| 1. |
- Heilig, Markus, et al.
(författare)
-
Reprogramming of mPFC transcriptome and function in alcohol dependence
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Genes, Brain and Behavior. - : WILEY-BLACKWELL. - 1601-1848 .- 1601-183X. ; 16:1, s. 86-100
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite its limited immediate reinforcement value, alcohol has a potent ability to induce neuroadaptations that promote its incentive salience, escalation of voluntary alcohol intake and aversion-resistant alcohol seeking. A constellation of these traits, collectively called post-dependent, emerges following brain exposure to repeated cycles of intoxication and withdrawal. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and its subdivisions exert top-down regulation of approach and avoidance behaviors, including those that lead to alcohol intake. Here, we review an emerging literature which indicates that a reprogramming of mPFC function occurs with prolonged exposure of the brain to cycles of alcohol intoxication and withdrawal. This reprogramming results in molecular dysregulations that contribute to the post-dependent syndrome. Convergent evidence has identified neuroadaptations resulting in altered glutamatergic and BDNF-mediated signaling, and for these pathways, direct evidence for a mechanistic role has been obtained. Additional evidence points to a dysregulation of pathways involving calcium homeostasis and neurotransmitter release. Recent findings indicate that global DNA hypermethylation is a key factor in reprogramming the mPFC genome after a history of dependence. As one of the results of this epigenetic remodeling, several histone modifying epigenetic enzymes are repressed. Among these, PR-domain zinc-finger protein 2, a methyltransferase that selectively mono-methylates histone H3 at lysine 9 has been functionally validated to drive several of the molecular and behavioral long-term consequences of alcohol dependence. Information processing within the mPFC involves formation of dynamic neuronal networks, or functional ensembles that are shaped by transcriptional responses. The epigenetic dysregulations identified by our molecular studies are likely to alter this dynamic processing in multiple ways. In summary, epigenetic molecular switches in the mPFC appear to be turned on as alcoholism develops. Strategies to reverse these processes may offer targets for disease-modifying treatments.
|
|
| 2. |
- Ramchandani, V A, et al.
(författare)
-
A genetic determinant of the striatal dopamine response to alcohol in men
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Molecular Psychiatry. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 1359-4184 .- 1476-5578. ; 16:8, s. 809-817
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Excessive alcohol use, a major cause of morbidity and mortality, is less well understood than other addictive disorders. Dopamine release in ventral striatum is a common element of drug reward, but alcohol has an unusually complex pharmacology, and humans vary greatly in their alcohol responses. This variation is related to genetic susceptibility for alcoholism, which contributes more than half of alcoholism risk. Here, we report that a functional OPRM1 A118G polymorphism is a major determinant of striatal dopamine responses to alcohol. Social drinkers recruited based on OPRM1 genotype were challenged in separate sessions with alcohol and placebo under pharmacokinetically controlled conditions, and examined for striatal dopamine release using positron emission tomography and [(11)C]-raclopride displacement. A striatal dopamine response to alcohol was restricted to carriers of the minor 118G allele. To directly establish the causal role of OPRM1 A118G variation, we generated two humanized mouse lines, carrying the respective human sequence variant. Brain microdialysis showed a fourfold greater peak dopamine response to an alcohol challenge in h/mOPRM1-118GG than in h/mOPRM1-118AA mice. OPRM1 A118G variation is a genetic determinant of dopamine responses to alcohol, a mechanism by which it likely modulates alcohol reward.
|
|
| 3. |
- Andringa, Anne-Marije, et al.
(författare)
-
Localizing trapped charge carriers in NO2 sensors based on organic field-effect transistors
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Applied Physics Letters. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 101:15
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Field-effect transistors have emerged as NO2 sensors. The detection relies on trapping of accumulated electrons, leading to a shift of the threshold voltage. To determine the location of the trapped electrons we have delaminated different semiconductors from the transistors with adhesive tape and measured the surface potential of the revealed gate dielectric with scanning Kelvin probe microscopy. We unambiguously show that the trapped electrons are not located in the semiconductor but at the gate dielectric. The microscopic origin is discussed. Pinpointing the location paves the way to optimize the sensitivity of NO2 field-effect sensors. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4758697]
|
|
| 4. |
- Bernardi, R. E., et al.
