Human cortical neurogenesis is altered via glucocorticoid-mediated regulation of ZBTB16 expression.

Glucocorticoids are important for proper organ maturation, and their levels are tightly regulated during development. Here, we use human cerebral organoids and mice to study the cell-type-specific effects of glucocorticoids on neurogenesis. We show that glucocorticoids increase a specific type of basal progenitors (co-expressing PAX6 and EOMES) that has been shown to contribute to cortical expansion in gyrified species. This effect is mediated via the transcription factor ZBTB16 and leads to increased production of neurons. A phenome-wide Mendelian randomization analysis of an enhancer variant that moderates glucocorticoid-induced ZBTB16 levels reveals causal relationships with higher educational attainment and altered brain structure. The relationship with postnatal cognition is also supported by data from a prospective pregnancy cohort study. This work provides a cellular and molecular pathway for the effects of glucocorticoids on human neurogenesis that relates to lasting postnatal phenotypes.

DNA methylation patterns of FKBP5 regulatory regions in brain and blood of humanized mice and humans.

Humanized mouse models can be used to explore human gene regulatory elements (REs), which frequently lie in non-coding and less conserved genomic regions. Epigenetic modifications of gene REs, also in the context of gene x environment interactions, have not yet been explored in humanized mouse models. We applied high-accuracy measurement of DNA methylation (DNAm) via targeted bisulfite sequencing (HAM-TBS) to investigate DNAm in three tissues/brain regions (blood, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus) of mice carrying the human FK506-binding protein 5 (FKBP5) gene, an important candidate gene associated with stress-related psychiatric disorders. We explored DNAm in three functional intronic glucocorticoid-responsive elements (at introns 2, 5, and 7) of FKBP5 at baseline, in cases of differing genotype (rs1360780 single nucleotide polymorphism), and following application of the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone. We compared DNAm patterns in the humanized mouse (N = 58) to those in human peripheral blood (N = 447 and N = 89) and human postmortem brain prefrontal cortex (N = 86). Overall, DNAm patterns in the humanized mouse model seem to recapitulate DNAm patterns observed in human tissue. At baseline, this was to a higher extent in brain tissue. The animal model also recapitulated effects of dexamethasone on DNAm, especially in peripheral blood and to a lesser extent effects of genotype on DNAm. The humanized mouse model could thus assist in reverse translation of human findings in psychiatry that involve genetic and epigenetic regulation in non-coding elements.

DiffBrainNet: Differential analyses add new insights into the response to glucocorticoids at the level of genes, networks and brain regions.

Genome-wide gene expression analyses are invaluable tools for studying biological and disease processes, allowing a hypothesis-free comparison of expression profiles. Traditionally, transcriptomic analysis has focused on gene-level effects found by differential expression. In recent years, network analysis has emerged as an important additional level of investigation, providing information on molecular connectivity, especially for diseases associated with a large number of linked effects of smaller magnitude, like neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we describe how combined differential expression and prior-knowledge-based differential network analysis can be used to explore complex datasets. As an example, we analyze the transcriptional responses following administration of the glucocorticoid/stress receptor agonist dexamethasone in 8 mouse brain regions important for stress processing. By applying a combination of differential network- and expression-analyses, we find that these explain distinct but complementary biological mechanisms of the glucocorticoid responses. Additionally, network analysis identifies new differentially connected partners of risk genes and can be used to generate hypotheses on molecular pathways affected. With DiffBrainNet (http://diffbrainnet.psych.mpg.de), we provide an analysis framework and a publicly available resource for the study of the transcriptional landscape of the mouse brain which can identify molecular pathways important for basic functioning and response to glucocorticoids in a brain-region specific manner.

FKBP5 intron 7 methylation is associated with higher anxiety proneness and smaller right thalamus volume in adolescents.

Dysregulation of stress response systems may mediate the detrimental effects of childhood trauma (CT) on mental health. FKBP5 regulates glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity and exerts pleiotropic effects on intracellular signaling, neurobiology and behavior. We investigated whether CT, alone and in combination with rs1360780 genotype, is associated with altered FKBP5 methylation and whether CT-associated methylation profiles are associated with anxiety proneness (AP) and structural brain volumes. Ninety-four adolescents completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and a composite AP score was generated from the Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait measure. Mean methylation values for 12 regulatory regions and 25 individual CpG sites were determined using high-accuracy measurement via targeted bisulfite sequencing. FKBP5 rs1360780 genotype and structural MRI data were available for a subset of participants (n = 71 and n = 75, respectively). Regression models revealed an inverse association between methylation of three intron 7 CpG sites (35558438, 35558566 and 35558710) and right thalamus volume. CpG35558438 methylation was positively associated with AP scores. Our data indicate that an intron 7 methylation profile, consistent with lower FKBP5 expression and elevated high sensitivity glucocorticoid receptor levels, is associated with higher AP and smaller right thalamus volume. Research into the mechanisms underlying the intron 7 methylation-thalamus volume relationship, and whether it confers increased risk for long-term psychopathology by altering the regulatory threshold of stress responding, is required.

