1
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Rajabi D, Khanmohammadi S, Rezaei N. The role of long noncoding RNAs in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Rev Neurosci 2024; 35:533-547. [PMID: 38452377 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2023-0155] [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: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with a poor prognosis leading to death. The diagnosis and treatment of ALS are inherently challenging due to its complex pathomechanism. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides involved in different cellular processes, incisively gene expression. In recent years, more studies have been conducted on lncRNA classes and interference in different disease pathologies, showing their promising contribution to diagnosing and treating neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we discussed the role of lncRNAs like NEAT1 and C9orf72-as in ALS pathogenesis mechanisms caused by mutations in different genes, including TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43), fused in sarcoma (FUS), superoxide dismutase type 1 (SOD1). NEAT1 is a well-established lncRNA in ALS pathogenesis; hence, we elaborate on its involvement in forming paraspeckles, stress response, inflammatory response, and apoptosis. Furthermore, antisense lncRNAs (as-lncRNAs), a key group of transcripts from the opposite strand of genes, including ZEB1-AS1 and ATXN2-AS, are discussed as newly identified components in the pathology of ALS. Ultimately, we review the current standing of using lncRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic agents and the future vision of further studies on lncRNA applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darya Rajabi
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Felestin St., Keshavarz Blvd., Tehran, 1416634793, Iran
| | - Shaghayegh Khanmohammadi
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Felestin St., Keshavarz Blvd., Tehran, 1416634793, Iran
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, No 63, Gharib Ave, Keshavarz Blv, Tehran, 1419733151, Iran
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Children's Medical Center, No 63, Gharib Ave, Keshavarz Blv, Tehran, 1419733151, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, No 63, Gharib Ave, Keshavarz Blv, Tehran, 1419733151, Iran
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Children's Medical Center, No 63, Gharib Ave, Keshavarz Blv, Tehran, 1419733151, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Felestin St., Keshavarz Blvd., Tehran, 1416634793, Iran
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2
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Wang JY, Liu YJ, Zhang XL, Liu YH, Jiang LL, Hu HY. PolyQ-expanded ataxin-2 aggregation impairs cellular processing-body homeostasis via sequestering the RNA helicase DDX6. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107413. [PMID: 38810698 PMCID: PMC11254730 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107413] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Ataxin-2 (Atx2) is a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract-containing RNA-binding protein, while its polyQ expansion may cause protein aggregation that is implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2). However, the molecular mechanism underlying how Atx2 aggregation contributes to the proteinopathies remains elusive. Here, we investigated the influence of Atx2 aggregation on the assembly and functionality of cellular processing bodies (P-bodies) by using biochemical and fluorescence imaging approaches. We have revealed that polyQ-expanded (PQE) Atx2 sequesters the DEAD-box RNA helicase (DDX6), an essential component of P-bodies, into aggregates or puncta via some RNA sequences. The N-terminal like-Sm (LSm) domain of Atx2 (residues 82-184) and the C-terminal helicase domain of DDX6 are responsible for the interaction and specific sequestration. Moreover, sequestration of DDX6 may aggravate pre-mRNA mis-splicing, and interfere with the assembly of cellular P-bodies, releasing the endoribonuclease MARF1 that promotes mRNA decay and translational repression. Rescuing the DDX6 protein level can recover the assembly and functionality of P-bodies, preventing targeted mRNA from degradation. This study provides a line of evidence for sequestration of the P-body components and impairment of the P-body homeostasis in dysregulating RNA metabolism, which is implicated in the disease pathologies and a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Yang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Ya-Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Xiang-Le Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yin-Hu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Lei-Lei Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Hong-Yu Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, PR China.
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3
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Costa RG, Conceição A, Matos CA, Nóbrega C. The polyglutamine protein ATXN2: from its molecular functions to its involvement in disease. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:415. [PMID: 38877004 PMCID: PMC11178924 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06812-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
A CAG repeat sequence in the ATXN2 gene encodes a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract within the ataxin-2 (ATXN2) protein, showcasing a complex landscape of functions that have been progressively unveiled over recent decades. Despite significant progresses in the field, a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms governed by ATXN2 remains elusive. This multifaceted protein emerges as a key player in RNA metabolism, stress granules dynamics, endocytosis, calcium signaling, and the regulation of the circadian rhythm. The CAG overexpansion within the ATXN2 gene produces a protein with an extended poly(Q) tract, inducing consequential alterations in conformational dynamics which confer a toxic gain and/or partial loss of function. Although overexpanded ATXN2 is predominantly linked to spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2), intermediate expansions are also implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and parkinsonism. While the molecular intricacies await full elucidation, SCA2 presents ATXN2-associated pathological features, encompassing autophagy impairment, RNA-mediated toxicity, heightened oxidative stress, and disruption of calcium homeostasis. Presently, SCA2 remains incurable, with patients reliant on symptomatic and supportive treatments. In the pursuit of therapeutic solutions, various studies have explored avenues ranging from pharmacological drugs to advanced therapies, including cell or gene-based approaches. These endeavours aim to address the root causes or counteract distinct pathological features of SCA2. This review is intended to provide an updated compendium of ATXN2 functions, delineate the associated pathological mechanisms, and present current perspectives on the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael G Costa
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Faro, Portugal.
- PhD program in Biomedical Sciences, Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve (UAlg), Faro, Portugal.
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve (UAlg), Faro, Portugal.
| | - André Conceição
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Faro, Portugal
- PhD program in Biomedical Sciences, Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve (UAlg), Faro, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve (UAlg), Faro, Portugal
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Coimbra, Portugal
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carlos A Matos
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Faro, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve (UAlg), Faro, Portugal
| | - Clévio Nóbrega
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Faro, Portugal.
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve (UAlg), Faro, Portugal.
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4
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Raghunathan N, Sankaran S, Miteu GD. A comprehensive review of iPS cell line-based disease modelling of the polyglutamine spinocerebellar ataxias 2 and 3: a focus on the research outcomes. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2024; 86:3487-3498. [PMID: 38846892 PMCID: PMC11152827 DOI: 10.1097/ms9.0000000000001984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a rare autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder. To date, approximately 50 different subtypes of SCAs have been characterized. The prevalent types of SCAs are usually of PolyQ origin, wherein the disease pathology is a consequence of multiple glutamine residues being encoded onto the disease proteins, causing expansions. SCAs 2 and 3 are the most frequently diagnosed subtypes, wherein affected patients exhibit certain characteristic physiological manifestations, such as gait ataxia and dysarthria. Nevertheless, other clinical signs were exclusive to these subtypes. Recently, multiple molecular diagnostic methods have been developed to identify and characterize these subtypes. Despite these advancements, the molecular pathology of SCAs remains unknown. To further understand the mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative SCAs 2 and 3, patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based modelling is a compelling avenue to pursue. We cover the present state of iPSC-based in-vitro illness modelling of SCA subtypes 2 and 3 below, along with a list of cell lines created, and the relevance of research outcomes to personalized autologous therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Goshen D. Miteu
- School of Biosciences, Biotechnology, University of Nottingham, England, UK
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Caleb University, Lagos, Nigeria
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5
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Henriques C, Lopes MM, Silva AC, Lobo DD, Badin RA, Hantraye P, Pereira de Almeida L, Nobre RJ. Viral-based animal models in polyglutamine disorders. Brain 2024; 147:1166-1189. [PMID: 38284949 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae012] [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: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine disorders are a complex group of incurable neurodegenerative disorders caused by an abnormal expansion in the trinucleotide cytosine-adenine-guanine tract of the affected gene. To better understand these disorders, our dependence on animal models persists, primarily relying on transgenic models. In an effort to complement and deepen our knowledge, researchers have also developed animal models of polyglutamine disorders employing viral vectors. Viral vectors have been extensively used to deliver genes to the brain, not only for therapeutic purposes but also for the development of animal models, given their remarkable flexibility. In a time- and cost-effective manner, it is possible to use different transgenes, at varying doses, in diverse targeted tissues, at different ages, and in different species, to recreate polyglutamine pathology. This paper aims to showcase the utility of viral vectors in disease modelling, share essential considerations for developing animal models with viral vectors, and provide a comprehensive review of existing viral-based animal models for polyglutamine disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Henriques
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel M Lopes
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana C Silva
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Diana D Lobo
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Romina Aron Badin
- CEA, DRF, Institute of Biology François Jacob, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- CNRS, CEA, Paris-Sud University, Université Paris-Saclay, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory (UMR9199), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Philippe Hantraye
- CEA, DRF, Institute of Biology François Jacob, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- CNRS, CEA, Paris-Sud University, Université Paris-Saclay, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory (UMR9199), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rui Jorge Nobre
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
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6
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Liu YJ, Wang JY, Zhang XL, Jiang LL, Hu HY. Ataxin-2 sequesters Raptor into aggregates and impairs cellular mTORC1 signaling. FEBS J 2024; 291:1795-1812. [PMID: 38308810 DOI: 10.1111/febs.17081] [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: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Ataxin-2 (Atx2) is a polyglutamine (polyQ) protein, in which abnormal expansion of the polyQ tract can trigger protein aggregation and consequently cause spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2), but the mechanism underlying how Atx2 aggregation leads to proteinopathy remains elusive. Here, we investigate the molecular mechanism and cellular consequences of Atx2 aggregation by molecular cell biology approaches. We have revealed that either normal or polyQ-expanded Atx2 can sequester Raptor, a component of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), into aggregates based on their specific interaction. Further research indicates that the polyQ tract and the N-terminal region (residues 1-784) of Atx2 are responsible for the specific sequestration. Moreover, this sequestration leads to suppression of the mTORC1 activity as represented by down-regulation of phosphorylated P70S6K, which can be reversed by overexpression of Raptor. As mTORC1 is a key regulator of autophagy, Atx2 aggregation and sequestration also induces autophagy by upregulating LC3-II and reducing phosphorylated ULK1 levels. This study proposes that Atx2 sequesters Raptor into aggregates, thereby impairing cellular mTORC1 signaling and inducing autophagy, and will be beneficial for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of SCA2 and other polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian-Yang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiang-Le Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lei-Lei Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-Yu Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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Borrego-Hernández D, Vázquez-Costa JF, Domínguez-Rubio R, Expósito-Blázquez L, Aller E, Padró-Miquel A, García-Casanova P, Colomina MJ, Martín-Arriscado C, Osta R, Cordero-Vázquez P, Esteban-Pérez J, Povedano-Panadés M, García-Redondo A. Intermediate Repeat Expansion in the ATXN2 Gene as a Risk Factor in the ALS and FTD Spanish Population. Biomedicines 2024; 12:356. [PMID: 38397958 PMCID: PMC10886453 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12020356] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Intermediate CAG expansions in the gene ataxin-2 (ATXN2) are a known risk factor for ALS, but little is known about their role in FTD risk. Moreover, their contribution to the risk and phenotype of patients might vary in populations with different genetic backgrounds. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of intermediate CAG expansions in ATXN2 with the risk and phenotype of ALS and FTD in the Spanish population. Repeat-primed PCR was performed in 620 ALS and 137 FTD patients in three referral centers in Spain to determine the exact number of CAG repeats. In our cohort, ≥27 CAG repeats in ATXN2 were associated with a higher risk of developing ALS (odds ratio [OR] = 2.666 [1.471-4.882]; p = 0.0013) but not FTD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.446 [0.558-3.574]; p = 0.44). Moreover, ALS patients with ≥27 CAG repeats in ATXN2 showed a shorter survival rate compared to those with <27 repeats (hazard ratio [HR] 1.74 [1.18, 2.56], p = 0.005), more frequent limb onset (odds ratio [OR] = 2.34 [1.093-4.936]; p = 0.028) and a family history of ALS (odds ratio [OR] = 2.538 [1.375-4.634]; p = 0.002). Intermediate CAG expansions of ≥27 repeats in ATXN2 are associated with ALS risk but not with FTD in the Spanish population. ALS patients carrying an intermediate expansion in ATXN2 show more frequent limb onset but a worse prognosis than those without expansions. In patients carrying C9orf72 expansions, the intermediate ATXN2 expansion might increase the penetrance and modify the phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Borrego-Hernández
- ALS Research Laboratory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (L.E.-B.); (P.C.-V.); (J.E.-P.); (A.G.-R.)
