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Ochs ME, McWhirter RM, Unckless RL, Miller DM, Lundquist EA. Caenorhabditis elegans ETR-1/CELF has broad effects on the muscle cell transcriptome, including genes that regulate translation and neuroblast migration. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:13. [PMID: 34986795 PMCID: PMC8734324 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08217-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Migration of neuroblasts and neurons from their birthplace is central to the formation of neural circuits and networks. ETR-1 is the Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of the CELF1 (CUGBP, ELAV-like family 1) RNA-processing factor involved in neuromuscular disorders. etr-1 regulates body wall muscle differentiation. Our previous work showed that etr-1 in muscle has a non-autonomous role in neuronal migration, suggesting that ETR-1 is involved in the production of a signal emanating from body wall muscle that controls neuroblast migration and that interacts with Wnt signaling. etr-1 is extensively alternatively-spliced, and we identified the viable etr-1(lq61) mutant, caused by a stop codon in alternatively-spliced exon 8 and only affecting etr-1 isoforms containing exon 8. We took advantage of viable etr-1(lq61) to identify potential RNA targets of ETR-1 in body wall muscle using a combination of fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) of body wall muscles from wild-type and etr-1(lq61) and subsequent RNA-seq. This analysis revealed genes whose splicing and transcript levels were controlled by ETR-1 exon 8 isoforms, and represented a broad spectrum of genes involved in muscle differentiation, myofilament lattice structure, and physiology. Genes with transcripts underrepresented in etr-1(lq61) included those involved in ribosome function and translation, similar to potential CELF1 targets identified in chick cardiomyocytes. This suggests that at least some targets of ETR-1 might be conserved in vertebrates, and that ETR-1 might generally stimulate translation in muscles. As proof-of-principle, a functional analysis of a subset of ETR-1 targets revealed genes involved in AQR and PQR neuronal migration. One such gene, lev-11/tropomyosin, requires ETR-1 for alternative splicing, and another, unc-52/perlecan, requires ETR-1 for the production of long isoforms containing 3' exons. In sum, these studies identified gene targets of ETR-1/CELF1 in muscles, which included genes involved in muscle development and physiology, and genes with novel roles in neuronal migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Ochs
- Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Rebecca M McWhirter
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA
| | - Robert L Unckless
- Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - David M Miller
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA
| | - Erik A Lundquist
- Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA.
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Dastidar S, Majumdar D, Tipanee J, Singh K, Klein AF, Furling D, Chuah MK, VandenDriessche T. Comprehensive transcriptome-wide analysis of spliceopathy correction of myotonic dystrophy using CRISPR-Cas9 in iPSCs-derived cardiomyocytes. Mol Ther 2022; 30:75-91. [PMID: 34371182 PMCID: PMC8753376 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
CTG repeat expansion (CTGexp) is associated with aberrant alternate splicing that contributes to cardiac dysfunction in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). Excision of this CTGexp repeat using CRISPR-Cas resulted in the disappearance of punctate ribonuclear foci in cardiomyocyte-like cells derived from DM1-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This was associated with correction of the underlying spliceopathy as determined by RNA sequencing and alternate splicing analysis. Certain genes were of particular interest due to their role in cardiac development, maturation, and function (TPM4, CYP2J2, DMD, MBNL3, CACNA1H, ROCK2, ACTB) or their association with splicing (SMN2, GCFC2, MBNL3). Moreover, while comparing isogenic CRISPR-Cas9-corrected versus non-corrected DM1 cardiomyocytes, a prominent difference in the splicing pattern for a number of candidate genes was apparent pertaining to genes that are associated with cardiac function (TNNT, TNNT2, TTN, TPM1, SYNE1, CACNA1A, MTMR1, NEBL, TPM1), cellular signaling (NCOR2, CLIP1, LRRFIP2, CLASP1, CAMK2G), and other DM1-related genes (i.e., NUMA1, MBNL2, LDB3) in addition to the disease-causing DMPK gene itself. Subsequent validation using a selected gene subset, including MBNL1, MBNL2, INSR, ADD3, and CRTC2, further confirmed correction of the spliceopathy following CTGexp repeat excision. To our knowledge, the present study provides the first comprehensive unbiased transcriptome-wide analysis of the differential splicing landscape in DM1 patient-derived cardiac cells after excision of the CTGexp repeat using CRISPR-Cas9, showing reversal of the abnormal cardiac spliceopathy in DM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumitava Dastidar
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Debanjana Majumdar
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jaitip Tipanee
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kshitiz Singh
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Arnaud F. Klein
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Denis Furling
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Marinee K. Chuah
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium,Center for Molecular & Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Corresponding author: Marinee K. Chuah, Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Thierry VandenDriessche
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium,Center for Molecular & Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Corresponding author: Thierry VandenDriessche, Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
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53
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Pei J, Wang B, Wang D. Current Studies on Molecular Mechanisms of Insulin Resistance. J Diabetes Res 2022; 2022:1863429. [PMID: 36589630 PMCID: PMC9803571 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1863429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Diabetes is a metabolic disease that raises the risk of microvascular and neurological disorders. Insensitivity to insulin is a characteristic of type II diabetes, which accounts for 85-90 percent of all diabetic patients. The fundamental molecular factor of insulin resistance may be impaired cell signal transduction mediated by the insulin receptor (IR). Several cell-signaling proteins, including IR, insulin receptor substrate (IRS), and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), have been recognized as being important in the impaired insulin signaling pathway since they are associated with a large number of proteins that are strictly regulated and interact with other signaling pathways. Many studies have found a correlation between IR alternative splicing, IRS gene polymorphism, the complicated regulatory function of IRS serine/threonine phosphorylation, and the negative regulatory role of p85 in insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus. This review brings up-to-date knowledge of the roles of signaling proteins in insulin resistance in order to aid in the discovery of prospective targets for insulin resistance treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinli Pei
- Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Baochun Wang
- The First Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Hainan General Hospital, Haikou, Hainan 570228, China
| | - Dayong Wang
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceuticals and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Hainan 570228, China
- State Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of the Ministry of Education of China, Hainan University, Hainan 570228, China
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Rocha CT, Escolar DM. Treatment and Management of Muscular Dystrophies. Neuromuscul Disord 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-71317-7.00020-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Jutzi D, Ruepp MD. Alternative Splicing in Human Biology and Disease. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2537:1-19. [PMID: 35895255 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2521-7_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Alternative pre-mRNA splicing allows for the production of multiple mRNAs from an individual gene, which not only expands the protein-coding potential of the genome but also enables complex mechanisms for the post-transcriptional control of gene expression. Regulation of alternative splicing entails a combinatorial interplay between an abundance of trans-acting splicing factors, cis-acting regulatory sequence elements and their concerted effects on the core splicing machinery. Given the extent and biological significance of alternative splicing in humans, it is not surprising that aberrant splicing patterns can cause or contribute to a wide range of diseases. In this introductory chapter, we outline the mechanisms that govern alternative pre-mRNA splicing and its regulation and discuss how dysregulated splicing contributes to human diseases affecting the motor system and the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Jutzi
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK.
| | - Marc-David Ruepp
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK.
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The molecular pathogenesis of repeat expansion diseases. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 50:119-134. [PMID: 34940797 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Expanded short tandem repeats in the genome cause various monogenic diseases, particularly neurological disorders. Since the discovery of a CGG repeat expansion in the FMR1 gene in 1991, more than 40 repeat expansion diseases have been identified to date. In the coding repeat expansion diseases, in which the expanded repeat sequence is located in the coding regions of genes, the toxicity of repeat polypeptides, particularly misfolding and aggregation of proteins containing an expanded polyglutamine tract, have been the focus of investigation. On the other hand, in the non-coding repeat expansion diseases, in which the expanded repeat sequence is located in introns or untranslated regions, the toxicity of repeat RNAs has been the focus of investigation. Recently, these repeat RNAs were demonstrated to be translated into repeat polypeptides by the novel mechanism of repeat-associated non-AUG translation, which has extended the research direction of the pathological mechanisms of this disease entity to include polypeptide toxicity. Thus, a common pathogenesis has been suggested for both coding and non-coding repeat expansion diseases. In this review, we briefly outline the major pathogenic mechanisms of repeat expansion diseases, including a loss-of-function mechanism caused by repeat expansion, repeat RNA toxicity caused by RNA foci formation and protein sequestration, and toxicity by repeat polypeptides. We also discuss perturbation of the physiological liquid-liquid phase separation state caused by these repeat RNAs and repeat polypeptides, as well as potential therapeutic approaches against repeat expansion diseases.
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Miele L, Perna A, Dajko M, Zocco MA, De Magistris A, Nicoletti TF, Biolato M, Marrone G, Liguori A, Maccora D, Valenza V, Rossi S, Riso V, Di Natale D, Gasbarrini A, Grieco A, Silvestri G. Clinical characteristics of metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in subjects with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). Dig Liver Dis 2021; 53:1451-1457. [PMID: 33436321 DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2020.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a rare inherited neuromuscular disease associated with insulin resistance, and its association with metabolically associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has never been explored in prospective studies. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical features of MAFLD in DM1 patients. METHODS We investigated the prevalence and the diagnostic features of MAFLD in a cohort of 29 outpatient fully characterized DM1 patients; afterward, we compared the selected cohort of DM1-MAFLD individuals with a propensity-matched cohort of non-DM1-MAFLD RESULTS: 13/29 (44.83%) DM1 patients received a clinical diagnosis of MAFLD. Compared to DM1 patients with normal liver, DM1-MAFLD individuals showed a higher male prevalence (p = 0.008), BMI (p = 0.014), HOMA score (p = 0.012), and GGT levels (p = 0.050). The statistical comparison showed that the DM1-MAFLD group had a more severe MAFLD according to the FIB4 score than non-DM1-MAFLD patients. This association of a more severe form of liver disease with DM1 remained significant after logistic regression analysis (OR: 6.12, 95% CI 1.44- 26.55).
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Miele
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences. Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy.
| | - Alessia Perna
- Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Marianxhela Dajko
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences. Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Maria A Zocco
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences. Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Antonio De Magistris
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences. Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Tommaso F Nicoletti
- Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Marco Biolato
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences. Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Marrone
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences. Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Antonio Liguori
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences. Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Daria Maccora
- Department of Radiology, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Venanzio Valenza
- Department of Radiology, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Salvatore Rossi
- Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Vittorio Riso
- Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Daniele Di Natale
- Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Antonio Gasbarrini
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences. Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Antonio Grieco
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences. Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Gabriella Silvestri
- Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy
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Verdile V, Guizzo G, Ferrante G, Paronetto MP. RNA Targeting in Inherited Neuromuscular Disorders: Novel Therapeutic Strategies to Counteract Mis-Splicing. Cells 2021; 10:cells10112850. [PMID: 34831073 PMCID: PMC8616048 DOI: 10.3390/cells10112850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuromuscular disorders represent multifaceted abnormal conditions, with little or no cure, leading to patient deaths from complete muscle wasting and atrophy. Despite strong efforts in the past decades, development of effective treatments is still urgently needed. Advent of next-generation sequencing technologies has allowed identification of novel genes and mutations associated with neuromuscular pathologies, highlighting splicing defects as essential players. Deciphering the significance and relative contributions of defective RNA metabolism will be instrumental to address and counteract these malignancies. We review here recent progress on the role played by alternative splicing in ensuring functional neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), and its involvement in the pathogenesis of NMJ-related neuromuscular disorders, with particular emphasis on congenital myasthenic syndromes and muscular dystrophies. We will also discuss novel strategies based on oligonucleotides designed to bind their cognate sequences in the RNA or targeting intermediary of mRNA metabolism. These efforts resulted in several chemical classes of RNA molecules that have recently proven to be clinically effective, more potent and better tolerated than previous strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Verdile
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (V.V.); (G.G.); (G.F.)
