Epigenetic regulation of autophagy in neuroinflammation and synaptic plasticity.

Autophagy is a conserved cellular mechanism that enables the degradation and recycling of cellular organelles and proteins via the lysosomal pathway. In neurodevelopment and maintenance of neuronal homeostasis, autophagy is required to regulate presynaptic functions, synapse remodeling, and synaptic plasticity. Deficiency of autophagy has been shown to underlie the synaptic and behavioral deficits of many neurological diseases such as autism, psychiatric diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. Recent evidence reveals that dysregulated autophagy plays an important role in the initiation and progression of neuroinflammation, a common pathological feature in many neurological disorders leading to defective synaptic morphology and plasticity. In this review, we will discuss the regulation of autophagy and its effects on synapses and neuroinflammation, with emphasis on how autophagy is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms under healthy and diseased conditions.

Flavobacterium sp. strain GJW24 ameliorates drought resistance in Arabidopsis and Brassica.

Candidate strains that contribute to drought resistance in plants have been previously screened using approximately 500 plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) obtained from Gotjawal, South Korea, to further understand PGPR associated with plant drought tolerance. In this study, a selected PGPR candidate, Flavobacterium sp. strain GJW24, was employed to enhance plant drought tolerance. GJW24 application to Arabidopsis increased its survival rate under drought stress and enhanced stomatal closure. Furthermore, GJW24 promoted Arabidopsis survival under salt stress, which is highly associated with drought stress. GJW24 ameliorated the drought/salt tolerance of Brassica as well as Arabidopsis, indicating that the drought-resistance characteristics of GJW24 could be applied to various plant species. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that GJW24 upregulated a large portion of drought- and drought-related stress-inducible genes in Arabidopsis. Moreover, Gene Ontology analysis revealed that GJW24-upregulated genes were highly related to the categories involved in root system architecture and development, which are connected to amelioration of plant drought resistance. The hyper-induction of many drought/salt-responsive genes by GJW24 in Arabidopsis and Brassica demonstrated that the drought/salt stress tolerance conferred by GJW24 might be achieved, at least in part, through regulating the expression of the corresponding genes. This study suggests that GJW24 can be utilized as a microbial agent to offset the detrimental effects of drought stress in plants.

Protocol for establishing a global ischemia model using a 4-vessel occlusion in rats.

Global cerebral ischemia occurs when blood flow to the entire brain is transiently blocked, which results in delayed neurologic deficits. Here, we present a protocol for performing the four-vessel occlusion rat model to study the neurodegeneration and cognitive deficits associated with global ischemia. We describe steps for carrying out the vertebral and common carotid artery occlusion which enables sufficient blockage of cerebral blood flow. We then detail expected outcomes using histology assays and behavioral tests. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Chung et al. (2022).1.

A systemic cell stress signal confers neuronal resilience toward oxidative stress in a Hedgehog-dependent manner.

Cells possess several conserved adaptive mechanisms to respond to stress. Stress signaling is initiated to reestablish cellular homeostasis, but its effects on the tissue or systemic levels are far less understood. We report that the secreted luminal domain of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress transducer CREB3L2 (which we name TAILS [transmissible activator of increased cell livability under stress]) is an endogenous, cell non-autonomous activator of neuronal resilience. In response to oxidative insults, neurons secrete TAILS, which potentiates hedgehog signaling through direct interaction with Sonic hedgehog (SHH) and its receptor PTCH1, leading to improved antioxidant signaling and mitochondrial function in neighboring neurons. In an in vivo model of ischemic brain injury, administration of TAILS enables survival of CNS neurons and fully preserves cognitive function in behavioral tests. Our findings reveal an SHH-mediated, cell non-autonomous branch of cellular stress signaling that confers resilience to oxidative stress in the mature brain, providing protection from ischemic neurodegeneration.

CPEB3-dependent increase in GluA2 subunits impairs excitatory transmission onto inhibitory interneurons in a mouse model of fragile X.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a leading cause of inherited intellectual disability and autism. Whereas dysregulated RNA translation in Fmr1 knockout (KO) mice, a model of FXS, is well studied, little is known about aberrant transcription. Using single-molecule mRNA detection, we show that mRNA encoding the AMPAR subunit GluA2 (but not GluA1) is elevated in dendrites and at transcription sites of hippocampal neurons of Fmr1 KO mice, indicating elevated GluA2 transcription. We identify CPEB3, a protein implicated in memory consolidation, as an upstream effector critical to GluA2 mRNA expression in FXS. Increased GluA2 mRNA is translated into an increase in GluA2 subunits, a switch in synaptic AMPAR phenotype from GluA2-lacking, Ca2+-permeable to GluA2-containing, Ca2+-impermeable, reduced inhibitory synaptic transmission, and loss of NMDAR-independent LTP at glutamatergic synapses onto CA1 inhibitory interneurons. These factors could contribute to an excitatory/inhibitory imbalance-a common theme in FXS and other autism spectrum disorders.