| | - Juan Francisco Vázquez-Costa
- Neuromuscular Unit, ERN-NMD Group, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (J.F.V.-C.); (P.G.-C.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Department of Medicine, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Raúl Domínguez-Rubio
- Motoneuron Functional Unit, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; (R.D.-R.); (M.P.-P.)
| | - Laura Expósito-Blázquez
- ALS Research Laboratory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (L.E.-B.); (P.C.-V.); (J.E.-P.); (A.G.-R.)
| | - Elena Aller
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Genetics Department, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain
| | - Ariadna Padró-Miquel
- Genetics Laboratory (LCTMS), Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, 08908 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain;
| | - Pilar García-Casanova
- Neuromuscular Unit, ERN-NMD Group, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (J.F.V.-C.); (P.G.-C.)
| | - María J. Colomina
- Anesthesia Service Unit, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain;
| | | | - Rosario Osta
- Laboratório de Genética e Biotecnologia (LAGENBIO), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Aragon Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragon), Zaragoza University, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain;
| | - Pilar Cordero-Vázquez
- ALS Research Laboratory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (L.E.-B.); (P.C.-V.); (J.E.-P.); (A.G.-R.)
| | - Jesús Esteban-Pérez
- ALS Research Laboratory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (L.E.-B.); (P.C.-V.); (J.E.-P.); (A.G.-R.)
| | - Mónica Povedano-Panadés
- Motoneuron Functional Unit, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; (R.D.-R.); (M.P.-P.)
| | - Alberto García-Redondo
- ALS Research Laboratory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain; (L.E.-B.); (P.C.-V.); (J.E.-P.); (A.G.-R.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
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8
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Tu Y, Li Z, Xiong F, Gao F. Progressive white matter degeneration in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2. Neuroradiology 2024; 66:101-108. [PMID: 38040824 DOI: 10.1007/s00234-023-03260-4] [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: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cerebellar atrophy. However, studies to elucidate the longitudinal progression of the neuropathology are limited. We sought to identify brain macrostructural and microstructural alterations in patients with SCA2 using fixel-based analysis (FBA) to better understand its distribution patterns and progression. METHODS We enrolled 9 patients with SCA2 and 16 age- and gender-matched controls. Longitudinal clinical and imaging data were collected at baseline, and 3.5 years later. Fiber density (FD), fiber-bundle cross-section (FC), and a combination of FD and FC (FDC) were calculated. The paired t-test was used to examine longitudinal differences. The associations between fixel-based metrics and clinical variables were explored in SCA2 patients. RESULTS At baseline, patients with SCA2 displayed multiple white matter tracts with significantly decreased FD, FC, and FDC in the corticospinal tract, cerebellar peduncles, brainstem, corpus callosum, thalamus, striatum, and prefrontal cortex, compared to controls. Over time, many of these macrostructural and microstructural alterations progressed, manifesting lower FD, FC, and FDC in corticospinal tract, middle cerebellar peduncle, brainstem, striatum, fornix, and cingulum. No significant brain white matter alterations were found in the healthy controls over time. There was no association between the FBA-derived metrics and clinical variables in SCA2. CONCLUSION This study provides evidence of brain macrostructural and microstructural alterations and of progression over time in SCA2. The FBA-derived metrics may serve as potential biomarkers of SCA2 progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Tu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zheng Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Fei Xiong
- Department of Radiology, General Hospital of Central Theater Command, Wuhan, China.
| | - Feng Gao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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Egorova PA, Marinina KS, Bezprozvanny IB. Chronic suppression of STIM1-mediated calcium signaling in Purkinje cells rescues the cerebellar pathology in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2023; 1870:119466. [PMID: 36940741 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2023.119466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Distorted neuronal calcium signaling has been reported in many neurodegenerative disorders, including different types of spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs). Cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) are primarily affected in SCAs and the disturbances in the calcium homeostasis were observed in SCA PCs. Our previous results have revealed that 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) induced greater calcium responses in SCA2-58Q PC cultures than in wild type (WT) PC cultures. Here we observed that glutamate-induced calcium release in PCs cells bodies is significantly higher in SCA2-58Q PCs from acute cerebellar slices compared to WT PCs of the same age. Recent studies have demonstrated that the stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) plays an important role in the regulation of the neuronal calcium signaling in cerebellar PCs in mice. The main function of STIM1 is to regulate store-operated calcium entry through the TRPC/Orai channels formation to refill the calcium stores in the ER when it is empty. Here we demonstrated that the chronic viral-mediated expression of the small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting STIM1 specifically in cerebellar PCs alleviates the deranged calcium signaling in SCA2-58Q PCs, rescues the spine loss in these cerebellar neurons, and also improves the motor decline in SCA2-58Q mice. Thus, our preliminary results support the important role of the altered neuronal calcium signaling in SCA2 pathology and also suggest the STIM1-mediated signaling pathway as a potential therapeutic target for treatment of SCA2 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina A Egorova
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ksenia S Marinina
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ilya B Bezprozvanny
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia; Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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10
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TR-FRET-Based Immunoassay to Measure Ataxin-2 as a Target Engagement Marker in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:3553-3567. [PMID: 36894829 PMCID: PMC10122633 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03294-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease, which belongs to the trinucleotide repeat disease group with a CAG repeat expansion in exon 1 of the ATXN2 gene resulting in an ataxin-2 protein with an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ)-stretch. The disease is late manifesting leading to early death. Today, therapeutic interventions to cure the disease or even to decelerate disease progression are not available yet. Furthermore, primary readout parameter for disease progression and therapeutic intervention studies are limited. Thus, there is an urgent need for quantifiable molecular biomarkers such as ataxin-2 becoming even more important due to numerous potential protein-lowering therapeutic intervention strategies. The aim of this study was to establish a sensitive technique to measure the amount of soluble polyQ-expanded ataxin-2 in human biofluids to evaluate ataxin-2 protein levels as prognostic and/or therapeutic biomarker in SCA2. Time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer (TR-FRET) was used to establish a polyQ-expanded ataxin-2-specific immunoassay. Two different ataxin-2 antibodies and two different polyQ-binding antibodies were validated in three different concentrations and tested in cellular and animal tissue as well as in human cell lines, comparing different buffer conditions to evaluate the best assay conditions. We established a TR-FRET-based immunoassay for soluble polyQ-expanded ataxin-2 and validated measurements in human cell lines including iPSC-derived cortical neurons. Additionally, our immunoassay was sensitive enough to monitor small ataxin-2 expression changes by siRNA or starvation treatment. We successfully established the first sensitive ataxin-2 immunoassay to measure specifically soluble polyQ-expanded ataxin-2 in human biomaterials.
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11
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Egorova PA, Bezprozvanny IB. Electrophysiological Studies Support Utility of Positive Modulators of SK Channels for the Treatment of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 21:742-749. [PMID: 34978024 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-021-01349-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an incurable hereditary disorder accompanied by cerebellar degeneration following ataxic symptoms. The causative gene for SCA2 is ATXN2. The ataxin-2 protein is involved in RNA metabolism; the polyQ expansion may interrupt ataxin-2 interaction with its molecular targets, thus representing a loss-of-function mutation. However, mutant ataxin-2 protein also displays the features of gain-of-function mutation since it forms the aggregates in SCA2 cells and also enhances the IP3-induced calcium release in affected neurons. The cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) are primarily affected in SCA2. Their tonic pacemaker activity is crucial for the proper cerebellar functioning. Disturbances in PC pacemaking are observed in many ataxic disorders. The abnormal intrinsic pacemaking was reported in mouse models of episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2), SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA6, Huntington's disease (HD), and in some other murine models of the disorders associated with the cerebellar degeneration. In our studies using SCA2-58Q transgenic mice via cerebellar slice recording and in vivo recording from urethane-anesthetized mice and awake head-fixed mice, we have demonstrated the impaired firing frequency and irregularity of PCs in these mice. PC pacemaker activity is regulated by SK channels. The pharmacological activation of SK channels has demonstrated some promising results in the electrophysiological experiments on EA2, SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA6, HD mice, and also on mutant CACNA1A mice. In our studies, we have reported that the SK activators CyPPA and NS309 converted bursting activity into tonic, while oral treatment with CyPPA and NS13001 significantly improved motor performance and PC morphology in SCA2 mice. The i.p. injections of chlorzoxazone (CHZ) during in vivo recording sessions converted bursting cells into tonic in anesthetized SCA2 mice. And, finally, long-term injections of CHZ recovered the precision of PC pacemaking activity in awake SCA2 mice and alleviated their motor decline. Thus, the SK activation can be used as a potential way to treat SCA2 and other diseases accompanied by cerebellar degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina A Egorova
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Ilya B Bezprozvanny
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia.
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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12
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Zonta MB, Teive HAG, Camargo CHF, Meira AT, Lopes Neto FDN, Tensini FS, Braga CB, Ashizawa T, Munhoz RP. Comparing loss of balance and functional capacity among patients with SCA2, SCA3 and SCA10. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2022; 214:107150. [PMID: 35123369 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2022.107150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) presents different rates of functional decline depending on the type of ataxia. OBJECTIVE To compare the progression of disability, imbalance and severity of ataxia in patients with the three most common types of SCA in southern Brazil. METHODS 126 patients (31-SCA2, 58-SCA3 and 37-SCA10) were stratified into four groups based on disease duration. Progression rates were calculated in each group for ataxia severity (SARA), functioning (FIM-ADL and Lawton-IADL), and balance (Berg Balance Scale). RESULTS Differences across groups in terms of disease severity revealed a linear pattern of decline in SCA3, with a faster rate over time (p = 0.039) compared to SCA2 and SCA10. The pattern was nonlinear for SCA2 and SCA10, with a twofold faster rate in patients with up to seven years of disease compared to all other periods in SCA10 (p < 0.001) and to the longer follow up period in SCA2 (p = 0.049). Differences across groups regarding worsening of balance scores was significantly faster in SCA3 compared to SCA10 (p = 0.028) and SCA2 (p = 0.028). The rate of loss of independence of ADLs tended to diminish over time in the three types of ataxia and was faster in SCA3. Similarly, the rate for loss of independence (IADLs) was faster in SCA3 compared to SCA2 (p = 0.057) and significantly faster compared to SCA10 (p = 0.028). CONCLUSION The present findings suggest that the progression of the disease (severity/functioning/balance) varies according to the SCA subtype and the period in disease course. Progression is more linear and aggressive in patients with SCA3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marise Bueno Zonta
- Movement Disorder Unit, Neurology Service, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Rua General Carneiro 181, 4th Floor, Alto da Glória, Curitiba, PR 80060-900, Brazil; Neurological Disease Group, Graduate Program in Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Rua General Carneiro 181, 11th Floor, Alto da Glória, Curitiba, PR 80060-900, Brazil.
| | - Hélio A G Teive
- Movement Disorder Unit, Neurology Service, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Rua General Carneiro 181, 4th Floor, Alto da Glória, Curitiba, PR 80060-900, Brazil; Neurological Disease Group, Graduate Program in Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Rua General Carneiro 181, 11th Floor, Alto da Glória, Curitiba, PR 80060-900, Brazil.
| | - Carlos Henrique F Camargo
- Neurological Disease Group, Graduate Program in Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Rua General Carneiro 181, 11th Floor, Alto da Glória, Curitiba, PR 80060-900, Brazil.
| | - Alex T Meira
- Movement Disorder Unit, Neurology Service, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Rua General Carneiro 181, 4th Floor, Alto da Glória, Curitiba, PR 80060-900, Brazil.
| | - Francisco Diego Negrão Lopes Neto
- Statistics Service, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Rua General Carneiro 181, 2th Floor, Alto da Glória, Curitiba, PR 80060-900, Brazil.
| | - Fernando Spina Tensini
- Movement Disorder Unit, Neurology Service, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Rua General Carneiro 181, 4th Floor, Alto da Glória, Curitiba, PR 80060-900, Brazil.
| | - Cláudia Bonfim Braga
- Movement Disorder Unit, Neurology Service, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Rua General Carneiro 181, 4th Floor, Alto da Glória, Curitiba, PR 80060-900, Brazil.
| | - Tetsuo Ashizawa
- Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology, 6560 Fannin St. ScurlockTower, 8thFloor, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Renato P Munhoz
- University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital, Movement Disorders Centre, 399 Bathurst St, McLaughlin Pavilion - 7th Fl, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada.