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome Foro Italico, Piazza Lauro de Bosis 6, 00135 Rome, Italy
| | - Gloria Guizzo
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (V.V.); (G.G.); (G.F.)
| | - Gabriele Ferrante
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (V.V.); (G.G.); (G.F.)
| | - Maria Paola Paronetto
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (V.V.); (G.G.); (G.F.)
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome Foro Italico, Piazza Lauro de Bosis 6, 00135 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence:
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De Serres-Bérard T, Pierre M, Chahine M, Puymirat J. Deciphering the mechanisms underlying brain alterations and cognitive impairment in congenital myotonic dystrophy. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 160:105532. [PMID: 34655747 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystemic and heterogeneous disorder caused by the expansion of CTG repeats in the 3' UTR of the myotonic dystrophy protein kinase (DMPK) gene. There is a congenital form (CDM1) of the disease characterized by severe hypotonia, respiratory insufficiency as well as developmental delays and intellectual disabilities. CDM1 infants manifest important brain structure abnormalities present from birth while, in contrast, older patients with adult-onset DM1 often present neurodegenerative features and milder progressive cognitive deficits. Promising therapies targeting central molecular mechanisms contributing to the symptoms of adult-onset DM1 are currently in development, but their relevance for treating cognitive impairment in CDM1, which seems to be a partially distinct neurodevelopmental disorder, remain to be elucidated. Here, we provide an update on the clinical presentation of CDM1 and review recent in vitro and in vivo models that have provided meaningful insights on its consequences in development, with a particular focus on the brain. We discuss how enhanced toxic gain-of-function of the mutated DMPK transcripts with larger CUG repeats and the resulting dysregulation of RNA-binding proteins may affect the developing cortex in utero. Because the methylation of CpG islets flanking the trinucleotide repeats has emerged as a strong biomarker of CDM1, we highlight the need to investigate the tissue-specific impacts of these chromatin modifications in the brain. Finally, we outline promising potential therapeutic treatments for CDM1 and propose future in vitro and in vivo models with great potential to shed light on this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiéry De Serres-Bérard
- LOEX, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Quebec City, Canada; CERVO Brain Research Center, Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Marion Pierre
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Mohamed Chahine
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Quebec City, Canada; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada.
| | - Jack Puymirat
- LOEX, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Quebec City, Canada; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
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Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy is a dominantly inherited multisystem disorder that results from increased CTG repeats in the 3' region of the myotonic dystrophy protein kinase gene (DMPK). The mutant DMPK mRNA remains in the nucleus and sequesters RNA-binding proteins, including regulators of mRNA splicing. Myotonic dystrophy is characterized by a highly variable phenotype that includes muscle weakness and myotonia, and the disorder may affect the function of many endocrine glands. DMPK mRNA is expressed in muscle, testis, liver, pituitary, thyroid, and bone; the mutated form leads to disruption of meiosis and an increase in fetal insulin receptor-A relative to adult insulin receptor-B, resulting in adult primary testicular failure and insulin resistance predisposing to diabetes, respectively. Patients with myotonic dystrophy are also at increased risk for hyperlipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, erectile dysfunction, benign and malignant thyroid nodules, bone fractures, miscarriage, preterm delivery, and failed labor during delivery. Circulating parathyroid hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels may be elevated, but the mechanisms for these associations are unclear. This review summarizes what is known about endocrine dysfunction in individuals with myotonic dystrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Winters
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
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Neault N, O’Reilly S, Baig AT, Plaza-Diaz J, Azimi M, Farooq F, Baird SD, MacKenzie A. High-throughput kinome-RNAi screen identifies protein kinase R activator (PACT) as a novel genetic modifier of CUG foci integrity in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256276. [PMID: 34520479 PMCID: PMC8439471 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 (DM1) is the most common form of adult muscular dystrophy (~1:8000). In DM1, expansion of CTG trinucleotide repeats in the 3' untranslated region of the dystrophia myotonica protein kinase (DMPK) gene results in DMPK mRNA hairpin structures which aggregate as insoluble ribonuclear foci and sequester several RNA-binding proteins. The resulting sequestration and misregulation of important splicing factors, such as muscleblind-like 1 (MBNL1), causes the aberrant expression of fetal transcripts for several genes that contribute to the disease phenotype. Previous work has shown that antisense oligonucleotide-mediated disaggregation of the intranuclear foci has the potential to reverse downstream anomalies. To explore whether the nuclear foci are, to some extent, controlled by cell signalling pathways, we have performed a screen using a small interfering RNA (siRNA) library targeting 518 protein kinases to look at kinomic modulation of foci integrity. RNA foci were visualized by in situ hybridization of a fluorescent-tagged (CAG)10 probe directed towards the expanded DMPK mRNA and the cross-sectional area and number of foci per nuclei were recorded. From our screen, we have identified PACT (protein kinase R (PKR) activator) as a novel modulator of foci integrity and have shown that PACT knockdown can both increase MBNL1 protein levels; however, these changes are not suffcient for significant correction of downstream spliceopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nafisa Neault
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sean O’Reilly
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Aiman Tariq Baig
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Julio Plaza-Diaz
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Mehrdad Azimi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Faraz Farooq
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen D. Baird
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Alex MacKenzie
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Франциянц ЕМ, Сурикова ЕИ, Каплиева ИВ, Бандовкина ВA, Нескубина ИВ, Шейко ЕА, Морозова МИ, Котиева ИМ. [Diabetes mellitus and cancer: a system of insulin-like growth factors]. PROBLEMY ENDOKRINOLOGII 2021; 67:34-42. [PMID: 34766488 PMCID: PMC9112852 DOI: 10.14341/probl12741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus and malignant tumors are among the most common and complex diseases. Epidemiological studies have shown a strong relationship between these pathologies. The causality of this relationship has not yet been unambiguously established, but a number of probable biological mechanisms have been proposed to explain it through the effects of hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia on the process of oncogenesis. An important role in this is played by the axis of insulin-like growth factors, their receptors and binding proteins (IGF / IGFR / IGFBP). The review provides data on the structural elements of the insulin / IGF / IGFR / IGFBP signaling axis and their internal relationships in diabetes mellitus and in the development of malignant tumors. Significant changes in the axis that occur during the formation of the diabetic environment prepare the background, which, under certain conditions, can lead to the stimulation or inhibition of tumor development. The considered signaling system, playing a significant role in the physiology of normal cells, often functions as a decisive factor in the survival of tumor cells, providing fine context-dependent regulation of many cellular processes associated with oncogenesis. However, despite many years of in-depth studies of the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and malignant tumors, the molecular mechanisms of the relationship between these pathologies are still largely unclear, and the internal heterogeneity of pathologies complicates research and interpretation of the results, leaving many questions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Е. И. Сурикова
- Национальный медицинский исследовательский центр онкологии
| | - И. В. Каплиева
- Национальный медицинский исследовательский центр онкологии
| | | | | | - Е. А. Шейко
- Национальный медицинский исследовательский центр онкологии
| | - М. И. Морозова
- Национальный медицинский исследовательский центр онкологии
| | - И. М. Котиева
- Национальный медицинский исследовательский центр онкологии
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63
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Shen X, Liu Z, Wang C, Xu F, Zhang J, Li M, Lei Y, Wang A, Bi C, Zhu G. Inhibition of Postn Rescues Myogenesis Defects in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 Myoblast Model. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:710112. [PMID: 34490258 PMCID: PMC8417118 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.710112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is an inherited neuromuscular disease caused by expanded CTG repeats in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of the DMPK gene. The myogenesis process is defective in DM1, which is closely associated with progressive muscle weakness and wasting. Despite many proposed explanations for the myogenesis defects in DM1, the underlying mechanism and the involvement of the extracellular microenvironment remained unknown. Here, we constructed a DM1 myoblast cell model and reproduced the myogenesis defects. By RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we discovered that periostin (Postn) was the most significantly upregulated gene in DM1 myogenesis compared with normal controls. This difference in Postn was confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blotting. Moreover, Postn was found to be significantly upregulated in skeletal muscle and myoblasts of DM1 patients. Next, we knocked down Postn using a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) in DM1 myoblast cells and found that the myogenesis defects in the DM1 group were successfully rescued, as evidenced by increases in the myotube area, the fusion index, and the expression of myogenesis regulatory genes. Similarly, Postn knockdown in normal myoblast cells enhanced myogenesis. As POSTN is a secreted protein, we treated the DM1 myoblast cells with a POSTN-neutralizing antibody and found that DM1 myogenesis defects were successfully rescued by POSTN neutralization. We also tested the myogenic ability of myoblasts in the skeletal muscle injury mouse model and found that Postn knockdown improved the myogenic ability of DM1 myoblasts. The activity of the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway was upregulated during DM1 myogenesis but repressed when inhibiting Postn with a Postn shRNA or a POSTN-neutralizing antibody, which suggested that the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway might mediate the function of Postn in DM1 myogenesis. These results suggest that Postn is a potential therapeutical target for the treatment of myogenesis defects in DM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Shen
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Zhongxian Liu
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Chunguang Wang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Feng Xu
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Jingyi Zhang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Meng Li
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Yang Lei
- Wuhu Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuhu, China
| | - Ao Wang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Chao Bi
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Guoping Zhu
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
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64
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Todorow V, Hintze S, Kerr ARW, Hehr A, Schoser B, Meinke P. Transcriptome Analysis in a Primary Human Muscle Cell Differentiation Model for Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8607. [PMID: 34445314 PMCID: PMC8395314 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is caused by CTG-repeat expansions leading to a complex pathology with a multisystemic phenotype that primarily affects the muscles and brain. Despite a multitude of information, especially on the alternative splicing of several genes involved in the pathology, information about additional factors contributing to the disease development is still lacking. We performed RNAseq and gene expression analyses on proliferating primary human myoblasts and differentiated myotubes. GO-term analysis indicates that in myoblasts and myotubes, different molecular pathologies are involved in the development of the muscular phenotype. Gene set enrichment for splicing reveals the likelihood of whole, differentiation stage specific, splicing complexes that are misregulated in DM1. These data add complexity to the alternative splicing phenotype and we predict that it will be of high importance for therapeutic interventions to target not only mature muscle, but also satellite cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Todorow
