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Gotte G. Effects of Pathogenic Mutants of the Neuroprotective RNase 5-Angiogenin in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:738. [PMID: 38927674 PMCID: PMC11202570 DOI: 10.3390/genes15060738] [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] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects the motoneurons. More than 40 genes are related with ALS, and amyloidogenic proteins like SOD1 and/or TDP-43 mutants are directly involved in the onset of ALS through the formation of polymorphic fibrillogenic aggregates. However, efficacious therapeutic approaches are still lacking. Notably, heterozygous missense mutations affecting the gene coding for RNase 5, an enzyme also called angiogenin (ANG), were found to favor ALS onset. This is also true for the less-studied but angiogenic RNase 4. This review reports the substrate targets and illustrates the neuroprotective role of native ANG in the neo-vascularization of motoneurons. Then, it discusses the molecular determinants of many pathogenic ANG mutants, which almost always cause loss of function related to ALS, resulting in failures in angiogenesis and motoneuron protection. In addition, ANG mutations are sometimes combined with variants of other factors, thereby potentiating ALS effects. However, the activity of the native ANG enzyme should be finely balanced, and not excessive, to avoid possible harmful effects. Considering the interplay of these angiogenic RNases in many cellular processes, this review aims to stimulate further investigations to better elucidate the consequences of mutations in ANG and/or RNase 4 genes, in order to achieve early diagnosis and, possibly, successful therapies against ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Gotte
- Biological Chemistry Section, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, I-37134 Verona, Italy
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2
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Ivantsik O, John A, Kydonopoulou K, Mitropoulos K, Gerou S, Ali BR, Patrinos GP. Novel Pathogenic Variants Leading to Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Greek Patients. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:309. [PMID: 38540370 PMCID: PMC10970271 DOI: 10.3390/genes15030309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive disease that affects motor neurons, leading to paralysis and death usually 3-5 years after the onset of symptoms. The investigation of both sporadic and familial ALS highlighted four main genes that contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease: SOD1, FUS, TARDBP and C9orf72. This study aims to provide a comprehensive investigation of genetic variants found in SOD1, FUS and TARDBP genes in Greek sporadic ALS (sALS) cases. Our sequencing analysis of the coding regions of the abovementioned genes that include the majority of the variants that lead to ALS in 32 sALS patients and 3 healthy relatives revealed 6 variants in SOD1, 19 variants in FUS and 37 variants in TARDBP, of which the SOD1 p.D90A and the FUS c.*356G>A (rs886051940) variants have been previously associated with ALS, while two novel nonsense pathogenic variants were also identified, namely FUS p.R241* and TDP-43 p.Y214*. Our study contributes to the worldwide effort toward clarifying the genetic basis of sALS to better understand the disease's molecular pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ouliana Ivantsik
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy, Division of Pharmacology and Biosciences, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece
| | - Anne John
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Konstantinos Mitropoulos
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece
| | - Spyridon Gerou
- ANALYSI Biomedical Laboratories S.A., 54623 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Bassam R Ali
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- ASPIRE Abu Dhabi Precision Medicine Ρesearch Institute, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - George P Patrinos
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy, Division of Pharmacology and Biosciences, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- ASPIRE Abu Dhabi Precision Medicine Ρesearch Institute, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Clinical Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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3
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Moglia C, Calvo A, Canosa A, Manera U, Vasta R, Di Pede F, Daviddi M, Matteoni E, Brunetti M, Sbaiz L, Cabras S, Gallone S, Grassano M, Peotta L, Palumbo F, Mora G, Iazzolino B, Chio A. Cognitive and Behavioral Features of Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Who Are Carriers of the TARDBP Pathogenic Variant. Neurology 2024; 102:e208082. [PMID: 38261982 PMCID: PMC10962913 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000208082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES TARDBP patients are considered particularly prone to cognitive involvement, but no systematic studies of cognitive impairment in TARDBP patients are available. The aim of this article was to depict in depth the cognitive-behavioral characteristics of a cohort of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) carrying TARDBP pathogenetic variants followed by an ALS referral center. METHODS We enrolled all patients with ALS seen at the Turin ALS expert center in the 2009-2021 period who underwent extensive genetic testing and a neuropsychological battery encompassing executive function, verbal memory, language, visual memory, visuoconstructive abilities, attention/working memory, psychomotor speed, nonverbal intelligence, cognitive flexibility, social cognition, and behavior. Tests were compared with the Mann-Whitney U test on age-corrected, sex-corrected, and education-corrected scores. Cognition was classified as normal (ALS-CN); isolated cognitive impairment (ALSci), that is, evidence of executive and/or language dysfunction; isolated behavioral impairment (ALSbi), that is, identification of apathy; cognitive and behavioral impairment (ALScbi), that is, evidence meeting the criteria for both ALSci and ALSbi; and frontotemporal dementia (ALS-FTD). RESULTS This study includes 33 patients with TARDBP pathogenetic variants (TARDBP-ALS) (median age 61 years [interquartile range (IQR) 53-67], 8 female [24.2%]) and 928 patients with ALS not carrying the pathogenic variant (WT-ALS) (median age 67 years [IQR 59-74], 386 female [41.6%]). TARDBP-ALS cases were also compared with 129 matched controls (median age 66 years [IQR 57.5-71.5], 55 female [42.6%]). TARDBP-ALS and WT-ALS patients were cognitively classified as ALS-CN (54% vs 58.8%, respectively), ALSci (21.2% vs 18.3%), ALSci (9.1% vs 9.5%), ALScbi (6.1% vs 6.0%), and ALS-FTD (9.1 vs 6.7%), with no significant difference (p = 0.623). Compared with controls, TARDBP-ALS had a worse performance in executive functions, visual memory, visuoconstructive abilities, verbal fluency, and the apathy behavioral component of FrSBe. The scores of performed tests, including all Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen subdomains, were similar in TARDBP-ALS and WT-ALS. DISCUSSION TARDBP-ALS patients were significantly more impaired than controls in most examined domains but do not show any specific pattern of cognitive impairment compared with WT-ALS. Our findings are relevant both clinically, considering the effect of cognitive impairment on patients' decision-making and caregivers' burden, and in designing clinical trials for the treatment of patients carrying TARDBP pathogenetic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Moglia
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Calvo
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Canosa
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Umberto Manera
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosario Vasta
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Pede
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Margherita Daviddi
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Matteoni
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Maura Brunetti
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Sbaiz
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Cabras
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Gallone
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Grassano
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Peotta
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Palumbo
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Mora
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Iazzolino
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Adriano Chio
- From the Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., F.D.P., M.D., E.M., M.B., S.C., M.G., L.P., F.F.P., G.M., B.I., A. Chio), University of Torino; Neurology 1 (C.M., A. Calvo, A. Canosa, U.M., L.S., S.G., A. Chio), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Canosa, A. Chio), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
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Yang X, Li G, Lou P, Zhang M, Yao K, Xiao J, Chen Y, Xu J, Tian S, Deng M, Pan Y, Li M, Wu X, Liu R, Shi X, Tian Y, Yu L, Ke H, Jiao B, Cong Y, Plikus MV, Liu X, Yu Z, Lv C. Excessive nucleic acid R-loops induce mitochondria-dependent epithelial cell necroptosis and drive spontaneous intestinal inflammation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2307395120. [PMID: 38157451 PMCID: PMC10769860 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307395120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress, which can be activated by a variety of environmental risk factors, has been implicated as an important pathogenic factor for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, how oxidative stress drives IBD onset remains elusive. Here, we found that oxidative stress was strongly activated in inflamed tissues from both ulcerative colitis patients and Crohn's disease patients, and it caused nuclear-to-cytosolic TDP-43 transport and a reduction in the TDP-43 protein level. To investigate the function of TDP-43 in IBD, we inducibly deleted exons 2 to 3 of Tardbp (encoding Tdp-43) in mouse intestinal epithelium, which disrupted its nuclear localization and RNA-processing function. The deletion gave rise to spontaneous intestinal inflammation by inducing epithelial cell necroptosis. Suppression of the necroptotic pathway with deletion of Mlkl or the RIP1 inhibitor Nec-1 rescued colitis phenotypes. Mechanistically, disruption of nuclear TDP-43 caused excessive R-loop accumulation, which triggered DNA damage and genome instability and thereby induced PARP1 hyperactivation, leading to subsequent NAD+ depletion and ATP loss, consequently activating mitochondrion-dependent necroptosis in intestinal epithelial cells. Importantly, restoration of cellular NAD+ levels with NAD+ or NMN supplementation, as well as suppression of ALKBH7, an α-ketoglutarate dioxygenase in mitochondria, rescued TDP-43 deficiency-induced cell death and intestinal inflammation. Furthermore, TDP-43 protein levels were significantly inversely correlated with γ-H2A.X and p-MLKL levels in clinical IBD samples, suggesting the clinical relevance of TDP-43 deficiency-induced mitochondrion-dependent necroptosis. Taken together, these findings identify a unique pathogenic mechanism that links oxidative stress to intestinal inflammation and provide a potent and valid strategy for IBD intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Yang
- Tianjian Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan450052, China
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Ankang University, Ankang, Shaanxi725000, China
| | - Guilin Li
- Tianjian Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan450052, China
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Pengbo Lou
- China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing100094, China
| | - Mingxin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Kai Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Jintao Xiao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410008, China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of AI Computer Aided Diagnosis and Treatment for Digestive Disease, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yiqian Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410008, China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of AI Computer Aided Diagnosis and Treatment for Digestive Disease, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jiuzhi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Shengyuan Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Min Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Yuwei Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Mengzhen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Xi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Ruiqi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Xiaojing Shi
- Tianjian Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan450052, China
| | - Yuhua Tian
- Tianjian Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan450052, China
| | - Lu Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Hao Ke
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution of Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming650223, China
| | - Baowei Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution of Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming650223, China
| | - Yingzi Cong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, IL60611
| | - Maksim V. Plikus
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Xiaowei Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410008, China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of AI Computer Aided Diagnosis and Treatment for Digestive Disease, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhengquan Yu
- Tianjian Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan450052, China
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
| | - Cong Lv
- Key Laboratory of Precision Nutrition and Food Quality, Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing100193, China
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5
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Lombardi M, Corrado L, Piola B, Comi C, Cantello R, D’Alfonso S, Mazzini L, De Marchi F. Variability in Clinical Phenotype in TARDBP Mutations: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Case Description and Literature Review. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2039. [PMID: 38002982 PMCID: PMC10671725 DOI: 10.3390/genes14112039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the 43 kDa transactive-response (TAR)-DNA-binding protein (TARDBP) are associated with 2-5% of familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) cases. TAR DNA-Binding Protein 43 (TDP-43) is an RNA/DNA-binding protein involved in several cellular mechanisms (e.g., transcription, pre-mRNA processing, and splicing). Many ALS-linked TARDBP mutations have been described in the literature, but few phenotypic data on monogenic TARDBP-mutated ALS are available. In this paper, (1) we describe the clinical features of ALS patients carrying mutations in the TARDBP gene evaluated at the Tertiary ALS Center at Maggiore della Carità University Hospital, Novara, Italy, from 2010 to 2020 and (2) present the results of our review of the literature on this topic, analyzing data obtained for 267 patients and highlighting their main clinical and demographic features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Lombardi
- ALS Center, Neurology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy; (M.L.); (R.C.); (L.M.)
| | - Lucia Corrado
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy; (L.C.); (B.P.); (S.D.)
| | - Beatrice Piola
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy; (L.C.); (B.P.); (S.D.)
| | - Cristoforo Comi
- Neurology Unit, S. Andrea Hospital, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, 13100 Vercelli, Italy;
| | - Roberto Cantello
- ALS Center, Neurology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy; (M.L.); (R.C.); (L.M.)
| | - Sandra D’Alfonso
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy; (L.C.); (B.P.); (S.D.)
| | - Letizia Mazzini
- ALS Center, Neurology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy; (M.L.); (R.C.); (L.M.)
| | - Fabiola De Marchi
- ALS Center, Neurology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy; (M.L.); (R.C.); (L.M.)