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13
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Marcelo A, Afonso IT, Afonso-Reis R, Brito DVC, Costa RG, Rosa A, Alves-Cruzeiro J, Ferreira B, Henriques C, Nobre RJ, Matos CA, de Almeida LP, Nóbrega C. Autophagy in Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2, a dysregulated pathway, and a target for therapy. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:1117. [PMID: 34845184 PMCID: PMC8630050 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04404-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an incurable and genetic neurodegenerative disorder. The disease is characterized by progressive degeneration of several brain regions, resulting in severe motor and non-motor clinical manifestations. The mutation causing SCA2 disease is an abnormal expansion of CAG trinucleotide repeats in the ATXN2 gene, leading to a toxic expanded polyglutamine segment in the translated ataxin-2 protein. While the genetic cause is well established, the exact mechanisms behind neuronal death induced by mutant ataxin-2 are not yet completely understood. Thus, the goal of this study is to investigate the role of autophagy in SCA2 pathogenesis and investigate its suitability as a target for therapeutic intervention. For that, we developed and characterized a new striatal lentiviral mouse model that resembled several neuropathological hallmarks observed in SCA2 disease, including formation of aggregates, neuronal marker loss, cell death and neuroinflammation. In this new model, we analyzed autophagic markers, which were also analyzed in a SCA2 cellular model and in human post-mortem brain samples. Our results showed altered levels of SQSTM1 and LC3B in cells and tissues expressing mutant ataxin-2. Moreover, an abnormal accumulation of these markers was detected in SCA2 patients' striatum and cerebellum. Importantly, the molecular activation of autophagy, using the compound cordycepin, mitigated the phenotypic alterations observed in disease models. Overall, our study suggests an important role for autophagy in the context of SCA2 pathology, proposing that targeting this pathway could be a potential target to treat SCA2 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Marcelo
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Algarve Biomedical Center, Faro, Portugal
- PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences, Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Inês T Afonso
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Algarve Biomedical Center, Faro, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Afonso-Reis
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Algarve Biomedical Center, Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - David V C Brito
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Algarve Biomedical Center, Faro, Portugal
| | - Rafael G Costa
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Algarve Biomedical Center, Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Ana Rosa
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Algarve Biomedical Center, Faro, Portugal
| | - João Alves-Cruzeiro
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Benedita Ferreira
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Algarve Biomedical Center, Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Carina Henriques
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rui J Nobre
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carlos A Matos
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Algarve Biomedical Center, Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Clévio Nóbrega
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Algarve Biomedical Center, Faro, Portugal.
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.
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14
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Skariah G, Albin RL. Repeat RNA Toxicity Drives Ribosomal RNA Processing Defects in SCA2. Mov Disord 2021; 36:2464-2467. [PMID: 34783387 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Geena Skariah
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Roger Lee Albin
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Neurology Service and GRECC, VAAAHS, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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15
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Li PP, Moulick R, Feng H, Sun X, Arbez N, Jin J, Marque LO, Hedglen E, Chan HE, Ross CA, Pulst SM, Margolis RL, Woodson S, Rudnicki DD. RNA Toxicity and Perturbation of rRNA Processing in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2. Mov Disord 2021; 36:2519-2529. [PMID: 34390268 PMCID: PMC8884117 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by expansion of a CAG repeat in Ataxin-2 (ATXN2) gene. The mutant ATXN2 protein with a polyglutamine tract is known to be toxic and contributes to the SCA2 pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE Here, we tested the hypothesis that the mutant ATXN2 transcript with an expanded CAG repeat (expATXN2) is also toxic and contributes to SCA2 pathogenesis. METHODS The toxic effect of expATXN2 transcripts on SK-N-MC neuroblastoma cells and primary mouse cortical neurons was evaluated by caspase 3/7 activity and nuclear condensation assay, respectively. RNA immunoprecipitation assay was performed to identify RNA binding proteins (RBPs) that bind to expATXN2 RNA. Quantitative PCR was used to examine if ribosomal RNA (rRNA) processing is disrupted in SCA2 and Huntington's disease (HD) human brain tissue. RESULTS expATXN2 RNA induces neuronal cell death, and aberrantly interacts with RBPs involved in RNA metabolism. One of the RBPs, transducin β-like protein 3 (TBL3), involved in rRNA processing, binds to both expATXN2 and expanded huntingtin (expHTT) RNA in vitro. rRNA processing is disrupted in both SCA2 and HD human brain tissue. CONCLUSION These findings provide the first evidence of a contributory role of expATXN2 transcripts in SCA2 pathogenesis, and further support the role of expHTT transcripts in HD pathogenesis. The disruption of rRNA processing, mediated by aberrant interaction of RBPs with expATXN2 and expHTT transcripts, suggest a point of convergence in the pathogeneses of repeat expansion diseases with potential therapeutic implications. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan P. Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Roumita Moulick
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Hongxuan Feng
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Xin Sun
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Nicolas Arbez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Jing Jin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Leonard O. Marque
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Erin Hedglen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - H.Y. Edwin Chan
- Biochemistry Program, School of Life SciencesThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Christopher A. Ross
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of NeurologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of NeuroscienceJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Stefan M. Pulst
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
| | - Russell L. Margolis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of NeurologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Sarah Woodson
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Dobrila D. Rudnicki
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of NeurobiologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
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16
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McGurk L, Rifai OM, Shcherbakova O, Perlegos AE, Byrns CN, Carranza FR, Zhou HW, Kim HJ, Zhu Y, Bonini NM. Toxicity of pathogenic ataxin-2 in Drosophila shows dependence on a pure CAG repeat sequence. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:1797-1810. [PMID: 34077532 PMCID: PMC8444453 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 is a polyglutamine (polyQ) disease associated with an expanded polyQ domain within the protein product of the ATXN2 gene. Interestingly, polyQ repeat expansions in ATXN2 are also associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and parkinsonism depending upon the length of the polyQ repeat expansion. The sequence encoding the polyQ repeat also varies with disease presentation: a pure CAG repeat is associated with SCA2, whereas the CAG repeat in ALS and parkinsonism is typically interrupted with the glutamine encoding CAA codon. Here, we asked if the purity of the CAG sequence encoding the polyQ repeat in ATXN2 could impact the toxicity of the ataxin-2 protein in vivo in Drosophila. We found that ataxin-2 encoded by a pure CAG repeat conferred toxicity in the retina and nervous system, whereas ataxin-2 encoded by a CAA-interrupted repeat or CAA-only repeat failed to confer toxicity, despite expression of the protein at similar levels. Furthermore, the CAG-encoded ataxin-2 protein aggregated in the fly eye, while ataxin-2 encoded by either a CAA/G or CAA repeat remained diffuse. The toxicity of the CAG-encoded ataxin-2 protein was also sensitive to the translation factor eIF4H, a known modifier of the toxic GGGGCC repeat in flies. These data indicate that ataxin-2 encoded by a pure CAG versus interrupted CAA/G polyQ repeat domain is associated with differential toxicity, indicating that mechanisms associated with the purity of the sequence of the polyQ domain contribute to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leeanne McGurk
- Division of Cell & Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Olivia M Rifai
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | - China N Byrns
- Neurosciences Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Medical Sciences Training Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Faith R Carranza
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Henry W Zhou
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hyung-Jun Kim
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yongqing Zhu
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nancy M Bonini
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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17
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Borbolla-Jiménez FV, Del Prado-Audelo ML, Cisneros B, Caballero-Florán IH, Leyva-Gómez G, Magaña JJ. New Perspectives of Gene Therapy on Polyglutamine Spinocerebellar Ataxias: From Molecular Targets to Novel Nanovectors. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:1018. [PMID: 34371710 PMCID: PMC8309146 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13071018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Seven of the most frequent spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are caused by a pathological expansion of a cytosine, adenine and guanine (CAG) trinucleotide repeat located in exonic regions of unrelated genes, which in turn leads to the synthesis of polyglutamine (polyQ) proteins. PolyQ proteins are prone to aggregate and form intracellular inclusions, which alter diverse cellular pathways, including transcriptional regulation, protein clearance, calcium homeostasis and apoptosis, ultimately leading to neurodegeneration. At present, treatment for SCAs is limited to symptomatic intervention, and there is no therapeutic approach to prevent or reverse disease progression. This review provides a compilation of the experimental advances obtained in cell-based and animal models toward the development of gene therapy strategies against polyQ SCAs, providing a discussion of their potential application in clinical trials. In the second part, we describe the promising potential of nanotechnology developments to treat polyQ SCA diseases. We describe, in detail, how the design of nanoparticle (NP) systems with different physicochemical and functionalization characteristics has been approached, in order to determine their ability to evade the immune system response and to enhance brain delivery of molecular tools. In the final part of this review, the imminent application of NP-based strategies in clinical trials for the treatment of polyQ SCA diseases is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola V. Borbolla-Jiménez
- Laboratorio de Medicina Genómica, Departamento de Genética, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Ciudad de México 14389, Mexico;
- Programa de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - María Luisa Del Prado-Audelo
- Departamento de Bioingeniería, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Ciudad de México, Ciudad de México 14380, Mexico;
| | - Bulmaro Cisneros
- Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV), Ciudad de México 07360, Mexico;
| | - Isaac H. Caballero-Florán
- Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
- Departamento de Farmacia, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV), Ciudad de México 07360, Mexico
| | - Gerardo Leyva-Gómez
- Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
| | - Jonathan J. Magaña
- Laboratorio de Medicina Genómica, Departamento de Genética, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Ciudad de México 14389, Mexico;
- Departamento de Bioingeniería, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Ciudad de México, Ciudad de México 14380, Mexico;
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Sena LS, Dos Santos Pinheiro J, Hasan A, Saraiva-Pereira ML, Jardim LB. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 from an evolutionary perspective: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Genet 2021; 100:258-267. [PMID: 33960424 DOI: 10.1111/cge.13978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Dominant diseases due to expanded CAG repeat tracts, such as spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2), are prone to anticipation and worsening of clinical picture in subsequent generations. There is insufficient data about selective forces acting on the maintenance of these diseases in populations. We made a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of the CAG length over age at onset, instability of transmissions, anticipation, de novo or sporadic cases, fitness, segregation of alleles, and ancestral haplotypes. The correlation between CAG expanded and age at onset was r2 = 0.577, and transmission of the mutant allele was associated with an increase of 2.42 CAG repeats in the next generation and an anticipation of 14.62 years per generation, on average. One de novo and 18 sporadic cases were detected. Affected SCA2 individuals seem to have more children than controls. The expanded allele was less segregated than the 22-repeat allele in children of SCA2 subjects. Several ancestral SCA2 haplotypes were published. Data suggest that SCA2 lineages may tend to disappear eventually, due to strong anticipation phenomena. Whether or not the novel cases come from common haplotypes associated with a predisposition to further expansions is a question that needs to be addressed by future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Schenatto Sena
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Jordânia Dos Santos Pinheiro
- Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Ali Hasan
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Maria Luiza Saraiva-Pereira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Instituto de Genética Médica Populacional, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Serviço de Genética Médica, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Laura Bannach Jardim
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Instituto de Genética Médica Populacional, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Serviço de Genética Médica, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Departamento de Medicina Interna, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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19