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, LMU Klinikum, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Hintze
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, LMU Klinikum, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Alastair R W Kerr
- Cancer Biomarker Centre, CRUK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Andreas Hehr
- Centre for Human Genetics, 93047 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Benedikt Schoser
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, LMU Klinikum, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Meinke
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, LMU Klinikum, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
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65
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Hintze S, Mensel R, Knaier L, Schoser B, Meinke P. CTG-Repeat Detection in Primary Human Myoblasts of Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:686735. [PMID: 34262431 PMCID: PMC8274452 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.686735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is an autosomal dominant multisystemic disorder caused by unstable CTG-repeat expansions in the DMPK gene. Tissue mosaicism has been described for the length of these repeat expansions. The most obvious affected tissue is skeletal muscle, making it the first target for therapy development. To date there is no approved therapy despite some existing approaches. Thus, there is the demand to further advance therapeutic developments, which will in return require several well-characterized preclinical tools and model systems. Here we describe a modified method to identify the CTG-repeat length in primary human myoblasts isolated from DM1 patients that requires less genomic DNA and avoids radioactive labeling. Using this method, we show that primary human DM1 myoblast cultures represent a population of cells with different CTG-repeat length. Comparing DNA from the identical muscle biopsy specimen, the range of CTG-repeat length in the myoblast culture is within the same range of the muscle biopsy specimen. In conclusion, primary human DM1 myoblast cultures are a well-suited model to investigate certain aspects of the DM1 pathology. They are a useful platform to perform first-line investigations of preclinical therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Hintze
- Department of Neurology, LMU Klinikum, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Raphaela Mensel
- Department of Neurology, LMU Klinikum, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lisa Knaier
- Department of Neurology, LMU Klinikum, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Benedikt Schoser
- Department of Neurology, LMU Klinikum, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Meinke
- Department of Neurology, LMU Klinikum, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
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66
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Tylock KM, Auerbach DS, Tang ZZ, Thornton CA, Dirksen RT. Biophysical mechanisms for QRS- and QTc-interval prolongation in mice with cardiac expression of expanded CUG-repeat RNA. J Gen Physiol 2021; 152:133632. [PMID: 31968060 PMCID: PMC7062505 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201912450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults, results from the expression of toxic gain-of-function transcripts containing expanded CUG-repeats. DM1 patients experience cardiac electrophysiological defects, including prolonged PR-, QRS-, and QT-intervals, that increase susceptibility to sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, the specific biophysical and molecular mechanisms that underlie the electrocardiograph (ECG) abnormalities and SCD in DM1 are unclear. Here, we addressed this issue using a novel transgenic mouse model that exhibits robust cardiac expression of expanded CUG-repeat RNA (LC15 mice). ECG measurements in conscious LC15 mice revealed significantly prolonged QRS- and corrected QT-intervals, but a normal PR-interval. Although spontaneous arrhythmias were not observed in conscious LC15 mice under nonchallenged conditions, acute administration of the sodium channel blocker flecainide prolonged the QRS-interval and unveiled an increased susceptibility to lethal ventricular arrhythmias. Current clamp measurements in ventricular myocytes from LC15 mice revealed significantly reduced action potential upstroke velocity at physiological pacing (9 Hz) and prolonged action potential duration at all stimulation rates (1–9 Hz). Voltage clamp experiments revealed significant rightward shifts in the voltage dependence of sodium channel activation and steady-state inactivation, as well as a marked reduction in outward potassium current density. Together, these findings indicate that expression of expanded CUG-repeat RNA in the murine heart results in reduced sodium and potassium channel activity that results in QRS- and QT-interval prolongation, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Tylock
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - David S Auerbach
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY.,Department of Pharmacology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
| | - Zhen Zhi Tang
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - Charles A Thornton
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - Robert T Dirksen
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
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67
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Li K, Krueger SB, Zimmerman SC. A Novel Minor Groove Binder as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1. ChemMedChem 2021; 16:2638-2644. [PMID: 34114350 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystemic neuromuscular disorder that is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. DM1 originates in a (CTG⋅CAG) repeat expansion in the 3'-UTR of the dystrophia myotonic protein kinase (DMPK) gene on chromosome 19. One of the transcripts, r(CUG)exp , is toxic in various ways. Herein we report a rationally designed small molecule with a thiazole peptidomimetic unit that can serve as a minor groove binder for the nucleic acid targets. This peptide unit linked to two triaminotriazine recognition units selectively binds to d(CTG)exp to inhibit the transcription process, and also targets r(CUG)exp selectively to improve representative DM1 pathological molecular features, including foci formation and pre-mRNA splicing defects in DM1 model cells. As such, it represents a new structure type that might serve as a lead compound for future structure-activity optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S Mathews Avenue, 61801, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Sarah B Krueger
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S Mathews Avenue, 61801, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Steven C Zimmerman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S Mathews Avenue, 61801, Urbana, IL, USA
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68
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Wagner-Griffin S, Abe M, Benhamou RI, Angelbello AJ, Vishnu K, Chen JL, Childs-Disney JL, Disney MD. A Druglike Small Molecule that Targets r(CCUG) Repeats in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2 Facilitates Degradation by RNA Quality Control Pathways. J Med Chem 2021; 64:8474-8485. [PMID: 34101465 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) is one of >40 microsatellite disorders caused by RNA repeat expansions. The DM2 repeat expansion, r(CCUG)exp (where "exp" denotes expanded repeating nucleotides), is harbored in intron 1 of the CCHC-type zinc finger nucleic acid binding protein (CNBP). The expanded RNA repeat causes disease by a gain-of-function mechanism, sequestering various RNA-binding proteins including the pre-mRNA splicing regulator MBNL1. Sequestration of MBNL1 results in its loss-of-function and concomitant deregulation of the alternative splicing of its native substrates. Notably, this r(CCUG)exp causes retention of intron 1 in the mature CNBP mRNA. Herein, we report druglike small molecules that bind the structure adopted by r(CCUG)exp and improve DM2-associated defects. These small molecules were optimized from screening hits from an RNA-focused small-molecule library to afford a compound that binds r(CCUG)exp specifically and with nanomolar affinity, facilitates endogenous degradation of the aberrantly retained intron in which it is harbored, and rescues alternative splicing defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Wagner-Griffin
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Masahito Abe
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Raphael I Benhamou
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Alicia J Angelbello
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Kamalakannan Vishnu
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Jonathan L Chen
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Jessica L Childs-Disney
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Matthew D Disney
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
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69
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Hama M, Horie R, Kubota T, Matsumura T, Kimura E, Nakamura H, Takahashi MP, Takada H. Metabolic complications in myotonic dystrophy type 1: A cross-sectional survey using the National Registry of Japan. J Neurol Sci 2021; 427:117511. [PMID: 34082146 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2021.117511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults, affecting multiple organs, including the eyes, heart, endocrine system, and central nervous system. The broad spectrum of DM1 symptoms has been attributed to the aberrant pre-mRNA splicing of various genes due to an abnormal expansion of the CTG repeat in the 3' untranslated region of the DMPK gene. The current challenge in the clinical care of DM1 is the lack of well-established protocols for the management of each organ disorder or symptom. Moreover, the current status of clinical management has not been adequately explored. Metabolic disturbance in DM1 has been less explored among the DM1 manifestations, even though impaired glucose tolerance is a widely known metabolic disorder associated with DM1. We investigated the metabolic disturbance related to DM1 using the national registry of neuromuscular diseases in Japan, Registry of Muscular Dystrophy (Remudy), and assessed the metabolic complications in DM1 and the current treatments. We obtained comprehensive information on the current status of liver dysfunction and dyslipidemia in a sizeable DM1 cohort (~300). We confirmed that the incidence of liver dysfunction and dyslipidemia, particularly hypertriglyceridemia, as well as impaired glucose tolerance, were significantly higher in DM1 patients. Furthermore, the majority of DM1 patients with dyslipidemia were not receiving pharmacotherapy. Our data highlight the current status of DM1 patients in Japan, which can guide the establishment of the standard of care for metabolic issues consequent to DM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manami Hama
- Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Clinical Laboratory and Biomedical Sciences, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Riho Horie
- Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Clinical Laboratory and Biomedical Sciences, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tomoya Kubota
- Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Clinical Laboratory and Biomedical Sciences, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Matsumura
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Osaka Toneyama Medical Center Toneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8552, Japan
| | - En Kimura
- Translational Medical Center, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8551, Japan
| | - Harumasa Nakamura
- Translational Medical Center, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8551, Japan
| | - Masanori P Takahashi
- Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Clinical Laboratory and Biomedical Sciences, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Hiroto Takada
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Aomori National Hospital, Namioka, Aomori 038-1331, Japan.
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70
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Lee EJ, Neppl RL. Influence of Age on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy and Atrophy Signaling: Established Paradigms and Unexpected Links. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12050688. [PMID: 34063658 PMCID: PMC8147613 DOI: 10.3390/genes12050688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle atrophy in an inevitable occurrence with advancing age, and a consequence of disease including cancer. Muscle atrophy in the elderly is managed by a regimen of resistance exercise and increased protein intake. Understanding the signaling that regulates muscle mass may identify potential therapeutic targets for the prevention and reversal of muscle atrophy in metabolic and neuromuscular diseases. This review covers the major anabolic and catabolic pathways that regulate skeletal muscle mass, with a focus on recent progress and potential new players.
