Adult neurogenesis recapitulates the whole process of neuronal development in a mature central nervous system, from proliferation and fate specification of adult neural progenitors, morphogenesis, migration, axon/dendritic development, and finally synapse formation, culminating in the full integration of new neurons into the existing circuitry. Cumulative evidence suggests that new neurons participate in specific brain functions and aberrant adult neurogenesis may contribute to brain disorders. During the past 11 years, my laboratory has been using adult hippocampal neurogenesis as an experimental model system to elucidate molecular mechanisms regulating the neuronal development. Furthermore, we have been using this system to explore novel functions of risk genes for mental disorders in neuronal development. A number of susceptibility genes for schizophrenia have been identified from human genetic studies. Among them, DISC1 (disrupted-in- schizophrenia 1) was initially identified at the breakpoint of a balanced (1;11)(q42;q14) translocation that co- segregates with schizophrenia in a large Scottish family. Recent studies have further implicated DISC1 as a general risk factor not only for schizophrenia, but also for bipolar disorders and major depression. Functionally, DISC1 is a multifunctional scaffold protein that regulates neuronal development during embryonic, early postnatal and adult neurogenesis. The current project is built upon discoveries made in my laboratory during the past 11 years, both at the cellular lever on sequential phases of new neuron development during adult neurogenesis and critical roles of DISC1 in regulating multiple phases of newborn granule cell development in the adult hippocampus and at the system level for the requirement of DISC1 function specifically in newborn neurons on hippocampal-dependent cognitive and affective behavioral deficits. How genetic dysregulation of DISC1 contributes to aberrant adult neurogenesis and a wide spectrum of mental disorders at the circuitry level is unknown. Our overall goal of this project is to elucidate local internneuron circuitry mechanisms underlying normal neuronal development during adult hippocampal neurogenesis and aberrant development due to DISC1-deficency. Our overall hypothesis is that genetic risk factors for mental disorders interact with specific neurona circuit activity to manifest developmental defects. We are uniquely positioned to address this fundamental questions using genetic, optogenetic, trans-synaptic tracing and imaging tools we have developed. Our proposed studies may not only provide novel mechanistic insights of normal and aberrant neuronal development, but also lead to better understanding of certain mental disorders. One example is our hypothesis-driven identification of epistatic interaction between DISC1 and FEZ1 and between DISC1 and NKCC1 in affecting schizophrenia risks and brain function in humans, all based on our studies from animals using adult neurogenesis as a model system.

Public Health Relevance

The project aims at understanding the extrinsic local interneuron circuitry mechanisms underlying normal and aberrant neural development during adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Findings from these studies may lead to better understanding of the integration process of newborn neurons in the adult brain and to the pathogenesis for mental disorders.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
7R01MH105128-05
Application #
9590309
Study Section
Neurodifferentiation, Plasticity, and Regeneration Study Section (NDPR)
Program Officer
Nadler, Laurie S
Project Start
2017-12-01
Project End
2019-05-31
Budget Start
2017-12-01
Budget End
2018-05-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Pennsylvania
Department
Neurosciences
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
042250712
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19104
Ho, Cheng-Ying; Castillo, Nicolas; Encinales, Liliana et al. (2018) Second-trimester Ultrasound and Neuropathologic Findings in Congenital Zika Virus Infection. Pediatr Infect Dis J 37:1290-1293
Yoon, Ki-Jun; Ming, Guo-Li; Song, Hongjun (2018) Coupling Neurogenesis to Circuit Formation. Cell 173:288-290
Zhou, Yi; Bond, Allison M; Shade, Jamie E et al. (2018) Autocrine Mfge8 Signaling Prevents Developmental Exhaustion of the Adult Neural Stem Cell Pool. Cell Stem Cell 23:444-452.e4
Wang, Xinyuan; Christian, Kimberly M; Song, Hongjun et al. (2018) Synaptic dysfunction in complex psychiatric disorders: from genetics to mechanisms. Genome Med 10:9
Berg, Daniel A; Bond, Allison M; Ming, Guo-Li et al. (2018) Radial glial cells in the adult dentate gyrus: what are they and where do they come from? F1000Res 7:277
Yoon, Ki-Jun; Ming, Guo-Li; Song, Hongjun (2018) Epitranscriptomes in the Adult Mammalian Brain: Dynamic Changes Regulate Behavior. Neuron 99:243-245
Yoon, Ki-Jun; Vissers, Caroline; Ming, Guo-Li et al. (2018) Epigenetics and epitranscriptomics in temporal patterning of cortical neural progenitor competence. J Cell Biol 217:1901-1914
Shi, Hailing; Zhang, Xuliang; Weng, Yi-Lan et al. (2018) m6A facilitates hippocampus-dependent learning and memory through YTHDF1. Nature 563:249-253
Qian, Xuyu; Jacob, Fadi; Song, Mingxi Max et al. (2018) Generation of human brain region-specific organoids using a miniaturized spinning bioreactor. Nat Protoc 13:565-580
Beckervordersandforth, Ruth; Ebert, Birgit; Schäffner, Iris et al. (2017) Role of Mitochondrial Metabolism in the Control of Early Lineage Progression and Aging Phenotypes in Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis. Neuron 93:1518

Showing the most recent 10 out of 48 publications