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Kwakowsky A, Palpagama TH. Neuroinflammation as a therapeutic target in Huntington's disease. Neural Regen Res 2025; 20:817-818. [PMID: 38886953 PMCID: PMC11433902 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-24-00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Kwakowsky
- Center for Brain Research and Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Galway Neuroscience Centre, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Thulani H. Palpagama
- Center for Brain Research and Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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2
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Daniels N, Bindoff AD, Vickers JC, King AE, Collins JM. Vulnerability of neurofilament-expressing neurons in frontotemporal dementia. Mol Cell Neurosci 2024:103974. [PMID: 39369804 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2024.103974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2024] [Revised: 09/23/2024] [Accepted: 09/30/2024] [Indexed: 10/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is an umbrella term for several early onset dementias, that are caused by frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), which involves the atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. Neuron loss in the frontal and temporal lobes is a characteristic feature of FTLD, however the selective vulnerability of different neuronal populations in this group of diseases is not fully understood. Neurofilament-expressing neurons have been shown to be selectively vulnerable in other neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, therefore we sought to investigate whether this neuronal population is vulnerable in FTLD. We also examined whether neuronal sub-type vulnerability differed between FTLD with TDP-43 inclusions (FTLD-TDP) and FTLD with tau inclusions (FTLD-Tau). Post-mortem human tissue from the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) of FTLD-TDP (n = 15), FTLD-Tau (n = 8) and aged Control cases (n = 6) was immunolabelled using antibodies against non-phosphorylated neurofilaments (SMI32 antibody), calretinin and NeuN, to explore neuronal cell loss. The presence of non-phosphorylated neurofilament immunolabelling in axons of the SFG white matter was also quantified as a measure of axon pathology, as axonal neurofilaments are normally phosphorylated. We demonstrate the selective loss of neurofilament-expressing neurons in both FTLD-TDP and FTLD-Tau cases compared to aged Controls. We also show that non-phosphorylated neurofilament axonal pathology in the SFG white matter was associated with increasing age, but not FTLD. This data suggests neurofilament-expressing neurons are vulnerable in both FTLD-TDP and FTLD-Tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Daniels
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
| | - Aidan D Bindoff
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - James C Vickers
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Anna E King
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Jessica M Collins
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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3
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Qin Y, Chen L, Zhu W, Song J, Lin J, Li Y, Zhang J, Song X, Xing T, Guo T, Duan X, Zhang Y, Ruan E, Wang Q, Li B, Yang W, Yin P, Yan XX, Li S, Li XJ, Yang S. TRIM37 is a primate-specific E3 ligase for Huntingtin and accounts for the striatal degeneration in Huntington's disease. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl2036. [PMID: 38758800 PMCID: PMC11100560 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl2036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease characterized by preferential neuronal loss in the striatum. The mechanism underlying striatal selective neurodegeneration remains unclear, making it difficult to develop effective treatments for HD. In the brains of nonhuman primates, we examined the expression of Huntingtin (HTT), the gene responsible for HD. We found that HTT protein is highly expressed in striatal neurons due to its slow degradation in the striatum. We also identified tripartite motif-containing 37 (TRIM37) as a primate-specific protein that interacts with HTT and is selectively reduced in the primate striatum. TRIM37 promotes the ubiquitination and degradation of mutant HTT (mHTT) in vitro and modulates mHTT aggregation in mouse and monkey brains. Our findings suggest that nonhuman primates are crucial for understanding the mechanisms of human diseases such as HD and support TRIM37 as a potential therapeutic target for treating HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyang Qin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Laiqiang Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenzhen Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiahong Song
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingpan Lin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuwei Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiawei Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xichen Song
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Xing
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Guo
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuezhi Duan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiran Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Eshu Ruan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weili Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Yin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Xin Yan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Shihua Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Su Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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4
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Chen L, Qin Y, Guo T, Zhu W, Lin J, Xing T, Duan X, Zhang Y, Ruan E, Li X, Yin P, Li S, Li XJ, Yang S. HAP40 modulates mutant Huntingtin aggregation and toxicity in Huntington's disease mice. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:337. [PMID: 38744826 PMCID: PMC11094052 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06716-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenic neurodegenerative disease, caused by the CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in exon 1 of the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. The HTT gene encodes a large protein known to interact with many proteins. Huntingtin-associated protein 40 (HAP40) is one that shows high binding affinity with HTT and functions to maintain HTT conformation in vitro. However, the potential role of HAP40 in HD pathogenesis remains unknown. In this study, we found that the expression level of HAP40 is in parallel with HTT but inversely correlates with mutant HTT aggregates in mouse brains. Depletion of endogenous HAP40 in the striatum of HD140Q knock-in (KI) mice leads to enhanced mutant HTT aggregation and neuronal loss. Consistently, overexpression of HAP40 in the striatum of HD140Q KI mice reduced mutant HTT aggregation and ameliorated the behavioral deficits. Mechanistically, HAP40 preferentially binds to mutant HTT and promotes Lysine 48-linked ubiquitination of mutant HTT. Our results revealed that HAP40 is an important regulator of HTT protein homeostasis in vivo and hinted at HAP40 as a therapeutic target in HD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laiqiang Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiyang Qin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Guo
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenzhen Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingpan Lin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Xing
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuezhi Duan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiran Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Eshu Ruan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Medical Genetics and Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Peng Yin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shihua Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Su Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
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5
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Pressl C, Mätlik K, Kus L, Darnell P, Luo JD, Paul MR, Weiss AR, Liguore W, Carroll TS, Davis DA, McBride J, Heintz N. Selective vulnerability of layer 5a corticostriatal neurons in Huntington's disease. Neuron 2024; 112:924-941.e10. [PMID: 38237588 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
The properties of the cell types that are selectively vulnerable in Huntington's disease (HD) cortex, the nature of somatic CAG expansions of mHTT in these cells, and their importance in CNS circuitry have not been delineated. Here, we employed serial fluorescence-activated nuclear sorting (sFANS), deep molecular profiling, and single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) of motor-cortex samples from thirteen predominantly early stage, clinically diagnosed HD donors and selected samples from cingulate, visual, insular, and prefrontal cortices to demonstrate loss of layer 5a pyramidal neurons in HD. Extensive mHTT CAG expansions occur in vulnerable layer 5a pyramidal cells, and in Betz cells, layers 6a and 6b neurons that are resilient in HD. Retrograde tracing experiments in macaque brains identify layer 5a neurons as corticostriatal pyramidal cells. We propose that enhanced somatic mHTT CAG expansion and altered synaptic function act together to cause corticostriatal disconnection and selective neuronal vulnerability in HD cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Pressl
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kert Mätlik
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laura Kus
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paul Darnell
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ji-Dung Luo
- Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew R Paul
- Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alison R Weiss
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - William Liguore
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Thomas S Carroll
- Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - David A Davis
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jodi McBride
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Nathaniel Heintz
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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Nittari G, Roy P, Martinelli I, Bellitto V, Tomassoni D, Traini E, Tayebati SK, Amenta F. Rodent Models of Huntington's Disease: An Overview. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3331. [PMID: 38137552 PMCID: PMC10741199 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11123331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant inherited neurological disorder caused by a genetic mutation in the IT15 gene. This neurodegenerative disorder is caused by a polyglutamine repeat expansion mutation in the widely expressed huntingtin (HTT) protein. HD is characterized by the degeneration of basal ganglia neurons and progressive cell death in intrinsic neurons of the striatum, accompanied by dementia and involuntary abnormal choreiform movements. Animal models have been extensively studied and have proven to be extremely valuable for therapeutic target evaluations. They reveal the hallmark of the age-dependent formation of aggregates or inclusions consisting of misfolded proteins. Animal models of HD have provided a therapeutic strategy to treat HD by suppressing mutant HTT (mHTT). Transgenic animal models have significantly increased our understanding of the molecular processes and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the HD behavioral phenotype. Since effective therapies to cure or interrupt the course of the disease are not yet available, clinical research will have to make use of reliable animal models. This paper reviews the main studies of rodents as HD animal models, highlighting the neurological and behavioral differences between them. The choice of an animal model depends on the specific aspect of the disease to be investigated. Toxin-based models can still be useful, but most experimental hypotheses depend on success in a genetic model, whose choice is determined by the experimental question. There are many animal models showing similar HD symptoms or pathologies. They include chemical-induced HDs and genetic HDs, where cell-free and cell culture, lower organisms (such as yeast, Drosophila, C. elegans, zebrafish), rodents (mice, rats), and non-human primates are involved. These models provide accessible systems to study molecular pathogenesis and test potential treatments. For developing more effective pharmacological treatments, better animal models must be available and used to evaluate the efficacy of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Nittari
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Proshanta Roy
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Ilenia Martinelli
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Vincenzo Bellitto
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Daniele Tomassoni
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032 Camerino, Italy;
| | - Enea Traini
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Seyed Khosrow Tayebati
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Francesco Amenta
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
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Pancani T, Day M, Tkatch T, Wokosin DL, González-Rodríguez P, Kondapalli J, Xie Z, Chen Y, Beaumont V, Surmeier DJ. Cholinergic deficits selectively boost cortical intratelencephalic control of striatum in male Huntington's disease model mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1398. [PMID: 36914640 PMCID: PMC10011605 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36556-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG triplet expansion in huntingtin. Although corticostriatal dysfunction has long been implicated in HD, the determinants and pathway specificity of this pathophysiology are not fully understood. Here, using a male zQ175+/- knock-in mouse model of HD we carry out optogenetic interrogation of intratelencephalic and pyramidal tract synapses with principal striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs). These studies reveal that the connectivity of intratelencephalic, but not pyramidal tract, neurons with direct and indirect pathway SPNs increased in early symptomatic zQ175+/- HD mice. This enhancement was attributable to reduced pre-synaptic inhibitory control of intratelencephalic terminals by striatal cholinergic interneurons. Lowering mutant huntingtin selectively in striatal cholinergic interneurons with a virally-delivered zinc finger repressor protein normalized striatal acetylcholine release and intratelencephalic functional connectivity, revealing a node in the network underlying corticostriatal pathophysiology in a HD mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristano Pancani
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA
| | - Michelle Day
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA
| | - Tatiana Tkatch
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA
| | - David L Wokosin
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA
| | - Patricia González-Rodríguez
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA.,Department of Medical Physiology and Biophysics Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), 41013, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Jyothisri Kondapalli
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA
| | - Zhong Xie
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA
| | - Vahri Beaumont
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Suite 700, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | - D James Surmeier
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA.
