101
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Irmak D, Fatima A, Gutiérrez-Garcia R, Rinschen MM, Wagle P, Altmüller J, Arrigoni L, Hummel B, Klein C, Frese CK, Sawarkar R, Rada-Iglesias A, Vilchez D. Mechanism suppressing H3K9 trimethylation in pluripotent stem cells and its demise by polyQ-expanded huntingtin mutations. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 27:4117-4134. [PMID: 30452683 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells are invaluable resources to study development and disease, holding a great promise for regenerative medicine. Here we use human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from patients with Huntington's disease (HD-iPSCs) to shed light into the normal function of huntingtin (HTT) and its demise in disease. We find that HTT binds ATF7IP, a regulator of the histone H3 methyltransferase SETDB1. HTT inhibits the interaction of the ATF7IP-SETDB1 complex with other heterochromatin regulators and transcriptional repressors, maintaining low levels of H3K9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) in hESCs. Loss of HTT promotes global increased H3K9me3 levels and enrichment of H3K9me3 marks at distinct genes, including transcriptional regulators of neuronal differentiation. Although these genes are normally expressed at low amounts in hESCs, HTT knockdown (KD) reduces their induction during neural differentiation. Notably, mutant expanded polyglutamine repeats in HTT diminish its interaction with ATF7IP-SETDB1 complex and trigger H3K9me3 in HD-iPSCs. Conversely, KD of ATF7IP in HD-iPSCs reduces H3K9me3 alterations and ameliorates gene expression changes in their neural counterparts. Taken together, our results indicate ATF7IP as a potential target to correct aberrant H3K9me3 levels induced by mutant HTT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilber Irmak
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 26, Cologne, Germany
| | - Azra Fatima
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 26, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ricardo Gutiérrez-Garcia
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 26, Cologne, Germany
| | - Markus M Rinschen
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 26, Cologne, Germany
| | - Prerana Wagle
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 26, Cologne, Germany
| | - Janine Altmüller
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Strasse 21, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Center for Genomics (CCG), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Laura Arrigoni
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Hummel
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Corinna Klein
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 26, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christian K Frese
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 26, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ritwick Sawarkar
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Alvaro Rada-Iglesias
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 26, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Strasse 21, Cologne, Germany
| | - David Vilchez
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 26, Cologne, Germany
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102
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Escobedo A, Topal B, Kunze MBA, Aranda J, Chiesa G, Mungianu D, Bernardo-Seisdedos G, Eftekharzadeh B, Gairí M, Pierattelli R, Felli IC, Diercks T, Millet O, García J, Orozco M, Crehuet R, Lindorff-Larsen K, Salvatella X. Side chain to main chain hydrogen bonds stabilize a polyglutamine helix in a transcription factor. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2034. [PMID: 31048691 PMCID: PMC6497633 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09923-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts are regions of low sequence complexity frequently found in transcription factors. Tract length often correlates with transcriptional activity and expansion beyond specific thresholds in certain human proteins is the cause of polyQ disorders. To study the structural basis of the association between tract length, transcriptional activity and disease, we addressed how the conformation of the polyQ tract of the androgen receptor, associated with spinobulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), depends on its length. Here we report that this sequence folds into a helical structure stabilized by unconventional hydrogen bonds between glutamine side chains and main chain carbonyl groups, and that its helicity directly correlates with tract length. These unusual hydrogen bonds are bifurcate with the conventional hydrogen bonds stabilizing α-helices. Our findings suggest a plausible rationale for the association between polyQ tract length and androgen receptor transcriptional activity and have implications for establishing the mechanistic basis of SBMA. Polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts are low-complexity regions and their expansion is linked to certain neurodegenerative diseases. Here the authors combine experimental and computational approaches to find that the length of the androgen receptor polyQ tract correlates with its helicity and show that the polyQ helical structure is stabilized by hydrogen bonds between the Gln side chains and main chain carbonyl groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Escobedo
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Joint BSC-IRB Research Programme in Computational Biology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Busra Topal
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Joint BSC-IRB Research Programme in Computational Biology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Micha B A Kunze
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory, Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Juan Aranda
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Joint BSC-IRB Research Programme in Computational Biology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giulio Chiesa
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Joint BSC-IRB Research Programme in Computational Biology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniele Mungianu
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Joint BSC-IRB Research Programme in Computational Biology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Bahareh Eftekharzadeh
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Joint BSC-IRB Research Programme in Computational Biology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Margarida Gairí
- NMR Facility, Scientific and Technological Centers University of Barcelona (CCiTUB), Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roberta Pierattelli
- CERM and Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Isabella C Felli
- CERM and Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Tammo Diercks
- CIC bioGUNE, Bizkaia Science and Technology Park bld 801A, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Oscar Millet
- CIC bioGUNE, Bizkaia Science and Technology Park bld 801A, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Jesús García
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Modesto Orozco
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Joint BSC-IRB Research Programme in Computational Biology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, University of Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 645, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ramon Crehuet
- Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Kresten Lindorff-Larsen
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory, Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Xavier Salvatella
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain. .,Joint BSC-IRB Research Programme in Computational Biology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain. .,ICREA, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain.
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103
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Olfactory bulb atrophy and caspase activation observed in the BACHD rat models of Huntington disease. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 125:219-231. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
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104
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Rangel-Barajas C, Rebec GV. Overview of Huntington's Disease Models: Neuropathological, Molecular, and Behavioral Differences. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 83:e47. [PMID: 30040221 DOI: 10.1002/cpns.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic mouse models of Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative condition caused by a single gene mutation, have been transformative in their ability to reveal the molecular processes and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the HD behavioral phenotype. Three model categories have been generated depending on the genetic context in which the mutation is expressed: truncated, full-length, and knock-in. No single model, however, broadly replicates the behavioral symptoms and massive neuronal loss that occur in human patients. The disparity between model and patient requires careful consideration of what each model has to offer when testing potential treatments. Although the translation of animal data to the clinic has been limited, each model can make unique contributions toward an improved understanding of the neurobehavioral underpinnings of HD. Thus, conclusions based on data obtained from more than one model are likely to have the most success in the search for new treatment targets. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Rangel-Barajas
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - George V Rebec
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
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105
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Bhadoriya P, Jain M, Kaicker G, Saidullah B, Saran S. Deletion of Htt cause alterations in cAMP signaling and spatial patterning in Dictyostelium discoideum. J Cell Physiol 2019; 234:18858-18871. [PMID: 30916411 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.28524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, we have analyzed in detail the functions of Htt during growth and development of the protist, Dictyostelium discoideum by creating mutants (both overexpressor and knockout). The mRNA was present at all stages of growth and development. Overexpression of htt did not show any major anomaly, while deletion resulted in delayed aggregation territory formation and showed asynchronous development especially after slug stage. The slugs formed by htt - cells showed aberration in anterior-posterior boundary, showing increased prestalk region. DdHtt regulates STAT transcription factors in the tip organizer region that help maintain patterning and culmination. In chimeras with the wild-type, htt - cells preferentially localized to the tip of the slug and basal disc regions of the fruiting body showing prestalk/stalk bias, while the overexpressing cells majorly populated the prespore/spore region showing spore bias. These differences could be attributed to protein kinase A (PKA)-regulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Bhadoriya
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.,School of Sciences, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, India
| | - Mukul Jain
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.,School of Sciences, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, India
| | - Geeta Kaicker
- School of Sciences, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, India
| | - Bano Saidullah
- School of Sciences, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, India
| | - Shweta Saran
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
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106
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Couly S, Paucard A, Bonneaud N, Maurice T, Benigno L, Jourdan C, Cohen-Solal C, Vignes M, Maschat F. Improvement of BDNF signalling by P42 peptide in Huntington's disease. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 27:3012-3028. [PMID: 29860423 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a mutation in the Huntingtin (HTT) protein. We previously reported that the 23aa peptide of HTT protein, P42, is preventing HD pathological phenotypes, such as aggregation, reduction of motor performances and neurodegeneration. A systemic treatment with P42 during the pre-symptomatic phase of the disease showed therapeutic potential in R6/2 mice. We here tested P42 effects when administered during the post-symptomatic phase. The P42 treatment alleviated deficits in motor performances, even when symptoms have already started. Because changes in the level and activity of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have been shown to play a central role in HD, we analysed the influence of P42 on BDNF deficit and associated phenotypes. Our data suggest that P42 is involved in the spatio-temporal control of bdnf and trkB mRNA and their protein levels. Related to this enhancement of BDNF-TrkB signalling, R6/2 mice treated with P42, exhibit reduced anxiety, better learning and memory performances, and better long-term potentiation (LTP) response. Finally we identified a direct influence of P42 peptide on neuronal plasticity and activity. These results suggest that P42 offers an efficient therapeutic potential not only by preventing aggregation of mutant HTT at early stages of the disease, but also by favouring some physiological functions of normal HTT, as P42 is naturally part of it, at the different stages of the disease. This makes P42 peptide potentially suitable not only to prevent, but also to treat HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Couly