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6
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Sung W, Kim JA, Kim YS, Park J, Oh KW, Sung JJ, Ki CS, Kim YE, Kim SH. An analysis of variants in TARDBP in the Korean population with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: comparison with previous data. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18805. [PMID: 37914747 PMCID: PMC10620191 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45593-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The TARDBP gene variant is a known major cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with limited reports of Korean patients with ALS harboring the variants in TARDBP. This large cohort study introduces four ALS patients who share the p.M337V variant of the TARDBP, allowing for an investigation of clinical characteristics and prognosis by analyzing previously reported cases with the same variant. From November 2014 to August 2022, participants were recruited from two tertiary hospitals in Seoul, Korea. Clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with ALS carrying the variant in TARDBP were evaluated. Previous articles demonstrating subjects' characteristics were reviewed. Four patients were identified with the pathogenic missense variant (c.1009A>G; p.M337V) in the TARDBP. The mean age of onset was 55 years old, and none of the patients showed severe cognitive impairment. Sixty-three patients carrying the p.M337V variant in TARDBP from this study and previous reports delineated young age of onset (51.6 years), high frequency of bulbar onset patients (61.9%), and low comorbidity of frontotemporal dementia. This study reveals the presence of pathogenic variant of TARDBP in Korea and emphasizes the importance of genetic screening of the TARDBP gene, in diagnosing ALS and evaluating prognosis among familial and simplex ALS patients in Korea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonjae Sung
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Wangsimni-ro 222, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Ah Kim
- Department of Translational Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Sung Kim
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Wangsimni-ro 222, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinseok Park
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Wangsimni-ro 222, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki-Wook Oh
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Wangsimni-ro 222, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Joon Sung
- Department of Translational Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Young-Eun Kim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Wangsimni-ro 222, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
| | - Seung Hyun Kim
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Wangsimni-ro 222, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
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7
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Helmold BR, Pauss KE, Ozdinler PH. TDP-43 protein interactome informs about perturbed canonical pathways and may help develop personalized medicine approaches for patients with TDP-43 pathology. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103769. [PMID: 37714405 PMCID: PMC10872580 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Transactive response DNA binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) pathology is a common proteinopathy observed among a broad spectrum of patients with neurodegenerative disease, regardless of the mutation. This suggests that protein-protein interactions of TDP-43 with other proteins may in part be responsible for the pathology. To gain better insights, we investigated TDP-43-binding proteins in each domain and correlated these interactions with canonical pathways. These investigations revealed key cellular events that are involved and are important at each domain and suggested previously identified compounds to modulate key aspects of these canonical pathways. Our approach proposes that personalized medicine approaches, which focus on perturbed cellular mechanisms would be feasible in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R Helmold
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Kate E Pauss
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - P Hande Ozdinler
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA; Center for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery, Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60611, USA; Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Feinberg School of Medicine, Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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Li F, Chen Y, Tang Y, Liu X, Wei G. Dissecting the Effect of ALS Mutation G335D on the Early Aggregation of the TDP-43 Amyloidogenic Core Peptide: Helix-to-β-Sheet Transition and Conformational Shift. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:3579-3590. [PMID: 37218694 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The aggregation of TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) into fibrillary deposits is associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The 311-360 fragment of TDP-43 (TDP-43311-360), the amyloidogenic core region, can spontaneously aggregate into fibrils, and the ALS-associated mutation G335D has an enhanced effect on TDP-43311-360 fibrillization. However, the molecular mechanism underlying G335D-enhanced aggregation at atomic level remains largely unknown. By utilizing all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) and replica exchange with solute tempering 2 (REST2) simulations, we investigated influences of G335D on the dimerization (the first step of aggregation) and conformational ensemble of the TDP-43311-360 peptide. Our simulations show that G335D mutation increases inter-peptide interactions, especially inter-peptide hydrogen-bonding interactions in which the mutant site has a relatively large contribution, and enhances the dimerization of TDP-43311-360 peptides. The α-helix regions in the NMR-resolved conformation of the TDP-43311-360 monomer (321-330 and 335-343) play an essential role in the formation of the dimer. G335D mutation induces helix unfolding and promotes α-to-β conversion. G335D mutation alters the conformational distribution of TDP-43311-360 dimers and causes population shift from helix-rich to β-sheet-rich conformations, which facilitates the fibrillization of the TDP-43311-360 peptide. Our MD and REST2 simulation results suggest that the 321-330 region is of paramount importance to α-to-β transition and could be the initiation site for TDP-43311-360 fibrillization. Our work reveals the mechanism underlying the enhanced aggregation propensity of the G335D TDP-43311-360 peptide, which provides atomistic insights into the G335D mutation-caused pathogenicity of TDP-43 protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangying Li
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Yujie Chen
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiming Tang
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianshi Liu
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Guanghong Wei
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
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Mathioudakis L, Dimovasili C, Bourbouli M, Latsoudis H, Kokosali E, Gouna G, Vogiatzi E, Basta M, Kapetanaki S, Panagiotakis S, Kanterakis A, Boumpas D, Lionis C, Plaitakis A, Simos P, Vgontzas A, Kafetzopoulos D, Zaganas I. Study of Alzheimer's disease- and frontotemporal dementia-associated genes in the Cretan Aging Cohort. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 123:111-128. [PMID: 36117051 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Using exome sequencing, we analyzed 196 participants of the Cretan Aging Cohort (CAC; 95 with Alzheimer's disease [AD], 20 with mild cognitive impairment [MCI], and 81 cognitively normal controls). The APOE ε4 allele was more common in AD patients (23.2%) than in controls (7.4%; p < 0.01) and the PSEN2 p.Arg29His and p.Cys391Arg variants were found in 3 AD and 1 MCI patient, respectively. Also, we found the frontotemporal dementia (FTD)-associated TARDBP gene p.Ile383Val variant in 2 elderly patients diagnosed with AD and in 2 patients, non CAC members, with the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/FTD phenotype. Furthermore, the p.Ser498Ala variant in the positively selected GLUD2 gene was less frequent in AD patients (2.11%) than in controls (16%; p < 0.01), suggesting a possible protective effect. While the same trend was found in another local replication cohort (n = 406) and in section of the ADNI cohort (n = 808), this finding did not reach statistical significance and therefore it should be considered preliminary. Our results attest to the value of genetic testing to study aged adults with AD phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lambros Mathioudakis
- University of Crete, Medical School, Neurology/Neurogenetics Laboratory, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Christina Dimovasili
- University of Crete, Medical School, Neurology/Neurogenetics Laboratory, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Mara Bourbouli
- University of Crete, Medical School, Neurology/Neurogenetics Laboratory, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Helen Latsoudis
- Minotech Genomics Facility, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB-FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Evgenia Kokosali
- University of Crete, Medical School, Neurology/Neurogenetics Laboratory, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Garyfallia Gouna
- University of Crete, Medical School, Neurology/Neurogenetics Laboratory, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Emmanouella Vogiatzi
- University of Crete, Medical School, Neurology/Neurogenetics Laboratory, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Maria Basta
- University of Crete, Medical School, Psychiatry Department, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Stefania Kapetanaki
- University of Crete, Medical School, Neurology/Neurogenetics Laboratory, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Simeon Panagiotakis
- University of Crete, Medical School, Internal Medicine Department, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Alexandros Kanterakis
- Computational BioMedicine Laboratory, Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (ICS-FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Boumpas
- University of Crete, Medical School, Internal Medicine Department, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Christos Lionis
- University of Crete, Medical School, Clinic of Social and Family Medicine, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Andreas Plaitakis
- University of Crete, Medical School, Neurology/Neurogenetics Laboratory, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Simos
- University of Crete, Medical School, Psychiatry Department, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Alexandros Vgontzas
- University of Crete, Medical School, Psychiatry Department, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Kafetzopoulos
- Minotech Genomics Facility, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB-FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Ioannis Zaganas
- University of Crete, Medical School, Neurology/Neurogenetics Laboratory, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
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10
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Manini A, Casiraghi V, Brusati A, Maranzano A, Gentile F, Colombo E, Bonetti R, Peverelli S, Invernizzi S, Gentilini D, Messina S, Verde F, Poletti B, Fogh I, Morelli C, Silani V, Ratti A, Ticozzi N. Association of the risk factor UNC13A with survival and upper motor neuron involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1067954. [PMID: 36819716 PMCID: PMC9931189 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1067954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The UNC13A gene is an established susceptibility locus for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and a determinant of shorter survival after disease onset, with up to 33.0 months difference in life expectancy for carriers of the rs12608932 risk genotype. However, its overall effect on other clinical features and ALS phenotypic variability is controversial. Methods Genotype data of the UNC13A rs12608932 SNP (A-major allele; C-minor allele) was obtained from a cohort of 972 ALS patients. Demographic and clinical variables were collected, including cognitive and behavioral profiles, evaluated through the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS) - Italian version and the Frontal Behavioral Inventory (FBI); upper and lower motor neuron involvement, assessed by the Penn Upper Motor Neuron Score (PUMNS) and the Lower Motor Neuron Score (LMNS)/Medical Research Council (MRC) scores, respectively; the ALS Functional Rating Scale Revised (ALSFRS-R) score at evaluation and progression rate; age and site of onset; survival. The comparison between the three rs12608932 genotypes (AA, AC, and CC) was performed using the additive, dominant, and recessive genetic models. Results The rs12608932 minor allele frequency was 0.31 in our ALS cohort, in comparison to 0.33-0.41 reported in other Caucasian ALS populations. Carriers of at least one minor C allele (AC + CC genotypes) had a shorter median survival than patients with the wild-type AA genotype (-11.7 months, p = 0.013), even after adjusting for age and site of onset, C9orf72 mutational status and gender. Patients harboring at least one major A allele (AA + AC genotypes) and particularly those with the wild-type AA genotype showed a significantly higher PUMNS compared to CC carriers (p = 0.015 and padj = 0.037, respectively), thus indicating a more severe upper motor neuron involvement. Our analysis did not detect significant associations with all the other clinical parameters considered. Conclusion Overall, our findings confirm the role of UNC13A as a determinant of survival in ALS patients and show the association of this locus also with upper motor neuron involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Manini
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,Neurology Residency Program, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Casiraghi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,Department of Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Brusati
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessio Maranzano
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,Neurology Residency Program, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Gentile
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,Neurology Residency Program, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Colombo
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Ruggero Bonetti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,Neurology Residency Program, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Peverelli
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sabrina Invernizzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Gentilini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy,Bioinformatics and Statistical Genomics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Messina
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Verde
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, 'Dino Ferrari' Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Poletti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Isabella Fogh
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia Morelli
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, 'Dino Ferrari' Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonia Ratti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,Department of Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, 'Dino Ferrari' Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy,*Correspondence: Nicola Ticozzi, ✉
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11
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Tiloca C, Goldwurm S, Calcagno N, Verde F, Peverelli S, Calini D, Zecchinelli AL, Sangalli D, Ratti A, Pezzoli G, Silani V, Ticozzi N. TARDBP mutations in a cohort of Italian patients with Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonisms. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:1020948. [PMID: 36247987 PMCID: PMC9557978 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1020948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundAggregates of TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) represent the pathological hallmark of most amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and of nearly 50% of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) cases but were also observed to occur as secondary neuropathology in the nervous tissue of patients with different neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonism. Mutations of TARDBP gene, mainly in exon 6 hotspot, have been reported to be causative of some forms of ALS and FTD, with clinical signs of parkinsonism observed in few mutation carriers.MethodsDirect DNA sequencing of TARDBP exon 6 was performed in a large Italian cohort of 735 patients affected by PD (354 familial and 381 sporadic) and 142 affected by atypical parkinsonism, including 39 corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and 103 progressive sopranuclear palsy (PSP). Sequencing data from 1710 healthy, ethnically matched controls were already available.ResultsFour TARDBP missense variants (p.N267S, p. G294A, p.G295S, p.S393L) were identified in four patients with typical PD and in two individuals with atypical parkinsonism (1 CBS and 1 PSP). None of the detected mutations were found in healthy controls and only the variant p.N267S was previously described in association to idiopathic familial and sporadic PD and to CBS.ConclusionIn this study we provide further insight into the clinical phenotypic heterogeneity associated with TARDBP mutations, which expands beyond the classical ALS and FTD diseases to include also PD and atypical parkinsonism, although with a low mutational frequency, varying considerably in different Caucasian populations. In addition, our study extends the spectrum of TARDBP pathogenetic mutations found in familial and sporadic PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Tiloca
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Goldwurm
- Parkinson Institute of Milan, ASST Gaetano Pini/CTO, Milan, Italy
| | - Narghes Calcagno
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Residency Program, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Verde
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari” Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Peverelli
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Calini
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Davide Sangalli
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Neurology – Stroke Unit, A. Manzoni Hospital – ASST Lecco, Lecco, Italy
| | - Antonia Ratti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianni Pezzoli
- Parkinson Institute of Milan, ASST Gaetano Pini/CTO, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari” Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari” Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Nicola Ticozzi,
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12
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An Atypical Presentation of Upper Motor Neuron Predominant Juvenile Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Associated with TARDBP Gene: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13081483. [PMID: 36011394 PMCID: PMC9407925 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that can rarely affect young individuals. Juvenile ALS (JALS) is defined for individuals with an onset of the disease before the age of 25. The contribution of genetics to ALS pathology is a field of growing interest. One of the differences between adult-onset ALS and JALS is their genetic background, with a higher contribution of genetic causes in JALS. We report a patient with JALS and a pathogenic variant in the TARDBP gene (c.1035C > G; p.Asn345Lys), previously reported only in adult-onset ALS, and with an atypical phenotype of marked upper motor neuron predominance. In addition, the proband presented an additional variant in the NEK1 gene, c.2961C > G (p.Phe987Leu), which is classified as a variant of unknown significance. Segregation studies showed a paternal origin of the TARDBP variant, while the variant in NEK1 was inherited from the mother. We hypothesize that the NEK1 variant acts as a disease modifier and suggests the possibility of a functional interaction between both genes in our case. This hypothesis could explain the peculiarities of the phenotype, penetrance, and the age of onset. This report highlights the heterogeneity of the phenotypic presentation of ALS associated with diverse pathogenic genetic variants.
