Remodeling of Neurotransmission and Chemokine Signaling Genomic Fabrics in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Cognitive dysfunction and mood changes are prevalent and especially taxing issues to patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) and its cognate receptor Fn14 have been shown to play an important role in neurocognitive dysfunction in murine lupus. We profiled and compared gene expression in the cortices of MRL/+, MRL/lpr and MRL/lpr-Fn14 knockout (Fn14ko) adult female mice to determine the transcriptomic impact of TWEAK/Fn14 on cortical gene expression in lupus. We found that the TWEAK/Fn14 pathway strongly affects the expression level, variability and coordination of the genomic fabrics responsible for neurotransmission and chemokine signaling. Dysregulation of the PI3K-Akt pathway in the MRL/lpr lupus strain compared with the MRL/+ control and Fn14ko mice was particularly prominent and therefore promising as a potential therapeutic target, although the complexity of the transcriptomic fabric highlights important considerations in in vivo experimental models. Comparison of gene expression profiles in cortices of MRL/lpr, Fn14ko and MRL/MpJ adult female mice