Behavioural phenotyping of thunder mice with a hypomorphic mutation of heterogeneous nuclear ribonuclear protein L-like (hnRNPLL) and reduced T cell function.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonuclear protein l-like (hnRNPLL) is an RNA binding protein that regulates alternative splicing of mRNA and is abundantly expressed in memory T lymphocytes of the immune system and in the brain. A hypomorphic allele of the gene encoding hnRNPLL (Hnrpllthunder) selectively reduces T cell accumulation in lymphoid tissues, but little is known about its effects in the brain. Therefore, we exposed Hnrpllthunder mice to a test battery with relevance for a range of psychiatric illnesses. Thunder mice showed enhanced immobility in the tail-suspension test for depression-related behaviours, impaired short-term spatial memory in the Y-maze and reduced avoidance learning in the active avoidance test. Thus, in addition to its reported effects on immune function, the hnRNPLL mutation in thunder mice selectively affected aspects of behaviour.

M344 promotes nonamyloidogenic amyloid precursor protein processing while normalizing Alzheimer's disease genes and improving memory.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) comprises multifactorial ailments for which current therapeutic strategies remain insufficient to broadly address the underlying pathophysiology. Epigenetic gene regulation relies upon multifactorial processes that regulate multiple gene and protein pathways, including those involved in AD. We therefore took an epigenetic approach where a single drug would simultaneously affect the expression of a number of defined AD-related targets. We show that the small-molecule histone deacetylase inhibitor M344 reduces beta-amyloid (Aß), reduces tau Ser396 phosphorylation, and decreases both ß-secretase (BACE) and APOEε4 gene expression. M344 increases the expression of AD-relevant genes: BDNF, α-secretase (ADAM10), MINT2, FE65, REST, SIRT1, BIN1, and ABCA7, among others. M344 increases sAPPα and CTFα APP metabolite production, both cleavage products of ADAM10, concordant with increased ADAM10 gene expression. M344 also increases levels of immature APP, supporting an effect on APP trafficking, concurrent with the observed increase in MINT2 and FE65, both shown to increase immature APP in the early secretory pathway. Chronic i.p. treatment of the triple transgenic (APPsw/PS1M146V/TauP301L) mice with M344, at doses as low as 3 mg/kg, significantly prevented cognitive decline evaluated by Y-maze spontaneous alternation, novel object recognition, and Barnes maze spatial memory tests. M344 displays short brain exposure, indicating that brief pulses of daily drug treatment may be sufficient for long-term efficacy. Together, these data show that M344 normalizes several disparate pathogenic pathways related to AD. M344 therefore serves as an example of how a multitargeting compound could be used to address the polygenic nature of multifactorial diseases.

Bromodomain inhibitors regulate the C9ORF72 locus in ALS.

A hexanucleotide repeat expansion residing within the C9ORF72 gene represents the most common known cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and places the disease among a growing family of repeat expansion disorders. The presence of RNA foci, repeat-associated translation products, and sequestration of RNA binding proteins suggests that toxic RNA gain-of-function contributes to pathology while C9ORF72 haploinsufficiency may be an additional pathological factor. One viable therapeutic strategy for treating expansion diseases is the use of small molecule inhibitors of epigenetic modifier proteins to reactivate expanded genetic loci. Indeed, previous studies have established proof of this principle by increasing the drug-induced expression of expanded (and abnormally heterochromatinized) FMR1, FXN and C9ORF72 genes in respective patient cells. While epigenetic modifier proteins are increasingly recognized as druggable targets, there have been few screening strategies to address this avenue of drug discovery in the context of expansion diseases. Here we utilize a semi-high-throughput gene expression based screen to identify siRNAs and small molecule inhibitors of epigenetic modifier proteins that regulate C9ORF72 RNA in patient fibroblasts, lymphocytes and reprogrammed motor neurons. We found that several bromodomain small molecule inhibitors increase the expression of C9ORF72 mRNA and pre-mRNA without affecting repressive epigenetic signatures of expanded C9ORF72 alleles. These data suggest that bromodomain inhibition increases the expression of unexpanded C9ORF72 alleles and may therefore compensate for haploinsufficiency without increasing the production of toxic RNA and protein products, thereby conferring therapeutic value.