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Genotype-phenotype correlation in Tunisian patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 120:27-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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14
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Paron F, Barattucci S, Cappelli S, Romano M, Berlingieri C, Stuani C, Laurents D, Mompeán M, Buratti E. Unravelling the toxic effects mediated by the neurodegenerative disease-associated S375G mutation of TDP-43 and its S375E phosphomimetic variant. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102252. [PMID: 35835219 PMCID: PMC9364110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a nucleic acid–binding protein found in the nucleus that accumulates in the cytoplasm under pathological conditions, leading to proteinopathies, such as frontotemporal dementia and ALS. An emerging area of TDP-43 research is represented by the study of its post-translational modifications, the way they are connected to disease-associated mutations, and what this means for pathological processes. Recently, we described a novel mutation in TDP-43 in an early onset ALS case that was affecting a potential phosphorylation site in position 375 (S375G). A preliminary characterization showed that both the S375G mutation and its phosphomimetic variant, S375E, displayed altered nuclear–cytoplasmic distribution and cellular toxicity. To better investigate these effects, here we established cell lines expressing inducible WT, S375G, and S375E TDP-43 variants. Interestingly, we found that these mutants do not seem to affect well-studied aspects of TDP-43, such as RNA splicing or autoregulation, or protein conformation, dynamics, or aggregation, although they do display dysmorphic nuclear shape and cell cycle alterations. In addition, RNA-Seq analysis of these cell lines showed that although the disease-associated S375G mutation and its phosphomimetic S375E variant regulate distinct sets of genes, they have a common target in mitochondrial apoptotic genes. Taken together, our data strongly support the growing evidence that alterations in TDP-43 post-translational modifications can play a potentially important role in disease pathogenesis and provide a further link between TDP-43 pathology and mitochondrial health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Paron
- Molecular Pathology, International Centre for Genetic and Engineering Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Simone Barattucci
- Molecular Pathology, International Centre for Genetic and Engineering Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Sara Cappelli
- Molecular Pathology, International Centre for Genetic and Engineering Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Maurizio Romano
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Christian Berlingieri
- Molecular Pathology, International Centre for Genetic and Engineering Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Cristiana Stuani
- Molecular Pathology, International Centre for Genetic and Engineering Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Douglas Laurents
- "Rocasolano" Institute for Physical Chemistry, Spanish National Research Council, Serrano 119, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Mompeán
- "Rocasolano" Institute for Physical Chemistry, Spanish National Research Council, Serrano 119, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Emanuele Buratti
- Molecular Pathology, International Centre for Genetic and Engineering Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy.
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15
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Martello F, Lattante S, Doronzio PN, Conte A, Bisogni G, Orteschi D, Luigetti M, Marrucci MA, Zollino M, Sabatelli M, Marangi G. Generation of an induced pluripotent stem cell line (UCSCi002-A) from a patient with a variant in TARDBP gene associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Stem Cell Res 2022; 62:102825. [PMID: 35667216 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2022.102825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that selectively affects motor neurons. In 20% of cases, ALS appears in comorbidity with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). We generated patient-derived-induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs), from an ALS/FTD patient. The patient had a familial form of the disease and a missense variant in TARDBP gene. We used an established protocol based on Sendai virus to reprogram fibroblasts. We confirmed the stemness and the pluripotency of the iPSC clones, thus generating embryoid bodies. We believe that the iPSC line carrying a TARDBP mutation could be a valuable tool to investigate TDP-43 proteinopathy linked to ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Martello
- Section of Genomic Medicine, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy; Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Laboratory and Infectious Disease Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Lattante
- Section of Genomic Medicine, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy; Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Laboratory and Infectious Disease Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
| | - Paolo Niccolò Doronzio
- Section of Genomic Medicine, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy; Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Laboratory and Infectious Disease Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Amelia Conte
- Adult NEMO Clinical Center, Unit of Neurology, Department of Aging, Neurological, Orthopedic and Head-Neck Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Section of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Bisogni
- Adult NEMO Clinical Center, Unit of Neurology, Department of Aging, Neurological, Orthopedic and Head-Neck Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Section of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Orteschi
- Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Laboratory and Infectious Disease Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Luigetti
- Section of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy; Unit of Neurology, Department of Aging, Neurological, Orthopedic and Head-Neck Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Alessandra Marrucci
- Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Healthcare Surveillance and Bioethics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcella Zollino
- Section of Genomic Medicine, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy; Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Laboratory and Infectious Disease Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Sabatelli
- Adult NEMO Clinical Center, Unit of Neurology, Department of Aging, Neurological, Orthopedic and Head-Neck Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Section of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Marangi
- Section of Genomic Medicine, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy; Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Laboratory and Infectious Disease Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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16
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Vishal SS, Wijegunawardana D, Salaikumaran MR, Gopal PP. Sequence Determinants of TDP-43 Ribonucleoprotein Condensate Formation and Axonal Transport in Neurons. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:876893. [PMID: 35646935 PMCID: PMC9133736 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.876893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in TDP-43, a RNA-binding protein with multiple functions in RNA metabolism, cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but it is uncertain how defects in RNA biology trigger motor neuron degeneration. TDP-43 is a major constituent of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules, phase separated biomolecular condensates that regulate RNA splicing, mRNA transport, and translation. ALS-associated TDP-43 mutations, most of which are found in the low complexity domain, promote aberrant liquid to solid phase transitions and impair the dynamic liquid-like properties and motility of RNP transport granules in neurons. Here, we perform a comparative analysis of ALS-linked mutations and TDP-43 variants in order to identify critical structural elements, aromatic and charged residues that are key determinants of TDP-43 RNP transport and condensate formation in neurons. We find that A315T and Q343R disease-linked mutations and substitutions of aromatic residues within the α-helical domain and LARKS, show the most severe defects in TDP-43 RNP granule transport and impair both anterograde and retrograde motility. F313L and F313-6L/Y substitutions of one or both phenylalanine residues in LARKS suggest the aromatic rings are important for TDP-43 RNP transport. Similarly, W334F/L substitutions of the tryptophan residue in the α-helical domain, impair TDP-43 RNP motility (W334L) or anterograde transport (W334F). We also show that R293A and R293K mutations, which disrupt the only RGG in the LCD, profoundly reduce long-range, directed transport and net velocity of TDP-43 RNP granules. In the disordered regions flanking the α-helical domain, we find that F283Y, F397Y or Y374F substitutions of conserved GF/G and SYS motifs, also impair anterograde and/or retrograde motility, possibly by altering hydrophobicity. Similarly, ALS-linked mutations in disordered regions distant from the α-helical domain also show anterograde transport deficits, consistent with previous findings, but these mutations are less severe than A315T and Q343R. Overall our findings demonstrate that the conserved α-helical domain, phenylalanine residues within LARKS and RGG motif are key determinants of TDP-43 RNP transport, suggesting they may mediate efficient recruitment of motors and adaptor proteins. These results offer a possible mechanism underlying ALS-linked TDP-43 defects in axonal transport and homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonali S. Vishal
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | | | - Pallavi P. Gopal
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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17
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Hu L, Mao S, Lin L, Bai G, Liu B, Mao J. Stress granules in the spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: The correlation and promising therapy. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 170:105749. [PMID: 35568100 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing genetic and biochemical evidence has broadened our view of the pathomechanisms that lead to Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), two fatal neurodegenerative diseases with similar symptoms and causes. Stress granules are dynamic cytosolic storage hubs for mRNAs in response to stress exposures, that are evolutionarily conserved cytoplasmic RNA granules in somatic cells. A lot of previous studies have shown that the impaired stress granules are crucial events in SMA/ALS pathogenesis. In this review, we described the key stress granules related RNA binding proteins (SMN, TDP-43, and FUS) involved in SMA/ALS, summarized the reported mutations in these RNA binding proteins involved in SMA/ALS pathogenesis, and discussed the mechanisms through which stress granules dynamics participate in the diseases. Meanwhile, we described the applications and limitation of current therapies targeting SMA/ALS. We futher proposed the promising targets on stress granules in the future therapeutic interventions of SMA/ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- LiDan Hu
- the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310052, China.
