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Developing a smartphone application, triaxial accelerometer-based, to quantify static and dynamic balance deficits in patients with cerebellar ataxias. J Neurol 2019; 267:625-639. [PMID: 31713101 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-019-09570-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebellar ataxia is characterized by difficulty in the planning of movement and lack of anticipatory postural adjustments, which can result in deficits of balance. Being able to have quantitative measurements in clinical practice, to detect any improvements on balance resulting from new rehabilitation treatments or experimental drugs is very important. AIM The purpose of this study was to develop an application (APP) able to assess static and dynamic balance in patients with cerebellar ataxias (CA). The APP that works by a wearable device (smartphone) placed at the breastbone level and immobilized by an elastic band, measures the body sway by means of a triaxial accelerometer. METHODS We investigated 40 CA patients and 80 healthy subjects. All patients were clinically evaluated using the "Berg Balance Scale" (BBS) and the "Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia" (SARA). Balance impairment was quantitatively assessed using a validated static balance evaluating systems, i.e., Techno-body Pro-Kin footboard. All participants underwent static and dynamic balance assessments using the new APP. RESULTS We observed a strong correlation between the APP measurements and the score obtained with the BBS, SARA, and Pro-Kin footboard. The intra-rater reliability and the test-retest reliability of the APP measurements, estimated by intraclass correlation coefficient, were excellent. The standard error of measurement and the minimal detectable change were small. No learning effect was observed. CONCLUSIONS We can state that the APP is an easy, reliable, and valid evaluating system to quantify the trunk sway in a static position and during the gait.
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Tezenas du Montcel S, Durr A, Rakowicz M, Nanetti L, Charles P, Sulek A, Mariotti C, Rola R, Schols L, Bauer P, Dufaure-Garé I, Jacobi H, Forlani S, Schmitz-Hübsch T, Filla A, Timmann D, van de Warrenburg BP, Marelli C, Kang JS, Giunti P, Cook A, Baliko L, Melegh B, Bela M, Boesch S, Szymanski S, Berciano J, Infante J, Buerk K, Masciullo M, Di Fabio R, Depondt C, Ratka S, Stevanin G, Klockgether T, Brice A, Golmard JL. Prediction of the age at onset in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1, 2, 3 and 6. J Med Genet 2014; 51:479-86. [PMID: 24780882 PMCID: PMC4078703 DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2013-102200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The most common spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA)--SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, and SCA6--are caused by (CAG)n repeat expansion. While the number of repeats of the coding (CAG)n expansions is correlated with the age at onset, there are no appropriate models that include both affected and preclinical carriers allowing for the prediction of age at onset. METHODS We combined data from two major European cohorts of SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, and SCA6 mutation carriers: 1187 affected individuals from the EUROSCA registry and 123 preclinical individuals from the RISCA cohort. For each SCA genotype, a regression model was fitted using a log-normal distribution for age at onset with the repeat length of the alleles as covariates. From these models, we calculated expected age at onset from birth and conditionally that this age is greater than the current age. RESULTS For SCA2 and SCA3 genotypes, the expanded allele was a significant predictor of age at onset (-0.105±0.005 and -0.056±0.003) while for SCA1 and SCA6 genotypes both the size of the expanded and normal alleles were significant (expanded: -0.049±0.002 and -0.090±0.009, respectively; normal: +0.013±0.005 and -0.029±0.010, respectively). According to the model, we indicated the median values (90% critical region) and the expectancy (SD) of the predicted age at onset for each SCA genotype according to the CAG repeat size and current age. CONCLUSIONS These estimations can be valuable in clinical and research. However, results need to be confirmed in other independent cohorts and in future longitudinal studies. CLINICALTRIALSGOV, NUMBER NCT01037777 and NCT00136630 for the French patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Tezenas du Montcel
- UPMC Univ Paris 06, ER4, Modelling in Clinical Research, Paris, France Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, AP-HP, Hopitaux Universitaires Pitié-Salpétrière Charles-Foix, Paris, France
| | - Alexandra Durr
- UPMC Univ Paris 06, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, UMR-S975, Paris, France Inserm, U975, Paris, France Cnrs, UMR 7225, Paris, France Département de Génétique et Cytogénétique, AP-HP, Hopitaux Universitaires Pitié-Salpétrière Charles-Foix, Paris, France
| | - Maria Rakowicz
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Lorenzo Nanetti
- Unit of Genetics of Neurodegenerative and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta", Milan, Italy
| | - Perrine Charles
- UPMC Univ Paris 06, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, UMR-S975, Paris, France Inserm, U975, Paris, France Cnrs, UMR 7225, Paris, France Département de Génétique et Cytogénétique, AP-HP, Hopitaux Universitaires Pitié-Salpétrière Charles-Foix, Paris, France
| | - Anna Sulek
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Caterina Mariotti
- Unit of Genetics of Neurodegenerative and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta", Milan, Italy
| | - Rafal Rola
- First Department of Neurology Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ludger Schols
- Department of Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Germany German Center for Neurodgenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Peter Bauer
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Heike Jacobi
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sylvie Forlani
- UPMC Univ Paris 06, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, UMR-S975, Paris, France Inserm, U975, Paris, France Cnrs, UMR 7225, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Dagmar Timmann
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Bart P van de Warrenburg
- Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Cecila Marelli
- UPMC Univ Paris 06, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, UMR-S975, Paris, France Inserm, U975, Paris, France Cnrs, UMR 7225, Paris, France Département de Génétique et Cytogénétique, AP-HP, Hopitaux Universitaires Pitié-Salpétrière Charles-Foix, Paris, France Departement of Neurology, University Hospital Gui de Chauliac, Montpellier, France
| | - Jun-Suk Kang
- Department of Neurology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Paola Giunti
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, UCL London, UK
| | - Arron Cook
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, UCL London, UK
| | - Laszlo Baliko
- Department of Medical Genetics, Szentagothai Research Center, University Pécs, Hungary
| | | | - Melegh Bela
- Department of Medical Genetics, Szentagothai Research Center, University Pécs, Hungary
| | - Sylvia Boesch
- Department of Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Sandra Szymanski
- Department of Neurology, St. Josef Hospital, University Hospital of Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - José Berciano
- Service of Neurology, University Hospital "Marqués de Valdecilla (IFIMAV)", University of Cantabria, Spain Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Santander, Spain
| | - Jon Infante
- Service of Neurology, University Hospital "Marqués de Valdecilla (IFIMAV)", University of Cantabria, Spain Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Santander, Spain
| | - Katrin Buerk
- Department of Neurology, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Roberto Di Fabio
- Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Chantal Depondt
- Department of Neurology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Susanne Ratka
- Department of Neurodegeneration and Restorative Research, Centers of Molecular Physiology of the Brain and Neurological Medicine, University Hospital of Göttingen, Göttingen
| | - Giovanni Stevanin
- UPMC Univ Paris 06, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, UMR-S975, Paris, France Inserm, U975, Paris, France Cnrs, UMR 7225, Paris, France Département de Génétique et Cytogénétique, AP-HP, Hopitaux Universitaires Pitié-Salpétrière Charles-Foix, Paris, France Laboratoire de Neurogenetique, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Klockgether
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany German Center for Neurodgenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Alexis Brice
- UPMC Univ Paris 06, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, UMR-S975, Paris, France Inserm, U975, Paris, France Cnrs, UMR 7225, Paris, France Département de Génétique et Cytogénétique, AP-HP, Hopitaux Universitaires Pitié-Salpétrière Charles-Foix, Paris, France Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Louis Golmard
- UPMC Univ Paris 06, ER4, Modelling in Clinical Research, Paris, France Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, AP-HP, Hopitaux Universitaires Pitié-Salpétrière Charles-Foix, Paris, France
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Wang PS, Chen HC, Wu HM, Lirng JF, Wu YT, Soong BW. Association between proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements and CAG repeat number in patients with spinocerebellar ataxias 2, 3, or 6. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47479. [PMID: 23094053 PMCID: PMC3475643 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to correlate magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) measurements, including that for the N-acetyl aspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) ratio in the vermis (denoted V-NAA), right cerebellar hemisphere (R-NAA), and left (L-NAA) cerebellar hemisphere, with the clinical scale for the assessment and rating of ataxia (SARA) score for patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) types 2, 3, and 6. A total of 24 patients with SCA2, 48 with SCA3, and 16 with SCA6 were recruited; 12 patients with SCA2, 43 with SCA3, and 8 with SCA6 underwent detailed magnetic resonance neuroimaging. Forty-four healthy, age-matched individuals without history of