- MMDN, Univ-Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, UMR-S1198, Montpellier F-34095, France
| | - Alexia Paucard
- MMDN, Univ-Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, UMR-S1198, Montpellier F-34095, France
| | - Nathalie Bonneaud
- MMDN, Univ-Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, UMR-S1198, Montpellier F-34095, France
| | - Tangui Maurice
- MMDN, Univ-Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, UMR-S1198, Montpellier F-34095, France
| | | | - Christophe Jourdan
- MMDN, Univ-Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, UMR-S1198, Montpellier F-34095, France
| | | | - Michel Vignes
- IBMM-UMR5247, Univ-Montpellier, Montpellier F-34095, France
| | - Florence Maschat
- MMDN, Univ-Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, UMR-S1198, Montpellier F-34095, France
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107
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Lane RM, Smith A, Baumann T, Gleichmann M, Norris D, Bennett CF, Kordasiewicz H. Translating Antisense Technology into a Treatment for Huntington's Disease. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1780:497-523. [PMID: 29856033 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7825-0_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Advances in molecular biology and genetics have been used to elucidate the fundamental genetic mechanisms underlying central nervous system (CNS) diseases, yet disease-modifying therapies are currently unavailable for most CNS conditions. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are synthetic single stranded chains of nucleic acids that bind to a specific sequence on ribonucleic acid (RNA) and regulate posttranscriptional gene expression. Decreased gene expression with ASOs might be able to reduce production of the disease-causing protein underlying dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders. Huntington's disease (HD), which is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene and leads to the pathogenic expansion of a polyglutamine (PolyQ ) tract in the N terminus of the huntingtin protein (Htt), is a prime candidate for ASO therapy.State-of-the art translational science techniques can be applied to the development of an ASO targeting HTT RNA, allowing for a data-driven, stepwise progression through the drug development process. A deep and wide-ranging understanding of the basic, preclinical, clinical, and epidemiologic components of drug development will improve the likelihood of success. This includes characterizing the natural history of the disease, including evolution of biomarkers indexing the underlying pathology; using predictive preclinical models to assess the putative gain-of-function of mutant Htt protein and any loss-of-function of the wild-type protein; characterizing toxicokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of ASOs in predictive animal models; developing sensitive and reliable biomarkers to monitor target engagement and effects on pathology that translate from animal models to patients with HD; establishing a drug delivery method that ensures reliable distribution to relevant CNS tissue; and designing clinical trials that move expeditiously from proof of concept to proof of efficacy. This review focuses on the translational science techniques that allow for efficient and informed development of an ASO for the treatment of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne Smith
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Dan Norris
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, USA
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108
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Jensen MP, Barker RA. Disease-Modification in Huntington's Disease: Moving Away from a Single-Target Approach. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 8:9-22. [PMID: 30636742 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-180320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
To date, no candidate intervention has demonstrated a disease-modifying effect in Huntington's disease, despite promising results in preclinical studies. In this commentary we discuss disease-modifying therapies that have been trialled in Huntington's disease and speculate that these failures may be attributed, in part, to the assumption that a single drug selectively targeting one aspect of disease pathology will be universally effective, regardless of disease stage or "subtype". We therefore propose an alternative approach for effective disease-modification that uses 1) a combination approach rather than monotherapy, and 2) targets the disease process early on - before it is clinically manifest. Finally, we will consider whether this change in approach that we propose will be relevant in the future given the recent shift to targeting more proximal disease processes-e.g., huntingtin gene expression; a timely question given Roche's recent decision to take on the clinical development of a promising new drug candidate in Huntington's disease, IONIS-HTTRx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie P Jensen
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Roger A Barker
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, UK
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109
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Loss-of-Huntingtin in Medial and Lateral Ganglionic Lineages Differentially Disrupts Regional Interneuron and Projection Neuron Subtypes and Promotes Huntington's Disease-Associated Behavioral, Cellular, and Pathological Hallmarks. J Neurosci 2019; 39:1892-1909. [PMID: 30626701 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2443-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging studies are providing compelling evidence that the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder with frequent midlife onset, encompasses developmental components. Moreover, our previous studies using a hypomorphic model targeting huntingtin during the neurodevelopmental period indicated that loss-of-function mechanisms account for this pathogenic developmental component (Arteaga-Bracho et al., 2016). In the present study, we specifically ascertained the roles of subpallial lineage species in eliciting the previously observed HD-like phenotypes. Accordingly, we used the Cre-loxP system to conditionally ablate the murine huntingtin gene (Httflx) in cells expressing the subpallial patterning markers Gsx2 (Gsx2-Cre) or Nkx2.1 (Nkx2.1-Cre) in Httflx mice of both sexes. These genetic manipulations elicited anxiety-like behaviors, hyperkinetic locomotion, age-dependent motor deficits, and weight loss in both Httflx;Gsx2-Cre and Httflx;Nkx2.1-Cre mice. In addition, these strains displayed unique but complementary spatial patterns of basal ganglia degeneration that are strikingly reminiscent of those seen in human cases of HD. Furthermore, we observed early deficits of somatostatin-positive and Reelin-positive interneurons in both Htt subpallial null strains, as well as early increases of cholinergic interneurons, Foxp2+ arkypallidal neurons, and incipient deficits with age-dependent loss of parvalbumin-positive neurons in Httflx;Nkx2.1-Cre mice. Overall, our findings indicate that selective loss-of-huntingtin function in subpallial lineages differentially disrupts the number, complement, and survival of forebrain interneurons and globus pallidus GABAergic neurons, thereby leading to the development of key neurological hallmarks of HD during adult life. Our findings have important implications for the establishment and deployment of neural circuitries and the integrity of network reserve in health and disease.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive degenerative disorder caused by aberrant trinucleotide expansion in the huntingtin gene. Mechanistically, this mutation involves both loss- and gain-of-function mechanisms affecting a broad array of cellular and molecular processes. Although huntingtin is widely expressed during adult life, the mutant protein only causes the demise of selective neuronal subtypes. The mechanisms accounting for this differential vulnerability remain elusive. In this study, we have demonstrated that loss-of-huntingtin function in subpallial lineages not only differentially disrupts distinct interneuron species early in life, but also leads to a pattern of neurological deficits that are reminiscent of HD. This work suggests that early disruption of selective neuronal subtypes may account for the profiles of enhanced regional cellular vulnerability to death in HD.
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110
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Kwakye GF, Jiménez JA, Thomas MG, Kingsley BA, McIIvin M, Saito MA, Korley EM. Heterozygous huntingtin promotes cadmium neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration in striatal cells via altered metal transport and protein kinase C delta dependent oxidative stress and apoptosis signaling mechanisms. Neurotoxicology 2019; 70:48-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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111
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Kumar NN, Pizzo ME, Nehra G, Wilken-Resman B, Boroumand S, Thorne RG. Passive Immunotherapies for Central Nervous System Disorders: Current Delivery Challenges and New Approaches. Bioconjug Chem 2018; 29:3937-3966. [PMID: 30265523 PMCID: PMC7234797 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.8b00548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Passive immunotherapy, i.e., the administration of exogenous antibodies that recognize a specific target antigen, has gained significant momentum as a potential treatment strategy for several central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and brain cancer, among others. Advances in antibody engineering to create therapeutic antibody fragments or antibody conjugates have introduced new strategies that may also be applied to treat CNS disorders. However, drug delivery to the CNS for antibodies and other macromolecules has thus far proven challenging, due in large part to the blood-brain barrier and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barriers that greatly restrict transport of peripherally administered molecules from the systemic circulation into the CNS. Here, we summarize the various passive immunotherapy approaches under study for the treatment of CNS disorders, with a primary focus on disease-specific and target site-specific challenges to drug delivery and new, cutting edge methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niyanta N. Kumar
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, University of
Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy
| | - Michelle E. Pizzo
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, University of
Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy
- Clinical Neuroengineering Training Program, University of
Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United States
| | - Geetika Nehra
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, University of
Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy
| | - Brynna Wilken-Resman
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, University of
Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy
| | - Sam Boroumand
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, University of
Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy
| | - Robert G. Thorne
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, University of
Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy
- Clinical Neuroengineering Training Program, University of
Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United States
- Neuroscience Training Program & Center for
Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United
States
- Cellular and Molecular Pathology Graduate Training Program,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United States
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112