| | - Shanshan Mao
- the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310052, China
| | - Li Lin
- the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310052, China
| | - Guannan Bai
- the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310052, China
| | - Bingjie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jianhua Mao
- the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310052, China
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18
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Yilmaz R, Weishaupt K, Valkadinov I, Knehr A, Brenner D, Weishaupt JH. Quadruple genetic variants in a sporadic ALS patient. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2022; 10:e1953. [PMID: 35426263 PMCID: PMC9266611 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Due to upcoming gene‐specific therapy approaches for ALS patients, understanding familial and sporadic ALS genetics is becoming increasingly important. In this study, we wanted to investigate underlying genetic causes for an SALS patient. Methods We performed ALS gene panel sequencing and subsequent segregation analysis in the family. Results Genetic studies suggest that a proportion of SALS cases has an oligogenic origin due to the combination of low‐effect size mutations in several ALS genes. Maximally three mutations in different ALS disease genes have been described in isolated ALS patients. Here, we report for the first time the co‐occurrence of rare nonsynonymous variants in four known ALS genes in a SALS patient (c.859G > A/p.Gly287Ser in TARDBP, c.304G > T/p.Glu102* in NEK1, c.3446C > A/p.Gly1149Val in ERBB4, and c.1015C > T/p.Arg339Trp in VEGFA). All four variants were unique for the patient, whereas up to three of these variants were detected in the unaffected family members, all older than the patient. Discussion Our study suggests that SALS can be caused by the additive or synergistic action of low‐effect size mutations. Broader use of gene panel analysis or whole exome/genome sequencing may reveal a potentially treatable oligogenic causation in a higher percentage of SALS than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rüstem Yilmaz
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Kanchi Weishaupt
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ivan Valkadinov
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Antje Knehr
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - David Brenner
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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19
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Acosta-Uribe J, Aguillón D, Cochran JN, Giraldo M, Madrigal L, Killingsworth BW, Singhal R, Labib S, Alzate D, Velilla L, Moreno S, García GP, Saldarriaga A, Piedrahita F, Hincapié L, López HE, Perumal N, Morelo L, Vallejo D, Solano JM, Reiman EM, Surace EI, Itzcovich T, Allegri R, Sánchez-Valle R, Villegas-Lanau A, White CL, Matallana D, Myers RM, Browning SR, Lopera F, Kosik KS. A neurodegenerative disease landscape of rare mutations in Colombia due to founder effects. Genome Med 2022; 14:27. [PMID: 35260199 PMCID: PMC8902761 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-022-01035-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Colombian population, as well as those in other Latin American regions, arose from a recent tri-continental admixture among Native Americans, Spanish invaders, and enslaved Africans, all of whom passed through a population bottleneck due to widespread infectious diseases that left small isolated local settlements. As a result, the current population reflects multiple founder effects derived from diverse ancestries. METHODS We characterized the role of admixture and founder effects on the origination of the mutational landscape that led to neurodegenerative disorders under these historical circumstances. Genomes from 900 Colombian individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) [n = 376], frontotemporal lobar degeneration-motor neuron disease continuum (FTLD-MND) [n = 197], early-onset dementia not otherwise specified (EOD) [n = 73], and healthy participants [n = 254] were analyzed. We examined their global and local ancestry proportions and screened this cohort for deleterious variants in disease-causing and risk-conferring genes. RESULTS We identified 21 pathogenic variants in AD-FTLD related genes, and PSEN1 harbored the majority (11 pathogenic variants). Variants were identified from all three continental ancestries. TREM2 heterozygous and homozygous variants were the most common among AD risk genes (102 carriers), a point of interest because the disease risk conferred by these variants differed according to ancestry. Several gene variants that have a known association with MND in European populations had FTLD phenotypes on a Native American haplotype. Consistent with founder effects, identity by descent among carriers of the same variant was frequent. CONCLUSIONS Colombian demography with multiple mini-bottlenecks probably enhanced the detection of founder events and left a proportionally higher frequency of rare variants derived from the ancestral populations. These findings demonstrate the role of genomically defined ancestry in phenotypic disease expression, a phenotypic range of different rare mutations in the same gene, and further emphasize the importance of inclusiveness in genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Acosta-Uribe
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - David Aguillón
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | | | - Margarita Giraldo
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
- Instituto Neurológico de Colombia (INDEC), Medellín, Colombia
| | - Lucía Madrigal
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Bradley W Killingsworth
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Rijul Singhal
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Labib
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Diana Alzate
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Lina Velilla
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Sonia Moreno
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Gloria P García
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Amanda Saldarriaga
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Francisco Piedrahita
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Liliana Hincapié
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Hugo E López
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Nithesh Perumal
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Leonilde Morelo
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidad del Sinú, Montería, Colombia
| | - Dionis Vallejo
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Juan Marcos Solano
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | | | - Ezequiel I Surace
- Laboratorio de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (Fleni-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Tatiana Itzcovich
- Laboratorio de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (Fleni-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ricardo Allegri
- Centro de Memoria y Envejecimiento (Fleni-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Raquel Sánchez-Valle
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS and University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrés Villegas-Lanau
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Charles L White
- Neuropathology Section, Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Diana Matallana
- Instituto de Envejecimiento, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Pontifical Xaverian University, Bogotá, Colombia
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitario Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Richard M Myers
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Sharon R Browning
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Francisco Lopera
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
| | - Kenneth S Kosik
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
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20
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Milicevic K, Rankovic B, Andjus PR, Bataveljic D, Milovanovic D. Emerging Roles for Phase Separation of RNA-Binding Proteins in Cellular Pathology of ALS. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:840256. [PMID: 35372329 PMCID: PMC8965147 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.840256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is emerging as a major principle for the mesoscale organization of proteins, RNAs, and membrane-bound organelles into biomolecular condensates. These condensates allow for rapid cellular responses to changes in metabolic activities and signaling. Nowhere is this regulation more important than in neurons and glia, where cellular physiology occurs simultaneously on a range of time- and length-scales. In a number of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), misregulation of biomolecular condensates leads to the formation of insoluble aggregates—a pathological hallmark of both sporadic and familial ALS. Here, we summarize how the emerging knowledge about the LLPS of ALS-related proteins corroborates with their aggregation. Understanding the mechanisms that lead to protein aggregation in ALS and how cells respond to these aggregates promises to open new directions for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Milicevic
- Center for Laser Microscopy, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry “Ivan Djaja”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Branislava Rankovic
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
| | - Pavle R. Andjus
- Center for Laser Microscopy, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry “Ivan Djaja”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Danijela Bataveljic
- Center for Laser Microscopy, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry “Ivan Djaja”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
- *Correspondence: Danijela Bataveljic, ; Dragomir Milovanovic,
| | - Dragomir Milovanovic
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Danijela Bataveljic, ; Dragomir Milovanovic,
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21
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Genetic architecture of motor neuron diseases. J Neurol Sci 2021; 434:120099. [PMID: 34965490 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2021.120099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are rare and frequently fatal neurological disorders in which motor neurons within the brainstem and spinal cord regions slowly die. MNDs are primarily caused by genetic mutations, and > 100 different mutant genes in humans have been discovered thus far. Given the fact that many more MND-related genes have yet to be discovered, the growing body of genetic evidence has offered new insights into the diverse cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the aetiology and pathogenesis of MNDs. This search may aid in the selection of potential candidate genes for future investigation and, eventually, may open the door to novel interventions to slow down disease progression. In this review paper, we have summarized detailed existing research findings of different MNDs, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), spinal bulbar muscle atrophy (SBMA) and hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) in relation to their complex genetic architecture.
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22
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Wood A, Gurfinkel Y, Polain N, Lamont W, Lyn Rea S. Molecular Mechanisms Underlying TDP-43 Pathology in Cellular and Animal Models of ALS and FTLD. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4705. [PMID: 33946763 PMCID: PMC8125728 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are neurodegenerative disorders that exist on a disease spectrum due to pathological, clinical and genetic overlap. In up to 97% of ALS cases and ~50% of FTLD cases, the primary pathological protein observed in affected tissues is TDP-43, which is hyperphosphorylated, ubiquitinated and cleaved. The TDP-43 is observed in aggregates that are abnormally located in the cytoplasm. The pathogenicity of TDP-43 cytoplasmic aggregates may be linked with both a loss of nuclear function and a gain of toxic functions. The cellular processes involved in ALS and FTLD disease pathogenesis include changes to RNA splicing, abnormal stress granules, mitochondrial dysfunction, impairments to axonal transport and autophagy, abnormal neuromuscular junctions, endoplasmic reticulum stress and the subsequent induction of the unfolded protein response. Here, we review and discuss the evidence for alterations to these processes that have been reported in cellular and animal models of TDP-43 proteinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair Wood
- School of Molecular Science, University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6009, Australia;
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Health Research Building, Discovery Way, Murdoch 6150, Australia; (Y.G.); (N.P.)
| | - Yuval Gurfinkel
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Health Research Building, Discovery Way, Murdoch 6150, Australia; (Y.G.); (N.P.)
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6009, Australia;
| | - Nicole Polain
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Health Research Building, Discovery Way, Murdoch 6150, Australia; (Y.G.); (N.P.)
| | - Wesley Lamont
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6009, Australia;
| | - Sarah Lyn Rea
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Health Research Building, Discovery Way, Murdoch 6150, Australia; (Y.G.); (N.P.)
- Hub for Immersive Visualisation and eResearch, Curtin University, Bentley 6102, Australia
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6009, Australia
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23
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Picillo M, Ginevrino M, Dati G, Scannapieco S, Vallelunga A, Siano P, Volpe G, Ceravolo R, Nicoletti V, Cicero E, Nicoletti A, Zappia M, Peverelli S, Silani V, Pellecchia MT, Valente EM, Barone P. Genetic characterization of a cohort with familial parkinsonism and cognitive-behavioral syndrome: A Next Generation Sequencing study. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2021; 84:82-90. [PMID: 33601107 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2021.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To perform the genetic characterization of a cohort with familial parkinsonism and cognitive-behavioral syndrome. METHODS A Next Generation Sequencing - based targeted sequencing of 32 genes associated to various neurodegenerative phenotypes, plus a screening for SNCA Copy Number Variations and C9orf72 repeat expansion, was applied in a cohort of 85 Italian patients presenting with parkinsonism and cognitive and/or behavioral syndrome and a positive familial history for any neurodegenerative disorder (i.e., dementia, movement disorders, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). RESULTS Through this combined genetic approach, we detected potentially relevant genetic variants in 25.8% of patients with familial parkinsonism and cognitive and/or behavioral syndrome. Peculiar phenotypes are described (Cortico-basal syndrome with APP, Posterior Cortical Atrophy with GBA, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy-like with GRN, Multiple System Atrophy with TARDBP). The majority of patients presented a rigid-bradykinetic parkinsonian syndrome, while rest tremor was less common. Myoclonic jerks, pyramidal signs, dystonic postures and vertical gaze disturbances were more frequently associated with the presence of a pathogenic variant in one of the tested genes. CONCLUSIONS Given the syndromic approach adopted in our study, we were able to provide a detailed clinical description of patients beyond the boundaries of specific clinical diagnoses and describe peculiar phenotypes. This observation further supports the knowledge that genetic disorders present phenotypic overlaps across different neurodegenerative syndromes, highlighting the limitations of current clinical diagnostic criteria defining sharp boundaries between distinct conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Picillo
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience Section, University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Monia Ginevrino
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Roma, Italy; Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Dati
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience Section, University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Sara Scannapieco
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience Section, University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Annamaria Vallelunga
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience Section, University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Pietro Siano
- Neurology Unit, University Hospital A.O.U. OO.RR. San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona, Scuola Medica Salernitana, Salerno, Italy
| | - Giampiero Volpe
- Neurology Unit, University Hospital A.O.U. OO.RR. San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona, Scuola Medica Salernitana, Salerno, Italy
| | - Roberto Ceravolo
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale Università di Pisa, Italy, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Valentina Nicoletti
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale Università di Pisa, Italy, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Edoardo Cicero
- Department G.F. Ingrassia, Section of Neurosciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Alessandra Nicoletti
- Department G.F. Ingrassia, Section of Neurosciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Mario Zappia
- Department G.F. Ingrassia, Section of Neurosciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Silvia Peverelli
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milano, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milano, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Pellecchia
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience Section, University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Enza Maria Valente
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Paolo Barone
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience Section, University of Salerno, Italy.