CX3CL1 is up-regulated in the rat hippocampus during memory-associated synaptic plasticity.

Several cytokines and chemokines are now known to play normal physiological roles in the brain where they act as key regulators of communication between neurons, glia, and microglia. In particular, cytokines and chemokines can affect cardinal cellular and molecular processes of hippocampal-dependent long-term memory consolidation including synaptic plasticity, synaptic scaling and neurogenesis. The chemokine, CX3CL1 (fractalkine), has been shown to modulate synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 pyramidal cell layer of the hippocampus. Here, we confirm widespread expression of CX3CL1 on mature neurons in the adult rat hippocampus. We report an up-regulation in CX3CL1 protein expression in the CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus (DG) of the rat hippocampus 2 h after spatial learning in the water maze task. Moreover, the same temporal increase in CX3CL1 was evident following LTP-inducing theta-burst stimulation in the DG. At physiologically relevant concentrations, CX3CL1 inhibited LTP maintenance in the DG. This attenuation in dentate LTP was lost in the presence of GABAA receptor/chloride channel antagonism. CX3CL1 also had opposing actions on glutamate-mediated rise in intracellular calcium in hippocampal organotypic slice cultures in the presence and absence of GABAA receptor/chloride channel blockade. Using primary dissociated hippocampal cultures, we established that CX3CL1 reduces glutamate-mediated intracellular calcium rises in both neurons and glia in a dose dependent manner. In conclusion, CX3CL1 is up-regulated in the hippocampus during a brief temporal window following spatial learning the purpose of which may be to regulate glutamate-mediated neurotransmission tone. Our data supports a possible role for this chemokine in the protective plasticity process of synaptic scaling.

Regulation of the apolipoprotein gene cluster by a long noncoding RNA.

Apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1) is the major protein component of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in plasma. We have identified an endogenously expressed long noncoding natural antisense transcript, APOA1-AS, which acts as a negative transcriptional regulator of APOA1 both in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of APOA1-AS in cultured cells resulted in the increased expression of APOA1 and two neighboring genes in the APO cluster. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analyses of a ∼50 kb chromatin region flanking the APOA1 gene demonstrated that APOA1-AS can modulate distinct histone methylation patterns that mark active and/or inactive gene expression through the recruitment of histone-modifying enzymes. Targeting APOA1-AS with short antisense oligonucleotides also enhanced APOA1 expression in both human and monkey liver cells and induced an increase in hepatic RNA and protein expression in African green monkeys. Furthermore, the results presented here highlight the significant local modulatory effects of long noncoding antisense RNAs and demonstrate the therapeutic potential of manipulating the expression of these transcripts both in vitro and in vivo.

The effect of piribedil on L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias in a rat model of Parkinson's disease: differential role of α(2) adrenergic mechanisms.

Piribedil is a non-ergoline, dopamine D(2)/D(3) receptor agonist with α(2) adrenoceptor antagonist properties that has been used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Noradrenergic neurotransmission may be involved in the pathogenesis of dyskinesias induced by chronic treatment with L-DOPA (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, levodopa), but its role in the in vivo action of piribedil or on different subclasses of abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) remains unclear. The aims of this study were therefore (1) to investigate the anti-dyskinetic effects of piribedil on L-DOPA-induced contralateral turning behaviour, locomotive dyskinesias (LD), axial dystonia (AD), orolingual dyskinesia (OD) and forelimb dyskinesia (FD) and (2) to compare these effects to the α(2) adrenoceptor antagonist, idazoxan, or the α(2) adrenoceptor agonist, clonidine. Rats were unilaterally lesioned with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and injected intraperitoneally twice daily with L-DOPA methylester (12.5 mg/kg) and benserazide (3.25 mg/kg). After 3 weeks, the effects of piribedil (5, 15, 40 mg/kg), clonidine (0.15 mg/kg), idazoxan (10 mg/kg) and combinations of these drugs were scored during 2 h. Pre-treatment with 5 and 40 mg/kg, but not 15 mg/kg, of piribedil reduced turning behaviour and AD, OD and FD, but piribedil increased LD at the 40 mg/kg doses compared to the L-DOPA group. Idazoxan induced similar effects as piribedil (40 mg/kg), except that it had no effect on LD. Idazoxan blocked the effect of piribedil on AD and FD. Clonidine reduced all AIMs except OD, possibly because of its sedative effect. Clonidine blocked the effect of piribedil on AD, OD and FD. These data suggest a differential involvement of α(2) adrenergic receptors in the action of piribedil on different subclasses of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias.