neurologic disease served as control subjects. V-NAA and patient age were used to calculate the predicted age at which a patient with SCA2 or SCA3 would reach an onset V-NAA value. Results showed the following: the NAA/Cr ratio decreased with increasing age in patients with SCA but not in control subjects; the SARA score increased progressively with age and duration of illness; V-NAA showed a better correlation with SARA score than R-NAA in patients with SCA2 or SCA3; the ratio of age to V-NAA correlated well with CAG repeat number; the retrospectively predicted age of onset for SCA2 and SCA3 was consistent with patient-reported age of onset; R-NAA showed a better correlation with SARA score than V-NAA in patients with SCA6; V-NAA and R-NAA correlated with clinical severity (SARA score) in patients with SCA. The correlation between CAG repeat number and age could be expressed as a simple linear function, which might explain previous observations claiming that the greater the CAG repeat number, the earlier the onset of illness and the faster the disease progression. These findings support the use of MRS values to predict age of disease onset and to retrospectively evaluate the actual age of disease onset in SCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Shan Wang
- Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, Municipal Gandau Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Chieh Chen
- Department of Neurology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Radiology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiu-Mei Wu
- Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Radiology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jiing-Feng Lirng
- Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Radiology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Te Wu
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Integrated Brain Research Laboratory, Department of Medical Research and Education, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail: (YTW); (BWS)
| | - Bing-Wen Soong
- Department of Neurology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail: (YTW); (BWS)
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Marelli C, van de Leemput J, Johnson JO, Tison F, Thauvin-Robinet C, Picard F, Tranchant C, Hernandez DG, Huttin B, Boulliat J, Sangla I, Marescaux C, Brique S, Dollfus H, Arepalli S, Benatru I, Ollagnon E, Forlani S, Hardy J, Stevanin G, Dürr A, Singleton A, Brice A. SCA15 due to large ITPR1 deletions in a cohort of 333 white families with dominant ataxia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 68:637-43. [PMID: 21555639 DOI: 10.1001/archneurol.2011.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deletions in ITPR1, coding for the inositol-triphosphate receptor type 1, have been recently identified in spinocerebellar ataxia type 15 (SCA15). OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency and the phenotypical spectrum of SCA15. DESIGN Taqman polymerase chain reaction (258 index cases) or single-nucleotide polymorphism genome-wide genotyping (75 index cases). SETTING A collaboration between the Centre de Recherche de l'Institut de Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière of the Salpêtrière Hospital (Paris, France) and the Molecular Genetics Unit of the National Institute of Aging (Bethesda, Maryland). Patients Index cases of 333 families with autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia negative for CAG repeat expansions in coding exons. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Detection of ITPR1 copy number alterations. RESULTS A deletion of ITPR1 was found in 6 of 333 families (1.8%), corresponding to 13 patients with SCA15. Age at onset ranged from 18 to 66 years (mean [SD] age, 35 [16] years). The symptom at onset was cerebellar gait ataxia, except in 1 patient with isolated upper limb tremor. Although families were tested irrespective of their phenotype, patients with SCA15 had a homogeneous phenotype and were characterized by a slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia. However, pyramidal signs (2 patients) and mild cognitive problems (2 patients) were occasionally present. Radiologic findings showed global or predominant vermian cerebellar atrophy in all patients. CONCLUSIONS In this series, ITPR1 deletions were rare and accounted for approximately 1% of all autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias. The SCA15 phenotype mostly consists of a slowly progressive isolated cerebellar ataxia with variable age at onset; an additional pyramidal syndrome and problems in executive functions may be present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Marelli
- INSERM U975, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière, 47 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, Paris Cedex 13, France