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Giannini M, Bayona-Feliu A, Sproviero D, Barroso SI, Cereda C, Aguilera A. TDP-43 mutations link Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with R-loop homeostasis and R loop-mediated DNA damage. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1009260. [PMID: 33301444 PMCID: PMC7755276 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
TDP-43 is a DNA and RNA binding protein involved in RNA processing and with structural resemblance to heterogeneous ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs), whose depletion sensitizes neurons to double strand DNA breaks (DSBs). Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder, in which 97% of patients are familial and sporadic cases associated with TDP-43 proteinopathies and conditions clearing TDP-43 from the nucleus, but we know little about the molecular basis of the disease. After showing with the non-neuronal model of HeLa cells that TDP-43 depletion increases R loops and associated genome instability, we prove that mislocalization of mutated TDP-43 (A382T) in transfected neuronal SH-SY5Y and lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from an ALS patient cause R-loop accumulation, R loop-dependent increased DSBs and Fanconi Anemia repair centers. These results uncover a new role of TDP-43 in the control of co-transcriptional R loops and the maintenance of genome integrity by preventing harmful R-loop accumulation. Our findings thus link TDP-43 pathology to increased R loops and R loop-mediated DNA damage opening the possibility that R-loop modulation in TDP-43-defective cells might help develop ALS therapies. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is an adult onset, progressive neurodegenerative disease, caused by the selective loss of upper and lower motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, brainstem and spinal cord. The nuclear TDP-43 RNA binding protein, is encoded by a major gene for ALS susceptibility whose mutations are found in 3% of familial and 2% of sporadic ALS cases. Thanks to its ability to recognize DNA and RNA, TDP-43 is involved in different steps of mRNA metabolism and in several mechanisms of genome integrity. This, together with the fact that R loops or DNA-RNA hybrids are a common source of genome instability, prompted us to investigate whether TDP-43 deficiency has any role in R loop homeostasis that could explain previously described DNA damage response defects of ALS cells. We show that TDP-43 plays a role in preventing R loop-accumulation and associated genome instability in neuronal and non-neuronal cells, as well as in patient cell lines. Thus, our study opens the possibility that R loop-modulation in TDP-43-defective cells might help develop ALS therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Giannini
- Genomic and Post-Genomic Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Andalusian Center of Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Aleix Bayona-Feliu
- Andalusian Center of Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Daisy Sproviero
- Genomic and Post-Genomic Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Sonia I. Barroso
- Andalusian Center of Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Cristina Cereda
- Genomic and Post-Genomic Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- * E-mail: (CC); (AA)
| | - Andrés Aguilera
- Andalusian Center of Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
- * E-mail: (CC); (AA)
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25
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Grassano M, Calvo A, Moglia C, Brunetti M, Barberis M, Sbaiz L, Canosa A, Manera U, Vasta R, Corrado L, D'Alfonso S, Mazzini L, Scholz SW, Dalgard C, Ding J, Gibbs RJ, Chia R, Traynor BJ, Chiò A. Mutational Analysis of Known ALS Genes in an Italian Population-Based Cohort. Neurology 2020; 96:e600-e609. [PMID: 33208543 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000011209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the burden of rare genetic variants and to estimate the contribution of known amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) genes in an Italian population-based cohort, we performed whole genome sequencing in 959 patients with ALS and 677 matched healthy controls. METHODS We performed genome sequencing in a population-based cohort (Piemonte and Valle d'Aosta Registry for ALS [PARALS]). A panel of 40 ALS genes was analyzed to identify potential disease-causing genetic variants and to evaluate the gene-wide burden of rare variants among our population. RESULTS A total of 959 patients with ALS were compared with 677 healthy controls from the same geographical area. Gene-wide association tests demonstrated a strong association with SOD1, whose rare variants are the second most common cause of disease after C9orf72 expansion. A lower signal was observed for TARDBP, proving that its effect on our cohort is driven by a few known causal variants. We detected rare variants in other known ALS genes that did not surpass statistical significance in gene-wise tests, thus highlighting that their contribution to disease risk in our cohort is limited. CONCLUSIONS We identified potential disease-causing variants in 11.9% of our patients. We identified the genes most frequently involved in our cohort and confirmed the contribution of rare variants in disease risk. Our results provide further insight into the pathologic mechanism of the disease and demonstrate the importance of genome-wide sequencing as a diagnostic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Grassano
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy.
| | - Andrea Calvo
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Moglia
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Maura Brunetti
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Barberis
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Sbaiz
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Canosa
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Umberto Manera
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosario Vasta
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Corrado
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Sandra D'Alfonso
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Letizia Mazzini
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Sonja W Scholz
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Clifton Dalgard
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Jinhui Ding
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Raphael J Gibbs
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Ruth Chia
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Bryan J Traynor
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Adriano Chiò
- From "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience (M.G., A. Calvo, C.M., A. Canosa, U.M., R.V., A. Chiò), University of Turin, Italy; Biocomputational Group (J.D., R.J.G.) and Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section (M.G., R.C., B.J.T.), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD; Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Clinical Pathology (M. Brunetti, M. Barberis, L.S.), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin; Department of Health Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases (L.C., S.D.), "Amedeo Avogadro" University of Eastern Piedmont; ALS Center (L.M.), Department of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics (S.W.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Department of Neurology (S.W.S., B.J.T.), Johns Hopkins University Medical Center; Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics (C.D.), and The American Genome Center, Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program (C.D.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (A. Chiò), National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
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Ungaro C, Sprovieri T, Morello G, Perrone B, Spampinato AG, Simone IL, Trojsi F, Monsurrò MR, Spataro R, La Bella V, Andò S, Cavallaro S, Conforti FL. Genetic investigation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients in south Italy: a two-decade analysis. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 99:99.e7-99.e14. [PMID: 32951934 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multifactorial disease characterized by the interplay of genetic and environmental factors. In the majority of cases, ALS is sporadic, whereas familial forms occur in less than 10% of patients. Herein, we present the results of molecular analyses performed in a large cohort of Italian ALS patients, focusing on novel and already described variations in ALS-linked genes. Our analysis revealed that more than 10% of tested patients carried a mutation in one of the major ALS genes, with C9orf72 hexanucleotide expansion being the most common mutation. In addition, our study confirmed a significant association between ALS patients carrying the ATNX-1 intermediate repeat and the pathological C9orf72 expansion, supporting the involvement of this risk factor in neuronal degeneration. Overall, our study broadens the known mutational spectrum in ALS and provides new insights for a more accurate view of the genetic pattern of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmine Ungaro
- Department of Earth and Environment, Institute of Atmospheric Pollution (IIA), National Research Council (CNR), Rende (CS), Italy
| | - Teresa Sprovieri
- Department of Earth and Environment, Institute of Atmospheric Pollution (IIA), National Research Council (CNR), Rende (CS), Italy
| | - Giovanna Morello
- Department of Biomedical Science, Institute for Research and Biomedical Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council (CNR), Catania, Italy
| | - Benedetta Perrone
- Department of Pharmacy and Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende (CS), Italy
| | - Antonio Gianmaria Spampinato
- Department of Biomedical Science, Institute for Research and Biomedical Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council (CNR), Catania, Italy
| | - Isabella Laura Simone
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesca Trojsi
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, MRI Research Center SUN-FISM, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Monsurrò
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, MRI Research Center SUN-FISM, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | | | - Vincenzo La Bella
- Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, ALS Clinical Research Center and Laboratory of Neurochemistry, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Andò
- Department of Pharmacy and Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende (CS), Italy; Centro Sanitario, Università della Calabria, Rende (CS), Italy
| | - Sebastiano Cavallaro
- Department of Biomedical Science, Institute for Research and Biomedical Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council (CNR), Catania, Italy
| | - Francesca Luisa Conforti
- Department of Pharmacy and Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende (CS), Italy.
