RESUMEN
Complement signaling is thought to serve as an opsonization signal to promote the phagocytosis of synapses by microglia. However, while its role in synaptic remodeling has been demonstrated in the retino-thalamic system, it remains unclear whether complement signaling mediates synaptic pruning in the brain more generally. Here we found that mice lacking the Complement receptor 3, the major microglia complement receptor, failed to show a deficit in either synaptic pruning or axon elimination in the developing mouse cortex. Instead, mice lacking Complement receptor 3 exhibited a deficit in the perinatal elimination of neurons in the cortex, a deficit that is associated with increased cortical thickness and enhanced functional connectivity in these regions in adulthood. These data demonstrate a role for complement in promoting neuronal elimination in the developing cortex.
Asunto(s)
Microglía , Neuronas , Ratones , Animales , Encéfalo , Transducción de Señal , Sinapsis/fisiología , Receptores de Complemento , Plasticidad Neuronal/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Abnormal tactile response is an integral feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), and hypo-responsiveness to tactile stimuli is often associated with the severity of ASDs core symptoms. Patients with Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS), caused by mutations in the SHANK3 gene, show ASD-like symptoms associated with aberrant tactile responses. The neural underpinnings of these abnormalities are still poorly understood. Here we investigated, in Shank3b-/- adult mice, the neural substrates of whisker-guided behaviors, a key component of rodents' interaction with the surrounding environment. We assessed whisker-dependent behaviors in Shank3b-/- adult mice and age-matched controls, using the textured novel object recognition (tNORT) and whisker nuisance (WN) test. Shank3b-/- mice showed deficits in whisker-dependent texture discrimination in tNORT and behavioral hypo-responsiveness to repetitive whisker stimulation in WN. Sensory hypo-responsiveness was accompanied by a significantly reduced activation of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and hippocampus, as measured by c-fos mRNA induction, a proxy of neuronal activity following whisker stimulation. Moreover, resting-state fMRI showed a significantly reduced S1-hippocampal connectivity in Shank3b mutants, in the absence of altered connectivity between S1 and other somatosensory areas. Impaired crosstalk between hippocampus and S1 might underlie Shank3b-/- hypo-reactivity to whisker-dependent cues, highlighting a potentially generalizable somatosensory dysfunction in ASD.
Asunto(s)
Trastornos de los Cromosomas , Proteínas de Microfilamentos , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso , Vibrisas , Animales , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Ratones , Ratones Noqueados , Proteínas de Microfilamentos/genética , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/genética , Corteza Somatosensorial/metabolismo , Vibrisas/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Sensory abnormalities are a common feature in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Tactile responsiveness is altered in autistic individuals, with hypo-responsiveness being associated with the severity of ASD core symptoms. Similarly, sensory abnormalities have been described in mice lacking ASD-associated genes. Loss-of-function mutations in CNTNAP2 result in cortical dysplasia-focal epilepsy syndrome (CDFE) and autism. Likewise, Cntnap2-/- mice show epilepsy and deficits relevant with core symptoms of human ASDs, and are considered a reliable model to study ASDs. Altered synaptic transmission and synchronicity found in the cerebral cortex of Cntnap2-/- mice would suggest a network dysfunction. Here, we investigated the neural substrates of whisker-dependent responses in Cntnap2+/+ and Cntnap2-/- adult mice. When compared to controls, Cntnap2-/- mice showed focal hyper-connectivity within the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), in the absence of altered connectivity between S1 and other somatosensory areas. This data suggests the presence of impaired somatosensory processing in these mutants. Accordingly, Cntnap2-/- mice displayed impaired whisker-dependent discrimination in the textured novel object recognition test (tNORT) and increased c-fos mRNA induction within S1 following whisker stimulation. S1 functional hyperconnectivity might underlie the aberrant whisker-dependent responses observed in Cntnap2-/- mice, indicating that Cntnap2 mice are a reliable model to investigate sensory abnormalities that characterize ASDs.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno del Espectro Autista , Trastorno Autístico , Proteínas de la Membrana , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso , Animales , Trastorno del Espectro Autista/genética , Trastorno Autístico/genética , Corteza Cerebral , Proteínas de la Membrana/genética , Ratones , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/genética , Corteza Somatosensorial , VibrisasRESUMEN