The Role of NF-κB Triggered Inflammation in Cerebral Ischemia.

Cerebral ischemia is a devastating disease that affects many people worldwide every year. The neurodegenerative damage as a consequence of oxygen and energy deprivation, to date, has no known effective treatment. The ischemic insult is followed by an inflammatory response that involves a complex interaction between inflammatory cells and molecules which play a role in the progression towards cell death. However, there is presently a matter of controversy over whether inflammation could either be involved in brain damage or be a necessary part of brain repair. The inflammatory response is triggered by inflammasomes, key multiprotein complexes that promote secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. An early event in post-ischemic brain tissue is the release of certain molecules and reactive oxygen species (ROS) from injured neurons which induce the expression of the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), a transcription factor involved in the activation of the inflammasome. There are conflicting observations related to the role of NF-κB. While some observe that NF-κB plays a damaging role, others suggest it to be neuroprotective in the context of cerebral ischemia, indicating the need for additional investigation. Here we discuss the dual role of the major inflammatory signaling pathways and provide a review of the latest research aiming to clarify the relationship between NF-κB mediated inflammation and neuronal death in cerebral ischemia.

Autophagy and synaptic plasticity: epigenetic regulation.

In neurons, autophagy is crucial to proper axon guidance, vesicular release, dendritic spine architecture, spine pruning and synaptic plasticity and, when dysregulated, is associated with brain disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Once thought to play a housekeeping function of removing misfolded proteins or compromised organelles, neuronal autophagy is now regarded as a finely tuned, real time surveillance and clearance system crucial to synaptic integrity and function. Here we review the role of autophagy in synaptic plasticity and its regulation by epigenetic mechanisms.

Gadd45b Acts as Neuroprotective Effector in Global Ischemia-Induced Neuronal Death.

PURPOSE: Transient global ischemia arising in human due to cardiac arrest causes selective, delayed neuronal death in hippocampal CA1 and cognitive impairment. Growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible protein 45 beta (Gadd45b) is a wellknown molecule in both DNA damage-related pathogenesis and therapies. Emerging evidence suggests that Gadd45b is an anti-apoptotic factor in nonneuronal cells and is an intrinsic neuroprotective molecule in neurons. However, the mechanism of Gadd45b pathway is not fully examined in neurodegeneration associated with global ischemia. METHODS: Rats were subjected to transient global ischemia by the 4-vessel occlusion or sham operation. The animals were sacrificed at 24 hours, 48 hours, and 7 days after ischemia. The hippocampal CA1 was microdissected and processed to examine mRNA and protein level. To assess neuronal death, tissue sections were cut and processed for Fluoro-Jade and Nissl staining. RESULTS: Here we show that ischemic insults increase abundance of Gadd45b and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a known target of Gadd45 mediated demethylation, in selectively-vulnerable hippocampal CA1 neurons. We further show that knockdown of Gadd45b increases abundance of a pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bax while decreasing the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, which together promote neuronal death. CONCLUSION: These findings document a protective role of Gadd45b against neuronal insults associated with global ischemia and identify Gadd45b as a potential therapeutic target for the amelioration of hippocampal neurodegeneration.

Author Correction: The emerging field of epigenetics in neurodegeneration and neuroprotection.

In Box 1 of this article, the positioning of the amino acid residues on the tail of histone H3 in part b of the figure was incorrect. These should have been oriented so that the K4 residue was the most distal labelled residue from the nucleosome core region. The corrected figure is shown below. The authors and editors thank T. Brown, R. Lober and C. Waker for bringing this error to our attention.

REST, a master transcriptional regulator in neurodegenerative disease.

The restrictive element-1 silencing transcription factor)/NRSF (neuron-restrictive silencing factor (NRSF) is a transcriptional repressor which acts via epigenetic remodeling to silence target genes. Emerging evidence indicates that REST is a master transcriptional regulator of neuron-specific genes not only in neurogenesis and neuronal differentiation, but also in differentiated neurons during the critical period in postnatal brain development, where it plays a role in fine-tuning of genes involved in synaptic plasticity, and in normal aging, where it promotes neuroprotection by repressing genes involved in oxidative stress and ß-amyloid toxicity. This review focuses on recent findings that dysregulation of REST and REST-dependent epigenetic remodeling provide a central mechanism critical to the progressive neurodegeneration associated with neurologic disorders and diseases including global ischemia, stroke, epilepsy, Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease.

