mtDNA T8993G Mutation-Induced F1F0-ATP Synthase Defect Augments Mitochondrial Dysfunction Associated with hypoxia/reoxygenation: The Protective Role of Melatonin

Background

F1F0-ATP synthase (F1F0-ATPase) plays important roles in regulating mitochondrial function during hypoxia, but the effect of F1F0-ATPase defect on hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/RO) is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate how mtDNA T8993G mutation (NARP)-induced inhibition of F1F0-ATPase modulates the H/RO–induced mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, the potential for melatonin, a potent antioxidant with multiple mitochondrial protective properties, to protect NARP cells exposed to H/RO was assessed.

Methods And Findings

NARP cybrids harboring 98% of mtDNA T8993G genes were established as an in vitro model for cells with F1F0-ATPase defect; their parental osteosarcoma 143B cells were studied for comparison. Treating the cells with H/RO using a hypoxic chamber resembles ischemia/reperfusion in vivo. NARP significantly enhanced apoptotic death upon H/RO detected by MTT assay and the trypan blue exclusion test of cell viability. Based on fluorescence probe-coupled laser scanning imaging microscopy, NARP significantly enhanced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) formation and mitochondrial Ca²⁺ (mCa²⁺) accumulation in response to H/RO, which augmented the depletion of cardiolipin, resulting in the retardation of mitochondrial movement. With stronger H/RO stress (either with longer reoxygenation duration, longer hypoxia duration, or administrating secondary oxidative stress following H/RO), NARP augmented H/RO-induced mROS formation to significantly depolarize mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and enhance mCa²⁺ accumulation and nitric oxide formation. Also, NARP augmented H/RO-induced mROS oxidized and depleted cardiolipin, thereby promoting permanent mitochondrial permeability transition, retarded mitochondrial movement, and enhanced apoptosis. Melatonin markedly reduced NARP-augmented H/RO-induced mROS formation and therefore significantly reduced mROS-mediated depolarization of ΔΨm and accumulation of mCa²⁺, stabilized cardiolipin, and then improved mitochondrial movement and cell survival.

Conclusion

NARP-induced inhibition of F1F0-ATPase enhances mROS formation upon H/RO, which augments the depletion of cardiolipin and retardation of mitochondrial movement. Melatonin may have the potential to rescue patients with ischemia/reperfusion insults, even those associated with NARP symptoms.     

Calcium ions and osteoclastogenesis initiate the induction of bone formation by coral‐derived macroporous constructs

Coral-derived calcium carbonate/hydroxyapatite macroporous constructs of the genus Goniopora with limited hydrothermal conversion to hydroxyapatite (7% HA/CC) initiate the induction of bone formation. Which are the molecular signals that initiate pattern formation and the induction of bone formation? To evaluate the role of released calcium ions and osteoclastogenesis, 7% HA/CC was pre-loaded with either 500 μg of the calcium channel blocker, verapamil hydrochloride, or 240 μg of the osteoclast inhibitor, biphosphonate zoledronate, and implanted in the rectus abdominis muscle of six adult Chacma baboons Papio ursinus. Generated tissues on days 15, 60 and 90 were analysed by histomorphometry and qRT-PCR. On day 15, up-regulation of type IV collagen characterized all the implanted constructs correlating with vascular invasion. Zoledronate-treated specimens showed an important delay in tissue patterning and morphogenesis with limited bone formation. Osteoclastic inhibition yielded minimal, if any, bone formation by induction. 7% HA/CC pre-loaded with the Ca⁺⁺ channel blocker verapamil hydrochloride strongly inhibited the induction of bone formation. Down-regulation of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) together with up-regulation of Noggin genes correlated with limited bone formation in 7% HA/CC pre-loaded with either verapamil or zoledronate, indicating that the induction of bone formation by coral-derived macroporous constructs is via the BMPs pathway. The spontaneous induction of bone formation is initiated by a local peak of Ca⁺⁺ activating stem cell differentiation and the induction of bone formation.     

The CRHR1 gene,trauma exposure,and alcoholism risk: a test of G × E effects

The corticotropin‐releasing hormone type I receptor (CRHR1) gene has been implicated in the liability for neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly under conditions of stress. On the basis of the hypothesized effects of CRHR1 variation on stress reactivity, measures of adulthood traumatic stress exposure were analyzed for their interaction with CRHR1 haplotypes and single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in predicting the risk for alcoholism. Phenotypic data on 2533 non‐related Caucasian individuals (1167 alcoholics and 1366 controls) were culled from the publically available Study of Addiction: Genetics and Environment genome‐wide association study. Genotypes were available for 19 tag SNPs. Logistic regression models examined the interaction between CRHR1 haplotypes/SNPs and adulthood traumatic stress exposure in predicting alcoholism risk. Two haplotype blocks spanned CRHR1. Haplotype analyses identified one haplotype in the proximal block 1 (P = 0.029) and two haplotypes in the distal block 2 (P = 0.026, 0.042) that showed nominally significant (corrected P < 0.025) genotype × traumatic stress interactive effects on the likelihood of developing alcoholism. The block 1 haplotype effect was driven by SNPs rs110402 (P = 0.019) and rs242924 (P = 0.019). In block 2, rs17689966 (P = 0.018) showed significant and rs173365 (P = 0.026) showed nominally significant, gene × environment (G × E) effects on alcoholism status. This study extends the literature on the interplay between CRHR1 variation and alcoholism, in the context of exposure to traumatic stress. These findings are consistent with the hypothesized role of the extra hypothalamic corticotropin‐releasing factor system dysregulation in the initiation and maintenance of alcoholism. Molecular and experimental studies are needed to more fully understand the mechanisms of risk and protection conferred by genetic variation at the identified loci .     

