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Megat S, Mora N, Sanogo J, Roman O, Catanese A, Alami NO, Freischmidt A, Mingaj X, De Calbiac H, Muratet F, Dirrig-Grosch S, Dieterle S, Van Bakel N, Müller K, Sieverding K, Weishaupt J, Andersen PM, Weber M, Neuwirth C, Margelisch M, Sommacal A, Van Eijk KR, Veldink JH, Lautrette G, Couratier P, Camuzat A, Le Ber I, Grassano M, Chio A, Boeckers T, Ludolph AC, Roselli F, Yilmazer-Hanke D, Millecamps S, Kabashi E, Storkebaum E, Sellier C, Dupuis L. Integrative genetic analysis illuminates ALS heritability and identifies risk genes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:342. [PMID: 36670122 PMCID: PMC9860017 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35724-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has substantial heritability, in part shared with fronto-temporal dementia (FTD). We show that ALS heritability is enriched in splicing variants and in binding sites of 6 RNA-binding proteins including TDP-43 and FUS. A transcriptome wide association study (TWAS) identified 6 loci associated with ALS, including in NUP50 encoding for the nucleopore basket protein NUP50. Independently, rare variants in NUP50 were associated with ALS risk (P = 3.71.10-03; odds ratio = 3.29; 95%CI, 1.37 to 7.87) in a cohort of 9,390 ALS/FTD patients and 4,594 controls. Cells from one patient carrying a NUP50 frameshift mutation displayed a decreased level of NUP50. Loss of NUP50 leads to death of cultured neurons, and motor defects in Drosophila and zebrafish. Thus, our study identifies alterations in splicing in neurons as critical in ALS and provides genetic evidence linking nuclear pore defects to ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salim Megat
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Natalia Mora
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jason Sanogo
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Olga Roman
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Alberto Catanese
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Najwa Ouali Alami
- Clinical Neuroanatomy, Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Axel Freischmidt
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Xhuljana Mingaj
- Laboratory of Translational Research for Neurological Disorders, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM UMR 1163, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Hortense De Calbiac
- Laboratory of Translational Research for Neurological Disorders, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM UMR 1163, 75015, Paris, France
| | - François Muratet
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Dirrig-Grosch
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stéphane Dieterle
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Nick Van Bakel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Kathrin Müller
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Jochen Weishaupt
- Division for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Neurology Department, University Medicine Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Markus Weber
- Neuromuscular Disease Unit/ALS Clinic, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Neuwirth
- Neuromuscular Disease Unit/ALS Clinic, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Markus Margelisch
- Institute for Pathology, Kanstonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Sommacal
- Institute for Pathology, Kanstonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Kristel R Van Eijk
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Géraldine Lautrette
- Service de Neurologie, Centre de Référence SLA et autres maladies du neurone moteur, CHU Dupuytren 1, Limoges, France
| | - Philippe Couratier
- Service de Neurologie, Centre de Référence SLA et autres maladies du neurone moteur, CHU Dupuytren 1, Limoges, France
| | - Agnès Camuzat
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Le Ber
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Maurizio Grassano
- ALS Center "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Adriano Chio
- ALS Center "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Tobias Boeckers
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Francesco Roselli
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Stéphanie Millecamps
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Edor Kabashi
- Laboratory of Translational Research for Neurological Disorders, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM UMR 1163, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Erik Storkebaum
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Chantal Sellier
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France.
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2
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Subbarayan MS, Joly-Amado A, Bickford PC, Nash KR. CX3CL1/CX3CR1 signaling targets for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Pharmacol Ther 2021; 231:107989. [PMID: 34492237 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.107989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Neuroinflammation was initially thought of as a consequence of neurodegenerative disease pathology, but more recently it is becoming clear that it plays a significant role in the development and progression of disease. Thus, neuroinflammation is seen as a realistic and valuable therapeutic target for neurodegeneration. Neuroinflammation can be modulated by neuron-glial signaling through various soluble factors, and one such critical modulator is Fractalkine or C-X3-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 1 (CX3CL1). CX3CL1 is produced in neurons and is a unique chemokine that is initially translated as a transmembrane protein but can be proteolytically processed to generate a soluble chemokine. CX3CL1 has been shown to signal through its sole receptor CX3CR1, which is located on microglial cells within the central nervous system (CNS). Although both the membrane bound and soluble forms of CX3CL1 appear to interact with CX3CR1, they do seem to have different signaling capabilities. It is believed that the predominant function of CX3CL1 within the CNS is to reduce the proinflammatory response and many studies have shown neuroprotective effects. However, in some cases CX3CL1 appears to be promoting neurodegeneration. This review focusses on presenting a comprehensive overview of the complex nature of CX3CL1/CX3CR1 signaling in neurodegeneration and how it may present as a therapeutic in some neurodegenerative diseases but not others. The role of CX3CL1/CXCR1 is reviewed in the context of Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), ischemia, retinopathies, spinal cord and neuropathic pain, traumatic brain injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meena S Subbarayan
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa FL-33612, USA; Center for Excellence in Aging and Brain Repair, Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa FL-33612, USA
| | - Aurelie Joly-Amado
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa FL-33612, USA
| | - Paula C Bickford
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa FL-33612, USA; Center for Excellence in Aging and Brain Repair, Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa FL-33612, USA; Research Service, James A Haley Veterans Hospital, 13000 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa FL-33612, USA
| | - Kevin R Nash
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa FL-33612, USA.
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Pradhan LK, Das SK. The Regulatory Role of Reticulons in Neurodegeneration: Insights Underpinning Therapeutic Potential for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2021; 41:1157-1174. [PMID: 32504327 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-00893-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In the last few decades, cytoplasmic organellar dysfunction, such as that of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), has created a new area of research interest towards the development of serious health maladies including neurodegenerative diseases. In this context, the extensively dispersed family of ER-localized proteins, i.e. reticulons (RTNs), is gaining interest because of its regulative control over neural regeneration. As most neurodegenerative diseases are pathologically manifested with the accretion of misfolded proteins with subsequent induction of ER stress, the regulatory role of RTNs in neural dysfunction cannot be ignored. With the limited information available in the literature, delineation of the functional connection between rising consequences of neurodegenerative diseases and RTNs need to be elucidated. In this review, we provide a broad overview on the recently revealed regulatory roles of reticulons in the pathophysiology of several health maladies, with special emphasis on neurodegeneration. Additionally, we have also recapitulated the decisive role of RTN4 in neurite regeneration and highlighted how neurodegeneration and proteinopathies are mechanistically linked with each other through specific RTN paralogues. With the recent findings advocating zebrafish Rtn4b (a mammalian Nogo-A homologue) downregulation following central nervous system (CNS) lesion, RTNs provides new insight into the CNS regeneration. However, there are controversies with respect to the role of Rtn4b in zebrafish CNS regeneration. Given these controversies, the connection between the unique regenerative capabilities of zebrafish CNS by distinct compensatory mechanisms and Rtn4b signalling pathway could shed light on the development of new therapeutic strategies against serious neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilesh Kumar Pradhan
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Centre for Biotechnology, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed To Be University), Kalinga Nagar, Bhubaneswar, 751003, India
| | - Saroj Kumar Das
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Centre for Biotechnology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed To Be University), Kalinga Nagar, Bhubaneswar, 751003, India.
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4
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Pawelec P, Ziemka-Nalecz M, Sypecka J, Zalewska T. The Impact of the CX3CL1/CX3CR1 Axis in Neurological Disorders. Cells 2020; 9:cells9102277. [PMID: 33065974 PMCID: PMC7600611 DOI: 10.3390/cells9102277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fractalkine (FKN, CX3CL1) is a transmembrane chemokine expressed by neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). CX3CL1 signals through its unique receptor, CX3CR1, that is expressed in microglia. Within the CNS, fractalkine acts as a regulator of microglia activation in response to brain injury or inflammation. During the last decade, there has been a growing interest in the roles that the CX3CL1/CX3CR1 signaling pathway plays in the neuropathology of a diverse array of brain disorders. However, the reported results have proven controversial, indicating that a disruption of the CX3CL1 axis induces a disease-specific microglial response that may have either beneficial or detrimental effects. Therefore, it has become clear that the understanding of neuron-to-glia signals mediated by CX3CL1/CX3CR1 at different stages of diseases could provide new insight into potential therapeutic targets. Hence, the aim of this review is to provide a summary of the literature on the emerging role of CX3CL1 in animal models of some brain disorders.