Aberrant Rac1-cofilin signaling mediates defects in dendritic spines, synaptic function, and sensory perception in fragile X syndrome.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disabilities and a leading cause of autism. FXS is caused by a trinucleotide expansion in the gene FMR1 on the X chromosome. The neuroanatomical hallmark of FXS is an overabundance of immature dendritic spines, a factor thought to underlie synaptic dysfunction and impaired cognition. We showed that aberrantly increased activity of the Rho GTPase Rac1 inhibited the actin-depolymerizing factor cofilin, a major determinant of dendritic spine structure, and caused disease-associated spine abnormalities in the somatosensory cortex of FXS model mice. Increased cofilin phosphorylation and actin polymerization coincided with abnormal dendritic spines and impaired synaptic maturation. Viral delivery of a constitutively active cofilin mutant (cofilinS3A) into the somatosensory cortex of Fmr1-deficient mice rescued the immature dendritic spine phenotype and increased spine density. Inhibition of the Rac1 effector PAK1 with a small-molecule inhibitor rescued cofilin signaling in FXS mice, indicating a causal relationship between PAK1 and cofilin signaling. PAK1 inhibition rescued synaptic signaling (specifically the synaptic ratio of NMDA/AMPA in layer V pyramidal neurons) and improved sensory processing in FXS mice. These findings suggest a causal relationship between increased Rac1-cofilin signaling, synaptic defects, and impaired sensory processing in FXS and uncover a previously unappreciated role for impaired Rac1-cofilin signaling in the aberrant spine morphology and spine density associated with FXS.

The emerging field of epigenetics in neurodegeneration and neuroprotection.

Epigenetic mechanisms - including DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications and changes in nucleosome positioning - regulate gene expression, cellular differentiation and development in almost all tissues, including the brain. In adulthood, changes in the epigenome are crucial for higher cognitive functions such as learning and memory. Striking new evidence implicates the dysregulation of epigenetic mechanisms in neurodegenerative disorders and diseases. Although these disorders differ in their underlying causes and pathophysiologies, many involve the dysregulation of restrictive element 1-silencing transcription factor (REST), which acts via epigenetic mechanisms to regulate gene expression. Although not somatically heritable, epigenetic modifications in neurons are dynamic and reversible, which makes them good targets for therapeutic intervention.

Global ischemia induces lysosomal-mediated degradation of mTOR and activation of autophagy in hippocampal neurons destined to die.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key regulator of cell growth, autophagy, translation, and survival. Dysregulation of mTOR signaling is associated with cancer, diabetes, and autism. However, a role for mTOR signaling in neuronal death is not well delineated. Here we show that global ischemia triggers a transient increase in mTOR phosphorylation at S2448, whereas decreasing p-mTOR and functional activity in selectively vulnerable hippocampal CA1 neurons. The decrease in mTOR coincides with an increase in biochemical markers of autophagy, pS317-ULK-1, pS14-Beclin-1, and LC3-II, a decrease in the cargo adaptor p62, and an increase in autophagic flux, a functional readout of autophagy. This is significant in that autophagy, a catabolic process downstream of mTORC1, promotes the formation of autophagosomes that capture and target cytoplasmic components to lysosomes. Inhibitors of the lysosomal (but not proteasomal) pathway rescued the ischemia-induced decrease in mTOR, consistent with degradation of mTOR via the autophagy/lysosomal pathway. Administration of the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin or acute knockdown of mTOR promotes autophagy and attenuates ischemia-induced neuronal death, indicating an inverse causal relation between mTOR, autophagy, and neuronal death. Our findings identify a novel and previously unappreciated mechanism by which mTOR self-regulates its own levels in hippocampal neurons in a clinically relevant model of ischemic stroke.

Estradiol pretreatment ameliorates impaired synaptic plasticity at synapses of insulted CA1 neurons after transient global ischemia.

