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Solana-Balaguer J, Garcia-Segura P, Campoy-Campos G, Chicote-González A, Fernández-Irigoyen J, Santamaría E, Pérez-Navarro E, Masana M, Alberch J, Malagelada C. Motor skill learning modulates striatal extracellular vesicles' content in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:321. [PMID: 38863004 PMCID: PMC11167907 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01693-9] [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: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurological disorder caused by a CAG expansion in the Huntingtin gene (HTT). HD pathology mostly affects striatal medium-sized spiny neurons and results in an altered cortico-striatal function. Recent studies report that motor skill learning, and cortico-striatal stimulation attenuate the neuropathology in HD, resulting in an amelioration of some motor and cognitive functions. During physical training, extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released in many tissues, including the brain, as a potential means for inter-tissue communication. To investigate how motor skill learning, involving acute physical training, modulates EVs crosstalk between cells in the striatum, we trained wild-type (WT) and R6/1 mice, the latter with motor and cognitive deficits, on the accelerating rotarod test, and we isolated their striatal EVs. EVs from R6/1 mice presented alterations in the small exosome population when compared to WT. Proteomic analyses revealed that striatal R6/1 EVs recapitulated signaling and energy deficiencies present in HD. Motor skill learning in R6/1 mice restored the amount of EVs and their protein content in comparison to naïve R6/1 mice. Furthermore, motor skill learning modulated crucial pathways in metabolism and neurodegeneration. All these data provide new insights into the pathogenesis of HD and put striatal EVs in the spotlight to understand the signaling and metabolic alterations in neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, our results suggest that motor learning is a crucial modulator of cell-to-cell communication in the striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Solana-Balaguer
- Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Casanova 143, North Wing, 3rd Floor, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08036, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Pol Garcia-Segura
- Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Casanova 143, North Wing, 3rd Floor, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08036, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Genís Campoy-Campos
- Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Casanova 143, North Wing, 3rd Floor, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08036, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Almudena Chicote-González
- Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Casanova 143, North Wing, 3rd Floor, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08036, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Enrique Santamaría
- Proteored-ISCIII, Proteomics Unit, Departamento de Salud, UPNA, Navarrabiomed, Pamplona, IdiSNA, Spain
| | - Esther Pérez-Navarro
- Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Casanova 143, North Wing, 3rd Floor, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08036, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mercè Masana
- Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Casanova 143, North Wing, 3rd Floor, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08036, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Alberch
- Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Casanova 143, North Wing, 3rd Floor, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08036, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Malagelada
- Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Casanova 143, North Wing, 3rd Floor, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08036, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain.
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Teramayi F, Bons J, Scott M, Scott GK, Loureiro A, Lopez-Ramirez A, Schilling B, Ellerby LM, Benz CC. Brain transcriptomic, metabolic and mitohormesis properties associated with N-propargylglycine treatment: A prevention strategy against neurodegeneration. Brain Res 2024; 1826:148733. [PMID: 38128812 PMCID: PMC11283822 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is an urgent need for new or repurposed therapeutics that protect against or significantly delay the clinical progression of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington's disease (HD), Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. In particular, preclinical studies are needed for well tolerated and brain-penetrating small molecules capable of mitigating the proteotoxic mitochondrial processes that are hallmarks of these diseases. We identified a unique suicide inhibitor of mitochondrial proline dehydrogenase (Prodh), N-propargylglycine (N-PPG), which has anticancer and brain-enhancing mitohormesis properties, and we hypothesize that induction of mitohormesis by N-PPG protects against neurodegenerative diseases. We carried out a series of mouse studies designed to: i) compare brain and metabolic responses while on oral N-PPG treatment (50 mg/kg, 9-14 days) of B6CBA wildtype (WT) and short-lived transgenic R6/2 (HD) mice; and ii) evaluate potential brain and systemwide stress rebound responses in WT mice 2 months after cessation of extended mitohormesis induction by well-tolerated higher doses of N-PPG (100-200 mg/kg x 60 days). WT and HD mice showed comparable global evidence of N-PPG induced brain mitohormesis characterized by Prodh protein decay and increased mitochondrial expression of chaperone and Yme1l1 protease proteins. Interestingly, transcriptional analysis (RNAseq) showed partial normalization of HD whole brain transcriptomes toward those of WT mice. Comprehensive metabolomic profiles performed on control and N-PPG treated blood, brain, and kidney samples revealed expected N-PPG-induced tissue increases in proline levels in both WT and HD mice, accompanied by surprising parallel increases in hydroxyproline and sarcosine. Two months after cessation of the higher dose N-PPG stress treatments, WT mouse brains showed robust rebound increases in Prodh protein levels and mitochondrial transcriptome responses, as well as altered profiles of blood amino acid-related metabolites. Our HD and WT mouse preclinical findings point to the brain penetrating and mitohormesis-inducing potential of the drug candidate, N-PPG, and provide new rationale and application insights supporting its further preclinical testing in various models of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by loss of mitochondrial proteostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joanna Bons
