Project description:Maternal stress, anxiety, and depression increase the risk of psychiatric disorders in the progeny. These maternal effects can extend beyond the first generation and affect the grandchildren. In contrast to paternal, maternal effects can impact the offspring not only during gametogenesis, but also through fetal and early-postnatal life, increasing phenotypic complexity and the overall impact. To better understand its non-genetic structure, we dissected a complex maternally-transmitted phenotype to elementary behaviors and their corresponding transmission mechanisms. Chronic stress and depression are associated with reduced serotonin1A receptor (5-HT1AR) levels, and we reported that 5-HT1AR+/- dams transmit anxiety/stress-reactivity traits to their wild-type offspring. Here we show that the maternal effect is propagated to multiple generations, and that the behavioral traits are not transmitted in unison, but rather via parallel and segregated mechanisms, each with generation-dependent penetrance and gender specificity. The ârisk-avoidanceâ and âhypoactivityâ traits of anxiety were transmitted, via a neuro-immune pathway, consecutively from mother to the wild-type F1, F2, and occasionally F3 generation by iterative non-gametic-programming, while the âincreased stress-reactivityâ trait was transmitted to the F2 generation by gametic-programming. Iterative non-gametic-programming of anxiety was linked, via gene expression changes and clustered DNA hypo/hypermethylation at intragenic enhancers, to sphingolipid metabolism and GPCRs in the F1/F2 hippocampus, suggesting dysregulated lipid raft functioning/transmembrane signaling. Conversely, gametic-programming of behavior was predominantly associated with hypomethylation at different promoter-enhancing sequences within a set of genes with diverse neuronal functions. Since differential methylation appeared only postnatally in F2 neurons and was absent in F3 neurons, it is secondary to earlier F2 gametic changes that survive reprogramming in the early embryo, but are erased in F3 germ-cells. Our data introduce parallel and segregated non-genetic transmission of traits as a mechanism that may explain the propagation and pleiotropy of complex behavioral and psychiatric disease phenotypes across generations. Compared three generations of male offspring from wild-type and 5HT1A-R-/+ Swiss Webster mothers with two replicates per sample. Included as well is F2 embryo transfer from wild-type and het parents in wild-type surogates

Project description:Maternal stress, anxiety, and depression increase the risk of psychiatric disorders in the progeny. These maternal effects can extend beyond the first generation and affect the grandchildren. In contrast to paternal, maternal effects can impact the offspring not only during gametogenesis, but also through fetal and early-postnatal life, increasing phenotypic complexity and the overall impact. To better understand its non-genetic structure, we dissected a complex maternally-transmitted phenotype to elementary behaviors and their corresponding transmission mechanisms. Chronic stress and depression are associated with reduced serotonin1A receptor (5-HT1AR) levels, and we reported that 5-HT1AR+/- dams transmit anxiety/stress-reactivity traits to their wild-type offspring. Here we show that the maternal effect is propagated to multiple generations, and that the behavioral traits are not transmitted in unison, but rather via parallel and segregated mechanisms, each with generation-dependent penetrance and gender specificity. The “risk-avoidance” and “hypoactivity” traits of anxiety were transmitted, via a neuro-immune pathway, consecutively from mother to the wild-type F1, F2, and occasionally F3 generation by iterative non-gametic-programming, while the “increased stress-reactivity” trait was transmitted to the F2 generation by gametic-programming. Iterative non-gametic-programming of anxiety was linked, via gene expression changes and clustered DNA hypo/hypermethylation at intragenic enhancers, to sphingolipid metabolism and GPCRs in the F1/F2 hippocampus, suggesting dysregulated lipid raft functioning/transmembrane signaling. Conversely, gametic-programming of behavior was predominantly associated with hypomethylation at different promoter-enhancing sequences within a set of genes with diverse neuronal functions. Since differential methylation appeared only postnatally in F2 neurons and was absent in F3 neurons, it is secondary to earlier F2 gametic changes that survive reprogramming in the early embryo, but are erased in F3 germ-cells. Our data introduce parallel and segregated non-genetic transmission of traits as a mechanism that may explain the propagation and pleiotropy of complex behavioral and psychiatric disease phenotypes across generations.

Project description:Maternal 5-HT1A-receptor (R) is required for the timely development of the hippocampus and the establishment of emotional behaviors in Swiss-Webster (SW) mice. A partial and/or complete loss of maternal 5-HT1AR results in delayed ventral dentate granule cell (v-DGC) development and subsequent anxiety-like phenotype in the wild-type offspring by a non-genetic, presumably epigenetic mechanism. Here we tested v-DGCs for genome-wide DNA methylation changes elicited by the receptor deficient maternal environment. We identified a set of hypomethylated regions in the offspring of receptor deficient mothers. A significant fraction of these maternal-differentially methylated regions (m-DMRs) mapped to strong CpG islands, sequences that are typically not methylated or if methylated, resistant to environmental-induced changes. Many m-DMRs mapped to exons and some were associated with expression changes. Their hypomethylation was due to an arrest in de novo methylation and, to a lesser extent, to demethylation during postnatal life indicating that the perturbation in methylation coincides with the developmental delay in DGC maturation in the offspring of receptor deficient mothers. Inhibiting methylation in differentiating neurons impaired their maturation further suggesting a link between de novo methylation and neuronal differentiation. These data suggest that methylation at specific exonic CpG-islands may contribute to the mechanism through which maternal 5-HT1AR modulates hippocampal development and consecutively the level of anxiety in the SW offspring. Reduced 5-HT1AR-binding has been reported in individuals, particularly in association with anxiety/depression, including peri/postpartum depression. Therefore, maternal receptor deficit may contribute, via a non-genetic mechanism, to the high prevalence and heritability of anxiety disorders in human. Comparison of methylation patterns in ventral Dentate Gyrus cells of wild type mice versus 5HT1A receptor knockouts, as well as the effect of the maternal 5HT1A genotype

Project description:Maternal 5-HT1A-receptor (R) is required for the timely development of the hippocampus and the establishment of emotional behaviors in Swiss-Webster (SW) mice. A partial and/or complete loss of maternal 5-HT1AR results in delayed ventral dentate granule cell (v-DGC) development and subsequent anxiety-like phenotype in the wild-type offspring by a non-genetic, presumably epigenetic mechanism. Here we tested v-DGCs for genome-wide DNA methylation changes elicited by the receptor deficient maternal environment. We identified a set of hypomethylated regions in the offspring of receptor deficient mothers. A significant fraction of these maternal-differentially methylated regions (m-DMRs) mapped to strong CpG islands, sequences that are typically not methylated or if methylated, resistant to environmental-induced changes. Many m-DMRs mapped to exons and some were associated with expression changes. Their hypomethylation was due to an arrest in de novo methylation and, to a lesser extent, to demethylation during postnatal life indicating that the perturbation in methylation coincides with the developmental delay in DGC maturation in the offspring of receptor deficient mothers. Inhibiting methylation in differentiating neurons impaired their maturation further suggesting a link between de novo methylation and neuronal differentiation. These data suggest that methylation at specific exonic CpG-islands may contribute to the mechanism through which maternal 5-HT1AR modulates hippocampal development and consecutively the level of anxiety in the SW offspring. Reduced 5-HT1AR-binding has been reported in individuals, particularly in association with anxiety/depression, including peri/postpartum depression. Therefore, maternal receptor deficit may contribute, via a non-genetic mechanism, to the high prevalence and heritability of anxiety disorders in human. Examined transcriptomes of 5HT1A wild type offspring with 5HT1A wild type/heterozygous mother or 5HT1A KO offspring with 5HT1A of heterozygous/knock out mother