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Yu C, Li CH, Chen S, Yoo H, Qin X, Park H. Decreased BDNF Release in Cortical Neurons of a Knock-in Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16976. [PMID: 30451892 PMCID: PMC6242964 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34883-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by an increase in CAG repeats in the Huntingtin gene (HTT). The striatum is one of the most vulnerable brain regions in HD, and altered delivery of BDNF to the striatum is believed to underlie this high vulnerability. However, the delivery of BDNF to the striatum in HD remains poorly understood. Here, we used real-time imaging to visualize release of BDNF from cortical neurons cultured alone or co-cultured with striatal neurons. BDNF release was significantly decreased in the cortical neurons of zQ175 mice (a knock-in model of HD), and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy revealed several release patterns of single BDNF-containing vesicles, with distinct kinetics and prevalence, in co-cultured cortical HD neurons. Notably, a smaller proportion of single BDNF-containing vesicles underwent full release in HD neurons than in wild-type neurons. This decreased release of BDNF in cortical neurons might lead to decreased BDNF levels in the striatum because the striatum receives BDNF mainly from the cortex. In addition, we observed a decrease in the total travel length and speed of BDNF-containing vesicles in HD neurons, indicating altered transport of these vesicles in HD. Our findings suggest a potential mechanism for the vulnerability of striatal neurons in HD and offer new insights into the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the degeneration of neurons in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglong Yu
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chun Hei Li
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sidong Chen
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hanna Yoo
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xianan Qin
- Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hyokeun Park
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. .,Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
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113
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Nabavi SF, Sureda A, Dehpour AR, Shirooie S, Silva AS, Devi KP, Ahmed T, Ishaq N, Hashim R, Sobarzo-Sánchez E, Daglia M, Braidy N, Volpicella M, Vacca RA, Nabavi SM. Regulation of autophagy by polyphenols: Paving the road for treatment of neurodegeneration. Biotechnol Adv 2018; 36:1768-1778. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2017.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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114
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Boiziau C, Nikolski M, Mordelet E, Aussudre J, Vargas-Sanchez K, Petry KG. A Peptide Targeting Inflammatory CNS Lesions in the EAE Rat Model of Multiple Sclerosis. Inflammation 2018. [PMID: 29516383 DOI: 10.1007/s10753-018-0748-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis is characterized by inflammatory lesions dispersed throughout the central nervous system (CNS) leading to severe neurological handicap. Demyelination, axonal damage, and blood brain barrier alterations are hallmarks of this pathology, whose precise processes are not fully understood. In the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) rat model that mimics many features of human multiple sclerosis, the phage display strategy was applied to select peptide ligands targeting inflammatory sites in CNS. Due to the large diversity of sequences after phage display selection, a bioinformatics procedure called "PepTeam" designed to identify peptides mimicking naturally occurring proteins was used, with the goal to predict peptides that were not background noise. We identified a circular peptide CLSTASNSC called "Ph48" as an efficient binder of inflammatory regions of EAE CNS sections including small inflammatory lesions of both white and gray matter. Tested on human brain endothelial cells hCMEC/D3, Ph48 was able to bind efficiently when these cells were activated with IL1β to mimic inflammatory conditions. The peptide is therefore a candidate for further analyses of the molecular alterations in inflammatory lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudine Boiziau
- INSERM, UMR 1049, F-33076, Bordeaux, France. .,Univ. Bordeaux, Neuroinflammation Imaging and Therapy of Multiple Sclerosis, F-33076, Bordeaux, France. .,INSERM, UMR 1026, BioTis, F-33 076, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Macha Nikolski
- Univ. Bordeaux, CBiB, F-33076, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, LaBRI UMR 5800, F-33400, Talence, France
| | - Elodie Mordelet
- INSERM, UMR 1049, F-33076, Bordeaux, France.,Univ. Bordeaux, Neuroinflammation Imaging and Therapy of Multiple Sclerosis, F-33076, Bordeaux, France
| | - Justine Aussudre
- INSERM, UMR 1049, F-33076, Bordeaux, France.,Univ. Bordeaux, Neuroinflammation Imaging and Therapy of Multiple Sclerosis, F-33076, Bordeaux, France
| | - Karina Vargas-Sanchez
- INSERM, UMR 1049, F-33076, Bordeaux, France.,Univ. Bordeaux, Neuroinflammation Imaging and Therapy of Multiple Sclerosis, F-33076, Bordeaux, France.,Biomedical Sciences Research Group, GRINCIBIO, School of Medicine, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Bogotà, Colombia
| | - Klaus G Petry
- INSERM, UMR 1049, F-33076, Bordeaux, France.,Univ. Bordeaux, Neuroinflammation Imaging and Therapy of Multiple Sclerosis, F-33076, Bordeaux, France.,INSERM, UMR1029, F-33076, Bordeaux, France
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115
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Burra G, Thakur AK. Insights into the molecular mechanism behind solubilization of amyloidogenic polyglutamine‐containing peptides. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gunasekhar Burra
- Department of Biological Sciences and BioengineeringIndian Institute of Technology Kanpur Kanpur‐208016 India
| | - Ashwani Kumar Thakur
- Department of Biological Sciences and BioengineeringIndian Institute of Technology Kanpur Kanpur‐208016 India
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116
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Abstract
The 25 years since the identification of the gene responsible for Huntington disease (HD) have stood witness to profound discoveries about the nature of the disease and its pathogenesis. Despite this progress, however, the development of disease-modifying therapies has thus far been slow. Preclinical validation of the therapeutic potential of disrupted pathways in HD has led to the advancement of pharmacological agents, both novel and repurposed, for clinical evaluation. The most promising therapeutic approaches include huntingtin (HTT) lowering and modification as well as modulation of neuroinflammation and synaptic transmission. With clinical trials for many of these approaches imminent or currently ongoing, the coming years are promising not only for HD but also for more prevalent neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer and Parkinson disease, in which many of these pathways have been similarly implicated.
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117
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Ohkuni K, Pasupala N, Peek J, Holloway GL, Sclar GD, Levy-Myers R, Baker RE, Basrai MA, Kerscher O. SUMO-Targeted Ubiquitin Ligases (STUbLs) Reduce the Toxicity and Abnormal Transcriptional Activity Associated With a Mutant, Aggregation-Prone Fragment of Huntingtin. Front Genet 2018; 9:379. [PMID: 30279700 PMCID: PMC6154015 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell viability and gene expression profiles are altered in cellular models of neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington’s Disease (HD). Using the yeast model system, we show that the SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase (STUbL) Slx5 reduces the toxicity and abnormal transcriptional activity associated with a mutant, aggregation-prone fragment of huntingtin (Htt), the causative agent of HD. We demonstrate that expression of an aggregation-prone Htt construct with 103 glutamine residues (103Q), but not the non-expanded form (25Q), results in severe growth defects in slx5Δ and slx8Δ cells. Since Slx5 is a nuclear protein and because Htt expression affects gene transcription, we assessed the effect of STUbLs on the transcriptional properties of aggregation-prone Htt. Expression of Htt 25Q and 55Q fused to the Gal4 activation domain (AD) resulted in reporter gene auto-activation. Remarkably, the auto-activation of Htt constructs was abolished by expression of Slx5 fused to the Gal4 DNA-binding domain (BD-Slx5). In support of these observations, RNF4, the human ortholog of Slx5, curbs the aberrant transcriptional activity of aggregation-prone Htt in yeast and a variety of cultured human cell lines. Functionally, we find that an extra copy of SLX5 specifically reduces Htt aggregates in the cytosol as well as chromatin-associated Htt aggregates in the nucleus. Finally, using RNA sequencing, we identified and confirmed specific targets of Htt’s transcriptional activity that are modulated by Slx5. In summary, this study of STUbLs uncovers a conserved pathway that counteracts the accumulation of aggregating, transcriptionally active Htt (and possibly other poly-glutamine expanded proteins) on chromatin in both yeast and in mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Ohkuni
- Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Nagesh Pasupala
- Biology Department, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, United States
| | - Jennifer Peek
- Biology Department, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, United States
| | | | - Gloria D Sclar
- Biology Department, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, United States
| | - Reuben Levy-Myers
- Biology Department, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, United States
| | - Richard E Baker
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Munira A Basrai
- Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Oliver Kerscher
- Biology Department, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, United States
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118
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Costa de Miranda R, Di Lorenzo N, Andreoli A, Romano L, De Santis GL, Gualtieri P, De Lorenzo A. Body composition and bone mineral density in Huntington's disease. Nutrition 2018; 59:145-149. [PMID: 30468934 DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Understanding the body composition (BC) of patients with Huntington's disease (HD) could help to delay disease progression and improve treatment efficacy. The aim of this study was to assess BC parameters, including bone mineral density (BMD), and to find new biomarkers that can be early indicators for weight loss in patients with HD. METHODS Twenty-one age- and sex-matched patients with HD and 29 healthy controls (CT) were enrolled. For each patient, body weight (BW), height, and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated. BC and BMD were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Subsamples were created according to sex and percent fat mass (FM) (obese and nonobese). All analyses were carried out using SPSS version 23. RESULTS In all comparisons, BMD and T-score were lower in the HD group, but were not correlated with lean body mass (LBM) or FM. In the HD group, LBM and truncal fat were mostly reduced, except in women with HD whose BC appeared to be less affected by the disease than men. Furthermore, LBM (r = 0.80) and truncal fat (r = 0.68) were better correlated with BW than BMI (r = 0.56). CONCLUSION Complete BC assessment can be crucial for preventive interventions and prognosis definition in patients with HD. New biomarkers such as BMD, LBM, and truncal fat can be early indicators of weight loss in patients with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Costa de Miranda
- PhD School of Applied Medical-Surgical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Nicola Di Lorenzo
- Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Tor Vergata, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Andreoli
- Department of System Medicine, Human Physiology and Nutrition Unit, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Romano
- Specialisation School of Food Science, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Gemma Lou De Santis
- Specialisation School of Food Science, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Gualtieri
- PhD School of Applied Medical-Surgical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonino De Lorenzo
- Section of Clinical Nutrition and Nutrigenomic, Department of Biomedicine and prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; Casa di Cura Madonna dello Scoglio, Cotronei, Italy.