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Lee CP, Chen MR. Conquering the Nuclear Envelope Barriers by EBV Lytic Replication. Viruses 2021; 13:702. [PMID: 33919628 PMCID: PMC8073350 DOI: 10.3390/v13040702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The nuclear envelope (NE) of eukaryotic cells has a highly structural architecture, comprising double lipid-bilayer membranes, nuclear pore complexes, and an underlying nuclear lamina network. The NE structure is held in place through the membrane-bound LINC (linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton) complex, spanning the inner and outer nuclear membranes. The NE functions as a barrier between the nucleus and cytoplasm and as a transverse scaffold for various cellular processes. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human pathogen that infects most of the world's population and is associated with several well-known malignancies. Within the nucleus, the replicated viral DNA is packaged into capsids, which subsequently egress from the nucleus into the cytoplasm for tegumentation and final envelopment. There is increasing evidence that viral lytic gene expression or replication contributes to the pathogenesis of EBV. Various EBV lytic proteins regulate and modulate the nuclear envelope structure in different ways, especially the viral BGLF4 kinase and the nuclear egress complex BFRF1/BFRF2. From the aspects of nuclear membrane structure, viral components, and fundamental nucleocytoplasmic transport controls, this review summarizes our findings and recently updated information on NE structure modification and NE-related cellular processes mediated by EBV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Pei Lee
- School of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei 112303, Taiwan;
| | - Mei-Ru Chen
- Graduate Institute and Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100233, Taiwan
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20
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Vangoor VR, Gomes‐Duarte A, Pasterkamp RJ. Long non-coding RNAs in motor neuron development and disease. J Neurochem 2021; 156:777-801. [PMID: 32970857 PMCID: PMC8048821 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNAs that exceed 200 nucleotides in length and that are not translated into proteins. Thousands of lncRNAs have been identified with functions in processes such as transcription and translation regulation, RNA processing, and RNA and protein sponging. LncRNAs show prominent expression in the nervous system and have been implicated in neural development, function and disease. Recent work has begun to report on the expression and roles of lncRNAs in motor neurons (MNs). The cell bodies of MNs are located in cortex, brainstem or spinal cord and their axons project into the brainstem, spinal cord or towards peripheral muscles, thereby controlling important functions such as movement, breathing and swallowing. Degeneration of MNs is a pathological hallmark of diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy. LncRNAs influence several aspects of MN development and disruptions in these lncRNA-mediated effects are proposed to contribute to the pathogenic mechanisms underlying MN diseases (MNDs). Accumulating evidence suggests that lncRNAs may comprise valuable therapeutic targets for different MNDs. In this review, we discuss the role of lncRNAs (including circular RNAs [circRNAs]) in the development of MNs, discuss how lncRNAs may contribute to MNDs and provide directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vamshidhar R. Vangoor
- Department of Translational NeuroscienceUniversity Medical Center Utrecht Brain CenterUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Andreia Gomes‐Duarte
- Department of Translational NeuroscienceUniversity Medical Center Utrecht Brain CenterUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - R. Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational NeuroscienceUniversity Medical Center Utrecht Brain CenterUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
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21
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Anti-Kir4.1 Antibodies in Multiple Sclerosis: Specificity and Pathogenicity. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21249632. [PMID: 33348803 PMCID: PMC7765826 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The glial cells in the central nervous system express diverse inward rectifying potassium channels (Kir). They express multiple Kir channel subtypes that are likely to have distinct functional roles related to their differences in conductance, and sensitivity to intracellular and extracellular factors. Dysfunction in a major astrocyte potassium channel, Kir4.1, appears as an early pathological event underlying neuronal phenotypes in several neurological diseases. The autoimmune effects on the potassium channel have not yet been fully described in the literature. However, several research groups have reported that the potassium channels are an immune target in patients with various neurological disorders. In 2012, Srivastava et al. reported about Kir4.1, a new immune target for autoantibodies in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Follow-up studies have been conducted by several research groups, but no clear conclusion has been reached. Most follow-up studies, including ours, have reported that the prevalence of Kir4.1-seropositive patients with MS was lower than that in the initial study. Therefore, we extensively review studies on the method of antibody testing, seroprevalence of MS, and other neurological diseases in patients with MS. Finally, based on the role of Kir4.1 in MS, we consider whether it could be an immune target in this disease.
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In vivo analysis of the spontaneous firing of cerebellar Purkinje cells in awake transgenic mice that model spinocerebellar ataxia type 2. Cell Calcium 2020; 93:102319. [PMID: 33248384 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2020.102319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) fire spontaneously in a tonic mode, although the precision of this pacemaking activity is disturbed in many abnormal conditions involving cerebellar atrophy, such as many spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs). In our previous studies we used the single-unit extracellular recording method to analyze spontaneous PC firing in vivo in the anesthetized SCA2-58Q transgenic mice. We realized that PCs from aging SCA2-58Q mice fire much less regularly compared to PCs from their wild type (WT) littermates and this abnormal activity can be reversed with an intraperitoneal (i. p.) injection of SK channel-positive modulator chlorzoxazone (CHZ). Here we used the same single-unit extracellular recording method to analyze the spontaneous firing in vivo in awake SCA2-58Q transgenic mice. For this purpose, we used the Mobile HomeCage (Neurotar, Finland) floating platform to immobilize the experimental animal's head during the recording sessions. We discovered that generally PCs from awake animals fired much more frequently and much less regularly than previously observed PCs from anesthetized animals. In vivo recordings from awake SCA2/WT mice revealed that complex spikes, which are generated by PCs in reply to the excitation coming by climbing fibers, as well as simple spikes, were much less frequent in SCA2 mice compared to their WT littermates. To test the effect of the SK channel positive modulation on the PCs firing activity in awake SCA2 mice and also the effect on their motor coordination, we started the CHZ trial in these mice. We discovered that the long-term i. p. injections of CHZ did not affect the spike generation in SCA2-58Q mice, however, they did recover the precision of this spontaneous pacemaking activity. Furthermore, we also showed that treatment with CHZ alleviated the age-dependent motor impairment in SCA2-58Q mice. We propose that the lack of precision in PC spike generation might be a key cause for the progression of ataxic symptoms in different SCAs and that the activation of calcium-activated potassium channels, including SK channels, can be used as a potential way to treat SCAs on the physiological level of the disease.
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23
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Doxakis E. Therapeutic antisense oligonucleotides for movement disorders. Med Res Rev 2020; 41:2656-2688. [PMID: 32656818 DOI: 10.1002/med.21706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Movement disorders are a group of neurological conditions characterized by abnormalities of movement and posture. They are broadly divided into akinetic and hyperkinetic syndromes. Until now, no effective symptomatic or disease-modifying therapies have been available. However, since many of these disorders are monogenic or have some well-defined genetic component, they represent strong candidates for antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies. ASO therapies are based on the use of short synthetic single-stranded ASOs that bind to disease-related target RNAs via Watson-Crick base-pairing and pleiotropically modulate their function. With information arising from the RNA sequence alone, it is possible to design ASOs that not only alter the expression levels but also the splicing defects of any protein, far exceeding the intervention repertoire of traditional small molecule approaches. Following the regulatory approval of ASO therapies for spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2016, there has been tremendous momentum in testing such therapies for other neurological disorders. This review article initially focuses on the chemical modifications aimed at improving ASO effectiveness, the mechanisms by which ASOs can interfere with RNA function, delivery systems and pharmacokinetics, and the common set of toxicities associated with their application. It, then, describes the pathophysiology and the latest information on preclinical and clinical trials utilizing ASOs for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and ataxias 1, 2, 3, and 7. It concludes with issues that require special attention to realize the full potential of ASO-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Epaminondas Doxakis
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
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24
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Vogel AP, Magee M, Torres-Vega R, Medrano-Montero J, Cyngler MP, Kruse M, Rojas S, Cubillos SC, Canento T, Maldonado F, Vazquez-Mojena Y, Ilg W, Rodríguez-Labrada R, Velázquez-Pérez L, Synofzik M. Features of speech and swallowing dysfunction in pre-ataxic spinocerebellar ataxia type 2. Neurology 2020; 95:e194-e205. [PMID: 32527970 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000009776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether objective and quantitative assessment of dysarthria and dysphagia in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2), specifically at pre-ataxic and early disease phases, can act as sensitive disease markers. METHODS Forty-six individuals (16 with pre-ataxic SCA2, 14 with early-stage ataxic SCA2, and 16 healthy controls) were recruited in Holguin, Cuba. All participants underwent a comprehensive battery of assessments including objective acoustic analysis, clinician-derived ratings of speech function and swallowing, and quality of life assessments of swallowing. RESULTS Reduced speech agility manifest at the pre-ataxic stage was observed during diadochokinetic tasks, with the magnitude of speech deficit augmented in the early ataxic stage. Speech rate was slower in early-stage ataxic SCA2 compared with pre-ataxic SCA2 and healthy controls. Reduced speech agility and speech rate correlated with disease severity and time to ataxia onset, verifying that speech deficits occur prior to ataxia onset and increase in severity as the disease progresses. Whereas dysphagia was observed in both pre-ataxic and ataxic SCA2, it was not associated with swallowing-related quality of life, disease severity, or time to ataxia onset. CONCLUSIONS Speech and swallowing deficits appear sensitive to disease progression in early-stage SCA2, with syllabic rate a viable marker. Findings provide insight into mechanisms of disease progression in early-stage SCA2, signaling an opportunity for stratifying early-stage SCA2 and identifying salient markers of disease onset as well as outcome measures in future early-stage therapeutic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam P Vogel
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Michelle Magee
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Reidenis Torres-Vega
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jacqueline Medrano-Montero
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Melissa P Cyngler
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Megan Kruse
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sandra Rojas
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Contreras Cubillos
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tamara Canento
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Fernanda Maldonado
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yaimee Vazquez-Mojena
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Winfried Ilg
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Roberto Rodríguez-Labrada
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Luis Velázquez-Pérez
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthis Synofzik
- From the Centre for Neuroscience of Speech (A.P.V., M.M., M.P.C., M.K., S.R., T.C., F.M.), The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurodegeneration (A.P.V., M.S.), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen; Center for Neurology (A.P.V., W.I., M.S.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany; Redenlab (A.P.V.), Melbourne, Australia; Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH) (R.T.-V., J.M.-M., Y.V.-M., R.R.-L., L.V.-P.), Holguin, Cuba; Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (S.C.C.), Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, Talca; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Speech Therapy Unit (S.C.C.), Hospital of Curico, Chile; and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) (M.S.), Tübingen, Germany
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Rosini F, Pretegiani E, Battisti C, Dotti MT, Federico A, Rufa A. Eye movement changes in autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias. Neurol Sci 2020; 41:1719-1734. [PMID: 32130555 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-020-04318-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Oculomotor abnormalities are common findings in spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs), a clinically heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. Usually, cerebellar impairment accounts for most of the eye movement changes encountered; as the disease progresses, the involvement of extracerebellar structures typically seen in later stages may modify the oculomotor progression. However, ocular movement changes are rarely specific. In this regard, some important exceptions include the prominent slowing of horizontal eye movements in SCA2 and, to a lesser extent, in SCA3, SCA4, and SCA28, or the executive deficit in SCA2 and SCA17. Here, we report the eye movement abnormalities and neurological pictures of SCAs through a review of the literature. Genetic and neuropathological/neuroimaging aspects are also briefly discussed. Overall, the findings reported indicate that oculomotor analysis could be of help in differential diagnosis among SCAs and contribute to clarify the role of brain structures, particularly the cerebellum, in oculomotor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Rosini
- Department of Medicine Surgery and Neuroscience, Eye Tracking& Visual Application Lab EVALAB, Neurology and Neurometabolic Unit, University of Siena, Viale Bracci 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Elena Pretegiani
- Department of Medicine Surgery and Neuroscience, Eye Tracking& Visual Application Lab EVALAB, Neurology and Neurometabolic Unit, University of Siena, Viale Bracci 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Carla Battisti
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Neurology and Neurometabolic Unit, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Dotti
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Neurology and Neurometabolic Unit, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Antonio Federico
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Neurology and Neurometabolic Unit, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Alessandra Rufa
- Department of Medicine Surgery and Neuroscience, Eye Tracking& Visual Application Lab EVALAB, Neurology and Neurometabolic Unit, University of Siena, Viale Bracci 2, 53100, Siena, Italy.