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Marelli C, Cazeneuve C, Brice A, Stevanin G, Dürr A. Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2011; 167:385-400. [PMID: 21546047 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2011.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2010] [Accepted: 01/27/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cerebellar ataxias with autosomal dominant transmission (ADCA) are far rarer than sporadic cases of cerebellar ataxia. The identification of genes involved in dominant forms has confirmed the genetic heterogeneity of these conditions and of the underlying mechanisms and pathways. To date, at least 28 genetic loci and, among them, 20 genes have been identified. In many instances, the phenotype is not restricted to cerebellar dysfunction but includes more complex multisystemic neurological deficits. Seven ADCA (SCA1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 17, and dentatorubro-pallido-luysian atrophy) are caused by repeat expansions in the corresponding proteins; phenotype-genotype correlations have shown that repeat size influences the progression of the disease, its severity and clinical differences among patients, including the phenomenon of anticipation between generations. All other ADCA are caused either by non-coding repeat expansions, conventional mutations or large rearrangements in genes with different functions. This review will focus on the genetic features of ADCA and on the clinical differences among the different forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Marelli
- Département de génétique et cytogénétique, consultation de génétique clinique, CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP, 47, boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France
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Hallen L, Klein H, Stoschek C, Wehrmeyer S, Nonhoff U, Ralser M, Wilde J, Röhr C, Schweiger MR, Zatloukal K, Vingron M, Lehrach H, Konthur Z, Krobitsch S. The KRAB-containing zinc-finger transcriptional regulator ZBRK1 activates SCA2 gene transcription through direct interaction with its gene product, ataxin-2. Hum Mol Genet 2010; 20:104-14. [PMID: 20926453 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddq436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene transcription is controlled by transcriptional regulators acting with specific co-regulators to allow gene activation and repression. Here, we report the identification of the KRAB-containing zinc-finger transcriptional regulator, ZBRK1, as an interaction partner of the SCA2 gene product ataxin-2. Furthermore, we discovered that an elevated ZBRK1 level resulted in increased ataxin-2 levels, whereas interference on transcriptional and protein levels of ZBRK1 yielded reduced ataxin-2 levels, suggesting that a complex comprising ZBRK1 and ataxin-2 regulates SCA2 gene transcription. A bioinformatic analysis utilizing the known ZBRK1 consensus DNA-binding motif revealed ZBRK1-binding sites in the SCA2 promoter. These predicted sites were experimentally validated by chromatin-immunoprecipitation experiments along with luciferase-based promoter analyses corroborating that SCA2 gene transcription is controlled by a ZBRK1/ataxin-2 complex. Finally, we demonstrate that SCA2 gene transcription is significantly reduced in colon tumors possessing low ZBRK1 transcripts. Thus, our results provide first evidence that ataxin-2 acts as a co-regulator of ZBRK1 activating its own transcription, thereby representing the first identified ZBRK1 co-activator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Hallen
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
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du Montcel ST, Charles P, Ribai P, Goizet C, Le Bayon A, Labauge P, Guyant-Maréchal L, Forlani S, Jauffret C, Vandenberghe N, N'guyen K, Le Ber I, Devos D, Vincitorio CM, Manto MU, Tison F, Hannequin D, Ruberg M, Brice A, Durr A. Composite cerebellar functional severity score: validation of a quantitative score of cerebellar impairment. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 131:1352-61. [PMID: 18378516 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awn059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Reliable and easy to perform functional scales are a prerequisite for future therapeutic trials in cerebellar ataxias. In order to assess the specificity of quantitative functional tests of cerebellar dysfunction, we investigated 123 controls, 141 patients with an autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCA) and 53 patients with autosomal dominant spastic paraplegia (ADSP). We evaluated four different functional tests (nine-hole pegboard, click, tapping and writing tests), in correlation with the scale for the assessment and rating of cerebellar ataxia (SARA), the scale of functional disability on daily activities (part IV of the Huntington disease rating scale), depression (the Public Health Questionnaire PHQ-9) and the EQ-5D visual analogue scale for self-evaluation of health status. There was a significant correlation between each functional test and a lower limb score. The performance of controls on the functional tests was significantly correlated with age. Subsequent analyses were therefore adjusted for this factor. The performances of ADCA patients on the different tests were significantly worse than that of controls and ADSP patients; there was no difference between ADSP patients and controls. Linear regression analysis showed that only two independent tests, the nine-hole pegboard and the click test on the dominant side (P < 0.0001), accounted for the severity of the cerebellar syndrome as reflected by the SARA scores, and could be represented by a composite cerebellar functional severity (CCFS) score calculated