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8
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Brown TG, Thayer MN, VanTreeck JG, Zarate N, Hart DW, Heilbronner S, Gomez-Pastor R. Striatal spatial heterogeneity, clustering, and white matter association of GFAP + astrocytes in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1094503. [PMID: 37187609 PMCID: PMC10175581 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1094503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects the striatum, a brain region that controls movement and some forms of cognition. Neuronal dysfunction and loss in HD is accompanied by increased astrocyte density and astrocyte pathology. Astrocytes are a heterogeneous population classified into multiple subtypes depending on the expression of different gene markers. Studying whether mutant Huntingtin (HTT) alters specific subtypes of astrocytes is necessary to understand their relative contribution to HD. Methods Here, we studied whether astrocytes expressing two different markers; glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), associated with astrocyte activation, and S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B), a marker of matured astrocytes and inflammation, were differentially altered in HD. Results First, we found three distinct populations in the striatum of WT and symptomatic zQ175 mice: GFAP+, S100B+, and dual GFAP+S100B+. The number of GFAP+ and S100B+ astrocytes throughout the striatum was increased in HD mice compared to WT, coinciding with an increase in HTT aggregation. Overlap between GFAP and S100B staining was expected, but dual GFAP+S100B+ astrocytes only accounted for less than 10% of all tested astrocytes and the number of GFAP+S100B+ astrocytes did not differ between WT and HD, suggesting that GFAP+ astrocytes and S100B+ astrocytes are distinct types of astrocytes. Interestingly, a spatial characterization of these astrocyte subtypes in HD mice showed that while S100B+ were homogeneously distributed throughout the striatum, GFAP+ preferentially accumulated in "patches" in the dorsomedial (dm) striatum, a region associated with goal-directed behaviors. In addition, GFAP+ astrocytes in the dm striatum of zQ175 mice showed increased clustering and association with white matter fascicles and were preferentially located in areas with low HTT aggregate load. Discussion In summary, we showed that GFAP+ and S100B+ astrocyte subtypes are distinctly affected in HD and exist in distinct spatial arrangements that may offer new insights to the function of these specific astrocytes subtypes and their potential implications in HD pathology.
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McColgan P, Gregory S, Zeun P, Zarkali A, Johnson EB, Parker C, Fayer K, Lowe J, Nair A, Estevez-Fraga C, Papoutsi M, Zhang H, Scahill RI, Tabrizi SJ, Rees G. Neurofilament light-associated connectivity in young-adult Huntington's disease is related to neuronal genes. Brain 2022; 145:3953-3967. [PMID: 35758263 PMCID: PMC9679168 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Upregulation of functional network connectivity in the presence of structural degeneration is seen in the premanifest stages of Huntington's disease (preHD) 10-15 years from clinical diagnosis. However, whether widespread network connectivity changes are seen in gene carriers much further from onset has yet to be explored. We characterized functional network connectivity throughout the brain and related it to a measure of disease pathology burden (CSF neurofilament light, NfL) and measures of structural connectivity in asymptomatic gene carriers, on average 24 years from onset. We related these measurements to estimates of cortical and subcortical gene expression. We found no overall differences in functional (or structural) connectivity anywhere in the brain comparing control and preHD participants. However, increased functional connectivity, particularly between posterior cortical areas, correlated with increasing CSF NfL level in preHD participants. Using the Allen Human Brain Atlas and expression-weighted cell-type enrichment analysis, we demonstrated that this functional connectivity upregulation occurred in cortical regions associated with regional expression of genes specific to neuronal cells. This relationship was validated using single-nucleus RNAseq data from post-mortem Huntington's disease and control brains showing enrichment of neuronal-specific genes that are differentially expressed in Huntington's disease. Functional brain networks in asymptomatic preHD gene carriers very far from disease onset show evidence of upregulated connectivity correlating with increased disease burden. These changes occur among brain areas that show regional expression of genes specific to neuronal GABAergic and glutamatergic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter McColgan
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sarah Gregory
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Paul Zeun
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Angeliki Zarkali
- Dementia Research Centre, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Eileanoir B Johnson
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Christopher Parker
- Department of Computer Science and Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London WC1V 6LJ, UK
| | - Kate Fayer
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jessica Lowe
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Akshay Nair
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Carlos Estevez-Fraga
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Marina Papoutsi
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Hui Zhang
- Dementia Research Centre, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Rachael I Scahill
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Geraint Rees
- University College London Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
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10
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Krach F, Stemick J, Boerstler T, Weiss A, Lingos I, Reischl S, Meixner H, Ploetz S, Farrell M, Hehr U, Kohl Z, Winner B, Winkler J. An alternative splicing modulator decreases mutant HTT and improves the molecular fingerprint in Huntington's disease patient neurons. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6797. [PMID: 36357392 PMCID: PMC9649613 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34419-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by poly-Q expansion in the Huntingtin (HTT) protein. Here, we delineate elevated mutant HTT (mHTT) levels in patient-derived cells including fibroblasts and iPSC derived cortical neurons using mesoscale discovery (MSD) HTT assays. HD patients' fibroblasts and cortical neurons recapitulate aberrant alternative splicing as a molecular fingerprint of HD. Branaplam is a splicing modulator currently tested in a phase II study in HD (NCT05111249). The drug lowers total HTT (tHTT) and mHTT levels in fibroblasts, iPSC, cortical progenitors, and neurons in a dose dependent manner at an IC50 consistently below 10 nM without inducing cellular toxicity. Branaplam promotes inclusion of non-annotated novel exons. Among these Branaplam-induced exons, there is a 115 bp frameshift-inducing exon in the HTT transcript. This exon is observed upon Branaplam treatment in Ctrl and HD patients leading to a profound reduction of HTT RNA and protein levels. Importantly, Branaplam ameliorates aberrant alternative splicing in HD patients' fibroblasts and cortical neurons. These findings highlight the applicability of splicing modulators in the treatment of CAG repeat disorders and decipher their molecular effects associated with the pharmacokinetic and -dynamic properties in patient-derived cellular models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Krach
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Stem Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Judith Stemick
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tom Boerstler
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Stem Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Ioannis Lingos
- grid.428240.80000 0004 0553 4650Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephanie Reischl
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Stem Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Holger Meixner
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sonja Ploetz
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Michaela Farrell
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Stem Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ute Hehr
- Zentrum für Humangenetik Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Zacharias Kohl
- grid.7727.50000 0001 2190 5763Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Beate Winner
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Stem Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany ,grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Center for Rare Diseases Erlangen (ZSEER), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Juergen Winkler
- grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany ,grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Center for Rare Diseases Erlangen (ZSEER), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
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11
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Voelkl K, Schulz-Trieglaff EK, Klein R, Dudanova I. Distinct histological alterations of cortical interneuron types in mouse models of Huntington’s disease. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1022251. [PMID: 36225731 PMCID: PMC9549412 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1022251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a debilitating hereditary motor disorder caused by an expansion of the CAG triplet repeat in the Huntingtin gene. HD causes neurodegeneration particularly in the basal ganglia and neocortex. In the cortex, glutamatergic pyramidal neurons are known to be severely affected by the disease, but the involvement of GABAergic interneurons remains unclear. Here, we use a combination of immunostaining and genetic tracing to investigate histological changes in three major cortical interneuron types — parvalbumin (PV), somatostatin (SST), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) interneurons — in the R6/2 and zQ175DN mouse models of HD. In R6/2 mice, we find a selective reduction in SST and VIP, but not PV-positive cells. However, genetic labeling reveals unchanged cell numbers for all the interneuron types, pointing to molecular marker loss in the absence of cell death. We also observe a reduction in cell body size for all three interneuron populations. Furthermore, we demonstrate progressive accumulation of mutant Huntingtin (mHTT) inclusion bodies in interneurons, which occurs faster in SST and VIP compared to PV cells. In contrast to the R6/2 model, heterozygous zQ175DN knock-in HD mice do not show any significant histological changes in cortical cell types at the age of 12 months, apart from the presence of mHTT inclusions, which are abundant in pyramidal neurons and rare in interneurons. Taken together, our findings point to differential molecular changes in cortical interneuron types of HD mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Voelkl
