School of Animal Sciences
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The School of Animal Sciences merged Dairy Science and Animal and Poultry Science in 2022.
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Browsing School of Animal Sciences by Department "Fralin Biomedical Research Institute"
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- DNA Double-Strand Breaks Are a Critical Regulator of Fear Memory ReconsolidationNavabpour, Shaghayegh; Rogers, Jessie; McFadden, Taylor; Jarome, Timothy J. (MDPI, 2020-11-26)Numerous studies have shown that following retrieval, a previously consolidated memory requires increased transcriptional regulation in order to be reconsolidated. Previously, it was reported that histone H3 lysine-4 trimethylation (H3K4me3), a marker of active transcription, is increased in the hippocampus after the retrieval of contextual fear memory. However, it is currently unknown how this epigenetic mark is regulated during the reconsolidation process. Furthermore, though recent evidence suggests that neuronal activity triggers DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in some early-response genes, it is currently unknown if DSBs contribute to the reconsolidation of a memory following retrieval. Here, using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analyses, we report a significant overlap between DSBs and H3K4me3 in area CA1 of the hippocampus during the reconsolidation process. We found an increase in phosphorylation of histone H2A.X at serine 139 (H2A.XpS139), a marker of DSB, in the Npas4, but not c-fos, promoter region 5 min after retrieval, which correlated with increased H3K4me3 levels, suggesting that the two epigenetic marks may work in concert during the reconsolidation process. Consistent with this, in vivo siRNA-mediated knockdown of topoisomerase II β, the enzyme responsible for DSB, prior to retrieval, reduced Npas4 promoter-specific H2A.XpS139 and H3K4me3 levels and impaired long-term memory, indicating an indispensable role of DSBs in the memory reconsolidation process. Collectively, our data propose a novel mechanism for memory reconsolidation through increases in epigenetic-mediated transcriptional control via DNA double-strand breaks.
- Glioma-induced peritumoral hyperexcitability in a pediatric glioma modelChaunsali, Lata; Tewari, Bhanu P.; Gallucci, Allison; Thompson, Emily G.; Savoia, Andrew; Feld, Noah; Campbell, Susan L. (Wiley, 2020-10-01)Epileptic seizures are among the most common presenting symptom in patients with glioma. The etiology of glioma-related seizures is complex and not completely understood. Studies using adult glioma patient tissue and adult glioma mouse models, show that neurons adjacent to the tumor mass, peritumoral neurons, are hyperexcitable and contribute to seizures. Although it is established that there are phenotypic and genotypic distinctions in gliomas from adult and pediatric patients, it is unknown whether these established differences in pediatric glioma biology and the microenvironment in which these glioma cells harbor, the developing brain, differentially impacts surrounding neurons. In the present study, we examine the effect of patient-derived pediatric glioma cells on the function of peritumoral neurons using two pediatric glioma models. Pediatric glioma cells were intracranially injected into the cerebrum of postnatal days 2 and 3 (p2/3) mouse pups for 7 days. Electrophysiological recordings showed that cortical layer 2/3 peritumoral neurons exhibited significant differences in their intrinsic properties compared to those of sham control neurons. Peritumoral neurons fired significantly more action potentials in response to smaller current injection and exhibited a depolarization block in response to higher current injection. The threshold for eliciting an action potential and pharmacologically induced epileptiform activity was lower in peritumoral neurons compared to sham. Our findings suggest that pediatric glioma cells increase excitability in the developing peritumoral neurons by exhibiting early onset of depolarization block, which was not previously observed in adult glioma peritumoral neurons.