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Suk TR, Rousseaux MWC. The role of TDP-43 mislocalization in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mol Neurodegener 2020; 15:45. [PMID: 32799899 PMCID: PMC7429473 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-020-00397-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Since its discovery as a primary component in cytoplasmic aggregates in post-mortem tissue of patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), TAR DNA Binding Protein 43 kDa (TDP-43) has remained a central focus to understand the disease. TDP-43 links both familial and sporadic forms of ALS as mutations are causative for disease and cytoplasmic aggregates are a hallmark of nearly all cases, regardless of TDP-43 mutational status. Research has focused on the formation and consequences of cytosolic protein aggregates as drivers of ALS pathology through both gain- and loss-of-function mechanisms. Not only does aggregation sequester the normal function of TDP-43, but these aggregates also actively block normal cellular processes inevitably leading to cellular demise in a short time span. Although there may be some benefit to therapeutically targeting TDP-43 aggregation, this step may be too late in disease development to have substantial therapeutic benefit. However, TDP-43 pathology appears to be tightly linked with its mislocalization from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, making it difficult to decouple the consequences of nuclear-to-cytoplasmic mislocalization from protein aggregation. Studies focusing on the effects of TDP-43 mislocalization have demonstrated both gain- and loss-of-function consequences including altered splicing regulation, over responsiveness to cellular stressors, increases in DNA damage, and transcriptome-wide changes. Additionally, mutations in TARDBP confer a baseline increase in cytoplasmic TDP-43 thus suggesting that small changes in the subcellular localization of TDP-43 could in fact drive early pathology. In this review, we bring forth the theme of protein mislocalization as a key mechanism underlying ALS, by highlighting the importance of maintaining subcellular proteostasis along with the gain- and loss-of-functional consequences when TDP-43 localization is dysregulated. Additional research, focusing on early events in TDP-43 pathogenesis (i.e. to the protein mislocalization stage) will provide insight into disease mechanisms, therapeutic targets, and novel biomarkers for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry R. Suk
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Maxime W. C. Rousseaux
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- Eric Poulin Center for Neuromuscular Diseases, Ottawa, Canada
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Ottawa, Canada
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Perrone B, Conforti FL. Common mutations of interest in the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: how common are common mutations in ALS genes? Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2020; 20:703-714. [PMID: 32497448 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2020.1779060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a complex neurodegenerative disease predominantly affecting upper and lower motor neurons. Diagnosis of this devastating pathology is very difficult because the high degree of clinical heterogeneity with which it occurs and until now, no truly effective treatment exists. AREAS COVERED Molecular diagnosis may be a valuable tool for dissecting out ALS complex heterogeneity and for identifying new molecular mechanisms underlying the characteristic selective degeneration and death of motor neurons. To date, pathogenic variants in ALS genes are known to be present in up to 70% of familial and 10% of apparently sporadic ALS cases and can be associated with risks for ALS only or risks for other neurodegenerative diseases. This paper shows the procedure currently used in diagnostic laboratories to investigate most frequent mutations in ALS and evaluating the utility of involved molecular techniques as potential tools to discriminate 'common mutations' in ALS patients. EXPERT OPINION Genetic testing may allow for establishing an accurate pathological diagnosis and a more precise stratification of patient groups in future drug trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Perrone
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria , Arcavacata di Rende (Cosenza), Italy
| | - Francesca Luisa Conforti
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria , Arcavacata di Rende (Cosenza), Italy
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29
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Williamson MG, Finelli MJ, Sleigh JN, Reddington A, Gordon D, Talbot K, Davies KE, Oliver PL. Neuronal over-expression of Oxr1 is protective against ALS-associated mutant TDP-43 mislocalisation in motor neurons and neuromuscular defects in vivo. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 28:3584-3599. [PMID: 31642482 PMCID: PMC6927465 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A common pathological hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the related neurodegenerative disorder frontotemporal dementia, is the cellular mislocalization of transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43). Additionally, multiple mutations in the TARDBP gene (encoding TDP-43) are associated with familial forms of ALS. While the exact role for TDP-43 in the onset and progression of ALS remains unclear, the identification of factors that can prevent aberrant TDP-43 localization and function could be clinically beneficial. Previously, we discovered that the oxidation resistance 1 (Oxr1) protein could alleviate cellular mislocalization phenotypes associated with TDP-43 mutations, and that over-expression of Oxr1 was able to delay neuromuscular abnormalities in the hSOD1G93A ALS mouse model. Here, to determine whether Oxr1 can protect against TDP-43-associated phenotypes in vitro and in vivo, we used the same genetic approach in a newly described transgenic mouse expressing the human TDP-43 locus harbouring an ALS disease mutation (TDP-43M337V). We show in primary motor neurons from TDP-43M337V mice that genetically-driven Oxr1 over-expression significantly alleviates cytoplasmic mislocalization of mutant TDP-43. We also further quantified newly-identified, late-onset neuromuscular phenotypes of this mutant line, and demonstrate that neuronal Oxr1 over-expression causes a significant reduction in muscle denervation and neuromuscular junction degeneration in homozygous mutants in parallel with improved motor function and a reduction in neuroinflammation. Together these data support the application of Oxr1 as a viable and safe modifier of TDP-43-associated ALS phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Williamson
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Mattéa J Finelli
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | - James N Sleigh
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Amy Reddington
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | - David Gordon
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Kevin Talbot
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Kay E Davies
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Peter L Oliver
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK.,MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
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Abstract
TDP-43 is an essential RNA-binding protein that assembles into protein inclusions in >95% of cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A partially helical region in the predominantly disordered C-terminal domain harbors several mutations associated with ALS and is important for TDP-43 function and liquid–liquid phase separation. We directly demonstrate that this helical region undergoes large structural changes upon helix–helix dimerization and that point mutations can enhance helix–helix assembly. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these point variants can be used to control the material properties of phase-separated TDP-43 constructs in cells and can enhance TDP-43 RNA-splicing function. Therefore, engineered forms of the TDP-43 helical domain could be used to control in-cell phase separation, dynamic assembly, and function. Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) is involved in the formation of membraneless organelles (MLOs) associated with RNA processing. The RNA-binding protein TDP-43 is present in several MLOs, undergoes LLPS, and has been linked to the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While some ALS-associated mutations in TDP-43 disrupt self-interaction and function, here we show that designed single mutations can enhance TDP-43 assembly and function via modulating helical structure. Using molecular simulation and NMR spectroscopy, we observe large structural changes upon dimerization of TDP-43. Two conserved glycine residues (G335 and G338) are potent inhibitors of helical extension and helix–helix interaction, which are removed in part by variants at these positions, including the ALS-associated G335D. Substitution to helix-enhancing alanine at either of these positions dramatically enhances phase separation in vitro and decreases fluidity of phase-separated TDP-43 reporter compartments in cells. Furthermore, G335A increases TDP-43 splicing function in a minigene assay. Therefore, the TDP-43 helical region serves as a short but uniquely tunable module where application of biophysical principles can precisely control assembly and function in cellular and synthetic biology applications of LLPS.
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Hergesheimer RC, Chami AA, de Assis DR, Vourc'h P, Andres CR, Corcia P, Lanznaster D, Blasco H. The debated toxic role of aggregated TDP-43 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a resolution in sight? Brain 2020; 142:1176-1194. [PMID: 30938443 PMCID: PMC6487324 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Transactive response DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) is an RNA/DNA binding protein that forms phosphorylated and ubiquitinated aggregates in the cytoplasm of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is a hallmark of this disease. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative condition affecting the upper and lower motor neurons. Even though the aggregative property of TDP-43 is considered a cornerstone of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, there has been major controversy regarding the functional link between TDP-43 aggregates and cell death. In this review, we attempt to reconcile the current literature surrounding this debate by discussing the results and limitations of the published data relating TDP-43 aggregates to cytotoxicity, as well as therapeutic perspectives of TDP-43 aggregate clearance. We point out key data suggesting that the formation of TDP-43 aggregates and the capacity to self-template and propagate among cells as a 'prion-like' protein, another pathological property of TDP-43 aggregates, are a significant cause of motor neuronal death. We discuss the disparities among the various studies, particularly with respect to the type of models and the different forms of TDP-43 used to evaluate cellular toxicity. We also examine how these disparities can interfere with the interpretation of the results pertaining to a direct toxic effect of TDP-43 aggregates. Furthermore, we present perspectives for improving models in order to better uncover the toxic role of aggregated TDP-43. Finally, we review the recent studies on the enhancement of the cellular clearance mechanisms of autophagy, the ubiquitin proteasome system, and endocytosis in an attempt to counteract TDP-43 aggregation-induced toxicity. Altogether, the data available so far encourage us to suggest that the cytoplasmic aggregation of TDP-43 is key for the neurodegeneration observed in motor neurons in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The corresponding findings provide novel avenues toward early therapeutic interventions and clinical outcomes for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna A Chami
- UMR 1253, iBRAIN, Université de Tours, INSERM, Tours, France
| | | | - Patrick Vourc'h
- UMR 1253, iBRAIN, Université de Tours, INSERM, Tours, France.,CHU de Tours, Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, Tours, France
| | - Christian R Andres
- UMR 1253, iBRAIN, Université de Tours, INSERM, Tours, France.,CHU de Tours, Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, Tours, France
| | - Philippe Corcia
- UMR 1253, iBRAIN, Université de Tours, INSERM, Tours, France.,CHU de Tours, Service de Neurologie, Tours, France
| | | | - Hélène Blasco
- UMR 1253, iBRAIN, Université de Tours, INSERM, Tours, France.,CHU de Tours, Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, Tours, France
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Pensato V, Magri S, Dalla Bella E, Tannorella P, Bersano E, Sorarù G, Gatti M, Ticozzi N, Taroni F, Lauria G, Mariotti C, Gellera C. Sorting Rare ALS Genetic Variants by Targeted Re-Sequencing Panel in Italian Patients: OPTN, VCP, and SQSTM1 Variants Account for 3% of Rare Genetic Forms. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9020412. [PMID: 32028661 PMCID: PMC7073901 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9020412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset progressive neurodegenerative disease due to motor neuron loss variably associated with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Next generation sequencing technology revealed an increasing number of rare and novel genetic variants and interpretation of their pathogenicity represents a major challange in the diagnosis of ALS. We selected 213 consecutive patients with sporadic or familial (16%) ALS, tested negative for SOD1, FUS, TARDBP, and C9orf72 mutations. To reveal rare forms of genetic ALS, we performed a comprehensive multi-gene panel screening including 46 genes associated with ALS, hereditary motor neuronopathies, spastic paraplegia, and FTD. Our study allowed the identification of pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in 4.2% of patients. The genes with the highest percentage of pathogenic variants were OPTN (1%), VCP (1%) SQSTM1(1%), SETX (0.4%), FIG4 (0.4%), and GARS1 (0.4%) genes. We also found 49 novel or rare gene variants of unknown significance in 30 patients (14%), 44 unlikely pathogenic variants (39%), and 48 variants in ALS susceptibility genes. The results of our study suggest the screening of OPTN, VCP, and SQSTM1 genes in routine diagnostic investigations for both sporadic and familial cases, and confirm the importance of diagnosis and couselling for patients and their relative family members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Pensato
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (V.P.); (S.M.); (P.T.); (M.G.); (F.T.); (C.G.)
- 3rd Neurology Unit, Motor Neuron Diseases Centre, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy (E.B.); (G.L.)
| | - Stefania Magri
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (V.P.); (S.M.); (P.T.); (M.G.); (F.T.); (C.G.)
| | - Eleonora Dalla Bella
- 3rd Neurology Unit, Motor Neuron Diseases Centre, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy (E.B.); (G.L.)
| | - Pierpaola Tannorella
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (V.P.); (S.M.); (P.T.); (M.G.); (F.T.); (C.G.)
| | - Enrica Bersano
- 3rd Neurology Unit, Motor Neuron Diseases Centre, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy (E.B.); (G.L.)
| | - Gianni Sorarù
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy;
| | - Marta Gatti
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (V.P.); (S.M.); (P.T.); (M.G.); (F.T.); (C.G.)
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20149 Milan, Italy;
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, ‘Dino Ferrari’ Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Franco Taroni
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (V.P.); (S.M.); (P.T.); (M.G.); (F.T.); (C.G.)
| | - Giuseppe Lauria
- 3rd Neurology Unit, Motor Neuron Diseases Centre, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy (E.B.); (G.L.)
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi Sacco”, University of Milan, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Caterina Mariotti
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (V.P.); (S.M.); (P.T.); (M.G.); (F.T.); (C.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-02-2394-2269
| | - Cinzia Gellera
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (V.P.); (S.M.); (P.T.); (M.G.); (F.T.); (C.G.)