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Neurology and Neurometabolic Unit, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
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Wang L, Xu F, Brickell A, Sun N, Mao X, Zhang Q, Wang G, Zhou Q, Yang B, Li F, Yue L, Zhang W, Hao Y, Sun C. Additional common loci associated with stroke and obesity identified using pleiotropic analytical approach. Mol Genet Genomics 2019; 295:439-451. [PMID: 31813042 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-019-01630-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Stroke is a complex disease with multiple etiologies. Numerous studies suggest an established association between obesity and stroke, which may partly arise from the shared genetic components between the two phenotypes. Despite genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified some loci associated with stroke and obesity individually, the estimated genetic variability explained by these loci is limited (especially for stroke) and the pleiotropic loci between them are largely unknown. In this study, we jointly applied the pleiotropy-informed conditional false discovery rate (cFDR) method and the genetic analysis incorporating pleiotropy and annotation (GPA) method on summary statistics of two large GWASs to detect the genetic overlap between stroke (n = 446,696) and obesity (n = 681,275). Stratified Q-Q and fold-enrichment plots showed strong pleiotropic enrichment between the two phenotypes. With cFDR < 0.05 and fdr.GPA < 0.2, we identified 24 (16 novel) stroke-associated SNPs and 12 (10 novel) of them to be potentially pleiotropic SNPs for both phenotypes. The corresponding genes were enriched in trait-associated gene ontology (GO) terms "brain development" and "negative regulation of transport". In conclusion, our study demonstrated the feasibility and effectivity of the two pleiotropic methods which successfully improved the genetic discovery by incorporating related GWAS datasets and validated the genetic intercommunity between stroke and obesity. The identification of pleiotropic loci may provide us any new insights into potential genetic and etiology mechanism between them for the further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianke Wang
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, High-Tech Development Zone of States, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Xu
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, High-Tech Development Zone of States, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Anna Brickell
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Nan Sun
- Department of Management Information Systems, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Xiangjie Mao
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, High-Tech Development Zone of States, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, High-Tech Development Zone of States, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ganyi Wang
- Center for Food and Drug Reevaluation of Henan, No. 79 Xiongerhe Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Qianyu Zhou
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, High-Tech Development Zone of States, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Yang
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, High-Tech Development Zone of States, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangwei Li
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, High-Tech Development Zone of States, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Limin Yue
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, High-Tech Development Zone of States, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Weidong Zhang
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, High-Tech Development Zone of States, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yibin Hao
- People's Hospital of Zhengzhou, No. 33 Huanghe Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Changqing Sun
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, High-Tech Development Zone of States, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, People's Republic of China.
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Sen NE, Arsovic A, Meierhofer D, Brodesser S, Oberschmidt C, Canet-Pons J, Kaya ZE, Halbach MV, Gispert S, Sandhoff K, Auburger G. In Human and Mouse Spino-Cerebellar Tissue, Ataxin-2 Expansion Affects Ceramide-Sphingomyelin Metabolism. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E5854. [PMID: 31766565 PMCID: PMC6928749 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20235854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ataxin-2 (human gene symbol ATXN2) acts during stress responses, modulating mRNA translation and nutrient metabolism. Ataxin-2 knockout mice exhibit progressive obesity, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. Conversely, the progressive ATXN2 gain of function due to the fact of polyglutamine (polyQ) expansions leads to a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative process named spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) with early adipose tissue loss and late muscle atrophy. We tried to understand lipid dysregulation in a SCA2 patient brain and in an authentic mouse model. Thin layer chromatography of a patient cerebellum was compared to the lipid metabolome of Atxn2-CAG100-Knockin (KIN) mouse spinocerebellar tissue. The human pathology caused deficits of sulfatide, galactosylceramide, cholesterol, C22/24-sphingomyelin, and gangliosides GM1a/GD1b despite quite normal levels of C18-sphingomyelin. Cerebellum and spinal cord from the KIN mouse showed a consistent decrease of various ceramides with a significant elevation of sphingosine in the more severely affected spinal cord. Deficiency of C24/26-sphingomyelins contrasted with excess C18/20-sphingomyelin. Spinocerebellar expression profiling revealed consistent reductions of CERS protein isoforms, Sptlc2 and Smpd3, but upregulation of Cers2 mRNA, as prominent anomalies in the ceramide-sphingosine metabolism. Reduction of Asah2 mRNA correlated to deficient S1P levels. In addition, downregulations for the elongase Elovl1, Elovl4, Elovl5 mRNAs and ELOVL4 protein explain the deficit of very long-chain sphingomyelin. Reduced ASMase protein levels correlated to the accumulation of long-chain sphingomyelin. Overall, a deficit of myelin lipids was prominent in SCA2 nervous tissue at prefinal stage and not compensated by transcriptional adaptation of several metabolic enzymes. Myelination is controlled by mTORC1 signals; thus, our human and murine observations are in agreement with the known role of ATXN2 yeast, nematode, and mouse orthologs as mTORC1 inhibitors and autophagy promoters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nesli-Ece Sen
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
- Faculty of Biosciences, Goethe-University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Aleksandar Arsovic
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
| | - David Meierhofer
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestrasse 63-73, 14195 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Susanne Brodesser
- Membrane Biology and Lipid Biochemistry Unit, Life and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany;
| | - Carola Oberschmidt
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
| | - Júlia Canet-Pons
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
| | - Zeynep-Ece Kaya
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
- Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University, 34098 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Melanie-Vanessa Halbach
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
| | - Suzana Gispert
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
| | - Konrad Sandhoff
- Membrane Biology and Lipid Biochemistry Unit, Life and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany;
| | - Georg Auburger
- Experimental Neurology, Building 89, Goethe University Medical Faculty, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (N.-E.S.); (A.A.); (C.O.); (J.C.-P.); (Z.-E.K.); (M.-V.H.); (S.G.)
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Isobe T, Sato H, Goto T, Yako T, Yoshida K, Hashimoto T. Long-Term Suppression of Disabling Tremor by Thalamic Stimulation in a Patient with Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2. Stereotact Funct Neurosurg 2019; 97:241-243. [PMID: 31743916 DOI: 10.1159/000504062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The beneficial effect of thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) on action tremor has been reported in a few cases of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA); however, several factors should be taken into account regarding the indication for DBS in advanced cases. We performed DBS of the ventral intermediate nucleus (Vim) of the thalamus for treatment of coarse action tremor in a patient with SCA2 (spinocerebellar ataxia type 2) in the wheelchair-bound stage. Although improvement of the tremor of the proximal part was incomplete, the patient regained substantial parts of daily functioning. The effect lasted for more than 6 years, and the suppression of tremor significantly contributed to maintaining the level of the patient's expression into the bedridden stage. Vim DBS can be a treatment option for tremor in SCA patients, even in the advanced stage, as long as the tremor is depriving the patient of behavioral expression. As residual proximal tremor may hamper functional recovery, DBS of other targets or multi-targets should be further explored to attain a better outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Isobe
- Department of Neurology, Aizawa Hospital, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Hiromasa Sato
- Department of Neurology, Aizawa Hospital, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Goto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Takehiro Yako
- Department of Neurosurgery, Aizawa Hospital, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Kunihiro Yoshida
- Department of Brain Disease Research, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
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Egorova PA, Bezprozvanny IB. Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2. Neurotherapeutics 2019; 16:1050-1073. [PMID: 31435879 PMCID: PMC6985344 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-019-00777-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The effective therapeutic treatment and the disease-modifying therapy for spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) (a progressive hereditary disease caused by an expansion of polyglutamine in the ataxin-2 protein) is not available yet. At present, only symptomatic treatment and methods of palliative care are prescribed to the patients. Many attempts were made to study the physiological, molecular, and biochemical changes in SCA2 patients and in a variety of the model systems to find new therapeutic targets for SCA2 treatment. A better understanding of the uncovered molecular mechanisms of the disease allowed the scientific community to develop strategies of potential therapy and helped to create some promising therapeutic approaches for SCA2 treatment. Recent progress in this field will be discussed in this review article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina A Egorova
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia
| | - Ilya B Bezprozvanny
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia.
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, ND12.200, Dallas, Texas, 75390, USA.
