Alcohol preference QTL 1 spans 26931283-76931283 (NCBI Build 37) on Chr9. This interval was obtained by using an interval width of 25 Mbp around the peak marker (Build 37, MGI, http://informatics.jax.org). Phenotypically extreme HAP1/LAP1 animals (n=96) and HAP2/LAP2 animals (n=48) were screened for microsatellite markers in chromosomal regions previously reported to influence alcohol preference phenotypes. Linkage to alcohol preference, Alpq1, mapped to chromosome 9 near D9Mit4 (29 cM) in the HAP1/LAP1 set and near D9Mit90 (9 cM) in the HAP2/LAP2 set. The Alpq1 QTL interval is broad and may contain more than 1 underlying gene. Drd2 at 28 cM is a potential candidate for Alpq1.
Authors:
Bice PJ, Foroud T, Carr LG, Zhang L, Liu L, Grahame NJ, Lumeng L, Li TK, Belknap JK
Drug Naïve DO mice were tested for open field, light dark, hole board, novelty place preference before collecting the striatum. RNA-Seq data was analyzed with WGCNA using a soft thresholding power of 3 selected using the WGCNA scale-free topology R2 threshold of 0.9, signed network with a minimum module size of 30, correlation type is bicor, used numeric labels.
We investigated the role of microglia in a mouse model of alcohol dependence using a colony stimulating factor 1 receptor inhibitor (PLX5622) to deplete microglia and a chronic intermittent ethanol vapor two-bottle choice drinking procedure. Additionally, we examined anxiety-like behavior during withdrawal. We then analyzed synaptic neuroadaptations in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and gene expression changes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and CeA from the same animals used for behavioral studies.
Microglia depletion and alcohol gene expression logFC
Description:
Alcohol abuse induces changes in microglia morphology and immune function, but whether microglia initiate or simply amplify the harmful effects of alcohol exposure is still a matter of debate. Here, we determine microglia function in acute and voluntary drinking behaviors using a colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor inhibitor (PLX5622). We show that microglia depletion does not alter the sedative or hypnotic effects of acute intoxication. Microglia depletion also does not change the escalation or maintenance of chronic voluntary alcohol consumption. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that although many immune genes have been implicated in alcohol abuse, down regulation of microglia genes does not necessitate changes in alcohol intake. Instead, microglia depletion and chronic alcohol result in compensatory upregulation of alcohol-responsive, reactive astrocyte genes, indicating astrocytes may play a role in regulation of these alcohol behaviors. Taken together, our behavioral and transcriptional data indicate that microglia are not theprimary effector cell responsible for regulation of acute and voluntary alcohol behaviors. Because microglia depletion did not regulate acute or voluntary alcohol behaviors, we hypothesized that these doses were insufficient to activate microglia and recruit them to an effector phenotype. Therefore, we used a model of repeated immune activation using polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid
Alcohol transcriptome changes in mice microglia total homogenate p-value
Description:
Microglia are fundamentally important immune cells within the central nervous system (CNS) that respond to environmental challenges to maintain normal physiological processes. Alterations in steady-state cellular function and over-activation of microglia can facilitate the initiation and progression of neuropathological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Major Depressive Disorder. Alcohol consumption disrupts signaling pathways including both innate and adaptive immune responses that are necessary for CNS homeostasis. Coordinate expression of these genes is not ascertained from an admixture of CNS cell-types, underscoring the importance of examining isolated cellular populations to reveal systematic gene expression changes arising from mature microglia. Unbiased RNA-Seq profiling was used to identify gene expression changes in isolated prefrontal cortical microglia in response to recurring bouts of voluntary alcohol drinking behavior. The voluntary ethanol paradigm utilizes long-term consumption ethanol that results in escalated alcohol intake and altered cortical plasticity that is seen in humans. Gene coexpression analysis identified a coordinately regulated group of genes, unique to microglia, that collectively are associated with alcohol consumption. Genes within this group are involved in toll-like receptor signaling and transforming growth factor beta signaling. Network connectivity of this group identified Siglech as a putative hub gene and highlighted the potential importance of proteases in the microglial response to chronic ethanol. In conclusion, we identified a distinctive microglial gene expression signature for neuroimmune responses related to alcohol consumption that provides valuable insight into microglia-specific changes underlying the development of substance abuse, and possibly other CNS disorders.