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Ziemka-Nalecz M, Jaworska J, Sypecka J, Zalewska T. Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors: A Therapeutic Key in Neurological Disorders? J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2018; 77:855-870. [DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nly073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Ziemka-Nalecz
- NeuroRepair Department, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Jaworska
- NeuroRepair Department, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Sypecka
- NeuroRepair Department, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Teresa Zalewska
- NeuroRepair Department, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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7
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Uversky VN. The roles of intrinsic disorder-based liquid-liquid phase transitions in the "Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde" behavior of proteins involved in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Autophagy 2017; 13:2115-2162. [PMID: 28980860 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2017.1384889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological developments leading to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are associated with misbehavior of several key proteins, such as SOD1 (superoxide dismutase 1), TARDBP/TDP-43, FUS, C9orf72, and dipeptide repeat proteins generated as a result of the translation of the intronic hexanucleotide expansions in the C9orf72 gene, PFN1 (profilin 1), GLE1 (GLE1, RNA export mediator), PURA (purine rich element binding protein A), FLCN (folliculin), RBM45 (RNA binding motif protein 45), SS18L1/CREST, HNRNPA1 (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1), HNRNPA2B1 (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1), ATXN2 (ataxin 2), MAPT (microtubule associated protein tau), and TIA1 (TIA1 cytotoxic granule associated RNA binding protein). Although these proteins are structurally and functionally different and have rather different pathological functions, they all possess some levels of intrinsic disorder and are either directly engaged in or are at least related to the physiological liquid-liquid phase transitions (LLPTs) leading to the formation of various proteinaceous membrane-less organelles (PMLOs), both normal and pathological. This review describes the normal and pathological functions of these ALS- and FTLD-related proteins, describes their major structural properties, glances at their intrinsic disorder status, and analyzes the involvement of these proteins in the formation of normal and pathological PMLOs, with the ultimate goal of better understanding the roles of LLPTs and intrinsic disorder in the "Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde" behavior of those proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir N Uversky
- a Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute , Morsani College of Medicine , University of South Florida , Tampa , FL , USA.,b Institute for Biological Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences , Pushchino, Moscow region , Russia
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8
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Clark JA, Yeaman EJ, Blizzard CA, Chuckowree JA, Dickson TC. A Case for Microtubule Vulnerability in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Altered Dynamics During Disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:204. [PMID: 27679561 PMCID: PMC5020100 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an aggressive multifactorial disease converging on a common pathology: the degeneration of motor neurons (MNs), their axons and neuromuscular synapses. This vulnerability and dysfunction of MNs highlights the dependency of these large cells on their intracellular machinery. Neuronal microtubules (MTs) are intracellular structures that facilitate a myriad of vital neuronal functions, including activity dependent axonal transport. In ALS, it is becoming increasingly apparent that MTs are likely to be a critical component of this disease. Not only are disruptions in this intracellular machinery present in the vast majority of seemingly sporadic cases, recent research has revealed that mutation to a microtubule protein, the tubulin isoform TUBA4A, is sufficient to cause a familial, albeit rare, form of disease. In both sporadic and familial disease, studies have provided evidence that microtubule mediated deficits in axonal transport are the tipping point for MN survivability. Axonal transport deficits would lead to abnormal mitochondrial recycling, decreased vesicle and mRNA transport and limited signaling of key survival factors from the neurons peripheral synapses, causing the characteristic peripheral "die back". This disruption to microtubule dependant transport in ALS has been shown to result from alterations in the phenomenon of microtubule dynamic instability: the rapid growth and shrinkage of microtubule polymers. This is accomplished primarily due to aberrant alterations to microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) that regulate microtubule stability. Indeed, the current literature would argue that microtubule stability, particularly alterations in their dynamics, may be the initial driving force behind many familial and sporadic insults in ALS. Pharmacological stabilization of the microtubule network offers an attractive therapeutic strategy in ALS; indeed it has shown promise in many neurological disorders, ALS included. However, the pathophysiological involvement of MTs and their functions is still poorly understood in ALS. Future investigations will hopefully uncover further therapeutic targets that may aid in combating this awful disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayden A Clark
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Elise J Yeaman
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Catherine A Blizzard
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Jyoti A Chuckowree
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Tracey C Dickson
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania Hobart, TAS, Australia
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El Oussini H, Bayer H, Scekic-Zahirovic J, Vercruysse P, Sinniger J, Dirrig-Grosch S, Dieterlé S, Echaniz-Laguna A, Larmet Y, Müller K, Weishaupt JH, Thal DR, van Rheenen W, van Eijk K, Lawson R, Monassier L, Maroteaux L, Roumier A, Wong PC, van den Berg LH, Ludolph AC, Veldink JH, Witting A, Dupuis L. Serotonin 2B receptor slows disease progression and prevents degeneration of spinal cord mononuclear phagocytes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol 2016; 131:465-80. [PMID: 26744351 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-016-1534-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Microglia are the resident mononuclear phagocytes of the central nervous system and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). During neurodegeneration, microglial activation is accompanied by infiltration of circulating monocytes, leading to production of multiple inflammatory mediators in the spinal cord. Degenerative alterations in mononuclear phagocytes are commonly observed during neurodegenerative diseases, yet little is known concerning the mechanisms leading to their degeneration, or the consequences on disease progression. Here we observed that the serotonin 2B receptor (5-HT2B), a serotonin receptor expressed in microglia, is upregulated in the spinal cord of three different transgenic mouse models of ALS. In mutant SOD1 mice, this upregulation was restricted to cells positive for CD11b, a marker of mononuclear phagocytes. Ablation of 5-HT2B receptor in transgenic ALS mice expressing mutant SOD1 resulted in increased degeneration of mononuclear phagocytes, as evidenced by fragmentation of Iba1-positive cellular processes. This was accompanied by decreased expression of key neuroinflammatory genes but also loss of expression of homeostatic microglial genes. Importantly, the dramatic effect of 5-HT2B receptor ablation on mononuclear phagocytes was associated with acceleration of disease progression. To determine the translational relevance of these results, we studied polymorphisms in the human HTR2B gene, which encodes the 5-HT2B receptor, in a large cohort of ALS patients. In this cohort, the C allele of SNP rs10199752 in HTR2B was associated with longer survival. Moreover, patients carrying one copy of the C allele of SNP rs10199752 showed increased 5-HT2B mRNA in spinal cord and displayed less pronounced degeneration of Iba1 positive cells than patients carrying two copies of the more common A allele. Thus, the 5-HT2B receptor limits degeneration of spinal cord mononuclear phagocytes, most likely microglia, and slows disease progression in ALS. Targeting this receptor might be therapeutically useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajer El Oussini
- INSERM UMR-S1118, Faculté de Médecine, bat 3, 8e etage, 11 rue Humann, 67085, Strasbourg Cedex, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
| | - Hanna Bayer
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jelena Scekic-Zahirovic
- INSERM UMR-S1118, Faculté de Médecine, bat 3, 8e etage, 11 rue Humann, 67085, Strasbourg Cedex, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pauline Vercruysse
- INSERM UMR-S1118, Faculté de Médecine, bat 3, 8e etage, 11 rue Humann, 67085, Strasbourg Cedex, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jérôme Sinniger
- INSERM UMR-S1118, Faculté de Médecine, bat 3, 8e etage, 11 rue Humann, 67085, Strasbourg Cedex, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
| | - Sylvie Dirrig-Grosch
- INSERM UMR-S1118, Faculté de Médecine, bat 3, 8e etage, 11 rue Humann, 67085, Strasbourg Cedex, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stéphane Dieterlé
- INSERM UMR-S1118, Faculté de Médecine, bat 3, 8e etage, 11 rue Humann, 67085, Strasbourg Cedex, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
| | - Andoni Echaniz-Laguna
- INSERM UMR-S1118, Faculté de Médecine, bat 3, 8e etage, 11 rue Humann, 67085, Strasbourg Cedex, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
- Neurology Department, Hopitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Yves Larmet
- INSERM UMR-S1118, Faculté de Médecine, bat 3, 8e etage, 11 rue Humann, 67085, Strasbourg Cedex, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
| | - Kathrin Müller
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Dietmar R Thal
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Neuroscience, KU-Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wouter van Rheenen
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kristel van Eijk
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Roland Lawson
- Université de Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
- Neurology Department, Hopitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Laurent Monassier
- Université de Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France
- Neurology Department, Hopitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Luc Maroteaux
- Inserm, UMR-S839, Paris, 75005, France
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University Paris 06, UMR-S839, Paris, 75005, France
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Anne Roumier
- Inserm, UMR-S839, Paris, 75005, France
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University Paris 06, UMR-S839, Paris, 75005, France
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Philip C Wong
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology and Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Leonard H van den Berg
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anke Witting
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Luc Dupuis
- INSERM UMR-S1118, Faculté de Médecine, bat 3, 8e etage, 11 rue Humann, 67085, Strasbourg Cedex, France.
- Université de Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France.
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Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating degenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of motor neurons in the motor cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord. Although defined as a motor disorder, ALS can arise concurrently with frontotemporal lobal dementia (FTLD). ALS begins focally but disseminates to cause paralysis and death. About 10% of ALS cases are caused by gene mutations, and more than 40 ALS-associated genes have been identified. While important questions about the biology of this disease remain unanswered, investigations of ALS genes have delineated pathogenic roles for (a) perturbations in protein stability and degradation, (b) altered homeostasis of critical RNA- and DNA-binding proteins, (c) impaired cytoskeleton function, and (d) non-neuronal cells as modifiers of the ALS phenotype. The rapidity of progress in ALS genetics and the subsequent acquisition of insights into the molecular biology of these genes provide grounds for optimism that meaningful therapies for ALS are attainable.
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11
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Maximino JR, de Oliveira GP, Alves CJ, Chadi G. Deregulated expression of cytoskeleton related genes in the spinal cord and sciatic nerve of presymptomatic SOD1(G93A) Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis mouse model. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:148. [PMID: 24904291 PMCID: PMC4033281 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Early molecular events related to cytoskeleton are poorly described in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), especially in the Schwann cell (SC), which offers strong trophic support to motor neurons. Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) tool identified cytoskeleton-related genes by employing the Cellular Component Ontology (CCO) in a large gene profiling of lumbar spinal cord and sciatic nerve of presymptomatic SOD1(G93A) mice. One and five CCO terms related to cytoskeleton were described from the spinal cord deregulated genes of 40 days (actin cytoskeleton) and 80 days (microtubule cytoskeleton, cytoskeleton part, actin cytoskeleton, neurofilament cytoskeleton, and cytoskeleton) old transgene mice, respectively. Also, four terms were depicted from the deregulated genes of sciatic nerve of 60 days old transgenes (actin cytoskeleton, cytoskeleton part, microtubule cytoskeleton and cytoskeleton). Kif1b was the unique deregulated gene in more than one studied region or presymptomatic age. The expression of Kif1b [quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)] elevated in the lumbar spinal cord (40 days old) and decreased in the sciatic nerve (60 days old) of presymptomatic ALS mice, results that were in line to microarray findings. Upregulation (24.8 fold) of Kif1b was seen in laser microdissected enriched immunolabeled motor neurons from the spinal cord of 40 days old presymptomatic SOD1(G93A) mice. Furthermore, Kif1b was dowregulated in the sciatic nerve Schwann cells of presymptomatic ALS mice (60 days old) that were enriched by means of cell microdissection (6.35 fold), cell sorting (3.53 fold), and primary culture (2.70 fold) technologies. The gene regulation of cytoskeleton molecules is an important occurrence in motor neurons and Schwann cells in presymptomatic stages of ALS and may be relevant in the dying back mechanisms of neuronal death. Furthermore, a differential regulation of Kif1b in the spinal cord and sciatic nerve cells emerged as key event in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R Maximino
- Department of Neurology, Neuroregeneration Research Center, University of São Paulo School of Medicine São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gabriela P de Oliveira
- Department of Neurology, Neuroregeneration Research Center, University of São Paulo School of Medicine São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Chrystian J Alves
- Department of Neurology, Neuroregeneration Research Center, University of São Paulo School of Medicine São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gerson Chadi
- Department of Neurology, Neuroregeneration Research Center, University of São Paulo School of Medicine São Paulo, Brazil
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Chiurchiù V, Maccarrone M, Orlacchio A. The role of reticulons in neurodegenerative diseases. Neuromolecular Med 2013; 16:3-15. [PMID: 24218324 PMCID: PMC3918113 DOI: 10.1007/s12017-013-8271-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Reticulons (RTNs) are a group of membrane-associated proteins mainly responsible for shaping the tubular endoplasmic reticulum network, membrane trafficking, inhibition of axonal growth, and apoptosis. These proteins share a common sequence feature, the reticulon homology domain, which consists of paired hydrophobic stretches that are believed to induce membrane curvature by acting as a wedge in bilayer membranes. RTNs are ubiquitously expressed in all tissues, but each RTN member exhibits a unique expression pattern that prefers certain tissues or even cell types. Recently, accumulated evidence has suggested additional and unexpected roles for RTNs, including those on DNA binding, autophagy, and several inflammatory-related functions. These manifold actions of RTNs account for their ever-growing recognition of their involvement in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, as well as hereditary spastic paraplegia. This review summarizes the latest discoveries on RTNs in human pathophysiology, and the engagement of these in neurodegeneration, along with the implications of these findings for a better understanding of the molecular events triggered by RTNs and their potential exploitation as next-generation therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Chiurchiù
- Laboratorio di Neurochimica dei Lipidi, Centro Europeo di Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC) - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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13
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Tanaka H, Shimazawa M, Takata M, Kaneko H, Tsuruma K, Ikeda T, Warita H, Aoki M, Yamada M, Takahashi H, Hozumi I, Minatsu H, Inuzuka T, Hara H. ITIH4 and Gpx3 are potential biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol 2013; 260:1782-97. [PMID: 23436019 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-013-6877-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2013] [Revised: 02/12/2013] [Accepted: 02/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is difficult due to lack of definitive biomarkers. Our aim was to identify characteristic serum protein patterns that could provide candidate biomarkers for ALS. We divided mutant superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1)(H46R) rats into three groups based on disease progression: pre-symptom (90 days), onset, and end-stage. After separation of serum proteins using two-dimensional electrophoresis, we selected clear protein spots and identified two candidate proteins-inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4 (ITIH4) and glutathione peroxidase 3 (Gpx3). The 120 kDa ITIH4 increased at the onset of the disease and the 85 kDa ITIH4, a cleaved form, at the end-stage in the sera of the SOD1(H46R) rats. Expression of the 85 kDa ITIH4 was substantial in ALS compared with controls or patients with muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer diseases, or Parkinson diseases. The Gpx3 protein levels in the sera of SOD1(H46R) rats were upregulated pre-symptom and gradually decreased as the disease progressed. The Gpx3 protein levels were lower in the sera of the patients with ALS than in other diseases. These results indicate that ITIH4 and Gpx3 are potential biomarkers for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirotaka Tanaka
- Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 1-25-4 Daigaku-nishi, Gifu 501-1196, Japan
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14
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Dentel C, Palamiuc L, Henriques A, Lannes B, Spreux-Varoquaux O, Gutknecht L, René F, Echaniz-Laguna A, Gonzalez de Aguilar JL, Lesch KP, Meininger V, Loeffler JP, Dupuis L. Degeneration of serotonergic neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a link to spasticity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 136:483-93. [PMID: 23114367 DOI: 10.1093/brain/aws274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Spasticity is a common and disabling symptom observed in patients with central nervous system diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease affecting both upper and lower motor neurons. In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spasticity is traditionally thought to be the result of degeneration of the upper motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, although degeneration of other neuronal types, in particular serotonergic neurons, might also represent a cause of spasticity. We performed a pathology study in seven patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and six control subjects and observed that central serotonergic neurons suffer from a degenerative process with prominent neuritic degeneration, and sometimes loss of cell bodies in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Moreover, distal serotonergic projections to spinal cord motor neurons and hippocampus systematically degenerated in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In SOD1 (G86R) mice, a transgenic model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, serotonin levels were decreased in brainstem and spinal cord before onset of motor symptoms. Furthermore, there was noticeable atrophy of serotonin neuronal cell bodies along with neuritic degeneration at disease onset. We hypothesized that degeneration of serotonergic neurons could underlie spasticity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and investigated this hypothesis in vivo using tail muscle spastic-like contractions in response to mechanical stimulation as a measure of spasticity. In SOD1 (G86R) mice, tail muscle spastic-like contractions were observed at end-stage. Importantly, they were abolished by 5-hydroxytryptamine-2b/c receptors inverse agonists. In line with this, 5-hydroxytryptamine-2b receptor expression was strongly increased at disease onset. In all, we show that serotonergic neurons degenerate during amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and that this might underlie spasticity in mice. Further research is needed to determine whether inverse agonists of 5-hydroxytryptamine-2b/c receptors could be of interest in treating spasticity in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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15
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Kuźma-Kozakiewicz M, Chudy A, Gajewska B, Dziewulska D, Usarek E, Barańczyk-Kuźma A. Kinesin expression in the central nervous system of humans and transgenic hSOD1G93A mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. NEURODEGENER DIS 2012; 12:71-80. [PMID: 23006449 DOI: 10.1159/000339529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2012] [Accepted: 05/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal motor neuron degenerative disease. Most cases are sporadic (SALS), and approximately 10% are familial (FALS) among which over 20% are linked to the SOD1 mutation. Both SALS and FALS have been associated with retrograde axonal transport defects. Kinesins (KIFs) are motor proteins involved mainly in anterograde transport; however, some also participate in retrograde transport. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study was to investigate and compare the expression of kinesins involved in anterograde (KIF5A, 5C) and retrograde (KIFC3/C2) axonal transport in SALS in humans and FALS in mice with the hSOD1G93A mutation. METHODS The studies were conducted on various parts of the CNS from autopsy specimens of SALS patients, and transgenic mice at presymptomatic and symptomatic stages using real-time quantitative PCR and reverse-transcription PCR. RESULTS All KIF expression in the motor cortex of individual SALS subjects was higher than in the adjacent sensory cortex, in contrast to the expression in control brains. It was also significantly higher in the frontal cortex of symptomatic but not presymptomatic mice compared to wild-type controls. However, the mean KIF expression in the SALS motor and sensory cortexes was lower than in control cortexes. To a lesser extent the decrease in KIF mean expression also occurred in human but not in mouse ALS spinal cords and in both human and mouse cerebella. CONCLUSION Disturbances in kinesin expression in the CNS may dysregulate both anterograde and retrograde axonal transports leading to motor neuron degeneration.