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31
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Gagliardi S, Pandini C, Garofalo M, Bordoni M, Pansarasa O, Cereda C. Long non coding RNAs and ALS: Still much to do. Noncoding RNA Res 2018; 3:226-231. [PMID: 30533570 PMCID: PMC6260474 DOI: 10.1016/j.ncrna.2018.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in RNA metabolism play an important role in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) pathogenesis. The literature has described, so far, a small number of long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated to ALS demonstrating that how there is still much to do to identify and understand their role in ALS. This class of RNAs may offer numerous starting points for new investigations about pathogenic mechanism involved in ALS disease. In this review, we have collected all the presented data about lncRNAs and ALS to offer an overview about this class of non-coding RNAs and their possible role in ALS disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Gagliardi
- Genomic and Post-Genomic Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Cecilia Pandini
- Genomic and Post-Genomic Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maria Garofalo
- Genomic and Post-Genomic Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Matteo Bordoni
- Genomic and Post-Genomic Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Orietta Pansarasa
- Genomic and Post-Genomic Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Cristina Cereda
- Genomic and Post-Genomic Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
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32
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Wan L, Xu K, Chen Z, Tang B, Jiang H. Roles of Post-translational Modifications in Spinocerebellar Ataxias. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:290. [PMID: 30283301 PMCID: PMC6156280 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs), including phosphorylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation, etc., of proteins can modulate protein properties such as intracellular distribution, activity, stability, aggregation, and interactions. Therefore, PTMs are vital regulatory mechanisms for multiple cellular processes. Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are hereditary, heterogeneous, neurodegenerative diseases for which the primary manifestation involves ataxia. Because the pathogenesis of most SCAs is correlated with mutant proteins directly or indirectly, the PTMs of disease-related proteins might functionally affect SCA development and represent potential therapeutic interventions. Here, we review multiple PTMs related to disease-causing proteins in SCAs pathogenesis and their effects. Furthermore, we discuss these PTMs as potential targets for treating SCAs and describe translational therapies targeting PTMs that have been published.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Wan
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Keqin Xu
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhao Chen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Beisha Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Parkinson’s Disease Center of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Department of Neurology, Xinjiang Medical University, Ürümqi, China
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Cheng N, Wied HM, Gaul JJ, Doyle LE, Reich SG. SCA2 presenting as a focal dystonia. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MOVEMENT DISORDERS 2018; 5:6. [PMID: 30123518 PMCID: PMC6090825 DOI: 10.1186/s40734-018-0073-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinocerebellar ataxia 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by CAG repeat expansions in ATXN2 on chromosome 12q24. Patients present with adult-onset progressive gait ataxia, slow saccades, nystagmus, dysarthria and peripheral neuropathy. Dystonia is known to occur as SCA2 advances, but is rarely the presenting symptom. CASE PRESENTATION A 43-year-old right handed woman presented with focal dystonia of the right hand which started two years earlier with difficulty writing. There were only mild cerebellar signs. Her mother was reported to have a progressive gait disorder and we subsequently learned that she had SCA2. A total of 10 maternal family members were similarly affected. Over the course of 10 years, the patient's cerebellar signs progressed only mildly however the dystonia worsened to the extent of inability to use her right hand. Dystonia did not improve significantly with botulinum toxin, levodopa or trihexyphenidyl, but has shown marked improvement since DBS implantation in the GPi. CONCLUSIONS We describe a patient with SCA2 who presented with focal dystonia of the right upper extremity. Subtle cerebellar signs as well as the family history became especially important given the absence of predominant gait ataxia. Our case emphasizes that focal dystonia is not only a feature of SCA2, but can also rarely be the presenting sign as well as the most prominent feature during the disease course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Cheng
- Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Heather M. Wied
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH USA
| | | | - Lauren E. Doyle
- Department of Genetic Counseling, University of North Carolina Greensboro School of Health and Human Sciences, Greensboro, NC USA
| | - Stephen G. Reich
- Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
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D'Ambrosi N, Cozzolino M, Carrì MT. Neuroinflammation in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Role of Redox (dys)Regulation. Antioxid Redox Signal 2018; 29:15-36. [PMID: 28895473 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2017.7271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is due to degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord and in the motor cortex. Mechanisms leading to motor neuron death are complex and currently the disease is untreatable. Recent Advances: Work in genetic models of ALS indicates that an imbalance in the cross talk that physiologically exists between motor neurons and the surrounding cells is eventually detrimental to motor neurons. In particular, the cascade of events collectively known as neuroinflammation and mainly characterized by a reactive phenotype of astrocytes and microglia, moderate infiltration of peripheral immune cells, and elevated levels of inflammatory mediators has been consistently observed in motor regions of the central nervous system (CNS) in sporadic and familial ALS, constituting a hallmark of the disease. Resident glial cells and infiltrated immune cells are considered among the major producers of reactive species of oxygen and nitrogen in pathological conditions of the CNS, including motor neuron diseases. CRITICAL ISSUES The timing and exact role of oxidative stress-mediated neuroinflammation and damage to motor neurons in ALS are still not fully elucidated. FUTURE DIRECTIONS It is clear that a major challenge in the next future will be to envisage effective strategies to modulate the neuroinflammatory response in the symptomatic stage of disease, to prevent progression of neurodegeneration through the propagation of oxidative damage. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 29, 15-36.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia D'Ambrosi
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata , Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Cozzolino
- 2 Institute of Translational Pharmacology , CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Carrì
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata , Rome, Italy .,3 Fondazione Santa Lucia , IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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Pretegiani E, Piu P, Rosini F, Federighi P, Serchi V, Tumminelli G, Dotti MT, Federico A, Rufa A. Anti-Saccades in Cerebellar Ataxias Reveal a Contribution of the Cerebellum in Executive Functions. Front Neurol 2018; 9:274. [PMID: 29740392 PMCID: PMC5926529 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Increasing evidence suggests a cerebellar contribution to modulate cognitive aspects of motor behavior and executive functions. Supporting findings come from studies on patients with neurodegenerative diseases, in which however, given the extent of the disease, the specific role of the cerebellum, could not be clearly isolated. Anti-saccades are considered a sensitive tool to test executive functions. The anti-saccade underlying neural network, consisting of different cortical areas and their downstream connections including the lateral cerebellum, has been largely clarified. To separate the role of the cerebellum with respect to other cortical structures in executive control, we compared the anti-saccade performances in two distinct cohorts of patients with cerebellar disorders (with and without cerebral cortical involvement). METHODS Eye movements during the execution of anti-saccades were recorded in 12 patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (a cortical-subcortical neurodegenerative disease), 10 patients with late onset cerebellar ataxia (an isolated cerebellar atrophy), and 34 matched controls. RESULTS In the anti-saccade task, besides dynamic changes already demonstrated in the pro-saccades of these patients, we found in both groups of cerebellar patients prolonged latency with larger variability than normal and increased directional error rate. Errors, however, were corrected by cerebellar patients as frequently as normal. No significant differences were found in patients with and without cortical involvement. CONCLUSION Our results indicate, in a large cohort of cerebellar patients, that the cerebellum plays a critical role in the regulation of executive motor control not only, as well known, by controlling the end of a movement, but also modulating its initiation and reducing reflexive responses that would perturb voluntary actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Pretegiani
- Eye-Tracking and Visual Application Laboratory (EVALab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Pietro Piu
- Eye-Tracking and Visual Application Laboratory (EVALab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Francesca Rosini
- Eye-Tracking and Visual Application Laboratory (EVALab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
- Neurological and Neurometabolic Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Pamela Federighi
- Eye-Tracking and Visual Application Laboratory (EVALab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
- Department of Business and Law, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Valeria Serchi
- Eye-Tracking and Visual Application Laboratory (EVALab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Gemma Tumminelli
- Eye-Tracking and Visual Application Laboratory (EVALab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
- Neurological and Neurometabolic Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Dotti
- Neurological and Neurometabolic Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Antonio Federico
- Neurological and Neurometabolic Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Alessandra Rufa
- Eye-Tracking and Visual Application Laboratory (EVALab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
- Neurological and Neurometabolic Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
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Monte TL, Reckziegel EDR, Augustin MC, Locks-Coelho LD, Santos ASP, Furtado GV, de Mattos EP, Pedroso JL, Barsottini OP, Vargas FR, Saraiva-Pereira ML, Camey SA, Leotti VB, Jardim LB. The progression rate of spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 changes with stage of disease. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2018; 13:20. [PMID: 29370806 PMCID: PMC5785809 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-017-0725-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) affects several neurological structures, giving rise to multiple symptoms. However, only the natural history of ataxia is well known, as measured during the study duration. We aimed to describe the progression rate of ataxia, by the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), as well as the progression rate of the overall neurological picture, by the Neurological Examination Score for Spinocerebellar Ataxias (NESSCA), and not only during the study duration but also in a disease duration model. Comparisons between these models might allow us to explore whether progression is linear during the disease duration in SCA2; and to look for potential modifiers. Results Eighty–eight evaluations were prospectively done on 49 symptomatic subjects; on average (SD), study duration and disease duration models covered 13 (2.16) months and 14 (6.66) years of individuals’ life, respectively. SARA progressed 1.75 (CI 95%: 0.92–2.57) versus 0.79 (95% CI 0.45 to 1.14) points/year in the study duration and disease duration models. NESSCA progressed 1.45 (CI 95%: 0.74–2.16) versus 0.41 (95% CI 0.24 to 0.59) points/year in the same models. In order to explain these discrepancies, the progression rates of the study duration model were plotted against disease duration. Then an acceleration was detected after 10 years of disease duration: SARA scores progressed 0.35 before and 2.45 points/year after this deadline (p = 0.013). Age at onset, mutation severity, and presence of amyotrophy, parkinsonism, dystonic manifestations and cognitive decline at baseline did not influence the rate of disease progression. Conclusions NESSCA and SARA progression rates were not constant during disease duration in SCA2: early phases of disease were associated with slower progressions. Modelling of future clinical trials on SCA2 should take this phenomenon into account, since disease duration might impact on inclusion criteria, sample size, and study duration. Our database is available online and accessible to future studies aimed to compare the present data with other cohorts. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13023-017-0725-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thais Lampert Monte
- Serviço de Neurologia, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | | | - Lucas D Locks-Coelho
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Amanda Senna P Santos
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Vasata Furtado
- Laboratório de Identificação Genética, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Preusser de Mattos
- Laboratório de Identificação Genética, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - José Luiz Pedroso
- Setor de Neurologia Geral e Ataxias. Disciplina de Neurologia Clínica da UNIFESP - Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Orlando Póvoas Barsottini
- Setor de Neurologia Geral e Ataxias. Disciplina de Neurologia Clínica da UNIFESP - Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Regla Vargas
- Laboratório de Epidemiologia de Malformações Congênitas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Departamento de Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Genética Médica Populacional, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Maria-Luiza Saraiva-Pereira
- Serviço de Genética Médica, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90.035-903, Brazil.,Laboratório de Identificação Genética, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Suzi Alves Camey
- Grupo de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Departamento de Estatística, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Bielefeldt Leotti
- Departamento de Estatística, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Laura Bannach Jardim
