The role of MeCP2 in the brain.

Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) was first identified in 1992 as a protein that binds specifically to methylated DNA. Mutations in the MECP2 gene were later found to be the cause of an autism spectrum disorder, Rett syndrome. Despite almost 20 years of research into the molecular mechanisms of MeCP2 function, many questions are yet to be answered conclusively. This review considers several key questions and attempts to evaluate the current state of evidence. For example, is MeCP2 just a methyl-CpG binding protein? Is it a multifunctional protein or primarily a transcriptional repressor? We also consider whether MeCP2, as a chromosome-binding protein, acts at specific sites within the genome or more globally, and in which cell types it is functionally important. Finally, we consider two alternative views of MeCP2 in the brain: as a regulator of brain development or as a factor that helps maintain neuronal/glial function.

Systemic delivery of MeCP2 rescues behavioral and cellular deficits in female mouse models of Rett syndrome.

De novo mutations in the X-linked gene encoding the transcription factor methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) are the most frequent cause of the neurological disorder Rett syndrome (RTT). Hemizygous males usually die of neonatal encephalopathy. Heterozygous females survive into adulthood but exhibit severe symptoms including microcephaly, loss of purposeful hand motions and speech, and motor abnormalities, which appear after a period of apparently normal development. Most studies have focused on male mouse models because of the shorter latency to and severity in symptoms, yet how well these mice mimic the disease in affected females is not clear. Very few therapeutic treatments have been proposed for females, the more gender-appropriate model. Here, we show that self-complementary AAV9, bearing MeCP2 cDNA under control of a fragment of its own promoter (scAAV9/MeCP2), is capable of significantly stabilizing or reversing symptoms when administered systemically into female RTT mice. To our knowledge, this is the first potential gene therapy for females afflicted with RTT.

Postnatal inactivation reveals enhanced requirement for MeCP2 at distinct age windows.

Rett Syndrome is a neurological disorder caused by mutations in the X-linked MECP2 gene. Mouse models where Mecp2 is inactivated or mutated recapitulate several features of the disorder and have demonstrated a requirement for the protein to ensure brain function in adult mice. We deleted the Mecp2 gene in ~80% of brain cells at three postnatal ages to determine whether the need for MeCP2 varies with age. Inactivation at all three time points induced Rett-like phenotypes and caused premature death of the animals. We find two threshold ages beyond which the requirement for MeCP2 markedly increases in stringency. The earlier threshold (8-14 weeks), when inactivated mice develop symptoms, represents early adulthood in the mouse and coincides with the period when Mecp2-null mice exhibit terminal symptoms. Unexpectedly, we identified a later age threshold (30-45 weeks) beyond which an 80% reduction in MeCP2 is incompatible with life. This finding suggests an enhanced role for MeCP2 in the aging brain.

Virtual garden computer program for use in exploring the elements of biodiversity people want in cities.

Urban ecology is emerging as an integrative science that explores the interactions of people and biodiversity in cities. Interdisciplinary research requires the creation of new tools that allow the investigation of relations between people and biodiversity. It has been established that access to green spaces or nature benefits city dwellers, but the role of species diversity in providing psychological benefits remains poorly studied. We developed a user-friendly 3-dimensional computer program (Virtual Garden [www.tinyurl.com/3DVirtualGarden]) that allows people to design their own public or private green spaces with 95 biotic and abiotic features. Virtual Garden allows researchers to explore what elements of biodiversity people would like to have in their nearby green spaces while accounting for other functions that people value in urban green spaces. In 2011, 732 participants used our Virtual Garden program to design their ideal small public garden. On average gardens contained 5 different animals, 8 flowers, and 5 woody plant species. Although the mathematical distribution of flower and woody plant richness (i.e., number of species per garden) appeared to be similar to what would be expected by random selection of features, 30% of participants did not place any animal species in their gardens. Among those who placed animals in their gardens, 94% selected colorful species (e.g., ladybug [Coccinella septempunctata], Great Tit [Parus major], and goldfish), 53% selected herptiles or large mammals, and 67% selected non-native species. Older participants with a higher level of education and participants with a greater concern for nature designed gardens with relatively higher species richness and more native species. If cities are to be planned for the mutual benefit of people and biodiversity and to provide people meaningful experiences with urban nature, it is important to investigate people's relations with biodiversity further. Virtual Garden offers a standardized tool with which to explore these relations in different environments, cultures, and countries. It can also be used by stakeholders (e.g., city planners) to consider people's opinions of local design.