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, USA
| | - Madeleine Scott
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Gary K Scott
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, USA
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Li J, Wang Y, Yang R, Ma W, Yan J, Li Y, Chen G, Pan J. Pain in Huntington's disease and its potential mechanisms. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1190563. [PMID: 37484692 PMCID: PMC10357841 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1190563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain is common and frequent in many neurodegenerative diseases, although it has not received much attention. In Huntington's disease (HD), pain is often ignored and under-researched because attention is more focused on motor and cognitive decline than psychiatric symptoms. In HD progression, pain symptoms are complex and involved in multiple etiologies, particularly mental issues such as apathy, anxiety and irritability. Because of psychiatric issues, HD patients rarely complain of pain, although their bodies show severe pain symptoms, ultimately resulting in insufficient awareness and lack of research. In HD, few studies have focused on pain and pain-related features. A detailed and systemic pain history is crucial to assess and explore pain pathophysiology in HD. This review provides an overview concentrating on pain-related factors in HD, including neuropathology, frequency, features, affecting factors and mechanisms. More attention and studies are still needed in this interesting field in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajie Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Riyun Yang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Wenjun Ma
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - JunGuo Yan
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Center for Basic Medical Research, Medical School of Nantong University, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jingying Pan
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
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Murashov AK, Pak ES, Mar J, O’Brien K, Fisher-Wellman K, Bhat KM. Paternal Western diet causes transgenerational increase in food consumption in Drosophila with parallel alterations in the offspring brain proteome and microRNAs. FASEB J 2023; 37:e22966. [PMID: 37227156 PMCID: PMC10234493 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202300239rr] [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: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Several lines of evidence indicate that ancestral diet might play an important role in determining offspring's metabolic traits. However, it is not yet clear whether ancestral diet can affect offspring's food choices and feeding behavior. In the current study, taking advantage of Drosophila model system, we demonstrate that paternal Western diet (WD) increases offspring food consumption up to the fourth generation. Paternal WD also induced alterations in F1 offspring brain proteome. Using enrichment analyses of pathways for upregulated and downregulated proteins, we found that upregulated proteins had significant enrichments in terms related to translation and translation factors, whereas downregulated proteins displayed enrichments in small molecule metabolic processes, TCA cycles, and electron transport chain (ETC). Using MIENTURNET miRNA prediction tool, dme-miR-10-3p was identified as the top conserved miRNA predicted to target proteins regulated by ancestral diet. RNAi-based knockdown of miR-10 in the brain significantly increased food consumption, implicating miR-10 as a potential factor in programming feeding behavior. Together, these findings suggest that ancestral nutrition may influence offspring feeding behavior through alterations in miRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander K. Murashov
- Department of Physiology & East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
| | - Elena S. Pak
- Department of Physiology & East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
| | - Jordan Mar
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
| | - Kevin O’Brien
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Allied Health Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
| | - Kelsey Fisher-Wellman
- Department of Physiology & East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
| | - Krishna M. Bhat
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
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Pepe G, Lenzi P, Capocci L, Marracino F, Pizzati L, Scarselli P, Di Pardo A, Fornai F, Maglione V. Treatment with the Glycosphingolipid Modulator THI Rescues Myelin Integrity in the Striatum of R6/2 HD Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065956. [PMID: 36983032 PMCID: PMC10053002 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065956] [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: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is one of the most common dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders caused by an expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch in the N-terminal region of huntingtin (Htt). Among all the molecular mechanisms, affected by the mutation, emerging evidence proposes glycosphingolipid dysfunction as one of the major determinants. High levels of sphingolipids have been found to localize in the myelin sheaths of oligodendrocytes, where they play an important role in myelination stability and functions. In this study, we investigated any potential existing link between sphingolipid modulation and myelin structure by performing both ultrastructural and biochemical analyses. Our findings demonstrated that the treatment with the glycosphingolipid modulator THI preserved myelin thickness and the overall structure and reduced both area and diameter of pathologically giant axons in the striatum of HD mice. These ultrastructural findings were associated with restoration of different myelin marker protein, such as myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), myelin basic protein (MBP) and 2', 3' Cyclic Nucleotide 3'-Phosphodiesterase (CNP). Interestingly, the compound modulated the expression of glycosphingolipid biosynthetic enzymes and increased levels of GM1, whose elevation has been extensively reported to be associated with reduced toxicity of mutant Htt in different HD pre-clinical models. Our study further supports the evidence that the metabolism of glycosphingolipids may represent an effective therapeutic target for the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Pepe
