Glutaminase-deficient mice display hippocampal hypoactivity, insensitivity to pro-psychotic drugs and potentiated latent inhibition: Relevance to schizophrenia

Inna Gaisler-Salomon; Gretchen M. Miller; Nao Chuhma; Sooyeon Lee; Hong Zhang; Farhad Ghoddoussi; Nicole Lewandowski; Stephen Fairhurst; Yvonne Wang; Agnès Conjard-Duplany; Justine Masson; Peter Balsam; René Hen; Ottavio Arancio; Matthew P. Galloway; Holly M. Moore; Scott A. Small; Stephen Rayport

doi:10.1038/npp.2009.58

Glutaminase-deficient mice display hippocampal hypoactivity, insensitivity to pro-psychotic drugs and potentiated latent inhibition: Relevance to schizophrenia

Inna Gaisler-Salomon, Gretchen M. Miller, Nao Chuhma, Sooyeon Lee, Hong Zhang, Farhad Ghoddoussi, Nicole Lewandowski, Stephen Fairhurst, Yvonne Wang, Agnès Conjard-Duplany, Justine Masson, Peter Balsam, René Hen, Ottavio Arancio, Matthew P. Galloway, Holly M. Moore, Scott A. Small, Stephen Rayport

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Dysregulated glutamatergic neurotransmission has been strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SCZ). Recently, presynaptic modulation of glutamate transmission has been shown to have therapeutic promise. We asked whether genetic knockdown of glutaminase (gene GLS1) to reduce glutamatergic transmission presynaptically by slowing the recycling of glutamine to glutamate, would produce a phenotype relevant to SCZ and its treatment. GLS1 heterozygous (GLS1 het) mice showed about a 50% global reduction in glutaminase activity, and a modest reduction in glutamate levels in brain regions relevant to SCZ pathophysiology, but displayed neither general behavioral abnormalities nor SCZ-associated phenotypes. Functional imaging, measuring regional cerebral blood volume, showed hippocampal hypometabolism mainly in the CA1 subregion and subiculum, the inverse of recent clinical imaging findings in prodromal and SCZ patients. GLS1 het mice were less sensitive to the behavioral stimulating effects of amphetamine, showed a reduction in amphetamine-induced striatal dopamine release and in ketamine-induced frontal cortical activation, suggesting that GLS1 het mice are resistant to the effects of these pro-psychotic challenges. Moreover, GLS1 het mice showed clozapine-like potentiation of latent inhibition, suggesting that reduction in glutaminase has antipsychotic-like properties. These observations provide further support for the pivotal role of altered glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the pathophysiology of SCZ, and suggest that presynaptic modulation of the glutamine-glutamate pathway through glutaminase inhibition may provide a new direction for the pharmacotherapy of SCZ.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2305-2322
Number of pages	18
Journal	Neuropsychopharmacology
Volume	34
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2009.58
State	Published - Sep 2009
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank Shonagh O’Leary Moore for help with the MRS tissue analysis, Kenneth Hess and Fan Hau for mouse imaging, Karin Krueger, Sara Steinfeld and Alexei Chemia-kine for expert performance of the surgical procedures and neurochemical analyses for the microdialysis studies, and Xiaoqiao Zhu for assisting with behavioral studies. We are grateful to Ina Weiner for critical discussion. The behavioral experiments utilized the facilities of the Rodent Models Neurobehavioral Analysis Core of the Lieber Center for Schizophrenia Research at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute (Holly M. Moore, Director). This work was supported by the NIMH (P50 MH066171 to SR and HM, R01 MH068073 to PB), NIDA (K02 DA000356 to SR, T32 DA016224 to IGS, R01 DA016373 to MPG), NIA (R01 AG025161 to SAS), NINDS (R01 NS049442 to OA), the Joe Young Sr. Research Fund in Psychiatry (MPG), the Wayne State Anesthesiology Research Fund (MPG), and the Rothschild Foundation (IGS).

Keywords

Antipsychotic
Dopamine
GLS1
Glutamate
Imaging
Mouse

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Pharmacology
Psychiatry and Mental health

Access to Document

10.1038/npp.2009.58

Cite this

Gaisler-Salomon, I., Miller, G. M., Chuhma, N., Lee, S., Zhang, H., Ghoddoussi, F., Lewandowski, N., Fairhurst, S., Wang, Y., Conjard-Duplany, A., Masson, J., Balsam, P., Hen, R., Arancio, O., Galloway, M. P., Moore, H. M., Small, S. A., & Rayport, S. (2009). Glutaminase-deficient mice display hippocampal hypoactivity, insensitivity to pro-psychotic drugs and potentiated latent inhibition: Relevance to schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology, 34(10), 2305-2322. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2009.58