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119
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Rosas-Arellano A, Estrada-Mondragón A, Piña R, Mantellero CA, Castro MA. The Tiny Drosophila Melanogaster for the Biggest Answers in Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:E2398. [PMID: 30110961 PMCID: PMC6121572 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19082398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The average life expectancy for humans has increased over the last years. However, the quality of the later stages of life is low and is considered a public health issue of global importance. Late adulthood and the transition into the later stage of life occasionally leads to neurodegenerative diseases that selectively affect different types of neurons and brain regions, producing motor dysfunctions, cognitive impairment, and psychiatric disorders that are progressive, irreversible, without remission periods, and incurable. Huntington's disease (HD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder. In the 25 years since the mutation of the huntingtin (HTT) gene was identified as the molecule responsible for this neural disorder, a variety of animal models, including the fruit fly, have been used to study the disease. Here, we review recent research that used Drosophila as an experimental tool for improving knowledge about the molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Rosas-Arellano
- Unidad de Imagenología, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico.
| | - Argel Estrada-Mondragón
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Ricardo Piña
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 9160000, Chile.
- Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Biológicas, Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago 8370993, Chile.
| | - Carola A Mantellero
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Las Américas, Santiago 7500972, Chile.
| | - Maite A Castro
- Instituto de Bioquímica y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5090000, Chile.
- Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on the Nervous System (CISNe), Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5090000, Chile.
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120
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Misfolded Protein Linked Strategies Toward Biomarker Development for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:2559-2578. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1232-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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121
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Neueder A, Bates GP. RNA Related Pathology in Huntington's Disease. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1049:85-101. [PMID: 29427099 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-71779-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
This chapter summarises research investigating the expression of huntingtin sense and anti-sense transcripts, the effect of the mutation on huntingtin processing as well as the more global effect of the mutation on the coding and non-coding transcriptomes. The huntingtin gene is ubiquitously expressed, although expression levels vary between tissues and cell types. A SNP that affects NF-ĸB binding in the huntingtin promoter modulates the expression level of huntingtin transcripts and is associated with the age of disease onset. Incomplete splicing between exon 1 and exon 2 has been shown to result in the expression of a small polyadenylated mRNA that encodes the highly pathogenic exon 1 huntingtin protein. This occurs in a CAG-repeat length dependent manner in all full-length mouse models of HD as well as HD patient post-mortem brains and fibroblasts. An antisense transcript to huntingtin is generated that contains a CUG repeat that is expanded in HD patients. In myotonic dystrophy, expanded CUG repeats form RNA foci in cell nuclei that bind specific proteins (e.g. MBL1). Short, pure CAG RNAs of approximately 21 nucleotides that have been processed by DICER can inhibit the translation of other CAG repeat containing mRNAs. The HD mutation affects the transcriptome at the level of mRNA expression, splicing and the expression of non-coding RNAs. Finally, expanded repetitive stretched of nucleotides can lead to RAN translation, in which the ribosome translates from the expanded repeat in all possible reading frames, producing proteins with various poly-amino acid tracts. The extent to which these events contribute to HD pathogenesis is largely unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Neueder
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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122
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Zhao Y, Zurawel AA, Jenkins NP, Duennwald ML, Cheng C, Kettenbach AN, Supattapone S. Comparative Analysis of Mutant Huntingtin Binding Partners in Yeast Species. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9554. [PMID: 29934597 PMCID: PMC6015068 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27900-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is caused by the pathological expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch in Huntingtin (Htt), but the molecular mechanisms by which polyQ expansion in Htt causes toxicity in selective neuronal populations remain poorly understood. Interestingly, heterologous expression of expanded polyQ Htt is toxic in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells, but has no effect in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a related yeast species possessing very few endogenous polyQ or Q/N-rich proteins. Here, we used a comprehensive and unbiased mass spectrometric approach to identify proteins that bind Htt in a length-dependent manner in both species. Analysis of the expanded polyQ-associated proteins reveals marked enrichment of proteins that are localized to and play functional roles in nucleoli and mitochondria in S. cerevisiae, but not in S. pombe. Moreover, expanded polyQ Htt appears to interact preferentially with endogenous polyQ and Q/N-rich proteins, which are rare in S. pombe, as well as proteins containing coiled-coil motifs in S. cerevisiae. Taken together, these results suggest that polyQ expansion of Htt may cause cellular toxicity in S. cerevisiae by sequestering endogenous polyQ and Q/N-rich proteins, particularly within nucleoli and mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanding Zhao
- Departments of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, United States
| | - Ashley A Zurawel
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, United States
| | - Nicole P Jenkins
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, United States
| | - Martin L Duennwald
- Department of Pathology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Chao Cheng
- Departments of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, United States
- Biomedical Data Sciences, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, United States
| | - Arminja N Kettenbach
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, United States
| | - Surachai Supattapone
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, United States.
- Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, United States.
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123
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Pan Y, Zhu Y, Yang W, Tycksen E, Liu S, Palucki J, Zhu L, Sasaki Y, Sharma MK, Kim AH, Zhang B, Yano H. The role of Twist1 in mutant huntingtin-induced transcriptional alterations and neurotoxicity. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:11850-11866. [PMID: 29891550 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.001211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by an abnormal expansion of polyglutamine repeats in the huntingtin protein (Htt). Transcriptional dysregulation is an early event in the course of HD progression and is thought to contribute to disease pathogenesis, but how mutant Htt causes transcriptional alterations and subsequent cell death in neurons is not well understood. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that expression of a mutant Htt fragment in primary cortical neurons leads to robust gene expression changes before neuronal death. Basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Twist1, which is essential for embryogenesis and is normally expressed at low levels in mature neurons, was substantially up-regulated in mutant Htt-expressing neurons in culture and in the brains of HD mouse models. Knockdown of Twist1 by RNAi in mutant Htt-expressing primary cortical neurons reversed the altered expression of a subset of genes involved in neuronal function and, importantly, abrogated neurotoxicity. Using brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), which is known to be involved in HD pathogenesis, as a model gene, we found that Twist1 knockdown could reverse mutant Htt-induced DNA hypermethylation at the Bdnf regulatory region and reactivate Bdnf expression. Together, these results suggest that Twist1 is an important upstream mediator of mutant Htt-induced neuronal death and may in part operate through epigenetic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ying Zhu
- From the Department of Neurological Surgery
| | - Wei Yang
- Genome Technology Access Center.,Department of Genetics
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Albert H Kim
- From the Department of Neurological Surgery.,Department of Genetics.,Department of Developmental Biology.,Center of Regenerative Medicine.,Department of Neurology, and.,Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Developmental Biology.,Center of Regenerative Medicine
| | - Hiroko Yano
- From the Department of Neurological Surgery, .,Department of Genetics.,Center of Regenerative Medicine.,Department of Neurology, and.,Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
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124
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Vidinská D, Vochozková P, Šmatlíková P, Ardan T, Klíma J, Juhás Š, Juhásová J, Bohuslavová B, Baxa M, Valeková I, Motlík J, Ellederová Z. Gradual Phenotype Development in Huntington Disease Transgenic Minipig Model at 24 Months of Age. NEURODEGENER DIS 2018; 18:107-119. [DOI: 10.1159/000488592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Huntington disease (HD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine sequence in a gene encoding the huntingtin (Htt) protein, which is expressed in almost all cells of the body. In addition to small animal models, new therapeutic approaches (including gene therapy) require large animal models as their large brains are a more realistic model for translational research. Objective: In this study, we describe phenotype development in transgenic minipigs (TgHD) expressing the N-terminal part of mutated human Htt at the age of 24 months. Methods: TgHD and wild-type littermates were compared. Western blot analysis and subcellular fractionation of different tissues was used to determine the fragmentation of Htt. Immunohistochemistry and optical analysis of coronal sections measuring aggregates, Htt expression, neuroinflammation, and myelination was applied. Furthermore, the expression of Golgi protein acyl-CoA binding domain containing 3 (ACBD3) was analyzed. Results: We found age-correlated Htt fragmentation in the brain. Among various tissues studied, the testes displayed the highest fragmentation, with Htt fragments detectable even in cell nuclei. Also, Golgi protein ACBD3 was upregulated in testes, which is in agreement with previously reported testicular degeneration in TgHD minipigs. Nevertheless, the TgHD-specific mutated Htt fragments were also present in the cytoplasm of striatum and cortex cells. Moreover, microglial cells were activated and myelination was slightly decreased, suggesting the development of a premanifest stage of neurodegeneration in TgHD minipigs. Conclusions: The gradual development of a neurodegenerative phenotype, accompanied with testicular degeneration, is observed in 24- month-old TgHD minipigs.