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Abstract
Gene products such as organelles, proteins and RNAs are actively transported to synaptic terminals for the remodeling of pre-existing neuronal connections and formation of new ones. Proteins described as molecular motors mediate this transport and utilize specialized cytoskeletal proteins that function as molecular tracks for the motor based transport of cargos. Molecular motors such as kinesins and dynein's move along microtubule tracks formed by tubulins whereas myosin motors utilize tracks formed by actin. Deficits in active transport of gene products have been implicated in a number of neurological disorders. We describe such disorders collectively as "transportopathies". Here we review current knowledge of critical components of active transport and their relevance to neurodegenerative diseases.
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17
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Freeman LR, Keller JN. Oxidative stress and cerebral endothelial cells: regulation of the blood-brain-barrier and antioxidant based interventions. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2011; 1822:822-9. [PMID: 22206999 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2011.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2011] [Accepted: 12/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
While numerous lines of evidence point to increased levels of oxidative stress playing a causal role in a number of neurodegenerative conditions, our current understanding of the specific role of oxidative stress in the genesis and/or propagation of neurodegenerative diseases remains poorly defined. Even more challenging to the "oxidative stress theory of neurodegeneration" is the fact that many antioxidant-based clinical trials and therapeutic interventions have been largely disappointing in their therapeutic benefit. Together, these factors have led researchers to begin to focus on understanding the contribution of highly localized structures, and defined anatomical features, within the brain as the sites responsible for oxidative stress-induced neurodegeneration. This review focuses on the potential for oxidative stress within the cerebrovascular architecture serving as a modulator of neurodegeneration in a variety of pathological settings. In particular, this review highlights important implications for vascular-derived oxidative stress in the initiating and promoting pathophysiology in the brain, identifying new roles for cerebrovascular oxidative stress in a variety of brain disorders. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Antioxidants and Antioxidant Treatment in Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linnea R Freeman
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, BAton Rouge, LA 70808, USA
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18
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Lenzken SC, Romeo V, Zolezzi F, Cordero F, Lamorte G, Bonanno D, Biancolini D, Cozzolino M, Pesaresi MG, Maracchioni A, Sanges R, Achsel T, Carrì MT, Calogero RA, Barabino SM. Mutant SOD1 and mitochondrial damage alter expression and splicing of genes controlling neuritogenesis in models of neurodegeneration. Hum Mutat 2011; 32:168-82. [DOI: 10.1002/humu.21394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2010] [Accepted: 09/24/2010] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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19
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Kudo LC, Parfenova L, Vi N, Lau K, Pomakian J, Valdmanis P, Rouleau GA, Vinters HV, Wiedau-Pazos M, Karsten SL. Integrative gene-tissue microarray-based approach for identification of human disease biomarkers: application to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Hum Mol Genet 2010; 19:3233-53. [PMID: 20530642 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddq232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in genomics and proteomics permit rapid identification of disease-relevant genes and proteins. Challenges include biological differences between animal models and human diseases, high discordance between DNA and protein expression data and a lack of experimental models to study human complex diseases. To overcome some of these limitations, we developed an integrative approach using animal models, postmortem human material and a combination of high-throughput microarray methods to identify novel molecular markers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We used laser capture microdissection coupled with microarrays to identify early transcriptome changes occurring in spinal cord motor neurons or surrounding glial cells. Two models of familial motor neuron disease, SOD1(G93A) and TAU(P301L), transgenic mice were used at the presymptomatic stage. Identified gene expression changes were predominantly model-specific. However, several genes were regulated in both models. The relevance of identified genes as clinical biomarkers was tested in the peripheral blood transcriptome of presymptomatic SOD1(G93A) animals using custom-designed ALS microarray. To confirm the relevance of identified genes in human sporadic ALS (SALS), selected corresponding protein products were examined by high-throughput immunoassays using tissue microarrays constructed from human postmortem spinal cord tissues. Genes that were identified by these experiments and located within a linkage region associated with familial ALS/frontotemporal dementia were sequenced in several families. This large-scale gene and protein expression study pointing to distinct molecular mechanisms of TAU- and SOD1-induced motor neuron degeneration identified several new SALS-relevant proteins (CNGA3, CRB1, OTUB2, MMP14, SLK, DDX58, RSPO2) and putative blood biomarkers, including Nefh, Prph and Mgll.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili C Kudo
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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20
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RNA processing pathways in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurogenetics 2010; 11:275-90. [PMID: 20349096 DOI: 10.1007/s10048-010-0239-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2009] [Accepted: 02/24/2010] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
RNA processing is a tightly regulated, highly complex pathway which includes RNA transcription, pre-mRNA splicing, editing, transportation, translation, and degradation of RNA. Over the past few years, several RNA processing genes have been shown to be mutated or genetically associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), including the RNA-binding proteins TDP-43 and FUS/TLS. These findings suggest that RNA processing may represent a common pathogenic mechanism involved in development of ALS. In this review, we will discuss six ALS-related, RNA processing genes including their discovery, function, and commonalities.
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21
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Mitochondrial dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2009; 1802:45-51. [PMID: 19715760 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2009.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2009] [Revised: 08/19/2009] [Accepted: 08/19/2009] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The etiology of motor neuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains to be better understood. Based on the studies from ALS patients and transgenic animal models, it is believed that ALS is likely to be a multifactorial and multisystem disease. Many mechanisms have been postulated to be involved in the pathology of ALS, such as oxidative stress, glutamate excitotoxicity, mitochondrial damage, defective axonal transport, glia cell pathology and aberrant RNA metabolism. Mitochondria, which play crucial roles in excitotoxicity, apoptosis and cell survival, have shown to be an early target in ALS pathogenesis and contribute to the disease progression. Morphological and functional defects in mitochondria were found in both human patients and ALS mice overexpressing mutant SOD1. Mutant SOD1 was found to be preferentially associated with mitochondria and subsequently impair mitochondrial function. Recent studies suggest that axonal transport of mitochondria along microtubules and mitochondrial dynamics may also be disrupted in ALS. These results also illustrate the critical importance of maintaining proper mitochondrial function in axons and neuromuscular junctions, supporting the emerging "dying-back" axonopathy model of ALS. In this review, we will discuss how mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked to the ALS variants of SOD1 and the mechanisms by which mitochondrial damage contributes to the disease etiology.
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22
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Landers JE, Melki J, Meininger V, Glass JD, van den Berg LH, van Es MA, Sapp PC, van Vught PWJ, McKenna-Yasek DM, Blauw HM, Cho TJ, Polak M, Shi L, Wills AM, Broom WJ, Ticozzi N, Silani V, Ozoguz A, Rodriguez-Leyva I, Veldink JH, Ivinson AJ, Saris CGJ, Hosler BA, Barnes-Nessa A, Couture N, Wokke JHJ, Kwiatkowski TJ, Ophoff RA, Cronin S, Hardiman O, Diekstra FP, Leigh PN, Shaw CE, Simpson CL, Hansen VK, Powell JF, Corcia P, Salachas F, Heath S, Galan P, Georges F, Horvitz HR, Lathrop M, Purcell S, Al-Chalabi A, Brown RH. Reduced expression of the Kinesin-Associated Protein 3 (KIFAP3) gene increases survival in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009; 106:9004-9. [PMID: 19451621 PMCID: PMC2683883 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0812937106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2008] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a degenerative disorder of motor neurons that typically develops in the 6th decade and is uniformly fatal, usually within 5 years. To identify genetic variants associated with susceptibility and phenotypes in sporadic ALS, we performed a genome-wide SNP analysis in sporadic ALS cases and controls. A total of 288,357 SNPs were screened in a set of 1,821 sporadic ALS cases and 2,258 controls from the U.S. and Europe. Survival analysis was performed using 1,014 deceased sporadic cases. Top results for susceptibility were further screened in an independent sample set of 538 ALS cases and 556 controls. SNP rs1541160 within the KIFAP3 gene (encoding a kinesin-associated protein) yielded a genome-wide significant result (P = 1.84 x 10(-8)) that withstood Bonferroni correction for association with survival. Homozygosity for the favorable allele (CC) conferred a 14.0 months survival advantage. Sequence, genotypic and functional analyses revealed that there is linkage disequilibrium between rs1541160 and SNP rs522444 within the KIFAP3 promoter and that the favorable alleles of rs1541160 and rs522444 correlate with reduced KIFAP3 expression. No SNPs were associated with risk of sporadic ALS, site of onset, or age of onset. We have identified a variant within the KIFAP3 gene that is associated with decreased KIFAP3 expression and increased survival in sporadic ALS. These findings support the view that genetic factors modify phenotypes in this disease and that cellular motor proteins are determinants of motor neuron viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E. Landers
- Cecil B. Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Building 114, Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Judith Melki
- Laboratoire de Neurogenetique Moleculaire, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U-798, Universite d'Evry et Paris 11, 2 rue Gaston Crémieux, CP5724, 91057 Evry France
| | - Vincent Meininger
- Fédération des maladies du système nerveux, Assistance Publique—Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, 75651 Paris, France
| | | | | | | | - Peter C. Sapp
- Cecil B. Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Building 114, Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | | | - Diane M. McKenna-Yasek
- Cecil B. Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Building 114, Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | | | - Ting-Jan Cho
- Cecil B. Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Building 114, Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Meraida Polak
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Lijia Shi
- Cecil B. Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Building 114, Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Anne-Marie Wills
- Cecil B. Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Building 114, Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Wendy J. Broom
- Cecil B. Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Building 114, Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Cecil B. Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Building 114, Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, ‘Dino Ferrari‘ Center, University of Milan Medical School—Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20149 Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, ‘Dino Ferrari‘ Center, University of Milan Medical School—Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20149 Milan, Italy
| | - Aslihan Ozoguz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Neurodegeneration Research Laboratory, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ildefonso Rodriguez-Leyva
- Cecil B. Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Building 114, Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico S.L.P., CP 78210
| | | | - Adrian J. Ivinson
- Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | | | - Betsy A. Hosler
- Cecil B. Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Building 114, Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Alayna Barnes-Nessa
- Cecil B. Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Building 114, Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Nicole Couture
- Cecil B. Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Building 114, Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | | | - Thomas J. Kwiatkowski
- Cecil B. Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Building 114, Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Roel A. Ophoff
- Medical Genetics, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Simon Cronin
- Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Orla Hardiman
- Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Frank P. Diekstra
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, PO43, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - P. Nigel Leigh
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, PO43, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher E. Shaw
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, PO43, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Claire L. Simpson
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, PO43, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Valerie K. Hansen
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, PO43, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - John F. Powell
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, PO43, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Philippe Corcia
- Service de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Bretonneau, 37044 Tours, France
| | - François Salachas
- Fédération des maladies du système nerveux, Assistance Publique—Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, 75651 Paris, France
| | - Simon Heath
- Centre National de Génotypage, Institut Génomique, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique, 91057 Evry, France
| | - Pilar Galan
- Unité de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle, l'UFR Sante Médecine et Biologie Humaine, 74 rue Marcel Cachin, 93017 Bobigny, France; and
| | - Franck Georges
- Laboratoire de Neurogenetique Moleculaire, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U-798, Universite d'Evry et Paris 11, 2 rue Gaston Crémieux, CP5724, 91057 Evry France
| | - H. Robert Horvitz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Mark Lathrop
- Centre National de Génotypage, Institut Génomique, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique, 91057 Evry, France
| | - Shaun Purcell
- Center for Human Genetics Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Richard B. Simches Research Building, CPZN-6254, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, PO43, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Robert H. Brown
- Cecil B. Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Building 114, Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129
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Muscle mitochondrial uncoupling dismantles neuromuscular junction and triggers distal degeneration of motor neurons. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5390. [PMID: 19404401 PMCID: PMC2671839 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2009] [Accepted: 03/22/2009] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most frequent adult onset motor neuron disease, is associated with hypermetabolism linked to defects in muscle mitochondrial energy metabolism such as ATP depletion and increased oxygen consumption. It remains unknown whether muscle abnormalities in energy metabolism are causally involved in the destruction of neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and subsequent motor neuron degeneration during ALS. Methodology/Principal Findings We studied transgenic mice with muscular overexpression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), a potent mitochondrial uncoupler, as a model of muscle restricted hypermetabolism. These animals displayed age-dependent deterioration of the NMJ that correlated with progressive signs of denervation and a mild late-onset motor neuron pathology. NMJ regeneration and functional recovery were profoundly delayed following injury of the sciatic nerve and muscle mitochondrial uncoupling exacerbated the pathology of an ALS animal model. Conclusions/Significance These findings provide the proof of principle that a muscle restricted mitochondrial defect is sufficient to generate motor neuron degeneration and suggest that therapeutic strategies targeted at muscle metabolism might prove useful for motor neuron diseases.
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Tateno M, Kato S, Sakurai T, Nukina N, Takahashi R, Araki T. Mutant SOD1 impairs axonal transport of choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholine release by sequestering KAP3. Hum Mol Genet 2008; 18:942-55. [PMID: 19088126 PMCID: PMC2640210 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddn422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the superoxide dismutase 1 (sod1) gene cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS), likely due to the toxic properties of misfolded mutant SOD1 protein. Here we demonstrated that, starting from the pre-onset stage of FALS, misfolded SOD1 species associates specifically with kinesin-associated protein 3 (KAP3) in the ventral white matter of SOD1G93A-transgenic mouse spinal cord. KAP3 is a kinesin-2 subunit responsible for binding to cargos including choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). Motor axons in SOD1G93A-Tg mice also showed a reduction in ChAT transport from the pre-onset stage. By employing a novel FALS modeling system using NG108-15 cells, we showed that microtubule-dependent release of acetylcholine was significantly impaired by misfolded SOD1 species. Furthermore, such impairment was able to be normalized by KAP3 overexpression. KAP3 was incorporated into SOD1 aggregates in human FALS cases as well. These results suggest that KAP3 sequestration by misfolded SOD1 species and the resultant inhibition of ChAT transport play a role in the dysfunction of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minako Tateno
- 1Department of Peripheral Nervous System Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
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Dupuis L, Fergani A, Braunstein KE, Eschbach J, Holl N, Rene F, Gonzalez De Aguilar JL, Zoerner B, Schwalenstocker B, Ludolph AC, Loeffler JP. Mice with a mutation in the dynein heavy chain 1 gene display sensory neuropathy but lack motor neuron disease. Exp Neurol 2008; 215:146-52. [PMID: 18952079 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2008.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2008] [Revised: 09/22/2008] [Accepted: 09/23/2008] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
In neurons, cytoplasmic dynein functions as a molecular motor responsible for retrograde axonal transport. An impairment of axonal transport is thought to play a key role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the most frequent motor neuron disease in the elderly. In this regard, previous studies described two heterozygous mouse strains bearing missense point mutations in the dynein heavy chain 1 gene that were reported to display late-onset progressive motor neuron degeneration. Here we show, however, that one of these mutant strains, the so-called Cra mice does not suffer from motor neuron loss, even in aged animals. Consistently, we did not observe electrophysiological or biochemical signs of muscle denervation, indicative of motor neuron disease. The "hindlimb clasping" phenotype of Cra mice could rather be due to the prominent degeneration of sensory neurons associated with a loss of muscle spindles. Altogether, these findings show that dynein heavy chain mutation triggers sensory neuropathy rather than motor neuron disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc Dupuis
- INSERM, U692, Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, F-67085, France.
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26
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Gonzalez de Aguilar JL, Niederhauser-Wiederkehr C, Halter B, De Tapia M, Di Scala F, Demougin P, Dupuis L, Primig M, Meininger V, Loeffler JP. Gene profiling of skeletal muscle in an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse model. Physiol Genomics 2007; 32:207-18. [PMID: 18000159 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00017.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Muscle atrophy is a major hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most frequent adult-onset motor neuron disease. To define the full set of alterations in gene expression in skeletal muscle during the course of the disease, we used the G86R superoxide dismutase-1 transgenic mouse model of ALS and performed high-density oligonucleotide microarrays. We compared these data to those obtained by axotomy-induced denervation. A major set of gene regulations in G86R muscles resembled those of surgically denervated muscles, but many others appeared specific to the ALS condition. The first significant transcriptional changes appeared in a subpopulation of mice before the onset of overt clinical symptoms and motor neuron death. These early changes affected genes involved in detoxification (e.g., ALDH3, metallothionein-2, and thioredoxin-1) and regeneration (e.g., BTG1, RB1, and RUNX1) but also tissue degradation (e.g., C/EBPdelta and DDIT4) and cell death (e.g., ankyrin repeat domain-1, CDKN1A, GADD45alpha, and PEG3). Of particular interest, metallothionein-1 and -2, ATF3, cathepsin-Z, and galectin-3 genes appeared, among others, commonly regulated in both skeletal muscle (our present data) and spinal motor neurons (as previously reported) of paralyzed ALS mice. The importance of these findings is twofold. First, they designate the distal part of the motor unit as a primary site of disease. Second, they identify specific gene regulations to be explored in the search for therapeutic strategies that could alleviate disease before motor neuron death manifests clinically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose-Luis Gonzalez de Aguilar
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U692, Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, France.