- IRCCS Neuromed, Via Dell'elettronica, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Paola Lenzi
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Luca Capocci
- IRCCS Neuromed, Via Dell'elettronica, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Alba Di Pardo
- IRCCS Neuromed, Via Dell'elettronica, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Francesco Fornai
- IRCCS Neuromed, Via Dell'elettronica, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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Pepe G, Capocci L, Marracino F, Realini N, Lenzi P, Martinello K, Bovier TF, Bichell TJ, Scarselli P, Di Cicco C, Bowman AB, Digilio FA, Fucile S, Fornai F, Armirotti A, Parlato R, Di Pardo A, Maglione V. Treatment with THI, an inhibitor of sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase, modulates glycosphingolipid metabolism and results therapeutically effective in experimental models of Huntington's disease. Mol Ther 2023; 31:282-299. [PMID: 36116006 PMCID: PMC9840122 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder with no effective cure currently available. Over the past few years our research has shown that alterations in sphingolipid metabolism represent a critical determinant in HD pathogenesis. In particular, aberrant metabolism of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) has been reported in multiple disease settings, including human postmortem brains from HD patients. In this study, we investigate the potential therapeutic effect of the inhibition of S1P degradative enzyme SGPL1, by the chronic administration of the 2-acetyl-5-tetrahydroxybutyl imidazole (THI) inhibitor. We show that THI mitigated motor dysfunctions in both mouse and fly models of HD. The compound evoked the activation of pro-survival pathways, normalized levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, preserved white matter integrity, and stimulated synaptic functions in HD mice. Metabolically, THI restored normal levels of hexosylceramides and stimulated the autophagic and lysosomal machinery, facilitating the reduction of nuclear inclusions of both wild-type and mutant huntingtin proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Natalia Realini
- Analytical Chemistry Lab, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Paola Lenzi
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Tiziana Francesca Bovier
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), UOS Naples-CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy; Department of Pediatrics Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA; Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York 10032, NY, USA
| | - Terry Jo Bichell
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | | | | | - Aaron B Bowman
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2051, USA
| | - Filomena A Digilio
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), UOS Naples-CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Sergio Fucile
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli (IS) 86077, Italy; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza Rome University, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Francesco Fornai
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli (IS) 86077, Italy; Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Armirotti
- Analytical Chemistry Lab, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Rosanna Parlato
- Division for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience, Medical Faculty Mannheim Heidelberg University, Mannheim 68167, Germany
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Dhankhar J, Shrivastava A, Agrawal N. Amendment of Altered Immune Response by Curcumin in Drosophila Model of Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2023; 12:335-354. [PMID: 37781812 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-230595] [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] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Though primarily classified as a brain disorder, surplus studies direct Huntington's disease (HD) to be a multi-system disorder affecting various tissues and organs, thus affecting overall physiology of host. Recently, we have reported that neuronal expression of mutant huntingtin induces immune dysregulation in Drosophila and may pose chronic threat to challenged individuals. Therefore, we tested the polyphenolic compound curcumin to circumvent the impact of immune dysregulation in Drosophila model of HD. OBJECTIVE The present study examined the molecular basis underlying immune derangements and immunomodulatory potential of curcumin in HD. METHODS UAS-GAL4 system was used to imitate the HD symptoms in Drosophila, and the desired female progenies (elav > Httex1pQ25; control and elav > Httex1pQ93; diseased) were cultured on food mixed without and with 10 μM concentration of curcumin since early development. Effect of curcumin supplementation was investigated by monitoring the hemocytes' count and their functional abilities in diseased condition. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in cells was assessed by DHE staining and mitochondrial dysfunction was assessed by CMXros red dye. In addition, transcript levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-microbial peptides were monitored by qRT-PCR. RESULTS We found that curcumin supplementation commendably reduced higher crystal cell count and phenoloxidase activity in diseased flies. Interestingly, curcumin significantly managed altered plasmatocytes count, improved their phagocytic activity by upregulating the expression of key phagocytic receptors in HD condition. Moreover, substantial alleviation of ROS levels and mitochondria dysfunction was observed in plasmatocytes of diseased flies upon curcumin supplementation. Furthermore, curcumin administration effectively attenuated transcriptional expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and AMPs in diseased flies. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that curcumin efficiently attenuates immune derangements in HD flies and may prove beneficial in alleviating complexities associated with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Dhankhar