- Department of Molecules–Signaling–Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Rüdiger Klein
- Department of Molecules–Signaling–Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Irina Dudanova
- Department of Molecules–Signaling–Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Center for Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- *Correspondence: Irina Dudanova,
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12
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Barrios-Martinez JV, Fernandes-Cabral DT, Abhinav K, Fernandez-Miranda JC, Chang YF, Suski V, Yeh FC, Friedlander RM. Differential tractography as a dynamic imaging biomarker: A methodological pilot study for Huntington's disease. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 35:103062. [PMID: 35671556 PMCID: PMC9168197 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor, psychiatric, and cognitive symptoms. Due to its diverse manifestations, the scientific community has long recognized the need for sensitive, objective, individualized, and dynamic disease assessment tools. We examined the feasibility of Differential Tractography as a biomarker to evaluate correlation of symptom severity and of HD progression at the individual level. Differential tractography is a novel tractography modality that maps pathways with axonal injury characterized by a decrease of anisotropic diffusion pattern. We recruited sixteen patients scanned at 0-, 6-, and 12-month intervals by diffusion MRI scans for differential tractography assessment and correlated its volumetric findings with the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS). Deterministic fiber tracking algorithm was applied. Longitudinal data was modeled using the generalized estimating equation (GEE) model and correlated with UHDRS scores, in addition to Spearman correlation for cross-sectional data. Our results show that volumes of affected pathways revealed by differential tractography significantly correlated with UHDRS scores in longitudinal data (p-value < 0.001), and chronological changes in differential tractography also correlated with the changes in UHDRS (p-value < 0.001). This technique opens new clinical avenues as a clinical translational tool to evaluate presymptomatic and symptomatic gene positive individuals. Our results provide support that differential tractography has the potential to be used as a dynamic imaging biomarker to assess at the individual level in a non-invasive manner, disease progression in HD. Critically important, differential tractography proves to be a quantitative tool for following degeneration in presymptomatic patients, with potential applications in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kumar Abhinav
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Bristol, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Yue-Fang Chang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Valerie Suski
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Fang-Cheng Yeh
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Robert M Friedlander
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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13
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Nano PR, Nguyen CV, Mil J, Bhaduri A. Cortical Cartography: Mapping Arealization Using Single-Cell Omics Technology. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:788560. [PMID: 34955761 PMCID: PMC8707733 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.788560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebral cortex derives its cognitive power from a modular network of specialized areas processing a multitude of information. The assembly and organization of these regions is vital for human behavior and perception, as evidenced by the prevalence of area-specific phenotypes that manifest in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Generations of scientists have examined the architecture of the human cortex, but efforts to capture the gene networks which drive arealization have been hampered by the lack of tractable models of human neurodevelopment. Advancements in "omics" technologies, imaging, and computational power have enabled exciting breakthroughs into the molecular and structural characteristics of cortical areas, including transcriptomic, epigenomic, metabolomic, and proteomic profiles of mammalian models. Here we review the single-omics atlases that have shaped our current understanding of cortical areas, and their potential to fuel a new era of multi-omic single-cell endeavors to interrogate both the developing and adult human cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Aparna Bhaduri
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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14
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Beatriz M, Lopes C, Ribeiro ACS, Rego ACC. Revisiting cell and gene therapies in Huntington's disease. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:1744-1762. [PMID: 33881180 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative movement disorders, such as Huntington's disease (HD), share a progressive and relentless course with increasing motor disability, linked with neuropsychiatric impairment. These diseases exhibit diverse pathophysiological processes and are a topic of intense experimental and clinical research due to the lack of therapeutic options. Restorative therapies are promising approaches with the potential to restore brain circuits. However, there were less compelling results in the few clinical trials. In this review, we discuss cell replacement therapies applied to animal models and HD patients. We thoroughly describe the initial trials using fetal neural tissue transplantation and recent approaches based on alternative cell sources tested in several animal models. Stem cells were shown to generate the desired neuron phenotype and/or provide growth factors to the degenerating host cells. Besides, genetic approaches such as RNA interference and the CRISPR/Cas9 system have been studied in animal models and human-derived cells. New genetic manipulations have revealed the capability to control or counteract the effect of human gene mutations as described by the use of antisense oligonucleotides in a clinical trial. In HD, innovative strategies are at forefront of human testing and thus other brain genetic diseases may follow similar therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Beatriz
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra - Polo I, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carla Lopes
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra - Polo I, Coimbra, Portugal.,IIIUC-Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra - Polo II, Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - Ana Cristina Carvalho Rego
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra - Polo I, Coimbra, Portugal.,FMUC-Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra - Polo III, Coimbra, Portugal
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15
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McColgan P, Joubert J, Tabrizi SJ, Rees G. The human motor cortex microcircuit: insights for neurodegenerative disease. Nat Rev Neurosci 2020; 21:401-415. [PMID: 32555340 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-020-0315-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The human motor cortex comprises a microcircuit of five interconnected layers with different cell types. In this Review, we use a layer-specific and cell-specific approach to integrate physiological accounts of this motor cortex microcircuit with the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases affecting motor functions. In doing so we can begin to link motor microcircuit pathology to specific disease stages and clinical phenotypes. Based on microcircuit physiology, we can make future predictions of axonal loss and microcircuit dysfunction. With recent advances in high-resolution neuroimaging we can then test these predictions in humans in vivo, providing mechanistic insights into neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter McColgan
- Huntington's Disease Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Julie Joubert
- Huntington's Disease Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.,Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, UK
| | - Geraint Rees
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.,UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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16
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Chakroborty S, Manfredsson FP, Dec AM, Campbell PW, Stutzmann GE, Beaumont V, West AR. Phosphodiesterase 9A Inhibition Facilitates Corticostriatal Transmission in Wild-Type and Transgenic Rats That Model Huntington's Disease. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:466. [PMID: 32581668 PMCID: PMC7283904 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) results from abnormal expansion in CAG trinucleotide repeats within the HD gene, a mutation which leads to degeneration of striatal medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs), deficits in corticostriatal transmission, and loss of motor control. Recent studies also indicate that metabolism of cyclic nucleotides by phosphodiesterases (PDEs) is dysregulated in striatal networks in a manner linked to deficits in corticostriatal transmission. The current study assessed cortically-evoked firing in electrophysiologically-identified MSNs and fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) in aged (9-11 months old) wild-type (WT) and BACHD transgenic rats (TG5) treated with vehicle or the selective PDE9A inhibitor PF-04447943. WT and TG5 rats were anesthetized with urethane and single-unit activity was isolated during low frequency electrical stimulation of the ipsilateral motor cortex. Compared to WT controls, MSNs recorded in TG5 animals exhibited decreased spike probability during cortical stimulation delivered at low to moderate stimulation intensities. Moreover, large increases in onset latency of cortically-evoked spikes and decreases in spike probability were observed in FSIs recorded in TG5 animals. Acute systemic administration of the PDE9A inhibitor PF-04447943 significantly decreased the onset latency of cortically-evoked spikes in MSNs recorded in WT and TG5 rats. PDE9A inhibition also increased the proportion of MSNs responding to cortical stimulation and reversed deficits in spike probability observed in TG5 rats. As PDE9A is a cGMP specific enzyme, drugs such as PF-04447943 which act to facilitate striatal cGMP signaling and glutamatergic corticostriatal transmission could be useful therapeutic agents for restoring striatal function and alleviating motor and cognitive symptoms associated with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreaya Chakroborty
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Fredric P Manfredsson
- Parkinson's Disease Research Unit, Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Alexander M Dec
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Peter W Campbell