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125
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Sethi R, Tripathi N, Pallapati AR, Gaikar A, Bharatam PV, Roy I. Does N-terminal huntingtin function as a 'holdase' for inhibiting cellular protein aggregation? FEBS J 2018; 285:1791-1811. [PMID: 29630769 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Proteolytic cleavage of huntingtin gives rise to N-terminal fragments. While the role of truncated mutant huntingtin is described in Huntington's disease (HD) pathogenesis, the function of N-terminal wild-type protein is less studied. The yeast model of HD is generated by the presence of FLAG tag and absence of polyproline tract as flanking sequences of the elongated polyglutamine stretch. We show that the same sequence derived from wild-type huntingtin exon1 is able to inhibit the aggregation of proteins in vitro and in yeast cells. It is able to stabilize client proteins as varied as luciferase, α-synuclein, and p53 in a soluble but non-native state. This is somewhat similar to the 'holdase' function of small heat shock proteins and 'nonchaperone proteins' which are able to stabilize partially unfolded client proteins in a nonspecific manner, slowing down their aggregation. Mutagenesis studies show this property to be localized at the N17 domain preceding the polyglutamine tract. Distortion of this ordered segment, either by deletion of this segment or mutation of a single residue (L4A), leads to decreased stability and increased aggregation of client proteins. It is interesting to note that the helical conformation of the N17 domain is also essential for aggregation of the N-terminal mutant protein. Our results provide evidence for a novel function for the amphipathic helix derived from exon1 of wild-type huntingtin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratnika Sethi
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Punjab, India
| | - Neha Tripathi
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Punjab, India
| | - Anusha R Pallapati
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Punjab, India
| | - Abhishek Gaikar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Punjab, India
| | - Prasad V Bharatam
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Punjab, India.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Punjab, India
| | - Ipsita Roy
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Punjab, India
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126
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Thadke SA, Perera JDR, Hridya VM, Bhatt K, Shaikh AY, Hsieh WC, Chen M, Gayathri C, Gil RR, Rule GS, Mukherjee A, Thornton CA, Ly DH. Design of Bivalent Nucleic Acid Ligands for Recognition of RNA-Repeated Expansion Associated with Huntington's Disease. Biochemistry 2018; 57:2094-2108. [PMID: 29562132 PMCID: PMC6091552 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
We report the development of a new class of nucleic acid ligands that is comprised of Janus bases and the MPγPNA backbone and is capable of binding rCAG repeats in a sequence-specific and selective manner via, inference, bivalent H-bonding interactions. Individually, the interactions between ligands and RNA are weak and transient. However, upon the installation of a C-terminal thioester and an N-terminal cystine and the reduction of disulfide bond, they undergo template-directed native chemical ligation to form concatenated oligomeric products that bind tightly to the RNA template. In the absence of an RNA target, they self-deactivate by undergoing an intramolecular reaction to form cyclic products, rendering them inactive for further binding. The work has implications for the design of ultrashort nucleic acid ligands for targeting rCAG-repeat expansion associated with Huntington's disease and a number of other related neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivaji A. Thadke
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Institute for Biomolecular Design and Discovery (IBD), Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology (CNAST), Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - J. Dinithi R. Perera
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Institute for Biomolecular Design and Discovery (IBD), Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology (CNAST), Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - V. M. Hridya
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, Maharashtra 411008, India
| | - Kirti Bhatt
- Department of Neurology, Box 645, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Ashif Y. Shaikh
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Institute for Biomolecular Design and Discovery (IBD), Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology (CNAST), Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Wei-Che Hsieh
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Institute for Biomolecular Design and Discovery (IBD), Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology (CNAST), Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Mengshen Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Chakicherla Gayathri
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Roberto R. Gil
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Gordon S. Rule
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Arnab Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, Maharashtra 411008, India
| | - Charles A. Thornton
- Department of Neurology, Box 645, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Danith H. Ly
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Institute for Biomolecular Design and Discovery (IBD), Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology (CNAST), Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
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Reiner A, Deng Y. Disrupted striatal neuron inputs and outputs in Huntington's disease. CNS Neurosci Ther 2018; 24:250-280. [PMID: 29582587 PMCID: PMC5875736 DOI: 10.1111/cns.12844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the gene coding for the protein huntingtin, resulting in a pathogenic expansion of the polyglutamine tract in the N-terminus of this protein. The HD pathology resulting from the mutation is most prominent in the striatal part of the basal ganglia, and progressive differential dysfunction and loss of striatal projection neurons and interneurons account for the progression of motor deficits seen in this disease. The present review summarizes current understanding regarding the progression in striatal neuron dysfunction and loss, based on studies both in human HD victims and in genetic mouse models of HD. We review evidence on early loss of inputs to striatum from cortex and thalamus, which may be the basis of the mild premanifest bradykinesia in HD, as well as on the subsequent loss of indirect pathway striatal projection neurons and their outputs to the external pallidal segment, which appears to be the basis of the chorea seen in early symptomatic HD. Later loss of direct pathway striatal projection neurons and their output to the internal pallidal segment account for the severe akinesia seen late in HD. Loss of parvalbuminergic striatal interneurons may contribute to the late dystonia and rigidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Reiner
- Department of Anatomy & NeurobiologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTNUSA
- Department of OphthalmologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTNUSA
| | - Yun‐Ping Deng
- Department of Anatomy & NeurobiologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTNUSA
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Youssov K, Bachoud-Lévi AC. Malattia di Huntington: aspetti diagnostici attuali e applicazioni pratiche. Neurologia 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/s1634-7072(18)89403-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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129
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Lee JK, Conrad A, Epping E, Mathews K, Magnotta V, Dawson JD, Nopoulos P. Effect of Trinucleotide Repeats in the Huntington's Gene on Intelligence. EBioMedicine 2018; 31:47-53. [PMID: 29685790 PMCID: PMC6013750 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Huntington's Disease (HD) is caused by an abnormality in the HTT gene. This gene includes trinucleotide repeats ranging from 10 to 35, and when expanded beyond 39, causes HD. We previously reported that CAG repeats in the normal range had a direct and beneficial effect on brain development with higher repeats being associated with higher cognitive function. The current study now expands this line of inquiry to evaluate the effects of CAG repeat throughout the entire spectrum of repeats from 15 to 58. Methods We evaluated brain function in children ages 6–18 years old. DNA samples were processed to quantify the number of CAG repeats within HTT. Linear regression was used to determine if number of CAG repeats predicted measures of brain function. Findings The number of repeats in HTT, had a non-linear effect on a measure of general intelligence with an inverted U shape pattern. Increasing repeat length was associated with higher GAI scores up until roughly 40–41 repeats. After this peak, increasing repeat length was associated with declining GAI scores. Interpretation HTT may confer an advantage or a disadvantage depending upon the repeat length, playing a key role in the determination of intelligence, or causing a uniquely human brain disease. The HTT gene includes trinucleotide repeats ranging from 10 to 35 in the normal population. Huntington’s disease is caused when the trinucleotide repeats in the HTT gene expand beyond the normal range. The gene is vital for brain growth in which each repeat contributes to the development of brain function, measured as intelligence. Increasing repeats are beneficial to a certain point, then becomes detrimental to intelligence, forming an inverted U relationship.
A Faustian Bargain: Could the key to the evolution of the human brain be found in a dreadful disease? Huntington's Disease is a fatal progressive brain disease caused by a single gene. Results from the current study show that the same gene is important for brain development and intelligence. Therefore, this gene may have a simultaneous advantage and disadvantage: a role in the evolution of a superior human brain, yet the disadvantage of a uniquely human brain disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Amy Conrad
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Eric Epping
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Kathy Mathews
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States; Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Vincent Magnotta
- Department of Radiology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Jeffrey D Dawson
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Peg Nopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States; Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States.