Genetic variation in oxytocin rs2740210 and early adversity associated with postpartum depression and breastfeeding duration

Mothers vary in duration of breastfeeding. These individual differences are related to a variety of demographic and individual maternal factors including maternal hormones, mood and early experiences. However, little is known about the role of genetic factors. We studied single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the OXT peptide gene (rs2740210; rs4813627) and the OXT receptor gene (OXTR rs237885) in two samples of mothers from the Maternal adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment study (MAVAN), a multicenter (Hamilton and Montreal, Canada) study following mothers and their children from pregnancy until 7 years of age. Data from the Hamilton site was the primary sample (n = 201) and data from Montreal was the replication sample (n = 151). Breastfeeding duration, maternal mood (measured by the CES‐D scale) and early life adversity (measured by the CTQ scale) were established during 12 months postpartum. In our primary sample, polymorphisms in OXT rs2740210, but not the other SNPs, interacted with early life adversity to predict variation in breastfeeding duration (overall F_8,125 = 2.361, P = 0.021; interaction effect b = ?8.12, t = ?2.3, P = 0.023) and depression (overall F_8,118 = 5.751, P ≤ 0.001; interaction effect b = 6.06, t = 3.13, P = 0.002). A moderated mediation model showed that higher levels of depression mediated the inverse relation of high levels of early life adversity to breastfeeding duration, but only in women possessing the CC genotype [effect a′ = ?3.3401, 95% confidence interval (CI) = ?7.9466 to ?0.0015] of the OXT SNP and not in women with the AA/AC genotype (a′ = ?1.2942, ns). The latter findings (moderated mediation model) were replicated in our Montreal sample (a′ = ?0.277, 95% CI = ?0.7987 to ?0.0348 for CC; a′ = ?0.1820, ns for AA/AC) .     

Association study of 37 genes related to serotonin and dopamine neurotransmission and neurotrophic factors in cocaine dependence

Cocaine dependence is a neuropsychiatric disorder in which both environmental and genetic factors are involved. Several processes, that include reward and neuroadaptations, mediate the transition from use to dependence. In this regard, dopamine and serotonin neurotransmission systems are clearly involved in reward and other cocaine‐related effects, whereas neurotrophic factors may be responsible for neuroadaptations associated with cocaine dependence. We examined the contribution to cocaine dependence of 37 genes related to the dopaminergic and serotoninergic systems, neurotrophic factors and their receptors through a case–control association study with 319 single nucleotide polymorphisms selected according to genetic coverage criteria in 432 cocaine‐dependent patients and 482 sex‐matched unrelated controls. Single marker analyses provided evidence for association of the serotonin receptor HTR2A with cocaine dependence [rs6561333; nominal P‐value adjusted for age = 1.9e?04, odds ratio = 1.72 (1.29–2.30)]. When patients were subdivided according to the presence or absence of psychotic symptoms, we confirmed the association between cocaine dependence and HTR2A in both subgroups of patients. Our data show additional evidence for the involvement of the serotoninergic system in the genetic susceptibility to cocaine dependence.     

Neuropsychological effects of the CSMD1 genome‐wide associated schizophrenia risk variant rs10503253

The single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs10503253, located within the CUB and Sushi multiple domains‐1 (CSMD1) gene on 8p23.2, was recently identified as genome‐wide significant for schizophrenia (SZ), but is of unknown function. We investigated the neurocognitive effects of this CSMD1 variant in vivo in patients and healthy participants using behavioral and imaging measures of brain structure and function. We compared carriers and non‐carriers of the risk ‘A’ allele on measures of neuropsychological performance typically impaired in SZ (general cognitive ability, episodic and working memory and attentional control) in independent samples of Irish patients (n = 387) and controls (n = 171) and German patients (205) and controls (n = 533). Across these groups, the risk ‘A’ allele at CSMD1 was associated with deleterious effects across a number of neurocognitive phenotypes. Specifically, the risk allele was associated with poorer performance on neuropsychological measures of general cognitive ability and memory function but not attentional control. These effects, while significant, were subtle, and varied between samples. Consistent with previous evidence suggesting that CSMD1 may be involved in brain mechanisms related to memory and learning, these data appear to reflect the deleterious effects of the identified ‘A’ risk allele on neurocognitive function, possibly as part of the mechanism by which CSMD1 is associated with SZ risk.     

Impaired cognitive function and reduced anxiety‐related behavior in a promyelocytic leukemia (PML) tumor suppressor protein‐deficient mouse

The promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein is a tumor suppressor factor mostly known by its involvement in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Interestingly, recent studies have provided evidence that, in the central nervous system, PML is involved in neurogenesis. However, prospective studies of PML in brain are lacking. To further understand the role of PML in the mammalian brain, we studied plasticity and behavioral changes in PML knockout mice. If PML is involved in neurogenesis, and neurogenesis is an important process for proper brain development as well as learning and memory functions, we hypothesized that PML might have a role in plasticity and cognition. Behavioral studies demonstrated that PML knockout mice present abnormalities in conditioned learning and spatial memory, as determined by fear conditioning and Morris water maze tasks. Experiments to determine normal exploratory behavior interestingly revealed that PML knockout mice present reduced anxiety‐related responses as compared to control animals. This was confirmed when PML knockout mice spent more time in the open arms of an elevated plus‐maze, which is an indication of decreased anxiety. Additionally, impairments in hippocampus‐dependent learning were mirrored by altered long‐term plasticity at Schaffer collateral‐CA1 synapses. We now provide the first evidence for an important role of PML in the brain, indicating that PML might have a role in synaptic plasticity and associated behavioral processes.