Seminars
Munich Psychiatry Lecture Series | MPLS
Chromatin-directed alternative splicing in brain reward regions
- Date: Oct 16, 2018
- Time: 15:00 - 16:00
- Speaker: Dr. Elizabeth A. Heller
- Department of Pharmacology | Penn Epigenetics Program | Perelman School of Medicine | The University of Pennsylvania
- Location: Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry
- Room: Lecture Hall
- Host: International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP)
- Contact: imprs-tp@psych.mpg.de
Regulation of gene expression via stably altered chromatin is a compelling area of study for highly heritable neuropsychiatric diseases, such as addiction (Walker, Cates, Heller, & Nestler, 2015). However, due to the promiscuous nature of chromatin-remodeling factors (Kennedy et al., 2013; Maze et al., 2011), previous studies have largely failed to distinguish between the mere presence and the functional relevance of drug-induced histone post-translational modifications (HPTMs). [more]
Characterization of novel mouse model reveals a new role for FKBP5
- Date: Oct 23, 2018
- Time: 11:00 - 12:00
- Speaker: Laura Blair
- College of Molecular Medicine | University of South Florida, USA
- Location: Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry
- Room: Kraepelin Seminarroom
- Host: Elisabeth Binder
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FK506-binding protein 5 (FKBP5) have been shown to combine with environmental factors increases risk for psychiatric diseases, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While mechanisms of FKBP5 contribution to this increased risk are still under investigation, it has been shown that many of these SNPs increase FKBP5 expression through decreased FKBP5 DNA methylation. To evaluate the consequences of this enhanced expression, we generated a novel mouse model using targeted insertion of a single copy of the FKBP5 gene at the Hipp11 locus. The inserted FKBP5 contained a tetracycline operator, which allowed for high expression throughout the forebrain when crossed with an activator line. Evaluation of this model was done using behavioral, electrophysiological, and biochemical analysis. Overall, we have found that high expression of FKBP5 alters memory as tested by both Morris water maze and long-term depression. Importantly, this alteration was detectable in the absence of stress and other environmental factors. Further studies in this model may help reveal additional mechanisms by which FKBP5 alters learning and memory. [more]
Munich Psychiatry Lecture Series | MPLS
Personalized medicine in Depression: hype or hope?
- Date: Nov 6, 2018
- Time: 15:00 - 16:00
- Speaker: Dr Brenda Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry | NESDA | VU University Medical Center Amsterdam NL
- Location: Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry
- Room: Lecture Hall
- Host: International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP)
- Contact: imprs-tp@psych.mpg.de
Symptom profiles, etiology and course trajectories of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) are heterogeneous. This heterogeneity is hampering scientific research and is limiting effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. The goal of precision medicine is to tailor medical treatment to the individual characteristics of each patient. In order to implement precision medicine in depression care, it is essential to better understand what the driving factors are behind MDD’s heterogeneity. However, examining MDD’s heterogeneity is no sinecure, and there are various different ways to start such scientific explorations. One could start with data-driven or hypothesis-driven approaches, one could start with a focus on the heterogeneity at the symptom level, the environment level or the pathophysiology level. Ideally, whatever the starting point is should not matter and results of different starting points should synchronize. Using several different analytical approaches, our research group has illustrated the distinction of immunometabolic depression as a potentially useful subtype of depression. [more]