Overreactivity and defensive behaviors in response to tactile stimuli are common symptoms in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients. Similarly, somatosensory hypersensitivity has also been described in mice lacking ASD-associated genes such as Fmr1 (fragile X mental retardation protein 1). Fmr1 knock-out mice also show reduced functional connectivity between sensory cortical areas, which may represent an endogenous biomarker for their hypersensitivity. Here, we measured whole-brain functional connectivity in Engrailed-2 knock-out (En2-/-) adult mice, which show a lower expression of Fmr1 and anatomical defects common to Fmr1 knock-outs. MRI-based resting-state functional connectivity in adult En2-/- mice revealed significantly reduced synchronization in somatosensory-auditory/associative cortices and dorsal thalamus, suggesting the presence of aberrant somatosensory processing in these mutants. Accordingly, when tested in the whisker nuisance test, En2-/- but not WT mice of both sexes showed fear behavior in response to repeated whisker stimulation. En2-/- mice undergoing this test exhibited decreased c-Fos-positive neurons (a marker of neuronal activity) in layer IV of the primary somatosensory cortex and increased immunoreactive cells in the basolateral amygdala compared with WT littermates. Conversely, when tested in a sensory maze, En2-/- and WT mice spent a comparable time in whisker-guided exploration, indicating that whisker-mediated behaviors are otherwise preserved in En2 mutants. Therefore, fearful responses to somatosensory stimuli in En2-/- mice are accompanied by reduced basal connectivity of sensory regions, reduced activation of somatosensory cortex, and increased activation of the basolateral amygdala, suggesting that impaired somatosensory processing is a common feature in mice lacking ASD-related genes.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Overreactivity to tactile stimuli is a common symptom in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients. Recent studies performed in mice bearing ASD-related mutations confirmed these findings. Here, we evaluated the behavioral response to whisker stimulation in mice lacking the ASD-related gene Engrailed-2 (En2-/- mice). Compared with WT controls, En2-/- mice showed reduced functional connectivity in the somatosensory cortex, which was paralleled by fear behavior, reduced activation of somatosensory cortex, and increased activation of the basolateral amygdala in response to repeated whisker stimulation. These results suggest that impaired somatosensory signal processing is a common feature in mice harboring ASD-related mutations.
Asunto(s)
Complejo Nuclear Basolateral/fisiopatología , Miedo/fisiología , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/deficiencia , Corteza Somatosensorial/fisiopatología , Vibrisas/fisiología , Animales , Trastorno del Espectro Autista/psicología , Complejo Nuclear Basolateral/diagnóstico por imagen , Complejo Nuclear Basolateral/patología , Corteza Cerebral/diagnóstico por imagen , Corteza Cerebral/patología , Conectoma , Imagen de Difusión Tensora , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Conducta Exploratoria/fisiología , Conducta Alimentaria/fisiología , Femenino , Hipocampo/diagnóstico por imagen , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Proteínas de Homeodominio/genética , Proteínas de Homeodominio/fisiología , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Noqueados , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/análisis , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/genética , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/fisiología , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-fos/análisis , Corteza Somatosensorial/diagnóstico por imagen , Corteza Somatosensorial/patología , Tálamo/patología , Sustancia Blanca/diagnóstico por imagen , Sustancia Blanca/patologíaRESUMEN
Mutations in the synaptic scaffolding protein SHANK3 are a major cause of autism and are associated with prominent intellectual and language deficits. However, the neural mechanisms whereby SHANK3 deficiency affects higher-order socio-communicative functions remain unclear. Using high-resolution functional and structural MRI in adult male mice, here we show that loss of Shank3 (Shank3B-/-) results in disrupted local and long-range prefrontal and frontostriatal functional connectivity. We document that prefrontal hypoconnectivity is associated with reduced short-range cortical projections density, and reduced gray matter volume. Finally, we show that prefrontal disconnectivity is predictive of social communication deficits, as assessed with ultrasound vocalization recordings. Collectively, our results reveal a critical role of SHANK3 in the development of