Most genetic risk for psychiatric disease lies in regulatory regions, implicating pathogenic dysregulation of gene expression and splicing. However, comprehensive assessments of transcriptomic organization in disease brain are limited. Here, we integrate genotype and RNA-sequencing in brain samples from 1695 subjects with autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and controls. Over 25% of the transcriptome exhibits differential splicing or expression, with isoform-level changes capturing the largest disease effects and genetic enrichments. co-expression networks isolate disease-specific neuronal alterations, as well as microglial, astrocyte, and interferon response modules defining novel neural-immune mechanisms. We prioritize disease loci likely mediated by cis-effects on brain expression via transcriptome-wide association analysis. This transcriptome-wide characterization of the molecular pathology across three major psychiatric disorders provides a comprehensive resource for mechanistic insight and therapeutic development.

-Despite its functional importance in various fundamental bioprocesses, the studies of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in the heart are lacking. Here we show that, fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO), an m6A demethylase, plays a critical role in cardiac contractile function during homeostasis, remodeling and regeneration. -We used clinical human samples, preclinical pig and mouse models and primary cardiomyocyte cell cultures to study the functional role of m6A and FTO in the heart and in cardiomyocytes. We modulated expression of FTO using AAV9 (in vivo), adenovirus (both in vivo and in vitro) and siRNAs (in vitro) to study its function in regulating cardiomyocyte m6A, calcium dynamics and contractility and cardiac function post-ischemia. We performed methylated (m6A) RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) to map transcriptome-wide m6A, and MeRIP qPCR assays to map and validate m6A in individual transcripts, in healthy and failing hearts and myocytes. -We discovered that FTO has decreased expression in failing mammalian hearts and hypoxic cardiomyocytes, thereby increasing m6A in RNA and decreasing cardiomyocyte contractile function. Improving expression of FTO in failing mouse hearts attenuated the ischemia-induced increase in m6A and decrease in cardiac contractile function. This is carried out by the demethylation activity of FTO, which selectively demethylates cardiac contractile transcripts, thus preventing their degradation and improving their protein expression under ischemia. Additionally, we demonstrate that FTO overexpression in mouse models of MI decreased fibrosis and enhanced angiogenesis. -Collectively, our study demonstrates the functional importance of FTO-dependent cardiac m6A methylome in cardiac contraction during heart failure and provides a novel mechanistic insight into the therapeutic mechanisms of FTO.

The ability to accelerate the spatial encoding process during a chemical shift imaging (CSI) scan of hyperpolarized compounds is demonstrated through parallel imaging. A hardware setup designed to simultaneously acquire (13)C data from multiple receivers is presented here. A system consisting of four preamplifiers, four gain stages, a transmit coil, and a four receive channel rat coil was built for single channel excitation and simultaneous multi-channel detection of (13)C signals. The hardware setup was integrated with commercial scanner electronics, allowing the system to function similar to a conventional proton multi-channel setup, except at a different frequency. The ability to perform parallel imaging is demonstrated in vivo. CSI data from the accelerated scans are reconstructed using a self-calibrated multi-spectral parallel imaging algorithm, by using lower resolution coil sensitivity maps obtained from the central region of k-space. The advantages and disadvantages of parallel imaging in the context of imaging hyperpolarized compounds are discussed.

Nerve damage is the major morbidity of many surgeries, resulting in chronic pain, loss of function, or both. The sparing of nerves during surgical procedures is a vexing problem because surrounding tissue often obscures them. To date, systemically administered nerve-highlighting contrast agents that can be used for nerve-sparing image-guided surgery have not been reported. In the current study, physicochemical and optical properties of 4,4’-[(2-methoxy-1,4-phenylene)di-(1E)-2,1-ethenediyl]bis-benzenamine (BMB) and a newly synthesized, red-shifted derivative 4-[(1E)-2-[4-[(1E)-2-[4-aminophenyl]ethenyl]-3-methoxyphenyl]ethenyl]-benzonitrile (GE3082) were characterized in vitro and in vivo. Both agents crossed the blood-nerve barrier and blood-brain barrier, and rendered myelinated nerves fluorescent after a single systemic injection. Although both BMB and GE3082 also exhibited significant uptake in white adipose tissue, GE3082 underwent a hypsochromic shift in adipose tissue that provided a means to eliminate the unwanted signal using hyperspectral deconvolution. Dose and kinetic studies were performed in mice to determine the optimal dose and drug-imaging interval. Results were confirmed in rat and pig, with the latter used to demonstrate, for the first time, simultaneous fluorescence imaging of blood vessels and nerves during surgery using the FLARE™ (Fluorescence-Assisted Resection and Exploration) imaging system. These results lay the foundation for the development of ideal nerve-highlighting fluorophores for image-guided surgery.