as follows: [Formula: see text]. The CCFS score was significantly higher in ADCA patients compared to controls (1.12 +/- 0.18 versus 0.85 +/- 0.05, P(c) < 0.0001) and ADSP patients (1.12 +/- 0.18 versus 0.90 +/- 0.08, P(c) < 0.0001) and was correlated with disease duration (P < 0.0001) but independent of self-evaluated depressive mood in ADCA. Among genetically homogeneous subgroups of ADCA patients (Spinocerebellar ataxia 1, 2, 3), SCA3 patients had significantly lower (better) CCFS scores than SCA2 (P(c) < 0.04) and the same tendency was observed in SCA1. Their CCFS scores remained significantly worse than those of ADSP patients with identified SPG4 mutations (P < 0.0001). The pegboard and click tests are easy to perform and accurately reflect the severity of the disease. The CCFS is a simple and validated method for assessing cerebellar ataxia over a wide range of severity, and will be particularly useful for discriminating paucisymptomatic carriers from affected patients and for evaluating disease progression in future therapeutic trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Tezenas du Montcel
- AP-HP, Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Pitié-Salpêtrière Charles-Foix Clinical Research Unit, University Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
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Nonhoff U, Ralser M, Welzel F, Piccini I, Balzereit D, Yaspo ML, Lehrach H, Krobitsch S. Ataxin-2 interacts with the DEAD/H-box RNA helicase DDX6 and interferes with P-bodies and stress granules. Mol Biol Cell 2007; 18:1385-96. [PMID: 17392519 PMCID: PMC1838996 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e06-12-1120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 260] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tight control of translation is fundamental for eukaryotic cells, and deregulation of proteins implicated contributes to numerous human diseases. The neurodegenerative disorder spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 is caused by a trinucleotide expansion in the SCA2 gene encoding a lengthened polyglutamine stretch in the gene product ataxin-2, which seems to be implicated in cellular RNA-processing pathways and translational regulation. Here, we substantiate a function of ataxin-2 in such pathways by demonstrating that ataxin-2 interacts with the DEAD/H-box RNA helicase DDX6, a component of P-bodies and stress granules, representing cellular structures of mRNA triage. We discovered that altered ataxin-2 levels interfere with the assembly of stress granules and cellular P-body structures. Moreover, ataxin-2 regulates the intracellular concentration of its interaction partner, the poly(A)-binding protein, another stress granule component and a key factor for translational control. Thus, our data imply that the cellular ataxin-2 concentration is important for the assembly of stress granules and P-bodies, which are main compartments for regulating and controlling mRNA degradation, stability, and translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ute Nonhoff
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Markus Ralser
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Franziska Welzel
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilaria Piccini
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Hans Lehrach
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sylvia Krobitsch
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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Janer A, Martin E, Muriel MP, Latouche M, Fujigasaki H, Ruberg M, Brice A, Trottier Y, Sittler A. PML clastosomes prevent nuclear accumulation of mutant ataxin-7 and other polyglutamine proteins. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006; 174:65-76. [PMID: 16818720 PMCID: PMC2064165 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200511045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The pathogenesis of spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 and other neurodegenerative polyglutamine (polyQ) disorders correlates with the aberrant accumulation of toxic polyQ-expanded proteins in the nucleus. Promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) nuclear bodies are often present in polyQ aggregates, but their relation to pathogenesis is unclear. We show that expression of PML isoform IV leads to the formation of distinct nuclear bodies enriched in components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system. These bodies recruit soluble mutant ataxin-7 and promote its degradation by proteasome-dependent proteolysis, thus preventing the aggregate formation. Inversely, disruption of the endogenous nuclear bodies with cadmium increases the nuclear accumulation and aggregation of mutant ataxin-7, demonstrating their role in ataxin-7 turnover. Interestingly, β-interferon treatment, which induces the expression of endogenous PML IV, prevents the accumulation of transiently expressed mutant ataxin-7 without affecting the level of the endogenous wild-type protein. Therefore, clastosomes represent a potential therapeutic target for preventing polyQ disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Janer
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U679, Neurologie et Thérapeutique Expérimentale, 75651 Paris Cedex 13, France.