Project description:Maternal 5-HT1A-receptor (R) is required for the timely development of the hippocampus and the establishment of emotional behaviors in Swiss-Webster (SW) mice. A partial and/or complete loss of maternal 5-HT1AR results in delayed ventral dentate granule cell (v-DGC) development and subsequent anxiety-like phenotype in the wild-type offspring by a non-genetic, presumably epigenetic mechanism. Here we tested v-DGCs for genome-wide DNA methylation changes elicited by the receptor deficient maternal environment. We identified a set of hypomethylated regions in the offspring of receptor deficient mothers. A significant fraction of these maternal-differentially methylated regions (m-DMRs) mapped to strong CpG islands, sequences that are typically not methylated or if methylated, resistant to environmental-induced changes. Many m-DMRs mapped to exons and some were associated with expression changes. Their hypomethylation was due to an arrest in de novo methylation and, to a lesser extent, to demethylation during postnatal life indicating that the perturbation in methylation coincides with the developmental delay in DGC maturation in the offspring of receptor deficient mothers. Inhibiting methylation in differentiating neurons impaired their maturation further suggesting a link between de novo methylation and neuronal differentiation. These data suggest that methylation at specific exonic CpG-islands may contribute to the mechanism through which maternal 5-HT1AR modulates hippocampal development and consecutively the level of anxiety in the SW offspring. Reduced 5-HT1AR-binding has been reported in individuals, particularly in association with anxiety/depression, including peri/postpartum depression. Therefore, maternal receptor deficit may contribute, via a non-genetic mechanism, to the high prevalence and heritability of anxiety disorders in human. Examined 4 samples: 5HT1A wild type offspring with 5HT1A wild type/heterozygous mother or 5HT1A KO offspring with 5HT1A of heterozygous/knock out mother

Project description:The evolution of human diets led to preferences towards polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content with ‘Western’ diets enriched in w-6 PUFA1. Mounting evidence points to w-6 PUFA excess limiting metabolic and cognitive processes that define longevity in humans2. When chosen during pregnancy, w-6 PUFA-enriched ‘Western’ diets can reprogram maternal bodily metabolism with maternal nutrient supply precipitating the body-wide imprinting of molecular and cellular adaptations at the level of long-range intercellular signaling networks in the unborn fetus2,3. Even though unfavorable neurological outcomes are amongst the most common complications of intrauterine w-6 PUFA excess3, cellular underpinnings of life-long modifications to brain architecture remain unknown. Here, we show that nutritional w-6 PUFA-derived endocannabinoids desensitize CB1 cannabinoid receptors, thus inducing epigenetic repression of transcriptional regulatory networks controlling neuronal differentiation. We found that cortical neurons lose their positional identity and axonal selectivity once exposing mouse fetuses to excess w-6 PUFAs in utero. Conversion of w-6 PUFAs into endocannabinoids disrupted the temporal precision of signaling at neuronal CB1 cannabinoid receptors, chiefly deregulating Stat3-dependent transcriptional cascades otherwise required to execute neuronal differentiation programs. Global proteomics identified the immunoglobulin family of cell adhesion molecules (IgCAMs) as direct substrates with DNA methylome analysis and ATAC-seq uncovering epigenetic reprogramming at >1,400 sites in neurons after prolonged cannabinoid exposure. We find anxiety and depression-like behavioral traits to manifest in adult offspring, which is compatible with genetic models of reduced IgCAM expression to suggest causality to cortical wiring defects4. Overall, our data uncover a regulatory mechanism whose disruption by maternal food choices could limit the offsprings’ brain function for life.

			Action	DRS
	SRR2015560.fastq.gz	Fastqsanger.gz
	SRR2015570_1.fastq.gz	Fastqsanger.gz
	SRR2015570_2.fastq.gz	Fastqsanger.gz
	SRR2015561.fastq.gz	Fastqsanger.gz
	SRR2015571_1.fastq.gz	Fastqsanger.gz

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Mus musculus

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