@article{761deab005b14b999390ad34c57a41bf,

title = "Glutaminase-deficient mice display hippocampal hypoactivity, insensitivity to pro-psychotic drugs and potentiated latent inhibition: Relevance to schizophrenia",

abstract = "Dysregulated glutamatergic neurotransmission has been strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SCZ). Recently, presynaptic modulation of glutamate transmission has been shown to have therapeutic promise. We asked whether genetic knockdown of glutaminase (gene GLS1) to reduce glutamatergic transmission presynaptically by slowing the recycling of glutamine to glutamate, would produce a phenotype relevant to SCZ and its treatment. GLS1 heterozygous (GLS1 het) mice showed about a 50% global reduction in glutaminase activity, and a modest reduction in glutamate levels in brain regions relevant to SCZ pathophysiology, but displayed neither general behavioral abnormalities nor SCZ-associated phenotypes. Functional imaging, measuring regional cerebral blood volume, showed hippocampal hypometabolism mainly in the CA1 subregion and subiculum, the inverse of recent clinical imaging findings in prodromal and SCZ patients. GLS1 het mice were less sensitive to the behavioral stimulating effects of amphetamine, showed a reduction in amphetamine-induced striatal dopamine release and in ketamine-induced frontal cortical activation, suggesting that GLS1 het mice are resistant to the effects of these pro-psychotic challenges. Moreover, GLS1 het mice showed clozapine-like potentiation of latent inhibition, suggesting that reduction in glutaminase has antipsychotic-like properties. These observations provide further support for the pivotal role of altered glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the pathophysiology of SCZ, and suggest that presynaptic modulation of the glutamine-glutamate pathway through glutaminase inhibition may provide a new direction for the pharmacotherapy of SCZ.",

keywords = "Antipsychotic, Dopamine, GLS1, Glutamate, Imaging, Mouse",

author = "Inna Gaisler-Salomon and Miller, {Gretchen M.} and Nao Chuhma and Sooyeon Lee and Hong Zhang and Farhad Ghoddoussi and Nicole Lewandowski and Stephen Fairhurst and Yvonne Wang and Agn{\`e}s Conjard-Duplany and Justine Masson and Peter Balsam and Ren{\'e} Hen and Ottavio Arancio and Galloway, {Matthew P.} and Moore, {Holly M.} and Small, {Scott A.} and Stephen Rayport",

note = "Funding Information: We thank Shonagh O{\textquoteright}Leary Moore for help with the MRS tissue analysis, Kenneth Hess and Fan Hau for mouse imaging, Karin Krueger, Sara Steinfeld and Alexei Chemia-kine for expert performance of the surgical procedures and neurochemical analyses for the microdialysis studies, and Xiaoqiao Zhu for assisting with behavioral studies. We are grateful to Ina Weiner for critical discussion. The behavioral experiments utilized the facilities of the Rodent Models Neurobehavioral Analysis Core of the Lieber Center for Schizophrenia Research at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute (Holly M. Moore, Director). This work was supported by the NIMH (P50 MH066171 to SR and HM, R01 MH068073 to PB), NIDA (K02 DA000356 to SR, T32 DA016224 to IGS, R01 DA016373 to MPG), NIA (R01 AG025161 to SAS), NINDS (R01 NS049442 to OA), the Joe Young Sr. Research Fund in Psychiatry (MPG), the Wayne State Anesthesiology Research Fund (MPG), and the Rothschild Foundation (IGS).",

year = "2009",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1038/npp.2009.58",

language = "English",

volume = "34",

pages = "2305--2322",

journal = "Neuropsychopharmacology",

issn = "0893-133X",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "10",

}

Gaisler-Salomon, I, Miller, GM, Chuhma, N, Lee, S, Zhang, H, Ghoddoussi, F, Lewandowski, N, Fairhurst, S, Wang, Y, Conjard-Duplany, A, Masson, J, Balsam, P, Hen, R, Arancio, O, Galloway, MP, Moore, HM, Small, SA & Rayport, S 2009, 'Glutaminase-deficient mice display hippocampal hypoactivity, insensitivity to pro-psychotic drugs and potentiated latent inhibition: Relevance to schizophrenia', Neuropsychopharmacology, vol. 34, no. 10, pp. 2305-2322. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2009.58

TY - JOUR

T1 - Glutaminase-deficient mice display hippocampal hypoactivity, insensitivity to pro-psychotic drugs and potentiated latent inhibition

T2 - Relevance to schizophrenia

AU - Gaisler-Salomon, Inna

AU - Miller, Gretchen M.

AU - Chuhma, Nao

AU - Lee, Sooyeon

AU - Zhang, Hong

AU - Ghoddoussi, Farhad

AU - Lewandowski, Nicole

AU - Fairhurst, Stephen

AU - Wang, Yvonne

AU - Conjard-Duplany, Agnès

AU - Masson, Justine

AU - Balsam, Peter

AU - Hen, René

AU - Arancio, Ottavio

AU - Galloway, Matthew P.