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71
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Nguyen Q, Yokota T. Degradation of Toxic RNA in Myotonic Dystrophy Using Gapmer Antisense Oligonucleotides. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2176:99-109. [PMID: 32865785 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0771-8_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy (DM) types 1 (DM1) and 2 (DM2) are caused by autosomal dominant gain-of-function RNA which are, in turn, created by the expansion of repeat sequences in the DMPK and ZNF9 genes, respectively. The expansions are highly unstable and biased for further expansion in somatic cells and across generations. Despite the different genes involved, DM1 and DM2 share several clinical features due to having the similar underlying mechanism of repetitive RNA-mediated toxicity. Both disorders manifest as multisystemic conditions with features including myotonia, cataract development, and abnormalities in cardiac conduction. At present, there is no cure for DM and treatments mostly aim at symptom management. Among the therapeutics being developed, antisense therapy using gapmers is one of the most promising. Compared to other antisense oligonucleotides, gapmers maintain the ability to induce RNase H cleavage while having enhanced target binding affinity and nuclease resistance. This chapter will consolidate the different strategies studied thus far to develop a treatment for DM1 through the targeting of toxic repetitive RNA using gapmers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quynh Nguyen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
- The Friends of Garret Cumming Research and Muscular Dystrophy Canada HM Toupin Neurological Science Research Chair, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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72
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Tanner MK, Tang Z, Thornton CA. Targeted splice sequencing reveals RNA toxicity and therapeutic response in myotonic dystrophy. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:2240-2254. [PMID: 33503262 PMCID: PMC7913682 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomarker-driven trials hold promise for therapeutic development in chronic diseases, such as muscular dystrophy. Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) involves RNA toxicity, where transcripts containing expanded CUG-repeats (CUGexp) accumulate in nuclear foci and sequester splicing factors in the Muscleblind-like (Mbnl) family. Oligonucleotide therapies to mitigate RNA toxicity have emerged but reliable measures of target engagement are needed. Here we examined muscle transcriptomes in mouse models of DM1 and found that CUGexp expression or Mbnl gene deletion cause similar dysregulation of alternative splicing. We selected 35 dysregulated exons for further study by targeted RNA sequencing. Across a spectrum of mouse models, the individual splice events and a composite index derived from all events showed a graded response to decrements of Mbnl or increments of CUGexp. Antisense oligonucleotides caused prompt reduction of CUGexp RNA and parallel correction of the splicing index, followed by subsequent elimination of myotonia. These results suggest that targeted splice sequencing may provide a sensitive and reliable way to assess therapeutic impact in DM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew K Tanner
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Zhenzhi Tang
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Charles A Thornton
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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73
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Zhang N, Bewick B, Xia G, Furling D, Ashizawa T. A CRISPR-Cas13a Based Strategy That Tracks and Degrades Toxic RNA in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1. Front Genet 2020; 11:594576. [PMID: 33362853 PMCID: PMC7758406 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.594576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cas13a, an effector of type VI CRISPR-Cas systems, is an RNA guided RNase with multiplexing and therapeutic potential. This study employs the Leptotrichia shahii (Lsh) Cas13a and a repeat-based CRISPR RNA (crRNA) to track and eliminate toxic RNA aggregates in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) – a neuromuscular disease caused by CTG expansion in the DMPK gene. We demonstrate that LshCas13a cleaves CUG repeat RNA in biochemical assays and reduces toxic RNA load in patient-derived myoblasts. As a result, LshCas13a reverses the characteristic adult-to-embryonic missplicing events in several key genes that contribute to DM1 phenotype. The deactivated LshCas13a can further be repurposed to track RNA-rich organelles within cells. Our data highlights the reprogrammability of LshCas13a and the possible use of Cas13a to target expanded repeat sequences in microsatellite expansion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Brittani Bewick
- Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Guangbin Xia
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Fort Wayne, IN, United States
| | - Denis Furling
- Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM), Centre de Recherche en Myologie (CRM), Association Institut de Myologie, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Tetsuo Ashizawa
- Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
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Ozimski LL, Sabater-Arcis M, Bargiela A, Artero R. The hallmarks of myotonic dystrophy type 1 muscle dysfunction. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 96:716-730. [PMID: 33269537 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most prevalent form of muscular dystrophy in adults and yet there are currently no treatment options. Although this disease causes multisystemic symptoms, it is mainly characterised by myopathy or diseased muscles, which includes muscle weakness, atrophy, and myotonia, severely affecting the lives of patients worldwide. On a molecular level, DM1 is caused by an expansion of CTG repeats in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of the DM1 Protein Kinase (DMPK) gene which become pathogenic when transcribed into RNA forming ribonuclear foci comprised of auto complementary CUG hairpin structures that can bind proteins. This leads to the sequestration of the muscleblind-like (MBNL) family of proteins, depleting them, and the abnormal stabilisation of CUGBP Elav-like family member 1 (CELF1), enhancing it. Traditionally, DM1 research has focused on this RNA toxicity and how it alters MBNL and CELF1 functions as key splicing regulators. However, other proteins are affected by the toxic DMPK RNA and there is strong evidence that supports various signalling cascades playing an important role in DM1 pathogenesis. Specifically, the impairment of protein kinase B (AKT) signalling in DM1 increases autophagy, apoptosis, and ubiquitin-proteasome activity, which may also be affected in DM1 by AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) downregulation. AKT also regulates CELF1 directly, by affecting its subcellular localisation, and indirectly as it inhibits glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β), which stabilises the repressive form of CELF1 in DM1. Another kinase that contributes to CELF1 mis-regulation, in this case by hyperphosphorylation, is protein kinase C (PKC). Additionally, it has been demonstrated that fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14 (Fn14) is induced in DM1 and is associated with downstream signalling through the nuclear factor κB (NFκB) pathways, associating inflammation with this disease. Furthermore, MBNL1 and CELF1 play a role in cytoplasmic processes involved in DM1 myopathy, altering proteostasis and sarcomere structure. Finally, there are many other elements that could contribute to the muscular phenotype in DM1 such as alterations to satellite cells, non-coding RNA metabolism, calcium dysregulation, and repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) translation. This review aims to organise the currently dispersed knowledge on the different pathways affected in DM1 and discusses the unexplored connections that could potentially help in providing new therapeutic targets in DM1 research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren L Ozimski
- Translational Genomics Group, Incliva Health Research Institute, Avda. Menéndez Pelayo 4 acc., Valencia, 46010, Spain.,University Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Dr. Moliner 50, Burjasot, Valencia, 46100, Spain.,CIPF-INCLIVA Joint Unit, Valencia, 46012, Spain.,Arthex Biotech, Catedrático Escardino, 9, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain
| | - Maria Sabater-Arcis
- Translational Genomics Group, Incliva Health Research Institute, Avda. Menéndez Pelayo 4 acc., Valencia, 46010, Spain.,University Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Dr. Moliner 50, Burjasot, Valencia, 46100, Spain.,CIPF-INCLIVA Joint Unit, Valencia, 46012, Spain
| | - Ariadna Bargiela
- Translational Genomics Group, Incliva Health Research Institute, Avda. Menéndez Pelayo 4 acc., Valencia, 46010, Spain.,University Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Dr. Moliner 50, Burjasot, Valencia, 46100, Spain.,CIPF-INCLIVA Joint Unit, Valencia, 46012, Spain
| | - Ruben Artero
- Translational Genomics Group, Incliva Health Research Institute, Avda. Menéndez Pelayo 4 acc., Valencia, 46010, Spain.,University Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Dr. Moliner 50, Burjasot, Valencia, 46100, Spain.,CIPF-INCLIVA Joint Unit, Valencia, 46012, Spain
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75
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Marsh S, Hanson B, Wood MJA, Varela MA, Roberts TC. Application of CRISPR-Cas9-Mediated Genome Editing for the Treatment of Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1. Mol Ther 2020; 28:2527-2539. [PMID: 33171139 PMCID: PMC7704741 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a debilitating multisystemic disorder, caused by expansion of a CTG microsatellite repeat in the 3' untranslated region of the DMPK (dystrophia myotonica protein kinase) gene. To date, novel therapeutic approaches have focused on transient suppression of the mutant, repeat-expanded RNA. However, recent developments in the field of genome editing have raised the exciting possibility of inducing permanent correction of the DM1 genetic defect. Specifically, repurposing of the prokaryotic CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas9 (CRISPR-associated protein 9) system has enabled programmable, site-specific, and multiplex genome editing. CRISPR-based strategies for the treatment of DM1 can be applied either directly to patients, or indirectly through the ex vivo modification of patient-derived cells, and they include excision of the repeat expansion, insertion of synthetic polyadenylation signals upstream of the repeat, steric interference with RNA polymerase II procession through the repeat leading to transcriptional downregulation of DMPK, and direct RNA targeting of the mutant RNA species. Potential obstacles to such therapies are discussed, including the major challenge of Cas9 and guide RNA transgene/ribonuclear protein delivery, off-target gene editing, vector genome insertion at cut sites, on-target unintended mutagenesis (e.g., repeat inversion), pre-existing immunity to Cas9 or AAV antigens, immunogenicity, and Cas9 persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seren Marsh
- University of Oxford Medical School, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Britt Hanson
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK; Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Matthew J A Wood
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK; MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, UK
| | - Miguel A Varela
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Thomas C Roberts
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK; MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, UK.
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76
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Shen X, Xu F, Li M, Wu S, Zhang J, Wang A, Xu L, Liu Y, Zhu G. miR-322/-503 rescues myoblast defects in myotonic dystrophy type 1 cell model by targeting CUG repeats. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:891. [PMID: 33093470 PMCID: PMC7582138 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-03112-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most common type of adult muscular dystrophy caused by the expanded triple-nucleotides (CUG) repeats. Myoblast in DM1 displayed many defects, including defective myoblast differentiation, ribonuclear foci, and aberrant alternative splicing. Despite many were revealed to function in DM1, microRNAs that regulated DM1 via directly targeting the expanded CUG repeats were rarely reported. Here we discovered that miR-322/-503 rescued myoblast defects in DM1 cell model by targeting the expanded CUG repeats. First, we studied the function of miR-322/-503 in normal C2C12 myoblast cells. Downregulation of miR-322/-503 significantly hindered the myoblast differentiation, while miR-322/-503 overexpression promoted the process. Next, we examined the role of miR-322/-503 in the DM1 C2C12 cell model. miR-322/-503 was downregulated in the differentiation of DM1 C2C12 cells. When we introduced ectopic miR-322/-503 expression into DM1 C2C12 cells, myoblast defects were almost fully rescued, marked by significant improvements of myoblast differentiation and repressions of ribonuclear foci formation and aberrant alternative splicing. Then we investigated the downstream mechanism of miR-322/-503 in DM1. Agreeing with our previous work, Celf1 was proven to be miR-322/-503′s target. Celf1 knockdown partially reproduced miR-322/-503′s function in rescuing DM1 C2C12 differentiation but was unable to repress ribonuclear foci, suggesting other targets of miR-322/-503 existed in the DM1 C2C12 cells. As the seed regions of miR-322 and miR-503 were complementary to the CUG repeats, we hypothesized that the CUG repeats were the target of miR-322/-503. Through expression tests, reporter assays, and colocalization staining, miR-322/-503 was proved to directly and specifically target the expanded CUG repeats in the DM1 cell model rather than the shorter ones in normal cells. Those results implied a potential therapeutic function of miR-322/-503 on DM1, which needed further investigations in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Shen
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China. .,The Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.
| | - Feng Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,The Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Meng Li
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,The Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Shen Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,The Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Jingyi Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,The Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Ao Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,The Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Active Biological Macromolecules, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Guoping Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China. .,The Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.
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77
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An Overview of Alternative Splicing Defects Implicated in Myotonic Dystrophy Type I. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11091109. [PMID: 32971903 PMCID: PMC7564762 DOI: 10.3390/genes11091109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type I (DM1) is the most common form of adult muscular dystrophy, caused by expansion of a CTG triplet repeat in the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of the myotonic dystrophy protein kinase (DMPK) gene. The pathological CTG repeats result in protein trapping by expanded transcripts, a decreased DMPK translation and the disruption of the chromatin structure, affecting neighboring genes expression. The muscleblind-like (MBNL) and CUG-BP and ETR-3-like factors (CELF) are two families of tissue-specific regulators of developmentally programmed alternative splicing that act as antagonist regulators of several pre-mRNA targets, including troponin 2 (TNNT2), insulin receptor (INSR), chloride channel 1 (CLCN1) and MBNL2. Sequestration of MBNL proteins and up-regulation of CELF1 are key to DM1 pathology, inducing a spliceopathy that leads to a developmental remodelling of the transcriptome due to an adult-to-foetal splicing switch, which results in the loss of cell function and viability. Moreover, recent studies indicate that additional pathogenic mechanisms may also contribute to disease pathology, including a misregulation of cellular mRNA translation, localization and stability. This review focuses on the cause and effects of MBNL and CELF1 deregulation in DM1, describing the molecular mechanisms underlying alternative splicing misregulation for a deeper understanding of DM1 complexity. To contribute to this analysis, we have prepared a comprehensive list of transcript alterations involved in DM1 pathogenesis, as well as other deregulated mRNA processing pathways implications.
