Emergent Role of Coronin-1a in Neuronal Signaling

Hepatitis C virus infection and Parkinson's disease: insights from a joint sex-stratified BioOptimatics meta-analysis

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection poses a significant public health challenge and often leads to long-term health complications and even death. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a proposed viral etiology. HCV infection and PD have been previously suggested to be related. This work aimed to identify potential biomarkers and pathways that may play a role in the joint development of PD and HCV infection. Using BioOptimatics-bioinformatics driven by mathematical global optimization-, 22 publicly available microarray and RNAseq datasets for both diseases were analyzed, focusing on sex-specific differences. Our results revealed that 19 genes, including MT1H, MYOM2, and RPL18, exhibited significant changes in expression in both diseases. Pathway and network analyses stratified by sex indicated that these gene expression changes were enriched in processes related to immune response regulation in females and immune cell activation in males. These findings suggest a potential link between HCV infection and PD, highlighting the importance of further investigation into the underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets involved.

Exosome Liberation by Human Neutrophils under L-Amino Acid Oxidase of Calloselasma rhodostoma Venom Action

L-Amino acid oxidase (LAAO) is an enzyme found in snake venom that has multifaceted effects, including the generation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) during oxidative reactions, leading to various biological and pharmacological outcomes such as apoptosis, cytotoxicity, modulation of platelet aggregation, hemorrhage, and neutrophil activation. Human neutrophils respond to LAAO by enhancing chemotaxis, and phagocytosis, and releasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pro-inflammatory mediators. Exosomes cellular nanovesicles play vital roles in intercellular communication, including immune responses. This study investigates the impact of Calloselasma rhodostoma snake venom-derived LAAO (Cr-LAAO) on human neutrophil exosome release, including activation patterns, exosome formation, and content. Neutrophils isolated from healthy donors were stimulated with Cr-LAAO (100 μg/mL) for 3 h, followed by exosome isolation and analysis. Results show that Cr-LAAO induces the release of exosomes with distinct protein content compared to the negative control. Proteomic analysis reveals proteins related to the regulation of immune responses and blood coagulation. This study uncovers Cr-LAAO's ability to activate human neutrophils, leading to exosome release and facilitating intercellular communication, offering insights into potential therapeutic approaches for inflammatory and immunological disorders.

Deciphering the Role of microRNA Mediated Regulation of Coronin 1C in Glioblastoma Development and Metastasis

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly heterogenic and malignant brain tumour with a median survival of 15 months. The initial identification of primary glioblastomas is often challenging. Coronin 1C (CORO1C) is a key player in actin rearrangement and cofilin dynamics, as well as enhancing the processes of neurite overgrowth and migration of brain tumour cells. Different bioinformatic databases were accessed to measure CORO1C expression at the mRNA and protein level in normal and malignant brains. CORO1C expression was observed in brain regions which have retained high synaptic plasticity and myelination properties. CORO1C was also expressed mainly within the hippocampus formation, including the Cornu Ammonis (CA) fields: CA1-CA4. Higher expression was also noticed in paediatric GBM in comparison to their adult counterparts. Pediatric cell populations were observed to have an increased log2 expression of CORO1C. Furthermore, 62 miRNAs were found to target the CORO1C gene. Of these, hsa-miR-34a-5p, hsa-miR-512-3p, hsa-miR-136-5p, hsa-miR-206, hsa-miR-128-3p, and hsa-miR-21-5p have shown to act as tumour suppressors or oncomiRs in different neoplasms, including GBM. The elevated expression of CORO1C in high grade metastatic brain malignancies, including GBM, suggests that this protein could have a clinical utility as a biomarker linked to an unfavorable outcome.

Regulation of actin filament assembly and disassembly in growth cone motility and axon guidance

Directed outgrowth of axons is fundamental for the establishment of neuronal networks. Axon outgrowth is guided by growth cones, highly motile structures enriched in filamentous actin (F-actin) located at the axons' distal tips. Growth cones exploit F-actin-based protrusions to scan the environment for guidance cues, and they contain the sensory apparatus to translate guidance cue information into intracellular signaling cascades. These cascades act upstream of actin-binding proteins (ABP) and thereby control assembly and disassembly of F-actin. Spatiotemporally controlled F-actin dis-/assembly in growth cones steers the axon towards attractants and away from repellents, and it thereby navigates the axon through the developing nervous system. Hence, ABP that control F-actin dynamics emerged as critical regulators of neuronal network formation. In the present review article, we will summarize and discuss current knowledge of the mechanisms that control remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton in growth cones, focusing on recent progress in the field. Further, we will introduce tools and techniques that allow to study actin regulatory mechanism in growth cones.

