Project description:DNA methylation has emerged as a critical modulator of neuronal plasticity and cognitive function. Notwithstanding, the role of enzymes that demethylate DNA remain to be fully explored. Here, we report that loss of ten-eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (Tet2), which catalyzes oxidation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), in adult neurons enhances cognitive function. In the adult mouse hippocampus, we detected an enrichment of Tet2 in neurons. Viral-mediated neuronal overexpression and RNA interference of Tet2 altered dendritic complexity and synaptic-plasticity-related gene expression in vitro. Overexpression of neuronal Tet2 in adult hippocampus, and loss of Tet2 in adult glutamatergic neurons, resulted in differential hydroxymethylation associated with genes involved in synaptic transmission. Functionally, overexpression of neuronal Tet2 impaired hippocampal-dependent memory, while loss of neuronal Tet2 enhanced memory. Ultimately, these data identify neuronal Tet2 as a molecular target to boost cognitive function.
Project description:Chromatin methylation has emerged as a critical modulator of neuronal plasticity and cognitive function. Notwithstanding, the role of enzymes that demethylate DNA remain to be fully explored. Here we report that loss of ten eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (Tet2), which catalyzes oxidation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), in adult neurons enhances cognitive function. In the adult mouse hippocampus, we detected an enrichment of Tet2 in neurons. Abrogation of neuronal Tet2 in vitro altered synaptic-plasticity related gene expression. We observed that loss of Tet2 in mature glutamatergic neurons in adult mice resulted in differential hydroxymethylation on genes involved in synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. Correspondingly, RNA sequencing identified changes in both long-term potentiation pathways and immune-related genes linked to synaptic plasticity. Functionally, loss of neuronal Tet2 improved performance on hippocampal-dependent spatial and associative memory tasks. Ultimately, this work identifies neuronal Tet2 as a molecular target to enhance cognitive function.
Project description:Vitamin D is an important calcium-regulating hormone with diverse functions in numerous tissues including the brain. Increasing evidence suggests that vitamin D may play a role in maintaining cognitive function and that vitamin D deficiency may accelerate age-related cognitive decline. Using aging rodents, we attempted to model the range of human serum vitamin D levels, from deficient to sufficient, to test whether vitamin D could preserve or improve cognitive function with aging. For 5-6 months, middle-aged F344 rats were fed diets containing low, medium (typical amount) or high vitamin D3 (100, 1000 or 10,000 IU/kg diet, respectively) and then hippocampal-dependent learning and memory were tested in the Morris water maze. Rats on high vitamin D achieved the highest blood levels (in the sufficient range) and significantly outperformed low and medium groups on maze reversal, a particularly challenging task that detects more subtle changes in memory. In addition to calcium-related processes, hippocampal gene expression microarrays identified pathways pertaining to synaptic transmission, cell communication and G-protein function as being up-regulated with high vitamin D. Basal synaptic transmission also was enhanced corroborating observed effects on gene expression and learning and memory. Our studies demonstrate a causal relationship between vitamin D status and cognitive function and suggest that vitamin D-mediated changes in hippocampal gene expression may improve the likelihood of successful brain aging. Sixty, middle-aged male F344 rats were divided into three groups, each receiving for 5-6 months a different dietary amount of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3; VitD3). Purified AIN-93G (Harlan-Teklad) diet was modified to contain low, medium or high VitD3 (IU/kg diet): High = 10,000, Standard (Control) = 1000; Low = 100. Animal weight and amount of food consumed was recorded 2-3 times/week. Serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D were determined using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (ZRT Laboratory). Hippocampal RNA was isolated, quantified and checked for RNA integrity. One low VitD3 sample failed RNA quality control. Remaining RNA samples were applied to Affymetrix Rat Gene 1.0 ST arrays (one array/subject). Pre-statistical filtering removed poorly annotated probe sets, low intensity signals, and outlier values (>2SD of the group mean). Filtered data were analyzed by 1-way ANOVA to identify significant differences and the False Discovery Rate (FDR) procedure was used to estimate the error of multiple testing. FDR was compared at 0.31 and 0.17. Significant genes were assigned to one of four idealized expression patterns using Pearson’s test and separated by the sign of their correlation; relative gene expression values are provided on the log-2 scale. Functional categorization for significant genes was determined using DAVID bioinformatic tools. Please note that 'Marked' and 'Unmarked' (in the sample titles) refers to whether the rat had a mark on its tail. The rats were pair-housed and this is how two rats in one cage were distinguished.
Project description:Vitamin D is an important calcium-regulating hormone with diverse functions in numerous tissues including the brain. Increasing evidence suggests that vitamin D may play a role in maintaining cognitive function and that vitamin D deficiency may accelerate age-related cognitive decline. Using aging rodents, we attempted to model the range of human serum vitamin D levels, from deficient to sufficient, to test whether vitamin D could preserve or improve cognitive function with aging. For 5-6 months, middle-aged F344 rats were fed diets containing low, medium (typical amount) or high vitamin D3 (100, 1000 or 10,000 IU/kg diet, respectively) and then hippocampal-dependent learning and memory were tested in the Morris water maze. Rats on high vitamin D achieved the highest blood levels (in the sufficient range) and significantly outperformed low and medium groups on maze reversal, a particularly challenging task that detects more subtle changes in memory. In addition to calcium-related processes, hippocampal gene expression microarrays identified pathways pertaining to synaptic transmission, cell communication and G-protein function as being up-regulated with high vitamin D. Basal synaptic transmission also was enhanced corroborating observed effects on gene expression and learning and memory. Our studies demonstrate a causal relationship between vitamin D status and cognitive function and suggest that vitamin D-mediated changes in hippocampal gene expression may improve the likelihood of successful brain aging.