prefrontal anatomy and function, and suggest that SHANK3 deficiency may predispose to intellectual disability and socio-communicative impairments via dysregulation of higher-order cortical connectivity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mutations in the synaptic scaffolding protein SHANK3 are commonly associated with autism, intellectual, and language deficits. Previous research has linked SHANK3 deficiency to basal ganglia dysfunction, motor stereotypies, and social deficits. However, the neural mechanism whereby Shank3 gene mutations affects cortical functional connectivity and higher-order socio-communicative functions remain unclear. Here we show that loss of SHANK3 in mice results in largely disrupted functional connectivity and abnormal gray matter anatomy in prefrontal areas. We also show that prefrontal connectivity disruption is tightly linked to socio-communicative deficits. Our findings suggest that SHANK3 is a critical orchestrator of frontocortical function, and that disrupted connectivity of prefrontal areas may underpin socio-communicative impairments observed in SHANK3 mutation carriers.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno del Espectro Autista/genética , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/fisiología , Corteza Prefrontal/crecimiento & desarrollo , Vocalización Animal/fisiología , Animales , Mapeo Encefálico , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad , Sustancia Gris/crecimiento & desarrollo , Sustancia Gris/patología , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Ratones Noqueados , Proteínas de Microfilamentos , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/genética , Corteza Prefrontal/patología , Conducta SocialRESUMEN
Human genetic studies are rapidly identifying variants that increase risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. However, it remains unclear how specific mutations impact brain function and contribute to neuropsychiatric risk. Chromosome 16p11.2 deletion is one of the most common copy number variations in autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders. Using resting state functional MRI data from the Simons Variation in Individuals Project (VIP) database, we show that 16p11.2 deletion carriers exhibit impaired prefrontal connectivity, resulting in weaker long-range functional coupling with temporal-parietal regions. These functional changes are associated with socio-cognitive impairments. We also document that a mouse with the same genetic deficiency exhibits similarly diminished prefrontal connectivity, together with thalamo-prefrontal miswiring and reduced long-range functional synchronization. These results reveal a mechanistic link between specific genetic risk for neurodevelopmental disorders and long-range functional coupling, and suggest that deletion in 16p11.2 may lead to impaired socio-cognitive function via dysregulation of prefrontal connectivity.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno Autístico/genética , Trastornos de los Cromosomas/genética , Discapacidad Intelectual/genética , Red Nerviosa/fisiología , Adolescente , Animales , Trastorno Autístico/fisiopatología , Trastorno Autístico/psicología , Niño , Deleción Cromosómica , Trastornos de los Cromosomas/fisiopatología , Cromosomas Humanos Par 16/genética , Cognición/fisiología , Disfunción Cognitiva/complicaciones , Variaciones en el Número de Copia de ADN , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Femenino , Humanos , Discapacidad Intelectual/fisiopatología , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Masculino , Potenciales de la Membrana/genética , Potenciales de la Membrana/fisiología , Ratones , Ratones Noqueados , Trastornos del Neurodesarrollo/genética , Corteza Prefrontal/fisiología , Lóbulo Temporal/fisiopatologíaRESUMEN
Functional connectivity aberrancies, as measured with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI), have been consistently observed in the brain of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) patients. However, the genetic and neurobiological underpinnings of these findings remain unclear. Homozygous mutations in contactin associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2), a neurexin-related cell-adhesion protein, are strongly linked to autism and epilepsy. Here we used rsfMRI to show that homozygous mice lacking Cntnap2 exhibit reduced long-range and local functional connectivity in prefrontal and midline brain "connectivity hubs." Long-range rsfMRI connectivity impairments affected heteromodal cortical regions and were prominent between fronto-posterior components of the mouse default-mode network, an effect that was associated with reduced social investigation, a core "autism trait" in mice. Notably, viral tracing revealed reduced frequency of prefrontal-projecting neural clusters in the cingulate cortex of Cntnap2-/- mutants, suggesting a possible contribution of defective mesoscale axonal wiring to the observed functional impairments. Macroscale cortico-cortical white-matter organization appeared to be otherwise preserved in these animals. These findings reveal a key contribution of ASD-associated gene CNTNAP2 in modulating macroscale functional connectivity, and suggest that homozygous loss-of-function mutations in this gene may predispose to neurodevelopmental disorders and autism through a selective dysregulation of connectivity in integrative prefrontal areas.