WNT/β-Catenin Pathway and Epigenetic Mechanisms Regulate the Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome and Schizophrenia Risk Gene .

Genetic variation within the transcription factor locus can cause the intellectual disability and developmental disorder Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS), whereas single-nucleotide polymorphisms within noncoding regions are associated with schizophrenia. These genetic findings position TCF4 as a link between transcription and cognition; however, the neurobiology of TCF4 remains poorly understood. Here, we quantitated multiple distinct transcript levels in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitors and differentiated neurons, and PTHS patient fibroblasts. We identify two classes of pharmacological treatments that regulate expression: WNT pathway activation and inhibition of class I histone deacetylases. In PTHS fibroblasts, both of these perturbations upregulate a subset of transcripts. Finally, using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing in conjunction with genome-wide transcriptome analysis, we identified TCF4 target genes that may mediate the effect of TCF4 loss on neuroplasticity. Our studies identify new pharmacological assays, tools, and targets for the development of therapeutics for cognitive disorders.