Global ischemia in humans or induced experimentally in animals causes selective and delayed neuronal death in pyramidal neurons of the hippocampal CA1. The ovarian hormone estradiol administered before or immediately after insult affords histological protection in experimental models of focal and global ischemia and ameliorates the cognitive deficits associated with ischemic cell death. However, the impact of estradiol on the functional integrity of Schaffer collateral to CA1 (Sch-CA1) pyramidal cell synapses following global ischemia is not clear. Here we show that long term estradiol treatment initiated 14 days prior to global ischemia in ovariectomized female rats acts via the IGF-1 receptor to protect the functional integrity of CA1 neurons. Global ischemia impairs basal synaptic transmission, assessed by the input/output relation at Sch-CA1 synapses, and NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent long term potentiation (LTP), assessed at 3 days after surgery. Presynaptic function, assessed by fiber volley and paired pulse facilitation, is unchanged. To our knowledge, our results are the first to demonstrate that estradiol at near physiological concentrations enhances basal excitatory synaptic transmission and ameliorates deficits in LTP at synapses onto CA1 neurons in a clinically-relevant model of global ischemia. Estradiol-induced rescue of LTP requires the IGF-1 receptor, but not the classical estrogen receptors (ER)-α or ß. These findings support a model whereby estradiol acts via the IGF-1 receptor to maintain the functional integrity of hippocampal CA1 synapses in the face of global ischemia. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Brain and Memory.

The gene silencing transcription factor REST represses miR-132 expression in hippocampal neurons destined to die.

The gene silencing transcription factor REST [repressor element 1 silencing transcription factor]/NRSF (neuron-restrictive silencer factor) actively represses a large array of coding and noncoding neuron-specific genes important to synaptic plasticity including miR-132. miR-132 is a neuron-specific microRNA and plays a pivotal role in synaptogenesis, synaptic plasticity and structural remodeling. However, a role for miR-132 in neuronal death is not, as yet, well-delineated. Here we show that ischemic insults promote REST binding and epigenetic remodeling at the miR-132 promoter and silencing of miR-132 expression in selectively vulnerable hippocampal CA1 neurons. REST occupancy was not altered at the miR-9 or miR-124a promoters despite the presence of repressor element 1 sites, indicating REST target specificity. Ischemia induced a substantial decrease in two marks of active gene transcription, dimethylation of lysine 4 on core histone 3 (H3K4me2) and acetylation of lysine 9 on H3 (H3K9ac) at the miR-132 promoter. RNAi-mediated depletion of REST in vivo blocked ischemia-induced loss of miR-132 in insulted hippocampal neurons, consistent with a causal relation between activation of REST and silencing of miR-132. Overexpression of miR-132 in primary cultures of hippocampal neurons or delivered directly into the CA1 of living rats by means of the lentiviral expression system prior to induction of ischemia afforded robust protection against ischemia-induced neuronal death. These findings document a previously unappreciated role for REST-dependent repression of miR-132 in the neuronal death associated with global ischemia and identify a novel therapeutic target for amelioration of the neurodegeneration and cognitive deficits associated with ischemic stroke.

Casein kinase 1 suppresses activation of REST in insulted hippocampal neurons and halts ischemia-induced neuronal death.

Repressor Element-1 (RE1) Silencing Transcription Factor/Neuron-Restrictive Silencer Factor (REST/NRSF) is a gene-silencing factor that is widely expressed during embryogenesis and plays a strategic role in neuronal differentiation. Recent studies indicate that REST can be activated in differentiated neurons during a critical window of time in postnatal development and in adult neurons in response to neuronal insults such as seizures and ischemia. However, the mechanism by which REST is regulated in neurons is as yet unknown. Here, we show that REST is controlled at the level of protein stability via ß-TrCP-dependent, ubiquitin-based proteasomal degradation in differentiated neurons under physiological conditions and identify Casein Kinase 1 (CK1) as an upstream effector that bidirectionally regulates REST cellular abundance. CK1 associates with and phosphorylates REST at two neighboring, but distinct, motifs within the C terminus of REST critical for binding of ß-TrCP and targeting of REST for proteasomal degradation. We further show that global ischemia in rats in vivo triggers a decrease in CK1 and an increase in REST in selectively vulnerable hippocampal CA1 neurons. Administration of the CK1 activator pyrvinium pamoate by in vivo injection immediately after ischemia restores CK1 activity, suppresses REST expression, and rescues neurons destined to die. Our results identify a novel and previously unappreciated role for CK1 as a brake on REST stability and abundance in adult neurons and reveal that loss of CK1 is causally related to ischemia-induced neuronal death. These findings point to CK1 as a potential therapeutic target for the amelioration of hippocampal injury and cognitive deficits associated with global ischemia.

Survivin Is a transcriptional target of STAT3 critical to estradiol neuroprotection in global ischemia.