Ketamine exerts its sustained antidepressant effects via cell-type-specific regulation of Kcnq2.

A single sub-anesthetic dose of ketamine produces a rapid and sustained antidepressant response, yet the molecular mechanisms responsible for this remain unclear. Here, we identified cell-type-specific transcriptional signatures associated with a sustained ketamine response in mice. Most interestingly, we identified the Kcnq2 gene as an important downstream regulator of ketamine action in glutamatergic neurons of the ventral hippocampus. We validated these findings through a series of complementary molecular, electrophysiological, cellular, pharmacological, behavioral, and functional experiments. We demonstrated that adjunctive treatment with retigabine, a KCNQ activator, augments ketamine's antidepressant-like effects in mice. Intriguingly, these effects are ketamine specific, as they do not modulate a response to classical antidepressants, such as escitalopram. These findings significantly advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the sustained antidepressant effects of ketamine, with important clinical implications.

Cell-Type-Specific Impact of Glucocorticoid Receptor Activation on the Developing Brain: A Cerebral Organoid Study.

OBJECTIVE: A fine-tuned balance of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activation is essential for organ formation, with disturbances influencing many health outcomes. In utero, glucocorticoids have been linked to brain-related negative outcomes, with unclear underlying mechanisms, especially regarding cell-type-specific effects. An in vitro model of fetal human brain development, induced human pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cerebral organoids, was used to test whether cerebral organoids are suitable for studying the impact of prenatal glucocorticoid exposure on the developing brain. METHODS: The GR was activated with the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone, and the effects were mapped using single-cell transcriptomics across development. RESULTS: The GR was expressed in all cell types, with increasing expression levels through development. Not only did its activation elicit translocation to the nucleus and the expected effects on known GR-regulated pathways, but also neurons and progenitor cells showed targeted regulation of differentiation- and maturation-related transcripts. Uniquely in neurons, differentially expressed transcripts were significantly enriched for genes associated with behavior-related phenotypes and disorders. This human neuronal glucocorticoid response profile was validated across organoids from three independent hiPSC lines reprogrammed from different source tissues from both male and female donors. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that excessive glucocorticoid exposure could interfere with neuronal maturation in utero, leading to increased disease susceptibility through neurodevelopmental processes at the interface of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure. Cerebral organoids are a valuable translational resource for exploring the effects of glucocorticoids on early human brain development.

The co-chaperone Fkbp5 shapes the acute stress response in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus of male mice.

Disturbed activation or regulation of the stress response through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a fundamental component of multiple stress-related diseases, including psychiatric, metabolic, and immune disorders. The FK506 binding protein 51 (FKBP5) is a negative regulator of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), the main driver of HPA axis regulation, and FKBP5 polymorphisms have been repeatedly linked to stress-related disorders in humans. However, the specific role of Fkbp5 in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) in shaping HPA axis (re)activity remains to be elucidated. We here demonstrate that the deletion of Fkbp5 in Sim1+ neurons dampens the acute stress response and increases GR sensitivity. In contrast, Fkbp5 overexpression in the PVN results in a chronic HPA axis over-activation, and a PVN-specific rescue of Fkbp5 expression in full Fkbp5 KO mice normalizes the HPA axis phenotype. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed the cell-type-specific expression pattern of Fkbp5 in the PVN and showed that Fkbp5 expression is specifically upregulated in Crh+ neurons after stress. Finally, Crh-specific Fkbp5 overexpression alters Crh neuron activity, but only partially recapitulates the PVN-specific Fkbp5 overexpression phenotype. Together, the data establish the central and cell-type-specific importance of Fkbp5 in the PVN in shaping HPA axis regulation and the acute stress response.

Single-cell molecular profiling of all three components of the HPA axis reveals adrenal ABCB1 as a regulator of stress adaptation.

Chronic activation and dysregulation of the neuroendocrine stress response have severe physiological and psychological consequences, including the development of metabolic and stress-related psychiatric disorders. We provide the first unbiased, cell type-specific, molecular characterization of all three components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, under baseline and chronic stress conditions. Among others, we identified a previously unreported subpopulation of Abcb1b+ cells involved in stress adaptation in the adrenal gland. We validated our findings in a mouse stress model, adrenal tissues from patients with Cushing's syndrome, adrenocortical cell lines, and peripheral cortisol and genotyping data from depressed patients. This extensive dataset provides a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians interested in the organism's nervous and endocrine responses to stress and the interplay between these tissues. Our findings raise the possibility that modulating ABCB1 function may be important in the development of treatment strategies for patients suffering from metabolic and stress-related psychiatric disorders.