- Serviço de Genética Médica, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90.035-903, Brazil. .,Laboratório de Identificação Genética, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. .,Departamento de Medicina Interna, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. .,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. .,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. .,Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. .,Instituto Nacional de Genética Médica Populacional, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Rodríguez-Labrada R, Vázquez-Mojena Y, Canales-Ochoa N, Medrano-Montero J, Velázquez-Pérez L. Heritability of saccadic eye movements in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2: insights into an endophenotype marker. CEREBELLUM & ATAXIAS 2017; 4:19. [PMID: 29276612 PMCID: PMC5738191 DOI: 10.1186/s40673-017-0078-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background Saccade slowing has been proposed as endophenotype marker in Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 2 (SCA2), nevertheless the heritability of this trait has not been properly demonstrated. Thus the present paper was aimed to assess the heritability of different saccadic parameters in SCA2. Methods Forty-eight SCA2 patients, 25 preclinical carriers and 24 non-SCA2 mutation carriers underwent electronystagmographical assessments of saccadic eye movements as well as neurological examination and ataxia scoring. Estimates of heritability based on the intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated for saccade velocity, accuracy and latency as well as for age at disease onset from 36, 17 and 15 sibling pairs of SCA2 patients, preclinical carriers and controls, respectively. Results Saccade velocity was significantly reduced in SCA2 patients and preclinical carriers, whereas decreased saccade accuracy and increased saccade latency were only observed in the patients cohort. Intraclass correlation coefficient for saccade velocity was highly significant in SCA2 patients, estimating a heritability around 94%, whereas for the age at ataxia onset this estimate was around 68%. Conclusions Electronystagmographical measure of saccade velocity showed higher familial aggregation between SCA2 patients leading the suitability of this disease feature as endophenotype marker, with potential usefulness for the search of modifier genes and neurobiological underpinnings of the disease and as outcome measure in future neuroprotective clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Rodríguez-Labrada
- Centre for the Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias, Calle Libertad 26, 80100 Holguín, Cuba.,School of Physical Culture, University of Holguín, 25th street 104, 80100 Holguín, Cuba
| | - Yaimeé Vázquez-Mojena
- Centre for the Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias, Calle Libertad 26, 80100 Holguín, Cuba
| | - Nalia Canales-Ochoa
- Centre for the Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias, Calle Libertad 26, 80100 Holguín, Cuba
| | - Jacqueline Medrano-Montero
- Centre for the Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias, Calle Libertad 26, 80100 Holguín, Cuba.,School of Physical Culture, University of Holguín, 25th street 104, 80100 Holguín, Cuba
| | - Luis Velázquez-Pérez
- Centre for the Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias, Calle Libertad 26, 80100 Holguín, Cuba.,Medical University of Holguín, Lenin Avenue 4, 80100 Holguín, Cuba
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Amarante TRP, Takeda SYM, Teive HAG, Zonta MB. Impact of disease duration on functional status of patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2. ARQUIVOS DE NEURO-PSIQUIATRIA 2017; 75:773-777. [PMID: 29236819 DOI: 10.1590/0004-282x20170146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To correlate disease duration in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) with disease severity, balance and functionality. METHOD Sixteen SCA2 patients were analyzed for: disease duration, disease severity (SARA score), balance (Berg balance scale score) and functionality (FIM and Lawton scores). RESULTS Greater severity was correlated with worse functionality (Lawton: r = -0.0561, FIM: r = -0.6402) and balance (r = -0.7188). Longer disease duration was correlated with greater severity (p = 0.0002) and reduced functionality (FIM: p = 0.005; Lawton: p = 0.0402) and balance (p = 0.0036). A year increase in disease duration corresponded to a 0.8-point increase on the SARA scale, a 1.38-point decrease in FIM score, a 2.30-point decrease on the Berg balance scale and a 0.45-point decrease on the Lawton scale. CONCLUSION Longer disease duration in this series of SCA2 patients was correlated with greater disease severity, worse balance and greater functional dependency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago R Padilha Amarante
- Universidade Federal do Paraná, Programa de Residência Integrada Multiprofissional em Cuidados Hospitalares - Saúde para Adultos e Idosos, Curitiba PR, Brasil
| | - Sibele Y M Takeda
- Universidade Federal do Paraná, Departamento de Prevenção e Reabilitação de Fisioterapia, Curitiba PR, Brasil
| | - Hélio A G Teive
- Universidade Federal do Paraná, Hospital de Clínicas, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Curitiba PR, Brasil.,Universidade Federal do Paraná, Unidade dos Distúrbios do Movimento, Curitiba PR, Brasil
| | - Marise Bueno Zonta
- Universidade Federal do Paraná, Programa de Residência Integrada Multiprofissional em Cuidados Hospitalares - Saúde para Adultos e Idosos, Curitiba PR, Brasil
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40
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Pedroso JL, Braga-Neto P, Escorcio-Bezerra ML, Abrahão A, de Albuquerque MVC, Filho FMR, de Souza PVS, de Rezende Pinto WBV, Borges FRP, Saraiva-Pereira ML, Jardim LB, Barsottini OGP. Non-motor and Extracerebellar Features in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2. THE CEREBELLUM 2017; 16:34-39. [PMID: 26825292 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-016-0761-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal dominant degenerative disease. Pathological studies have demonstrated not only cerebellar and brainstem atrophy, but substantia nigra, motoneurons, basal ganglia, thalamus, and peripheral nerves involvement. These findings may explain non-motor and extra-cerebellar features in SCA2. We accessed the non-motor symptoms and extra-cerebellar signs in SCA2 patients in order to provide a better understanding on pathophysiological mechanisms and natural history of brain degeneration in the disease. Thirty-three SCA2 patients were evaluated and compared with 26 healthy subjects. We investigated the following variables: sleep disorders, cognitive deficit, olfactory impairment, urinary dysfunction, psychiatric symptoms, cramps, pain, movement disorders, and weight loss. SCA2 had a high frequency of REM sleep behavior disorder (48.48 %, N = 16) as well as excessive daytime sleepiness (42.42 %, N = 14). Chorea was present in 15.15 % (N = 5), dystonia in 27.27 % (N = 9), and parkinsonism in 27.27 % (N = 9). Slow saccadic pursuit was present in 87.87 % (N = 29) and ophtalmoparesis in 78.78 % (N = 26) of patients. Regarding sleep disorders, 18.18 % (N = 6) of patients had restless leg syndrome. Dysphagia was present in 39.39 % (N = 13), weight loss 24.24 % (N = 8), and urinary dysfunction 27.27 % (N = 9). Cramps was present in only 6 % of patients (N = 2). This study highlighted the high frequency of non-motor symptoms and extra-cerebellar signs in SCA2. Our findings demonstrate the widespread of nervous system involvement in SCA2 patients and contribute to better understand the natural history of brain degeneration in this genetic condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Luiz Pedroso
- Department of Neurology, Ataxia Unit, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Pedro Braga-Neto
- Department of Neurology, Ataxia Unit, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Center of Health Sciences, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, CE, Brazil
| | | | - Agessandro Abrahão
- Department of Neurology, Ataxia Unit, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Franklin Roberto Pereira Borges
- Department of Neurophysiology and Department of Neurosurgery, Fundação Beneficente, Hospital de Cirurgia, Aracaju, SE, Brazil
| | - Maria Luiza Saraiva-Pereira
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Laura Bannach Jardim
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Orlando G P Barsottini
- Department of Neurology, Ataxia Unit, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Antenora A, Rinaldi C, Roca A, Pane C, Lieto M, Saccà F, Peluso S, De Michele G, Filla A. The Multiple Faces of Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 2. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2017; 4:687-695. [PMID: 28904990 PMCID: PMC5590519 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is among the most common forms of autosomal dominant ataxias, accounting for 15% of the total families. Occurrence is higher in specific populations such as the Cuban and Southern Italian. The disease is caused by a CAG expansion in ATXN2 gene, leading to abnormal accumulation of the mutant protein, ataxin‐2, in intracellular inclusions. The clinical picture is mainly dominated by cerebellar ataxia, although a number of other neurological signs have been described, ranging from parkinsonism to motor neuron involvement, making the diagnosis frequently challenging for neurologists, particularly when information about the family history is not available. Although the functions of ataxin‐2 have not been completely elucidated, the protein is involved in mRNA processing and control of translation. Recently, it has also been shown that the size of the CAG repeat in normal alleles represents a risk factor for ALS, suggesting that ataxin‐2 plays a fundamental role in maintenance of neuronal homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Antenora
- Department of Neurological Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences Federico II University Naples Italy
| | - Carlo Rinaldi
- Department of Physiology Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford Oxford United Kingdom
| | - Alessandro Roca
- Department of Neurological Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences Federico II University Naples Italy
| | - Chiara Pane
- Department of Neurological Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences Federico II University Naples Italy
| | - Maria Lieto
- Department of Neurological Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences Federico II University Naples Italy.,Department of Physiology Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford Oxford United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Saccà
- Department of Neurological Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences Federico II University Naples Italy
| | - Silvio Peluso
- Department of Neurological Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences Federico II University Naples Italy
| | - Giuseppe De Michele
- Department of Neurological Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences Federico II University Naples Italy
| | - Alessandro Filla
- Department of Neurological Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences Federico II University Naples Italy
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Li PP, Sun X, Xia G, Arbez N, Paul S, Zhu S, Peng HB, Ross CA, Koeppen AH, Margolis RL, Pulst SM, Ashizawa T, Rudnicki DD. ATXN2-AS, a gene antisense to ATXN2, is associated with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ann Neurol 2017; 80:600-15. [PMID: 27531668 DOI: 10.1002/ana.24761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the gene ataxin-2 (ATXN2). ATXN2 intermediate-length CAG expansions were identified as a risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The ATXN2 CAG repeat is translated into polyglutamine, and SCA2 pathogenesis has been thought to derive from ATXN2 protein containing an expanded polyglutamine tract. However, recent evidence of bidirectional transcription at multiple CAG/CTG disease loci has led us to test whether additional mechanisms of pathogenesis may contribute to SCA2. METHODS In this work, using human postmortem tissue, various cell models, and animal models, we provide the first evidence that an antisense transcript at the SCA2 locus contributes to SCA2 pathogenesis. RESULTS We demonstrate the expression of a transcript, containing the repeat as a CUG tract, derived from a gene (ATXN2-AS) directly antisense to ATXN2. ATXN2-AS transcripts with normal and expanded CUG repeats are expressed in human postmortem SCA2 brains, human SCA2 fibroblasts, induced SCA2 pluripotent stem cells, SCA2 neural stem cells, and lymphoblastoid lines containing an expanded ATXN2 allele associated with ALS. ATXN2-AS transcripts with a CUG repeat expansion are toxic in an SCA2 cell model and form RNA foci in SCA2 cerebellar Purkinje cells. Finally, we detected missplicing of amyloid beta precursor protein and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 in SCA2 brains, consistent with findings in other diseases characterized by RNA-mediated pathogenesis. INTERPRETATION These results suggest that ATXN2-AS has a role in SCA2 and possibly ALS pathogenesis, and may therefore provide a novel therapeutic target for these diseases. Ann Neurol 2016;80:600-615.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan P Li
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Xin Sun
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Research and Neurology Services, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Albany, NY
| | - Guangbin Xia
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Nicolas Arbez
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Sharan Paul
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Shanshan Zhu
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - H Benjamin Peng
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Christopher A Ross
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Program of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Arnulf H Koeppen
- Research and Neurology Services, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Albany, NY.,Department of Neurology and Pathology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY
| | - Russell L Margolis
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Program of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Stefan M Pulst
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Tetsuo Ashizawa
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Dobrila D Rudnicki
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. .,Program of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
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Carmo-Silva S, Nobrega C, Pereira de Almeida L, Cavadas C. Unraveling the Role of Ataxin-2 in Metabolism. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2017; 28:309-318. [PMID: 28117213 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2016.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Ataxin-2 is a polyglutamine protein implicated in several biological processes such as RNA metabolism and cytoskeleton reorganization. Ataxin-2 is highly expressed in various tissues including the hypothalamus, a brain region that controls food intake and energy balance. Ataxin-2 expression is influenced by nutritional status. Emerging studies discussed here now show that ataxin-2 deficiency correlates with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, an action mediated via the mTOR pathway, suggesting that ataxin-2 might play key roles in metabolic homeostasis including body weight regulation, insulin sensitivity, and cellular stress responses. In this review we also discuss the relevance of ataxin-2 in the hypothalamic regulation of energy balance, and its potential as a therapeutic target in metabolic disorders such as obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Carmo-Silva
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Clevio Nobrega
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, Center for Biomedical Research (CBMR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Claudia Cavadas
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
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Velázquez-Pérez L, Rodríguez-Labrada R, Laffita-Mesa JM. Prodromal spinocerebellar ataxia type 2: Prospects for early interventions and ethical challenges. Mov Disord 2017; 32:708-718. [DOI: 10.1002/mds.26969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - José Miguel Laffita-Mesa
- Centre for the Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias; Holguín Cuba
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience; Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset; Stockholm Sweden