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Ferraiuolo L, Heath PR, Holden H, Kasher P, Kirby J, Shaw PJ. Microarray analysis of the cellular pathways involved in the adaptation to and progression of motor neuron injury in the SOD1 G93A mouse model of familial ALS. J Neurosci 2007; 27:9201-19. [PMID: 17715356 PMCID: PMC6672214 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1470-07.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular pathways of motor neuronal injury have been investigated in the SOD1 G93A murine model of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using laser-capture microdissection and microarray analysis. The advantages of this study include the following: analysis of changes specifically in motor neurons (MNs), while still detecting effects of interactions with neighboring cells; the ability to profile changes during disease progression, an approach not possible in human ALS; and the use of transgenic mice bred on a homogeneous genetic background, eliminating the confounding effects arising from a mixed genetic background. By using this rigorous approach, novel changes in key cellular pathways have been detected at both the presymptomatic and late stages, which have been validated by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. At the presymptomatic stage (60 d), MNs extracted from SOD1 G93A mice show a significant increase in expression of genes subserving both transcriptional and translational functions, as well as lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, mitochondrial preprotein translocation, and respiratory chain function, suggesting activation of a strong cellular adaptive response. Mice 90 d old still show upregulation of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, whereas transcription and mRNA processing genes begin to show downregulation. Late in the disease course (120 d), important findings include the following: marked transcriptional repression, with downregulation of multiple transcripts involved in transcriptional and metabolic functions; upregulation of complement system components; and increased expression of key cyclins involved in cell-cycle regulation. The changes described in the motor neuron transcriptome evolving during the disease course highlight potential novel targets for neuroprotective therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Ferraiuolo
- Academic Neurology Unit, Section of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX, United Kingdom
| | - Paul R. Heath
- Academic Neurology Unit, Section of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX, United Kingdom
| | - Hazel Holden
- Academic Neurology Unit, Section of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Kasher
- Academic Neurology Unit, Section of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX, United Kingdom
| | - Janine Kirby
- Academic Neurology Unit, Section of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX, United Kingdom
| | - Pamela J. Shaw
- Academic Neurology Unit, Section of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX, United Kingdom
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Rouaux C, Panteleeva I, René F, Gonzalez de Aguilar JL, Echaniz-Laguna A, Dupuis L, Menger Y, Boutillier AL, Loeffler JP. Sodium valproate exerts neuroprotective effects in vivo through CREB-binding protein-dependent mechanisms but does not improve survival in an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse model. J Neurosci 2007; 27:5535-45. [PMID: 17522299 PMCID: PMC6672753 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1139-07.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by motoneuron (MN) degeneration, generalized weakness, and muscle atrophy. The premature death of MNs is thought to be a determinant in the onset of this disease. In a transgenic mouse model of ALS expressing the G86R mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (mSOD1), we demonstrated previously that CREB (cAMP response element-binding protein)-binding protein (CBP) and histone acetylation levels were specifically decreased in nuclei of degenerating MNs. We show here that oxidative stress and mSOD1 overexpression can both impinge on CBP levels by transcriptional repression, in an MN-derived cell line. Histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) treatment was able to reset proper acetylation levels and displayed an efficient neuroprotective capacity against oxidative stress in vitro. Interestingly, HDACi also upregulated CBP transcriptional expression in MNs. Moreover, when injected to G86R mice in vivo, the HDACi sodium valproate (VPA) maintained normal acetylation levels in the spinal cord, efficiently restored CBP levels in MNs, and significantly prevented MN death in these animals. However, despite neuroprotection, mean survival of treated animals was not significantly improved (<5%), and they died presenting the classical ALS symptoms. VPA was not able to prevent disruption of neuromuscular junctions, although it slightly delayed the onset of motor decline and retarded muscular atrophy to some extent. Together, these data show that neuroprotection can improve disease onset, but clearly provide evidence that one can uncouple MN survival from whole-animal survival and point to the neuromuscular junction perturbation as a primary event of ALS onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Rouaux
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U692, Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence and
- Université Louis Pasteur, Faculté de Médecine, UMRS692, Strasbourg F-67085, France, and
| | - Irina Panteleeva
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U692, Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence and
- Université Louis Pasteur, Faculté de Médecine, UMRS692, Strasbourg F-67085, France, and
| | - Frédérique René
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U692, Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence and
- Université Louis Pasteur, Faculté de Médecine, UMRS692, Strasbourg F-67085, France, and
| | - Jose-Luis Gonzalez de Aguilar
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U692, Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence and
- Université Louis Pasteur, Faculté de Médecine, UMRS692, Strasbourg F-67085, France, and
| | - Andoni Echaniz-Laguna
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U692, Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence and
- Université Louis Pasteur, Faculté de Médecine, UMRS692, Strasbourg F-67085, France, and
- Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg F-67098, France
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U692, Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence and
- Université Louis Pasteur, Faculté de Médecine, UMRS692, Strasbourg F-67085, France, and
| | - Yannick Menger
- Université Louis Pasteur, Faculté de Médecine, UMRS692, Strasbourg F-67085, France, and
| | - Anne-Laurence Boutillier
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U692, Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence and
- Université Louis Pasteur, Faculté de Médecine, UMRS692, Strasbourg F-67085, France, and
| | - Jean-Philippe Loeffler
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U692, Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence and
- Université Louis Pasteur, Faculté de Médecine, UMRS692, Strasbourg F-67085, France, and
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Pantelidou M, Zographos SE, Lederer CW, Kyriakides T, Pfaffl MW, Santama N. Differential expression of molecular motors in the motor cortex of sporadic ALS. Neurobiol Dis 2007; 26:577-89. [PMID: 17418584 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2007.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2006] [Revised: 01/31/2007] [Accepted: 02/04/2007] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms underlying the selective neurodegeneration of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are inadequately understood. Recent breakthroughs have implicated impaired axonal transport, mediated by molecular motors, as a key element for disease onset and progression. The current work identifies the expression of 15 kinesin-like motors in healthy human motor cortex, including three novel isoforms. Our comprehensive quantitative mRNA analysis in control and sporadic ALS (SALS) motor cortex specimens detects SALS-specific down-regulation of KIF1Bbeta and novel KIF3Abeta, two isoforms we show to be enriched in the brain, and also of SOD1, a key enzyme linked to familial ALS. This is accompanied by a marked reduction of KIF3Abeta protein levels. In the motor cortex KIF3Abeta localizes in cholinergic neurons, including upper motor neurons. No mutations causing splicing defects or altering protein-coding sequences were identified in the genes of the three proteins. The present study implicates two motor proteins as possible candidates in SALS pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pantelidou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus and Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, P.O. Box 20537, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
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Liu JJ, Ding J, Wu C, Bhagavatula P, Cui B, Chu S, Mobley WC, Yang Y. Retrolinkin, a membrane protein, plays an important role in retrograde axonal transport. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:2223-8. [PMID: 17287360 PMCID: PMC1892971 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0602222104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Retrograde axonal transport plays an important role in the maintenance of neuronal functions, but the mechanism is poorly defined partly because the constituents of the retrograde transport system and their interactions have yet to be elucidated. Of special interest is how dynein/dynactin motor proteins interact with membrane cargoes. Here, we report that an endosomal vesicle protein, termed retrolinkin, functions as a receptor tethering vesicles to dynein/dynactin through BPAG1n4. Retrolinkin, a membrane protein highly enriched in neuronal endosomes, binds directly to BPAG1n4. Deletion of retrolinkin membrane-association domains disrupts retrograde vesicular transport, recapitulating the BPAG1 null phenotype. We propose that retrolinkin acts with BPAG1n4 to specifically regulate retrograde axonal transport. Our work lays the foundation for understanding fundamental issues of axonal transport and provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying human neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Jia Liu
- *Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305; and
| | - Jianqing Ding
- *Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305; and
| | - Chengbiao Wu
- *Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305; and
| | - Prasanthi Bhagavatula
- *Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305; and
| | - Bianxiao Cui
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Steve Chu
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - William C. Mobley
- *Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305; and
| | - Yanmin Yang
- *Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305; and
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
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Casanovas A, Hernández S, Tarabal O, Rosselló J, Esquerda JE. Strong P2X4 purinergic receptor-like immunoreactivity is selectively associated with degenerating neurons in transgenic rodent models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Comp Neurol 2007; 506:75-92. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.21527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Fergani A, Dupuis L, Jokic N, Larmet Y, de Tapia M, Rene F, Loeffler JP, Gonzalez de Aguilar JL. Reticulons as markers of neurological diseases: focus on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. NEURODEGENER DIS 2006; 2:185-94. [PMID: 16909024 DOI: 10.1159/000089624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Reticulons (RTNs) are a family of proteins that are primarily associated with the endoplasmic reticulum. In mammals, four genes have been identified and referred as to rtn1, 2, 3 and the neurite outgrowth inhibitor rtn4/nogo. These genes generate multiple isoforms that contain a common C-terminal reticulon homology domain of 150-200 amino-acid residues. The N-terminal regions of RTNs are highly variable, and result from alternative splicing or differential promoter usage. Although widely distributed, the functions of RTNs are still poorly understood. Much interest has been focused on rtn4/nogo because of its activity as a potent inhibitor of axonal growth and repair. In the present study, we update recent knowledge on mammalian RTNs paying special attention to the involvement of these proteins as markers of neurological diseases. We also present recent data concerning RTN expression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal degenerative disorder characterized by loss of upper and lower motor neurons, and muscle atrophy. The rearrangement of RTN expression is regulated not only in suffering skeletal muscle but also preceding the onset of symptoms, and may relate to the disease process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anissa Fergani
- Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence, INSERM U-692, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France