AU - Moore, Holly M.

AU - Small, Scott A.

AU - Rayport, Stephen

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Shonagh O’Leary Moore for help with the MRS tissue analysis, Kenneth Hess and Fan Hau for mouse imaging, Karin Krueger, Sara Steinfeld and Alexei Chemia-kine for expert performance of the surgical procedures and neurochemical analyses for the microdialysis studies, and Xiaoqiao Zhu for assisting with behavioral studies. We are grateful to Ina Weiner for critical discussion. The behavioral experiments utilized the facilities of the Rodent Models Neurobehavioral Analysis Core of the Lieber Center for Schizophrenia Research at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute (Holly M. Moore, Director). This work was supported by the NIMH (P50 MH066171 to SR and HM, R01 MH068073 to PB), NIDA (K02 DA000356 to SR, T32 DA016224 to IGS, R01 DA016373 to MPG), NIA (R01 AG025161 to SAS), NINDS (R01 NS049442 to OA), the Joe Young Sr. Research Fund in Psychiatry (MPG), the Wayne State Anesthesiology Research Fund (MPG), and the Rothschild Foundation (IGS).

PY - 2009/9

Y1 - 2009/9

N2 - Dysregulated glutamatergic neurotransmission has been strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SCZ). Recently, presynaptic modulation of glutamate transmission has been shown to have therapeutic promise. We asked whether genetic knockdown of glutaminase (gene GLS1) to reduce glutamatergic transmission presynaptically by slowing the recycling of glutamine to glutamate, would produce a phenotype relevant to SCZ and its treatment. GLS1 heterozygous (GLS1 het) mice showed about a 50% global reduction in glutaminase activity, and a modest reduction in glutamate levels in brain regions relevant to SCZ pathophysiology, but displayed neither general behavioral abnormalities nor SCZ-associated phenotypes. Functional imaging, measuring regional cerebral blood volume, showed hippocampal hypometabolism mainly in the CA1 subregion and subiculum, the inverse of recent clinical imaging findings in prodromal and SCZ patients. GLS1 het mice were less sensitive to the behavioral stimulating effects of amphetamine, showed a reduction in amphetamine-induced striatal dopamine release and in ketamine-induced frontal cortical activation, suggesting that GLS1 het mice are resistant to the effects of these pro-psychotic challenges. Moreover, GLS1 het mice showed clozapine-like potentiation of latent inhibition, suggesting that reduction in glutaminase has antipsychotic-like properties. These observations provide further support for the pivotal role of altered glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the pathophysiology of SCZ, and suggest that presynaptic modulation of the glutamine-glutamate pathway through glutaminase inhibition may provide a new direction for the pharmacotherapy of SCZ.

AB - Dysregulated glutamatergic neurotransmission has been strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SCZ). Recently, presynaptic modulation of glutamate transmission has been shown to have therapeutic promise. We asked whether genetic knockdown of glutaminase (gene GLS1) to reduce glutamatergic transmission presynaptically by slowing the recycling of glutamine to glutamate, would produce a phenotype relevant to SCZ and its treatment. GLS1 heterozygous (GLS1 het) mice showed about a 50% global reduction in glutaminase activity, and a modest reduction in glutamate levels in brain regions relevant to SCZ pathophysiology, but displayed neither general behavioral abnormalities nor SCZ-associated phenotypes. Functional imaging, measuring regional cerebral blood volume, showed hippocampal hypometabolism mainly in the CA1 subregion and subiculum, the inverse of recent clinical imaging findings in prodromal and SCZ patients. GLS1 het mice were less sensitive to the behavioral stimulating effects of amphetamine, showed a reduction in amphetamine-induced striatal dopamine release and in ketamine-induced frontal cortical activation, suggesting that GLS1 het mice are resistant to the effects of these pro-psychotic challenges. Moreover, GLS1 het mice showed clozapine-like potentiation of latent inhibition, suggesting that reduction in glutaminase has antipsychotic-like properties. These observations provide further support for the pivotal role of altered glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the pathophysiology of SCZ, and suggest that presynaptic modulation of the glutamine-glutamate pathway through glutaminase inhibition may provide a new direction for the pharmacotherapy of SCZ.

KW - Antipsychotic

KW - Dopamine

KW - GLS1

KW - Glutamate

KW - Imaging

KW - Mouse

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=68949177120&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/npp.2009.58

DO - 10.1038/npp.2009.58

M3 - Article

C2 - 19516252

AN - SCOPUS:68949177120

SN - 0893-133X

VL - 34

SP - 2305

EP - 2322

JO - Neuropsychopharmacology

JF - Neuropsychopharmacology

IS - 10

ER -

Glutaminase-deficient mice display hippocampal hypoactivity, insensitivity to pro-psychotic drugs and potentiated latent inhibition: Relevance to schizophrenia

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this