Circuit-wide gene network analysis reveals sex-specific roles for phosphodiesterase enzymes in cocaine addiction
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE244767 | GEO | 2024/04/19
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:Despite addiction being one of the most prevalent and debilitating disorders worldwide, effective treatments are lacking. Repeated cocaine exposure induces maladaptive transcriptional regulation within the brainâ??s reward circuitry, such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and epigenetic mechanisms, such as histone acetylation or methylation on Lys (K) residues, have been linked to these lasting actions of cocaine. However, in contrast to K methylation, the functional role of histone Arg (R) methylation remains unexplored in addiction models and poorly understood in brain in general. Here we show that protein-R-methyltransferase-6 (PRMT6) and its associated histone mark, asymmetric dimethylation of R2 on histone H3 (H3R2me2a), are decreased in the NAc of mice and rats after repeated cocaine exposure, as well as in the NAc of cocaine-addicted humans. PRMT6 downregulation occurs selectively in NAc medium spiny neurons expressing dopamine D2 receptors (D2-MSNs) and serves to protect against cocaine-induced addictive-like behavioral abnormalities. Using ChIP-seq, we demonstrate that reduced H3R2me2a binding at gene targets in NAc after repeated cocaine is strongly correlated with increased binding of H3K4me3, and identify Src kinase signaling inhibitor 1 (Srcin1 or p140Cap) as a key gene for these chromatin modifications. Cocaine induction of Srcin1 in NAc, which is associated with reduced Src signaling, decreases cocaine reward, the motivation to self administer cocaine, and cocaine-induced changes in NAc MSN dendritic spines. These results suggest that this suppression of Src signaling in NAc D2-MSNs, via PRMT6 and H3R2me2a downregulation, functions as a homeostatic brake to restrain cocaine action, and provide novel candidates for the development of new treatments for cocaine addiction. H3R2me2A ChIP-seq of mouse. Cocaine vs Saline, 3 biological replicates.
2016-08-08 | E-GEOD-85310 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Despite addiction being one of the most prevalent and debilitating disorders worldwide, effective treatments are lacking. Repeated cocaine exposure induces maladaptive transcriptional regulation within the brain’s reward circuitry, such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and epigenetic mechanisms, such as histone acetylation or methylation on Lys (K) residues, have been linked to these lasting actions of cocaine. However, in contrast to K methylation, the functional role of histone Arg (R) methylation remains unexplored in addiction models and poorly understood in brain in general. Here we show that protein-R-methyltransferase-6 (PRMT6) and its associated histone mark, asymmetric dimethylation of R2 on histone H3 (H3R2me2a), are decreased in the NAc of mice and rats after repeated cocaine exposure, as well as in the NAc of cocaine-addicted humans. PRMT6 downregulation occurs selectively in NAc medium spiny neurons expressing dopamine D2 receptors (D2-MSNs) and serves to protect against cocaine-induced addictive-like behavioral abnormalities. Using ChIP-seq, we demonstrate that reduced H3R2me2a binding at gene targets in NAc after repeated cocaine is strongly correlated with increased binding of H3K4me3, and identify Src kinase signaling inhibitor 1 (Srcin1 or p140Cap) as a key gene for these chromatin modifications. Cocaine induction of Srcin1 in NAc, which is associated with reduced Src signaling, decreases cocaine reward, the motivation to self administer cocaine, and cocaine-induced changes in NAc MSN dendritic spines. These results suggest that this suppression of Src signaling in NAc D2-MSNs, via PRMT6 and H3R2me2a downregulation, functions as a homeostatic brake to restrain cocaine action, and provide novel candidates for the development of new treatments for cocaine addiction.