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno Autístico/genética , Trastorno Autístico/patología , Proteínas de la Membrana/genética , Mutación/genética , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/genética , Corteza Prefrontal/diagnóstico por imagen , Sustancia Blanca/fisiopatología , Animales , Trastorno Autístico/psicología , Mapeo Encefálico , Imagen de Difusión por Resonancia Magnética , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Femenino , Procesamiento de Imagen Asistido por Computador , Relaciones Interpersonales , Proteínas Luminiscentes/genética , Proteínas Luminiscentes/metabolismo , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Proteínas de la Membrana/metabolismo , Ratones , Ratones Transgénicos , Red Nerviosa/diagnóstico por imagen , Red Nerviosa/fisiopatología , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/metabolismo , Vías Nerviosas/diagnóstico por imagen , Vías Nerviosas/fisiopatología , Oxígeno/sangre , Transducción Genética , Sustancia Blanca/diagnóstico por imagen , Proteína Fluorescente RojaRESUMEN
Truncating CHD8 mutations are amongst the highest confidence risk factors for autism spectrum disorder (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 midgestation, 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 cortico-hippocampal 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.
Asunto(s)
Encéfalo/fisiopatología , Proteínas de Unión al ADN/genética , Regulación del Desarrollo de la Expresión Génica/genética , Vías Nerviosas/fisiopatología , Animales , Trastorno del Espectro Autista/genética , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Haploinsuficiencia , Ratones , Ratones Noqueados , Neocórtex/metabolismo , TranscriptomaRESUMEN
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and epilepsy are neurodevelopmental conditions that appear with high rate of co-occurrence, suggesting the possibility of a common genetic basis. Mutations in Synapsin (SYN) genes, particularly SYN1 and SYN2, have been recently associated with ASD and epilepsy in humans. Accordingly, mice lacking Syn1 or Syn2, but not Syn3, experience epileptic seizures and display autistic-like traits that precede the onset of seizures. Here, we analyzed social behavior and ultrasonic vocalizations emitted in 2 social contexts by SynI, SynII, or SynIII mutants and show that SynII mutants display the most severe ASD-like phenotype. We also show that the behavioral SynII phenotype correlates with a significant decrease in auditory and hippocampal functional connectivity as measured with resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI). Taken together, our results reveal a permissive contribution of Syn2 to the expression of normal socio-communicative behavior, and suggest that Syn2-mediated synaptic dysfunction can lead to ASD-like behavior through dysregulation of cortical connectivity.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno del Espectro Autista/metabolismo , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Conducta Social , Sinapsinas/metabolismo , Animales , Trastorno del Espectro Autista/genética , Conducta Animal , Conmoción Encefálica/fisiopatología , Epilepsia/fisiopatología , Femenino , Masculino , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Transgénicos , Fenotipo , Sinapsinas/deficienciaRESUMEN
Genetic variations in catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) that modulate cortical dopamine have been associated with pleiotropic behavioral effects in humans and mice. Recent data suggest that some of these effects may vary among sexes. However, the specific brain substrates underlying COMT sexual dimorphisms remain unknown. Here, we report that genetically driven reduction in COMT enzyme activity increased cortical thickness in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and postero-parieto-temporal cortex of male, but not female adult mice and humans. Dichotomous changes in PFC cytoarchitecture were also observed: reduced COMT increased a measure of neuronal density in males, while reducing it in female mice. Consistent with the neuroanatomical findings, COMT-dependent sex-specific morphological brain changes were paralleled by divergent effects on PFC-dependent working memory in both mice and humans. These findings emphasize a specific sex-gene interaction that can modulate brain morphological substrates with influence on behavioral outcomes in healthy subjects and, potentially, in neuropsychiatric populations.