Project description:Mutations of the β-glucuronidase protein α-Klotho have been associated with premature aging, and altered cognitive function. Although highly expressed in specific areas of the brain, Klotho functions in the central nervous system remain unknow. Here, we show that cultured hippocampal neurons respond to insulin and glutamate stimulation by elevating Klotho protein levels. Conversely, AMPA and NMDA antagonism suppress neuronal Klotho expression. We also provide evidence that soluble Klotho enhances astrocytic aerobic glycolysis by hindering pyruvate metabolism through the mitochondria, and stimulating its processing by lactate dehydrogenase. Pharmacological inhibition of FGFR1, Erk phosphorylation, and monocarboxylic acid transporters prevents Klotho-induced lactate release from astrocytes. Taken together these data suggest Klotho is a potential new player in the metabolic coupling between neurons and astrocytes. Neuronal glutamatergic activity and insulin modulation elicit Klotho release, which in turn stimulates astrocytic lactate formation and release. Lactate can then be used by neurons as a metabolic substrate contributing to fulfill their elevated energy requirements.
Project description:Cellular and animal models and human specimens are used to show that in Alzheimer's disease, neuronal changes are mediated through pathologic chaperome networks, referred to as epichaperomes, leading to alterations in neuronal protein-protein connectivity and function. Epichaperome inhibition in cellular and mouse models of AD results in rebalance of synaptic protein networks, recovery of hippocampal LTP synaptic plasticity and cognitive function to wild-type levels. Our study uncovers cognitive deficits in AD that stem from an inability to encode new information because of aberrant neuronal protein-protein interaction networks.
Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small, non-coding RNAs mediating post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. miRNAs have recently been implicated in hippocampus-dependent functions such as learning and memory, although the roles of individual miRNAs in these processes remain largely unknown. Here, we achieved stable inhibition using AAV-delivered miRNA sponges of individual, highly expressed and brain-enriched miRNAs; miR-124, miR-9 and miR-34, in hippocampal neurons. Molecular and cognitive studies revealed a role for miR-124 in learning and memory. Inhibition of miR-124 resulted in an enhanced spatial learning and working memory capacity, potentially through altered levels of genes linked to synaptic plasticity and neuronal transmission. In contrast, inhibition of miR-9 or miR-34 led to a decreased capacity of spatial learning and of reference memory, respectively. On a molecular level, miR-9 inhibition resulted in altered expression of genes related to cell adhesion, endocytosis and cell death, while miR-34 inhibition caused transcriptome changes linked to neuroactive ligand-receptor transduction and cell communication. In summary, this study establishes distinct roles for individual miRNAs in hippocampal function. Three RNA samples containing bilateral entire hippocampi from three different mice, per group. Group 1 were injected with vector containing GFP and a miR34sp/miR9sp and the other group were subjected to a vector expressing GFP only.
Project description:Although immediate early genes (IEGs) such as Bdnf, Arc and Egr1, have been implicated in plasticity, the larger pathways related to memory and memory disorders are not well understood. Here, we combined statistical Affymetrix microarray and behavioral analyses to identify key genes and pathways associated with aging-related cognitive impairment. Aged rats were separated into cognitively unimpaired (AU) or impaired (AI) groups, based on their Morris water maze performance relative to young-adult (Y) animals. Hippocampal gene expression was assessed in Y, AU and AI on the fifth (last) day of maze training or 21 days posttraining, and in non-trained aged and young animals (eight groups, overall n = 78, one chip/animal). ANOVA, linear contrasts, and overrepresentation analyses identified genes and pathways that differed from Y generally with aging (in both AU and AI) or selectively with cognitive status (only in AI or AU). Plasticity pathways, including insulin/cAMP/IEG signaling, and glycogenolytic and lipogenic pathways, were selectively downregulated (5 days) in AI, whereas Notch2 (regulating oligodendrocyte differentiation) and myelination pathways were upregulated (particularly at 21 days). Downregulation with general aging occurred in signal transduction and axonal growth/transport pathways, whereas upegulation occurred in immune/inflammatory, lipid metabolism/transport (e.g., Lxr-Srebf1), and lysosomal pathways. In AU, receptor/signal transduction genes were selectively upregulated, suggesting possible compensatory mechanisms. Immunohistochemistry confirmed and extended results to the protein level. Thus, this study identified novel cognition-linked processes, suggesting a new model in which energy-intensive, plasticity/lipogenic processes and energy-generating pathways necessary for learning are coordinately downregulated during training, while myelinogenic programs that impair cognition are concurrently activated. Keywords: Immediate Early Genes, Insulin Signaling, Cholesterol, Myelination, Glia, Inflammation, Young and Old comparaison, behavioral-characterization, Aging-related cognitive impairment.
Project description:Tet2 regulates gene expression by oxidizing 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. Profiling the genomic locations of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine after Tet2 manipulation can inform us of the targets of Tet2 regulation. We profiled hydroxymethylcytosine in Tet2 ovexpressing neurons to determine the targets of Tet2 in neurons.
Project description:Tet2 regulates gene expression by oxidizing 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. Profiling the genomic locations of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine after Tet2 manipulation can inform us of the targets of Tet2 regulation. We profiled hydroxymethylcytosine in Tet2 knockout neurons to determine the targets of Tet2 in neurons.