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Vlug AS, Teuling E, Haasdijk ED, French P, Hoogenraad CC, Jaarsma D. ATF3 expression precedes death of spinal motoneurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-SOD1 transgenic mice and correlates with c-Jun phosphorylation, CHOP expression, somato-dendritic ubiquitination and Golgi fragmentation. Eur J Neurosci 2005; 22:1881-94. [PMID: 16262628 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2005.04389.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
To obtain insight into the morphological and molecular correlates of motoneuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mice that express G93A mutant superoxide dismutase (SOD)1 (G93A mice), we have mapped and characterized 'sick' motoneurons labelled by the 'stress transcription factors' ATF3 and phospho-c-Jun. Immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization showed that a subset of motoneurons express ATF3 from a relatively early phase of disease before the onset of active caspase 3 expression and motoneuron loss. The highest number of ATF3-expressing motoneurons occurred at symptom onset. The onset of ATF3 expression correlated with the appearance of ubiquitinated neurites. Confocal double-labelling immunofluorescence showed that all ATF3-positive motoneurons were immunoreactive for phosphorylated c-Jun. Furthermore, the majority of ATF3 and phospho-c-Jun-positive motoneurons were also immunoreactive for CHOP (GADD153) and showed Golgi fragmentation. A subset of ATF3 and phosphorylated c-Jun-immunoreactive motoneurons showed an abnormal appearance characterized by a number of distinctive features, including an eccentric flattened nucleus, perikaryal accumulation of ubiquitin immunoreactivity, juxta-nuclear accumulation of the Golgi apparatus and the endoplasmic reticulum, and intense Hsp70 immunoreactivity. These abnormal cells were not immunoreactive for active caspase 3. We conclude that motoneurons in ALS-SOD1 mice prior to their death and disappearance experience a prolonged sick phase, characterized by the gradual accumulation of ubiquitinated material first in the neurites and subsequently the cell body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela S Vlug
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, Netherlands
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Sasaki S, Warita H, Abe K, Iwata M. Impairment of axonal transport in the axon hillock and the initial segment of anterior horn neurons in transgenic mice with a G93A mutant SOD1 gene. Acta Neuropathol 2005; 110:48-56. [PMID: 15920660 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-005-1021-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2004] [Revised: 02/21/2005] [Accepted: 02/21/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Impaired axonal transport of the fast or slow component has been reported in patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), animal models for ALS, and familial ALS-linked mutant Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) transgenic mice. However, little is known about the impairment of axonal transport in mutant SOD1 transgenic mice. This is the first electron microscopic investigation of the axon hillock (AH) and the initial segment (IS) of anterior horn cells in the spinal cord of transgenic mice expressing the G93A mutant human SOD1, and it was launched with a view toward examining whether the axonal transport is impaired in this region. Six transgenic mice were killed at ages ranging from the presymptomatic to symptomatic stages. Six age-matched non-transgenic wild-type mice served as controls. In the non-transgenic mice, 91 AH and IS were observed, but those with increased neurofilaments or mitochondria were rarely found. In the transgenic mice, 95 AH and IS directly emanating from normal-looking large anterior horn cells were seen. AH and IS with increased neurofilaments or, to a lesser extent, increased mitochondria, and round-shaped mitochondria in particular, were more frequently observed, even at the early presymptomatic stage, than in the controls, and the frequency increased with time through the presymptomatic stages. On the other hand, the somata of large motor neurons directly connected with the axons did not exhibit any abnormal accumulation of neurofilaments or mitochondria. These findings suggest that both the slow axonal transport of neurofilaments and the fast axonal transport of mitochondria are impaired in AH and IS before the onset of disease in this animal model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoichi Sasaki
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Japan.
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Gonzalez de Aguilar JL, Dupuis L, Oudart H, Loeffler JP. The metabolic hypothesis in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: insights from mutant Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase mice. Biomed Pharmacother 2005; 59:190-6. [PMID: 15862714 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2005.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2004] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by selective loss of motor neurons and progressive muscle atrophy. A subset of patients harbors point mutations in the gene encoding Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1), which allowed the generation of transgenic mice that express different SOD1 mutations and develop an ALS-like pathology. Recently, we reported in these mice the occurrence of a characteristic defect in energy homeostasis and the beneficial effect on the course of the disease of a high-energy fat-enriched diet. In this review, we discuss the implication of these findings in the light of classical clinical observations concerning metabolic alterations in human ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose-Luis Gonzalez de Aguilar
- Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence, Inserm U-692, Université Louis Pasteur, Faculté de Médecine, 11, rue Humann, 67085 Strasbourg cedex, France
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Rouaux C, Loeffler JP, Boutillier AL. Targeting CREB-binding protein (CBP) loss of function as a therapeutic strategy in neurological disorders. Biochem Pharmacol 2004; 68:1157-64. [PMID: 15313413 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2004.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2004] [Accepted: 05/24/2004] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Histone acetylation/deacetylation is a master regulation of gene expression. Among the enzymes involved in this process, the CREB-binding protein (CBP) displays important functions during central nervous system development. Increasing evidence shows that CBP function is altered during neurodegenerative processes. CBP loss of function has now been reported in several diseases characterized by neurological disorders such as the Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome or polyglutamine-related pathologies (Huntington's disease). Our recent work suggests that CBP loss of function could also be involved in Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In a simplified apoptotic model of primary neurons, we described CBP as a substrate of apoptotic caspases, an alternative to its classical proteasomal degradation. In these neuronal death contexts, histone acetylation levels were decreased as well. Altogether, these data point to a central role of CBP loss of function during neurodegeneration. In order to restore proper acetylation levels, a proposed therapeutic strategy relies on HDAC inhibition. Nevertheless, this approach lacks of specificity. Therefore new drugs targeted at counteracting CBP loss of function could stand as a valid therapeutic approach in neurodegenerative disorders. The challenge will be to respect the fine-tuning between cellular HAT/HDAC activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Rouaux
- Laboratoire de Signalisation Moléculaire et Neurodégénérescence-EA#3433 11, rue Humann, 67085 Strasbourg Cedex, France
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37
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Jokic N, Di Scala F, Dupuis L, Rene F, Muller A, Gonzalez De Aguilar JL, Loeffler JP. Early activation of antioxidant mechanisms in muscle of mutant Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mice. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2004; 1010:552-6. [PMID: 15033789 DOI: 10.1196/annals.1299.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
A subset of familial ALS cases is associated with missense mutations in the gene encoding Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1), a free radical scavenging enzyme that protects cells against oxidative stress. Overexpression of these ALS-linked mutations confers an unidentified gain of function to the enzyme that triggers a series of neurological disorders characteristic of human ALS. To understand how skeletal muscle may counteract the progression of the disease, we explored the expression of different molecular effectors involved in antioxidant pathways. Our results are strongly indicative of the early and long-lasting activation of a series of molecular effectors thought to act coordinately in preventing the increased oxidative stress characteristic of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasa Jokic
- Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence, Université Louis Pasteur, Faculté de Médecine, 11 rue Humann, 67085 Strasbourg, France
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Molon A, Di Giovanni S, Chen YW, Clarkson PM, Angelini C, Pegoraro E, Hoffman EP. Large-scale disruption of microtubule pathways in morphologically normal human spastin muscle. Neurology 2004; 62:1097-104. [PMID: 15079007 DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000118204.90814.5a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the molecular pathways disrupted by dominant spastin mutations in apparently unaffected skeletal muscle from patients with motor neuron disease (SPG4). METHODS The authors studied muscle of three individuals from two unrelated families affected by spastic paraplegia caused by spastin mutations. The authors compared RNA expression profiles to 7 normal and 13 pathologic muscle U95A profiles (Duchenne dystrophy, acute quadriplegic myopathy, and spinal muscular atrophy). Data were validated with U133A arrays with seven different control specimens. mRNA and protein confirmations were done for a subset of genes. RESULTS Both nonsense and missense mutations in the spastin gene disrupted microtubule pathways in nonpathologic tissue, including microtubule dynamics, stability, exocytosis, and endocytosis. CONCLUSIONS Normal muscle can be used to uncover biochemical perturbation in motor neuron disease. Altered microtubule metabolism in SPG4-linked hereditary spastic paraplegia patients leads to pathology of the long descending tracks of motor neurons that likely have a stringent need for efficient microtubular transport. As many inherited neurologic conditions show a systemic biochemical defect with disease limited to neurons, our data have broader implications for biochemical pathway studies of many neurologic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Molon
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA
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Dupuis L, Muller A, Meininger V, Loeffler JP. Mécanismes moléculaires de la sclérose latérale amyotrophique : apports récents de l’analyse de modèles animaux. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2004; 160:35-43. [PMID: 14978392 DOI: 10.1016/s0035-3787(04)70845-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a neurodegenerative condition defined by loss of both upper and lower motor neurons. The molecular mechanisms underlying this pathology are currently elucidated using transgenic mice lines expressing mutated alleles of the copper-zinc superoxide dismutase, an enzyme mutated in about 2 p. cent of ALS cases. These transgenic mice also provide a valuable animal model to set up new therapeutic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Dupuis
- Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence, EA3433, Faculté de Medecine, Strasbourg
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Liu JJ, Ding J, Kowal AS, Nardine T, Allen E, Delcroix JD, Wu C, Mobley W, Fuchs E, Yang Y. BPAG1n4 is essential for retrograde axonal transport in sensory neurons. J Cell Biol 2003; 163:223-9. [PMID: 14581450 PMCID: PMC2173519 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200306075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2003] [Accepted: 09/15/2003] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Disruption of the BPAG1 (bullous pemphigoid antigen 1) gene results in progressive deterioration in motor function and devastating sensory neurodegeneration in the null mice. We have previously demonstrated that BPAG1n1 and BPAG1n3 play important roles in organizing cytoskeletal networks in vivo. Here, we characterize functions of a novel BPAG1 neuronal isoform, BPAG1n4. Results obtained from yeast two-hybrid screening, blot overlay binding assays, and coimmunoprecipitations demonstrate that BPAG1n4 interacts directly with dynactin p150Glued through its unique ezrin/radixin/moesin domain. Studies using double immunofluorescent microscopy and ultrastructural analysis reveal physiological colocalization of BPAG1n4 with dynactin/dynein. Disruption of the interaction between BPAG1n4 and dynactin results in severe defects in retrograde axonal transport. We conclude that BPAG1n4 plays an essential role in retrograde axonal transport in sensory neurons. These findings might advance our understanding of pathogenesis of axonal degeneration and neuronal death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Jia Liu
- Department of Neurology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5489, USA.