Language and Communication Deficits in Chromosome 16p11.2 Deletion Syndrome

PURPOSE

Chromosome 16p11.2 deletion syndrome (OMIM #611913) is a rare genetic condition resulting from the partial deletion of approximately 35 genes located at Chromosome 16. Affected people exhibit a variable clinical profile, featuring mild dysmorphisms, motor problems, developmental delay, mild intellectual disability (ID), socialization deficits and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) traits, and problems with language. Specifically, a precise characterization of the speech, language, and communication (dis)abilities of people with this condition is still pending.

METHOD

We used standardized tests and samples of naturalistic speech to provide a longitudinal profile of the speech, language, and communication problems of a boy with Chromosome 16p11.2 deletion syndrome and without ID or ASD.

RESULTS

The proband shows impaired expressive abilities as well as problems with receptive language, dysprosody, and ASD-like communication deficits, such as impaired interactive skills, perseverative verbal behavior, overabundance of tangential responses, and lack of metapragmatic awareness and communicative use of gaze, meeting the criteria for social pragmatic communication disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results support the view that language and communication impairment should be regarded as one core symptom of Chromosome 16p11.2 deletion syndrome, even without a diagnosis of ASD or ID. Clinical implications of our results, with a focus on therapeutic interventions for children with 16p11.2 deletion syndrome and no ASD or ID, are also discussed.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21561714.

Increased expression of coronin-1a in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neuron disease. At present, no definite ALS biomarkers are available. In this study, exosomes from the plasma of patients with ALS and healthy controls were extracted, and differentially expressed exosomal proteins were compared. Among them, the expression of exosomal coronin-1a (CORO1A) was 5.3-fold higher than that in the controls. CORO1A increased with disease progression at a certain proportion in the plasma of patients with ALS and in the spinal cord of ALS mice. CORO1A was also overexpressed in NSC-34 motor neuron-like cells, and apoptosis, oxidative stress, and autophagic protein expression were evaluated. CORO1A overexpression resulted in increased apoptosis and oxidative stress, overactivated autophagy, and hindered the formation of autolysosomes. Moreover, CORO1A activated Ca2+-dependent phosphatase calcineurin, thereby blocking the fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes. The inhibition of calcineurin activation by cyclosporin A reversed the damaged autolysosomes. In conclusion, the role of CORO1A in ALS pathogenesis was discovered, potentially affecting the disease onset and progression by blocking autophagic flux. Therefore, CORO1A might be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for ALS.

Serum exosomal coronin 1A and dynamin 2 as neural tube defect biomarkers

Abstract

No highly specific and sensitive biomarkers have been identified for early diagnosis of neural tube defects (NTDs). In this study, we used proteomics to identify novel proteins specific for NTDs. Our findings revealed three proteins showing differential expression during fetal development. In a rat model of NTDs, we used western blotting to quantify proteins in maternal serum exosomes on gestational days E18, E16, E14, and E12, in serum on E18 and E12, in neural tubes on E18 and E12, and in fetal neural exosomes on E18. The expression of coronin 1A and dynamin 2 was exosome-specific and associated with spina bifida aperta embryogenesis. Furthermore, coronin 1A and dynamin 2 were significantly downregulated in maternal serum exosomes (E12–E18), neural tubes, and fetal neural exosomes. Although downregulation was also observed in serum, the difference was not significant. Differentially expressed proteins were further analyzed in the serum exosomes of pregnant women during gestational weeks 12–40 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The findings revealed that coronin 1A and dynamin 2 showed potential diagnostic efficacy during gestational weeks 12–40, particularly during early gestation (12–18 weeks). Therefore, these two targets are used as candidate NTD screening and diagnostic biomarkers during early gestation.

Key messages

We used proteomics to identify novel proteins specific for NTDs.

CORO1A and DNM2 showed exosome-specific expression and were associated with SBA.

CORO1A and DNM2 were downregulated in maternal serum exosomes and FNEs.

