Fetal growth restriction impairs hippocampal neurogenesis and cognition via Tet1 in offspring

• DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109912
• Publication Date: 2021-11-03T05:43:25Z
• Authors: Wen Chen; Nana Liu; Shijun Shen; Wei Zhu; Jing Qiao; Shujuan Chang; Jianfeng Dong; Mingliang Bai; Li Ma; Shanshan Wang; Wenwen Jia; Xudong Guo; Ang Li; Jiajie Xi; Cizhong Jiang; Jiuhong Kang
• Keywords: cognition; Male; 0301 basic medicine; QH301-705.5; Neurogenesis; Hippocampus; Epigenesis, Genetic; fetal growth restriction; 03 medical and health sciences; Cognition; Neural Stem Cells; Memory; Pregnancy; Animals; Biology (General); Notch signaling; Cells, Cultured; neural stem cells; Cell Proliferation; Fetal Growth Retardation; Behavior, Animal; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Membrane Proteins; DNA Methylation; hippocampal neurogenesis; Tet1; 3. Good health; DNA-Binding Proteins; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Disease Models, Animal; Female

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) increases the risk for impaired cognitive function later in life. However, the precise mechanisms remain elusive. Using dexamethasone-induced FGR and protein restriction-influenced FGR mouse models, we observe learning and memory deficits in adult FGR offspring. FGR induces decreased hippocampal neurogenesis from the early post-natal period to adulthood by reducing the proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs). We further find a persistent decrease of Tet1 expression in hippocampal NSCs of FGR mice. Mechanistically, Tet1 downregulation results in hypermethylation of the Dll3 and Notch1 promoters and inhibition of Notch signaling, leading to reduced NSC proliferation. Overexpression of Tet1 activates Notch signaling, offsets the decline in neurogenesis, and enhances learning and memory abilities in FGR offspring. Our data indicate that a long-term decrease in Tet1/Notch signaling in hippocampal NSCs contributes to impaired neurogenesis following FGR and could serve as potential targets for the intervention of FGR-related cognitive disorders.