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Grace E Stutzmann
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Vahri Beaumont
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Anthony R West
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
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17
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Donzis EJ, Estrada-Sánchez AM, Indersmitten T, Oikonomou K, Tran CH, Wang C, Latifi S, Golshani P, Cepeda C, Levine MS. Cortical Network Dynamics Is Altered in Mouse Models of Huntington's Disease. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:2372-2388. [PMID: 31761935 PMCID: PMC7174987 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by involuntary movements, cognitive deficits, and psychiatric disturbances. Although evidence indicates that projections from motor cortical areas play a key role in the development of dysfunctional striatal activity and motor phenotype, little is known about the changes in cortical microcircuits and their role in the development of the HD phenotype. Here we used two-photon laser-scanning microscopy to evaluate network dynamics of motor cortical neurons in layers II/III in behaving transgenic R6/2 and knock-in Q175+/- mice. Symptomatic R6/2 mice displayed increased motion manifested by a significantly greater number of motion epochs, whereas symptomatic Q175 mice displayed decreased motion. In both models, calcium transients in symptomatic mice displayed reduced amplitude, suggesting decreased bursting activity. Changes in frequency were genotype- and time-dependent; for R6/2 mice, the frequency was reduced during both motion and nonmotion, whereas in symptomatic Q175 mice, the reduction only occurred during nonmotion. In presymptomatic Q175 mice, frequency was increased during both behavioral states. Interneuronal correlation coefficients were generally decreased in both models, suggesting disrupted interneuronal communication in HD cerebral cortex. These results indicate similar and contrasting effects of the HD mutation on cortical ensemble activity depending on mouse model and disease stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elissa J Donzis
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior
| | - Ana María Estrada-Sánchez
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior
| | - Tim Indersmitten
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior
| | - Katerina Oikonomou
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior
| | - Conny H Tran
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior
| | - Catherine Wang
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior
| | - Shahrzad Latifi
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Peyman Golshani
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Neurology, West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA
| | - Carlos Cepeda
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior
| | - Michael S Levine
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior
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18
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Human Huntington's Disease iPSC-Derived Cortical Neurons Display Altered Transcriptomics, Morphology, and Maturation. Cell Rep 2019; 25:1081-1096.e6. [PMID: 30355486 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.09.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 09/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models of HD provide an opportunity to study the mechanisms underlying disease pathology in disease-relevant patient tissues. Murine studies have demonstrated that HTT is intricately involved in corticogenesis. However, the effect of mutant Hungtintin (mtHTT) in human corticogenesis has not yet been thoroughly explored. This examination is critical, due to inherent differences in cortical development and timing between humans and mice. We therefore differentiated HD and non-diseased iPSCs into functional cortical neurons. While HD patient iPSCs can successfully differentiate toward a cortical fate in culture, the resulting neurons display altered transcriptomics, morphological and functional phenotypes indicative of altered corticogenesis in HD.
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19
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Garcia VJ, Rushton DJ, Tom CM, Allen ND, Kemp PJ, Svendsen CN, Mattis VB. Huntington's Disease Patient-Derived Astrocytes Display Electrophysiological Impairments and Reduced Neuronal Support. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:669. [PMID: 31316341 PMCID: PMC6610155 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In Huntington’s disease (HD), while the ubiquitously expressed mutant Huntingtin (mtHTT) protein primarily compromises striatal and cortical neurons, glia also undergo disease-contributing alterations. Existing HD models using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have not extensively characterized the role of mtHTT in patient-derived astrocytes. Here physiologically mature astrocytes are generated from HD patient iPSCs. These human astrocytes exhibit hallmark HD phenotypes that occur in mouse models, including impaired inward rectifying K+ currents, lengthened spontaneous Ca2+ waves and reduced cell membrane capacitance. HD astrocytes in co-culture provided reduced support for the maturation of iPSC-derived neurons. In addition, neurons exposed to chronic glutamate stimulation are not protected by HD astrocytes. This iPSC-based HD model demonstrates the critical effects of mtHTT on human astrocytes, which not only broadens the understanding of disease susceptibility beyond cortical and striatal neurons but also increases potential drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica J Garcia
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - David J Rushton
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Divisions of Biomedicine and Neuroscience, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Colton M Tom
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Nicholas D Allen
- Divisions of Biomedicine and Neuroscience, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Paul J Kemp
- Divisions of Biomedicine and Neuroscience, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Clive N Svendsen
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Virginia B Mattis
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Rangel-Barajas C, Rebec GV. Overview of Huntington's Disease Models: Neuropathological, Molecular, and Behavioral Differences. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 83:e47. [PMID: 30040221 DOI: 10.1002/cpns.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic mouse models of Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative condition caused by a single gene mutation, have been transformative in their ability to reveal the molecular processes and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the HD behavioral phenotype. Three model categories have been generated depending on the genetic context in which the mutation is expressed: truncated, full-length, and knock-in. No single model, however, broadly replicates the behavioral symptoms and massive neuronal loss that occur in human patients. The disparity between model and patient requires careful consideration of what each model has to offer when testing potential treatments. Although the translation of animal data to the clinic has been limited, each model can make unique contributions toward an improved understanding of the neurobehavioral underpinnings of HD. Thus, conclusions based on data obtained from more than one model are likely to have the most success in the search for new treatment targets. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Rangel-Barajas
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - George V Rebec
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
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Herzog–Krzywoszanska R, Krzywoszanski L. Sleep Disorders in Huntington's Disease. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:221. [PMID: 31031659 PMCID: PMC6474183 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's chorea (Huntington's disease, HD) is a genetic disorder caused by autosomal dominant mutation, leading to progressive neurodegenerative changes in the central nervous system. Involuntary movements such as chorea occur typically in HD patients, accompanied by progressive cognitive and psychiatric disturbances. Other common symptoms of HD are circadian and sleep abnormalities, which are observed from the earliest stages of the disease or even before the occurrence of clinical symptoms. The most common sleep problems reported by HD patients include insomnia, difficulties in falling asleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Also, specific changes in sleep architecture have been identified in HD. In this paper, we review studies on sleep and circadian rhythm disorders in HD. We outline findings concerning sleep patterns and disturbances of circadian rhythms in HD patients, as well as the role of psychiatric disorders and motor disorders in HD patients' sleep problems. We also discuss problems related to the different methods of diagnosing sleep disorders in HD. Furthermore, the adverse effects of medication used for the treatment of core HD symptoms as one of the sources of sleep disturbances in HD are emphasized. In conclusion, the diversity and complexity of the determinants of sleep and circadian rhythm disorders in HD are highlighted. Finally, the relevance of effective treatment to improve patients' functioning and quality of life as well as the potential relief of their cognitive and emotional symptoms is addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lukasz Krzywoszanski
- Neurocognitive Psychology Unit, Chair of Psychology, Faculty of Pedagogy, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Krakow, Poland
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Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by a significant loss of striatal neurons that project to the globus pallidus and substantia nigra, together with loss of cortical projection neurons in varying regions. Mutant huntingtin is suggested to drive the pathogenesis partially by downregulating corticostriatal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and signaling. Neurotrophic factors are endogenous peptides that promote the survival and maintenance of neurons. BDNF and other neurotrophic factors have shown neuroprotective benefits in various animal models of neurodegeneration, and are interesting candidates to protect the cell populations that are destined to die in HD. In an attempt to enhance the delivery of neurotrophic factors, several methods have been established to deliver long-term neurotrophic factor gene therapy to human target tissues. This chapter discusses two alternative approaches that have been shown to have potential to deliver neurotrophic factors as a neuroprotective gene therapy for HD. The methods are (1) ex vivo approach where encapsulated cells engineered to express neurotrophic factor are inserted into brain parenchyma or ventricle, and (2) in vivo viral vector therapy, in which viral vector is injected into desired brain area to express gene of interest in the host cells.