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Corrado L, Pensato V, Croce R, Di Pierro A, Mellone S, Dalla Bella E, Salsano E, Paraboschi EM, Giordano M, Saraceno M, Mazzini L, Gellera C, D'Alfonso S. The first case of the TARDBP p.G294V mutation in a homozygous state: is a single pathogenic allele sufficient to cause ALS? Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2019; 21:273-279. [PMID: 31852254 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2019.1704011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Here, we described the first amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient presenting the c.881 G > T p.G294V TARDBP mutation in homozygous status. The patient belongs to a large pedigree from Morocco. Except for one older affected brother his parents and remaining 8 sibs are referred to be healthy and do not show any neurological sign or symptom. The lack of evidence of TARDBP deletions of any sizes, together with the presence of several AOH segments, strongly suggests that the homozygosity status of p.G294V in the proband derived from parental consanguinity. A revision of the literature and our cohorts indicates that the p.G294V mutation has been detected in only 15 additional ALS patients in heterozygosity and, except for one additional Moroccan patient, all were of Italian origin. The analysis of microsatellite markers surrounding the TARDBP gene in 8 individuals carrying the p.G294V mutation showed that the haplotypic context of the Moroccan proband is shared with most patients of European origin indicating that they carry the p.G294V mutation inherited from a common ancestor. The analysis of the 15 ALS pedigrees (from literature data and present study), strongly suggests a reduced penetrance of the p.G294V mutation since for 13 of the 15 described p.G294V ALS cases the parents did not show any neurological symptoms. This result has potentially important implications in genetic counseling, since genetic testing of a reduced penetrance mutation on pre-symptomatic individuals proves very difficult to predict the outcome based on the genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Corrado
- Department of Health Sciences, Human Genetics Laboratory, UPO University, Novara, Italy
| | - Viviana Pensato
- Unit of Genetics of Neurodegenerative and Metabolic Diseases and Motor Neuron Diseases Centre, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Croce
- Department of Health Sciences, Human Genetics Laboratory, UPO University, Novara, Italy
| | - Alice Di Pierro
- Department of Health Sciences, Human Genetics Laboratory, UPO University, Novara, Italy
| | - Simona Mellone
- Department of Health Sciences, Human Genetics Laboratory, UPO University, Novara, Italy
| | - Eleonora Dalla Bella
- III Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Diseases Centre, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Ettore Salsano
- X Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Mara Giordano
- Department of Health Sciences, Human Genetics Laboratory, UPO University, Novara, Italy
| | - Massimo Saraceno
- Department of Neurology, UPO University and Maggiore della Carità Hospital, Corso Mazzini, Novara
| | - Letizia Mazzini
- Department of Neurology, UPO University and Maggiore della Carità Hospital, Corso Mazzini, Novara
| | - Cinzia Gellera
- Unit of Genetics of Neurodegenerative and Metabolic Diseases and Motor Neuron Diseases Centre, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Sandra D'Alfonso
- Department of Health Sciences, Human Genetics Laboratory, UPO University, Novara, Italy
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Roczniak-Ferguson A, Ferguson SM. Pleiotropic requirements for human TDP-43 in the regulation of cell and organelle homeostasis. Life Sci Alliance 2019; 2:2/5/e201900358. [PMID: 31527135 PMCID: PMC6749094 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201900358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
TDP-43 is an RNA-binding protein that forms cytoplasmic aggregates in multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Although the loss of normal TDP-43 functions likely contributes to disease pathogenesis, the cell biological consequences of human TDP-43 depletion are not well understood. We, therefore, generated human TDP-43 knockout (KO) cells and subjected them to parallel cell biological and transcriptomic analyses. These efforts yielded three important discoveries. First, complete loss of TDP-43 resulted in widespread morphological defects related to multiple organelles, including Golgi, endosomes, lysosomes, mitochondria, and the nuclear envelope. Second, we identified a new role for TDP-43 in controlling mRNA splicing of Nup188 (nuclear pore protein). Third, analysis of multiple amyotrophic lateral sclerosis causing TDP-43 mutations revealed a broad ability to support splicing of TDP-43 target genes. However, as some TDP-43 disease-causing mutants failed to fully support the regulation of specific target transcripts, our results raise the possibility of mutation-specific loss-of-function contributions to disease pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes Roczniak-Ferguson
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shawn M Ferguson
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA .,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Sprovieri T, Ungaro C, Perrone B, Naimo GD, Spataro R, Cavallaro S, La Bella V, Conforti FL. A novel S379A TARDBP mutation associated to late-onset sporadic ALS. Neurol Sci 2019; 40:2111-2118. [DOI: 10.1007/s10072-019-03943-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Berning BA, Walker AK. The Pathobiology of TDP-43 C-Terminal Fragments in ALS and FTLD. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:335. [PMID: 31031584 PMCID: PMC6470282 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During neurodegenerative disease, the multifunctional RNA-binding protein TDP-43 undergoes a vast array of post-translational modifications, including phosphorylation, acetylation, and cleavage. Many of these alterations may directly contribute to the pathogenesis of TDP-43 proteinopathies, which include most forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and approximately half of all frontotemporal dementia, pathologically identified as frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) with TDP-43 pathology. However, the relative contributions of the various TDP-43 post-translational modifications to disease remain unclear, and indeed some may be secondary epiphenomena rather than disease-causative. It is therefore critical to determine the involvement of each modification in disease processes to allow the design of targeted treatments. In particular, TDP-43 C-terminal fragments (CTFs) accumulate in the brains of people with ALS and FTLD and are therefore described as a neuropathological signature of these diseases. Remarkably, these TDP-43 CTFs are rarely observed in the spinal cord, even in ALS which involves dramatic degeneration of spinal motor neurons. Therefore, TDP-43 CTFs are not produced non-specifically in the course of all forms of TDP-43-related neurodegeneration, but rather variably arise due to additional factors influenced by regional heterogeneity in the central nervous system. In this review, we summarize how TDP-43 CTFs are generated and degraded by cells, and critique evidence from studies of TDP-43 CTF pathology in human disease tissues, as well as cell and animal models, to analyze the pathophysiological relevance of TDP-43 CTFs to ALS and FTLD. Numerous studies now indicate that, although TDP-43 CTFs are prevalent in ALS and FTLD brains, disease-related pathology is only variably reproduced in TDP-43 CTF cell culture models. Furthermore, TDP-43 CTF expression in both transgenic and viral-mediated in vivo models largely fails to induce motor or behavioral dysfunction reminiscent of human disease. We therefore conclude that although TDP-43 CTFs are a hallmark of TDP-43-related neurodegeneration in the brain, they are not a primary cause of ALS or FTLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britt A. Berning
- Neurodegeneration Pathobiology Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Adam K. Walker
- Neurodegeneration Pathobiology Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
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Morgan S, Duguez S, Duddy W. Personalized Medicine and Molecular Interaction Networks in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Current Knowledge. J Pers Med 2018; 8:E44. [PMID: 30551677 PMCID: PMC6313785 DOI: 10.3390/jpm8040044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple genes and mechanisms of pathophysiology have been implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), suggesting it is a complex systemic disease. With this in mind, applying personalized medicine (PM) approaches to tailor treatment pipelines for ALS patients may be necessary. The modelling and analysis of molecular interaction networks could represent valuable resources in defining ALS-associated pathways and discovering novel therapeutic targets. Here we review existing omics datasets and analytical approaches, in order to consider how molecular interaction networks could improve our understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of this fatal neuromuscular disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Morgan
- Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry, BT47 6SB, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - Stephanie Duguez
- Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry, BT47 6SB, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - William Duddy
- Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry, BT47 6SB, Northern Ireland, UK.
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Oskarsson B, Gendron TF, Staff NP. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: An Update for 2018. Mayo Clin Proc 2018; 93:1617-1628. [PMID: 30401437 DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons and other neuronal cells, leading to severe disability and eventually death from ventilatory failure. It has a prevalence of 5 in 100,000, with an incidence of 1.7 per 100,000, reflecting short average survival. The pathogenesis is incompletely understood, but defects of RNA processing and protein clearance may be fundamental. Repeat expansions in the chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 gene (C9orf72) are the most common known genetic cause of ALS and are seen in approximately 40% of patients with a family history and approximately 10% of those without. No environmental risk factors are proved to be causative, but many have been proposed, including military service. The diagnosis of ALS rests on a history of painless progressive weakness coupled with examination findings of upper and lower motor dysfunction. No diagnostic test is yet available, but electromyography and genetic tests can support the diagnosis. Care for patients is best provided by a multidisciplinary team, and most interventions are directed at managing symptoms. Two medications with modest benefits have Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of ALS: riluzole, a glutamate receptor antagonist, and, new in 2017, edaravone, a free radical scavenger. Many other encouraging treatment strategies are being explored in clinical trials for ALS; herein we review stem cell and antisense oligonucleotide gene therapies.
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Gagliardi M, Arabia G, Nisticò R, Iannello G, Procopio R, Manfredini L, Annesi G, Quattrone A. Mutational analysis of TARDBP gene in patients affected by Parkinson's disease from Calabria. J Neurol Sci 2018; 390:209-211. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2018.04.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Bossolasco P, Sassone F, Gumina V, Peverelli S, Garzo M, Silani V. Motor neuron differentiation of iPSCs obtained from peripheral blood of a mutant TARDBP ALS patient. Stem Cell Res 2018; 30:61-68. [PMID: 29800782 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2018.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe neurodegenerative disease, mainly affecting the motor neurons (MNs) and without effective therapy. Drug screening is hampered by the lack of satisfactory experimental and pre-clinical models. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could help to define disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies as they could be differentiated into MNs, otherwise inaccessible from living humans. In this study, given the seminal role of TDP-43 in ALS pathophysiology, MNs were obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells-derived iPSCs of an ALS patient carrying a p.A382T TARDBP mutation and a healthy donor. Venous samples were preferred to fibroblasts for their ease of collection and no requirement for time consuming extended cultures before experimentation. iPSCs were characterized for expression of specific markers, spontaneously differentiated into primary germ layers and, finally, into MNs. No differences were observed between the mutated ALS patient and the control MNs with most of the cells displaying a nuclear localization of the TDP-43 protein. In conclusion, we here demonstrated for the first time that human TARDBP mutated MNs can be successfully obtained exploiting the reprogramming and differentiation ability of peripheral blood cells, an easily accessible source from any patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Bossolasco
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piazzale Brescia 20, Milan and Via Zucchi 18, Cusano Milanino, Italy.
| | - Francesca Sassone
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piazzale Brescia 20, Milan and Via Zucchi 18, Cusano Milanino, Italy
| | - Valentina Gumina
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piazzale Brescia 20, Milan and Via Zucchi 18, Cusano Milanino, Italy; "Dino Ferrari" Centre, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Francesco Sforza 35, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Peverelli
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piazzale Brescia 20, Milan and Via Zucchi 18, Cusano Milanino, Italy
| | - Maria Garzo
- Lab. di Citogenetica Medica, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milano, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Piazzale Brescia 20, Milan and Via Zucchi 18, Cusano Milanino, Italy; "Dino Ferrari" Centre, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Francesco Sforza 35, Milan, Italy
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41
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Abe K. [An early history of Japanese amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-related diseases and the current development]. Rinsho Shinkeigaku 2018; 58:141-165. [PMID: 29491329 DOI: 10.5692/clinicalneurol.cn-001095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The present review focuses an early history of Japanese amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-related diseases and the current development. In relation to foreign previous reports, five topics are introduced and discussed on ALS with dementia, ALS/Parkinsonism dementia complex (ALS/PDC), familial ALS (FALS), spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), and multisystem involvement especially in cerebellar system of ALS including ALS/SCA (spinocerebellar ataxia) crossroad mutation Asidan. This review found the great contribution of Japanese reports on the above five topics, and confirmed the great development of ALS-related diseases over the past 120 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Abe
- Department of Neurology, Okayama University Medical School
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42
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Clinical variability and onset age modifiers in an extended Belgian GRN founder family. Neurobiol Aging 2018; 67:84-94. [PMID: 29653316 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
We previously reported a granulin (GRN) null mutation, originating from a common founder, in multiple Belgian families with frontotemporal dementia. Here, we used data of a 10-year follow-up study to describe in detail the clinical heterogeneity observed in this extended founder pedigree. We identified 85 patients and 40 unaffected mutation carriers, belonging to 29 branches of the founder pedigree. Most patients (74.4%) were diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, while others had a clinical diagnosis of unspecified dementia, Alzheimer's dementia or Parkinson's disease. The observed clinical heterogeneity can guide clinical diagnosis, genetic testing, and counseling of mutation carriers. Onset of initial symptomatology is highly variable, ranging from age 45 to 80 years. Analysis of known modifiers, suggested effects of GRN rs5848, microtubule-associated protein tau H1/H2, and chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 G4C2 repeat length on onset age but explained only a minor fraction of the variability. Contrary, the extended GRN founder family is a valuable source for identifying other onset age modifiers based on exome or genome sequences. These modifiers might be interesting targets for developing disease-modifying therapies.
