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Duarte F, Vachey G, Caron NS, Sipion M, Rey M, Perrier AL, Hayden MR, Déglon N. Limitations of Dual-Single Guide RNA CRISPR Strategies for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Genetic Disorders. Hum Gene Ther 2023; 34:958-974. [PMID: 37658843 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2023.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a toxic gain-of-function CAG expansion in the first exon of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The monogenic nature of HD makes mutant HTT (mHTT) inactivation a promising therapeutic strategy. Single nucleotide polymorphisms frequently associated with CAG expansion have been explored to selectively inactivate mHTT allele using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. One of such allele-selective approaches consists of excising a region flanking the first exon of mHTT by inducing simultaneous double-strand breaks at upstream and downstream positions of the mHTT exon 1. The removal of the first exon of mHTT deletes the CAG expansion and important transcription regulatory sites, leading to mHTT inactivation. However, the frequency of deletion events is yet to be quantified either in vitro or in vivo. Here, we developed accurate quantitative digital polymerase chain reaction-based assays to assess HTT exon 1 deletion in vitro and in fully humanized HU97/18 mice. Our results demonstrate that dual-single guide RNA (sgRNA) strategies are efficient and that 67% of HTT editing events are leading to exon 1 deletion in HEK293T cells. In contrast, these sgRNA actively cleaved HTT in HU97/18 mice, but most editing events do not lead to exon 1 deletion (10% exon 1 deletion). We also showed that the in vivo editing pattern is not affected by CAG expansion but may potentially be due to the presence of multiple copies of wildtype (wt)/mHTT genes HU97/18 mice as well as the slow kinetics of AAV-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio Duarte
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gabriel Vachey
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital and Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Melanie Sipion
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maria Rey
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anselme L Perrier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital and Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nicole Déglon
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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2
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Kadhum T, Selinski S, Blaszkewicz M, Reinders J, Roth E, Volkert F, Ovsiannikov D, Moormann O, Gerullis H, Barski D, Otto T, Höhne S, Hengstler JG, Golka K. Bladder cancer course, four genetic high-risk variants, and histopathological findings. EXCLI JOURNAL 2023; 22:867-879. [PMID: 37720238 PMCID: PMC10502201 DOI: 10.17179/excli2023-5862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Urinary bladder cancer, a smoking and occupation related disease, was subject of several genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, studies on the course of the disease based on GWAS findings differentiating between muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) are rare. Thus we investigated 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected in GWAS, related to the genes coding for TACC3 (transforming, acidic coiled-coil containing protein 3), for FGFR3 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 3), for PSCA (prostate stem cell antigen) and the genes coding for CBX6 (chromobox homolog 6) and APOBEC3A (apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like 3A). This study is based on 712 bladder cancer patients and 875 controls from 3 different case control studies in Germany. The 4 SNPs of interest (PSCA rs2294008 and rs2978974, FGFR3-TACC3 rs798766, and CBX6-APOBEC3A rs1014971) were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The distribution of the 4 SNPs does not vary significantly between cases and controls in the entire study group and in the 3 local subgroups, including two former highly industrialized areas and a region without such history. Also, no significant differences in the bladder cancer subgroups of MIBC and NMIBC were observed. The 4 investigated SNPs do not noticeably contribute differently to the bladder cancer risk for the bladder cancer subgroups of MIBC and NMIBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thura Kadhum
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at TU Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
- Specialist Clinic for Psychosomatic Rehabilitation, Mittelrhein-Klinik, Boppard - Bad Salzig, Germany
| | - Silvia Selinski
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at TU Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
| | - Meinolf Blaszkewicz
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at TU Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jörg Reinders
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at TU Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
| | - Emanuel Roth
- Department of Urology, Evangelic Hospital, Paul-Gerhardt Foundation, Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Frank Volkert
- Department of Urology, Evangelic Hospital, Paul-Gerhardt Foundation, Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Dimitri Barski
- Rheinland Klinikum Lukaskrankenhaus Neuss, Neuss, Germany
| | - Thomas Otto
- Rheinland Klinikum Lukaskrankenhaus Neuss, Neuss, Germany
| | - Svetlana Höhne
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at TU Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jan G. Hengstler
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at TU Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
| | - Klaus Golka
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at TU Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
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Ciurea AV, Mohan AG, Covache-Busuioc RA, Costin HP, Glavan LA, Corlatescu AD, Saceleanu VM. Unraveling Molecular and Genetic Insights into Neurodegenerative Diseases: Advances in Understanding Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's Diseases and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10809. [PMID: 37445986 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are, according to recent studies, one of the main causes of disability and death worldwide. Interest in molecular genetics has started to experience exponential growth thanks to numerous advancements in technology, shifts in the understanding of the disease as a phenomenon, and the change in the perspective regarding gene editing and the advantages of this action. The aim of this paper is to analyze the newest approaches in genetics and molecular sciences regarding four of the most important neurodegenerative disorders: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We intend through this review to focus on the newest treatment, diagnosis, and predictions regarding this large group of diseases, in order to obtain a more accurate analysis and to identify the emerging signs that could lead to a better outcome in order to increase both the quality and the life span of the patient. Moreover, this review could provide evidence of future possible novel therapies that target the specific genes and that could be useful to be taken into consideration when the classical approaches fail to shed light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Vlad Ciurea
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
- Neurosurgery Department, Sanador Clinical Hospital, 010991 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Aurel George Mohan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Bihor County Emergency Clinical Hospital, 410167 Oradea, Romania
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oradea University, 410610 Oradea, Romania
| | | | - Horia-Petre Costin
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Luca-Andrei Glavan
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Antonio-Daniel Corlatescu
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Vicentiu Mircea Saceleanu
- Neurosurgery Department, Sibiu County Emergency Hospital, 550245 Sibiu, Romania
- Neurosurgery Department, "Lucian Blaga" University of Medicine, 550024 Sibiu, Romania
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4
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Bragina EY, Gomboeva DE, Saik OV, Ivanisenko VA, Freidin MB, Nazarenko MS, Puzyrev VP. Apoptosis Genes as a Key to Identification of Inverse Comorbidity of Huntington's Disease and Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119385. [PMID: 37298337 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119385] [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: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer and neurodegenerative disorders present overwhelming challenges for healthcare worldwide. Epidemiological studies showed a decrease in cancer rates in patients with neurodegenerative disorders, including the Huntington disease (HD). Apoptosis is one of the most important processes for both cancer and neurodegeneration. We suggest that genes closely connected with apoptosis and associated with HD may affect carcinogenesis. We applied reconstruction and analysis of gene networks associated with HD and apoptosis and identified potentially important genes for inverse comorbidity of cancer and HD. The top 10 high-priority candidate genes included APOE, PSEN1, INS, IL6, SQSTM1, SP1, HTT, LEP, HSPA4, and BDNF. Functional analysis of these genes was carried out using gene ontology and KEGG pathways. By exploring genome-wide association study results, we identified genes associated with neurodegenerative and oncological disorders, as well as their endophenotypes and risk factors. We used publicly available datasets of HD and breast and prostate cancers to analyze the expression of the identified genes. Functional modules of these genes were characterized according to disease-specific tissues. This integrative approach revealed that these genes predominantly exert similar functions in different tissues. Apoptosis along with lipid metabolism dysregulation and cell homeostasis maintenance in the response to environmental stimulus and drugs are likely key processes in inverse comorbidity of cancer in patients with HD. Overall, the identified genes represent the promising targets for studying molecular relations of cancer and HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Yu Bragina
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Densema E Gomboeva
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Olga V Saik
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Vladimir A Ivanisenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Maxim B Freidin
