Increased RNA editing in maternal immune activation model of neurodevelopmental disease.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 33067431.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-020-19048-6 and PMC identifier 7567798.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The etiology of major neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism is unclear, with evidence supporting a combination of genetic factors and environmental insults, including viral infection during pregnancy. Here we utilized a mouse model of maternal immune activation (MIA) with the viral mimic PolyI:C infection during early gestation. We investigated the transcriptional changes in the brains of mouse fetuses following MIA during the prenatal period, and evaluated the behavioral and biochemical changes in the adult brain. The results reveal an increase in RNA editing levels and dysregulation in brain development-related gene pathways in the fetal brains of MIA mice. These MIA-induced brain editing changes are not observed in adulthood, although MIA-induced behavioral deficits are observed. Taken together, our findings suggest that MIA induces transient dysregulation of RNA editing at a critical time in brain development.
Medical subject headings
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Complications
- Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
- RNA Editing