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Podvin S, Reardon HT, Yin K, Mosier C, Hook V. Multiple clinical features of Huntington's disease correlate with mutant HTT gene CAG repeat lengths and neurodegeneration. J Neurol 2018; 266:551-564. [PMID: 29956026 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-018-8940-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by mutant HTT gene expansions of CAG triplet repeat numbers that are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. HD patients display multiple clinical features that are correlated with HTT CAG repeat numbers that include age of disease onset, motor dysfunction, cognitive deficits, compromised daily living capacity, and brain neurodegeneration. It is important to understand the significant relationships of the multiple HD clinical deficits correlated with the number of mutant HTT CAG expansions that are the genetic basis for HD disabilities. Therefore, this review highlights the significant correlations of the HD clinical features of age of onset, motor and cognitive disabilities, decline in living capabilities, weight loss, risk of death, and brain neurodegeneration with respect to their associations with CAG repeat lengths of the HTT gene. Quantitative HTT gene expression patterns analyzed in normal adult human brain regions demonstrated its distribution in areas known to undergo neurodegeneration in HD, as well as in other brain regions. Future investigation of the relationships of the spectrum of clinical HD features with mutant HTT molecular mechanisms will be important to gain understanding of how mutant CAG expansions of the HTT gene result in the devastating disabilities of HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Podvin
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0719, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0719, USA
| | - Holly T Reardon
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0719, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0719, USA
| | - Katrina Yin
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0719, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0719, USA
| | - Charles Mosier
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0719, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0719, USA
| | - Vivian Hook
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0719, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0719, USA.
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0719, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0719, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0719, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0719, USA.
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Hong Y, O'Donnell LJ, Savadjiev P, Zhang F, Wassermann D, Pasternak O, Johnson H, Paulsen J, Vonsattel JP, Makris N, Westin CF, Rathi Y. Genetic load determines atrophy in hand cortico-striatal pathways in presymptomatic Huntington's disease. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:3871-3883. [PMID: 29797744 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2017] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that causes progressive breakdown of striatal neurons. Standard white matter integrity measures like fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity derived from diffusion tensor imaging were analyzed in prodromal-HD subjects; however, they studied either a whole brain or specific subcortical white matter structures with connections to cortical motor areas. In this work, we propose a novel analysis of a longitudinal cohort of 243 prodromal-HD individuals and 88 healthy controls who underwent two or more diffusion MRI scans as part of the PREDICT-HD study. We separately trace specific white matter fiber tracts connecting the striatum (caudate and putamen) with four cortical regions corresponding to the hand, face, trunk, and leg motor areas. A multi-tensor tractography algorithm with an isotropic volume fraction compartment allows estimating diffusion of fast-moving extra-cellular water in regions containing crossing fibers and provides quantification of a microstructural property related to tissue atrophy. The tissue atrophy rate is separately analyzed in eight cortico-striatal pathways as a function of CAG-repeats (genetic load) by statistically regressing out age effect from our cohort. The results demonstrate a statistically significant increase in isotropic volume fraction (atrophy) bilaterally in hand fiber connections to the putamen with increasing CAG-repeats, which connects the genetic abnormality (CAG-repeats) to an imaging-based microstructural marker of tissue integrity in specific white matter pathways in HD. Isotropic volume fraction measures in eight cortico-striatal pathways are also correlated significantly with total motor scores and diagnostic confidence levels, providing evidence of their relevance to HD clinical presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Hong
- Department of Computer Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Lauren J O'Donnell
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Peter Savadjiev
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Ofer Pasternak
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Hans Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Jane Paulsen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Jean-Paul Vonsattel
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Nikos Makris
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Carl F Westin
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yogesh Rathi
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Reiner A, Deng Y. Disrupted striatal neuron inputs and outputs in Huntington's disease. CNS Neurosci Ther 2018; 24:250-280. [PMID: 29582587 PMCID: PMC5875736 DOI: 10.1111/cns.12844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the gene coding for the protein huntingtin, resulting in a pathogenic expansion of the polyglutamine tract in the N-terminus of this protein. The HD pathology resulting from the mutation is most prominent in the striatal part of the basal ganglia, and progressive differential dysfunction and loss of striatal projection neurons and interneurons account for the progression of motor deficits seen in this disease. The present review summarizes current understanding regarding the progression in striatal neuron dysfunction and loss, based on studies both in human HD victims and in genetic mouse models of HD. We review evidence on early loss of inputs to striatum from cortex and thalamus, which may be the basis of the mild premanifest bradykinesia in HD, as well as on the subsequent loss of indirect pathway striatal projection neurons and their outputs to the external pallidal segment, which appears to be the basis of the chorea seen in early symptomatic HD. Later loss of direct pathway striatal projection neurons and their output to the internal pallidal segment account for the severe akinesia seen late in HD. Loss of parvalbuminergic striatal interneurons may contribute to the late dystonia and rigidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Reiner
- Department of Anatomy & NeurobiologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTNUSA
- Department of OphthalmologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTNUSA
| | - Yun‐Ping Deng
- Department of Anatomy & NeurobiologyThe University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTNUSA
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Rosas-Arellano A, Tejeda-Guzmán C, Lorca-Ponce E, Palma-Tirado L, Mantellero CA, Rojas P, Missirlis F, Castro MA. Huntington's disease leads to decrease of GABA-A tonic subunits in the D2 neostriatal pathway and their relocalization into the synaptic cleft. Neurobiol Dis 2018; 110:142-153. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
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Tyebji S, Hannan AJ. Synaptopathic mechanisms of neurodegeneration and dementia: Insights from Huntington's disease. Prog Neurobiol 2017; 153:18-45. [PMID: 28377290 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2017.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2016] [Revised: 03/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Dementia encapsulates a set of symptoms that include loss of mental abilities such as memory, problem solving or language, and reduces a person's ability to perform daily activities. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, however dementia can also occur in other neurological disorders such as Huntington's disease (HD). Many studies have demonstrated that loss of neuronal cell function manifests pre-symptomatically and thus is a relevant therapeutic target to alleviate symptoms. Synaptopathy, the physiological dysfunction of synapses, is now being approached as the target for many neurological and psychiatric disorders, including HD. HD is an autosomal dominant and progressive degenerative disorder, with clinical manifestations that encompass movement, cognition, mood and behaviour. HD is one of the most common tandem repeat disorders and is caused by a trinucleotide (CAG) repeat expansion, encoding an extended polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin protein. Animal models as well as human studies have provided detailed, although not exhaustive, evidence of synaptic dysfunction in HD. In this review, we discuss the neuropathology of HD and how the changes in synaptic signalling in the diseased brain lead to its symptoms, which include dementia. Here, we review and discuss the mechanisms by which the 'molecular orchestras' and their 'synaptic symphonies' are disrupted in neurodegeneration and dementia, focusing on HD as a model disease. We also explore the therapeutic strategies currently in pre-clinical and clinical testing that are targeted towards improving synaptic function in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiraz Tyebji
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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Meng Y, Jiang J, Bachevalier J, Zhang X, Chan AWS. Developmental Whole Brain White Matter Alterations in Transgenic Huntington's Disease Monkey. Sci Rep 2017; 7:379. [PMID: 28336929 PMCID: PMC5428287 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00381-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Transgenic Huntington’s disease monkey (HD monkey) model provides great opportunity for studying disease progression that could lead to new insight for developing biomarker, early intervention and novel therapeutics. Whole brain white matter integrity of HD-monkeys was examined longitudinally from 6 to 48 months using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). Progressive developmental white matter alterations in HD monkeys were widespread and were observed not only in fiber bundles connecting cortical areas to the striatum (e.g. striatal bundle and external capsule), but also in long association fiber pathways, commissural fibers, and subcortical fiber bundle. In all fiber tracts, the data indicate an arrest in white matter development around 23 months followed by slight decline until adulthood in HD monkeys. The microstructural changes parallel the progressive motor, memory and cognitive decline previously reported as HD monkeys aged. The findings revealed the widespread progressive temporal-spatial microstructural changes in HD monkey brains from infancy to adulthood, suggesting differentiated degenerations across different brain areas during brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuguang Meng
- Yerkes Imaging Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jie Jiang
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jocelyne Bachevalier
- Department of Psychology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. .,Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- Yerkes Imaging Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
| | - Anthony W S Chan
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. .,Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
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30