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
- Department of Biology, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
- Centre of Omics Technology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Maria S Nazarenko
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of General Medicine, Siberian State Medical University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Valery P Puzyrev
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of General Medicine, Siberian State Medical University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
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5
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Ruiz de Sabando A, Urrutia Lafuente E, Galbete A, Ciosi M, García Amigot F, García Solaesa V, Monckton DG, Ramos-Arroyo MA. Spanish HTT gene study reveals haplotype and allelic diversity with possible implications for germline expansion dynamics in Huntington disease. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:897-906. [PMID: 36130218 PMCID: PMC9990985 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We aimed to determine the genetic diversity and molecular characteristics of the Huntington disease (HD) gene (HTT) in Spain. We performed an extended haplotype and exon one deep sequencing analysis of the HTT gene in a nationwide cohort of population-based controls (n = 520) and families with symptomatic individuals referred for HD genetic testing. This group included 331 HD cases and 140 carriers of intermediate alleles. Clinical and family history data were obtained when available. Spanish normal alleles are enriched in C haplotypes (40.1%), whereas A1 (39.8%) and A2 (31.6%) prevail among intermediate and expanded alleles, respectively. Alleles ≥ 50 CAG repeats are primarily associated with haplotypes A2 (38.9%) and C (32%), which are also present in 50% and 21.4%, respectively, of HD families with large intergenerational expansions. Non-canonical variants of exon one sequence are less frequent, but much more diverse, in alleles of ≥27 CAG repeats. The deletion of CAACAG, one of the six rare variants not observed among smaller normal alleles, is associated with haplotype C and appears to correlate with larger intergenerational expansions and early onset of symptoms. Spanish HD haplotypes are characterized by a high genetic diversity, potentially admixed with other non-Caucasian populations, with a higher representation of A2 and C haplotypes than most European populations. Differences in haplotype distributions across the CAG length range support differential germline expansion dynamics, with A2 and C showing the largest intergenerational expansions. This haplotype-dependent germline instability may be driven by specific cis-elements, such as the CAACAG deletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainara Ruiz de Sabando
- Department of Medical Genetics, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, IdiSNA, Pamplona 31008, Spain.,Department of Health Sciences, Universidad Pública de Navarra, IdiSNA, Pamplona 31008, Spain.,Fundación Miguel Servet-Navarrabiomed, IdiSNA, Pamplona 31008, Spain
| | | | - Arkaitz Galbete
- Department of Statistics, Informatics and Mathematics, Universidad Pública de Navarra, IdiSNA, Pamplona 31006, Spain
| | - Marc Ciosi
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Fermín García Amigot
- Department of Medical Genetics, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, IdiSNA, Pamplona 31008, Spain
| | - Virginia García Solaesa
- Department of Medical Genetics, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, IdiSNA, Pamplona 31008, Spain
| | | | - Darren G Monckton
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Maria A Ramos-Arroyo
- Department of Medical Genetics, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, IdiSNA, Pamplona 31008, Spain.,Fundación Miguel Servet-Navarrabiomed, IdiSNA, Pamplona 31008, Spain
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6
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Grinton BE, Robertson E, Fearnley LG, Scheffer IE, Marson AG, O'Brien TJ, Pickrell WO, Rees MI, Sisodiya SM, Balding DJ, Bennett MF, Bahlo M, Berkovic SF, Oliver KL. A founder event causing a dominant childhood epilepsy survives 800 years through weak selective pressure. Am J Hum Genet 2022; 109:2080-2087. [PMID: 36288729 PMCID: PMC9674963 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.10.004] [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: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) is an autosomal dominant familial epilepsy syndrome characterized by distinctive phenotypic heterogeneity within families. The SCN1B c.363C>G (p.Cys121Trp) variant has been identified in independent, multi-generational families with GEFS+. Although the variant is present in population databases (at very low frequency), there is strong clinical, genetic, and functional evidence to support pathogenicity. Recurrent variants may be due to a founder event in which the variant has been inherited from a common ancestor. Here, we report evidence of a single founder event giving rise to the SCN1B c.363C>G variant in 14 independent families with epilepsy. A common haplotype was observed in all families, and the age of the most recent common ancestor was estimated to be approximately 800 years ago. Analysis of UK Biobank whole-exome-sequencing data identified 74 individuals with the same variant. All individuals carried haplotypes matching the epilepsy-affected families, suggesting all instances of the variant derive from a single mutational event. This unusual finding of a variant causing an autosomal dominant, early-onset disease in an outbred population that has persisted over many generations can be attributed to the relatively mild phenotype in most carriers and incomplete penetrance. Founder events are well established in autosomal recessive and late-onset disorders but are rarely observed in early-onset, autosomal dominant diseases. These findings suggest variants present in the population at low frequencies should be considered potentially pathogenic in mild phenotypes with incomplete penetrance and may be more important contributors to the genetic landscape than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bronwyn E Grinton
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
| | - Erandee Robertson
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Liam G Fearnley
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Ingrid E Scheffer
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
| | - Anthony G Marson
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Terence J O'Brien
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Neurology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - W Owen Pickrell
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK; Department of Neurology, Morriston Hospital, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Mark I Rees
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK; Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Sanjay M Sisodiya
- Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire HP11 2FZ, UK; Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - David J Balding
- Melbourne Integrative Genomics, School of BioSciences and School of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Mark F Bennett
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia; Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Melanie Bahlo
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Samuel F Berkovic
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia.
| | - Karen L Oliver
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia; Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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7
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Shin JW, Hong EP, Park SS, Choi DE, Zeng S, Chen RZ, Lee JM. PAM-altering SNP-based allele-specific CRISPR-Cas9 therapeutic strategies for Huntington’s disease. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 26:547-561. [PMID: 36092363 PMCID: PMC9450073 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wan Shin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Eun Pyo Hong
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Seri S. Park
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Doo Eun Choi
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sophia Zeng
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Jong-Min Lee
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, the Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Corresponding author Jong-Min Lee, Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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8
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Shin JW, Shin A, Park SS, Lee JM. Haplotype-specific insertion-deletion variations for allele-specific targeting in Huntington's disease. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 25:84-95. [PMID: 35356757 PMCID: PMC8933729 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by an expanded CAG repeat in huntingtin (HTT). Given an important role for HTT in development and significant neurodegeneration at the time of clinical manifestation in HD, early treatment of allele-specific drugs represents a promising strategy. The feasibility of an allele-specific antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) has been demonstrated in models of HD. Here, we constructed a map of haplotype-specific insertion-deletion variations (indels) to develop alternative mutant-HTT-specific strategies. We mapped indels annotated in the 1000 Genomes Project data on common HTT haplotypes, revealing candidate indels for mutant-specific HTT targeting. Subsequent sequencing of an HD family confirmed candidate sites and revealed additional allele-specific indels. Interestingly, the most common normal HTT haplotype carries indels of big allele length differences at many sites, further uncovering promising haplotype-specific targets. When patient-derived cells carrying the most common HTT diplotype were treated with ASOs targeting the mutant alleles of candidate indels (rs772629195 or rs72239206), complete mutant specificity was observed. In summary, our map of haplotype-specific indels permits the identification of allele-specific targets in HD subjects, potentially contributing to the development of safe HTT-lowering therapeutics that are suitable for early treatment in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wan Shin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Aram Shin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Seri S Park
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jong-Min Lee
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Medical and Population Genetics Program, Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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9
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Environmental stimulation in Huntington disease patients and animal models. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 171:105725. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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10
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Hong EP, MacDonald ME, Wheeler VC, Jones L, Holmans P, Orth M, Monckton DG, Long JD, Kwak S, Gusella JF, Lee JM. Huntington's Disease Pathogenesis: Two Sequential Components. J Huntingtons Dis 2021; 10:35-51. [PMID: 33579862 PMCID: PMC7990433 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-200427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Historically, Huntington's disease (HD; OMIM #143100) has played an important role in the enormous advances in human genetics seen over the past four decades. This familial neurodegenerative disorder involves variable onset followed by consistent worsening of characteristic abnormal movements along with cognitive decline and psychiatric disturbances. HD was the first autosomal disease for which the genetic defect was assigned to a position on the human chromosomes using only genetic linkage analysis with common DNA polymorphisms. This discovery set off a multitude of similar studies in other diseases, while the HD gene, later renamed HTT, and its vicinity in chromosome 4p16.3 then acted as a proving ground for development of technologies to clone and sequence genes based upon their genomic location, with the growing momentum of such advances fueling the Human Genome Project. The identification of the HD gene has not yet led to an effective treatment, but continued human genetic analysis of genotype-phenotype relationships in large HD subject populations, first at the HTT locus and subsequently genome-wide, has provided insights into pathogenesis that divide the course of the disease into two sequential, mechanistically distinct components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Pyo Hong
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Medical and Population Genetics Program, the Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marcy E MacDonald
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Medical and Population Genetics Program, the Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Vanessa C Wheeler
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lesley Jones
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurology, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Holmans
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurology, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Orth
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Germany
| | - Darren G Monckton
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jeffrey D Long
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Seung Kwak
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - James F Gusella
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Medical and Population Genetics Program, the Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jong-Min Lee
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Medical and Population Genetics Program, the Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
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11
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Labanca F, Ullah H, Khan H, Milella L, Xiao J, Dajic-Stevanovic Z, Jeandet P. Therapeutic and Mechanistic Effects of Curcumin in Huntington's Disease. Curr Neuropharmacol 2021; 19:1007-1018. [PMID: 32442088 PMCID: PMC8686321 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x18666200522201123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Curcumin is a spice derived nutraceutical which gained tremendous attention because of its profound medicinal values. It alters a number of molecular pathways such as nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and cyclooxygenases-2 (COX-2), which make it potential therapeutic choice in treating multiple disorders. It also possesses the potential to prevent protein aggregation and thus protect against degeneration of neurons in neurodegenerative disorders including Huntington's disease (HD). HD is an autosomal dominant disorder linked with altered gene expression which leads to an increase in the size of cytosine, adenine and guanine (CAG) trinucleotide repeats, aids in protein aggregation throughout the brain and thus damages neurons. Upstream regulation of oxidative stress and inflammatory cascade are two important factors that drive HD progression. Available therapies just suppress the severity of symptoms with a number of side effects. Curcumin targets multiple mechanisms in treating or preventing HD including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, metal ion chelation, transcriptional alterations and upregulating activity of molecular chaperons, heat shock proteins (HSPs). Having a favorable safety profile, curcumin can be an alternative therapeutic choice in treating neurodegenerative disorders like HD. This review will focus on mechanistic aspects of curcumin in treating or preventing HD and its potential to arrest disease progression and will open new dimensions for safe and effective therapeutic agents in diminishing HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Haroon Khan
- Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Pharmacy, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, 23200, Pakistan;, E-mails: ;
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12
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Apolinário TA, Rodrigues DC, Lemos MB, Antão Paiva CL, Agostinho LA. Distribution of the HTT Gene A1 and A2 Haplotypes Worldwide: A Systematic Review. Clin Med Res 2020; 18:145-152. [PMID: 32878904 PMCID: PMC7735449 DOI: 10.3121/cmr.2020.1523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD)(MIM:143100) is an severe autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by the dynamic expansion of CAG trinucleotides (> 35) in the HTT gene [Genomic Coordinates- (GRCh38):4:3,074,680-3,243,959]. OBJECTIVES The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the reported associations between the frequencies of the A1 and A2 haplotypes in HD-affected and non-affected populations from different countries on different continents, in order to demonstrate the overall profile of these haplotypes worldwide, pointing towards the most frequent haplotypes that could be useful for HTT mutant-specific allele silencing in different populations. METHODS Publications in MEDLINE (PubMed) and Embase from the last 10 years (PROSPERO CRD42018115282) were assessed. RESULTS A total of 20 articles from 113 were selected for evaluation in their entirety, and eight were eligible for this study. CONCLUSION Regardless of the size of the CAG tract, the articles included in this review demonstrate that populations with high HD prevalence present higher frequencies of the A1 or A2 haplotypes than populations exhibiting low HD prevalence, even when similar average CAG numbers are noted. Based on the presented articles, we suggest that the haplotypic profile is more closely related to the ancestral origin than to the size of the CAG tract. The identification of populations presenting a higher frequency of high-risk genotypes can contribute to more accurate genetic counseling, in addition to providing knowledge on HD epidemiology. According to the continued progress in the development of specific genetic silencing therapies by different research groups and pharmaceutical companies, such as haplotype targeting strategies for allele-specific HTT suppression, we conclude that the definition of haplotypes in phase with CAG expansions will contribute to the design of gene-silencing drugs specific for different populations worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thays Andrade Apolinário
- Graduate Program in Neurology, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Dionatan Costa Rodrigues
- Graduate Program in Neurology, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Mayra Braga Lemos
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Instituto Bimédico, UNIRIO, RJ, Brazil
| | - Carmen Lúcia Antão Paiva
- Graduate Program in Neurology, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Instituto Bimédico, UNIRIO, RJ, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cell Biology, UNIRIO, RJ, Brazil
| | - Luciana Andrade Agostinho
- Graduate Program in Neurology, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- University Center UNIFAMINAS - UNIFAMINAS, Muriaé, MG, Brazil
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13
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Tamargo-Gómez I, Fernández ÁF, Mariño G. Pathogenic Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms on Autophagy-Related Genes. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21218196. [PMID: 33147747 PMCID: PMC7672651 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the study of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) has gained increasing importance in biomedical research, as they can either be at the molecular origin of a determined disorder or directly affect the efficiency of a given treatment. In this regard, sequence variations in genes involved in pro-survival cellular pathways are commonly associated with pathologies, as the alteration of these routes compromises cellular homeostasis. This is the case of autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved pathway that counteracts extracellular and intracellular stressors by mediating the turnover of cytosolic components through lysosomal degradation. Accordingly, autophagy dysregulation has been extensively described in a wide range of human pathologies, including cancer, neurodegeneration, or inflammatory alterations. Thus, it is not surprising that pathogenic gene variants in genes encoding crucial effectors of the autophagosome/lysosome axis are increasingly being identified. In this review, we present a comprehensive list of clinically relevant SNPs in autophagy-related genes, highlighting the scope and relevance of autophagy alterations in human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Tamargo-Gómez
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain;
- Departamento de Biología Funcional, Universidad de Oviedo, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Álvaro F. Fernández
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain;
- Departamento de Biología Funcional, Universidad de Oviedo, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
- Correspondence: (Á.F.F.); (G.M.); Tel.: +34-985652416 (G.M.)
| | - Guillermo Mariño
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain;
- Departamento de Biología Funcional, Universidad de Oviedo, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
- Correspondence: (Á.F.F.); (G.M.); Tel.: +34-985652416 (G.M.)
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14
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Svrzikapa N, Longo KA, Prasad N, Boyanapalli R, Brown JM, Dorset D, Yourstone S, Powers J, Levy SE, Morris AJ, Vargeese C, Goyal J. Investigational Assay for Haplotype Phasing of the Huntingtin Gene. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2020; 19:162-173. [PMID: 33209959 PMCID: PMC7648085 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Novel treatments for Huntington's disease (HD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, include selective targeting of the mutant allele of the huntingtin gene (mHTT) carrying the abnormally expanded disease-causing cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeat. WVE-120101 and WVE-120102 are investigational stereopure antisense oligonucleotides that enable selective suppression of mHTT by targeting single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are in haplotype phase with the CAG repeat expansion. Recently developed long-read sequencing technologies can capture CAG expansions and distant SNPs of interest and potentially facilitate haplotype-based identification of patients for clinical trials of oligonucleotide therapies. However, improved methods are needed to phase SNPs with CAG repeat expansions directly and reliably without need for familial genotype/haplotype data. Our haplotype phasing method uses single-molecule real-time sequencing and a custom algorithm to determine with confidence bases at SNPs on mutant alleles, even without familial data. Herein, we summarize this methodology and validate the approach using patient-derived samples with known phasing results. Comparison of experimentally measured CAG repeat lengths, heterozygosity, and phasing with previously determined results showed improved performance. Our methodology enables the haplotype phasing of SNPs of interest and the disease-causing, expanded CAG repeat of the huntingtin gene, enabling accurate identification of patients with HD eligible for allele-selective clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nenad Svrzikapa
- Wave Life Sciences Ltd., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Department of Paediatrics, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | | | - Nripesh Prasad
- HudsonAlpha Discovery, Discovery Life Sciences, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA.,Genomic Services Laboratory, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
| | | | | | - Daniel Dorset
- HudsonAlpha Discovery, Discovery Life Sciences, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA.,Genomic Services Laboratory, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
| | | | - Jason Powers
- Q Solutions
- EA Genomics, LLC, Morrisville, NC 27560, USA
| | - Shawn E Levy
- HudsonAlpha Discovery, Discovery Life Sciences, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA.,Genomic Services Laboratory, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
| | | | | | - Jaya Goyal
- Wave Life Sciences Ltd., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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15
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Kojer K, Hering T, Bazenet C, Weiss A, Herrmann F, Taanman JW, Orth M. Huntingtin Aggregates and Mitochondrial Pathology in Skeletal Muscle but not Heart of Late-Stage R6/2 Mice. J Huntingtons Dis 2020; 8:145-159. [PMID: 30814364 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-180324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cell or tissue specific background may influence the consequences of expressing the Huntington's disease (HD) mutation. Aggregate formation is known to occur in skeletal muscle, but not heart of the R6/2 fragment HD model. OBJECTIVE We asked whether aggregate formation and the expression and subcellular localization of huntingtin species was associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. METHODS We analyzed levels of soluble HTT and HTT aggregates, as well as important fission and fusion proteins and mitochondrial respiratory chain activities, in quadriceps and heart of the R6/2 N-terminal fragment mouse model (12 weeks, 160±10 CAG repeats). RESULTS Soluble mutant HTT was present in both tissues with expression higher in cytoplasmic/mitochondrial than nuclear fractions. HTT aggregates were only detectable in R6/2 quadriceps, in association with increased levels of the pro-fission factor DRP1 and its phosphorylated active form, and decreased levels of the pro-fusion factor MFN2. In addition, respiratory chain complex activities were decreased. In heart that was without detectable HTT aggregates, we found no evidence for mitochondrial dysfunction. CONCLUSION Tissue specific factors may exist that protect the R6/2 heart from HTT aggregate formation and mitochondrial pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Kojer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tanja Hering
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Jan-Willem Taanman
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Michael Orth
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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16
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A Comprehensive Haplotype-Targeting Strategy for Allele-Specific HTT Suppression in Huntington Disease. Am J Hum Genet 2019; 105:1112-1125. [PMID: 31708117 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2019.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a gain-of-function mutation in HTT. Suppression of mutant HTT has emerged as a leading therapeutic strategy for HD, with allele-selective approaches targeting HTT SNPs now in clinical trials. Haplotypes associated with the HD mutation (A1, A2, A3a) represent panels of allele-specific gene silencing targets for efficient treatment of individuals with HD of Northern European and indigenous South American ancestry. Here we extend comprehensive haplotype analysis of the HD mutation to key populations of Southern European, South Asian, Middle Eastern, and admixed African ancestry. In each of these populations, the HD mutation occurs predominantly on the A2 HTT haplotype. Analysis of HD haplotypes across all affected population groups enables rational selection of candidate target SNPs for development of allele-selective gene silencing therapeutics worldwide. Targeting SNPs on the A1 and A2 haplotypes in parallel is essential to achieve treatment of the most HD-affected subjects in populations where HD is most prevalent. Current allele-specific approaches will leave a majority of individuals with HD untreated in populations where the HD mutation occurs most frequently on the A2 haplotype. We further demonstrate preclinical development of potent and selective ASOs targeting SNPs on the A2 HTT haplotype, representing an allele-specific treatment strategy for these individuals. On the basis of comprehensive haplotype analysis, we show the maximum proportion of HD-affected subjects that may be treated with three or four allele targets in different populations worldwide, informing current allele-specific HTT silencing strategies.
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17
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Lee JM, Correia K, Loupe J, Kim KH, Barker D, Hong EP, Chao MJ, Long JD, Lucente D, Vonsattel JPG, Pinto RM, Abu Elneel K, Ramos EM, Mysore JS, Gillis T, Wheeler VC, MacDonald ME, Gusella JF, McAllister B, Massey T, Medway C, Stone TC, Hall L, Jones L, Holmans P, Kwak S, Ehrhardt AG, Sampaio C, Ciosi M, Maxwell A, Chatzi A, Monckton DG, Orth M, Landwehrmeyer GB, Paulsen JS, Dorsey ER, Shoulson I, Myers RH. CAG Repeat Not Polyglutamine Length Determines Timing of Huntington's Disease Onset. Cell 2019; 178:887-900.e14. [PMID: 31398342 PMCID: PMC6700281 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.06.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 267] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Variable, glutamine-encoding, CAA interruptions indicate that a property of the uninterrupted HTT CAG repeat sequence, distinct from the length of huntingtin's polyglutamine segment, dictates the rate at which Huntington's disease (HD) develops. The timing of onset shows no significant association with HTT cis-eQTLs but is influenced, sometimes in a sex-specific manner, by polymorphic variation at multiple DNA maintenance genes, suggesting that the special onset-determining property of the uninterrupted CAG repeat is a propensity for length instability that leads to its somatic expansion. Additional naturally occurring genetic modifier loci, defined by GWAS, may influence HD pathogenesis through other mechanisms. These findings have profound implications for the pathogenesis of HD and other repeat diseases and question the fundamental premise that polyglutamine length determines the rate of pathogenesis in the "polyglutamine disorders."
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18
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Full sequence of mutant huntingtin 3'-untranslated region and modulation of its gene regulatory activity by endogenous microRNA. J Hum Genet 2019; 64:995-1004. [PMID: 31296921 DOI: 10.1038/s10038-019-0639-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expanded CAG trinucleotide repeat in the first exon of the huntingtin gene (HTT). Since the entire course of the disease starts from this dominant gain-of-function mutation, lowering total or mutant huntingtin mRNA/protein has emerged as an appealing therapeutic strategy. We reasoned that endogenous mechanisms underlying HTT gene regulation may inform strategies to target the source of the disease. As part of our investigation to understand how the expression of HTT is controlled, we performed (1) complete sequencing analysis for mutant HTT 3'-UTR and (2) unbiased screening assays to identify naturally-occurring miRNAs that could lower the HTT mRNA levels. By sequencing HD families inheriting the major European mutant haplotype, we determined the full sequence of HTT 3'-UTRs of the most frequent mutant (i.e., hap.01) and normal (i.e., hap.08) haplotypes, revealing 5 sites with alternative alleles. In subsequent miRNA activity assays using the full-length hap.01 and hap.08 3'-UTR reporter vectors and follow-up validation experiments, hsa-miR-4324 and hsa-miR-4756-5p significantly reduced HTT 3'-UTR reporter activity and endogenous HTT protein levels. However, those miRNAs did not show strong haplotype-specific effects. Nevertheless, our data highlighting full sequences of HTT 3'-UTR haplotypes, effects of miRNAs on HTT levels, and potential interaction sites provide rationale and promising targets for total and mutant-specific HTT lowering intervention strategies using endogenous and artificial miRNAs, respectively.
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19
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Rangel-Barajas C, Rebec GV. Overview of Huntington's Disease Models: Neuropathological, Molecular, and Behavioral Differences. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 83:e47. [PMID: 30040221 DOI: 10.1002/cpns.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic mouse models of Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative condition caused by a single gene mutation, have been transformative in their ability to reveal the molecular processes and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the HD behavioral phenotype. Three model categories have been generated depending on the genetic context in which the mutation is expressed: truncated, full-length, and knock-in. No single model, however, broadly replicates the behavioral symptoms and massive neuronal loss that occur in human patients. The disparity between model and patient requires careful consideration of what each model has to offer when testing potential treatments. Although the translation of animal data to the clinic has been limited, each model can make unique contributions toward an improved understanding of the neurobehavioral underpinnings of HD. Thus, conclusions based on data obtained from more than one model are likely to have the most success in the search for new treatment targets. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Rangel-Barajas
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - George V Rebec
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
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20
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Gregory S, Long JD, Klöppel S, Razi A, Scheller E, Minkova L, Johnson EB, Durr A, Roos RAC, Leavitt BR, Mills JA, Stout JC, Scahill RI, Tabrizi SJ, Rees G. Testing a longitudinal compensation model in premanifest Huntington's disease. Brain 2018; 141:2156-2166. [PMID: 29788038 PMCID: PMC6022638 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The initial stages of neurodegeneration are commonly marked by normal levels of cognitive and motor performance despite the presence of structural brain pathology. Compensation is widely assumed to account for this preserved behaviour, but despite the apparent simplicity of such a concept, it has proven incredibly difficult to demonstrate such a phenomenon and distinguish it from disease-related pathology. Recently, we developed a model of compensation whereby brain activation, behaviour and pathology, components key to understanding compensation, have specific longitudinal trajectories over three phases of progression. Here, we empirically validate our explicit mathematical model by testing for the presence of compensation over time in neurodegeneration. Huntington's disease is an ideal model for examining longitudinal compensation in neurodegeneration as it is both monogenic and fully penetrant, so disease progression and potential compensation can be monitored many years prior to diagnosis. We defined our conditions for compensation as non-linear longitudinal trajectories of brain activity and performance in the presence of linear neuronal degeneration and applied our model of compensation to a large longitudinal cohort of premanifest and early-stage Huntington's disease patients from the multisite Track-On HD study. Focusing on cognitive and motor networks, we integrated progressive volume loss, task and resting state functional MRI and cognitive and motor behaviour across three sequential phases of neurodegenerative disease progression, adjusted for genetic disease load. Multivariate linear mixed models were fitted and trajectories for each variable tested. Our conceptualization of compensation was partially realized across certain motor and cognitive networks at differing levels. We found several significant network trends that were more complex than that hypothesized in our model. These trends suggest changes to our theoretical model where the network effects are delayed relative to performance effects. There was evidence of compensation primarily in the prefrontal component of the cognitive network, with increased effective connectivity between the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Having developed an operational model for the explicit testing of longitudinal compensation in neurodegeneration, it appears that general patterns of our framework are consistent with the empirical data. With the proposed modifications, our operational model of compensation can be used to test for both cross-sectional and longitudinal compensation in neurodegenerative disease with similar patterns to Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Gregory
- Huntington’s disease Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jeffrey D Long
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa, City, IA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Stefan Klöppel
- University Hospital for Old Age Psychiatry, Murtenstrasse 21, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Adeel Razi
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Electronic Engineering, N.E.D University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Elisa Scheller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Brain Imaging Division, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lora Minkova
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Brain Imaging Division, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Eileanoir B Johnson
- Huntington’s disease Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alexandra Durr
- ICM - Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités – UPMC Université Paris VI UMR_S1127and APHP, Genetic department, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Raymund A C Roos
- Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Neurology, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - James A Mills
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Julie C Stout
- School of Psychological Sciences and Institute of Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rachael I Scahill
- Huntington’s disease Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington’s disease Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Geraint Rees
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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21
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Population-specific genetic modification of Huntington's disease in Venezuela. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007274. [PMID: 29750799 PMCID: PMC5965898 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Modifiers of Mendelian disorders can provide insights into disease mechanisms and guide therapeutic strategies. A recent genome-wide association (GWA) study discovered genetic modifiers of Huntington's disease (HD) onset in Europeans. Here, we performed whole genome sequencing and GWA analysis of a Venezuelan HD cluster whose families were crucial for the original mapping of the HD gene defect. The Venezuelan HD subjects develop motor symptoms earlier than their European counterparts, implying the potential for population-specific modifiers. The main Venezuelan HD family inherits HTT haplotype hap.03, which differs subtly at the sequence level from European HD hap.03, suggesting a different ancestral origin but not explaining the earlier age at onset in these Venezuelans. GWA analysis of the Venezuelan HD cluster suggests both population-specific and population-shared genetic modifiers. Genome-wide significant signals at 7p21.2-21.1 and suggestive association signals at 4p14 and 17q21.2 are evident only in Venezuelan HD, but genome-wide significant association signals at the established European chromosome 15 modifier locus are improved when Venezuelan HD data are included in the meta-analysis. Venezuelan-specific association signals on chromosome 7 center on SOSTDC1, which encodes a bone morphogenetic protein antagonist. The corresponding SNPs are associated with reduced expression of SOSTDC1 in non-Venezuelan tissue samples, suggesting that interaction of reduced SOSTDC1 expression with a population-specific genetic or environmental factor may be responsible for modification of HD onset in Venezuela. Detection of population-specific modification in Venezuelan HD supports the value of distinct disease populations in revealing novel aspects of a disease and population-relevant therapeutic strategies.
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22
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Morrison PJ, Delatycki MB. Ameliorating the age at onset and disease progression in Huntington disease. Neurology 2018; 90:1087-1088. [DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000005670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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23
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Shin JW, Kim KH, Chao MJ, Atwal RS, Gillis T, MacDonald ME, Gusella JF, Lee JM. Permanent inactivation of Huntington's disease mutation by personalized allele-specific CRISPR/Cas9. Hum Mol Genet 2018; 25:4566-4576. [PMID: 28172889 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive genetics-based precision medicine strategy to selectively and permanently inactivate only mutant, not normal allele, could benefit many dominantly inherited disorders. Here, we demonstrate the power of our novel strategy of inactivating the mutant allele using haplotype-specific CRISPR/Cas9 target sites in Huntington's disease (HD), a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder due to a toxic dominant gain-of-function CAG expansion mutation. Focusing on improving allele specificity, we combined extensive knowledge of huntingtin (HTT) gene haplotype structure with a novel personalized allele-selective CRISPR/Cas9 strategy based on Protospacer Adjacent Motif (PAM)-altering SNPs to target patient-specific CRISPR/Cas9 sites, aiming at the mutant HTT allele-specific inactivation for a given diplotype. As proof-of-principle, simultaneously using two CRISPR/Cas9 guide RNAs (gRNAs) that depend on PAM sites generated by SNP alleles on the mutant chromosome, we selectively excised ∼44 kb DNA spanning promoter region, transcription start site, and the CAG expansion mutation of the mutant HTT gene, resulting in complete inactivation of the mutant allele without impacting the normal allele. This excision on the disease chromosome completely prevented the generation of mutant HTT mRNA and protein, unequivocally indicating permanent mutant allele-specific inactivation of the HD mutant allele. The perfect allele selectivity with broad applicability of our strategy in disorders with diverse disease haplotypes should also support precision medicine through inactivation of many other gain-of-function mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wan Shin
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kyung-Hee Kim
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael J Chao
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ranjit S Atwal
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tammy Gillis
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marcy E MacDonald
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - James F Gusella
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jong-Min Lee
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
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24
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Abstract
This chapter describes the potential use of viral-mediated gene transfer in the central nervous system for genome editing in the context of Huntington's disease. Here, we provide protocols that cover the design of various genome editing strategies, the cloning of CRISPR/Cas9 elements into lentiviral vectors, and the assessment of cleavage efficiency, as well as potential unwanted effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Vachey
- Laboratory of Neurotherapies and Neuromodulation (LNCM), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN), Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Déglon
- Laboratory of Neurotherapies and Neuromodulation (LNCM), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN), Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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25
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Rangel-Barajas C, Rebec GV. Dysregulation of Corticostriatal Connectivity in Huntington's Disease: A Role for Dopamine Modulation. J Huntingtons Dis 2017; 5:303-331. [PMID: 27983564 PMCID: PMC5181679 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-160221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant communication between striatum, the main information processing unit of the basal ganglia, and cerebral cortex plays a critical role in the emergence of Huntington’s disease (HD), a fatal monogenetic condition that typically strikes in the prime of life. Although both striatum and cortex undergo substantial cell loss over the course of HD, corticostriatal circuits become dysfunctional long before neurons die. Understanding the dysfunction is key to developing effective strategies for treating a progressively worsening triad of motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. Cortical output neurons drive striatal activity through the release of glutamate, an excitatory amino acid. Striatal outputs, in turn, release γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) and exert inhibitory control over downstream basal ganglia targets. Ample evidence from transgenic rodent models points to dysregulation of corticostriatal glutamate transmission along with corresponding changes in striatal GABA release as underlying factors in the HD behavioral phenotype. Another contributor is dysregulation of dopamine (DA), a modulator of both glutamate and GABA transmission. In fact, pharmacological manipulation of DA is the only currently available treatment for HD symptoms. Here, we review data from animal models and human patients to evaluate the role of DA in HD, including DA interactions with glutamate and GABA within the context of dysfunctional corticostriatal circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - George V. Rebec
- Correspondence to: George V. Rebec, PhD, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Program in
Neuroscience, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-7007, USA. Tel.: +1 812 855 4832;
Fax: +1 812 855 4520; E-mail:
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26
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Wild EJ, Tabrizi SJ. Therapies targeting DNA and RNA in Huntington's disease. Lancet Neurol 2017; 16:837-847. [PMID: 28920889 PMCID: PMC5604739 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(17)30280-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
No disease-slowing treatment exists for Huntington's disease, but its monogenic inheritance makes it an appealing candidate for the development of therapies targeting processes close to its genetic cause. Huntington's disease is caused by CAG repeat expansions in the HTT gene, which encodes the huntingtin protein; development of therapies to target HTT transcription and the translation of its mRNA is therefore an area of intense investigation. Huntingtin-lowering strategies include antisense oligonucleotides and RNA interference targeting mRNA, and zinc finger transcriptional repressors and CRISPR-Cas9 methods aiming to reduce transcription by targeting DNA. An intrathecally delivered antisense oligonucleotide that aims to lower huntingtin is now well into its first human clinical trial, with other antisense oligonucleotides expected to enter trials in the next 1-2 years and virally delivered RNA interference and zinc finger transcriptional repressors in advanced testing in animal models. Recent advances in the design and delivery of therapies to target HTT RNA and DNA are expected to improve their efficacy, safety, tolerability, and duration of effect in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward J Wild
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK.
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
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27
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Zaghloul EM, Gissberg O, Moreno PMD, Siggens L, Hällbrink M, Jørgensen AS, Ekwall K, Zain R, Wengel J, Lundin KE, Smith CIE. CTG repeat-targeting oligonucleotides for down-regulating Huntingtin expression. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:5153-5169. [PMID: 28334749 PMCID: PMC5435994 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal, neurodegenerative disorder in which patients suffer from mobility, psychological and cognitive impairments. Existing therapeutics are only symptomatic and do not significantly alter the disease progression or increase life expectancy. HD is caused by expansion of the CAG trinucleotide repeat region in exon 1 of the Huntingtin gene (HTT), leading to the formation of mutant HTT transcripts (muHTT). The toxic gain-of-function of muHTT protein is a major cause of the disease. In addition, it has been suggested that the muHTT transcript contributes to the toxicity. Thus, reduction of both muHTT mRNA and protein levels would ideally be the most useful therapeutic option. We herein present a novel strategy for HD treatment using oligonucleotides (ONs) directly targeting the HTT trinucleotide repeat DNA. A partial, but significant and potentially long-term, HTT knock-down of both mRNA and protein was successfully achieved. Diminished phosphorylation of HTT gene-associated RNA-polymerase II is demonstrated, suggestive of reduced transcription downstream the ON-targeted repeat. Different backbone chemistries were found to have a strong impact on the ON efficiency. We also successfully use different delivery vehicles as well as naked uptake of the ONs, demonstrating versatility and possibly providing insights for in vivo applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman M Zaghloul
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86 Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, El-Khartoum square, Azareeta, 21 521 Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Olof Gissberg
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86 Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pedro M D Moreno
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86 Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.,Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Lee Siggens
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden, SE-141 86, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mattias Hällbrink
- Department of Neurochemistry, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna S Jørgensen
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, Nucleic Acid Centre University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Karl Ekwall
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden, SE-141 86, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rula Zain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86 Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Genetics, Centre for Rare Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jesper Wengel
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, Nucleic Acid Centre University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Karin E Lundin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86 Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - C I Edvard Smith
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86 Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
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28
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Haplotype-based stratification of Huntington's disease. Eur J Hum Genet 2017; 25:1202-1209. [PMID: 28832564 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2017.125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat in HTT, resulting in an extended polyglutamine tract in huntingtin. We and others have previously determined that the HD-causing expansion occurs on multiple different haplotype backbones, reflecting more than one ancestral origin of the same type of mutation. In view of the therapeutic potential of mutant allele-specific gene silencing, we have compared and integrated two major systems of HTT haplotype definition, combining data from 74 sequence variants to identify the most frequent disease-associated and control chromosome backbones and revealing that there is potential for additional resolution of HD haplotypes. We have used the large collection of 4078 heterozygous HD subjects analyzed in our recent genome-wide association study of HD age at onset to estimate the frequency of these haplotypes in European subjects, finding that common genetic variation at HTT can distinguish the normal and CAG-expanded chromosomes for more than 95% of European HD individuals. As a resource for the HD research community, we have also determined the haplotypes present in a series of publicly available HD subject-derived fibroblasts, induced pluripotent cells, and embryonic stem cells in order to facilitate efforts to develop inclusive methods of allele-specific HTT silencing applicable to most HD patients. Our data providing genetic guidance for therapeutic gene-based targeting will significantly contribute to the developments of rational treatments and implementation of precision medicine in HD.
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29
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A Trans-acting Factor May Modify Age at Onset in Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy ATTRV30M in Portugal. Mol Neurobiol 2017; 55:3676-3683. [PMID: 28527106 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0593-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Although all familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) ATTRV30M patients carry the same causative mutation, early (<40) and late-onset forms (≥50 years) of FAP may coexist in the same family. However, this variability in age at onset is still unexplained. To identify modifiers closely linked to the TTR locus that may in part be associated with age at onset of FAP ATTRV30M, in particular in a group of very early-onset patients (≤30 years) when compared with late-onset individuals. A clinical genetic study at a referral center comprising a sample of 910 Portuguese individuals includes 589 Val30Met carriers, 102 spouses, and 189 controls from the general population. Haplotype analysis was performed, using eight intragenic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the TTR locus. We compared haplotypes frequency in FAP samples and controls and in parent-offspring pairs using appropriated statistical analysis. Haplotype A was the most common in the general population. Noteworthy, haplotype C was more frequent in early-onset (<40) than in late-onset patients (≥50 years) (p = 0.012). When comparing allelic frequencies of each SNP within haplotype C between "very early" (≤30 years) and late-onset (≥50 years) cases, the A allele of rs72922947 was associated with an earlier onset (p = 0.009); this remained significant after a permutation-based correction. Also, the heterozygous genotype (GA) for this SNP was associated with a decrease in mean age at onset of 8.6 years (p = 0.014). We found a more common haplotype (A) linked to the Val30Met variant and a possible modulatory trans effect on age at onset. These findings may lead to potential therapeutical targets.
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30
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Shin A, Shin B, Shin JW, Kim KH, Atwal RS, Hope JM, Gillis T, Leszyk JD, Shaffer SA, Lee R, Kwak S, MacDonald ME, Gusella JF, Seong IS, Lee JM. Novel allele-specific quantification methods reveal no effects of adult onset CAG repeats on HTT mRNA and protein levels. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:1258-1267. [PMID: 28165127 PMCID: PMC6075029 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) reflects dominant consequences of a CAG repeat expansion mutation in HTT. Expanded CAG repeat size is the primary determinant of age at onset and age at death in HD. Although HD pathogenesis is driven by the expanded CAG repeat, whether the mutation influences the expression levels of mRNA and protein from the disease allele is not clear due to the lack of sensitive allele-specific quantification methods and the presence of confounding factors. To determine the impact of CAG expansion at the molecular level, we have developed novel allele-specific HTT mRNA and protein quantification methods based on principles of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and targeted MS/MS parallel reaction monitoring, respectively. These assays, exhibiting high levels of specificity and sensitivity, were designed to distinguish allelic products based upon expressed polymorphic variants in HTT, including rs149 109 767. To control for other cis-haplotype variations, we applied allele-specific quantification assays to a panel of HD lymphoblastoid cell lines, each carrying the major European disease haplotype (i.e. hap.01) on the mutant chromosome. We found that steady state levels of HTT mRNA and protein were not associated with expanded CAG repeat length. Rather, the products of mutant and normal alleles, both mRNA and protein, were balanced, thereby arguing that a cis-regulatory effect of the expanded CAG repeat is not a critical component of the underlying mechanism of HD. These robust allele-specific assays could prove valuable for monitoring the impact of allele-specific gene silencing strategies currently being explored as therapeutic interventions in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aram Shin
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Baehyun Shin
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jun Wan Shin
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kyung-Hee Kim
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ranjit S. Atwal
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jennifer M. Hope
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Tammy Gillis
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - John D. Leszyk
- Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Scott A. Shaffer
- Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Ramee Lee
- CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Seung Kwak
- CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Marcy E. MacDonald
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - James F. Gusella
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ihn Sik Seong
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jong-Min Lee
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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31
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Gusella JF. 2016 William Allan Award: Human Disease Research: Genetic Cycling and Re-cycling. Am J Hum Genet 2017; 100:387-394. [PMID: 28257685 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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32
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Risk factors for the onset and progression of Huntington disease. Neurotoxicology 2017; 61:79-99. [PMID: 28111121 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2017.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by chorea, behavioural and psychiatric manifestations, and dementia, caused by a CAG triplet repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene. Systematic review of the literature was conducted to determine the risk factors for the onset and progression of HD. Multiple databases were searched, using terms specific to Huntington disease and to studies of aetiology, risk, prevention and genetics, limited to studies on human subjects published in English or French between 1950 and 2010. Two reviewers independently screened the abstracts and identified potentially relevant articles for full-text review using predetermined inclusion criteria. Three major categories of risk factors for onset of HD were identified: CAG repeat length in the huntingtin gene, CAG instability, and genetic modifiers. Of these, CAG repeat length in the huntingtin gene is the most important risk factor. For the progression of HD: genetic, demographic, past medical/clinical and environmental risk factors have been studied. Of these factors, genetic factors appear to play the most important role in the progression of HD. Among the potential risk factors, CAG repeat length in the mutant allele was found to be a relatively consistent and significant risk factor for the progression of HD, especially in motor, cognitive, and other neurological symptom deterioration. In addition, there were many consistent results in the literature indicating that a higher number of CAG repeats was associated with shorter survival, faster institutionalization, and earlier percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.
