Copy number elevation of 22q11.2 genes arrests the developmental maturation of working memory capacity and adult hippocampal neurogenesis.

Working memory capacity, a critical component of executive function, expands developmentally from childhood through adulthood. Anomalies in this developmental process are seen in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia and intellectual disabilities (ID), implicating this atypical process in the trajectory of developmental neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the cellular and neuronal substrates underlying this process are not understood. Duplication and triplication of copy number variants of 22q11.2 are consistently and robustly associated with cognitive deficits of ASD and ID in humans, and overexpression of small 22q11.2 segments recapitulates dimensional aspects of developmental neuropsychiatric disorders in mice. We capitalized on these two lines of evidence to delve into the cellular substrates for this atypical development of working memory. Using a region- and cell-type-selective gene expression approach, we demonstrated that copy number elevations of catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) or Tbx1, two genes encoded in the two small 22q11.2 segments, in adult neural stem/progenitor cells in the hippocampus prevents the developmental maturation of working memory capacity in mice. Moreover, copy number elevations of COMT or Tbx1 reduced the proliferation of adult neural stem/progenitor cells in a cell-autonomous manner in vitro and migration of their progenies in the hippocampus granular layer in vivo. Our data provide evidence for the novel hypothesis that copy number elevations of these 22q11.2 genes alter the developmental trajectory of working memory capacity via suboptimal adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus.

Generation of membrane-bound catechol-O-methyl transferase deficient mice with disctinct sex dependent behavioral phenotype.

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) has two isoforms: soluble (S-COMT), which resides in the cytoplasm, and membrane-bound (MB-MT), anchored to intracellular membranes. COMT is involved in the O-methylation of L-DOPA, dopamine and other catechols. The exact role of MB-COMT is still mostly unclear. We wanted to create a novel genetically modified mouse model that specifically lacks MB-COMT activity and to study their behavioral phenotype. MB-COMT knock-in mutant mice were generated by introducing two point mutations in exon 2 of the Comt gene (ATGCTG->GAGCTC disabling the function of the P2 promoter and allowing only the P1-regulated S-COMT transcription. The first mutation changes methionine to glutamic acid whereas the second one does not affect coding. The expression of the two COMT isoforms, total COMT activity in several areas of the brain and peripheral tissues and extracellular dopamine concentrations after L-DOPA (10 mg/kg) and carbidopa (30 mg/kg) subcutaneous administration were assessed. A battery of behavioral tests was performed to compare MB-COMT deficient mice and their wild type littermates of both sexes. MB-COMT deficient mice were seemingly normal, bred usually and had unaltered COMT activity in the brain and periphery despite a complete lack of the MB-COMT protein. MB-COMT deficient male mice showed higher extracellular dopamine levels than their wild-type littermates in the striatum, but not in the mPFC. In addition, the MB-COMT deficient male mice exhibited a distinct endophenotype characterized by schizophrenia-related behaviors like aggressive behavior and reduced prepulse inhibition. They also had prolonged immobility in the tail suspension test. Both sexes were sensitized to acute pain and had normal motor activity but disturbed short-term memory. Hence the behavioral phenotype was not limited to schizophrenia-related endophenotype and some behavioural findings were not sex-dependent. Our findings indicate that MB-COMT is critical for behavior, and its function in COMT-dependent brain areas cannot be entirely substituted by the remaining S-COMT.

Alteration of poly(ADP-ribose) metabolism by hyperthermia.

The intracellular levels of poly(ADP-ribose) in cultured mouse cells were increased in response to hyperthermic treatment (43 degrees C). When hyperthermia was combined with other stressful treatments such as with ethanol and/or an alkylating agent, a dramatic synergistic increase in polymer levels was observed. The effect of hyperthermia did not appear to be related to the presence of DNA strand breaks. A possible involvement of poly(ADP-ribose) metabolism in the general cellular response to environmental stress is suggested.