Transient global ischemia causes selective, delayed death of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons in humans and animals. It is well established that estrogens ameliorate neuronal death in animal models of focal and global ischemia. However, the role of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) and its target genes in estradiol neuroprotection in global ischemia remains unclear. Here we show that a single intracerebral injection of 17ß-estradiol to ovariectomized female rats immediately after ischemia rescues CA1 neurons destined to die. Ischemia promotes activation of STAT3 signaling, association of STAT3 with the promoters of target genes, and STAT3-dependent mRNA and protein expression of prosurvival proteins in the selectively vulnerable CA1. In animals subjected to ischemia, acute postischemic estradiol further enhances activation and nuclear translocation of STAT3 and STAT3-dependent transcription of target genes. Importantly, we show that STAT3 is critical to estradiol neuroprotection, as evidenced by the ability of STAT3 inhibitor peptide and STAT3 shRNA delivered directly into the CA1 of living animals to abolish neuroprotection. In addition, we identify survivin, a member of the inhibitor-of-apoptosis family of proteins and known gene target of STAT3, as essential to estradiol neuroprotection, as evidenced by the ability of shRNA to survivin to reverse neuroprotection. These findings indicate that ischemia and estradiol act synergistically to promote activation of STAT3 and STAT3-dependent transcription of survivin in insulted CA1 neurons and identify STAT3 and survivin as potentially important therapeutic targets in an in vivo model of global ischemia.

Epigenetic mechanisms in stroke and epilepsy.

Epigenetic remodeling and modifications of chromatin structure by DNA methylation and histone modifications represent central mechanisms for the regulation of neuronal gene expression during brain development, higher-order processing, and memory formation. Emerging evidence implicates epigenetic modifications not only in normal brain function, but also in neuropsychiatric disorders. This review focuses on recent findings that disruption of chromatin modifications have a major role in the neurodegeneration associated with ischemic stroke and epilepsy. Although these disorders differ in their underlying causes and pathophysiology, they share a common feature, in that each disorder activates the gene silencing transcription factor REST (repressor element 1 silencing transcription factor), which orchestrates epigenetic remodeling of a subset of 'transcriptionally responsive targets' implicated in neuronal death. Although ischemic insults activate REST in selectively vulnerable neurons in the hippocampal CA1, seizures activate REST in CA3 neurons destined to die. Profiling the array of genes that are epigenetically dysregulated in response to neuronal insults is likely to advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of these disorders and may lead to the identification of novel therapeutic strategies for the amelioration of these serious human conditions.

Repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor (REST)-dependent epigenetic remodeling is critical to ischemia-induced neuronal death.

Dysregulation of the transcriptional repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor (REST)/neuron-restrictive silencer factor is important in a broad range of diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. The role of REST-dependent epigenetic modifications in neurodegeneration is less clear. Here, we show that neuronal insults trigger activation of REST and CoREST in a clinically relevant model of ischemic stroke and that REST binds a subset of "transcriptionally responsive" genes (gria2, grin1, chrnb2, nefh, nfκb2, trpv1, chrm4, and syt6), of which the AMPA receptor subunit GluA2 is a top hit. Genes with enriched REST exhibited decreased mRNA and protein. We further show that REST assembles with CoREST, mSin3A, histone deacetylases 1 and 2, histone methyl-transferase G9a, and methyl CpG binding protein 2 at the promoters of target genes, where it orchestrates epigenetic remodeling and gene silencing. RNAi-mediated depletion of REST or administration of dominant-negative REST delivered directly into the hippocampus in vivo prevents epigenetic modifications, restores gene expression, and rescues hippocampal neurons. These findings document a causal role for REST-dependent epigenetic remodeling in the neurodegeneration associated with ischemic stroke and identify unique therapeutic targets for the amelioration of hippocampal injury and cognitive deficits.

ß-Catenin-dependent FGF signaling sustains cell survival in the anterior embryonic head by countering Smad4.

Growing evidence suggests that FGFs secreted from embryonic signaling centers are key mediators of cell survival. However, the mechanisms regulating FGF-dependent cell survival remain obscure. At the rostral end of the embryo, for example, ablation of FGF signaling leads to the rapid death of the precursor cells that form the anterior head, including the telencephalon. Here, we outline a core genetic circuit that regulates survival in the embryonic mouse head: WNT signaling through ß-catenin directly maintains FGF expression and requires FGF function in vivo to oppose proapoptotic TGF-ß signaling through SMAD4. Moreover, these antagonistic pathways converge on the transcriptional regulation of apoptosis, and genes such as Cdkn1a, suggesting a mechanism for how signaling centers in the embryonic head regulate cell survival.