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130
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van Roon-Mom WMC, Roos RAC, de Bot ST. Dose-Dependent Lowering of Mutant Huntingtin Using Antisense Oligonucleotides in Huntington Disease Patients. Nucleic Acid Ther 2018; 28:59-62. [PMID: 29620999 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2018.0720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
On December 11 of 2017, Ionis Pharmaceuticals published a press release announcing dose-dependent reductions of mutant huntingtin protein in their HTTRx Phase 1/2a study in Huntington disease (HD) patients. The results from this Ionis trial have gained much attention from the patient community and the oligonucleotide therapeutics field, since it is the first trial targeting the cause of HD, namely the mutant huntingtin protein, using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). The press release also states that the primary endpoints of the study (safety and tolerability) were met, but does not contain data. This news follows the approval of another therapeutic ASO nusinersen (trade name Spinraza) for a neurological disease, spinal muscular atrophy, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency, in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Combined, this offers hope for the development of the HTTRx therapy for HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raymund A C Roos
- 2 Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Susanne T de Bot
- 2 Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden, the Netherlands
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131
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Cardinale A, Fusco FR. Inhibition of phosphodiesterases as a strategy to achieve neuroprotection in Huntington's disease. CNS Neurosci Ther 2018; 24:319-328. [PMID: 29500937 DOI: 10.1111/cns.12834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative condition, due to a mutation in the IT15 gene encoding for huntingtin. Currently, disease-modifying therapy is not available for HD, and only symptomatic drugs are administered for the management of symptoms. In the last few years, preclinical and clinical studies have indicated that pharmacological strategies aimed at inhibiting cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDEs) may develop into a novel therapeutic approach in neurodegenerative disorders. PDEs are a family of enzymes that hydrolyze cyclic nucleotides into monophosphate isoforms. Cyclic nucleotides are second messengers that transduce the signal of hormones and neurotransmitters in many physiological processes, such as protein kinase cascades and synaptic transmission. An alteration in their balance results in the dysregulation of different biological mechanisms (transcriptional dysregulation, immune cell activation, inflammatory mechanisms, and regeneration) that are involved in neurological diseases. In this review, we discuss the action of phosphodiesterase inhibitors and their role as therapeutic agents in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesca R Fusco
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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132
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Shin JW, Kim KH, Chao MJ, Atwal RS, Gillis T, MacDonald ME, Gusella JF, Lee JM. Permanent inactivation of Huntington's disease mutation by personalized allele-specific CRISPR/Cas9. Hum Mol Genet 2018; 25:4566-4576. [PMID: 28172889 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive genetics-based precision medicine strategy to selectively and permanently inactivate only mutant, not normal allele, could benefit many dominantly inherited disorders. Here, we demonstrate the power of our novel strategy of inactivating the mutant allele using haplotype-specific CRISPR/Cas9 target sites in Huntington's disease (HD), a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder due to a toxic dominant gain-of-function CAG expansion mutation. Focusing on improving allele specificity, we combined extensive knowledge of huntingtin (HTT) gene haplotype structure with a novel personalized allele-selective CRISPR/Cas9 strategy based on Protospacer Adjacent Motif (PAM)-altering SNPs to target patient-specific CRISPR/Cas9 sites, aiming at the mutant HTT allele-specific inactivation for a given diplotype. As proof-of-principle, simultaneously using two CRISPR/Cas9 guide RNAs (gRNAs) that depend on PAM sites generated by SNP alleles on the mutant chromosome, we selectively excised ∼44 kb DNA spanning promoter region, transcription start site, and the CAG expansion mutation of the mutant HTT gene, resulting in complete inactivation of the mutant allele without impacting the normal allele. This excision on the disease chromosome completely prevented the generation of mutant HTT mRNA and protein, unequivocally indicating permanent mutant allele-specific inactivation of the HD mutant allele. The perfect allele selectivity with broad applicability of our strategy in disorders with diverse disease haplotypes should also support precision medicine through inactivation of many other gain-of-function mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wan Shin
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kyung-Hee Kim
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael J Chao
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ranjit S Atwal
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tammy Gillis
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marcy E MacDonald
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - James F Gusella
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jong-Min Lee
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
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133
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Liu GT, Kung HN, Chen CK, Huang C, Wang YL, Yu CP, Lee CP. Improving nuclear envelope dynamics by EBV BFRF1 facilitates intranuclear component clearance through autophagy. FASEB J 2018; 32:3968-3983. [PMID: 29481305 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201701253r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Although a vesicular nucleocytoplasmic transport system is believed to exist in eukaryotic cells, the features of this pathway are mostly unknown. Here, we report that the BFRF1 protein of the Epstein-Barr virus improves vesicular transport of nuclear envelope (NE) to facilitate the translocation and clearance of nuclear components. BFRF1 expression induces vesicles that selectively transport nuclear components to the cytoplasm. With the use of aggregation-prone proteins as tools, we found that aggregated nuclear proteins are dispersed when these BFRF1-induced vesicles are formed. BFRF1-containing vesicles engulf the NE-associated aggregates, exit through from the NE, and putatively fuse with autophagic vacuoles. Chemical treatment and genetic ablation of autophagy-related factors indicate that autophagosome formation and autophagy-linked FYVE protein-mediated autophagic proteolysis are involved in this selective clearance of nuclear proteins. Remarkably, vesicular transport, elicited by BFRF1, also attenuated nuclear aggregates accumulated in neuroblastoma cells. Accordingly, induction of NE-derived vesicles by BFRF1 facilitates nuclear protein translocation and clearance, suggesting that autophagy-coupled transport of nucleus-derived vesicles can be elicited for nuclear component catabolism in mammalian cells.-Liu, G.-T., Kung, H.-N., Chen, C.-K., Huang, C., Wang, Y.-L., Yu, C.-P., Lee, C.-P. Improving nuclear envelope dynamics by EBV BFRF1 facilitates intranuclear component clearance through autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guan-Ting Liu
- School of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiu-Ni Kung
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; and
| | - Chung-Kuan Chen
- School of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng Huang
- Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Li Wang
- School of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Pu Yu
- School of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Pei Lee
- School of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan
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134
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Leighton PLA, Allison WT. Protein Misfolding in Prion and Prion-Like Diseases: Reconsidering a Required Role for Protein Loss-of-Function. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 54:3-29. [PMID: 27392869 DOI: 10.3233/jad-160361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Prion disease research has contributed much toward understanding other neurodegenerative diseases, including recent demonstrations that Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases are prion-like. Prion-like diseases involve the spread of degeneration between individuals and/or among cells or tissues via template directed misfolding, wherein misfolded protein conformers propagate disease by causing normal proteins to misfold. Here we use the premise that AD, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, and other similar diseases are prion-like and ask: Can we apply knowledge gained from studies of these prion-like diseases to resolve debates about classical prion diseases? We focus on controversies about what role(s) protein loss-of-function might have in prion diseases because this has therapeutic implications, including for AD. We examine which loss-of-function events are recognizable in prion-like diseases by considering the normal functions of the proteins before their misfolding and aggregation. We then delineate scenarios wherein gain-of-function and/or loss-of-function would be necessary or sufficient for neurodegeneration. We consider roles of PrPC loss-of-function in prion diseases and in AD, and conclude that the conventional wisdom that prion diseases are 'toxic gain-of-function diseases' has limitations. While prion diseases certainly have required gain-of-function components, we propose that disease phenotypes are predominantly caused by deficits in the normal physiology of PrPC and its interaction partners as PrPC converts to PrPSc. In this model, gain-of-function serves mainly to spread disease, and loss-of-function directly mediates neuron dysfunction. We propose experiments and predictions to assess our conclusion. Further study on the normal physiological roles of these key proteins is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia L A Leighton
- Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - W Ted Allison
- Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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135
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Martí E. RNA toxicity induced by expanded CAG repeats in Huntington's disease. Brain Pathol 2018; 26:779-786. [PMID: 27529325 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) belongs to the group of inherited polyglutamine (PolyQ) diseases caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the coding region of the Huntingtin (HTT) gene that results in an elongated polyQ stretch. Abnormal function and aggregation of the mutant protein has been typically delineated as the main molecular cause underlying disease development. However, the most recent advances have revealed novel pathogenic pathways directly dependent on an RNA toxic gain-of-function. Expanded CAG repeats within exon 1 of the HTT mRNA induce toxicity through mechanisms involving, at least in part, gene expression perturbations. This has important implications not only for basic and translational research in HD, but also for other types of diseases carrying the expanded CAG in other genes, which likely share pathogenic aspects. Here I will review the evidence and mechanisms underlying RNA toxicity in CAG repeat expansions, with particular focus on HD. These comprise abnormal subcellular localization of the transcripts containing the expanded CAG repeats; sequestration of several types of proteins by the expanded CAG repeat which results in defects of alternative splicing events and gene expression; and aberrant biogenesis and detrimental activity of small CAG repeated RNAs (sCAG) that produce altered gene silencing. Although these altered pathways have been detected in HD models, their contribution to disease development and progress requires further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eulàlia Martí
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona, 08003, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mediques (IMIM), Barcelona, 08003, Spain.,Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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136
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Osaki T, Shin Y, Sivathanu V, Campisi M, Kamm RD. In Vitro Microfluidic Models for Neurodegenerative Disorders. Adv Healthc Mater 2018; 7. [PMID: 28881425 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201700489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic devices enable novel means of emulating neurodegenerative disease pathophysiology in vitro. These organ-on-a-chip systems can potentially reduce animal testing and substitute (or augment) simple 2D culture systems. Reconstituting critical features of neurodegenerative diseases in a biomimetic system using microfluidics can thereby accelerate drug discovery and improve our understanding of the mechanisms of several currently incurable diseases. This review describes latest advances in modeling neurodegenerative diseases in the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. First, this study summarizes fundamental advantages of microfluidic devices in the creation of compartmentalized cell culture microenvironments for the co-culture of neurons, glial cells, endothelial cells, and skeletal muscle cells and in their recapitulation of spatiotemporal chemical gradients and mechanical microenvironments. Then, this reviews neurodegenerative-disease-on-a-chip models focusing on Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Finally, this study discusses about current drawbacks of these models and strategies that may overcome them. These organ-on-chip technologies can be useful to be the first line of testing line in drug development and toxicology studies, which can contribute significantly to minimize the phase of animal testing steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Osaki
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringMassachusetts Institutes of Technology 500 Technology Square MIT Building, Room NE47‐321 Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Yoojin Shin
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringMassachusetts Institutes of Technology 500 Technology Square MIT Building, Room NE47‐321 Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Vivek Sivathanu
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringMassachusetts Institutes of Technology 500 Technology Square MIT Building, Room NE47‐321 Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Marco Campisi
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringPolitecnico di Torino Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24 10129 Torino Italy
| | - Roger D. Kamm
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringMassachusetts Institutes of Technology 500 Technology Square MIT Building, Room NE47‐321 Cambridge MA 02139 USA
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institutes of Technology 500 Technology Square, MIT Building, Room NE47‐321 Cambridge MA 02139 USA
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137
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Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation that expands the polyglutamine (CAG) repeat in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Wild-type HTT protein interacts with other proteins to protect cells against toxic stimuli, mediate vesicle transport and endocytosis, and modulate synaptic activity. Mutant HTT protein disrupts autophagy, vesicle transport, neurotransmitter signaling, and mitochondrial function. Although many of the activities of wild-type HTT protein and the toxicities of mutant HTT protein are characterized, less is known about the activities of HTT mRNA. Most putative HD therapies aim to target mutant HTT mRNA before it is translated into the protein. Therefore, it is imperative to learn as much as we can about how cells handle both wild-type and mutant HTT mRNA so that effective therapies can be designed. Here, we review the structure of wild-type and mutant HTT mRNA, with emphasis on their alternatively polyadenylated or spliced isoforms. We then consider the abundance of HTT mRNA isoforms in HD and discuss the potential implications of these findings. Evidence in the review should be used to guide future research aimed at developing mRNA-lowering therapies for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Romo
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Emily S. Mohn
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Neil Aronin
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
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138
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Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative condition where new markers of disease progression are needed. So far no disease-modifying interventions have been found, and few interventions have been proven to alleviate symptoms. This may be partially explained by the lack of reliable indicators of disease severity, progression, and phenotype.Biofluid biomarkers may bring advantages in addition to clinical measures, such as reliability, reproducibility, price, accuracy, and direct quantification of pathobiological processes at the molecular level; and in addition to empowering clinical trials, they have the potential to generate useful hypotheses for new drug development.In this chapter we review biofluid biomarker reports in HD, emphasizing those we feel are likely to be closest to clinical applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe B Rodrigues
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lauren M Byrne
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Edward J Wild
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.