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78
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Crawford Parks TE, Marcellus KA, Péladeau C, Jasmin BJ, Ravel-Chapuis A. Overexpression of Staufen1 in DM1 mouse skeletal muscle exacerbates dystrophic and atrophic features. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 29:2185-2199. [PMID: 32504084 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), the CUG expansion (CUGexp) in the 3' untranslated region of the dystrophia myotonica protein kinase messenger ribonucleic acid affects the homeostasis of ribonucleic acid-binding proteins, causing the multiple symptoms of DM1. We have previously reported that Staufen1 is increased in skeletal muscles from DM1 mice and patients and that sustained Staufen1 expression in mature mouse muscle causes a progressive myopathy. Here, we hypothesized that the elevated levels of Staufen1 contributes to the myopathic features of the disease. Interestingly, the classic DM1 mouse model human skeletal actin long repeat (HSALR) lacks overt atrophy while expressing CUGexp transcripts and elevated levels of endogenous Staufen1, suggesting a lower sensitivity to atrophic signaling in this model. We report that further overexpression of Staufen1 in the DM1 mouse model HSALR causes a myopathy via inhibition of protein kinase B signaling through an increase in phosphatase tensin homolog, leading to the expression of atrogenes. Interestingly, we also show that Staufen1 regulates the expression of muscleblind-like splicing regulator 1 and CUG-binding protein elav-like family member 1 in wild-type and DM1 skeletal muscle. Together, data obtained from these new DM1 mouse models provide evidence for the role of Staufen1 as an atrophy-associated gene that impacts progressive muscle wasting in DM1. Accordingly, our findings highlight the potential of Staufen1 as a therapeutic target and biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara E Crawford Parks
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada.,Eric Poulin Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Kristen A Marcellus
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada.,Eric Poulin Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Christine Péladeau
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada.,Eric Poulin Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Bernard J Jasmin
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada.,Eric Poulin Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Aymeric Ravel-Chapuis
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada.,Eric Poulin Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5, Canada
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79
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The Predicted RNA-Binding Protein ETR-1/CELF1 Acts in Muscles To Regulate Neuroblast Migration in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:2365-2376. [PMID: 32398235 PMCID: PMC7341121 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Neuroblast migration is a critical aspect of nervous system development (e.g., neural crest migration). In an unbiased forward genetic screen, we identified a novel player in neuroblast migration, the ETR-1/CELF1 RNA binding protein. CELF1 RNA binding proteins are involved in multiple aspects of RNA processing including alternative splicing, stability, and translation. We find that a specific mutation in alternatively-spliced exon 8 results in migration defects of the AQR and PQR neurons, and not the embryonic lethality and body wall muscle defects of complete knockdown of the locus. Surprisingly, ETR-1 was required in body wall muscle cells for AQR/PQR migration (i.e., it acts cell non-autonomously). Genetic interactions indicate that ETR-1 acts with Wnt signaling, either in the Wnt pathway or in a parallel pathway. Possibly, ETR-1 is involved in the production of a Wnt signal or a parallel signal by the body wall muscles that controls AQR and PQR neuronal migration. In humans, CELF1 is involved in a number of neuromuscular disorders. If the role of ETR-1/CELF1 is conserved, these disorders might also involve cell or neuronal migration. Finally, we describe a technique of amplicon sequencing to detect rare, cell-specific genome edits by CRISPR/Cas9 in vivo (CRISPR-seq) as an alternative to the T7E1 assay.
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80
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Perna A, Maccora D, Rossi S, Nicoletti TF, Zocco MA, Riso V, Modoni A, Petrucci A, Valenza V, Grieco A, Miele L, Silvestri G. High Prevalence and Gender-Related Differences of Gastrointestinal Manifestations in a Cohort of DM1 Patients: A Perspective, Cross-Sectional Study. Front Neurol 2020; 11:394. [PMID: 32595582 PMCID: PMC7303304 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1, MIM #160900), the most common muscular dystrophy among adults, is a multisystem disorder, which affects, besides the skeletal muscle, several other tissues and/or organs, including the gastrointestinal apparatus, with manifestations that frequently affect the quality of life of DM1 patients. So far, only few, mainly retrospective studies evaluated this specific topic in DM1, so we performed a perspective study, enrolling 61 DM1 patients who underwent an extensive diagnostic protocol, including administration of the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), a validated patient-reported questionnaire about GI symptoms, laboratory tests, liver US scan, and an intestinal permeability assay, in order to characterize frequency and assess correlations regarding specific gastrointestinal manifestations with demographic or other DM1-related features. Our results in our DM1 cohort confirm the high frequency of various gastrointestinal manifestations, with the most frequent being constipation (45.9%). γGT levels were pathologically increased in 65% of DM1 patients and GPT in 29.82%; liver ultrasound studies showed steatosis in 34.4% of patients. Significantly, 91.22% of DM1 patients showed signs of altered intestinal permeability at the specific assay. We documented a gender-related prevalence and severity of gastrointestinal manifestations in DM1 females compared to DM1 males, while males showed higher serum GPT and γGT levels than females. Correlation studies documented a direct correlation between severity of muscle weakness estimated by MIRS score and γGT and alkaline phosphatase levels, suggesting their potential use as biomarkers of muscle disease severity in DM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Perna
- Institute of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Daria Maccora
- Department of Image Diagnostics, Oncological Radiotherapy and Hematology Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Rossi
- Institute of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Maria Assunta Zocco
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Vittorio Riso
- Institute of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Modoni
- UOC of Neurology, Area of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Petrucci
- Center for Neuromuscular and Neurological Rare Disease, S. Camillo Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Venanzio Valenza
- Department of Image Diagnostics, Oncological Radiotherapy and Hematology Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Grieco
- Department of Gastroenterological, Endocrine-Metabolic and Nefro-Urological Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Miele
- Department of Gastroenterological, Endocrine-Metabolic and Nefro-Urological Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriella Silvestri
- Institute of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,UOC of Neurology, Area of Neuroscience, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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81
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Klein AF, Varela MA, Arandel L, Holland A, Naouar N, Arzumanov A, Seoane D, Revillod L, Bassez G, Ferry A, Jauvin D, Gourdon G, Puymirat J, Gait MJ, Furling D, Wood MJ. Peptide-conjugated oligonucleotides evoke long-lasting myotonic dystrophy correction in patient-derived cells and mice. J Clin Invest 2020; 129:4739-4744. [PMID: 31479430 PMCID: PMC6819114 DOI: 10.1172/jci128205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting pathologic RNAs have shown promising therapeutic corrections for many genetic diseases including myotonic dystrophy (DM1). Thus, ASO strategies for DM1 can abolish the toxic RNA gain-of-function mechanism caused by nucleus-retained mutant DMPK (DM1 protein kinase) transcripts containing CUG expansions (CUGexps). However, systemic use of ASOs for this muscular disease remains challenging due to poor drug distribution to skeletal muscle. To overcome this limitation, we test an arginine-rich Pip6a cell-penetrating peptide and show that Pip6a-conjugated morpholino phosphorodiamidate oligomer (PMO) dramatically enhanced ASO delivery into striated muscles of DM1 mice following systemic administration in comparison with unconjugated PMO and other ASO strategies. Thus, low-dose treatment with Pip6a-PMO-CAG targeting pathologic expansions is sufficient to reverse both splicing defects and myotonia in DM1 mice and normalizes the overall disease transcriptome. Moreover, treated DM1 patient–derived muscle cells showed that Pip6a-PMO-CAG specifically targets mutant CUGexp-DMPK transcripts to abrogate the detrimental sequestration of MBNL1 splicing factor by nuclear RNA foci and consequently MBNL1 functional loss, responsible for splicing defects and muscle dysfunction. Our results demonstrate that Pip6a-PMO-CAG induces long-lasting correction with high efficacy of DM1-associated phenotypes at both molecular and functional levels, and strongly support the use of advanced peptide conjugates for systemic corrective therapy in DM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud F Klein
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Association Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Miguel A Varela
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Department of Paediatrics, John Radcliffe Hospital, and.,MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ludovic Arandel
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Association Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Ashling Holland
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Department of Paediatrics, John Radcliffe Hospital, and.,MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Naira Naouar
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Association Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Andrey Arzumanov
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - David Seoane
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Department of Paediatrics, John Radcliffe Hospital, and.,MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Lucile Revillod
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Association Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Bassez
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Association Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Arnaud Ferry
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Association Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Dominic Jauvin
- Unit of Human Genetics, Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus, CHU Research Center, Quebec, Canada
| | - Genevieve Gourdon
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Association Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Jack Puymirat
- Unit of Human Genetics, Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus, CHU Research Center, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michael J Gait
- Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Denis Furling
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Association Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Matthew Ja Wood
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Department of Paediatrics, John Radcliffe Hospital, and.,MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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82
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Mate A, Blanca AJ, Salsoso R, Toledo F, Stiefel P, Sobrevia L, Vázquez CM. Insulin Therapy in Pregnancy Hypertensive Diseases and its Effect on the Offspring and Mother Later in Life. Curr Vasc Pharmacol 2020; 17:455-464. [PMID: 30426902 DOI: 10.2174/1570161117666181114125109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 10/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Pregnancy hypertensive disorders such as Preeclampsia (PE) are strongly correlated with insulin resistance, a condition in which the metabolic handling of D-glucose is deficient. In addition, the impact of preeclampsia is enhanced by other insulin-resistant disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome and obesity. For this reason, there is a clear association between maternal insulin resistance, polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity and the development of PE. However, whether PE is a consequence or the cause of these disorders is still unclear. Insulin therapy is usually recommended to pregnant women with diabetes mellitus when dietary and lifestyle measures have failed. The advantage of insulin therapy for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) patients with hypertension is still controversial; surprisingly, there are no studies in which insulin therapy has been used in patients with hypertension in pregnancy without or with an established GDM. This review is focused on the use of insulin therapy in hypertensive disorders in the pregnancy and its effect on offspring and mother later in life. PubMed and relevant medical databases have been screened for literature covering research in the field especially in the last 5-10 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Mate
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41012 Sevilla, Spain.,Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/ Universidad de Sevilla, E- 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Antonio J Blanca
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Rocío Salsoso
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41012 Sevilla, Spain.,Unidad de Enfermedades Coronarias Agudas, Instituto del Corazón, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 05403-000 Brazil
| | - Fernando Toledo
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillan 3780000, Chile.,Cellular and Molecular Physiology Laboratory (CMPL), Department of Obstetrics, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile
| | - Pablo Stiefel
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/ Universidad de Sevilla, E- 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Luis Sobrevia
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41012 Sevilla, Spain.,Cellular and Molecular Physiology Laboratory (CMPL), Department of Obstetrics, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile.,University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR), Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4029, Queensland, Australia
| | - Carmen M Vázquez
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41012 Sevilla, Spain.,Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/ Universidad de Sevilla, E- 41013 Sevilla, Spain
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83
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Ikeda M, Taniguchi-Ikeda M, Kato T, Shinkai Y, Tanaka S, Hagiwara H, Sasaki N, Masaki T, Matsumura K, Sonoo M, Kurahashi H, Saito F. Unexpected Mutations by CRISPR-Cas9 CTG Repeat Excision in Myotonic Dystrophy and Use of CRISPR Interference as an Alternative Approach. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2020; 18:131-144. [PMID: 32637445 PMCID: PMC7321784 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 is the most common type of adult-onset muscular dystrophy. This is an autosomal dominant disorder and caused by the expansion of the CTG repeat in the 3′ untranslated region of the dystrophia myotonica protein kinase (DMPK) gene. Messenger RNAs containing these expanded repeats form aggregates as nuclear RNA foci. Then, RNA binding proteins, including muscleblind-like 1, are sequestered to the RNA foci, leading to systemic abnormal RNA splicing. In this study, we used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to excise this CTG repeat. Dual cleavage at the 5′ and 3′ regions of the repeat using a conventional Cas9 nuclease and a double nicking with Cas9 nickase successfully excised the CTG repeat. Subsequently, the formation of the RNA foci was markedly reduced in patient-derived fibroblasts. However, contrary to expectations, a considerable amount of off-target digestions and on-target genomic rearrangements were observed using high-throughput genome-wide translocation sequencing. Finally, the suppression of DMPK transcripts using CRISPR interference significantly decreased the intensity of RNA foci. Our results indicate that close attention should be paid to the unintended mutations when double-strand breaks are generated by CRISPR-Cas9 for therapeutic purposes. Alternative approaches independent of double-strand breaks, including CRISPR interference, may be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Ikeda
