetylcholine (ACh),
whereas other neuromodulators, such as adenosine (Adn), change
slowly. There are abundant adenylyl cyclase (AC) coupled GPCRs
for these neuromodulators in striatal medium spiny neurons
(MSNs), which play important roles in plasticity. However,
little is known about the interaction between these
neuromodulators via GPCRs. The interaction between these
transient neuromodulator changes and the effect on cAMP/PKA
signaling via Golf- and Gi/o-coupled GPCR are studied here
using quantitative kinetic modeling. The simulations suggest
that, under basal conditions, cAMP/PKA signaling could be
significantly inhibited in D1R+ MSNs via ACh/M4R/Gi/o and an
ACh dip is required to gate a subset of D1R/Golf-dependent PKA
activation. Furthermore, the interaction between ACh dip and DA
peak, via D1R and M4R, is synergistic. In a similar fashion,
PKA signaling in D2+ MSNs is under basal inhibition via
D2R/Gi/o and a DA dip leads to a PKA increase by disinhibiting
A2aR/Golf, but D2+ MSNs could also respond to the DA peak via
other intracellular pathways. This study highlights the
similarity between the two types of MSNs in terms of high basal
AC inhibition by Gi/o and the importance of interactions
between Gi/o and Golf signaling, but at the same time predicts
differences between them with regard to the sign of RPE
responsible for PKA activation.Dopamine transients are
considered to carry reward-related signal in reinforcement
learning. An increase in dopamine concentration is associated
with an unexpected reward or salient stimuli, whereas a
decrease is produced by omission of an expected reward. Often
dopamine transients are accompanied by other neuromodulatory
signals, such as acetylcholine and adenosine. We highlight the
importance of interaction between acetylcholine, dopamine, and
adenosine signals via adenylyl-cyclase coupled GPCRs in shaping
the dopamine-dependent cAMP/PKA signaling in striatal neurons.
Specifically, a dopamine peak and an acetylcholine dip must
interact, via D1 and M4 receptor, and a dopamine dip must
interact with adenosine tone, via D2 and A2a receptor, in
direct and indirect pathway neurons, respectively, to have any
significant downstream PKA activation.
This model is hosted on
BioModels Database
and identified by:
BIOMD0000000636.
To cite BioModels Database, please use:
BioModels Database:
An enhanced, curated and annotated resource for published
quantitative kinetic models.
To the extent possible under law, all copyright and related or
neighbouring rights to this encoded model have been dedicated to
the public domain worldwide. Please refer to
CC0
Public Domain Dedication for more information.
Project description:Social experience and pheromone signaling in ORNs affect pheromone responses and male courtship behaviors in Drosophila, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this circuit-level neuromodulation remain less clear. Previous studies identified social experience and pheromone signaling-dependent modulation of chromatin around behavioral switch gene fruitless, which encodes a transcription factor necessary and sufficient for male behaviors. To identify the molecular mechanisms driving social experience-dependent neuromodulation, we performed RNA-seq from antennal samples of mutant fruit flies in pheromone receptors and fruitless, as well as grouped or isolated wild-type males. We found that loss of pheromone detection differentially alters the levels of fruitless exons suggesting changes in splicing patterns. In addition, many Fruitless target neuromodulatory genes, such as neurotransmitter receptors, ion channels, and ion transporters, are differentially regulated by social context and pheromone signaling. Our results suggest that modulation of circuit activity and behaviors in response to social experience and pheromone signaling arise due to changes in transcriptional programs for neuromodulators downstream of behavioral switch gene function.
Project description:ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling proteins are being implicated increasingly in the regulation of complex behaviors, including models of several psychiatric disorders. Here, we demonstrate that Baz1b, an accessory subunit of the ISWI family of chromatin remodeling complexes, is upregulated in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain reward region, in both chronic cocaine-treated mice and mice that are resilient to chronic social defeat stress. In contrast, no regulation is seen in mice that are susceptible to this chronic stress. Viral-mediated overexpression of Baz1b, along with its associated subunit Smarca5, in mouse NAc is sufficient to potentiate both rewarding responses to cocaine, including cocaine self-administration, and resilience to chronic social defeat stress. However, despite these similar, proreward behavioral effects, genome-wide mapping of BAZ1B in NAc revealed mostly distinct subsets of genes regulated by these chromatin remodeling proteins after chronic exposure to either cocaine or social stress. Together, these findings suggest important roles for BAZ1B and its associated chromatin remodeling complexes in NAc in the regulation of reward behaviors to distinct emotional stimuli and highlight the stimulus-specific nature of the actions of these regulatory proteins. BAZ1B (WSTF) ChIP-seq of mouse. Cocaine vs Saline, 3 biological replicates. In social defeat model: Normal control vs Susceptible vs Resilient, 3 biological replicates.
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE25886: Analysis of mRNA levels of GPCR and GPCR-related signaling proteins in 3 mouse cell lines: AtT20, BV2 and N18 GSE25894: Analysis of mRNA levels of GPCR and GPCR-related signaling proteins in the HEK293 cell line Refer to individual Series