Distinctive features of Egr transcription factor regulation and DNA binding activity in CA1 of the hippocampus in synaptic plasticity and consolidation and reconsolidation of fear memory.

Activity-dependent regulation of Egr1/Zif268, a transcription factor (TF) of the Egr family, is essential for stabilization of dentate gyrus synaptic plasticity and consolidation and reconsolidation of several forms of memory. The gene can be rapidly induced in selective brain circuits after certain types of learning or after recall. Here, we focused on area CA1 and examined regulation of Egr1, Egr2, and Egr3 mRNA and protein, and their DNA binding activity to the Egr response element (ERE) at different times after LTP in vivo and after learning and recall of a fear memory. We found LTP in CA1 leads to rapid induction of the three Egrs, however only Egr1 protein was overexpressed without a co-ordinated change in binding activity, indicating a fundamental difference between CA1 and dentate gyrus LTP. Our investigations in fear memory reveal that both learning and retrieval lead to an increase in binding of constitutively expressed Egr1 and Egr3 to the ERE, but not Egr2. Memory recall was also associated with increased Egr1 protein translation. The nature and temporal dynamics of these changes and tests for interactions between TFs suggest that in addition to ERE-mediated transcription, Egr1 in CA1 may interact with the TF c-Fos to regulate genes via other DNA response elements.

Does the Expression and Epigenetics of Genes Involved in Monogenic Forms of Parkinson's Disease Influence Sporadic Forms?

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a disorder characterized by a triad of motor symptoms (akinesia, rigidity, resting tremor) related to loss of dopaminergic neurons mainly in the Substantia nigra pars compacta. Diagnosis is often made after a substantial loss of neurons has already occurred, and while dopamine replacement therapies improve symptoms, they do not modify the course of the disease. Although some biological mechanisms involved in the disease have been identified, such as oxidative stress and accumulation of misfolded proteins, they do not explain entirely PD pathophysiology, and a need for a better understanding remains. Neurodegenerative diseases, including PD, appear to be the result of complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. The latter can alter gene expression by causing epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation, post-translational modification of histones and non-coding RNAs. Regulation of genes responsible for monogenic forms of PD may be involved in sporadic PD. This review will focus on the epigenetic mechanisms regulating their expression, since these are the genes for which we currently have the most information available. Despite technical challenges, epigenetic epidemiology offers new insights on revealing altered biological pathways and identifying predictive biomarkers for the onset and progression of PD.

Patient-Derived Midbrain Organoids to Explore the Molecular Basis of Parkinson's Disease.

Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived organoids offer an unprecedented access to complex human tissues that recapitulate features of architecture, composition and function of in vivo organs. In the context of Parkinson's Disease (PD), human midbrain organoids (hMO) are of significant interest, as they generate dopaminergic neurons expressing markers of Substantia Nigra identity, which are the most vulnerable to degeneration. Combined with genome editing approaches, hMO may thus constitute a valuable tool to dissect the genetic makeup of PD by revealing the effects of risk variants on pathological mechanisms in a representative cellular environment. Furthermore, the flexibility of organoid co-culture approaches may also enable the study of neuroinflammatory and neurovascular processes, as well as interactions with other brain regions that are also affected over the course of the disease. We here review existing protocols to generate hMO, how they have been used so far to model PD, address challenges inherent to organoid cultures, and discuss applicable strategies to dissect the molecular pathophysiology of the disease. Taken together, the research suggests that this technology represents a promising alternative to 2D in vitro models, which could significantly improve our understanding of PD and help accelerate therapeutic developments.