- Gut metabolite S-equol ameliorates hyperexcitability in entorhinal cortex neurons following Theiler murine encephalomyelitis virus-induced acute seizuresGallucci, Allison; Patel, Dipan C.; Thai, K'Ehleyr; Trinh, Jonathan; Gude, Rosalie; Shukla, Devika; Campbell, Susan L. (2021-07-02)Objective A growing body of evidence indicates a potential role for the gut-brain axis as a novel therapeutic target in treating seizures. The present study sought to characterize the gut microbiome in Theiler murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)-induced seizures, and to evaluate the effect of microbial metabolite S-equol on neuronal physiology as well as TMEV-induced neuronal hyperexcitability ex vivo. Methods We infected C57BL/6J mice with TMEV and monitored the development of acute behavioral seizures 0-7 days postinfection (dpi). Fecal samples were collected at 5-7 dpi and processed for 16S sequencing, and bioinformatics were performed with QIIME2. Finally, we conducted whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in cortical neurons to investigate the effect of exogenous S-equol on cell intrinsic properties and neuronal hyperexcitability. Results We demonstrated that gut microbiota diversity is significantly altered in TMEV-infected mice at 5-7 dpi, exhibiting separation in beta diversity in TMEV-infected mice dependent on seizure phenotype, and lower abundance of genus Allobaculum in TMEV-infected mice regardless of seizure phenotype. In contrast, we identified specific loss of S-equol-producing genus Adlercreutzia as a microbial hallmark of seizure phenotype following TMEV infection. Electrophysiological recordings indicated that exogenous S-equol alters cortical neuronal physiology. We found that entorhinal cortex neurons are hyperexcitable in TMEV-infected mice, and exogenous application of microbial-derived S-equol ameliorated this TMEV-induced hyperexcitability. Significance Our study presents the first evidence of microbial-derived metabolite S-equol as a potential mechanism for alteration of TMEV-induced neuronal excitability. These findings provide new insight for the novel role of S-equol and the gut-brain axis in epilepsy treatment.
- Perineuronal nets decrease membrane capacitance of peritumoral fast spiking interneurons in a model of epilepsyTewari, Bhanu P.; Chaunsali, Lata; Campbell, Susan L.; Patel, Dipan C.; Goode, Adam E.; Sontheimer, Harald (Springer Nature, 2018-11-09)Brain tumor patients commonly present with epileptic seizures. We show that tumor-associated seizures are the consequence of impaired GABAergic inhibition due to an overall loss of peritumoral fast spiking interneurons (FSNs) concomitant with a significantly reduced firing rate of those that remain. The reduced firing is due to the degradation of perineuronal nets (PNNs) that surround FSNs. We show that PNNs decrease specific membrane capacitance of FSNs permitting them to fire action potentials at supra-physiological frequencies. Tumor-released proteolytic enzymes degrade PNNs, resulting in increased membrane capacitance, reduced firing, and hence decreased GABA release. These studies uncovered a hitherto unknown role of PNNs as an electrostatic insulator that reduces specific membrane capacitance, functionally akin to myelin sheaths around axons, thereby permitting FSNs to exceed physiological firing rates. Disruption of PNNs may similarly account for excitation-inhibition imbalances in other forms of epilepsy and PNN protection through proteolytic inhibition may provide therapeutic benefits.
- Potassium and glutamate transport is impaired in scar-forming tumor-associated astrocytesCampbell, Susan C.; Muñoz-Ballester, Carmen; Chaunsali, Lata; Mills, William A.; Yang, Jennifer H.; Sontheimer, Harald; Robel, Stefanie (Elsevier, 2019-12-09)Unprovoked recurrent seizures are a serious comorbidity affecting most patients who suffer from glioma, a primary brain tumor composed of malignant glial cells. Cellular mechanisms contributing to the development of recurrent spontaneous seizures include the release of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate from glioma into extracellular space. Under physiological conditions, astrocytes express two high affinity glutamate transporters, Glt-1 and Glast, which are responsible for the removal of excess extracellular glutamate. In the context of neurological disease or brain injury, astrocytes become reactive which can negatively affect neuronal function, causing hyperexcitability and/or death. Using electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and Western blot analysis in different orthotopic xenograft and allograft models of human and mouse gliomas, we find that peritumoral astrocytes exhibit astrocyte scar formation characterized by proliferation, cellular hypertrophy, process elongation, and increased GFAP and pSTAT3. Overall, peritumoral reactive astrocytes show a significant reduction in glutamate and potassium uptake, as well as decreased glutamine synthetase activity. A subset of peritumoral astrocytes displayed a depolarized resting membrane potential, further contributing to reduced potassium and glutamate homeostasis. These changes may contribute to the propagation of peritumoral neuronal hyperexcitability and excitotoxic death.