Adolescent chronic intermittent toluene inhalation dynamically regulates the transcriptome and neuronal methylome within the rat medial prefrontal cortex.

Inhalants containing the volatile solvent toluene are misused to induce euphoria or intoxication. Inhalant abuse is most common during adolescence and can result in cognitive impairments during an important maturational period. Despite evidence suggesting that epigenetic modifications may underpin the cognitive effects of inhalants, no studies to date have thoroughly investigated toluene-induced regulation of the transcriptome or discrete epigenetic modifications within the brain. To address this, we investigated effects of adolescent chronic intermittent toluene (CIT) inhalation on gene expression and DNA methylation profiles within the rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which undergoes maturation throughout adolescence and has been implicated in toluene-induced cognitive deficits. Employing both RNA-seq and genome-wide Methyl CpG Binding Domain (MBD) Ultra-seq analysis, we demonstrate that adolescent CIT inhalation (10 000 ppm for 1 h/day, 3 days/week for 4 weeks) induces both transient and persistent changes to the transcriptome and DNA methylome within the rat mPFC for at least 2 weeks following toluene exposure. We demonstrate for the first time that adolescent CIT exposure results in dynamic regulation of the mPFC transcriptome likely relating to acute inflammatory responses and persistent deficits in synaptic plasticity. These adaptations may contribute to the cognitive deficits associated with chronic toluene exposure and provide novel molecular targets for preventing long-term neurophysiological abnormalities following chronic toluene inhalation.

Identity domains capture individual differences from across the behavioral repertoire.

Personality traits can offer considerable insight into the biological basis of individual differences. However, existing approaches toward understanding personality across species rely on subjective criteria and limited sets of behavioral readouts, which result in noisy and often inconsistent outcomes. Here we introduce a mathematical framework for describing individual differences along dimensions with maximum consistency and discriminative power. We validate this framework in mice, using data from a system for high-throughput longitudinal monitoring of group-housed male mice that yields a variety of readouts from across the behavioral repertoire of individual animals. We demonstrate a set of stable traits that capture variability in behavior and gene expression in the brain, allowing for better-informed mechanistic investigations into the biology of individual differences.

HAM-TBS: high-accuracy methylation measurements via targeted bisulfite sequencing.

BACKGROUND: The ability to accurately and efficiently measure DNA methylation is critical to advance the understanding of this epigenetic mechanism and its contribution to common diseases. Here, we present a highly accurate method to measure methylation using bisulfite sequencing (termed HAM-TBS). This novel method is able to assess DNA methylation in multiple samples with high accuracy in a cost-effective manner. We developed this assay for the FKBP5 locus, an important gene in the regulation of the stress system and previously linked to stress-related disorders, but the method is applicable to any locus of interest. RESULTS: HAM-TBS enables multiplexed analyses of up to 96 samples and regions spanning 10 kb using the Illumina MiSeq. It incorporates a triplicate bisulfite conversion step, pooled target enrichment via PCR, PCR-free library preparation and a minimum coverage of 1000×. TBS was able to resolve DNA methylation levels with a mean accuracy of 0.72%. Using this method, we designed and validated a targeted panel to specifically assess regulatory regions within the FKBP5 locus that are not covered in commercially available DNA methylation arrays. CONCLUSIONS: HAM-TBS represents a highly accurate, medium-throughput sequencing approach for robust detection of DNA methylation changes in specific target regions.

Sequencing on the SOLiD 5500xl System - in-depth characterization of the GC bias.

Different types of sequencing biases have been described and subsequently improved for a variety of sequencing systems, mostly focusing on the widely used Illumina systems. Similar studies are missing for the SOLiD 5500xl system, a sequencer which produced many data sets available to researchers today. Describing and understanding the bias is important to accurately interpret and integrate these published data in various ongoing research projects. We report a particularly strong GC bias for this sequencing system when analyzing a defined gDNA mix of 5 microbes with a wide range of different GC contents (20-72%) when comparing to the expected distribution and Illumina MiSeq data from the same DNA pool. Since we observed this bias already under PCR-free conditions, changing the PCR conditions during library preparation - a common strategy to handle bias in the Illumina system - was not relevant. Source of the bias appeared to be an uneven heat distribution during the SOLiD emulsion PCR (ePCR) - for enrichment of libraries prior loading - since ePCR in either small pouches or in 96-well plates improved the GC bias. Sequencing of chromatin immunoprecipitated DNA (ChIP-seq) is a common approach in epigenetics. ChIP-seq of the mixed source histone mark H3K9ac (acetyl Histone H3 lysine 9), typically found on promoter regions and on gene bodies, including CpG islands, performed on a SOLiD 5500xl machine, resulted in major loss of reads at GC rich loci (GC content ≥ 62%), not explained by low sequencing depth. This was improved with adaptations of the ePCR.