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University, Tokyo 1738606, Japan
| | - Mariko Taniguchi-Ikeda
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Fujita Health University Hospital, Aichi 4701192, Japan.,Division of Molecular Genetics, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Aichi 4701192, Japan
| | - Takema Kato
- Division of Molecular Genetics, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Aichi 4701192, Japan
| | - Yasuko Shinkai
- Division of Molecular Genetics, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Aichi 4701192, Japan
| | - Sonoko Tanaka
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University, Tokyo 1738606, Japan
| | - Hiroki Hagiwara
- Department of Medical Science, Teikyo University of Science, Uenohara Campus, Yamanashi 4090193, Japan
| | - Naomichi Sasaki
- Department of Medical Science, Teikyo University of Science, Senju Campus, Tokyo 1200045, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Masaki
- Department of Medical Science, Teikyo University of Science, Senju Campus, Tokyo 1200045, Japan
| | - Kiichiro Matsumura
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University, Tokyo 1738606, Japan
| | - Masahiro Sonoo
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University, Tokyo 1738606, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kurahashi
- Division of Molecular Genetics, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Aichi 4701192, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Saito
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University, Tokyo 1738606, Japan
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84
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La Rosa P, Petrillo S, Bertini ES, Piemonte F. Oxidative Stress in DNA Repeat Expansion Disorders: A Focus on NRF2 Signaling Involvement. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10050702. [PMID: 32369911 PMCID: PMC7277112 DOI: 10.3390/biom10050702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA repeat expansion disorders are a group of neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases that arise from the inheritance of long tracts of nucleotide repetitions, located in the regulatory region, introns, or inside the coding sequence of a gene. Although loss of protein expression and/or the gain of function of its transcribed mRNA or translated product represent the major pathogenic effect of these pathologies, mitochondrial dysfunction and imbalance in redox homeostasis are reported as common features in these disorders, deeply affecting their severity and progression. In this review, we examine the role that the redox imbalance plays in the pathological mechanisms of DNA expansion disorders and the recent advances on antioxidant treatments, particularly focusing on the expression and the activity of the transcription factor NRF2, the main cellular regulator of the antioxidant response.
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85
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article describes the clinical features, pathogenesis, prevalence, diagnosis, and management of myotonic dystrophy type 1 and myotonic dystrophy type 2. RECENT FINDINGS The prevalence of myotonic dystrophy type 1 is better understood than the prevalence of myotonic dystrophy type 2, and new evidence indicates that the risk of cancer is increased in patients with the myotonic dystrophies. In addition, descriptions of the clinical symptoms and relative risks of comorbidities such as cardiac arrhythmias associated with myotonic dystrophy type 1 have been improved. SUMMARY Myotonic dystrophy type 1 and myotonic dystrophy type 2 are both characterized by progressive muscle weakness, early-onset cataracts, and myotonia. However, both disorders have multisystem manifestations that require a comprehensive management plan. While no disease-modifying therapies have yet been identified, advances in therapeutic development have a promising future.
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86
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García-Puga M, Saenz-Antoñanzas A, Fernández-Torrón R, Munain ALD, Matheu A. Myotonic Dystrophy type 1 cells display impaired metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction that are reversed by metformin. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:6260-6275. [PMID: 32310829 PMCID: PMC7185118 DOI: 10.18632/aging.103022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1; MIM #160900) is an autosomal dominant disorder, clinically characterized by progressive muscular weakness and multisystem degeneration. The broad phenotypes observed in patients with DM1 resemble the appearance of a multisystem accelerated aging process. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these phenotypes remain largely unknown. In this study, we characterized the impact of metabolism and mitochondria on fibroblasts and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from patients with DM1 and healthy individuals. Our results revealed a decrease in oxidative phosphorylation system (OXPHOS) activity, oxygen consumption rate (OCR), ATP production, energy metabolism, and mitochondrial dynamics in DM1 fibroblasts, as well as increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). PBMCs of DM1 patients also displayed reduced mitochondrial dynamics and energy metabolism. Moreover, treatment with metformin reversed the metabolic and mitochondrial defects as well as additional accelerated aging phenotypes, such as impaired proliferation, in DM1-derived fibroblasts. Our results identify impaired cell metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction as important drivers of DM1 pathophysiology and, therefore, reveal the efficacy of metformin treatment in a pre-clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikel García-Puga
- Neuroscience Area, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain.,Cellular Oncology Group, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain
| | | | - Roberto Fernández-Torrón
- Neuroscience Area, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain.,Neurology Department, Donostia University Hospital, OSAKIDETZA, San Sebastian, Spain.,CIBERNED, Carlos III Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Adolfo Lopez de Munain
- Neuroscience Area, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain.,Neurology Department, Donostia University Hospital, OSAKIDETZA, San Sebastian, Spain.,CIBERNED, Carlos III Institute, Madrid, Spain.,Faculty of Medicine and Nursery, Department of Neurosciences, University of the Basque Country, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Ander Matheu
- Cellular Oncology Group, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain.,CIBERfes, Carlos III Institute, Madrid, Spain
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87
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Santoro M, Piacentini R, Perna A, Pisano E, Severino A, Modoni A, Grassi C, Silvestri G. Resveratrol corrects aberrant splicing of RYR1 pre-mRNA and Ca 2+ signal in myotonic dystrophy type 1 myotubes. Neural Regen Res 2020; 15:1757-1766. [PMID: 32209783 PMCID: PMC7437583 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.276336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a spliceopathy related to the mis-splicing of several genes caused by sequestration of nuclear transcriptional RNA-binding factors from non-coding CUG repeats of DMPK pre-mRNAs. Dysregulation of ryanodine receptor 1 (RYR1), sarcoplasmatic/endoplasmatic Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) and α1S subunit of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (Cav1.1) is related to Ca2+ homeostasis and excitation-contraction coupling impairment. Though no pharmacological treatment for DM1 exists, aberrant splicing correction represents one major therapeutic target for this disease. Resveratrol (RES, 3,5,4′-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) is a promising pharmacological tools for DM1 treatment for its ability to directly bind the DNA and RNA influencing gene expression and alternative splicing. Herein, we analyzed the therapeutic effects of RES in DM1 myotubes in a pilot study including cultured myotubes from two DM1 patients and two healthy controls. Our results indicated that RES treatment corrected the aberrant splicing of RYR1, and this event appeared associated with restoring of depolarization-induced Ca2+ release from RYR1 dependent on the electro-mechanical coupling between RYR1 and Cav1.1. Interestingly, immunoblotting studies showed that RES treatment was associated with a reduction in the levels of CUGBP Elav-like family member 1, while RYR1, Cav1.1 and SERCA1 protein levels were unchanged. Finally, RES treatment did not induce any major changes either in the amount of ribonuclear foci or sequestration of muscleblind-like splicing regulator 1. Overall, the results of this pilot study would support RES as an attractive compound for future clinical trials in DM1. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Committee of IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, Rome, Italy (rs9879/14) on May 20, 2014.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roberto Piacentini
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore; Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia Perna
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Eugenia Pisano
- Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore; Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Severino
- Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Modoni
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Grassi
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore; Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriella Silvestri
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore; Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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88
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Misra C, Bangru S, Lin F, Lam K, Koenig SN, Lubbers ER, Hedhli J, Murphy NP, Parker DJ, Dobrucki LW, Cooper TA, Tajkhorshid E, Mohler PJ, Kalsotra A. Aberrant Expression of a Non-muscle RBFOX2 Isoform Triggers Cardiac Conduction Defects in Myotonic Dystrophy. Dev Cell 2020; 52:748-763.e6. [PMID: 32109384 PMCID: PMC7098852 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.01.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystemic genetic disorder caused by the CTG repeat expansion in the 3'-untranslated region of DMPK gene. Heart dysfunctions occur in ∼80% of DM1 patients and are the second leading cause of DM1-related deaths. Herein, we report that upregulation of a non-muscle splice isoform of RNA-binding protein RBFOX2 in DM1 heart tissue-due to altered splicing factor and microRNA activities-induces cardiac conduction defects in DM1 individuals. Mice engineered to express the non-muscle RBFOX240 isoform in heart via tetracycline-inducible transgenesis, or CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, reproduced DM1-related cardiac conduction delay and spontaneous episodes of arrhythmia. Further, by integrating RNA binding with cardiac transcriptome datasets from DM1 patients and mice expressing the non-muscle RBFOX2 isoform, we identified RBFOX240-driven splicing defects in voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels, which alter their electrophysiological properties. Thus, our results uncover a trans-dominant role for an aberrantly expressed RBFOX240 isoform in DM1 cardiac pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaitali Misra
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Sushant Bangru
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Feikai Lin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Kin Lam
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Centers for Macromolecular Modeling, Bioinformatics and Experimental Molecular Imaging at Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Sara N Koenig
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, College of Medicine, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Ellen R Lubbers
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, College of Medicine, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jamila Hedhli
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Centers for Macromolecular Modeling, Bioinformatics and Experimental Molecular Imaging at Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Nathaniel P Murphy
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, College of Medicine, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Darren J Parker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Lawrence W Dobrucki
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Centers for Macromolecular Modeling, Bioinformatics and Experimental Molecular Imaging at Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Thomas A Cooper
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Centers for Macromolecular Modeling, Bioinformatics and Experimental Molecular Imaging at Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Peter J Mohler
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, College of Medicine, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Auinash Kalsotra
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
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89
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Mutation analysis of multiple pilomatricomas in a patient with myotonic dystrophy type 1 suggests a DM1-associated hypermutation phenotype. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230003. [PMID: 32155193 PMCID: PMC7064234 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is an inherited neuromuscular disease which results from an expansion of repetitive DNA elements within the 3' untranslated region of the DMPK gene. Some patients develop multiple pilomatricomas as well as malignant tumors in other tissues. Mutations of the catenin-β gene (CTNNB1) could be demonstrated in most non-syndromic pilomatricomas. In order to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms which might be responsible for the occurrence of multiple pilomatricomas and cancers in patients with DM1, we have sequenced the CTNNB1 gene of four pilomatricomas and of one pilomatrical carcinoma which developed in one patient with molecularly proven DM1 within 4 years. We further analyzed the pilomatrical tumors for microsatellite instability as well as by NGS for mutations in 161 cancer-associated genes. Somatic and independent point-mutations were detected at typical hotspot regions of CTNNB1 (S33C, S33F, G34V, T41I) while one mutation within CTNNB1 represented a duplication mutation (G34dup.). Pilomatricoma samples were analyzed for microsatellite instability and expression of mismatch repair proteins but no mutated microsatellites could be detected and expression of mismatch repair proteins MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2 was not perturbed. NGS analysis only revealed one heterozygous germline mutation c.8494C>T; p.(Arg2832Cys) within the ataxia telangiectasia mutated gene (ATM) which remained heterozygous in the pilomatrical tumors. The detection of different somatic mutations in different pilomatricomas and in the pilomatrical carcinoma as well as the observation that the patient developed multiple pilomatricomas and one pilomatrical carcinoma over a short time period strongly suggest that the patient displays a hypermutation phenotype. This hypermutability seems to be tissue and gene restricted. Simultaneous transcription of the mutated DMPK gene and the CTNNB1 gene in cycling hair follicles might constitute an explanation for the observed tissue and gene specificity of hypermutability observed in DM1 patients. Elucidation of putative mechanisms responsible for hypermutability in DM1 patients requires further research.
