The current study used two inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6 J and A/J, to investigate the genetics of behavioral responses to fentanyl. Mice were tested for conditioned place preference and fentanyl-induced locomotor activity. C57BL/6J mice formed a conditioned place preference to fentanyl injections and fentanyl increased their activity. Neither effect was noted in A/J mice. We conducted RNA-sequencing on the nucleus accumbens of mice used for fentanyl-induced locomotor activity. Surprisingly, we noted few differentially expressed genes using treatment as the main factor. However many genes differed between strains.
Authors:
Samuel J Harp, Mariangela Martini, Will Rosenow, Larry D Mesner, Hugh Johnson, Charles R Farber, Emilie F Rissman
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear hormone receptors that act as ligand-activated transcription factors. Although prescribed for dyslipidemia and type-II diabetes, PPAR agonists also possess anti-addictive characteristics. PPAR agonists decrease ethanol consumption and reduce withdrawal severity and susceptibility to stress-induced relapse in rodents. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms facilitating these properties have yet to be investigated. We tested three PPAR agonists in a continuous access two-bottle choice (2BC) drinking paradigm and found that tesaglitazar (PPARα/γ; 1.5 mg/kg) and fenofibrate (PPARα; 150 mg/kg) decreased ethanol consumption in male C57BL/6J mice while bezafibrate (PPARα/γ/β; 75 mg/kg) did not. We hypothesized that changes in brain gene expression following fenofibrate and tesaglitazar treatment lead to reduced ethanol drinking. We studied unbiased genomic profiles in areas of the brain known to be important for ethanol dependence, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala, and also profiled gene expression in liver. Genomic profiles from the non-effective bezafibrate treatment were used to filter out genes not associated with ethanol consumption. Because PPAR agonists are anti-inflammatory, they would be expected to target microglia and astrocytes. Surprisingly, PPAR agonists produced a strong neuronal signature in mouse brain, and fenofibrate and tesaglitazar (but not bezafibrate) targeted a subset of GABAergic interneurons in the amygdala. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed co-expression of treatment-significant genes. Functional annotation of these gene networks suggested that PPAR agonists might act via neuropeptide and dopaminergic signaling pathways in the amygdala. Our results reveal gene targets through which PPAR agonists can affect alcohol consumption behavior.
Authors:
Laura B Ferguson, Dana Most, Yuri A Blednov, R Adron Harris
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear hormone receptors that act as ligand-activated transcription factors. Although prescribed for dyslipidemia and type-II diabetes, PPAR agonists also possess anti-addictive characteristics. PPAR agonists decrease ethanol consumption and reduce withdrawal severity and susceptibility to stress-induced relapse in rodents. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms facilitating these properties have yet to be investigated. We tested three PPAR agonists in a continuous access two-bottle choice (2BC) drinking paradigm and found that tesaglitazar (PPARα/γ; 1.5 mg/kg) and fenofibrate (PPARα; 150 mg/kg) decreased ethanol consumption in male C57BL/6J mice while bezafibrate (PPARα/γ/β; 75 mg/kg) did not. We hypothesized that changes in brain gene expression following fenofibrate and tesaglitazar treatment lead to reduced ethanol drinking. We studied unbiased genomic profiles in areas of the brain known to be important for ethanol dependence, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala, and also profiled gene expression in liver. Genomic profiles from the non-effective bezafibrate treatment were used to filter out genes not associated with ethanol consumption. Because PPAR agonists are anti-inflammatory, they would be expected to target microglia and astrocytes. Surprisingly, PPAR agonists produced a strong neuronal signature in mouse brain, and fenofibrate and tesaglitazar (but not bezafibrate) targeted a subset of GABAergic interneurons in the amygdala. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed co-expression of treatment-significant genes. Functional annotation of these gene networks suggested that PPAR agonists might act via neuropeptide and dopaminergic signaling pathways in the amygdala. Our results reveal gene targets through which PPAR agonists can affect alcohol consumption behavior.