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Orrù S, Coni P, Floris A, Littera R, Carcassi C, Sogos V, Brancia C. Reduced stress granule formation and cell death in fibroblasts with the A382T mutation of TARDBP gene: evidence for loss of TDP-43 nuclear function. Hum Mol Genet 2018; 25:4473-4483. [PMID: 28172957 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
TAR deoxyribonucleic acid-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a key protein in the pathogenesis of amyoptrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Recent studies suggest that mutations in the TDP-43 coding gene, TARDBP, as well as variations in TDP-43 protein expression levels may disrupt the dynamics of stress granules (SGs). However, it remains unclear whether the pathogenetic effect of the TDP-43 protein is exerted at the cytoplasmic level, through direct participation to SG composition, or at nuclear level, through control of proteins essential to SG assembly. To clarify this point, we investigated the dynamics of SG formation in primary skin fibroblast cultures from the patients with ALS together with the A382T mutation and the patients with ALS and healthy controls with wild-type TDP-43. Under stress conditions induced by sodium arsenite, we found that in human fibroblasts TDP-43 did not translocate to the SGs but instead contributed to the SG formation through a regulatory effect on the G3BP1 core protein. We found that the A382T mutation caused a significant reduction in the number of SGs per cell (P < 0.01) as well as the percentage of cells that form SGs (P < 0.00001). Following stress stimuli, a significant decrease of viability was observed for cells with the TDP-43 A382T mutation (P < 0.0005).
We can therefore conclude that the A382T mutation caused a reduction in the ability of cells to respond to stress through loss of TDP-43 function in SG nucleation. The pathogenetic action revealed in our study model does not seem to be mediated by changes in the localization of the TDP-43 protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandro Orrù
- Medical Genetics, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Cagliari, R. Binaghi Hospital, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Paola Coni
- Paola Coni, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Andrea Floris
- Medical Genetics, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Cagliari, R. Binaghi Hospital, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Roberto Littera
- Regional Transplant Center, R. Binaghi Hospital, ASL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Carlo Carcassi
- Medical Genetics, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Cagliari, R. Binaghi Hospital, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Valeria Sogos
- Paola Coni, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Carla Brancia
- Paola Coni, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
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Fernández MV, Kim JH, Budde JP, Black K, Medvedeva A, Saef B, Deming Y, Del-Aguila J, Ibañez L, Dube U, Harari O, Norton J, Chasse R, Morris JC, Goate A, Cruchaga C. Analysis of neurodegenerative Mendelian genes in clinically diagnosed Alzheimer Disease. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1007045. [PMID: 29091718 PMCID: PMC5683650 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD), Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson disease (PD) have a certain degree of clinical, pathological and molecular overlap. Previous studies indicate that causative mutations in AD and FTD/ALS genes can be found in clinical familial AD. We examined the presence of causative and low frequency coding variants in the AD, FTD, ALS and PD Mendelian genes, in over 450 families with clinical history of AD and over 11,710 sporadic cases and cognitive normal participants from North America. Known pathogenic mutations were found in 1.05% of the sporadic cases, in 0.69% of the cognitively normal participants and in 4.22% of the families. A trend towards enrichment, albeit non-significant, was observed for most AD, FTD and PD genes. Only PSEN1 and PINK1 showed consistent association with AD cases when we used ExAC as the control population. These results suggest that current study designs may contain heterogeneity and contamination of the control population, and that current statistical methods for the discovery of novel genes with real pathogenic variants in complex late onset diseases may be inadequate or underpowered to identify genes carrying pathogenic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Victoria Fernández
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Jong Hun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Dementia Center, Ilsan hospital, National Health Insurance Service, Goyang, South Korea
| | - John P. Budde
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Kathleen Black
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Alexandra Medvedeva
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Ben Saef
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Yuetiva Deming
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Jorge Del-Aguila
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Laura Ibañez
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Umber Dube
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical sciences, School of Medicine, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Oscar Harari
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Joanne Norton
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Rachel Chasse
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - John C. Morris
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Alison Goate
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s disease, Dept of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, ICAHN 10–52, New York, NY, United States of America
| | | | | | - Carlos Cruchaga
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Kapeli K, Martinez FJ, Yeo GW. Genetic mutations in RNA-binding proteins and their roles in ALS. Hum Genet 2017; 136:1193-1214. [PMID: 28762175 PMCID: PMC5602095 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-017-1830-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in genes that encode RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have emerged as critical determinants of neurological diseases, especially motor neuron disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). RBPs are involved in all aspects of RNA processing, controlling the life cycle of RNAs from synthesis to degradation. Hallmark features of RBPs in neuron dysfunction include misregulation of RNA processing, mislocalization of RBPs to the cytoplasm, and abnormal aggregation of RBPs. Much progress has been made in understanding how ALS-associated mutations in RBPs drive pathogenesis. Here, we focus on several key RBPs involved in ALS—TDP-43, HNRNP A2/B1, HNRNP A1, FUS, EWSR1, and TAF15—and review our current understanding of how mutations in these proteins cause disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katannya Kapeli
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117593, Singapore
| | - Fernando J Martinez
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Stem Cell Program and Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117593, Singapore.
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Stem Cell Program and Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Molecular Engineering Laboratory, A*STAR, Singapore, 138673, Singapore.
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Chang JC, Morton DB. Drosophila lines with mutant and wild type human TDP-43 replacing the endogenous gene reveals phosphorylation and ubiquitination in mutant lines in the absence of viability or lifespan defects. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180828. [PMID: 28686708 PMCID: PMC5501610 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in TDP-43 are associated with proteinaceous inclusions in neurons and are believed to be causative in neurodegenerative diseases such as frontotemporal dementia or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Here we describe a Drosophila system where we have engineered the genome to replace the endogenous TDP-43 orthologue with wild type or mutant human TDP-43(hTDP-43). In contrast to other models, these flies express both mutant and wild type hTDP-43 at similar levels to those of the endogenous gene and importantly, no age-related TDP-43 accumulation observed among all the transgenic fly lines. Immunoprecipitation of TDP-43 showed that flies with hTDP-43 mutations had increased levels of ubiquitination and phosphorylation of the hTDP-43 protein. Furthermore, histologically, flies expressing hTDP-43 M337V showed global, robust neuronal staining for phospho-TDP. All three lines: wild type hTDP-43, -G294A and -M337V were homozygous viable, with no defects in development, life span or behaviors observed. The primary behavioral defect was that flies expressing either hTDP-43 G294A or M337V showed a faster decline with age in negative geotaxis. Together, these observations implied that neurons could handle these TDP-43 mutations by phosphorylation- and ubiquitin-dependent proteasome systems, even in a background without the wild type TDP-43. Our findings suggest that these two specific TDP-43 mutations are not inherently toxic, but may require additional environmental or genetic factors to affect longevity or survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jer-Cherng Chang
- Department of Integrative Biosciences, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - David B. Morton
- Department of Integrative Biosciences, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Camptocormia as presenting in lower motor neuron disease with TARDBP mutation: case report. Neurol Sci 2017; 38:1885-1887. [PMID: 28573484 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-017-3005-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-linked mutations increase the viscosity of liquid-like TDP-43 RNP granules in neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E2466-E2475. [PMID: 28265061 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1614462114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules are enriched in specific RNAs and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and mediate critical cellular processes. Purified RBPs form liquid droplets in vitro through liquid-liquid phase separation and liquid-like non-membrane-bound structures in cells. Mutations in the human RBPs TAR-DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43) and RNA-binding protein FUS cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but the biophysical properties of these proteins have not yet been studied in neurons. Here, we show that TDP-43 RNP granules in axons of rodent primary cortical neurons display liquid-like properties, including fusion with rapid relaxation to circular shape, shear stress-induced deformation, and rapid fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. RNP granules formed from wild-type TDP-43 show distinct biophysical properties depending on axonal location, suggesting maturation to a more stabilized structure is dependent on subcellular context, including local density and aging. Superresolution microscopy demonstrates that the stabilized population of TDP-43 RNP granules in the proximal axon is less circular and shows spiculated edges, whereas more distal granules are both more spherical and more dynamic. RNP granules formed by ALS-linked mutant TDP-43 are more viscous and exhibit disrupted transport dynamics. We propose these altered properties may confer toxic gain of function and reflect differential propensity for pathological transformation.
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Abstract
TDP-43 is a dimeric nuclear protein that plays a central role in RNA metabolism. In recent years, this protein has become a focal point of research in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD) disease spectrum, as pathognomonic inclusions within affected neurons contain post-translationally modified TDP-43. A key question in TDP-43 research involves determining the mechanisms and triggers that cause TDP-43 to form pathological aggregates. This review gives a brief overview of the physiological and pathological roles of TDP-43 and focuses on the structural features of its protein domains and how they may contribute to normal protein function and to disease. A special emphasis is placed on the C-terminal prion-like region thought to be implicated in pathology, as it is where nearly all ALS/FTD-associated mutations reside. Recent structural studies of this domain revealed its crucial role in the formation of phase-separated liquid droplets through a partially populated α-helix. This new discovery provides further support for the theory that liquid droplets such as stress granules may be precursors to pathological aggregates, linking environmental effects such as stress to the potential etiology of the disease. The transition of TDP-43 among soluble, droplet, and aggregate phases and the implications of these transitions for pathological aggregation are summarized and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulong Sun
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario M5G1L7, Canada
| | - Avijit Chakrabartty
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario M5G1L7, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario M5G1L7, Canada
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50
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Guerrero EN, Wang H, Mitra J, Hegde PM, Stowell SE, Liachko NF, Kraemer BC, Garruto RM, Rao KS, Hegde ML. TDP-43/FUS in motor neuron disease: Complexity and challenges. Prog Neurobiol 2016; 145-146:78-97. [PMID: 27693252 PMCID: PMC5101148 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2016] [Revised: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a common motor neuron disease affecting two per 100,000 people worldwide, encompasses at least five distinct pathological subtypes, including, ALS-SOD1, ALS-C9orf72, ALS-TDP-43, ALS-FUS and Guam-ALS. The etiology of a major subset of ALS involves toxicity of the TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43). A second RNA/DNA binding protein, fused in sarcoma/translocated in liposarcoma (FUS/TLS) has been subsequently associated with about 1% of ALS patients. While mutations in TDP-43 and FUS have been linked to ALS, the key contributing molecular mechanism(s) leading to cell death are still unclear. One unique feature of TDP-43 and FUS pathogenesis in ALS is their nuclear clearance and simultaneous cytoplasmic aggregation in affected motor neurons. Since the discoveries in the last decade implicating TDP-43 and FUS toxicity in ALS, a majority of studies have focused on their cytoplasmic aggregation and disruption of their RNA-binding functions. However, TDP-43 and FUS also bind to DNA, although the significance of their DNA binding in disease-affected neurons has been less investigated. A recent observation of accumulated genomic damage in TDP-43 and FUS-linked ALS and association of FUS with neuronal DNA damage repair pathways indicate a possible role of deregulated DNA binding function of TDP-43 and FUS in ALS. In this review, we discuss the different ALS disease subtypes, crosstalk of etiopathologies in disease progression, available animal models and their limitations, and recent advances in understanding the specific involvement of RNA/DNA binding proteins, TDP-43 and FUS, in motor neuron diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika N. Guerrero
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Centre for Neuroscience, Institute for Scientific Research and Technology Services (INDICASAT-AIP), City of Knowledge, Panama
- Department of Biotechnology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, India
| | - Haibo Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Joy Mitra
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Pavana M. Hegde
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Sara E. Stowell
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, New York
| | - Nicole F Liachko
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA
| | - Brian C. Kraemer
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA
| | - Ralph M. Garruto
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, New York
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, New York
| | - K. S. Rao
- Centre for Neuroscience, Institute for Scientific Research and Technology Services (INDICASAT-AIP), City of Knowledge, Panama
- Department of Biotechnology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, India
| | - Muralidhar L. Hegde
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York
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