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Latouche M, Fragner P, Martin E, El Hachimi KH, Zander C, Sittler A, Ruberg M, Brice A, Stevanin G. Polyglutamine and polyalanine expansions in ataxin7 result in different types of aggregation and levels of toxicity. Mol Cell Neurosci 2005; 31:438-45. [PMID: 16325416 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2005.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2005] [Revised: 10/14/2005] [Accepted: 10/24/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is caused by expansion of a (CAG)n repeat in the ataxin7 gene, resulting in an abnormally long polyglutamine polyQ tract in the translated protein that aggregates in the form of neuronal intranuclear inclusions. Polyalanine (polyA) stretches, implicated in several genetic disorders, also appear to aggregate. To investigate the role of the aggregates in the pathologies, we compared the effects of ataxin7 containing a polyA (ataxin7 - 90A) or polyQ (ataxin7 - 100Q) expansion in HEK 293 cells and in primary cultures of rat mesencephalon. Both proteins formed nuclear and perinuclear aggregates that contained molecular chaperones and components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, suggesting that they were abnormally folded. Ataxin-90A aggregates differed morphologically from ataxin7 - 100Q aggregates, consisted of small and amorphous rather than fibrillar inclusions and were more toxic to mesencephalic neurons, suggesting that toxicity was determined by the type of aggregate rather than the cellular misfolding response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morwena Latouche
- INSERM U679 (former U289), Neurologie et Thérapeutique Expérimentale, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
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11
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Ralser M, Nonhoff U, Albrecht M, Lengauer T, Wanker EE, Lehrach H, Krobitsch S. Ataxin-2 and huntingtin interact with endophilin-A complexes to function in plastin-associated pathways. Hum Mol Genet 2005; 14:2893-909. [PMID: 16115810 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddi321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by an expanded trinucleotide repeat in the SCA2 gene, encoding a polyglutamine stretch in the gene product ataxin-2. Although evidence has been provided that ataxin-2 is involved in RNA metabolism, the physiological function of ataxin-2 remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that ataxin-2 interacts with two members of the endophilin family, endophilin-A1 and endophilin-A3. To elucidate the physiological implications of these interactions, we exploited yeast as a model system and discovered that expression of ataxin-2 as well as both endophilin proteins is toxic for yeast lacking the SAC6 gene product fimbrin, a protein involved in actin filament organization and endocytotic processes. Intriguingly, expression of huntingtin, another polyglutamine protein interacting with endophilin-A3, was also toxic in Deltasac6 yeast. These effects can be suppressed by simultaneous expression of one of the two human fimbrin orthologs, L- or T-plastin. Moreover, we have discovered that ataxin-2 associates with L- and T-plastin and that overexpression of ataxin-2 leads to accumulation of T-plastin in mammalian cells. Thus, our findings suggest an interplay between ataxin-2, endophilin proteins and huntingtin in plastin-associated cellular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Ralser
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestrasse 73, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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12
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Ralser M, Albrecht M, Nonhoff U, Lengauer T, Lehrach H, Krobitsch S. An Integrative Approach to Gain Insights into the Cellular Function of Human Ataxin-2. J Mol Biol 2005; 346:203-14. [PMID: 15663938 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2004.