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Xu X, Tay Y, Sim B, Yoon SI, Huang Y, Ooi J, Utami KH, Ziaei A, Ng B, Radulescu C, Low D, Ng AYJ, Loh M, Venkatesh B, Ginhoux F, Augustine GJ, Pouladi MA. Reversal of Phenotypic Abnormalities by CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene Correction in Huntington Disease Patient-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Stem Cell Reports 2017; 8:619-633. [PMID: 28238795 PMCID: PMC5355646 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in HTT. Here we report correction of HD human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) using a CRISPR-Cas9 and piggyBac transposon-based approach. We show that both HD and corrected isogenic hiPSCs can be differentiated into excitable, synaptically active forebrain neurons. We further demonstrate that phenotypic abnormalities in HD hiPSC-derived neural cells, including impaired neural rosette formation, increased susceptibility to growth factor withdrawal, and deficits in mitochondrial respiration, are rescued in isogenic controls. Importantly, using genome-wide expression analysis, we show that a number of apparent gene expression differences detected between HD and non-related healthy control lines are absent between HD and corrected lines, suggesting that these differences are likely related to genetic background rather than HD-specific effects. Our study demonstrates correction of HD hiPSCs and associated phenotypic abnormalities, and the importance of isogenic controls for disease modeling using hiPSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohong Xu
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Yilin Tay
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Bernice Sim
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Su-In Yoon
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637553, Singapore
| | - Yihui Huang
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Jolene Ooi
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Kagistia Hana Utami
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Amin Ziaei
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Bryan Ng
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Carola Radulescu
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Donovan Low
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), A(∗)STAR, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Alvin Yu Jin Ng
- Comparative Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A(∗)STAR, Biopolis, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Marie Loh
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Byrappa Venkatesh
- Comparative Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A(∗)STAR, Biopolis, Singapore 138673, Singapore; Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
| | - Florent Ginhoux
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), A(∗)STAR, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - George J Augustine
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637553, Singapore; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Mahmoud A Pouladi
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore 138648, Singapore; Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
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The Complexity of Clinical Huntington's Disease: Developments in Molecular Genetics, Neuropathology and Neuroimaging Biomarkers. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2017; 15:129-161. [PMID: 28674980 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-57193-5_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterised by extensive neuronal loss in the striatum and cerebral cortex, and a triad of clinical symptoms affecting motor, cognitive/behavioural and mood functioning. The mutation causing HD is an expansion of a CAG tract in exon 1 of the HTT gene. This chapter provides a multifaceted overview of the clinical complexity of HD. We explore recent directions in molecular genetics including the identification of loci that are genetic modifiers of HD that could potentially reveal therapeutic targets beyond the HTT gene transcript and protein. The variability of clinical symptomatology in HD is considered alongside recent findings of variability in cellular and neurochemical changes in the striatum and cerebral cortex in human brain. We review evidence from structural neuroimaging methods of progressive changes of striatum, cerebral cortex and white matter in pre-symptomatic and symptomatic HD, with a particular focus on the potential identification of neuroimaging biomarkers that could be used to test promising disease-specific and modifying treatments. Finally we provide an overview of completed clinical trials in HD and future therapeutic developments.
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Waldvogel HJ, Kim EH, Tippett LJ, Vonsattel JPG, Faull RLM. The Neuropathology of Huntington's Disease. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2015; 22:33-80. [PMID: 25300927 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2014_354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The basal ganglia are a highly interconnected set of subcortical nuclei and major atrophy in one or more regions may have major effects on other regions of the brain. Therefore, the striatum which is preferentially degenerated and receives projections from the entire cortex also affects the regions to which it targets, especially the globus pallidus and substantia nigra pars reticulata. Additionally, the cerebral cortex is itself severely affected as are many other regions of the brain, especially in more advanced cases. The cell loss in the basal ganglia and the cerebral cortex is extensive. The most important new findings in Huntington's disease pathology is the highly variable nature of the degeneration in the brain. Most interestingly, this variable pattern of pathology appears to reflect the highly variable symptomatology of cases with Huntington's disease even among cases possessing the same number of CAG repeats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry J Waldvogel
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy with Radiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand,
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Decrease of mGluR5 receptor density goes parallel with changes in enkephalin and substance P immunoreactivity in Huntington's disease: a preliminary investigation in the postmortem human brain. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 220:3043-51. [PMID: 24969128 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0812-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Group 1 metabotropic glutamate subtype 5 receptors (mGluR5) contribute to the control of motor behavior by regulating the balance between excitation and inhibition of outputs in the basal ganglia. The density of these receptors is increased in patients with Parkinson's disease and motor complications. We hypothesized that similar changes may occur in Huntington's disease (HD) and aimed at testing this hypothesis in a preliminary experimental series in postmortem human brain material obtained from HD patients. Using autoradiography, we analyzed mGluR5 density in the putamen, caudate nucleus and cerebellum (control region) in postmortem tissue samples from three patients with HD and three controls with two mGluR5-specific radioligands ([(3)H]ABP688 and [(11)C]ABP688). The density of enkephalin (Enk)- or substance P (SP)-containing neurons was assessed using immunohistochemical and cell-counting methods. [(3)H]ABP688 binding in HD was reduced in the caudate (-70.4 %, P < 0.001), in the putamen (-33.3 %, P = 0.053), and in the cerebellum (-8.79 %, P = 0.930) vs controls. Results with [(11)C]ABP688 were similar; there was good correlation between [(11)C]ABP688 and [(3)H]ABP688 binding ratios. Total cell density was similar in all three brain regions in HD patients and controls. Neuronal density was 69 % lower in the caudate (P = 0.002) and 64 % lower in the putamen (P < 0.001) of HD patients vs controls. Both direct and indirect pathways were affected, with ≥ 90 % decrease in the density of Enk- and SP-containing neurons in the caudate and putamen of HD patients vs controls (P < 0.001). In contrast to earlier observations in PD, in HD, compared to controls, the mGluR5 density was significantly lower in the caudate nucleus. The decrease in neuronal density suggests that neuronal loss was largely responsible for the observed decrease in mGluR5.
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Jain RS, Prakash S, Raghavendra BS, Nagpal K, Handa R. Cyclic mood disorder heralding adult-onset autosomal dominant leucodystrophy: a clinical masquerader. Asian J Psychiatr 2014; 9:22-5. [PMID: 24813031 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2013.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Revised: 11/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Leucodystrophies are a heterogeneous group of progressive white matter diseases which may be inherited in dominant, recessive or X-linked fashion depending on the type. Adrenoleucodystrophy (ALD) and metachromatic leucodystrophy (MLD) are rather commoner forms of leucodystrophies whereas krabbes disease, alexander disease, cannavans disease etc. are of less common type. Adult-onset autosomal dominant leucodystrophy (ADLD) is a lately described rarer form of leucodystrophy with perhaps no case report from India. Various leucodystrophies may have different clinical presentations, ranging from subtle cognitive and psychiatric manifestations to gross motor disabilities, visual impairment and seizure. Psychiatric manifestations in the form of psychoses and frank schizophrenia are commonly described in MLD. Depression though uncommonly reported in MLD, cyclic mood disorders have been rarely described in any form of leucodystrophies. We are reporting an eye opener, a case of ADLD which masqueraded as a rapid cyclic mood disorder for initial four years, later to be followed by progressive neurological signs and symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this is perhaps the first case report of ADLD presenting as rapid cyclic mood disorder in the world literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajendra S Jain
- Department of Neurology, SMS Medical College Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Swayam Prakash
- Department of Neurology, SMS Medical College Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
| | - B S Raghavendra
- Department of Neurology, SMS Medical College Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Kadam Nagpal
- Department of Neurology, SMS Medical College Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Rahul Handa
- Department of Neurology, SMS Medical College Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
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36
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Kim EH, Thu DCV, Tippett LJ, Oorschot DE, Hogg VM, Roxburgh R, Synek BJ, Waldvogel HJ, Faull RLM. Cortical interneuron loss and symptom heterogeneity in Huntington disease. Ann Neurol 2014; 75:717-27. [DOI: 10.1002/ana.24162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2013] [Revised: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric H. Kim
- Department of Anatomy with Radiology; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
| | - Doris C. V. Thu
- Centre for Brain Research; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
- Brain Mind Institute, Lausanne Federal Polytechnic School; Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Lynette J. Tippett
- Centre for Brain Research; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
- Department of Psychology; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
| | - Dorothy E. Oorschot
- Department of Anatomy; University of Otago; Dunedin New Zealand
- Brain Health Research Centre; University of Otago; Dunedin New Zealand
| | - Virginia M. Hogg
- Centre for Brain Research; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
- Department of Psychology; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
| | - Richard Roxburgh
- Centre for Brain Research; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
- Neurology; Auckland City Hospital; Auckland New Zealand
| | - Beth J. Synek
- Centre for Brain Research; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
- Forensic Pathology; Auckland City Hospital; Auckland New Zealand
| | - Henry J. Waldvogel
- Department of Anatomy with Radiology; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
| | - Richard L. M. Faull
- Department of Anatomy with Radiology; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