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139
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Weydt P, Dupuis L, Petersen Å. Thermoregulatory disorders in Huntington disease. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2018; 157:761-775. [PMID: 30459039 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64074-1.00047-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a paradigmatic autosomal-dominant adult-onset neurodegenerative disease. Since the identification of an abnormal expansion of a trinucleotide repeat tract in the huntingtin gene as the underlying genetic defect, a broad range of transgenic animal models of the disease has become available and these have helped to unravel the relevant molecular pathways in unprecedented detail. Of note, some of the most informative of these models develop thermoregulatory defects such as hypothermia, problems with adaptive thermogenesis, and an altered circadian temperature rhythm. Both central, e.g., in the hypothalamus and peripheral, i.e., the brown adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, problems contribute to the phenotype. Importantly, these structures and pathways are also affected in human HD. Yet, currently the evidence for bona fide thermodysregulation in human HD patients remains anecdotal. This may be due to a lack of reliable tools for monitoring body temperature in an outpatient setting. Regardless, study of the temperature phenotype has contributed to the identification of unexpected molecular targets, such as the PGC-1α pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Weydt
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Gerontopsychiatry/Neurology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Åsa Petersen
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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140
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Aron Badin R. Nonhuman Primate Models of Huntington's Disease and Their Application in Translational Research. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1780:267-284. [PMID: 29856024 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7825-0_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenic, autosomal dominant inherited fatal disease that affects 1 in 10,000 people worldwide. Given its unique genetic characteristics, HD would appear as one of the most straightforward neurodegenerative diseases to replicate in animal models. Indeed, mutations in the HTT gene have been used to generate a variety of animal models that display differential pathologies and have significantly increased our understanding of the pathological mechanisms of HD. However, decades of efforts have also shown the complexity of recapitulating the human condition in other species. Here we describe the three different types of models that have been generated in nonhuman primate species, stating their advantages and limitations and attempt to give a critical perspective of their translational value to test the efficacy of novel therapeutic strategies. Obtaining construct, phenotypic, and predictive validity has proven to be challenging in most animal models of human diseases. In HD in particular, it is hard to assess the predictive validity of a new therapeutic strategy when no effective "benchmark" treatment is available in the clinic. In this light, only phenotypic/face validity and construct validity are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romina Aron Badin
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, UMR 9199, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
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141
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Shekari Khaniani M, Aob P, Ranjouri M, Mansoori Derakhsan S. Molecular analysis and prevalence of Huntington disease in northwestern Iran. Turk J Med Sci 2017; 47:1880-1884. [PMID: 29306253 DOI: 10.3906/sag-1510-25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background/aim: Huntington disease (HD) is a progressive adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder presenting an autosomal dominant inheritance. Since there is no information on the prevalence of HD in northwestern Iran, the aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of HD and the number of CAG trinucleotide repeats in the population of northwestern Iran.Materials and methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood by the salting-out method. DNA samples were analyzed to determine the number of CAG trinucleotide repeats of the HD gene. An abnormally large number of CAG repeats, which is a diagnostic factor for the disease, was detected by polymerase chain reaction and agarose gel electrophoresis.Results: Out of 40 cases, we identified 14 nonkindred individuals with one expanded CAG allele at the IT15 gene. The frequency of the HD mutation in our group of patients was 35%. Expanded alleles varied from 36 to 70 CAG repeats, and normal alleles in HD patients varied from 20 to 26 CAG units. Conclusion: We found a significant correlation between age at onset of the disease and length of the expanded CAG tract: the lower the age, the longer the trinucleotide repeats length.
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142
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Gardiner SL, van Belzen MJ, Boogaard MW, van Roon-Mom WMC, Rozing MP, van Hemert AM, Smit JH, Beekman ATF, van Grootheest G, Schoevers RA, Oude Voshaar RC, Roos RAC, Comijs HC, Penninx BWJH, van der Mast RC, Aziz NA. Huntingtin gene repeat size variations affect risk of lifetime depression. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:1277. [PMID: 29225330 PMCID: PMC5802693 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-017-0042-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder caused by a cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeat expansion in the HTT gene. Although HD is frequently complicated by depression, it is still unknown to what extent common HTT CAG repeat size variations in the normal range could affect depression risk in the general population. Using binary logistic regression, we assessed the association between HTT CAG repeat size and depression risk in two well-characterized Dutch cohorts─the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety and the Netherlands Study of Depression in Older Persons─including 2165 depressed and 1058 non-depressed persons. In both cohorts, separately as well as combined, there was a significant non-linear association between the risk of lifetime depression and HTT CAG repeat size in which both relatively short and relatively large alleles were associated with an increased risk of depression (β = -0.292 and β = 0.006 for the linear and the quadratic term, respectively; both P < 0.01 after adjustment for the effects of sex, age, and education level). The odds of lifetime depression were lowest in persons with a HTT CAG repeat size of 21 (odds ratio: 0.71, 95% confidence interval: 0.52 to 0.98) compared to the average odds in the total cohort. In conclusion, lifetime depression risk was higher with both relatively short and relatively large HTT CAG repeat sizes in the normal range. Our study provides important proof-of-principle that repeat polymorphisms can act as hitherto unappreciated but complex genetic modifiers of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Gardiner
- 0000000089452978grid.10419.3dDepartments of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands ,0000000089452978grid.10419.3dDepartments of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Martine J. van Belzen
- 0000000089452978grid.10419.3dDepartments of Clinical Genetics, and Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Merel W. Boogaard
- 0000000089452978grid.10419.3dDepartments of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands ,0000000089452978grid.10419.3dDepartments of Clinical Genetics, and Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Willeke M. C. van Roon-Mom
- 0000000089452978grid.10419.3dDepartments of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten P. Rozing
- 0000 0001 0674 042Xgrid.5254.6Department of Public Health, Section of Social Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Albert M. van Hemert
- 0000000089452978grid.10419.3dDepartments of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes H. Smit
- 0000 0001 0686 3219grid.466632.3Department of Psychiatry, and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center/GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aartjan T. F. Beekman
- 0000 0001 0686 3219grid.466632.3Department of Psychiatry, and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center/GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gerard van Grootheest
- 0000 0001 0686 3219grid.466632.3Department of Psychiatry, and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center/GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Robert A. Schoevers
- 0000 0000 9558 4598grid.4494.dDepartment of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Richard C. Oude Voshaar
- 0000 0000 9558 4598grid.4494.dDepartment of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Raymund A. C. Roos
- 0000000089452978grid.10419.3dDepartments of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hannie C. Comijs
- 0000 0001 0686 3219grid.466632.3Department of Psychiatry, and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center/GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Brenda W. J. H. Penninx
- 0000 0001 0686 3219grid.466632.3Department of Psychiatry, and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center/GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roos C. van der Mast
- 0000000089452978grid.10419.3dDepartments of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands ,0000 0001 0790 3681grid.5284.b Department of Psychiatry, Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute (CAPRI), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - N. Ahmad Aziz
- 0000000089452978grid.10419.3dDepartments of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands ,0000000121901201grid.83440.3bDepartment of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Huntington’s Disease Centre, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
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143
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Lee JK, Ding Y, Conrad AL, Cattaneo E, Epping E, Mathews K, Gonzalez-Alegre P, Cahill L, Magnotta V, Schlaggar BL, Perlmutter JS, Kim REY, Dawson JD, Nopoulos P. Sex-specific effects of the Huntington gene on normal neurodevelopment. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:398-408. [PMID: 27870408 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Huntington disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a gene (HTT) with a unique feature of trinucleotide repeats ranging from 10 to 35 in healthy people; when expanded beyond 39 repeats, Huntington disease develops. Animal models demonstrate that HTT is vital to brain development; however, this has not been studied in humans. Moreover, evidence suggests that triplet repeat genes may have been vital in evolution of the human brain. Here we evaluate brain structure using magnetic resonance imaging and brain function using cognitive tests in a sample of school-aged children ages 6 to 18 years old. DNA samples were processed to quantify the number of CAG repeats within HTT. We find that the number of repeats in HTT, below disease threshold, confers advantageous changes in brain structure and general intelligence (IQ): the higher the number of repeats, the greater the change in brain structure, and the higher the IQ. The pattern of structural brain changes associated with HTT is strikingly different between males and females. HTT may confer an advantage or a disadvantage depending on the repeat length, playing a key role in either the evolution of a superior human brain or development of a uniquely human brain disease. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Yue Ding
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Amy L Conrad
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Elena Cattaneo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Eric Epping
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Kathy Mathews