Large-scale study of phosphoproteins involved in long-term potentiation in the rat dentate gyrus in vivo.

The mechanisms underlying the induction of synaptic plasticity and the formation of long-term memory involve activation of cell-signalling cascades and protein modifications such as phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Based on a protein candidate strategy, studies have identified several protein kinases and their substrates, which show an altered phosphorylation state during the early phases of long-term potentiation (LTP), yet only a limited number of synaptic phosphoproteins are known to be implicated in LTP. To identify new phosphoproteins associated with LTP, we have undertaken a proteomic study of phosphoproteins at different time points following the induction of LTP in the dentate gyrus in vivo (0, 15 and 90 min). For each time point, proteins from the dentate gyrus were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and stained with Pro-Q Diamond, a fluorescent stain specific for phosphoproteins. Fourteen proteins whose phosphorylation state varied significantly following LTP were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time of flight mass spectrometry and electrospray ionization-Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). They are involved in various cellular functions implicated in synaptic plasticity, such as intracellular signalling, axonal growth, exocytosis, protein synthesis and metabolism. Our results highlight new proteins whose phosphorylation or dephosphorylation is associated with LTP induction or maintenance. Further studies focusing on the regulation of specific phosphorylation sites will lead to greater understanding of the individual implications of these proteins in LTP as well as of their molecular interactions.

Distinct functions of egr gene family members in cognitive processes.

The different gene members of the Egr family of transcriptional regulators have often been considered to have related functions in brain, based on their co-expression in many cell-types and structures, the relatively high homology of the translated proteins and their ability to bind to the same consensus DNA binding sequence. Recent research, however, suggest this might not be the case. In this review, we focus on the current understanding of the functional roles of the different Egr family members in learning and memory. We briefly outline evidence from mutant mice that Egr1 is required specifically for the consolidation of long-term memory, while Egr3 is primarily essential for short-term memory. We also review our own recent findings from newly generated forebrain-specific conditional Egr2 mutant mice, which revealed that Egr2, as opposed to Egr1 and Egr3, is dispensable for several forms of learning and memory and on the contrary can act as an inhibitory constraint for certain cognitive functions. The studies reviewed here highlight the fact that Egr family members may have different, and in certain circumstances antagonistic functions in the adult brain.

Paradoxical role of an Egr transcription factor family member, Egr2/Krox20, in learning and memory.

It is well established that Egr1/zif268, a member of the Egr family of transcription factors, is critical for the consolidation of several forms of memories. Recently, the Egr3 family member has also been implicated in learning and memory. Because Egr family members encode closely related zinc-finger transcription factors sharing a highly homologous DNA binding domain that recognises the same DNA sequence, they may have related functions in brain. Another Egr family member expressed in brain, Egr2/Krox20 is known to be crucial for normal hindbrain development and has been implicated in several inherited peripheral neuropathies; however, due to Egr2-null mice perinatal lethality, its potential role in cognitive functions in the adult has not been yet explored. Here, we generated Egr2 conditional mutant mice allowing postnatal, forebrain-specific Cre-mediated Egr2 excision and tested homozygous, heterozygous and control littermates on a battery of behavioural tasks to evaluate motor capacity, exploratory behaviour, emotional reactivity and learning and memory performance in spatial and non-spatial tasks. Egr2-deficient mice had no sign of locomotor, exploratory or anxiety disturbances. Surprisingly, they also had no impairment in spatial learning and memory, taste aversion memory or fear memory using a trace conditioning paradigm. On the contrary, Egr2-deficient mice had improved performance in motor learning on a rotarod, and in object recognition memory. These results clearly do not extend the phenotypic consequences resulting from either Egr1 or Egr3 loss-of-function to Egr2. In contrast, they indicate that Egr family members may have different, and in certain circumstances antagonistic functions in the adult brain.