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Poudel GR, Stout JC, Domínguez D JF, Salmon L, Churchyard A, Chua P, Georgiou-Karistianis N, Egan GF. White matter connectivity reflects clinical and cognitive status in Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2014; 65:180-7. [PMID: 24480090 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2014.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2013] [Revised: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 01/19/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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Smith GA, Rocha EM, McLean JR, Hayes MA, Izen SC, Isacson O, Hallett PJ. Progressive axonal transport and synaptic protein changes correlate with behavioral and neuropathological abnormalities in the heterozygous Q175 KI mouse model of Huntington's disease. Hum Mol Genet 2014; 23:4510-27. [PMID: 24728190 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddu166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A long-term goal of modeling Huntington's disease (HD) is to recapitulate the cardinal features of the disease in mice that express both mutant and wild-type (WT) huntingtin (Htt), as HD commonly manifests as a heterozygous condition in humans, and loss of WT Htt is associated with loss-of-function. In a new heterozygous Q175 knock-in (KI) mouse model, we performed an extensive evaluation of motor and cognitive functional deficits, neuropathological and biochemical changes and levels of proteins involved in synaptic function, the cytoskeleton and axonal transport, at 1-16 months of age. Motor deficits were apparent at 6 months of age in Q175 KI mice and at that time, postmortem striatal gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels were elevated and mutant Htt inclusions were present throughout the brain. From 6 months of age, levels of proteins associated with synaptic function, including SNAP-25, Rab3A and PSD-95, and with axonal transport and microtubules, including KIF3A, dynein and dynactin, were altered in the striatum, motor cortex, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of Q175 KI mice, compared with WT levels. At 12-16 months of age, Q175 KI mice displayed motor and cognitive deficits, which were paralleled at postmortem by striatal atrophy, cortical thinning, degeneration of medium spiny neurons, dense mutant Htt inclusion formation, decreased striatal dopamine levels and loss of striatal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Data from this study indicate that the heterozygous Q175 KI mouse represents a realistic model for HD and also provides new insights into the specific and progressive synaptic, cytoskeletal and axonal transport protein abnormalities that may accompany the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaynor A Smith
- McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Neuroregeneration Research Institute and Laboratories, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Emily M Rocha
- McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Neuroregeneration Research Institute and Laboratories, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Jesse R McLean
- McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Neuroregeneration Research Institute and Laboratories, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Melissa A Hayes
- McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Neuroregeneration Research Institute and Laboratories, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Sarah C Izen
- McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Neuroregeneration Research Institute and Laboratories, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Ole Isacson
- McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Neuroregeneration Research Institute and Laboratories, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Penelope J Hallett
- McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Neuroregeneration Research Institute and Laboratories, Belmont, MA, USA
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Loss of corticostriatal and thalamostriatal synaptic terminals precedes striatal projection neuron pathology in heterozygous Q140 Huntington's disease mice. Neurobiol Dis 2013; 60:89-107. [PMID: 23969239 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2013.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2013] [Revised: 07/22/2013] [Accepted: 08/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor slowing, forebrain white matter loss, and striatal shrinkage have been reported in premanifest Huntington's disease (HD) prior to overt striatal neuron loss. We carried out detailed LM and EM studies in a genetically precise HD mimic, heterozygous Q140 HD knock-in mice, to examine the possibility that loss of corticostriatal and thalamostriatal terminals prior to striatal neuron loss underlies these premanifest HD abnormalities. In our studies, we used VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 immunolabeling to detect corticostriatal and thalamostriatal (respectively) terminals in dorsolateral (motor) striatum over the first year of life, prior to striatal projection neuron pathology. VGLUT1+ axospinous corticostriatal terminals represented about 55% of all excitatory terminals in striatum, and VGLUT2+ axospinous thalamostriatal terminals represented about 35%, with VGLUT1+ and VGLUT2+ axodendritic terminals accounting for the remainder. In Q140 mice, a significant 40% shortfall in VGLUT2+ axodendritic thalamostriatal terminals and a 20% shortfall in axospinous thalamostriatal terminals were already observed at 1 month of age, but VGLUT1+ terminals were normal in abundance. The 20% deficiency in VGLUT2+ thalamostriatal axospinous terminals persisted at 4 and 12 months in Q140 mice, and an additional 30% loss of VGLUT1+ corticostriatal terminals was observed at 12 months. The early and persistent deficiency in thalamostriatal axospinous terminals in Q140 mice may reflect a development defect, and the impoverishment of this excitatory drive to striatum may help explain early motor defects in Q140 mice and in premanifest HD. The loss of corticostriatal terminals at 1 year in Q140 mice is consistent with prior evidence from other mouse models of corticostriatal disconnection early during progression, and can explain both the measurable bradykinesia and striatal white matter loss in late premanifest HD.
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40
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Mazarei G, Budac DP, Lu G, Adomat H, Tomlinson Guns ES, Möller T, Leavitt BR. Age-dependent alterations of the kynurenine pathway in the YAC128 mouse model of Huntington disease. J Neurochem 2013; 127:852-67. [PMID: 23786539 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Revised: 06/14/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (Ido1), the first and rate-limiting enzyme of the kynurenine pathway (KP), is a striatally enriched gene with increased expression levels in the YAC128 mouse model of Huntington disease (HD). Our objective in this study was to delineate age-related KP alterations in this model. Three enzymes potentially catalyze the first step of the KP; Ido1 and Indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase-2 were highly expressed in the striatum and Tryptophan 2,3 dioxygenase (Tdo2) in the cerebellum. During development, Ido1 mRNA expression is dynamically regulated and chronically up-regulated in YAC128 mice. Kynurenine (Kyn) to tryptophan (Trp) ratio, a measure of activity in the first step of the KP, was elevated in YAC128 striatum, but no change in Tdo2 mRNA levels or Kyn to Trp ratio was detected in the cerebellum. Ido1 induction was coincident with Trp depletion at 3 months and Kyn accumulation at 12 months of age in striatum. Changes in downstream KP metabolites of YAC128 mice generally followed a biphasic pattern with neurotoxic metabolites reduced at 3 months and increased at 12 months of age. Striatally specific induction of Ido1 and downstream KP alterations suggest involvement in HD pathogenesis, and should be taken into account in future therapeutic developments for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gelareh Mazarei
- Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics and Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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41
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Abstract
Corticostriatal projections are essential components of forebrain circuits and are widely involved in motivated behaviour. These axonal projections are formed by two distinct classes of cortical neurons, intratelencephalic (IT) and pyramidal tract (PT) neurons. Convergent evidence points to IT versus PT differentiation of the corticostriatal system at all levels of functional organization, from cellular signalling mechanisms to circuit topology. There is also growing evidence for IT/PT imbalance as an aetiological factor in neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric and movement disorders - autism, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases and major depression are highlighted here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon M. G. Shepherd
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA;
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42
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Estrada-Sánchez AM, Rebec GV. Role of cerebral cortex in the neuropathology of Huntington's disease. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:19. [PMID: 23423362 PMCID: PMC3575072 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2012] [Accepted: 01/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
An expansion of glutamine repeats in the N-terminal domain of the huntingtin protein leads to Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative condition characterized by the presence of involuntary movements, dementia, and psychiatric disturbances. Evaluation of postmortem HD tissue indicates that the most prominent cell loss occurs in cerebral cortex and striatum, forebrain regions in which cortical pyramidal neurons (CPNs) and striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) are the most affected. Subsequent evidence obtained from HD patients and especially from transgenic mouse models of HD indicates that long before neuronal death, patterns of communication between CPNs and MSNs become dysfunctional. In fact, electrophysiological signaling in transgenic HD mice is altered even before the appearance of the HD behavioral phenotype, suggesting that dysfunctional cortical input to the striatum sets the stage for the emergence of HD neurological signs. Striatal MSNs, moreover, project back to cortex via multi-synaptic connections, allowing for even further disruptions in cortical processing. An effective therapeutic strategy for HD, therefore, may lie in understanding the synaptic mechanisms by which it dysregulates the corticostriatal system. Here, we review literature evaluating the molecular, morphological, and physiological alterations in the cerebral cortex, a key component of brain circuitry controlling motor behavior, as they occur in both patients and transgenic HD models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Estrada-Sánchez
- Program in Neuroscience and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington, IN, USA
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43
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Kolesnikova EÉ. Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Molecular Bases of Neurodegenerative Diseases. NEUROPHYSIOLOGY+ 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s11062-013-9341-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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44
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Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by movement abnormalities, cognitive impairment, and abnormal behavior as well as sleep and weight problems. It is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by a mutation in the huntingtin gene on the short arm of chromosome 4, which results in the progressive degeneration of the basal ganglia (caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus), cerebral cortex, brainstem, thalamus, and hypothalamus. This chapter considers four avenues of research: (a) the restoration of neurogenesis as an endogenous cell therapy in HD, (b) fetal tissue transplantation, (c) stem cell transplantation, and finally (d) the use of endogenous trophic factors such as brain derived neurotrophic factor.