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2004] [Accepted: 11/05/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder caused by a trinucleotide expansion in the SCA2 gene, encoding a polyglutamine stretch in the gene product ataxin-2 (ATX2), whose cellular function is unknown. However, ATX2 interacts with A2BP1, a protein containing an RNA-recognition motif, and the existence of an interaction motif for the C-terminal domain of the poly(A)-binding protein (PABC) as well as an Lsm (Like Sm) domain in ATX2 suggest that ATX2 like its yeast homolog Pbp1 might be involved in RNA metabolism. Here, we show that, similar to Pbp1, ATX2 suppresses the petite (pet-) phenotype of Deltamrs2 yeast strains lacking mitochondrial group II introns. This finding points to a close functional relationship between the two homologs. To gain insight into potential functions of ATX2, we also generated a comprehensive protein interaction network for Pbp1 from publicly available databases, which implicates Pbp1 in diverse RNA-processing pathways. The functional relationship of ATX2 and Pbp1 is further corroborated by the experimental confirmation of the predicted interaction of ATX2 with the cytoplasmic poly(A)-binding protein 1 (PABP) using yeast-2-hybrid analysis as well as co-immunoprecipitation experiments. Immunofluorescence studies revealed that ATX2 and PABP co-localize in mammalian cells, remarkably, even under conditions in which PABP accumulates in distinct cytoplasmic foci representing sites of mRNA triage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Ralser
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestrasse 73, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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13
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Albrecht M, Golatta M, Wüllner U, Lengauer T. Structural and functional analysis of ataxin-2 and ataxin-3. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 271:3155-70. [PMID: 15265035 DOI: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.2004.04245.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia types 2 (SCA2) and 3 (SCA3) are autosomal-dominantly inherited, neurodegenerative diseases caused by CAG repeat expansions in the coding regions of the genes encoding ataxin-2 and ataxin-3, respectively. To provide a rationale for further functional experiments, we explored the protein architectures of ataxin-2 and ataxin-3. Using structure-based multiple sequence alignments of homologous proteins, we investigated domains, sequence motifs, and interaction partners. Our analyses focused on presumably functional amino acids and the construction of tertiary structure models of the RNA-binding Lsm domain of ataxin-2 and the deubiquitinating Josephin domain of ataxin-3. We also speculate about distant evolutionary relationships of ubiquitin-binding UIM, GAT, UBA and CUE domains and helical ANTH and UBX domain extensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Albrecht
- Max-Planck-Institute for Informatics, Saarbrücken, Germany.
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14
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Pountney DL, Huang Y, Burns RJ, Haan E, Thompson PD, Blumbergs PC, Gai WP. SUMO-1 marks the nuclear inclusions in familial neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease. Exp Neurol 2004; 184:436-46. [PMID: 14637113 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2003.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive ataxia and neuronal nuclear inclusions (NIs), similar to the inclusions found in expanded CAG repeat diseases. NIID may be familial or sporadic. The cause of familial NIID is poorly understood, as no CAG expansion has been detected. We examined three cases, from two unrelated families, who had autosomal dominant NIID but normal CAG repeats in genes involved in polyglutamine neurodegenerative diseases. We found that NIs in all three cases were intensely immunopositive for SUMO-1, a protein which covalently conjugates to other proteins and targets them to the nuclear regions (nuclear bodies) responsible for nuclear proteasomal degradation. Electron microscopy demonstrated that SUMO-1 was located on the 10-nm fibrils of NIs. In cultured PC12 cells, we found that inhibition of proteasome function by specific inhibitors resulted in the appearance of SUMO-1-immunopositive nuclear inclusions. Our study suggests that recruitment of SUMO-1 modified proteins into insoluble nuclear inclusions and proteasomal dysfunction may be involved in the pathogenesis of NIs in familial NIID cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- D L Pountney
- Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, South Australia 5042, Bedford Park, Australia
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