Asunto(s)
Catecol O-Metiltransferasa/genética , Corteza Cerebral/anatomía & histología , Memoria a Corto Plazo/fisiología , Caracteres Sexuales , Adolescente , Adulto , Análisis de Varianza , Animales , Aprendizaje por Asociación/fisiología , Mapeo Encefálico , Catecol O-Metiltransferasa/deficiencia , Corteza Cerebral/citología , Femenino , Genotipo , Proteínas de Homeodominio/metabolismo , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Aprendizaje por Laberinto , Ratones , Ratones Transgénicos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Mutación/genética , Neuronas/metabolismo , Proteínas Nucleares/metabolismo , Fosfopiruvato Hidratasa/metabolismo , Proteínas Represoras/metabolismo , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Recent advances in functional connectivity methods have made it possible to identify brain hubs - a set of highly connected regions serving as integrators of distributed neuronal activity. The integrative role of hub nodes makes these areas points of high vulnerability to dysfunction in brain disorders, and abnormal hub connectivity profiles have been described for several neuropsychiatric disorders. The identification of analogous functional connectivity hubs in preclinical species like the mouse may provide critical insight into the elusive biological underpinnings of these connectional alterations. To spatially locate functional connectivity hubs in the mouse brain, here we applied a fully-weighted network analysis to map whole-brain intrinsic functional connectivity (i.e., the functional connectome) at a high-resolution voxel-scale. Analysis of a large resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) dataset revealed the presence of six distinct functional modules related to known large-scale functional partitions of the brain, including a default-mode network (DMN). Consistent with human studies, highly-connected functional hubs were identified in several sub-regions of the DMN, including the anterior and posterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices, in the thalamus, and in small foci within well-known integrative cortical structures such as the insular and temporal association cortices. According to their integrative role, the identified hubs exhibited mutual preferential interconnections. These findings highlight the presence of evolutionarily-conserved, mutually-interconnected functional hubs in the mouse brain, and may guide future investigations of the biological foundations of aberrant rsfMRI hub connectivity associated with brain pathological states.
Asunto(s)
Encéfalo/anatomía & histología , Encéfalo/fisiología , Conectoma , Vías Nerviosas/anatomía & histología , Vías Nerviosas/fisiología , Algoritmos , Animales , Mapeo Encefálico , Perros , Procesamiento de Imagen Asistido por Computador , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Red Nerviosa/fisiología , Corteza Prefrontal/anatomía & histología , Corteza Prefrontal/fisiología , Tálamo/anatomía & histología , Tálamo/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Laboratory mouse models represent a powerful tool to elucidate the biological foundations of disease, but translation to and from human studies rely upon valid cross-species measures. Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) represents a promising translational probe of brain function; however, no convincing demonstration of the presence of distributed, bilateral rsFC networks in the mouse brain has yet been reported. Here we used blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) weighted fMRI to demonstrate the presence of robust and reproducible resting-state networks in the mouse brain. Independent-component analysis (ICA) revealed inter-hemispheric homotopic rsFC networks encompassing several established neuro-anatomical systems of the mouse brain, including limbic, motor and parietal cortex, striatum, thalamus and hippocampus. BOLD and CBV contrast produced consistent networks, with the latter exhibiting a superior anatomical preservation of brain regions close to air-tissue interfaces (e.g. ventral hippocampus). Seed-based analysis confirmed the inter-hemispheric specificity of the correlations observed with ICA and highlighted the presence of distributed antero-posterior networks anatomically homologous to the human salience network (SN) and default-mode network (DMN). Consistent with rsFC investigations in humans, BOLD and CBV-weighted fMRI signals in the DMN-like network exhibited spontaneous anti-correlation with neighbouring fronto-parietal areas. These findings demonstrate the presence of robust distributed intrinsic functional connectivity networks in the mouse brain, and pave the way for the application of rsFC readouts in transgenic models to investigate the biological underpinnings of spontaneous BOLD fMRI fluctuations and their derangement in pathological states.
