Frontotemporal dementia, chromosome 17, and progranulin

PGRN protects against colitis progression in mice in an IL-10 and TNFR2 dependent manner

This study was aimed to determine the role and regulation of progranulin (PGRN) in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)−, picrylsulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced, bone marrow chimera and CD4+CD45Rb^hi T cell transfer colitis model were established and analyzed in wild-type and several genetically-modified mice, including PGRN, IL-10 and TNFR2 deficient mice. Elevated levels of PGRN were found in colitis samples from human IBD patients and mouse colitis models in comparison to the corresponding controls. PGRN-deficient mice became highly susceptible to DSS- and TNBS-induced colitis, whereas recombinant PGRN ameliorated the pathology and reduced the histological score in both DSS and TNBS colitis models. In addition, hematopoietic-derived PGRN was critical for protection against DSS-induced colitis, and lack of PGRN signaling in CD4+ T cells also exacerbated experimental colitis. PGRN-mediated protective effect in colitis was compromised in the absence of IL-10 signaling. In addition, PGRN's effect was also largely lost in the TNFR2-deficient colitis model. Collectively, these findings not only provide the new insight into PGRN's anti-inflammatory action in vivo, but may also present PGRN and its derivatives as novel biological agent for treating IBD.

Granulin epithelin precursor: a bone morphogenic protein 2-inducible growth factor that activates Erk1/2 signaling and JunB transcription factor in chondrogenesis

Granulin epithelin precursor (GEP) has been implicated in development, tissue regeneration, tumorigenesis, and inflammation. Herein we report that GEP stimulates chondrocyte differentiation from mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and endochondral ossification ex vivo, and GEP-knockdown mice display skeleton defects. Similar to bone morphogenic protein (BMP) 2, application of the recombinant GEP accelerates rabbit cartilage repair in vivo. GEP is a key downstream molecule of BMP2, and it is required for BMP2-mediated chondrocyte differentiation. We also show that GEP activates chondrocyte differentiation through Erk1/2 signaling and that JunB transcription factor is one of key downstream molecules of GEP in chondrocyte differentiation. Collectively, these findings reveal a novel critical role of GEP growth factor in chondrocyte differentiation and the molecular events both in vivo and in vitro.

ADAMTS-7, a direct target of PTHrP, adversely regulates endochondral bone growth by associating with and inactivating GEP growth factor

ADAMTS-7, a metalloproteinase that belongs to ADAMTS family, is important for the degradation of cartilage extracellular matrix proteins in arthritis. Herein we report that ADAMTS-7 is upregulated during chondrocyte differentiation and demonstrates the temporal and spatial expression pattern during skeletal development. ADAMTS-7 potently inhibits chondrocyte differentiation and endochondral bone formation, and this inhibition depends on its proteolytic activity. The cysteine-rich domain of ADAMTS-7 is required for its interaction with the extracellular matrix, and the C-terminal four-thrombospondin motifs are necessary for its full proteolytic activity and inhibition of chondrocyte differentiation. ADAMTS-7 is an important target of canonical PTHrP signaling, since (i) PTHrP induces ADAMTS-7, (ii) ADAMTS-7 is downregulated in PTHrP null mutant (PTHrP-/-) growth plate chondrocytes, and (iii) blockage of ADAMTS-7 almost abolishes PTHrP-mediated inhibition of chondrocyte hypertrophy and endochondral bone growth. ADAMTS-7 associates with granulin-epithelin precursor (GEP), an autocrine growth factor that has been implicated in tissue regeneration, tumorigenesis, and inflammation. In addition, ADAMTS-7 acts as a new GEP convertase and neutralizes GEP-stimulated endochondral bone formation. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that ADAMTS-7, a direct target of PTHrP signaling, negatively regulates endochondral bone formation by associating with and inactivating GEP chondrogenic growth factor.

Characteristics of frontotemporal dementia patients with a Progranulin mutation

OBJECTIVE

Mutations in the Progranulin gene (PGRN) recently have been discovered to be associated with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) linked to 17q21 without identified MAPT mutations. The range of mutations of PGRN that can result in the FTD phenotype and the clinical presentation of patients with PGRN mutations have yet to be determined.

METHODS

In this study, we examined 84 FTD patients from families not known previously to have illness linked to chromosome 17 for identified PGRN and MAPT mutations and sequenced the coding exons and the flanking intronic regions of PGRN. We compared the prevalence, clinical characteristics, magnetic resonance imaging and 18-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography results, and neuropsychological testing of patients with the PGRN R493X mutation with those patients without identified PGRN mutations.

RESULTS

We discovered a new PGRN mutation (R493X) resulting in a stop codon in two patients. This was the only PGRN mutation identified in our sample. The patients with the PGRN R493X mutation had a rapid illness course and had predominant right-sided atrophy and hypometabolism on magnetic resonance imaging and 18-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography. The affected father of one of the patients with the PGRN R493X mutation showed frontal and temporal atrophy without neurofibrillary tangles on neuropathological examination.

INTERPRETATION

Known PGRN and MAPT mutations were rare and of similar prevalence in our sample (2 compared with 1/84). The patients with the PGRN R493X mutation had a clinical presentation comparable with other behavior-predominant FTD patients. The neuropathology of an affected family member of a patient with the PGRN R493X mutation appears not to be Alzheimer's disease.