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Puls I, Jonnakuty C, LaMonte BH, Holzbaur ELF, Tokito M, Mann E, Floeter MK, Bidus K, Drayna D, Oh SJ, Brown RH, Ludlow CL, Fischbeck KH. Mutant dynactin in motor neuron disease. Nat Genet 2003; 33:455-6. [PMID: 12627231 DOI: 10.1038/ng1123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 689] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2002] [Accepted: 02/10/2003] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Impaired axonal transport in motor neurons has been proposed as a mechanism for neuronal degeneration in motor neuron disease. Here we show linkage of a lower motor neuron disease to a region of 4 Mb at chromosome 2p13. Mutation analysis of a gene in this interval that encodes the largest subunit of the axonal transport protein dynactin showed a single base-pair change resulting in an amino-acid substitution that is predicted to distort the folding of dynactin's microtubule-binding domain. Binding assays show decreased binding of the mutant protein to microtubules. Our results show that dysfunction of dynactin-mediated transport can lead to human motor neuron disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imke Puls
- Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
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Conforti L, Dell'Agnello C, Calvaresi N, Tortarolo M, Giorgini A, Coleman MP, Bendotti C. Kif1Bbeta isoform is enriched in motor neurons but does not change in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurosci Res 2003; 71:732-9. [PMID: 12584731 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.10517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The kinesin superfamily motor protein Kif1B is expressed in two isoforms, Kif1Balpha and Kif1Bbeta, with distinct cargo-binding domains. We examined the mRNA distribution of the two isoforms in adjacent sections of brain and spinal cord of adult mice using in situ hybridization analysis. Kif1Bbeta mRNA is enriched in several regions of brain and spinal cord. Its levels are four to five times higher than that of the alpha isoform, which was barely detectable. The highest mRNA levels of Kif1Bbeta were found in the cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum and the grey matter of the spinal cord. At the cellular level the highest signal was found in motor neurons in the motor nuclei of medulla oblongata and the ventral horn of spinal cord. Because expression of other Kif genes is altered in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) models, we examined the expression level of Kif1Bbeta mRNA in the spinal cord of transgenic mice carrying the SOD1G93A mutation, a model of familial ALS, at presymptomatic and early stages of the disease. No changes were observed in Kif1Bbeta mRNA in motor neurons or in other regions of the spinal cord. These findings indicate that Kif1Balpha, which modulates the transport of mitochondria, may play a major role in tissues other than the central nervous system. Instead Kif1Bbeta, responsible for the transport of synaptic vesicle precursors, seems to play an important role in the nervous system, particularly in the lower motor neurons. The absence of changes of Kif1Bbeta mRNA in transgenic SOD1G93A mice suggests that other molecular mechanisms may play a role in the disruption of axonal transport occurring in the motor neurons of these mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Conforti
- Mario Negri Research Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan, Italy
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Dupuis L, Rene F, Di Scala F, Gonzalez De Aguilar JL, De Tapia M, Loeffler JP. Denervation is not a primary cause of prion protein down-regulation occurring in the spinal cord of a transgenic model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2002; 973:116-9. [PMID: 12485846 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2002.tb04618.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luc Dupuis
- Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence, Université Louis Pasteur, Faculté de Médecine, 67085 Strasbourg, France
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Dupuis L, Gonzalez de Aguilar JL, di Scala F, Rene F, de Tapia M, Pradat PF, Lacomblez L, Seihlan D, Prinjha R, Walsh FS, Meininger V, Loeffler JP. Nogo Provides a Molecular Marker for Diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Neurobiol Dis 2002; 10:358-65. [PMID: 12270696 DOI: 10.1006/nbdi.2002.0522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurological disorder characterized by the selective degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons. The lack of a molecular diagnostic marker is of increasing concern in view of the therapeutic strategies in development. Using an unbiased subtractive suppressive hybridization screen we have identified a clone encoding the neurite outgrowth inhibitor Nogo and shown that its isoforms display a characteristic altered expression in ALS. This was first confirmed by analyzing Nogo isoform expression in a transgenic ALS model at early asymptomatic stages where we found increased levels of Nogo-A and decreased Nogo-C and importantly, not following experimentally induced denervation. Furthermore, we confirmed these changes in both post-mortem and biopsy samples from diagnosed ALS patients but not control patients. Thus, the alteration in Nogo expression pattern, common to sporadic and familial ALS, represents a potential diagnosis tool and points strongly to Nogo having a central role in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc Dupuis
- Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence, EA 3433, Faculté de Médecine, Université Louis Pasteur, 11 rue Humann, 67085 Strasbourg Cedex, France
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Dupuis L, Mbebi C, Gonzalez de Aguilar JL, Rene F, Muller A, de Tapia M, Loeffler JP. Loss of prion protein in a transgenic model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mol Cell Neurosci 2002; 19:216-24. [PMID: 11860274 DOI: 10.1006/mcne.2001.1049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron degenerative disorder caused in a proportion of cases by missense mutations in the gene encoding Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) which result in unknown, lethal enzymatic activity. Based on a differential screening approach, we show here that the gene encoding the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) was specifically repressed in a transgenic model of ALS overexpressing the mutant G86R Cu/Zn-SOD. Analysis by Northern blot, semiquantitative RT-PCR, and Western blot revealed that PrP(C) down-regulation, which appeared early in the asymptomatic phase of the pathology, occurred preferentially in those tissues primarily affected by the disease (spinal cord, sciatic nerve, and gastrocnemius muscle). This down-regulation was not accompanied by refolding of the aberrant PrP(Sc) isoform, the agent which causes transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Furthermore, modification of PrP(C) expression was specifically linked to the presence of the G86R mutant since no changes were observed in transgenic mice overexpressing wild-type Cu/Zn-SOD. PrP(C) has been shown to play a role in the protection against oxidative stress, and we therefore propose that its down-regulation may contribute at least in part to ALS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc Dupuis
- Laboratoire de Signalisations Moléculaires et Neurodégénérescence, EA 3433 Faculté de Médecine, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France
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Olsen MK, Roberds SL, Ellerbrock BR, Fleck TJ, McKinley DK, Gurney ME. Disease mechanisms revealed by transcription profiling in SOD1-G93A transgenic mouse spinal cord. Ann Neurol 2001; 50:730-40. [PMID: 11761470 DOI: 10.1002/ana.1252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Mutations of copper,zinc-superoxide dismutase (cu,zn SOD) are found in patients with a familial form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. When expressed in transgenic mice, mutant human cu,zn SOD causes progressive loss of motor neurons with consequent paralysis and death. Expression profiling of gene expression in SOD1-G93A transgenic mouse spinal cords indicates extensive glial activation coincident with the onset of paralysis at 3 months of age. This is followed by activation of genes involved in metal ion regulation (metallothionein-I, metallothionein-III, ferritin-H, and ferritin-L) at 4 months of age just prior to end-stage disease, perhaps as an adaptive response to the mitochondrial destruction caused by the mutant protein. Induction of ferritin-H and -L gene expression may also limit iron catalyzed hydroxyl radical formation and consequent oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Thus, glial activation and adaptive responses to metal ion dysregulation are features of disease in this transgenic model of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Olsen
- Genomics Research Unit, Pharmacia Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Julien
- Centre for Research in Neurosciences, McGill University, The Montreal General Hospital Research Institute, Québec, H3G 1A4, Montréal, Canada.
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Abstract
Most UNC-104/KIF1 kinesins are monomeric motors that transport membrane-bounded organelles toward the plus ends of microtubules. Recent evidence implies that KIF1A, a synaptic vesicle motor, moves processively. This surprising behavior for a monomeric motor depends upon a lysine-rich loop in KIF1A that binds to the negatively charged carboxyl terminus of tubulin and, in the context of motor processivity, compensates for the lack of a second motor domain on the KIF1A holoenzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- G S Bloom
- University of Virginia, Department of Biology, Gilmer Hall, Room 229, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, USA.
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