Asunto(s)
Encéfalo/fisiología , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Red Nerviosa/fisiología , Animales , Encéfalo/irrigación sanguínea , Procesamiento de Imagen Asistido por Computador , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Red Nerviosa/irrigación sanguínea , Oxígeno/sangre , DescansoRESUMEN
Emotion recognition and the resulting responses are important for survival and social functioning. However, how socially derived information is processed for reliable emotion recognition is incompletely understood. Here, we reveal an evolutionarily conserved long-range inhibitory/excitatory brain network mediating these socio-cognitive processes. Anatomical tracing in mice revealed the existence of a subpopulation of somatostatin (SOM) GABAergic neurons projecting from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to the retrosplenial cortex (RSC). Through optogenetic manipulations and Ca2+ imaging fiber photometry in mice and functional imaging in humans, we demonstrate the specific participation of these long-range SOM projections from the mPFC to the RSC, and an excitatory feedback loop from the RSC to the mPFC, in emotion recognition. Notably, we show that mPFC-to-RSC SOM projections are dysfunctional in mouse models relevant to psychiatric vulnerability and can be targeted to rescue emotion recognition deficits in these mice. Our findings demonstrate a cortico-cortical circuit underlying emotion recognition.
Asunto(s)
Emociones , Corteza Prefrontal , Animales , Emociones/fisiología , Corteza Prefrontal/fisiología , Ratones , Masculino , Humanos , Neuronas GABAérgicas/fisiología , Vías Nerviosas/fisiología , Somatostatina/metabolismo , Reconocimiento en Psicología/fisiología , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Optogenética , Femenino , Giro del Cíngulo/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Genomic mechanisms enhancing risk in males may contribute to sex bias in autism. The ubiquitin protein ligase E3A gene (Ube3a) affects cellular homeostasis via control of protein turnover and by acting as transcriptional coactivator with steroid hormone receptors. Overdosage of Ube3a via duplication or triplication of chromosomal region 15q11-13 causes 1 to 2% of autistic cases. Here, we test the hypothesis that increased dosage of Ube3a may influence autism-relevant phenotypes in a sex-biased manner. We show that mice with extra copies of Ube3a exhibit sex-biasing effects on brain connectomics and autism-relevant behaviors. These effects are associated with transcriptional dysregulation of autism-associated genes, as well as genes differentially expressed in 15q duplication and in autistic people. Increased Ube3a dosage also affects expression of genes on the X chromosome, genes influenced by sex steroid hormone, and genes sex-differentially regulated by transcription factors. These results suggest that Ube3a overdosage can contribute to sex bias in neurodevelopmental conditions via influence on sex-differential mechanisms.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno Autístico , Transcriptoma , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas , Animales , Masculino , Femenino , Trastorno Autístico/genética , Ratones , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/genética , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/metabolismo , Humanos , Conducta Animal , Caracteres Sexuales , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Predisposición Genética a la EnfermedadRESUMEN
Human imaging studies have shown that spontaneous brain activity exhibits stereotypic spatiotemporal reorganization in awake, conscious conditions with respect to minimally conscious states. However, whether and how this phenomenon can be generalized to lower mammalian species remains unclear. Leveraging a robust protocol for resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) mapping in non-anesthetized, head-fixed mice, we investigated functional network topography and dynamic structure of spontaneous brain activity in wakeful animals. We found that rsfMRI networks in the awake state, while anatomically comparable to those observed under anesthesia, are topologically configured to maximize interregional communication, departing from the underlying community structure of the mouse axonal connectome. We further report that rsfMRI activity in wakeful animals exhibits unique spatiotemporal dynamics characterized by a state-dependent, dominant occurrence of coactivation patterns encompassing a prominent participation of arousal-related forebrain nuclei and functional anti-coordination between visual-auditory and polymodal cortical areas. We finally show that rsfMRI dynamics in awake mice exhibits a stereotypical temporal structure, in which state-dominant coactivation patterns are configured as network attractors. These findings suggest that spontaneous brain activity in awake mice is critically shaped by state-specific involvement of basal forebrain arousal systems and document that its dynamic structure recapitulates distinctive, evolutionarily relevant principles that are predictive of conscious states in higher mammalian species.