Altered N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor function in reelin heterozygous mice: male-female differences and comparison with dopaminergic activity.

The aim of this study was to investigate the in vivo relationship between reelin and NMDA receptor function in schizophrenia. We assessed the effect of reelin deficiency in behavioral models of aspects of this illness, NMDA receptor subunit levels, and NMDA receptor, dopamine D2 receptor, and dopamine transporter density. Male, but not female, reelin heterozygous mice showed significantly enhanced MK-801-induced locomotor hyperactivity compared to wildtype controls (7.4-fold vs. 5.2-fold effect of MK-801 over saline, respectively) but there were no genotype differences in the response to amphetamine. Both male and female reelin heterozygous mice showed enhanced effects of MK-801 on startle, but not prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle. There were no group differences in the effect of apomorphine on startle or PPI. The levels of NMDA receptor subunits were not altered in the striatum. In the frontal cortex, male and female reelin heterozygous mice showed significant up-regulation of NR1 subunits, but down-regulation of NR2C subunits, which was associated with significantly elevated NR1/NR2A and NR1/NR2C ratios. However, there were no differences in [³H]MK-801 binding density in the nucleus accumbens or caudate nucleus, nor in the density of [³H]YM-09151 or [³H]GBR12935 in these brain regions. The enhanced effects of MK-801 in reelin heterozygous mice in this study could be reflective of the role of reelin deficiency in schizophrenia. This genotype effect was male-specific for locomotor hyperactivity, a model of psychosis, but was seen in male and female mice for startle, which could be an indication of changes in anxiety. Changes in NMDA receptor subunit levels and ratios were also seen in both male and female mice. These results suggest that the role of reelin deficiency in schizophrenia may be particularly mediated by altered NMDA receptor responses, with some of these effects being strictly sex-specific.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression is increased in the hippocampus of 5-HT(2C) receptor knockout mice.

Several studies have suggested a close interaction between serotonin (5-HT) and BDNF; however, little is known of the specific relationship between BDNF and the 5-HT(2C) receptor. Therefore, in this study we investigated BDNF expression in 5-HT(2C) receptor knockout mice (5-HT(2C) KO). We also assessed functional consequences of any changes in BDNF using a behavioral test battery. Western blot analysis demonstrated a significant 2.2-fold increase in the expression of the mature form of BDNF in 5-HT(2C) KO mice when compared with wild-type controls (WT) in the hippocampus (P = 0.008), but not frontal cortex or striatum. No differences in the expression of the pro-BDNF isoform were found, and the ratio of mature/pro BDNF was significantly increased in 5-HT(2C) KO (P = 0.003). BDNF mRNA expression in the hippocampus was not different between the genotypes. Hence, increased mature BDNF levels in 5-HT(2C) KO hippocampus are most likely due to increased extracellular cleavage rates of pro-BDNF to its mature form. Protein expression of the BDNF receptor, tropomycin-related receptor B (TrkB), was also unchanged in the hippocampus, frontal cortex and striatum. With repeated training in a 10-day win-shift radial arm maze task, 5-HT(2C) KO and WT showed similar decreases of the number of working memory and reference memory errors. In addition, no genotype specific differences were observed for passive or active avoidance learning. 5-HT(2C) KO showed modest locomotor hyperactivity but no differences in tests for anxiety, sensorimotor gating, or depressive-like behaviors; however, in the tail suspension test 5-HT(2C) KO showed significantly reduced climbing (P < 0.05). In conclusion, loss of 5-HT(2C) receptor expression leads to a marked and selective increase in levels of the mature form of BDNF in the hippocampus. Despite this marked increase, 5-HT(2C) KO show only subtle behavioral changes.