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | | | - Namita Agrawal
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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Singh A, Agrawal N. Progressive transcriptional changes in metabolic genes and altered fatbody homeostasis in Drosophila model of Huntington's disease. Metab Brain Dis 2022; 37:2783-2792. [PMID: 36121619 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-022-01078-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disorder marked by progressive neuronal atrophy, particularly in striatum and cerebral cortex. Although predominant manifestations of the disease include loss in the triad of motor, cognitive and behavioral capabilities, metabolic dysfunction in patients and HD models are being increasingly recognized. Patients display progressive body weight loss, which aggravates the disease and leads to cachexia in the terminal stages. Using the Drosophila model of HD, we have earlier reported that diseased flies exhibit an atypical pattern of lipid gain and loss with progression along with exhibiting extensive mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired calcium homeostasis and heightened apoptosis in the fatbody. Here, we first monitored the structural changes that abdominal fatbody undergoes with disease progression. Further, we checked the transcriptional changes of key metabolic genes in whole fly as well as genes regulating mitochondrial function, apoptosis, autophagy and calcium homeostasis in the abdominal fatbody. We found extensive alterations in whole-body and fatbody-specific transcriptional profile of the diseased flies, which was in consort with their stage-specific physiological state. Additionally, we also assessed lysosome-mediated autophagy in the fatbody of diseased flies in order to ascertain the mechanisms contributing to fatbody atrophy at the terminal stage. Interestingly, we found elevated autophagy in fatbody of flies throughout disease progression. This study provides new insights into the effect on peripheral metabolism due to degeneration of neurons in the neurodegenerative disease, thereby discerns novel mechanisms leading to cachexia in diseased flies and advocates for the need of managing metabolic dysfunctions in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Singh
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, 110007, New Delhi, India
| | - Namita Agrawal
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, 110007, New Delhi, India.
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Whittaker DS, Tamai TK, Bains RS, Villanueva SAM, Luk SHC, Dell’Angelica D, Block GD, Ghiani CA, Colwell CS. Dietary ketosis improves circadian dysfunction as well as motor symptoms in the BACHD mouse model of Huntington's disease. Front Nutr 2022; 9:1034743. [PMID: 36407529 PMCID: PMC9669764 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1034743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Disturbances in sleep/wake cycles are common among patients with neurodegenerative diseases including Huntington's disease (HD) and represent an appealing target for chrono-nutrition-based interventions. In the present work, we sought to determine whether a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet would ameliorate the symptoms and delay disease progression in the BACHD mouse model of HD. Adult WT and BACHD male mice were fed a normal or a ketogenic diet (KD) for 3 months. The KD evoked a robust rhythm in serum levels of β-hydroxybutyrate and dramatic changes in the microbiome of male WT and BACHD mice. NanoString analysis revealed transcriptional changes driven by the KD in the striatum of both WT and BACHD mice. Disturbances in sleep/wake cycles have been reported in mouse models of HD and are common among HD patients. Having established that the KD had effects on both the WT and mutant mice, we examined its impact on sleep/wake cycles. KD increased daytime sleep and improved the timing of sleep onset, while other sleep parameters were not altered. In addition, KD improved activity rhythms, including rhythmic power, and reduced inappropriate daytime activity and onset variability. Importantly, KD improved motor performance on the rotarod and challenging beam tests. It is worth emphasizing that HD is a genetically caused disease with no known cure. Life-style changes that not only improve the quality of life but also delay disease progression for HD patients are greatly needed. Our study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of diet-based treatment strategies in a pre-clinical model of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S. Whittaker
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - T. Katherine Tamai
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Raj S. Bains
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Sophia Anne Marie Villanueva
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Shu Hon Christopher Luk
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Derek Dell’Angelica
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Gene D. Block
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Cristina A. Ghiani
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Christopher S. Colwell
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Sotiriou A, Ploumi C, Charmpilas N, Tavernarakis N. Assessing polyglutamine tract aggregation in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Methods Cell Biol 2022; 181:1-15. [PMID: 38302233 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2022.09.003] [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] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Proteome integrity is a prerequisite for cellular functionality and organismal viability. Its compromise is considered an inherent part of the aging process and has been associated with the onset of age-related, neurodegenerative pathologies. Although the molecular underpinnings of protein homeostasis (proteostasis) have been extensively studied, several aspects of its regulation remain elusive. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a versatile, heterologous model organism to study the dynamics of aggregation-prone human proteins in vivo. Here, we describe an experimental pipeline for the analysis of polyglutamine (polyQ) tract aggregation, as a measure of the state of proteostasis, during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aggeliki Sotiriou