2016-08-08 | GSE85310 | GEO
Project description:Use of addictive substances often creates powerful and enduring associations with external cues that act as relapse triggers in individuals recovering from a substance use disorder (SUD). In the reward-associated brain region, the nucleus accumbens (NAc), drug use or drug-associated cue exposure activates a subset of D1 dopamine receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs), which typically promotes drug seeking, and a smaller subset of D2 dopamine receptor-expressing MSNs (D2-MSNs), which typically opposes drug seeking. The activity-regulated transcription factor, Neuronal PAS Domain Protein 4 (NPAS4), is activated in a small subset of NAc neurons during cocaine conditioning, and NAc NPAS4 is required for drug-context memories. Using a new Npas4-TRAP mouse combined with chemogenetics, we found that the during cocaine conditioning, the NPAS4-positive ensemble is required for drug-context associations. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses and in situ hybridization of NAc tissues from drug-conditioned mice revealed that NPAS4 is expressed predominantly in MSNs, and using cell type-specific molecular genetic approaches, we found that NPAS4 in D2-MSNs, but not D1-MSNs, was required for both drug-context associations and cue-reinstated cocaine seeking. Similarly, NPAS4 in NAc D2-MSNs, but not D1-MSNs, blocked cocaine experience-dependent strengthening of glutamatergic prefrontal cortical (PFC) inputs onto D2-MSNs. Analysis of differential gene expression in D2-MSNs revealed that NPAS4 and cocaine conditioning influence a gene expression program associated with synapses, dendrites, neuronal projections, dopamine, and cocaine. Together, our data reveal that NPAS4 functions during active cocaine use to maintain the imbalance of D1-MSN:D2-MSN activation and cue-induced drug seeking by suppressing excitatory drive onto relapse-opposing NAc D2-MSN circuits.
2023-08-31 | GSE210850 | GEO
Project description:Substance use disorders (SUDs) induce widespread molecular dysregulation in nucleus accumbens (NAc), a brain region pivotal for coordinating motivation and reward, which is linked to neural and behavioral disturbances promoting addiction. Despite the overlapping symptomatology of SUDs, different drug classes exert partly unique influences on neural circuits, cell types, physiology, and gene expression. To better understand common and divergent molecular mechanisms governing SUD pathology, we characterized the cell-type-specific restructuring of the NAc transcriptional landscape after psychostimulant or opioid exposure. We combined fluorescence-activated nuclei sorting and RNA sequencing to profile NAc D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons (MSNs) across cocaine exposure paradigms, including initial exposure, prolonged withdrawal after repeated exposure, and re-exposure post-withdrawal. Our analyses reveal that D1 MSNs display many convergent transcriptional responses across the two drugs, whereas D2 MSNs manifest highly divergent responses, with morphine causing far more adaptations in this cell type.
2024-10-09 | GSE272823 | GEO
Project description:Background The ability of neurons to respond to external stimuli involves adaptations of gene expression. Induction of the transcription factor, ΔFOSB, in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain reward region, is important for the development of drug addiction. However, a comprehensive map of ΔFOSB’s gene targets has not yet been generated. Methods We use CUT&RUN to map the genome-wide changes in ΔFOSB binding in the two main types of NAc neurons—D1 or D2 medium spiny neurons (MSNs)—after chronic cocaine exposure. To annotate genomic regions of ΔFOSB binding sites, we also examined the distributions of several histone modifications. Resulting datasets were leveraged for multiple bioinformatic analyses. Results The majority of ΔFOSB peaks occur outside of promoter regions, including intergenic regions, and are surrounded by epigenetic marks indicative of active enhancers. BRG1, the core subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, overlaps with ΔFOSB peaks, consistent with earlier studies of ΔFOSB’s interacting proteins. Chronic cocaine induces broad changes in ΔFOSB binding in both D1 and D2 NAc MSNs of male and female mice. In addition, in silico analyses predict that ΔFOSB cooperatively regulates gene expression with homeobox and T-box transcription factors. Conclusions These novel findings uncover key elements of ΔFOSB’s molecular mechanisms in transcriptional regulation at baseline and in response to chronic cocaine exposure. Further characterization of ΔFOSB’s collaborative transcriptional and chromatin partners specifically in D1 and in D2 MSNs will reveal a broader picture of the function of ΔFOSB and the molecular basis of drug addiction.
2022-07-08 | GSE197668 | GEO
Project description:Global changes in gene expression that underlie the circuit and behavioral dysregulation associated with cocaine addiction remain incompletely understood. Here, we determined how a history of cocaine self-administration (SA) “re-programs” transcriptome-wide responses at baseline and in response to cocaine re-exposure after prolonged withdrawal (WD). We assigned male mice to one of six groups: saline or cocaine SA + 24 hr WD; or saline/cocaine SA + 30 d WD + an acute saline/cocaine challenge within the previous drug-paired context. RNA-seq was then conducted on six interconnected brain reward regions. We focused on patterns of gene expression that were altered by cocaine SA, in particular, molecular targets that show priming or desensitization upon re-exposure to cocaine. Genes that were affected uniquely by acute cocaine after cocaine SA+WD displayed region-specific regulation. The greatest number of regulated genes were seen in nucleus accumbens, dorsal striatum, and basolateral amygdala. Further analysis revealed several transcription factors as key upstream regulators in these three regions, including several not previously implicated in cocaine action. Regulation of subsets of these primed and desensitized genes correlated robustly with SA behavior displayed by individual mice. For example, analysis of transcriptome-wide expression changes revealed that genes associated with cocaine intake respond to contextual information in a region-specific manner. This comprehensive picture of transcriptome-wide regulation by cocaine SA and WD throughout the brain’s reward circuitry provides new insight into the molecular basis of cocaine addiction, which will guide future studies of the key molecular pathways involved.
2018-08-22 | GSE110344 | GEO
Project description:Repeated administration of the psychostimulant cocaine has been shown to produce persistent alterations in genome-wide transcriptional regulatory networks, chromatin remodeling activity and, ultimately, gene expression profiles in the brain’s reward circuitry. Virtually all previous investigations have centered on drug-mediated effects occurring throughout active euchromatic regions of the genome, such that very little is known concerning the impact of cocaine exposure on the regulation and maintenance of heterochromatin in adult brain. Here, we report that cocaine administration dramatically and dynamically alters heterochromatic histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain reward region. Furthermore, we demonstrate that repeated cocaine exposure induces persistent decreases in heterochromatization in this brain region, suggesting a potential role for heterochromatic regulation in the long-term actions of cocaine. To identify precise genomic loci affected by these alterations, chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by massively parallel DNA sequencing (ChIP-Seq) was performed on NAc. ChIP-Seq analyses confirmed the existence of the H3K9me3 mark mainly within inter-genic regions of the genome and identified specific patterns of cocaine-induced H3K9me3 regulation at repetitive genomic sequences. Cocaine-mediated decreases in H3K9me3 enrichment at specific genomic repeats (e.g., LI repeats) were further confirmed by the increased expression of LINE-1 and IAP retrotransposons in NAc. Such increases likely reflect global patterns of genomic de-stabilization in this brain region following repeated cocaine administration and open the door for future investigations into the epigenetic and genetic basis of drug addiction. Animals received daily i.p. injections of either 'saline' (7 treatments of saline) or 'repeated' cocaine (7 treatments of 20 mg/kg cocaine). 24 hours after the last dose, chromatin immunoprecipitation was performed utilizing previously validated methods. Each experimental condition was performed in either duplicate or triplicate (2 cocaine, 3 saline). Briefly, for each ChIP, bilateral 14-gauge NAc punches (anterior and posterior) were pooled from 5 mice (20 punches). Tissue was lightly fixed to cross-link DNA with associated proteins and the material was further sheared and immunoprecipitated using sheep anti-rabbit magnetic beads conjugated to an antibody that specifically recognizes H3K9me3. Resulting immunoprecipitated DNA and total (input) genomic DNA were prepared for ChIP-sequencing using an Illumina kit according to manufacturer’s instructions. 20 ng of starting material, as determined by PicoGreen concentrations, was used in each case. Briefly, each sample underwent end repair followed by addition of an A base to the 3’ end. Proprietary adapters were then ligated to the ends, followed by size selection on a 3% agarose gel. The range of excision was 175-225 bp. Following DNA clean up, samples were amplified with 21 cycles of PCR. Amplification and size selection were confirmed with a BioAnalyzer. 5 pM concentrations were used to generate clusters for sequencing analysis.