Authors:
Laura B Ferguson, Dana Most, Yuri A Blednov, R Adron Harris
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex psychiatric disorder with strong genetic and environmental risk factors. We studied the molecular perturbations underlying risky drinking behavior by measuring transcriptome changes across the neurocircuitry of addiction in a genetic mouse model of binge drinking. Sixteen generations of selective breeding for high blood alcohol levels after a binge drinking session produced global changes in brain gene expression in alcohol-naïve High Drinking in the Dark (HDID-1) mice. Using gene expression profiles to generate circuit-level hypotheses, we developed a systems approach that integrated regulation of gene coexpression networks across multiple brain regions, neuron-specific transcriptional signatures, and knowledgebase analytics. Whole-cell, voltage-clamp recordings from nucleus accumbens shell neurons projecting to the ventral tegmental area showed differential ethanol-induced plasticity in HDID-1 and control mice and provided support for one of the hypotheses. There were similarities in gene networks between HDID-1 mouse brains and postmortem brains of human alcoholics, suggesting that some gene expression patterns associated with high alcohol consumption are conserved across species. This study demonstrated the value of gene networks for data integration across biological modalities and species to study mechanisms of disease.
Authors:
Laura B Ferguson, Lingling Zhang, Daniel Kircher, Shi Wang, R Dayne Mayfield, John C Crabbe, Richard A Morrisett, R Adron Harris, Igor Ponomarev
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex psychiatric disorder with strong genetic and environmental risk factors. We studied the molecular perturbations underlying risky drinking behavior by measuring transcriptome changes across the neurocircuitry of addiction in a genetic mouse model of binge drinking. Sixteen generations of selective breeding for high blood alcohol levels after a binge drinking session produced global changes in brain gene expression in alcohol-naïve High Drinking in the Dark (HDID-1) mice. Using gene expression profiles to generate circuit-level hypotheses, we developed a systems approach that integrated regulation of gene coexpression networks across multiple brain regions, neuron-specific transcriptional signatures, and knowledgebase analytics. Whole-cell, voltage-clamp recordings from nucleus accumbens shell neurons projecting to the ventral tegmental area showed differential ethanol-induced plasticity in HDID-1 and control mice and provided support for one of the hypotheses. There were similarities in gene networks between HDID-1 mouse brains and postmortem brains of human alcoholics, suggesting that some gene expression patterns associated with high alcohol consumption are conserved across species. This study demonstrated the value of gene networks for data integration across biological modalities and species to study mechanisms of disease.
Authors:
Laura B Ferguson, Lingling Zhang, Daniel Kircher, Shi Wang, R Dayne Mayfield, John C Crabbe, Richard A Morrisett, R Adron Harris, Igor Ponomarev
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear hormone receptors that act as ligand-activated transcription factors. Although prescribed for dyslipidemia and type-II diabetes, PPAR agonists also possess anti-addictive characteristics. PPAR agonists decrease ethanol consumption and reduce withdrawal severity and susceptibility to stress-induced relapse in rodents. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms facilitating these properties have yet to be investigated. We tested three PPAR agonists in a continuous access two-bottle choice (2BC) drinking paradigm and found that tesaglitazar (PPARα/γ; 1.5 mg/kg) and fenofibrate (PPARα; 150 mg/kg) decreased ethanol consumption in male C57BL/6J mice while bezafibrate (PPARα/γ/β; 75 mg/kg) did not. We hypothesized that changes in brain gene expression following fenofibrate and tesaglitazar treatment lead to reduced ethanol drinking. We studied unbiased genomic profiles in areas of the brain known to be important for ethanol dependence, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala, and also profiled gene expression in liver. Genomic profiles from the non-effective bezafibrate treatment were used to filter out genes not associated with ethanol consumption. Because PPAR agonists are anti-inflammatory, they would be expected to target microglia and astrocytes. Surprisingly, PPAR agonists produced a strong neuronal signature in mouse brain, and fenofibrate and tesaglitazar (but not bezafibrate) targeted a subset of GABAergic interneurons in the amygdala. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed co-expression of treatment-significant genes. Functional annotation of these gene networks suggested that PPAR agonists might act via neuropeptide and dopaminergic signaling pathways in the amygdala. Our results reveal gene targets through which PPAR agonists can affect alcohol consumption behavior.
Authors:
Laura B Ferguson, Dana Most, Yuri A Blednov, R Adron Harris
Average rotarod training latency Chr# 6 rs6239023 (94005991) with right flanking marker rs3672029(75345665) and left marker rs30316697(130188177). This was mapped in 300 + (b6x129)F2 mice.
Genes that have enhancers which have changes in chromatin structure to state 4 or 5 in response to cocaine in adult (8-10 week) male C57BL/6J mice. 5hmC levels were measured via 5hmC-seq. Data taken from Supplementary Table 3. Values presented are "1" for presence. Data available at GEO with accession number GSE63749.
Correlation analysis of gene expression and alcohol consumption within the alcohol group showed that consumption during the last 2 days of the procedure was the best predictor of changes in global gene expression.