Bcl-2 E1B 19-KDa interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) is a mitochondrial death and mitophagy marker, which is involved in inducing cardiac remodeling post myocardial infarction. In this study, we show that BNIP3 expression increases in stressed cardiomyocytes in vitro and in response to pressure overload in vivo, and that its transcription is directly related to JNK activity. BNIP3 expression gradually increased in the first weeks after pressure overload and peaked at the heart failure stage. Ultrastructurally, the mitochondrial area was inversely proportional to BNIP3 expression. Both JNK and AKT activities increased with pressure overload; however, JNK signaling dominated over AKT signaling for the activation of the transcription factor FOXO3a and for the transcription of its effector, BNIP3. 3-methyladenine attenuated JNK signaling and significantly decreased BNIP3 expression and reversed cardiac remodeling in heart failure. Ultrastructurally, the mitochondrial area was significantly increased in the 3-methyladenine group compared with placebo. Moreover, adenoviral gene delivery of dominant negative JNK in a rat model of pressure overload hypertrophy abolished the increase in BNIP3 expression in response to pressure overload. These results suggest that JNK signaling is a critical modulator of the transcription factor FOXO3a driving the expression of its effector, BNIP3, in heart failure and that JNK, through BNIP3, induces mitochondrial apoptosis and mitophagy.

Objectives Our aim was to develop and validate a non-invasive imaging tool to visualize HDL’s in vivo behavior by positron emission tomography (PET), with an emphasis on its plaque targeting abilities. Background High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is a natural nanoparticle that interacts with atherosclerotic plaque macrophages to facilitate reverse cholesterol transport. HDL-cholesterol concentration in blood is inversely associated with risk of coronary heart disease and remains one of the strongest independent predictors of incident cardiovascular events. Methods Discoidal HDL nanoparticles were prepared by reconstitution of its components apolipoprotein A-I (APOA1) and the phospholipid DMPC. For radiolabeling with Zirconium-89 (89Zr), the chelator DFO was introduced by conjugation to APOA1 or as a phospholipid-chelator (DSPE-DFO). Radiolabeled HDL’s biodistribution and plaque targeting was studied in established murine, rabbit and porcine atherosclerosis models by PET combined with computed tomography (PET/CT) or with magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI). Ex vivo validation was conducted by radioactivity counting, autoradiography and near infrared fluorescence imaging. Flow cytometric assessment of cellular specificity in different tissues was performed in the murine model. Results We observed distinct pharmacokinetic profiles for the two 89Zr-HDL nanoparticles. Both APOA1- and phospholipid-labeled HDL mainly accumulated in kidneys, liver and spleen with some marked quantitative differences in radioactivity uptake values. Radioactivity concentrations in rabbit atherosclerotic aortas were 3–4-fold higher than in controls at 5 days p.i. for both 89Zr-HDL nanoparticles. In the porcine model, we observed increased accumulation of radioactivity in lesions by in vivo PET imaging. Irrespective of the radiolabel’s location we found HDL nanoparticles to preferentially target plaque macrophages and monocytes. Conclusions 89Zr labeling of HDL allows studying its in vivo behavior by non-invasive PET imaging, including visualization of its accumulation in advanced atherosclerotic lesions. The different labeling strategies provide insight on the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of HDL’s main components, i.e. phospholipids and APOA1.

Decreased activity and expression of the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA2a), a critical pump regulating calcium cycling in cardiomyocyte, are hallmarks of heart failure. We have previously described a role for the small ubiquitin-like modifier type 1 (SUMO-1) as a regulator of SERCA2a and have shown that gene transfer of SUMO-1 in rodents and large animal models of heart failure restores cardiac function. Here, we identify and characterize a small molecule, N106, which increases SUMOylation of SERCA2a. This compound directly activates the SUMO-activating enzyme, E1 ligase, and triggers intrinsic SUMOylation of SERCA2a. We identify a pocket on SUMO E1 likely to be responsible for N106’s effect. N106 treatment increases contractile properties of cultured rat cardiomyocytes and significantly improves ventricular function in mice with heart failure. This First-in-Class small molecule activator targeting SERCA2a SUMOylation may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for treatment of heart failure.

In pulmonary hypertension (PH), right ventricular (RV) dysfunction and failure is the main determinant of a poor prognosis. We aimed to characterize RV structural and functional differences during adaptive RV remodeling and progression to RV failure in a large animal model of chronic PH. Postcapillary PH was created surgically in swine (n = 21). After an 8- to 14-wk follow-up, two groups were identified based on the development of overt heart failure (HF): PH-NF (nonfailing, n = 12) and PH-HF (n = 8). In both groups, invasive hemodynamics, pressure-volume relationships, and echocardiography confirmed a significant increase in pulmonary pressures and vascular resistance consistent with PH. Histological analysis also demonstrated distal pulmonary arterial (PA) remodeling in both groups. Diastolic dysfunction, defined by a steeper RV end-diastolic pressure-volume relationship and longitudinal strain, was found in the absence of HF as an early marker of RV remodeling. RV contractility was increased in both groups, and RV-PA coupling was preserved in PH-NF animals but impaired in the PH-HF group. RV hypertrophy was present in PH-HF, although there was evidence of increased RV fibrosis in both PH groups. In the PH-HF group, RV sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase2a expression was decreased, and endoplasmic reticulum stress was increased. Aldosterone levels were also elevated in PH-HF. Thus, in the swine pulmonary vein banding model of chronic postcapillary PH, RV remodeling occurs at the structural, histological, and molecular level. Diastolic dysfunction and fibrosis are present in adaptive RV remodeling, whereas the onset of RV failure is associated with RV-PA uncoupling, defective calcium handling, and hyperaldosteronism.