2011-01-18 | E-GEOD-24850 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:A hallmark of addiction is the ability of drugs of abuse to trigger relapse after periods of prolonged abstinence. Here, we describe a novel epigenetic mechanism whereby chronic cocaine exposure causes lasting chromatin and downstream transcriptional modifications in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a critical brain region controlling motivation. We link prolonged withdrawal from cocaine to the depletion of the histone variant H2A.Z, coupled with increased genome accessibility and latent priming of gene transcription, in D1 dopamine receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1 MSNs) that relate to aberrant gene expression upon drug relapse. The histone chaperone ANP32E removes H2A.Z from chromatin, and we demonstrate that D1 MSN-selective Anp32e knockdown prevents cocaine-induced H2A.Z depletion and blocks cocaine’s rewarding actions. By contrast, very different effects of cocaine exposure, withdrawal, and relapse were found for D2 MSNs. These findings establish histone variant exchange as an important mechanism and clinical target engaged by drugs of abuse to corrupt brain function and behavior.
2024-10-09 | GSE272458 | GEO
Project description:A hallmark of addiction is the ability of drugs of abuse to trigger relapse after periods of prolonged abstinence. Here, we describe a novel epigenetic mechanism whereby chronic cocaine exposure causes lasting chromatin and downstream transcriptional modifications in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a critical brain region controlling motivation. We link prolonged withdrawal from cocaine to the depletion of the histone variant H2A.Z, coupled with increased genome accessibility and latent priming of gene transcription, in D1 dopamine receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1 MSNs) that relate to aberrant gene expression upon drug relapse. The histone chaperone ANP32E removes H2A.Z from chromatin, and we demonstrate that D1 MSN-selective Anp32e knockdown prevents cocaine-induced H2A.Z depletion and blocks cocaine’s rewarding actions. By contrast, very different effects of cocaine exposure, withdrawal, and relapse were found for D2 MSNs. These findings establish histone variant exchange as an important mechanism and clinical target engaged by drugs of abuse to corrupt brain function and behavior.
2024-10-09 | GSE272369 | GEO
Project description:Repeated administration of the psychostimulant cocaine has been shown to produce persistent alterations in genome-wide transcriptional regulatory networks, chromatin remodeling activity and, ultimately, gene expression profiles in the brain’s reward circuitry. Virtually all previous investigations have centered on drug-mediated effects occurring throughout active euchromatic regions of the genome, such that very little is known concerning the impact of cocaine exposure on the regulation and maintenance of heterochromatin in adult brain. Here, we report that cocaine administration dramatically and dynamically alters heterochromatic histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain reward region. Furthermore, we demonstrate that repeated cocaine exposure induces persistent decreases in heterochromatization in this brain region, suggesting a potential role for heterochromatic regulation in the long-term actions of cocaine. To identify precise genomic loci affected by these alterations, chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by massively parallel DNA sequencing (ChIP-Seq) was performed on NAc. ChIP-Seq analyses confirmed the existence of the H3K9me3 mark mainly within inter-genic regions of the genome and identified specific patterns of cocaine-induced H3K9me3 regulation at repetitive genomic sequences. Cocaine-mediated decreases in H3K9me3 enrichment at specific genomic repeats (e.g., LI repeats) were further confirmed by the increased expression of LINE-1 and IAP retrotransposons in NAc. Such increases likely reflect global patterns of genomic de-stabilization in this brain region following repeated cocaine administration and open the door for future investigations into the epigenetic and genetic basis of drug addiction.
2011-01-18 | GSE24850 | GEO