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33
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Kay C, Hayden MR, Leavitt BR. Epidemiology of Huntington disease. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2017; 144:31-46. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-801893-4.00003-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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34
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The Complexity of Clinical Huntington's Disease: Developments in Molecular Genetics, Neuropathology and Neuroimaging Biomarkers. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2017; 15:129-161. [PMID: 28674980 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-57193-5_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterised by extensive neuronal loss in the striatum and cerebral cortex, and a triad of clinical symptoms affecting motor, cognitive/behavioural and mood functioning. The mutation causing HD is an expansion of a CAG tract in exon 1 of the HTT gene. This chapter provides a multifaceted overview of the clinical complexity of HD. We explore recent directions in molecular genetics including the identification of loci that are genetic modifiers of HD that could potentially reveal therapeutic targets beyond the HTT gene transcript and protein. The variability of clinical symptomatology in HD is considered alongside recent findings of variability in cellular and neurochemical changes in the striatum and cerebral cortex in human brain. We review evidence from structural neuroimaging methods of progressive changes of striatum, cerebral cortex and white matter in pre-symptomatic and symptomatic HD, with a particular focus on the potential identification of neuroimaging biomarkers that could be used to test promising disease-specific and modifying treatments. Finally we provide an overview of completed clinical trials in HD and future therapeutic developments.
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35
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Genetic Contributors to Intergenerational CAG Repeat Instability in Huntington's Disease Knock-In Mice. Genetics 2016; 205:503-516. [PMID: 27913616 PMCID: PMC5289832 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.195578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat in exon 1 of the HTT gene. Longer repeat sizes are associated with increased disease penetrance and earlier ages of onset. Intergenerationally unstable transmissions are common in HD families, partly underlying the genetic anticipation seen in this disorder. HD CAG knock-in mouse models also exhibit a propensity for intergenerational repeat size changes. In this work, we examine intergenerational instability of the CAG repeat in over 20,000 transmissions in the largest HD knock-in mouse model breeding datasets reported to date. We confirmed previous observations that parental sex drives the relative ratio of expansions and contractions. The large datasets further allowed us to distinguish effects of paternal CAG repeat length on the magnitude and frequency of expansions and contractions, as well as the identification of large repeat size jumps in the knock-in models. Distinct degrees of intergenerational instability were observed between knock-in mice of six background strains, indicating the occurrence of trans-acting genetic modifiers. We also found that lines harboring a neomycin resistance cassette upstream of Htt showed reduced expansion frequency, indicative of a contributing role for sequences in cis, with the expanded repeat as modifiers of intergenerational instability. These results provide a basis for further understanding of the mechanisms underlying intergenerational repeat instability.
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36
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Correia K, Harold D, Kim KH, Holmans P, Jones L, Orth M, Myers RH, Kwak S, Wheeler VC, MacDonald ME, Gusella JF, Lee JM. The Genetic Modifiers of Motor OnsetAge (GeM MOA) Website: Genome-wide Association Analysis for Genetic Modifiers of Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2016; 4:279-84. [PMID: 26444025 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-150169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited disease caused by a CAG expansion mutation in HTT. The age at onset of clinical symptoms is determined primarily by the length of this CAG expansion but is also influenced by other genetic and/or environmental factors. OBJECTIVE Recently, through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) aimed at discovering genetic modifiers, we identified loci associated with age at onset of motor signs that are significant at the genome-wide level. However, many additional HD modifiers may exist but may not have achieved statistical significance due to limited power. METHODS In order to disseminate broadly the entire GWAS results and make them available to complement alternative approaches, we have developed the internet website "GeM MOA" where genetic association results can be searched by gene name, SNP ID, or genomic coordinates of a region of interest. RESULTS Users of the Genetic Modifiers of Motor Onset Age (GeM MOA) site can therefore examine support for association between any gene region and age at onset of HD motor signs. GeM MOA's interactive interface also allows users to navigate the surrounding region and to obtain association p-values for individual SNPs. CONCLUSIONS Our website conveys a comprehensive view of the genetic landscape of modifiers of HD from the existing GWAS, and will provide the means to evaluate the potential influence of genes of interest on the onset of HD. GeM MOA is freely available at https://www.hdinhd.org/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Correia
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Denise Harold
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Kyung-Hee Kim
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter Holmans
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lesley Jones
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Michael Orth
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Germany
| | - Richard H Myers
- Department of Neurology and Genome Science Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Vanessa C Wheeler
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marcy E MacDonald
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - James F Gusella
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jong-Min Lee
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Medical and Population Genetics Program, The Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
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The HTT CAG-Expansion Mutation Determines Age at Death but Not Disease Duration in Huntington Disease. Am J Hum Genet 2016; 98:287-98. [PMID: 26849111 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2015.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is caused by an expanded HTT CAG repeat that leads in a length-dependent, completely dominant manner to onset of a characteristic movement disorder. HD also displays early mortality, so we tested whether the expanded CAG repeat exerts a dominant influence on age at death and on the duration of clinical disease. We found that, as with clinical onset, HD age at death is determined by expanded CAG-repeat length and has no contribution from the normal CAG allele. Surprisingly, disease duration is independent of the mutation's length. It is also unaffected by a strong genetic modifier of HD motor onset. These findings suggest two parsimonious alternatives. (1) HD pathogenesis is driven by mutant huntingtin, but before or near motor onset, sufficient CAG-driven damage occurs to permit CAG-independent processes and then lead to eventual death. In this scenario, some pathological changes and their clinical correlates could still worsen in a CAG-driven manner after disease onset, but these CAG-related progressive changes do not themselves determine duration. Alternatively, (2) HD pathogenesis is driven by mutant huntingtin acting in a CAG-dependent manner with different time courses in multiple cell types, and the cellular targets that lead to motor onset and death are different and independent. In this scenario, processes driven by HTT CAG length lead directly to death but not via the striatal pathology associated with motor manifestations. Each scenario has important ramifications for the design and testing of potential therapeutics, especially those aimed at preventing or delaying characteristic motor manifestations.
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38
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Identification of Genetic Factors that Modify Clinical Onset of Huntington's Disease. Cell 2015; 162:516-26. [PMID: 26232222 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 418] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2015] [Revised: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
As a Mendelian neurodegenerative disorder, the genetic risk of Huntington's disease (HD) is conferred entirely by an HTT CAG repeat expansion whose length is the primary determinant of the rate of pathogenesis leading to disease onset. To investigate the pathogenic process that precedes disease, we used genome-wide association (GWA) analysis to identify loci harboring genetic variations that alter the age at neurological onset of HD. A chromosome 15 locus displays two independent effects that accelerate or delay onset by 6.1 years and 1.4 years, respectively, whereas a chromosome 8 locus hastens onset by 1.6 years. Association at MLH1 and pathway analysis of the full GWA results support a role for DNA handling and repair mechanisms in altering the course of HD. Our findings demonstrate that HD disease modification in humans occurs in nature and offer a genetic route to identifying in-human validated therapeutic targets in this and other Mendelian disorders.