(författare)
-
A gene-by-sex interaction for nicotine reward: evidence from humanized mice and epidemiology
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Translational Psychiatry. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2158-3188. ; 6:e861
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It has been proposed that vulnerability to nicotine addiction is moderated by variation at the mu-opioid receptor locus (OPRM1), but results from human studies vary and prospective studies based on genotype are lacking. We have developed a humanized mouse model of the most common functional OPRM1 polymorphism rs1799971_A4G (A118G). Here we use this model system together with a cohort of German youth to examine the role of the OPRM1 A118G variation on nicotine reward. Nicotine reinforcement was examined in the humanized mouse model using i.v. self-administration. Male (n = 17) and female (n = 26) mice homozygous either for the major human A allele (AA) or the minor G allele (GG) underwent eight daily 2 h sessions of nicotine self-administration. Furthermore, male (n = 104) and female (n = 118) subjects homozygous for the A allele or carrying the G allele from the Mannheim Study of Children at Risk were evaluated for pleasurable and unpleasant experiences during their initial smoking experience. A significant sex-by-genotype effect was observed for nicotine self-administration. Male 118GG mice demonstrated higher nicotine intake than male 118AA mice, suggesting increased nicotine reinforcement. In contrast, there was no genotype effect in female mice. Human male G allele carriers reported increased pleasurable effects from their first smoking experience, as compared to male homozygous A, female G and female homozygous A allele carriers. The 118G allele appears to confer greater sensitivity to nicotine reinforcement in males, but not females.
|
|
| 5. |
- Johnstone, Andrea L., et al.
(författare)
-
Dysregulation of the histone demethylase KDM6B in alcohol dependence is associated with epigenetic regulation of inflammatory signaling pathways
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Addiction Biology. - : WILEY. - 1355-6215 .- 1369-1600. ; 26:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Epigenetic enzymes oversee long-term changes in gene expression by integrating genetic and environmental cues. While there are hundreds of enzymes that control histone and DNA modifications, their potential roles in substance abuse and alcohol dependence remain underexplored. A few recent studies have suggested that epigenetic processes could underlie transcriptomic and behavioral hallmarks of alcohol addiction. In the present study, we sought to identify epigenetic enzymes in the brain that are dysregulated during protracted abstinence as a consequence of chronic and intermittent alcohol exposure. Through quantitative mRNA expression analysis of over 100 epigenetic enzymes, we identified 11 that are significantly altered in alcohol-dependent rats compared with controls. Follow-up studies of one of these enzymes, the histone demethylase KDM6B, showed that this enzyme exhibits region-specific dysregulation in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens of alcohol-dependent rats. KDM6B was also upregulated in the human alcoholic brain. Upregulation of KDM6B protein in alcohol-dependent rats was accompanied by a decrease of trimethylation levels at histone H3, lysine 27 (H3K27me3), consistent with the known demethylase specificity of KDM6B. Subsequent epigenetic (chromatin immunoprecipitation [ChIP]-sequencing) analysis showed that alcohol-induced changes in H3K27me3 were significantly enriched at genes in the IL-6 signaling pathway, consistent with the well-characterized role of KDM6B in modulation of inflammatory responses. Knockdown of KDM6B in cultured microglial cells diminished IL-6 induction in response to an inflammatory stimulus. Our findings implicate a novel KDM6B-mediated epigenetic signaling pathway integrated with inflammatory signaling pathways that are known to underlie the development of alcohol addiction.
|
|
| 6. |
- Schweinsberg, Martin, et al.
(författare)
-
Same data, different conclusions : Radical dispersion in empirical results when independent analysts operationalize and test the same hypothesis
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. - : Elsevier BV. - 0749-5978 .- 1095-9920. ; 165, s. 228-249
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this crowdsourced initiative, independent analysts used the same dataset to test two hypotheses regarding the effects of scientists' gender and professional status on verbosity during group meetings. Not only the analytic approach but also the operationalizations of key variables were left unconstrained and up to individual analysts. For instance, analysts could choose to operationalize status as job title, institutional ranking, citation counts, or some combination. To maximize transparency regarding the process by which analytic choices are made, the analysts used a platform we developed called DataExplained to justify both preferred and rejected analytic paths in real time. Analyses lacking sufficient detail, reproducible code, or with statistical errors were excluded, resulting in 29 analyses in the final sample. Researchers reported radically different analyses and dispersed empirical outcomes, in a number of cases obtaining significant effects in opposite directions for the same research question. A Boba multiverse analysis demonstrates that decisions about how to operationalize variables explain variability in outcomes above and beyond statistical choices (e.g., covariates). Subjective researcher decisions play a critical role in driving the reported empirical results, underscoring the need for open data, systematic robustness checks, and transparency regarding both analytic paths taken and not taken. Implications for orga-nizations and leaders, whose decision making relies in part on scientific findings, consulting reports, and internal analyses by data scientists, are discussed.
|
|