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece; Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Christina Ploumi
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece; Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Charmpilas
- Institute for Genetics and Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nektarios Tavernarakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece; Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
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Bergh S, Cheong RY, Petersén Å, Gabery S. Oxytocin in Huntington’s disease and the spectrum of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:984317. [PMID: 36187357 PMCID: PMC9515306 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.984317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) such as Huntington’s disease (HD) and the spectrum of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are characterized by progressive loss of selectively vulnerable populations of neurons. Although often associated with motor impairments, these NDDs share several commonalities in early symptoms and signs that extend beyond motor dysfunction. These include impairments in social cognition and psychiatric symptoms. Oxytocin (OXT) is a neuropeptide known to play a pivotal role in the regulation of social cognition as well as in emotional behaviors such as anxiety and depression. Here, we present an overview of key results implicating OXT in the pathology of HD, ALS and FTD and seek to identify commonalities across these NDDs. OXT is produced in the hypothalamus, a region in the brain that during the past decade has been shown to be affected in HD, ALS, and FTD. Several studies using human post-mortem neuropathological analyses, measurements of cerebrospinal fluid, experimental treatments with OXT as well as genetic animal models have collectively implicated an important role of central OXT in the development of altered social cognition and psychiatric features across these diseases. Understanding central OXT signaling may unveil the underlying mechanisms of early signs of the social cognitive impairment and the psychiatric features in NDDs. It is therefore possible that OXT might have potential therapeutic value for early disease intervention and better symptomatic treatment in NDDs.
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Huntingtin Co-Isolates with Small Extracellular Vesicles from Blood Plasma of TgHD and KI-HD Pig Models of Huntington's Disease and Human Blood Plasma. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105598. [PMID: 35628406 PMCID: PMC9147436 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Huntington’s disease (HD) is rare incurable hereditary neurodegenerative disorder caused by CAG repeat expansion in the gene coding for the protein huntingtin (HTT). Mutated huntingtin (mHTT) undergoes fragmentation and accumulation, affecting cellular functions and leading to neuronal cell death. Porcine models of HD are used in preclinical testing of currently emerging disease modifying therapies. Such therapies are aimed at reducing mHTT expression, postpone the disease onset, slow down the progression, and point out the need of biomarkers to monitor disease development and therapy efficacy. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs), particularly exosomes, gained attention as possible carriers of disease biomarkers. We aimed to characterize HTT and mHTT forms/fragments in blood plasma derived EVs in transgenic (TgHD) and knock-in (KI-HD) porcine models, as well as in HD patients’ plasma. (2) Methods: Small EVs were isolated by ultracentrifugation and HTT forms were visualized by western blotting. (3) Results: The full length 360 kDa HTT co-isolated with EVs from both the pig model and HD patient plasma. In addition, a ~70 kDa mutant HTT fragment was specific for TgHD pigs. Elevated total huntingtin levels in EVs from plasma of HD groups compared to controls were observed in both pig models and HD patients, however only in TgHD were they significant (p = 0.02). (4) Conclusions: Our study represents a valuable initial step towards the characterization of EV content in the search for HD biomarkers.
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Kim C, Yousefian-Jazi A, Choi SH, Chang I, Lee J, Ryu H. Non-Cell Autonomous and Epigenetic Mechanisms of Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12499. [PMID: 34830381 PMCID: PMC8617801 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of CAG trinucleotide repeat located in the exon 1 of Huntingtin (HTT) gene in human chromosome 4. The HTT protein is ubiquitously expressed in the brain. Specifically, mutant HTT (mHTT) protein-mediated toxicity leads to a dramatic degeneration of the striatum among many regions of the brain. HD symptoms exhibit a major involuntary movement followed by cognitive and psychiatric dysfunctions. In this review, we address the conventional role of wild type HTT (wtHTT) and how mHTT protein disrupts the function of medium spiny neurons (MSNs). We also discuss how mHTT modulates epigenetic modifications and transcriptional pathways in MSNs. In addition, we define how non-cell autonomous pathways lead to damage and death of MSNs under HD pathological conditions. Lastly, we overview therapeutic approaches for HD. Together, understanding of precise neuropathological mechanisms of HD may improve therapeutic approaches to treat the onset and progression of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaebin Kim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea; (C.K.); (A.Y.-J.); (S.-H.C.)
| | - Ali Yousefian-Jazi
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea; (C.K.); (A.Y.-J.); (S.-H.C.)
| | - Seung-Hye Choi
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea; (C.K.); (A.Y.-J.); (S.-H.C.)
| | - Inyoung Chang
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
| | - Junghee Lee
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, USA
| | - Hoon Ryu
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea; (C.K.); (A.Y.-J.); (S.-H.C.)
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