Authors:
Marballi K, Genabai NK, Blednov YA, Harris RA, Ponomarev I
Chronic cocaine - Cocaine-paired (conditioned place preference) vs. Control (saline or cocaine-non-paired) DNA microarray All genes on microarray presented After the pre-conditioning phase where animals were allowed access to either compartment for 15 minutes for 4 consecutive days, the conditioning phase for the cocaine-paired groups and cocaine non-paired groups began, consisting of eight subsequent daily sessions. For both groups, cocaine (10 mg / kg) or saline injections were administered on alternate days. For the cocaine-paired groups, rats were immediately placed in one of the two compartments for 30 min with the door in place restricting a z transformation followed by z test and anova followed by Student-Newman-Keuls' post hoc test. Gene expression profile was assessed 24 h after the last conditioning session that corresponded to 48 h after last cocaine exposure, when drug has been eliminated from the body and transient transcriptional changes are likely to be minimal. Therefore, changes in gene expression at this time-point are likely to reflect longer lasting adaptations that may account for maintenance of cocaine-induced memories. The complete lists of normalized gene expression values for the hippocampus of saline-treated, cocaine non-paired and cocaine-paired groups are presented. Analyses revealed that 214 transcripts were differentially regulated in the hippocampus of cocaine-paired rats vs. non-paired and saline-treated controls. Cocaine-induced conditioned place preference caused significant increases in the expression of 151 genes and caused decreases in the expression of 63 genes. (NIF Table ID 130.1 [83])
Authors:
Krasnova IN, Li SM, Wood WH, McCoy MT, Prabhu VV, Becker KG, Katz JL, Cadet JL
Chronic cocaine - Cocaine-paired (conditioned place preference) vs. Control (saline or cocaine-non-paired) DNA microarray All genes on microarray presented After the pre-conditioning phase where animals were allowed access to either compartment for 15 minutes for 4 consecutive days, the conditioning phase for the cocaine-paired groups and cocaine non-paired groups began, consisting of eight subsequent daily sessions. For both groups, cocaine (10 mg / kg) or saline injections were administered on alternate days. For the cocaine-paired groups, rats were immediately placed in one of the two compartments for 30 min with the door in place restricting a z transformation followed by z test and anova followed by Student-Newman-Keuls' post hoc test. Gene expression profile was assessed 24 h after the last conditioning session that corresponded to 48 h after last cocaine exposure, when drug has been eliminated from the body and transient transcriptional changes are likely to be minimal. Therefore, changes in gene expression at this time-point are likely to reflect longer lasting adaptations that may account for maintenance of cocaine-induced memories. The complete lists of normalized gene expression values for the frontal cortex of saline-treated, cocaine non-paired and cocaine-paired groups are presented. Differences in the expression of 39 transcripts in the frontal cortex were related to the conditioned place preference paradigm. These include increases in the level of 22 genes and decreases in 17 genes. (NIF Table ID 130.3 [83.5])
Authors:
Krasnova IN, Li SM, Wood WH, McCoy MT, Prabhu VV, Becker KG, Katz JL, Cadet JL
Differentially expressed geens in the central amygdala (CeA) of male Sprague-Dawley rats (300-350 g prior to surgery, 325-375 g at start of self-administration) on day 2 following methamphetamine withdrawal. Gene Expression was evaluated via RNA-seq. Data taken from Supplementary Table S2. Values presented are adjusted p-values. Data available from GEO with accession number GSE111243."
Authors:
Hannah M Cates, Xuan Li, Immanuel Purushothaman, Pamela J Kennedy, Li Shen, Yavin Shaham, Eric J Nestler
Differentially expressed geens in the central amygdala (CeA) of male Sprague-Dawley rats (300-350 g prior to surgery, 325-375 g at start of self-administration) on day 35 following methamphetamine withdrawal. Gene Expression was evaluated via RNA-seq. Data taken from Supplementary Table S2. Values presented are adjusted p-values. Data available from GEO with accession number GSE111243."
Authors:
Hannah M Cates, Xuan Li, Immanuel Purushothaman, Pamela J Kennedy, Li Shen, Yavin Shaham, Eric J Nestler
QTL Associated with subcutaneous adipose mass. On Chromosome 17 with a LOD score= 8.62, p-value =0.001. From a(n) intercross of QTL Associated with Liver tumor resistance. On Chromosome 1 with a LOD score= , p-value =0.05. From a(n) of
GeneWeaver