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45
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Gabery S, Sajjad MU, Hult S, Soylu R, Kirik D, Petersén Å. Characterization of a rat model of Huntington's disease based on targeted expression of mutant huntingtin in the forebrain using adeno-associated viral vectors. Eur J Neurosci 2012; 36:2789-800. [PMID: 22731249 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2012.08193.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the huntingtin (htt) gene. Neuropathology is most severe in the striatum and cerebral cortex. As mutant htt is ubiquitously expressed, it has not been possible to establish clear structure-to-function relationships for the clinical aspects. In the present study, we have injected recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors of serotype 5 (rAAV5) expressing an 853-amino-acid fragment of htt with either 79 (mutant) or 18 (wild-type) glutamines (Q) in the dorsal striatum of neonatal rats to achieve expression of htt in the forebrain. Rats were followed for 6 months and compared with control rats. Neuropathological assessment showed long-term expression of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgene (used as a marker protein) and accumulation of htt inclusions in the cerebral cortex with the rAAV5-htt-79Q vectors. We estimated that around 10% of NeuN-positive cells in the cerebral cortex and 2% of DARPP-32 neurons in the striatum were targeted with the GFP-expressing vector. Formation of intracellular htt inclusions was not associated with neuronal loss, gliosis or microglia activation and did not lead to altered motor activity or changes in body weight. However, the same mutant htt vector caused orexin loss in the hypothalamus - another area known to be affected in HD. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that widespread forebrain expression of mutant htt can be achieved using rAAV5-vectors and suggest that this technique can be further explored to study region-specific effects of mutant htt or other disease-causing genes in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanaz Gabery
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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46
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Altered diffusion tensor imaging measurements in aged transgenic Huntington disease rats. Brain Struct Funct 2012; 218:767-78. [PMID: 22618438 PMCID: PMC3586769 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-012-0427-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2011] [Accepted: 04/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Rodent models of Huntington disease (HD) are valuable tools for investigating HD pathophysiology and evaluating new therapeutic approaches. Non-invasive characterization of HD-related phenotype changes is important for monitoring progression of pathological processes and possible effects of interventions. The first transgenic rat model for HD exhibits progressive late-onset affective, cognitive, and motor impairments, as well as neuropathological features reflecting observations from HD patients. In this report, we contribute to the anatomical phenotyping of this model by comparing high-resolution ex vivo DTI measurements obtained in aged transgenic HD rats and wild-type controls. By region of interest analysis supplemented by voxel-based statistics, we find little evidence of atrophy in basal ganglia regions, but demonstrate altered DTI measurements in the dorsal and ventral striatum, globus pallidus, entopeduncular nucleus, substantia nigra, and hippocampus. These changes are largely compatible with DTI findings in preclinical and clinical HD patients. We confirm earlier reports that HD rats express a moderate neuropathological phenotype, and provide evidence of altered DTI measures in specific HD-related brain regions, in the absence of pronounced morphometric changes.
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47
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Delmaire C, Dumas EM, Sharman MA, van den Bogaard SJA, Valabregue R, Jauffret C, Justo D, Reilmann R, Stout JC, Craufurd D, Tabrizi SJ, Roos RAC, Durr A, Lehéricy S. The structural correlates of functional deficits in early huntington's disease. Hum Brain Mapp 2012; 34:2141-53. [PMID: 22438242 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2011] [Revised: 12/20/2011] [Accepted: 01/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathological studies in Huntington disease (HD) have demonstrated neuronal loss in the striatum, as well as in other brain regions including the cortex. With diffusion tensor MRI we evaluated the hypothesis that the clinical dysfunction in HD is related to regionally specific lesions of circuit-specific cortico-basal ganglia networks rather than to the striatum only. We included 27 HD and 24 controls from the TRACK-HD Paris cohort. The following assessments were used: self-paced tapping tasks, trail B making test (TMT), University of Pennsylvania smell identification test (UPSIT), and apathy scores from the problem behaviors assessment. Group comparisons of fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity and correlations were performed using voxel-based analysis. In the cortex, HD patients showed significant correlations between: (i) self paced tapping and mean diffusivity in the parietal lobe at 1.8 Hz and prefrontal areas at 3 Hz, (ii) UPSIT and mean diffusivity in the parietal, and median temporal lobes, the cingulum and the insula, and fractional anisotropy in the insula and the external capsule, (iii) TMT B and mean diffusivity in the white matter of the superior frontal, orbital, temporal, superior parietal and post central areas, and (iv) apathy and fractional anisotropy in the white matter of the rectus gyrus. In the basal ganglia, we found correlations between the self paced tapping, UPSIT, TMT tests, and mean diffusivity in the anterior part of the putamen and the caudate nucleus. In conclusion, disruption of motor, associative and limbic cortico-striatal circuits differentially contribute to the clinical signs of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Delmaire
- Center for NeuroImaging Research, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 boulevardde l’Hôpital, Paris Cedex 13, France.
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48
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Waldvogel HJ, Thu D, Hogg V, Tippett L, Faull RLM. Selective Neurodegeneration, Neuropathology and Symptom Profiles in Huntington’s Disease. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2012; 769:141-52. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-5434-2_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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49
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Chang JR, Ghafouri M, Mukerjee R, Bagashev A, Chabrashvili T, Sawaya BE. Role of p53 in neurodegenerative diseases. NEURODEGENER DIS 2011; 9:68-80. [PMID: 22042001 DOI: 10.1159/000329999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2011] [Accepted: 06/09/2011] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND p53 plays an important role in many areas of cellular physiology and biology, ranging from cellular development and differentiation to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Many of its functions are attributed to its role in assuring proper cellular division. However, since the establishment of its role in cell cycle arrest, damage repair, and apoptosis (thus also establishing its importance in cancer development), numerous reports have demonstrated additional functions of p53 in various cells. In particular, p53 appears to have important functions as it relates to neurodegeneration and synaptic plasticity. OBJECTIVE In this review, we will address p53 functions as it relates to various neurodegenerative diseases, mainly its implications in the development of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. CONCLUSION p53 plays a pivotal role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases through its interaction with cellular factors, viral factors, and/or small RNAs that have the ability to promote the development of these diseases. Hence, inhibition of p53 may present an ideal target to restore neuronal functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Robert Chang
- Molecular Studies of Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
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50
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Bayram-Weston Z, Torres EM, Jones L, Dunnett SB, Brooks SP. Light and electron microscopic characterization of the evolution of cellular pathology in the Hdh(CAG)150 Huntington's disease knock-in mouse. Brain Res Bull 2011; 88:189-98. [PMID: 21511013 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2011.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2010] [Revised: 03/15/2011] [Accepted: 03/18/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant, progressive neurodegenerative disease in which a single mutation in the gene responsible for the protein huntingtin leads to a primarily striatal and cortical neuronal loss, resulting progressive motor, cognitive and psychiatric disability and ultimately death. The mutation induces an abnormal protein accumulation within cells, although the precise role of this accumulation in the disease process is unknown. Several animal models have been created to model the disease. In the present study, the pathology of the Hdh(CAG(150)) mouse model was analyzed longitudinally over 24 months. At 5 months of age, the mutant N-terminal antibody S830 found dense nuclear staining and nuclear inclusions in the olfactory tubercle and striatum of the Hdh(Q150/Q150) mice. Nuclear inclusions increased in number and size with age and disease progression, and spread in ventral to dorsal, and anterior to posterior pattern. Electron microscopy observations at 14 months of age revealed that the neurons showed a normal nucleus having a circular shape and regular membranes in a densely packed cytoplasm, whereas by 21 months the cytoplasm was vacuolated and contained swollen mitochondria with many degenerated cytoplasmic organelles. Immunogold labelling of the S830 antibody was found to be specifically localised to the inner area of the neuronal intra-nuclear inclusions. Our data demonstrate a marked and progressive cellular phenotype that begins at 5 months of age and progresses with time. The pathology the Hdh(Q150/Q150) line was focused on the striatum and cortex until the late stage of the disease, consistent with the human condition.
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