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90
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Benhamou RI, Angelbello AJ, Andrews RJ, Wang ET, Moss WN, Disney MD. Structure-Specific Cleavage of an RNA Repeat Expansion with a Dimeric Small Molecule Is Advantageous over Sequence-Specific Recognition by an Oligonucleotide. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:485-493. [PMID: 31927948 PMCID: PMC7081929 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) is a genetically defined muscular dystrophy that is caused by an expanded repeat of r(CCUG) [r(CCUG)exp] in intron 1 of a CHC-type zinc finger nucleic acid binding protein (CNBP) pre-mRNA. Various mechanisms contribute to DM2 pathology including pre-mRNA splicing defects caused by sequestration of the RNA splicing regulator muscleblind-like-1 (MBNL1) by r(CCUG)exp. Herein, we study the biological impacts of the molecular recognition of r(CCUG)exp's structure by a designer dimeric small molecule that directly cleaves the RNA in patient-derived cells. The compound is comprised of two RNA-binding modules conjugated to a derivative of the natural product bleomycin. Careful design of the chimera affords RNA-specific cleavage, as attachment of the bleomycin cleaving module was done in a manner that disables DNA cleavage. The chimeric cleaver is more potent than the parent binding compound for alleviating DM2-associated defects. Importantly, oligonucleotides targeting the r(CCUG)exp sequence for cleavage exacerbate DM2 defects due to recognition of a short r(CCUG) sequence that is embedded in CNBP, argonaute-1 (AGO1), and MBNL1, reducing their levels. The latter event causes a greater depletion of functional MBNL1 than the amount already sequestered by r(CCUG)exp. Thus, compounds targeting RNA structures can have functional advantages over oligonucleotides that target the sequence in some disease settings, particularly in DM2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael I Benhamou
- Department of Chemistry , The Scripps Research Institute , 110 Scripps Way , Jupiter , Florida 33458 , United States
| | - Alicia J Angelbello
- Department of Chemistry , The Scripps Research Institute , 110 Scripps Way , Jupiter , Florida 33458 , United States
| | - Ryan J Andrews
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biophysics, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology , Iowa State University , Ames , Iowa 50011 , United States
| | - Eric T Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics, UF Genetics Institute , University of Florida , 2033 Mowry Road , Gainesville , Florida 32610 , United States
| | - Walter N Moss
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biophysics, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology , Iowa State University , Ames , Iowa 50011 , United States
| | - Matthew D Disney
- Department of Chemistry , The Scripps Research Institute , 110 Scripps Way , Jupiter , Florida 33458 , United States
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91
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McNally EM, Mann DL, Pinto Y, Bhakta D, Tomaselli G, Nazarian S, Groh WJ, Tamura T, Duboc D, Itoh H, Hellerstein L, Mammen PPA. Clinical Care Recommendations for Cardiologists Treating Adults With Myotonic Dystrophy. J Am Heart Assoc 2020; 9:e014006. [PMID: 32067592 PMCID: PMC7070199 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.119.014006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy is an inherited systemic disorder affecting skeletal muscle and the heart. Genetic testing for myotonic dystrophy is diagnostic and identifies those at risk for cardiac complications. The 2 major genetic forms of myotonic dystrophy, type 1 and type 2, differ in genetic etiology yet share clinical features. The cardiac management of myotonic dystrophy should include surveillance for arrhythmias and left ventricular dysfunction, both of which occur in progressive manner and contribute to morbidity and mortality. To promote the development of care guidelines for myotonic dystrophy, the Myotonic Foundation solicited the input of care experts and organized the drafting of these recommendations. As a rare disorder, large scale clinical trial data to guide the management of myotonic dystrophy are largely lacking. The following recommendations represent expert consensus opinion from those with experience in the management of myotonic dystrophy, in part supported by literature-based evidence where available.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yigal Pinto
- University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | - Takuhisa Tamura
- National Hospital Organization Higashisaitama National HospitalSaitamaJapan
| | - Denis Duboc
- Hopital CochinUniversite Paris DescartesParisFrance
| | - Hideki Itoh
- Shiga University of Medical ScienceShigaJapan
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92
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Benhamou RI, Angelbello AJ, Wang ET, Disney MD. A Toxic RNA Catalyzes the Cellular Synthesis of Its Own Inhibitor, Shunting It to Endogenous Decay Pathways. Cell Chem Biol 2020; 27:223-231.e4. [PMID: 31981476 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) is a genetically defined disease caused by a toxic expanded repeat of r(CCUG) [r(CCUG)exp], harbored in intron 1 of CCHC-type zinc-finger nucleic acid binding protein (CNBP) pre-mRNA. This r(CCUG)exp causes toxicity via a gain-of-function mechanism, resulting in three pathological hallmarks: aggregation into nuclear foci; sequestration of muscleblind-like-1 (MBNL1) protein, leading to splicing defects; and retention of CNBP intron 1. We studied two types of small molecules with different modes of action, ones that simply bind and ones that are templated by r(CCUG)exp in cells, i.e., the RNA synthesizes its own drug. Indeed, our studies completed in DM2 patient-derived fibroblasts showed that the compounds disrupt the r(CCUG)exp-MBNL1 complex, reduce intron retention, subjecting the liberated intronic r(CCUG)exp to native decay pathways, and rescue other DM2-associated cellular defects. Importantly, this study shows that small molecules can modulate RNA biology by shunting toxic transcripts toward native decay pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael I Benhamou
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Alicia J Angelbello
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Eric T Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics, UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida, 2033 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Matthew D Disney
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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93
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Swinnen B, Robberecht W, Van Den Bosch L. RNA toxicity in non-coding repeat expansion disorders. EMBO J 2020; 39:e101112. [PMID: 31721251 PMCID: PMC6939197 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2018101112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Several neurodegenerative disorders like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) are caused by non-coding nucleotide repeat expansions. Different pathogenic mechanisms may underlie these non-coding repeat expansion disorders. While gain-of-function mechanisms, such as toxicity associated with expression of repeat RNA or toxicity associated with repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) products, are most frequently connected with these disorders, loss-of-function mechanisms have also been implicated. We review the different pathways that have been linked to non-coding repeat expansion disorders such as C9ORF72-linked ALS/frontotemporal dementia (FTD), myotonic dystrophy, fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), SCA, and Huntington's disease-like 2. We discuss modes of RNA toxicity focusing on the identity and the interacting partners of the toxic RNA species. Using the C9ORF72 ALS/FTD paradigm, we further explore the efforts and different methods used to disentangle RNA vs. RAN toxicity. Overall, we conclude that there is ample evidence for a role of RNA toxicity in non-coding repeat expansion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Swinnen
- Department of NeurosciencesExperimental NeurologyLeuven Brain Institute (LBI)KU Leuven – University of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Laboratory of NeurobiologyVIB, Center for Brain & Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospitals LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Wim Robberecht
- Department of NeurosciencesExperimental NeurologyLeuven Brain Institute (LBI)KU Leuven – University of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Laboratory of NeurobiologyVIB, Center for Brain & Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospitals LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of NeurosciencesExperimental NeurologyLeuven Brain Institute (LBI)KU Leuven – University of LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Laboratory of NeurobiologyVIB, Center for Brain & Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
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94
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Abstract
Mutant DMPK transcripts containing expanded CUG repeats (CUGexp) are retained within the nucleus of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) cells as discrete foci. Nuclear CUGexp-RNA foci that sequester MBNL1 splicing factor represent a hallmark of this RNA dominant disease caused by the expression of expanded microsatellite repeats. Here we described fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques to detect either RNA containing CUG expansion or DMPK transcripts in human DM1 or WT cells. In addition, we propose a combined FISH/immunofluorescence protocol to visualize the colocalization of MBNL1 with CUGexp-RNA foci in DM1 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud F Klein
- Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Sorbonne Univeristé, Paris, France
- Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Inserm, Paris, France
- Association Institut de Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Ludovic Arandel
- Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Sorbonne Univeristé, Paris, France
- Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Inserm, Paris, France
- Association Institut de Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Joelle Marie
- Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Sorbonne Univeristé, Paris, France
- Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Inserm, Paris, France
- Association Institut de Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Denis Furling
- Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Sorbonne Univeristé, Paris, France.
- Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Inserm, Paris, France.
- Association Institut de Myologie, Paris, France.
