Thalamic miR-338-3p mediates auditory thalamocortical disruption and its late onset in models of 22q11.2 microdeletion

Nat Med. 2017 Jan;23(1):39-48. doi: 10.1038/nm.4240. Epub 2016 Nov 28.

Abstract

Although 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is associated with early-life behavioral abnormalities, affected individuals are also at high risk for the development of schizophrenia symptoms, including psychosis, later in life. Auditory thalamocortical (TC) projections recently emerged as a neural circuit that is specifically disrupted in mouse models of 22q11DS (hereafter referred to as 22q11DS mice), in which haploinsufficiency of the microRNA (miRNA)-processing-factor-encoding gene Dgcr8 results in the elevation of the dopamine receptor Drd2 in the auditory thalamus, an abnormal sensitivity of thalamocortical projections to antipsychotics, and an abnormal acoustic-startle response. Here we show that these auditory TC phenotypes have a delayed onset in 22q11DS mice and are associated with an age-dependent reduction of miR-338-3p, a miRNA that targets Drd2 and is enriched in the thalamus of both humans and mice. Replenishing depleted miR-338-3p in mature 22q11DS mice rescued the TC abnormalities, and deletion of Mir338 (which encodes miR-338-3p) or reduction of miR-338-3p expression mimicked the TC and behavioral deficits and eliminated the age dependence of these deficits. Therefore, miR-338-3p depletion is necessary and sufficient to disrupt auditory TC signaling in 22q11DS mice, and it may mediate the pathogenic mechanism of 22q11DS-related psychosis and control its late onset.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age of Onset
  • Animals
  • Antipsychotic Agents / pharmacology
  • Auditory Cortex / drug effects
  • Auditory Cortex / metabolism
  • Auditory Cortex / physiopathology*
  • Auditory Pathways / drug effects
  • Auditory Pathways / physiopathology*
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Blotting, Western
  • DiGeorge Syndrome / genetics*
  • DiGeorge Syndrome / physiopathology
  • DiGeorge Syndrome / psychology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / drug effects
  • Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / genetics
  • Gene Deletion
  • Haploinsufficiency
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism
  • Neural Pathways
  • Optogenetics
  • Patch-Clamp Techniques
  • Phenotype
  • Psychotic Disorders / genetics*
  • Psychotic Disorders / physiopathology
  • Psychotic Disorders / psychology
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Receptors, Dopamine D2 / genetics
  • Reflex, Startle
  • Schizophrenia / metabolism
  • Thalamus / drug effects
  • Thalamus / metabolism
  • Thalamus / physiopathology*

Substances

  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • DRD2 protein, mouse
  • Dgcr8 protein, mouse
  • MIRN338 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Mirn338 microRNA, mouse
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Receptors, Dopamine D2