CORO1A and DNM2 showed good diagnostic efficacy for NTDs during early gestation.

These two targets may have applications as NTD screening and diagnostic biomarkers.

Supplementary information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00109-022-02236-w.

Effects of renal denervation on the expression profile of circular RNA in the serum of patients with resistant hypertension

OBJECTIVE

Renal denervation (RDN) is a new treatment option for resistant hypertension (RH), although it has been shown that reduced sympathetic nerve activity after RDN is the main cause of blood pressure decline. In view of the possible correlation between circRNA and hypertension and the metabolic state of the body after RDN, we investigated the potential role of circRNA in RDN treatment of RH.

METHODS

Serum samples of patients with RH were collected before and 48 h after RDN. We explored the mechanism underlying RDN with high-throughput integration of circRNA data.

RESULTS

There were 338 circRNAs that were differentiated before and after RDN; 170 were upregulated and 168 were downregulated (≥1.2-fold, P < 0.05), and the expression of five of them changed significantly (≥1.5-fold, P < 0.05). We used reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction to confirm these results in 13 other patients with RH. hsa_circRNA_000367 was upregulated and hsa_circRNA_405119 was downregulated after RDN. We predicted their downstream miRNA-mRNA network and analyzed their putative function via the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA pathway. GO/KEGG analysis showed that their functional annotation may be related to nerve injury and hypertension. We used the Venn Diagram Generator to obtain the intersection of predicted target and sympathetic nerve-related genes (from GeneCards website).

CONCLUSION

The mechanism underlying RDN may be closely related to upregulated hsa_circRNA_000367 or downregulated hsa_circRNA_405119 and involve regulated multiple pathways and multiple cellular and molecular biological processes. These circRNAs may potentially be used as treatment effect biomarkers in RDN.

Neuronal Glycoprotein M6a: An Emerging Molecule in Chemical Synapse Formation and Dysfunction

The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders show that most of them can be categorized as synaptopathies-or damage of synaptic function and plasticity. Synaptic formation and maintenance are orchestrated by protein complexes that are in turn regulated in space and time during neuronal development allowing synaptic plasticity. However, the exact mechanisms by which these processes are managed remain unknown. Large-scale genomic and proteomic projects led to the discovery of new molecules and their associated variants as disease risk factors. Neuronal glycoprotein M6a, encoded by the GPM6A gene is emerging as one of these molecules. M6a has been involved in neuron development and synapse formation and plasticity, and was also recently proposed as a gene-target in various neuropsychiatric disorders where it could also be used as a biomarker. In this review, we provide an overview of the structure and molecular mechanisms by which glycoprotein M6a participates in synapse formation and maintenance. We also review evidence collected from patients carrying mutations in the GPM6A gene; animal models, and in vitro studies that together emphasize the relevance of M6a, particularly in synapses and in neurological conditions.

The TRIM9/TRIM67 neuronal interactome reveals novel activators of morphogenesis

TRIM9 and TRIM67 are neuronally enriched E3 ubiquitin ligases essential for appropriate morphogenesis of cortical and hippocampal neurons and fidelitous responses to the axon guidance cue netrin-1. Deletion of murine Trim9 or Trim67 results in neuroanatomical defects and striking behavioral deficits, particularly in spatial learning and memory. TRIM9 and TRIM67 interact with cytoskeletal and exocytic proteins, but the full interactome is not known. Here we performed the unbiased proximity-dependent biotin identification (BioID) approach to define TRIM9 and TRIM67 protein-protein proximity network in developing cortical neurons and identified putative neuronal TRIM interaction partners. Candidates included cytoskeletal regulators, cytosolic protein transporters, exocytosis and endocytosis regulators, and proteins necessary for synaptic regulation. A subset of high-priority candidates was validated, including Myo16, Coro1A, MAP1B, ExoC1, GRIP1, PRG-1, and KIF1A. For a subset of validated candidates, we utilized total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to demonstrate dynamic colocalization with TRIM proteins at the axonal periphery, including at the tips of filopodia. Further analysis demonstrated that the RNA interference-based knockdown of the unconventional myosin Myo16 in cortical neurons altered growth cone filopodia density and axonal branching patterns in a TRIM9- and netrin-1-dependent manner. Future analysis of other validated candidates will likely identify novel proteins and mechanisms by which TRIM9 and TRIM67 regulate neuronal form and function. [Media: see text].