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95
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Christou M, Wengel J, Sokratous K, Kyriacou K, Nikolaou G, Phylactou LA, Mastroyiannopoulos NP. Systemic Evaluation of Chimeric LNA/2'-O-Methyl Steric Blockers for Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 Therapy. Nucleic Acid Ther 2019; 30:80-93. [PMID: 31873063 PMCID: PMC7133450 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2019.0811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a dominantly inherited, multisystemic disorder characterized clinically by delayed muscle relaxation and weakness. The disease is caused by a CTG repeat expansion in the 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) of the DMPK gene, which leads to the expression of a toxic gain-of-function mRNA. The expanded CUG repeat mRNA sequesters the MBNL1 splicing regulator in nuclear-retained foci structures, resulting in loss of protein function and disruption of alternative splicing homeostasis. In this study, we used CAG repeat antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), composed of locked nucleic acid (LNA)- and 2′-O-methyl (2′OMe)-modified bases in a chimeric design, to alleviate CUGexpanded-mediated toxicity. Chimeric 14–18mer LNA/2′OMe oligonucleotides, exhibiting an LNA incorporation of ∼33%, significantly ameliorated the misregulated alternative splicing of Mbnl1-dependent exons in primary DM1 mouse myoblasts and tibialis anterior muscles of DM1 mice. Subcutaneous delivery of 14mer and 18mer LNA/2′OMe chimeras in DM1 mice resulted in high levels of accumulation in all tested skeletal muscles, as well as in the diaphragm and heart tissue. Despite the efficient delivery, chimeric LNA/2′OMe oligonucleotides were not able, even at a high-dosage regimen (400 mg/kg/week), to correct the misregulated splicing of Serca1 exon 22 in skeletal muscles. Nevertheless, oligonucleotide doses were well-tolerated as determined by histological and plasma biochemistry analyses. Our results provide proof of concept that inhibition of MBNL1 sequestration by systemic delivery of a steric-blocking ASO is extremely challenging, considering the large number of target sites that need to be occupied per RNA molecule. Although not suitable for DM1 therapy, chimeric LNA/2′OMe oligonucleotides could prove to be highly beneficial for other diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, that require inhibition of a single target site per RNA molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Christou
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Function & Therapy, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus.,The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Jesper Wengel
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Biomolecular Nanoscale Engineering Center, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark
| | - Kleitos Sokratous
- Department of Electron Microscopy and Molecular Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Bioinformatics Group, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Kyriacos Kyriacou
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Department of Electron Microscopy and Molecular Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Georgios Nikolaou
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Vet Ex Machina Ltd, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Leonidas A Phylactou
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Function & Therapy, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus.,The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Nikolaos P Mastroyiannopoulos
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Function & Therapy, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus.,The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
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96
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Timchenko L. Correction of RNA-Binding Protein CUGBP1 and GSK3β Signaling as Therapeutic Approach for Congenital and Adult Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 21:ijms21010094. [PMID: 31877772 PMCID: PMC6982105 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21010094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a complex genetic disease affecting many tissues. DM1 is caused by an expansion of CTG repeats in the 3′-UTR of the DMPK gene. The mechanistic studies of DM1 suggested that DMPK mRNA, containing expanded CUG repeats, is a major therapeutic target in DM1. Therefore, the removal of the toxic RNA became a primary focus of the therapeutic development in DM1 during the last decade. However, a cure for this devastating disease has not been found. Whereas the degradation of toxic RNA remains a preferential approach for the reduction of DM1 pathology, other approaches targeting early toxic events downstream of the mutant RNA could be also considered. In this review, we discuss the beneficial role of the restoring of the RNA-binding protein, CUGBP1/CELF1, in the correction of DM1 pathology. It has been recently found that the normalization of CUGBP1 activity with the inhibitors of GSK3 has a positive effect on the reduction of skeletal muscle and CNS pathologies in DM1 mouse models. Surprisingly, the inhibitor of GSK3, tideglusib also reduced the toxic CUG-containing RNA. Thus, the development of the therapeutics, based on the correction of the GSK3β-CUGBP1 pathway, is a promising option for this complex disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubov Timchenko
- Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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97
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Alsaggaf R, Pfeiffer RM, Wang Y, St George DMM, Zhan M, Wagner KR, Amr S, Greene MH, Gadalla SM. Diabetes, metformin and cancer risk in myotonic dystrophy type I. Int J Cancer 2019; 147:785-792. [PMID: 31749144 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type I (DM1) is an autosomal dominant multisystem disorder characterized by myotonia and muscle weakness. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cancer have been shown to be part of the DM1 phenotype. Metformin, a well-established agent for the management of T2D, is thought to have cancer-preventive effects in the general population. In our study, we aimed to assess the association between T2D, metformin use and the risk of cancer in DM1 patients. We identified a cohort of 913 DM1 patients and an age-, sex- and clinic-matched cohort of 12,318 DM1-free controls from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, a large primary care records database. We used Cox regression models to assess cancer risk in T2D patients who were metformin users or nonusers compared to patients without T2D. Separate analyses were conducted for DM1 patients and controls. T2D was more prevalent in DM1 than in controls (8% vs. 3%, p < 0.0001). DM1 patients with T2D, compared to those without T2D, were more likely to develop cancer (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18-10.97; p = 0.02), but not if they were treated with metformin (HR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.06-3.35; p = 0.42). Among controls, we observed no significant associations between T2D and cancer risk in either users or nonusers of Metformin (HR = 1.28, 95% CI = 0.91-1.79; p = 0.16 and HR = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.72-1.79; p = 0.59, respectively). These results show an association between T2D and cancer risk in DM1 patients and may provide new insights into the possible benefits of Metformin use in DM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rotana Alsaggaf
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD.,Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
| | - Ruth M Pfeiffer
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Youjin Wang
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | | | - Min Zhan
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
| | - Kathryn R Wagner
- Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD.,Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Sania Amr
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD.,Marlene and Stuart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
| | - Mark H Greene
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Shahinaz M Gadalla
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
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98
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Auxerre-Plantié E, Nakamori M, Renaud Y, Huguet A, Choquet C, Dondi C, Miquerol L, Takahashi MP, Gourdon G, Junion G, Jagla T, Zmojdzian M, Jagla K. Straightjacket/α2δ3 deregulation is associated with cardiac conduction defects in myotonic dystrophy type 1. eLife 2019; 8:51114. [PMID: 31829940 PMCID: PMC6908436 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac conduction defects decrease life expectancy in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), a CTG repeat disorder involving misbalance between two RNA binding factors, MBNL1 and CELF1. However, how DM1 condition translates into conduction disorders remains poorly understood. Here we simulated MBNL1 and CELF1 misbalance in the Drosophila heart and performed TU-tagging-based RNAseq of cardiac cells. We detected deregulations of several genes controlling cellular calcium levels, including increased expression of straightjacket/α2δ3, which encodes a regulatory subunit of a voltage-gated calcium channel. Straightjacket overexpression in the fly heart leads to asynchronous heartbeat, a hallmark of abnormal conduction, whereas cardiac straightjacket knockdown improves these symptoms in DM1 fly models. We also show that ventricular α2δ3 expression is low in healthy mice and humans, but significantly elevated in ventricular muscles from DM1 patients with conduction defects. These findings suggest that reducing ventricular straightjacket/α2δ3 levels could offer a strategy to prevent conduction defects in DM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Auxerre-Plantié
- GReD, CNRS UMR6293, INSERM U1103, University of Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Masayuki Nakamori
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoan Renaud
- GReD, CNRS UMR6293, INSERM U1103, University of Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Aline Huguet
- Imagine Institute, Inserm UMR1163, Paris, France.,Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Inserm UMRS974, Sorbonne Universités, Institut de Myologie, Paris, France
| | | | - Cristiana Dondi
- GReD, CNRS UMR6293, INSERM U1103, University of Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | | | - Masanori P Takahashi
- Department of Functional Diagnostic Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Geneviève Gourdon
- Imagine Institute, Inserm UMR1163, Paris, France.,Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Inserm UMRS974, Sorbonne Universités, Institut de Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Junion
- GReD, CNRS UMR6293, INSERM U1103, University of Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Teresa Jagla
- GReD, CNRS UMR6293, INSERM U1103, University of Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Monika Zmojdzian
- GReD, CNRS UMR6293, INSERM U1103, University of Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Krzysztof Jagla
- GReD, CNRS UMR6293, INSERM U1103, University of Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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99
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Nieuwenhuis S, Okkersen K, Widomska J, Blom P, 't Hoen PAC, van Engelen B, Glennon JC. Insulin Signaling as a Key Moderator in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1. Front Neurol 2019; 10:1229. [PMID: 31849810 PMCID: PMC6901991 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.01229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease characterized by multi-system involvement. Affected organ system includes skeletal muscle, heart, gastro-intestinal system and the brain. In this review, we evaluate the evidence for alterations in insulin signaling and their relation to clinical DM1 features. We start by summarizing the molecular pathophysiology of DM1. Next, an overview of normal insulin signaling physiology is given, and evidence for alterations herein in DM1 is presented. Clinically, evidence for involvement of insulin signaling pathways in DM1 is based on the increased incidence of insulin resistance seen in clinical practice and recent trial evidence of beneficial effects of metformin on muscle function. Indirectly, further support may be derived from certain CNS derived symptoms characteristic of DM1, such as obsessive-compulsive behavior features, for which links with altered insulin signaling has been demonstrated in other diseases. At the basic scientific level, several pathophysiological mechanisms that operate in DM1 may compromise normal insulin signaling physiology. The evidence presented here reflects the importance of insulin signaling in relation to clinical features of DM1 and justifies further basic scientific and clinical, therapeutically oriented research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Nieuwenhuis
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Kees Okkersen
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Joanna Widomska
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Paul Blom
- VDL Enabling Technologies Group B.V., Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Peter A C 't Hoen
- Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Baziel van Engelen
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jeffrey C Glennon
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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100
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Increased Muscleblind levels by chloroquine treatment improve myotonic dystrophy type 1 phenotypes in in vitro and in vivo models. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:25203-25213. [PMID: 31754023 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820297116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a life-threatening and chronically debilitating neuromuscular disease caused by the expansion of a CTG trinucleotide repeat in the 3' UTR of the DMPK gene. The mutant RNA forms insoluble structures capable of sequestering RNA binding proteins of the Muscleblind-like (MBNL) family, which ultimately leads to phenotypes. In this work, we demonstrate that treatment with the antiautophagic drug chloroquine was sufficient to up-regulate MBNL1 and 2 proteins in Drosophila and mouse (HSALR) models and patient-derived myoblasts. Extra Muscleblind was functional at the molecular level and improved splicing events regulated by MBNLs in all disease models. In vivo, chloroquine restored locomotion, rescued average cross-sectional muscle area, and extended median survival in DM1 flies. In HSALR mice, the drug restored muscular strength and histopathology signs and reduced the grade of myotonia. Taken together, these results offer a means to replenish critically low MBNL levels in DM1.
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