Asunto(s)
Conectoma , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Animales , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagen , Encéfalo/fisiología , Mapeo Encefálico/métodos , Conectoma/métodos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Mamíferos , Ratones , Red Nerviosa/fisiología , VigiliaRESUMEN
While shaped and constrained by axonal connections, fMRI-based functional connectivity reorganizes in response to varying interareal input or pathological perturbations. However, the causal contribution of regional brain activity to whole-brain fMRI network organization remains unclear. Here we combine neural manipulations, resting-state fMRI and in vivo electrophysiology to probe how inactivation of a cortical node causally affects brain-wide fMRI coupling in the mouse. We find that chronic inhibition of the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) via overexpression of a potassium channel increases fMRI connectivity between the inhibited area and its direct thalamo-cortical targets. Acute chemogenetic inhibition of the PFC produces analogous patterns of fMRI overconnectivity. Using in vivo electrophysiology, we find that chemogenetic inhibition of the PFC enhances low frequency (0.1-4 Hz) oscillatory power via suppression of neural firing not phase-locked to slow rhythms, resulting in increased slow and δ band coherence between areas that exhibit fMRI overconnectivity. These results provide causal evidence that cortical inactivation can counterintuitively increase fMRI connectivity via enhanced, less-localized slow oscillatory processes.
Asunto(s)
Encéfalo , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Animales , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Ratones , Vías Nerviosas/fisiología , Corteza Prefrontal/diagnóstico por imagenRESUMEN
The D-aspartate oxidase (DDO) gene encodes the enzyme responsible for the catabolism of D-aspartate, an atypical amino acid enriched in the mammalian brain and acting as an endogenous NMDA receptor agonist. Considering the key role of NMDA receptors in neurodevelopmental disorders, recent findings suggest a link between D-aspartate dysmetabolism and schizophrenia. To clarify the role of D-aspartate on brain development and functioning, we used a mouse model with constitutive Ddo overexpression and D-aspartate depletion. In these mice, we found reduced number of BrdU-positive dorsal pallium neurons during corticogenesis, and decreased cortical and striatal gray matter volume at adulthood. Brain abnormalities were associated with social recognition memory deficit at juvenile phase, suggesting that early D-aspartate occurrence influences neurodevelopmental related phenotypes. We corroborated this hypothesis by reporting the first clinical case of a young patient with severe intellectual disability, thought disorders and autism spectrum disorder symptomatology, harboring a duplication of a chromosome 6 region, including the entire DDO gene.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno del Espectro Autista , Discapacidad Intelectual , Adulto , Animales , Ácido Aspártico/metabolismo , Trastorno del Espectro Autista/genética , D-Aspartato Oxidasa/química , D-Aspartato Oxidasa/genética , D-Aspartato Oxidasa/metabolismo , Ácido D-Aspártico/genética , Ácido D-Aspártico/metabolismo , Duplicación de Gen , Humanos , Discapacidad Intelectual/genética , Trastornos de la Memoria/genética , Ratones , Oxidorreductasas , Receptores de N-Metil-D-Aspartato/metabolismoRESUMEN
Cholinergic drugs acting at M1/M4 muscarinic receptors hold promise for the treatment of symptoms associated with brain disorders characterized by cognitive impairment, mood disturbances, or psychosis, such as Alzheimer's disease or schizophrenia. However, the brain-wide functional substrates engaged by muscarinic agonists remain poorly understood. Here we used a combination of pharmacological fMRI (phMRI), resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI), and resting-state quantitative EEG (qEEG) to investigate the effects of a behaviorally active dose of the M1/M4-preferring muscarinic agonist xanomeline on brain functional activity in the rodent brain. We investigated both the effects of xanomeline per se and its modulatory effects on signals elicited by the NMDA-receptor antagonists phencyclidine (PCP) and ketamine. We found that xanomeline induces robust and widespread BOLD signal phMRI amplitude increases and decreased high-frequency qEEG spectral activity. rsfMRI mapping in the mouse revealed that xanomeline robustly decreased neocortical and striatal connectivity but induces focal increases in functional connectivity within the nucleus accumbens and basal forebrain. Notably, xanomeline pre-administration robustly attenuated both the cortico-limbic phMRI response and the fronto-hippocampal hyper-connectivity induced by PCP, enhanced PCP-modulated functional connectivity locally within the nucleus accumbens and basal forebrain, and reversed the gamma and high-frequency qEEG power increases induced by ketamine. Collectively, these results show that xanomeline robustly induces both cholinergic-like neocortical activation and desynchronization of functional networks in the mammalian brain. These effects could serve as a translatable biomarker for future clinical investigations of muscarinic agents, and bear mechanistic relevance for the putative therapeutic effect of these class of compounds in brain disorders.