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Escalona-Rayo O, Fuentes-Vázquez P, Leyva-Gómez G, Cisneros B, Villalobos R, Magaña JJ, Quintanar-Guerrero D. Nanoparticulate strategies for the treatment of polyglutamine diseases by halting the protein aggregation process. Drug Dev Ind Pharm 2017; 43:871-888. [PMID: 28142290 DOI: 10.1080/03639045.2017.1281949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are a class of neurodegenerative disorders that cause cellular dysfunction and, eventually, neuronal death in specific regions of the brain. Neurodegeneration is linked to the misfolding and aggregation of expanded polyQ-containing proteins, and their inhibition is one of major therapeutic strategies used commonly. However, successful treatment has been limited to date because of the intrinsic properties of therapeutic agents (poor water solubility, low bioavailability, poor pharmacokinetic properties), and difficulty in crossing physiological barriers, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In order to solve these problems, nanoparticulate systems with dimensions of 1-1000 nm able to incorporate small and macromolecules with therapeutic value, to protect and deliver them directly to the brain, have recently been developed, but their use for targeting polyQ disease-mediated protein misfolding and aggregation remains scarce. This review provides an update of the polyQ protein aggregation process and the development of therapeutic strategies for halting it. The main features that a nanoparticulate system should possess in order to enhance brain delivery are discussed, as well as the different types of materials utilized to produce them. The final part of this review focuses on the potential application of nanoparticulate system strategies to improve the specific and efficient delivery of therapeutic agents to the brain for the treatment of polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Escalona-Rayo
- a Laboratorio de Investigación y Posgrado en Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Cuautitlán Izcalli , Mexico
| | - Paulina Fuentes-Vázquez
- a Laboratorio de Investigación y Posgrado en Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Cuautitlán Izcalli , Mexico
| | - Gerardo Leyva-Gómez
- b Laboratory of Connective Tissue , CENIAQ, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra , Mexico City , Mexico
| | - Bulmaro Cisneros
- c Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology , CINVESTAV-IPN , Mexico City , Mexico
| | - Rafael Villalobos
- d División de Estudios de Posgrado (Tecnología Farmacéutica), Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Cuautitlán Izcalli , Mexico
| | - Jonathan J Magaña
- e Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Department of Genetics , Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra , Mexico City , Mexico
| | - David Quintanar-Guerrero
- a Laboratorio de Investigación y Posgrado en Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Cuautitlán Izcalli , Mexico
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Alves-Cruzeiro JMDC, Mendonça L, Pereira de Almeida L, Nóbrega C. Motor Dysfunctions and Neuropathology in Mouse Models of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2: A Comprehensive Review. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:572. [PMID: 28018166 PMCID: PMC5156697 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal dominant ataxia caused by an expansion of CAG repeats in the exon 1 of the gene ATXN2, conferring a gain of toxic function that triggers the appearance of the disease phenotype. SCA2 is characterized by several symptoms including progressive gait ataxia and dysarthria, slow saccadic eye movements, sleep disturbances, cognitive impairments, and psychological dysfunctions such as insomnia and depression, among others. The available treatments rely on palliative care, which mitigate some of the major symptoms but ultimately fail to block the disease progression. This persistent lack of effective therapies led to the development of several models in yeast, C. elegans, D. melanogaster, and mice to serve as platforms for testing new therapeutic strategies and to accelerate the research on the complex disease mechanisms. In this work, we review 4 transgenic and 1 knock-in mouse that exhibit a SCA2-related phenotype and discuss their usefulness in addressing different scientific problems. The knock-in mice are extremely faithful to the human disease, with late onset of symptoms and physiological levels of mutant ataxin-2, while the other transgenic possess robust and well-characterized motor impairments and neuropathological features. Furthermore, a new BAC model of SCA2 shows promise to study the recently explored role of non-coding RNAs as a major pathogenic mechanism in this devastating disorder. Focusing on specific aspects of the behavior and neuropathology, as well as technical aspects, we provide a highly practical description and comparison of all the models with the purpose of creating a useful resource for SCA2 researchers worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Liliana Mendonça
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of CoimbraCoimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of CoimbraCoimbra, Portugal
| | - Clévio Nóbrega
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine and Center for Biomedical Research, University of Algarve Faro, Portugal
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Zhang M, Xi Z, Misquitta K, Sato C, Moreno D, Liang Y, Slow E, Rogaeva E, Tartaglia MC. C9orf72 and ATXN2 repeat expansions coexist in a family with ataxia, dementia, and parkinsonism. Mov Disord 2016; 32:158-162. [PMID: 28124431 DOI: 10.1002/mds.26841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Revised: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intermediate interrupted ataxin 2 (ATXN2) alleles (27-33 CAG-repeats) increase the risk for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and are reported as modifiers in chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) carriers, rendering susceptibility to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis rather than frontotemporal lobar degeneration. The clinical presentation of C9orf72 patients with pathogenic ATXN2 alleles (≥35 CAG-repeats) is unknown. METHODS Blood samples were collected from a family affected by ataxia, dementia, and parkinsonism, but not amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mutation analyses of the proband included C9orf72 and 14 ataxia genes, followed by segregation analyses in family members. RESULTS Both affected siblings carry an uninterrupted 37-repeat expansion in ATXN2 and a methylated G4 C2 -repeat allele in C9orf72 that is typical of large pathogenic expansions. CONCLUSIONS The CAG-expansion in ATXN2 likely caused the ataxia, whereas the dementia may be linked to both C9orf72 and ATXN2 repeat expansions. The pathological uninterrupted ATXN2 repeat may not have the same modifying effect as intermediate interrupted alleles. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Zhang
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zhengrui Xi
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karen Misquitta
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christine Sato
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Danielle Moreno
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yan Liang
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Slow
- Krembil Neuroscience Center, Movement Disorder's Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ekaterina Rogaeva
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maria Carmela Tartaglia
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Krembil Neuroscience Center, University Health Network Memory Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Ontario, Canada
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Modulation of Molecular Chaperones in Huntington’s Disease and Other Polyglutamine Disorders. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 54:5829-5854. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-016-0120-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Nkiliza A, Mutez E, Simonin C, Leprêtre F, Duflot A, Figeac M, Villenet C, Semaille P, Comptdaer T, Genet A, Sablonnière B, Devos D, Defebvre L, Destée A, Chartier-Harlin MC. RNA-binding disturbances as a continuum from spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 to Parkinson disease. Neurobiol Dis 2016; 96:312-322. [PMID: 27663142 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2016.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CAG triplet expansions in Ataxin-2 gene (ATXN2) cause spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 and have a role that remains to be clarified in Parkinson's disease (PD). To study the molecular events associated with these expansions, we sequenced them and analyzed the transcriptome from blood cells of controls and three patient groups diagnosed with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (herein referred to as SCA2c) or PD with or without ATXN2 triplet expansions (named SCA2p). The transcriptome profiles of these 40 patients revealed three main observations: i) a specific pattern of pathways related to cellular contacts, proliferation and differentiation associated with SCA2p group, ii) similarities between the SCA2p and sporadic PD groups in genes and pathways known to be altered in PD such as Wnt, Ephrin and Leukocyte extravasation signaling iii) RNA metabolism disturbances with "RNA-binding" and "poly(A) RNA-binding" as a common feature in all groups. Remarkably, disturbances of ALS signaling were shared between SCA2p and sporadic PD suggesting common molecular dysfunctions in PD and ALS including CACNA1, hnRNP, DDX and PABPC gene family perturbations. Interestingly, the transcriptome profiles of patients with parkinsonian phenotypes were prevalently associated with alterations of translation while SCA2c and PD patients presented perturbations of splicing. While ATXN2 RNA expression was not perturbed, its protein expression in immortalized lymphoblastoid cells was significantly decreased in SCA2c and SCA2p versus control groups assuming post-transcriptional biological perturbations. In conclusion, the transcriptome data do not exclude the role of ATXN2 mutated alleles in PD but its decrease protein expression in both SCA2c and SCA2p patients suggest a potential involvement of this gene in PD. The perturbations of "RNA-binding" and "poly(A) RNA-binding" molecular functions in the three patient groups as well as gene deregulations of factors not yet described in PD but known to be deleterious in other neurological conditions, suggest the existence of RNA-binding disturbances as a continuum between spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 and Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurore Nkiliza
- Univ. Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre AUBERT Neurosciences et Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France; Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Team "Early stages of Parkinson's disease", F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Eugénie Mutez
- Univ. Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre AUBERT Neurosciences et Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France; Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Team "Early stages of Parkinson's disease", F-59000 Lille, France; CHU Lille, Neurologie et Pathologie du Mouvement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Clémence Simonin
- Univ. Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre AUBERT Neurosciences et Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France; Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Team "Early stages of Parkinson's disease", F-59000 Lille, France; CHU Lille, Neurologie et Pathologie du Mouvement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Frédéric Leprêtre
- Univ. Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre AUBERT Neurosciences et Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France; Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, IRCL, Structural and Functional Genomics Core Facility, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Aurélie Duflot
- Univ. Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre AUBERT Neurosciences et Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France; Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Team "Early stages of Parkinson's disease", F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Martin Figeac
- Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, IRCL, Structural and Functional Genomics Core Facility, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Céline Villenet
- Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, IRCL, Structural and Functional Genomics Core Facility, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Pierre Semaille
- Univ. Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre AUBERT Neurosciences et Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France; Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Team "Early stages of Parkinson's disease", F-59000 Lille, France; CHU Lille, Neurologie et Pathologie du Mouvement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Thomas Comptdaer
- Univ. Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre AUBERT Neurosciences et Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France; Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Team "Early stages of Parkinson's disease", F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Alexandre Genet
- CHU Lille, Centre de Biologie Pathologie, Unité de Neurobiologie, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Bernard Sablonnière
- Univ. Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre AUBERT Neurosciences et Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France; CHU Lille, Centre de Biologie Pathologie, Unité de Neurobiologie, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - David Devos
- CHU Lille, Neurologie et Pathologie du Mouvement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Luc Defebvre
- CHU Lille, Neurologie et Pathologie du Mouvement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Alain Destée
- Univ. Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre AUBERT Neurosciences et Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France; Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Team "Early stages of Parkinson's disease", F-59000 Lille, France; CHU Lille, Neurologie et Pathologie du Mouvement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Marie-Christine Chartier-Harlin
- Univ. Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre AUBERT Neurosciences et Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France; Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Team "Early stages of Parkinson's disease", F-59000 Lille, France.
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Dysfunctional Calcium and Glutamate Signaling in Striatal Astrocytes from Huntington's Disease Model Mice. J Neurosci 2016; 36:3453-70. [PMID: 27013675 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3693-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Astrocytes tile the entire CNS, but their functions within neural circuits in health and disease remain incompletely understood. We used genetically encoded Ca(2+)and glutamate indicators to explore the rules for astrocyte engagement in the corticostriatal circuit of adult wild-type (WT) and Huntington's disease (HD) model mice at ages not accompanied by overt astrogliosis (at approximately postnatal days 70-80). WT striatal astrocytes displayed extensive spontaneous Ca(2+)signals, but did not respond to cortical stimulation, implying that astrocytes were largely disengaged from cortical input in healthy tissue. In contrast, in HD model mice, spontaneous Ca(2+)signals were significantly reduced in frequency, duration, and amplitude, but astrocytes responded robustly to cortical stimulation with evoked Ca(2+)signals. These action-potential-dependent astrocyte Ca(2+)signals were mediated by neuronal glutamate release during cortical stimulation, accompanied by prolonged extracellular glutamate levels near astrocytes and tightly gated by Glt1 glutamate transporters. Moreover, dysfunctional Ca(2+)and glutamate signaling that was observed in HD model mice was largely, but not completely, rescued by astrocyte specific restoration of Kir4.1, emphasizing the important contributions of K(+)homeostatic mechanisms that are known to be reduced in HD model mice. Overall, our data show that astrocyte engagement in the corticostriatal circuit is markedly altered in HD. Such prodromal astrocyte dysfunctions may represent novel therapeutic targets in HD and other brain disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We report how early-onset astrocyte dysfunction without detectable astrogliosis drives disease-related processes in a mouse model of Huntington's disease (HD). The cellular mechanisms involve astrocyte homeostasis and signaling mediated by Kir4.1, Glt1, and Ca(2+) The data show that the rules for astrocyte engagement in a neuronal circuit are fundamentally altered in a brain disease caused by a known molecular defect and that fixing early homeostasis dysfunction remedies additional cellular deficits. Overall, our data suggest that key aspects of altered striatal function associated with HD may be triggered, at least in part, by dysfunctional astrocytes, thereby providing details of an emerging striatal microcircuit mechanism in HD. Such prodromal changes in astrocytes may represent novel therapeutic targets.
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