Mesocorticolimbic Connectivity and Volumetric Alterations inDCCMutation Carriers

Autor: Hugo Théoret, Colleen Manitt, Simone P. Zehntner, Ridha Joober, Conrad Eng, Chawki Benkelfat, Guy A. Rouleau, Kristina DeDuck, Yu Zhang, Barry J. Bedell, Aurore Menegaux, Amanda Chalupa, Daniel E. Vosberg, Marco Leyton, Cecilia Flores, Dominique Allard, Alain Dagher, Myriam Srour, Franco Lepore
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Zdroj: The Journal of Neuroscience. 38:4655-4665
ISSN: 1529-2401
0270-6474
DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3251-17.2018
Popis: The axon guidance cue receptor DCC (deleted in colorectal cancer) plays a critical role in the organization of mesocorticolimbic pathways in rodents. To investigate whether this occurs in humans, we measured (1) anatomical connectivity between the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area (SN/VTA) and forebrain targets, (2) striatal and cortical volumes, and (3) putatively associated traits and behaviors. To assess translatability, morphometric data were also collected inDcc-haploinsufficient mice. The human volunteers were 20DCC+/−mutation carriers, 16DCC+/+relatives, and 20DCC+/+unrelated healthy volunteers (UHVs; 28 females). The mice were 11Dcc+/−and 16 wild-type C57BL/6J animals assessed during adolescence and adulthood. Compared with both control groups, the humanDCC+/−carriers exhibited the following: (1) reduced anatomical connectivity from the SN/VTA to the ventral striatum [DCC+/+:p= 0.0005,r(effect size) = 0.60; UHV:p= 0.0029,r= 0.48] and ventral medial prefrontal cortex (DCC+/+:p= 0.0031,r= 0.53; UHV:p= 0.034,r= 0.35); (2) lower novelty-seeking scores (DCC+/+:p= 0.034,d= 0.82; UHV:p= 0.019,d= 0.84); and (3) reduced striatal volume (DCC+/+:p= 0.0009,d= 1.37; UHV:p= 0.0054,d= 0.93). Striatal volumetric reductions were also present inDcc+/−mice, and these were seen during adolescence (p= 0.0058,d= 1.09) and adulthood (p= 0.003,d= 1.26). Together these findings provide the first evidence in humans that an axon guidance gene is involved in the formation of mesocorticolimbic circuitry and related behavioral traits, providing mechanisms through whichDCCmutations might affect susceptibility to diverse neuropsychiatric disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTOpportunities to study the effects of axon guidance molecules on human brain development have been rare. Here, the identification of a large four-generational family that carries a mutation to the axon guidance molecule receptor gene,DCC, enabled us to demonstrate effects on mesocorticolimbic anatomical connectivity, striatal volumes, and personality traits. Reductions in striatal volumes were replicated inDCC-haploinsufficient mice. Together, these processes might influence mesocorticolimbic function and susceptibility to diverse neuropsychiatric disorders.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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