Asunto(s)
Agonistas Muscarínicos , Tiadiazoles , Animales , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Ratones , Agonistas Muscarínicos/farmacología , Piridinas , Receptor Muscarínico M1/metabolismo , Receptor Muscarínico M4/metabolismoRESUMEN
Postmortem studies have revealed increased density of excitatory synapses in the brains of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a putative link to aberrant mTOR-dependent synaptic pruning. ASD is also characterized by atypical macroscale functional connectivity as measured with resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI). These observations raise the question of whether excess of synapses causes aberrant functional connectivity in ASD. Using rsfMRI, electrophysiology and in silico modelling in Tsc2 haploinsufficient mice, we show that mTOR-dependent increased spine density is associated with ASD -like stereotypies and cortico-striatal hyperconnectivity. These deficits are completely rescued by pharmacological inhibition of mTOR. Notably, we further demonstrate that children with idiopathic ASD exhibit analogous cortical-striatal hyperconnectivity, and document that this connectivity fingerprint is enriched for ASD-dysregulated genes interacting with mTOR or Tsc2. Finally, we show that the identified transcriptomic signature is predominantly expressed in a subset of children with autism, thereby defining a segregable autism subtype. Our findings causally link mTOR-related synaptic pathology to large-scale network aberrations, revealing a unifying multi-scale framework that mechanistically reconciles developmental synaptopathy and functional hyperconnectivity in autism.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno del Espectro Autista/metabolismo , Trastorno del Espectro Autista/fisiopatología , Sinapsis/metabolismo , Serina-Treonina Quinasas TOR/metabolismo , Adolescente , Animales , Trastorno del Espectro Autista/genética , Trastorno del Espectro Autista/patología , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagen , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Encéfalo/patología , Encéfalo/fisiopatología , Corteza Cerebral/diagnóstico por imagen , Corteza Cerebral/metabolismo , Corteza Cerebral/patología , Corteza Cerebral/fisiopatología , Niño , Femenino , Haploinsuficiencia , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Noqueados , Sinapsis/genética , Serina-Treonina Quinasas TOR/genética , Proteína 2 del Complejo de la Esclerosis Tuberosa/genética , Proteína 2 del Complejo de la Esclerosis Tuberosa/metabolismoRESUMEN
Central release of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) modulates neural substrates involved in socio-affective behavior. This property has prompted research into the use of intranasal OXT administration as an adjunctive therapy for brain conditions characterized by social impairment, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the neural circuitry and brain-wide functional networks recruited by intranasal OXT administration remain elusive. Moreover, little is known of the neuroadaptive cascade triggered by long-term administration of this peptide at the network level. To address these questions, we applied fMRI-based circuit mapping in adult mice upon acute and repeated (seven-day) intranasal dosing of OXT. We report that acute and chronic OXT administration elicit comparable fMRI activity as assessed with cerebral blood volume mapping, but entail largely different patterns of brain-wide functional connectivity. Specifically, acute OXT administration focally boosted connectivity within key limbic components of the rodent social brain, whereas repeated dosing led to a prominent and widespread increase in functional connectivity, involving a strong coupling between the amygdala and extended cortical territories. Importantly, this connectional reconfiguration was accompanied by a paradoxical reduction in social interaction and communication in wild-type mice. Our results identify the network substrates engaged by exogenous OXT administration, and show that repeated OXT dosing leads to a substantial reconfiguration of brain-wide connectivity, entailing an aberrant functional coupling between cortico-limbic structures involved in socio-communicative and affective functions. Such divergent patterns of network connectivity might contribute to discrepant clinical findings involving acute or long-term OXT dosing in clinical populations.