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa.,Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Pedro Gonzalez-Alegre
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Larry Cahill
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California
| | - Vincent Magnotta
- Department of Radiology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Bradley L Schlaggar
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.,Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.,Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.,Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.,Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joel S Perlmutter
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.,Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.,Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Regina E Y Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Jeffrey D Dawson
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Peg Nopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa.,Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
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144
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Mathavarajah S, Flores A, Huber RJ. Dictyostelium discoideum
: A Model System for Cell and Developmental Biology. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/cpet.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana Flores
- Department of Biology, Trent University Peterborough Ontario Canada
| | - Robert J. Huber
- Department of Biology, Trent University Peterborough Ontario Canada
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145
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Allison WT, DuVal MG, Nguyen-Phuoc K, Leighton PLA. Reduced Abundance and Subverted Functions of Proteins in Prion-Like Diseases: Gained Functions Fascinate but Lost Functions Affect Aetiology. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E2223. [PMID: 29064456 PMCID: PMC5666902 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18102223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions have served as pathfinders that reveal many aspects of proteostasis in neurons. The recent realization that several prominent neurodegenerative diseases spread via a prion-like mechanism illuminates new possibilities for diagnostics and therapeutics. Thus, key proteins in Alzheimer Disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), including amyloid-β precursor protein, Tau and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), spread to adjacent cells in their misfolded aggregated forms and exhibit template-directed misfolding to induce further misfolding, disruptions to proteostasis and toxicity. Here we invert this comparison to ask what these prion-like diseases can teach us about the broad prion disease class, especially regarding the loss of these key proteins' function(s) as they misfold and aggregate. We also consider whether functional amyloids might reveal a role for subverted protein function in neurodegenerative disease. Our synthesis identifies SOD1 as an exemplar of protein functions being lost during prion-like protein misfolding, because SOD1 is inherently unstable and loses function in its misfolded disease-associated form. This has under-appreciated parallels amongst the canonical prion diseases, wherein the normally folded prion protein, PrPC, is reduced in abundance in fatal familial insomnia patients and during the preclinical phase in animal models, apparently via proteostatic mechanisms. Thus while template-directed misfolding and infectious properties represent gain-of-function that fascinates proteostasis researchers and defines (is required for) the prion(-like) diseases, loss and subversion of the functions attributed to hallmark proteins in neurodegenerative disease needs to be integrated into design towards effective therapeutics. We propose experiments to uniquely test these ideas.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Ted Allison
- Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada.
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada.
| | - Michèle G DuVal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada.
| | - Kim Nguyen-Phuoc
- Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada.
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada.
| | - Patricia L A Leighton
- Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada.
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146
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Brandi V, Di Lella V, Marino M, Ascenzi P, Polticelli F. A comprehensive in silico analysis of huntingtin and its interactome. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2017; 36:3155-3171. [PMID: 28920551 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2017.1381646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
A polyglutamine expansion of the N-terminal region of huntingtin (Htt) causes Huntington's disease, a severe neurodegenerative disorder. Htt huge multidomain structure, the presence of disordered regions, and the lack of sequence homologs of known structure, so far prevented structural studies of Htt, making the study of its structure-function relationships very difficult. In this work, the presence and location of five Htt ordered domains (named from Hunt1 to Hunt5) has been detected and the structure of these domains has been predicted for the first time using a combined threading/ab initio modeling approach. This work has led to the identification of a previously undetected HEAT repeats region in the Hunt3 domain. Furthermore, a putative function has been assigned to four out of the five domains. Hunt1 and Hunt5, displaying structural similarity with the regulatory subunit A of protein phosphatase 2A, are predicted to play a role in regulating the phosphorylation status of cellular proteins. Hunt2 and Hunt3 are predicted to be homologs of two yeast importins and to mediate vescicles transport and protein trafficking. Finally, a comprehensive analysis of the Htt interactome has been carried out and is discussed to provide a global picture of the Htt's structure-function relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Brandi
- a Department of Sciences , Roma Tre University, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446 , Roma I-00146 , Italy
| | - Valentina Di Lella
- a Department of Sciences , Roma Tre University, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446 , Roma I-00146 , Italy
| | - Maria Marino
- a Department of Sciences , Roma Tre University, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446 , Roma I-00146 , Italy
| | - Paolo Ascenzi
- a Department of Sciences , Roma Tre University, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446 , Roma I-00146 , Italy.,b Interdepartmental Laboratory for Electron Microscopy , Roma Tre University , Roma I-00146 , Italy
| | - Fabio Polticelli
- a Department of Sciences , Roma Tre University, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446 , Roma I-00146 , Italy.,c National Institute of Nuclear Physics , Roma Tre University, Roma Tre Section , Roma I-00146 , Italy
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147
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Proteostasis of Huntingtin in Health and Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18071568. [PMID: 28753941 PMCID: PMC5536056 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18071568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Revised: 07/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor dysfunction, cognitive deficits and psychosis. HD is caused by mutations in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene, resulting in the expansion of polyglutamine (polyQ) repeats in the HTT protein. Mutant HTT is prone to aggregation, and the accumulation of polyQ-expanded fibrils as well as intermediate oligomers formed during the aggregation process contribute to neurodegeneration. Distinct protein homeostasis (proteostasis) nodes such as chaperone-mediated folding and proteolytic systems regulate the aggregation and degradation of HTT. Moreover, polyQ-expanded HTT fibrils and oligomers can lead to a global collapse in neuronal proteostasis, a process that contributes to neurodegeneration. The ability to maintain proteostasis of HTT declines during the aging process. Conversely, mechanisms that preserve proteostasis delay the onset of HD. Here we will review the link between proteostasis, aging and HD-related changes.
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148
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Burra G, Thakur AK. Inhibition of polyglutamine aggregation by SIMILAR huntingtin N-terminal sequences: Prospective molecules for preclinical evaluation in Huntington's disease. Biopolymers 2017; 108. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.23021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2016] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gunasekhar Burra
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering; Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur; Kanpur 208016 India
| | - Ashwani Kumar Thakur
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering; Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur; Kanpur 208016 India
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149
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Dysregulation of the causative genes for hereditary parkinsonism in the midbrain in Parkinson's disease. Mov Disord 2017; 32:1211-1220. [DOI: 10.1002/mds.27019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 02/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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150
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Ma Q, Yang J, Milner TA, Vonsattel JPG, Palko ME, Tessarollo L, Hempstead BL. SorCS2-mediated NR2A trafficking regulates motor deficits in Huntington's disease. JCI Insight 2017; 2:88995. [PMID: 28469074 PMCID: PMC5414556 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.88995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor dysfunction is a prominent and disabling feature of Huntington's disease (HD), but the molecular mechanisms that dictate its onset and progression are unknown. The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2A (NR2A) subunit regulates motor skill development and synaptic plasticity in medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the striatum, cells that are most severely impacted by HD. Here, we document reduced NR2A receptor subunits on the dendritic membranes and at the synapses of MSNs in zQ175 mice that model HD. We identify that SorCS2, a vacuolar protein sorting 10 protein-domain (VPS10P-domain) receptor, interacts with VPS35, a core component of retromer, thereby regulating surface trafficking of NR2A in MSNs. In the zQ175 striatum, SorCS2 is markedly decreased in an age- and allele-dependent manner. Notably, SorCS2 selectively interacts with mutant huntingtin (mtHTT), but not WT huntingtin (wtHTT), and is mislocalized to perinuclear clusters in striatal neurons of human HD patients and zQ175 mice. Genetic deficiency of SorCS2 accelerates the onset and exacerbates the motor coordination deficit of zQ175 mice. Together, our results identify SorCS2 as an interacting protein of mtHTT and demonstrate that impaired SorCS2-mediated NR2A subunit trafficking to dendritic surface of MSNs is, to our knowledge, a novel mechanism contributing to motor coordination deficits of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Ma
- Graduate Program of Neuroscience
| | - Jianmin Yang
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.,Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Teresa A Milner
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.,Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jean-Paul G Vonsattel
- The New York Brain Bank/Taub Institute Columbia University, Children's Hospital, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mary Ellen Palko
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Lino Tessarollo
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Barbara L Hempstead
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.,Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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