PUBLICATION
Deficiency in the cell-adhesion molecule dscaml1 impairs hypothalamic CRH neuron development and perturbs normal neuroendocrine stress axis function
- Authors
- Ma, M., Brunal, A.A., Clark, K.C., Studtmann, C., Stebbins, K., Higashijima, S.I., Pan, Y.A.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-230307-36
- Date
- 2023
- Source
- Frontiers in cell and developmental biology 11: 11136751113675 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Higashijima, Shin-ichi, Pan, Y. Albert
- Keywords
- CRH neuron, HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis, development, hypothalamus, zebrafish
- Datasets
- GEO:GSE213858
- MeSH Terms
- none
- PubMed
- 36875755 Full text @ Front Cell Dev Biol
Citation
Ma, M., Brunal, A.A., Clark, K.C., Studtmann, C., Stebbins, K., Higashijima, S.I., Pan, Y.A. (2023) Deficiency in the cell-adhesion molecule dscaml1 impairs hypothalamic CRH neuron development and perturbs normal neuroendocrine stress axis function. Frontiers in cell and developmental biology. 11:11136751113675.
Abstract
The corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-expressing neurons in the hypothalamus are critical regulators of the neuroendocrine stress response pathway, known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. As developmental vulnerabilities of CRH neurons contribute to stress-associated neurological and behavioral dysfunctions, it is critical to identify the mechanisms underlying normal and abnormal CRH neuron development. Using zebrafish, we identified Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule like-1 (dscaml1) as an integral mediator of CRH neuron development and necessary for establishing normal stress axis function. In dscaml1 mutant animals, hypothalamic CRH neurons had higher crhb (the CRH homolog in zebrafish) expression, increased cell number, and reduced cell death compared to wild-type controls. Physiologically, dscaml1 mutant animals had higher baseline stress hormone (cortisol) levels and attenuated responses to acute stressors. Together, these findings identify dscaml1 as an essential factor for stress axis development and suggest that HPA axis dysregulation may contribute to the etiology of human DSCAML1-linked neuropsychiatric disorders.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping