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Early Postnatal Treatment with Valproate Induces Gad1 Promoter Remodeling in the Brain and Reduces Apnea Episodes in Mecp2 -Null Mice
The deletion of , the gene encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein 2, causes severe breathing defects and developmental anomalies in mammals. In -null mice, impaired GABAergic neurotransmission is demonstrated at the early stage of life. GABAergic dysfunction in neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medu...
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Published in: | International journal of molecular sciences 2019-10, Vol.20 (20), p.5177 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | The deletion of
, the gene encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein 2, causes severe breathing defects and developmental anomalies in mammals. In
-null mice, impaired GABAergic neurotransmission is demonstrated at the early stage of life. GABAergic dysfunction in neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) is considered as a primary cause of breathing abnormality in
-null mice, but its molecular mechanism is unclear. Here, we report that mRNA expression levels of
, which encodes glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67), in the RVLM of
-null (
, B6.129P2(C)-
/J) mice is closely related to the methylation status of its promoter, and valproate (VPA) can upregulate transcription from
through epigenetic mechanisms. The administration of VPA (300 mg/kg/day) together with L-carnitine (30 mg/kg/day) from day 8 to day 14 after birth increased
mRNA expression in the RVLM and reduced apnea counts in
mice on postnatal day 15. Cytosine methylation levels in the
promoter were higher in the RVLM of
mice compared to wild-type mice born to C57BL/6J females, while VPA treatment decreased the methylation levels in
mice. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that the VPA treatment reduced the binding of methyl-CpG binding domain protein 1 (MBD1) to the
promoter in
mice. These results suggest that VPA improves breathing of
mice by reducing the
promoter methylation, which potentially leads to the enhancement of GABAergic neurotransmission in the RVLM. |
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ISSN: | 1422-0067 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
DOI: | 10.3390/ijms20205177 |