Transcriptomic analysis of isolated human postmortem Purkinje neurons implicates developmental organization/connectivity, extracellular matrix organization, calcium ion response, immune function and signaling alterations in autism spectrum disorders
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE211154 | GEO | 2022/10/01
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:Astrotactin 2 (ASTN2) is a transmembrane neuronal protein highly expressed in the cerebellum that functions in receptor trafficking and modulates cerebellar Purkinje cell (PC) synaptic activity. Individuals with ASTN2 mutations exhibit neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD, learning difficulties and language delay. To provide a genetic model for the role of the cerebellum in ASD-related behaviors and study the role of ASTN2 in cerebellar circuit function, we generated global and PC-specific conditional Astn2 knockout (KO and cKO, respectively) mouse lines. Astn2 KO mice exhibited strong ASD-related behavioral phenotypes, including a marked decrease in separation-induced pup ultrasonic vocalization calls, hyperactivity, and repetitive behaviors, altered behavior in the three-chamber test, and impaired cerebellar-dependent eyeblink conditioning. Hyperactivity and repetitive behaviors were also prominent in Astn2 cKO animals but they did not show altered behavior in the three-chamber test. By Golgi staining, Astn2 KO PCs had region-specific changes in dendritic spine density and filopodia numbers. Proteomic analysis of Astn2 KO cerebellum revealed a marked upregulation of ASTN2 family member, ASTN1, a neuron-glial adhesion protein. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy demonstrated a significant increase in Bergmann glia volume in the molecular layer of Astn2 KO animals. Electrophysiological experiments indicated a reduced frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs), as well as increased amplitudes of both spontaneous EPSCs and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in the Astn2 KO animals, suggesting that pre- and postsynaptic components of synaptic transmission were altered. Thus, ASTN2 regulates ASD-like behaviors and cerebellar circuit properties.
2024-07-30 | PXD052868 | Pride
Project description:Cerebellar circuitry is critical for balance and motor control among a wide array of functions and largely consists of granule and Purkinje neurons. Bergmann glia in the cerebellum form distinct morphological structures that facilitate granule neuron migration during development and that maintain the cerebellar organization and functional integrity. At present, molecular control of the formation and morphogenesis of Bergmann glia remains obscure. In this study, we found that Zeb2 (a.k.a. Sip1 or Zfhx1b), a Mowat-Wilson syndrome-associated transcriptional regulator, is highly restricted to Bergmann glia and is essential for their development and maturation. The mice with Zeb2 ablation in the cerebellar neural progenitor exhibit dysgenesis of cerebellar cortical lamination and locomotion defects. Deletion of Zeb2 markedly reduced Bergmann glial proliferation, differentiation and the establishment of the normal radial scaffold, disrupting migration of granule cell progenitors from external to internal granular layers. Transcriptome profiling indicated that Zeb2 regulates multiple pathways including FGF and Notch signaling as well as axonal guidance cues including Netrin G2 and Gdf10 to control Bergmann glial development. Our data reveal that Zeb2 acts as a transcriptional integrator of diverse signaling pathways to regulate the formation and morphogenesis of Bergmann glia ensuring maintenance of cerebellar integrity, suggesting that Zeb2 dysfunction in Bergmann glia might contribute to motor deficits in Mowat-Wilson syndrome.
2018-06-25 | GSE84098 | GEO
Project description:Mutations in the gene encoding the chromatin remodeler CHD8 are a highly penetrant risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although cerebellar abnormalities have been involved in ASD pathogenesis, the underlying mechanisms of CHD8 in the regulation of cerebellar function has remained unknown, however. Here we show that the cerebellar granule neurons–specific deletion of Chd8 manifests reduced proliferation and differentiation of granule neuron progenitors, leading to cerebellar hypoplasia and motor coordination defects in mice. CHD8 was found to regulate the expression of neuronal genes and to be required for maturation of cerebellar granule neurons. Furthermore, we found that CHD8 is preferentially bound to promoter regions and is necessary for modulation of local chromatin accessibilities at promoter regions of active gene. Our results thus uncover a critical role for CHD8 in cerebellar development and have important implications for understanding the cerebellar contributions to ASD pathogenesis.
2021-04-16 | GSE146885 | GEO
Project description:Although circadian and sleep disorders are frequently associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), it remains elusive whether clock gene disruption can lead to autistic-like phenotypes in animals. The essential clock gene Bmal1 has been associated with human sociability and its missense mutations are identified in ASD. Here we report that global Bmal1 deletion led to significant social impairments, excessive stereotyped and repetitive behaviors, as well as motor learning disabilities in mice, all of which resemble core behavioral deficits in ASD. Furthermore, aberrant cell density and immature morphology of dendritic spines were identified in the cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) of Bmal1 knockout (KO) mice. Electrophysiological recordings uncovered enhanced excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission and reduced firing rates in the PCs of Bmal1 KO mice. Differential expression of ASD- and ataxia-associated genes (Ntng2, Mfrp, Nr4a2, Thbs1, Atxn1, and Atxn3) and dysregulated pathways of translational control, including hyperactivated mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling, were identified in the cerebellum of Bmal1 KO mice. Interestingly, the antidiabetic drug metformin reversed mTORC1 hyperactivation and alleviated major behavioral and PC deficits in Bmal1 KO mice. Importantly, conditional Bmal1 deletion only in cerebellar PCs was sufficient to recapitulate autistic-like behavioral and cellular changes akin to those identified in Bmal1 KO mice. Together, these results unveil a previously unidentified role for Bmal1 disruption in cerebellar dysfunction and autistic-like behaviors. Our findings provide experimental evidence supporting a putative role for dysregulation of circadian clock gene expression in the pathogenesis of ASD.
2022-03-17 | GSE196765 | GEO
Project description:Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) comprise a group of disorders characterized by impaired language, social, and communication skills, in addition to restrictive behaviors or stereotypies. However, with a prevalence of 1.5% in developed countries and relatively high comorbidity rates, no clear underlying mechanism that unifies the heterogeneous phenotypes of ASD is known. 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) has been reported highly enriched in brain, and is now recognized as an important epigenetic mark in developmental and neurological disorders. To explore the role of 5hmC in ASD, we utilized the genomic DNA isolated from the postmortem cerebellum of both ASD patients and age-matched controls to profile genome-wide distribution of 5hmC. We identified 797 age-dependent differential hydroxymethylated regions (DhMRs) (q-value < 0.05, FDR adjusted) in young group (age ≤ 18), while no significant DhMR was identified in the groups over 18-year-old. Pathway and disease association analyses indicated that the intragenic DhMRs were located in the genes that involved in cell-cell communication and neurological disorders. By comparing the 5hmC counts (ASD vs. Control) in each psychiatric gene (±10kb), we observed significant 5hmC changes in larger fraction of psychiatric genes than in reference genes. Interestingly, we found that the predicted cis functions of non-coding intergenic DhMRs strikingly associated with ASD and intellectual disorders. A significant fraction of intergenic DhMRs were overlapped with topologically associating domains (TAD). These results together suggest that 5hmC dynamic alteration is associated with ASD, particularly in the early development stage, and could contribute to the pathogenesis of ASD.
2018-05-26 | GSE107012 | GEO
Project description:Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication deficits and repetitive/restricted behaviors. Several studies showed that inflammation may contribute to ASD. Here we used RT-qPCR, RNA sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry to show that pro-inflammatory molecules were increased in the cerebellum and periphery of mice lackingCntnap2(Cntnap2-/-), a robust model of ASD. In parallel, oxidative stress was present in the cerebellum of mutant animals. Systemic treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) rescued cerebellar oxidative stress and inflammation as well as motor and social impairments inCntnap2-/-mice. This was accompanied by improved function of microglia cells in NAC-treated mutant animals. Intriguingly, social deficits, cerebellar inflammation and microglia dysfunction were induced by NAC inCntnap2+/+animals. Our findings therefore suggest that the interplay between oxidative stress and inflammation may support ASD-related behaviors in mice.
2024-05-15 | GSE267182 | GEO
Project description:Astrotactin 2 (ASTN2) is a transmembrane, neuronal protein that functions in receptor trafficking and modulates cerebellar Purkinje cell (PC) synaptic activity. We recently reported a family with a paternally inherited intragenic ASTN2 duplication, with a range of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning difficulties and speech and language delay. To provide a genetic model for the role of the cerebellum in ASD-related behaviors and study ASTN2 role in cerebellar circuit function, we generated global and Purkinje cell-specific conditional Astn2 knockout (KO and cKO, respectively) mouse lines. Astn2 KO mice exhibit strong ASD-related behavioral phenotypes, including a marked decrease in separation-induced pup ultrasonic vocalization (USV) calls, increased hyperactivity and repetitive behaviors, altered social behaviors, and impaired cerebellar-dependent eyeblink conditioning. Increased hyperactivity and repetitive behaviors were also prominent in Astn2 cKO animals. By Golgi staining, Astn2 KO PCs have region-specific changes in dendritic spine density and filopodia numbers. Proteomic analysis of Astn2 KO cerebellum reveals a marked upregulation of ASTN2 family member, ASTN1, a neuron-glial adhesion protein. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy demonstrates a large increase in Bergmann glia volume in the molecular layer of Astn2 KO animals. Electrophysiological experiments indicate a reduced frequency of spontaneous EPSCs, as well as increased amplitudes of both spontaneous EPSCs and IPSCs in the Astn2 KO animals, suggesting that pre- and post-synaptic components of synaptic transmission are altered. Thus, ASTN2 regulates ASD-like behaviors and cerebellar circuit properties.