Authors:
Gizelle M McCarthy, Sean P Farris, Yuri A Blednov, R Adron Harris, R Dayne Mayfield
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
Genes with particular expression in the Anterior olfactory nucleus, dorsal part. Data represent fold expression difference in structure versus grey matter average expression.
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 identified as expressed lower (down) in the AJ strain than in the AJ strain. Differentially expressed genes had a Q-value < 0.05 following the Benjamini-Hochberg methodology for false discovery rates in the limma+voom pipeline within edgeR. Q-value is reported from the topTable function.
Genes identified as expressed lower (down) in the AJ strain than in the AJ strain. Differentially expressed genes had a Q-value < 0.05 following the Benjamini-Hochberg methodology for false discovery rates in the limma+voom pipeline within edgeR. Q-value is reported from the topTable function.
Alcohol transcriptome changes in mice microglia p-value
Description:
Microglia are fundamentally important immune cells within the central nervous system (CNS) that respond to environmental challenges to maintain normal physiological processes. Alterations in steady-state cellular function and over-activation of microglia can facilitate the initiation and progression of neuropathological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Major Depressive Disorder. Alcohol consumption disrupts signaling pathways including both innate and adaptive immune responses that are necessary for CNS homeostasis. Coordinate expression of these genes is not ascertained from an admixture of CNS cell-types, underscoring the importance of examining isolated cellular populations to reveal systematic gene expression changes arising from mature microglia. Unbiased RNA-Seq profiling was used to identify gene expression changes in isolated prefrontal cortical microglia in response to recurring bouts of voluntary alcohol drinking behavior. The voluntary ethanol paradigm utilizes long-term consumption ethanol that results in escalated alcohol intake and altered cortical plasticity that is seen in humans. Gene coexpression analysis identified a coordinately regulated group of genes, unique to microglia, that collectively are associated with alcohol consumption. Genes within this group are involved in toll-like receptor signaling and transforming growth factor beta signaling. Network connectivity of this group identified Siglech as a putative hub gene and highlighted the potential importance of proteases in the microglial response to chronic ethanol. In conclusion, we identified a distinctive microglial gene expression signature for neuroimmune responses related to alcohol consumption that provides valuable insight into microglia-specific changes underlying the development of substance abuse, and possibly other CNS disorders.
Authors:
Gizelle M McCarthy, Sean P Farris, Yuri A Blednov, R Adron Harris, R Dayne Mayfield
Genes with particular expression in the Accessory olfactory bulb. Data represent fold expression difference in structure versus grey matter average expression.
Genes with particular expression in the Accessory olfactory bulb, glomerular layer. Data represent fold expression difference in structure versus grey matter average expression.
Genes with particular expression in the Orbital area, lateral part, layer 1. Data represent fold expression difference in structure versus grey matter average expression.
Genes with particular expression in the Flocculus, granular layer. Data represent fold expression difference in structure versus grey matter average expression.
Genes with particular expression in the Orbital area, ventrolateral part, layer 1. Data represent fold expression difference in structure versus grey matter average expression.
Genes identified as expressed lower (down) in the AJ strain than in the NOD strain. Differentially expressed genes had a Q-value < 0.05 following the Benjamini-Hochberg methodology for false discovery rates in the limma+voom pipeline within edgeR. Q-value is reported from the topTable function.
Genes identified as expressed lower (down) in the AJ strain than in the NOD strain. Differentially expressed genes had a Q-value < 0.05 following the Benjamini-Hochberg methodology for false discovery rates in the limma+voom pipeline within edgeR. Q-value is reported from the topTable function.
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