Coronin 2B regulates dendrite outgrowth by modulating actin dynamics

Cytoskeletal remodeling is indispensable for the development and maintenance of neuronal structures and functions. However, the molecular machinery that controls the balance between actin polymerization and depolymerization during these processes is incompletely understood. Here, we report that coronin 2B, a conserved actin-binding protein, is concentrated at the tips of developing dendrites and that knockdown of coronin 2B inhibits the growth of dendrites. Importantly, coronin 2B interacts with actin and reduces the F-actin/G-actin ratio. Furthermore, the coiled-coil domain of coronin 2B is required for its oligomerization, thus confining coronin 2B to neurite tips. Our findings collectively suggest that coronin 2B is important for promoting dendrite outgrowth by limiting the speed of actin polymerization at growth cones.

Biochemical and immunocytochemical characterization of coronins in platelets

Rapid reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in response to receptor-mediated signaling cascades allows platelets to transition from a discoid shape to a flat spread shape upon adhesion to damaged vessel walls. Coronins are conserved regulators of the actin cytoskeleton turnover but they also participate in signaling events. To gain a better picture of their functions in platelets we have undertaken a biochemical and immunocytochemical investigation with a focus on Coro1. We found that class I coronins Coro1, 2 and 3 are abundant in human and mouse platelets whereas little Coro7 can be detected. Coro1 is mainly cytosolic, but a significant amount associates with membranes in an actin-independent manner and does not translocate from or to the membrane fraction upon exposure to thrombin, collagen or prostacyclin. Coro1 rapidly translocates to the Triton insoluble cytoskeleton upon platelet stimulation with thrombin or collagen. Coro1, 2 and 3 show a diffuse cytoplasmic localization with discontinuous accumulation at the cell cortex and actin nodules of human platelets, where all three coronins colocalize. Our data are consistent with a role of coronins as integrators of extracellular signals with actin remodeling and suggests a high extent of functional overlap among class I coronins in platelets.

Actin Waves and Dynamic Patterning of the Plasma Membrane

Plasma membrane and underlying actin network are connected to a functional unit that by non-linear interactions is capable of forming patterns. For instance, in cell motility and chemotaxis, cells polarize to form a protruding front and a retracting tail. Here we address dynamic patterns that are formed on a planar substrate surface and are therefore easily accessible to optical recording. In these patterns two distinct areas of the membrane and actin cortex are interconverted at the site of circular actin waves. The inner territory circumscribed by a wave is distinguished from the external area by a high PIP3 content and high Ras activity. In contrast, the external area is occupied with the PIP3-degrading phosphatase PTEN. In the underlying cortex, these areas differ in the proteins associated with the actin network. Actin waves can be formed at zones of increasing as well as decreasing Ras activity. Both types of waves are headed by myosin IB. When waves collide, they usually extinguish each other, and their decay is accompanied by the accumulation of coronin. No membrane patterns have been observed after efficient depolymerization of actin, suggesting that residual actin filaments are necessary for the pattern generating system to work. Where appropriate, we relate the experimental data obtained with Dictyostelium to human normal and malignant cell behavior, in particular to the role of Ras-GAP as an enhancer of macropinocytosis, to mutations in the tumor suppressor PTEN, to frustrated phagocytosis, and to the role of coronin in immune cells and neurons.

Tropomyosin isoforms have specific effects on the transcriptome of undifferentiated and differentiated B35 neuroblastoma cells

Tropomyosins, a family of actin‐associated proteins, bestow actin filaments with distinct biochemical and physical properties which are important for determining cell shape and regulating many cellular processes in eukaryotic cells. Here, we used RNA‐seq to investigate the effect of four tropomyosin isoforms on gene expression in undifferentiated and differentiated rat B35 neuroblastoma cells. In undifferentiated cells, overexpression of tropomyosin isoforms Tpm1.12, Tpm2.1, Tpm3.1, and Tpm4.2 differentially regulates a vast number of genes, clustering into several gene ontology terms. In differentiated cells, tropomyosin overexpression exerts a much weaker influence on overall gene expression. Our findings are particularly compelling because they demonstrate that tropomyosin‐dependent changes are attenuated once the cells are induced to follow a defined path of differentiation.

Database

Sequence data for public availability are deposited in the European Nucleotide Archive under the accession number PRJEB24136.