2024-03-07 | GSE254224 | GEO
Project description:Truncating CHD8 mutations are amongst the highest confidence risk factors for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) identified to date. Here, we report that Chd8 heterozygous mice display increased brain size, motor delay, hypertelorism, pronounced hypoactivity, and anomalous responses to social stimuli. Whereas gene expression in the neocortex is only mildly affected at mid gestation, over 600 genes are differentially expressed in the early postnatal neocortex. Genes involved in cell adhesion and axon guidance are particularly prominent amongst the downregulated transcripts. Resting-state functional MRI identified increased synchronized activity in corticohippocampal and auditory-parietal networks in Chd8 heterozygous mutant mice, implicating altered connectivity as a potential mechanism underlying the behavioral phenotypes. Together, these data suggest that altered brain growth and diminished expression of important neurodevelopmental genes that regulate long-range brain wiring are followed by distinctive anomalies in functional brain connectivity in Chd8 +/− mice. Human imaging studies have reported altered functional connectivity in ASD patients, with long-range under-connectivity seemingly more frequent. Our data suggest that CHD8 haploinsufficiency represents a specific subtype of ASD where neuropsychiatric symptoms are underpinned by long-range over-connectivity.
2018-04-24 | GSE81103 | GEO
Project description:Background: Transcriptome analysis has been used in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to unravel common pathogenic pathways based on the assumption that distinct rare genetic variants or epigenetic modifications affect common biological pathways dysregulated in ASD. To unravel recurrent ASD-related neuropathological mechanisms, we took advantage of the En2-/- mouse model and performed transcriptome profiling on cerebellar and hippocampal adult tissues. Methods: En2-/- and WT cerebellar and hippocampal tissue from littermate mice were assessed for differential gene expression using microarray hybridization followed by RankProd analysis. To identify functional categories overrepresented in the differentially expressed genes we used the BIOBASE ExPlain system and mouse phenotype ontology database. Furthermore, we performed direct enrichment analysis of ASD associated genes from the SFARI repository in our differentially expressed genes. Results: We found 842 differentially expressed genes in En2-/- cerebellum and 862 in the En2-/- hippocampus. Our functional analysis revealed that the molecular signature of En2-/- cerebellum and hippocampus shares convergent pathological pathways with ASD, including abnormal synaptic transmission, altered developmental processes and increased immune response. Furthermore, when directly compared to the repository of the SFARI database, our differentially expressed genes show enrichment of ASD-associated genes significantly higher than previously reported. Among the differentially expressed genes 20 were validated by quantitative PCR. Conclusions: Our results indicate the En2-/- mouse model of ASD as an appropriate tool to investigate molecular alterations related to ASD. En2-/- and WT cerebellar and hippocampal tissue from 3 littermates mice for each genotype was hybridized on three replicates microarrays.
2013-12-23 | E-GEOD-51612 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:An understanding of how heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in ASD risk genes, such as TBR1, contribute to ASD remains elusive. Conditional Tbr1 deletion during late mouse gestation in cortical layer 6 neurons (Tbr1layer6 mutants) provides novel insights into its function, including dendritic patterning, synaptogenesis, and cell intrinsic physiology. These phenotypes occur in heterozygotes, providing insights into mechanisms that may underlie ASD pathophysiology. Restoring expression of Wnt7b, largely rescues the synaptic deficit in Tbr1layer6 mutant neurons. Furthermore, Tbr1layer6 heterozygotes have increased anxiety-like behavior, a phenotype seen ASD. Integrating TBR1 ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq data from layer 6 neurons, and activity of TBR1 bound candidate enhancers, provides evidence for how TBR1 regulates layer 6 properties. Moreover, several putative TBR1 targets are ASD risk genes, placing TBR1 in a central position both for ASD risk and for regulating transcriptional circuits that control multiple steps in layer 6 development essential for the assembly of neural circuits.
2018-09-02 | GSE119362 | GEO