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Sequence-Level Analysis of the Major European Huntington Disease Haplotype. Am J Hum Genet 2015; 97:435-44. [PMID: 26320893 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2015.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) reflects the dominant consequences of a CAG-repeat expansion in HTT. Analysis of common SNP-based haplotypes has revealed that most European HD subjects have distinguishable HTT haplotypes on their normal and disease chromosomes and that ∼50% of the latter share the same major HD haplotype. We reasoned that sequence-level investigation of this founder haplotype could provide significant insights into the history of HD and valuable information for gene-targeting approaches. Consequently, we performed whole-genome sequencing of HD and control subjects from four independent families in whom the major European HD haplotype segregates with the disease. Analysis of the full-sequence-based HTT haplotype indicated that these four families share a common ancestor sufficiently distant to have permitted the accumulation of family-specific variants. Confirmation of new CAG-expansion mutations on this haplotype suggests that unlike most founders of human disease, the common ancestor of HD-affected families with the major haplotype most likely did not have HD. Further, availability of the full sequence data validated the use of SNP imputation to predict the optimal variants for capturing heterozygosity in personalized allele-specific gene-silencing approaches. As few as ten SNPs are capable of revealing heterozygosity in more than 97% of European HD subjects. Extension of allele-specific silencing strategies to the few remaining homozygous individuals is likely to be achievable through additional known SNPs and discovery of private variants by complete sequencing of HTT. These data suggest that the current development of gene-based targeting for HD could be extended to personalized allele-specific approaches in essentially all HD individuals of European ancestry.
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Castilhos RM, Augustin MC, Santos JA, Perandones C, Saraiva-Pereira ML, Jardim LB. Genetic aspects of Huntington's disease in Latin America. A systematic review. Clin Genet 2015; 89:295-303. [PMID: 26178794 DOI: 10.1111/cge.12641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
We aimed to present a systematic review on Huntington's disease (HD) in Latin America (LA). PubMed and LILACS were searched up to March 2015, reporting confirmed HD cases in LA. Case series, cross-sectional, case-control, and prospective studies were included. From 534 communications, 47 were eligible. Population-based studies were not found; minimal prevalence of 0.5-4/100,000 was estimated for Venezuela and Mexico. Geographical isolates were well characterized in Venezuela and in Peru. CAG repeats at HTT gene varied between 7-33 and 37-112 in normal and expanded alleles, respectively. Intermediate alleles were found in 4-10% of controls. Ages at onset and the expanded CAG repeats correlated with r from - 0.55 to -0.91. While haplotype patterns of Venezuelan and Brazilian chromosomes were similar to those observed in Europeans, haplotypes from Peruvian HD patients did not match the same pattern. The limited number of papers found suggests that HD is poorly diagnosed in LA. Minimal prevalence seemed to be halfway between those of Caucasians and Asians. Range of CAG repeats was similar to those of Europeans. Haplotype studies indicate that majority of HD patients might be of Caucasian descent; an Asian origin for some Peruvian patients was proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Castilhos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Genética Médica Populacional (INAGEMP), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - M C Augustin
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - J A Santos
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - C Perandones
- Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Program, Hospital de Clínicas, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M L Saraiva-Pereira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Departmento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Serviço de Genética Médica, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Laboratório de Identificação Humana, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - L B Jardim
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Genética Médica Populacional (INAGEMP), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Serviço de Genética Médica, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Laboratório de Identificação Humana, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Centro de Pesquisa Clínica, 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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41
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Kay C, Collins JA, Skotte NH, Southwell AL, Warby SC, Caron NS, Doty CN, Nguyen B, Griguoli A, Ross CJ, Squitieri F, Hayden MR. Huntingtin Haplotypes Provide Prioritized Target Panels for Allele-specific Silencing in Huntington Disease Patients of European Ancestry. Mol Ther 2015. [PMID: 26201449 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2015.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the Huntingtin gene (HTT). Heterozygous polymorphisms in cis with the mutation allow for allele-specific suppression of the pathogenic HTT transcript as a therapeutic strategy. To prioritize target selection, precise heterozygosity estimates are needed across diverse HD patient populations. Here we present the first comprehensive investigation of all common target alleles across the HTT gene, using 738 reference haplotypes from the 1000 Genomes Project and 2364 haplotypes from HD patients and relatives in Canada, Sweden, France, and Italy. The most common HD haplotypes (A1, A2, and A3a) define mutually exclusive sets of polymorphisms for allele-specific therapy in the greatest number of patients. Across all four populations, a maximum of 80% are treatable using these three target haplotypes. We identify a novel deletion found exclusively on the A1 haplotype, enabling potent and selective silencing of mutant HTT in approximately 40% of the patients. Antisense oligonucleotides complementary to the deletion reduce mutant A1 HTT mRNA by 78% in patient cells while sparing wild-type HTT expression. By suppressing specific haplotypes on which expanded CAG occurs, we demonstrate a rational approach to the development of allele-specific therapy for a monogenic disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Kay
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jennifer A Collins
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Niels H Skotte
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Amber L Southwell
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Simon C Warby
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Crystal N Doty
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Betty Nguyen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Annamaria Griguoli
- Neurogenetics Unit and Rare Disease Centre, IRCCS Neuromed Pozzilli (IS), Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Colin J Ross
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ferdinando Squitieri
- Neurogenetics Unit and Rare Disease Centre, IRCCS Neuromed Pozzilli (IS), Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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42
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Ramos EM, Gillis T, Mysore JS, Lee J, Gögele M, D'Elia Y, Pichler I, Sequeiros J, Pramstaller PP, Gusella JF, MacDonald ME, Alonso I. Haplotype analysis of the 4p16.3 region in Portuguese families with Huntington's disease. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2015; 168B:135-43. [PMID: 25656686 PMCID: PMC5006842 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by involuntary choreic movements, cognitive impairment, and behavioral changes, caused by the expansion of an unstable CAG repeat in HTT. We characterized the genetic diversity of the HD mutation by performing an extensive haplotype analysis of ∼1Mb region flanking HTT in over 300 HD families of Portuguese origin. We observed that haplotype A, marked by HTT delta2642, was enriched in HD chromosomes and carried the two largest expansions reported in the Portuguese population. However, the most frequent HD haplotype B carried one of the largest (+12 CAGs) expansions, which resulted in an allele class change to full penetrance. Despite having a normal CAG distribution skewed to the higher end of the range, these two core haplotypes had similar expanded CAG repeat sizes compared to the other major core haplotypes (C and D) and there was no statistical difference in transmitted repeat instability across haplotypes. We observed a diversity of HTT region haplotypes in both normal and expanded chromosomes, representative of more than one ancestral chromosome underlying HD in Portugal, where multiple independent events on distinct chromosome 4 haplotypes have given rise to expansion into the pathogenic range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliana Marisa Ramos
- Center for Human Genetic ResearchMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA,UnIGENeIBMC–Institute for Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Tammy Gillis
- Center for Human Genetic ResearchMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jayalakshmi S. Mysore
- Center for Human Genetic ResearchMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jong‐Min Lee
- Center for Human Genetic ResearchMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Martin Gögele
- Center for BiomedicineEuropean Academy of Bozen/Bolzano (EURAC)BolzanoItaly
| | - Yuri D'Elia
- Center for BiomedicineEuropean Academy of Bozen/Bolzano (EURAC)BolzanoItaly
| | - Irene Pichler
- Center for BiomedicineEuropean Academy of Bozen/Bolzano (EURAC)BolzanoItaly
| | - Jorge Sequeiros
- UnIGENeIBMC–Institute for Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal,CGPPIBMC–Institute for Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal,ICBAS–Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel SalazarUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Peter P. Pramstaller
- Center for BiomedicineEuropean Academy of Bozen/Bolzano (EURAC)BolzanoItaly,Department of NeurologyCentral HospitalBolzanoItaly,Department of NeurologyUniversity of LübeckLübeckGermany
| | - James F. Gusella
- Center for Human Genetic ResearchMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Marcy E. MacDonald
- Center for Human Genetic ResearchMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Isabel Alonso
- UnIGENeIBMC–Institute for Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal,CGPPIBMC–Institute for Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal,ICBAS–Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel SalazarUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal
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43
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Genetics of Huntington Disease (HD), HD-Like Disorders, and Other Choreiform Disorders. Mov Disord 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-405195-9.00030-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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44
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Southwell AL, Skotte NH, Kordasiewicz HB, Østergaard ME, Watt AT, Carroll JB, Doty CN, Villanueva EB, Petoukhov E, Vaid K, Xie Y, Freier SM, Swayze EE, Seth PP, Bennett CF, Hayden MR. In vivo evaluation of candidate allele-specific mutant huntingtin gene silencing antisense oligonucleotides. Mol Ther 2014; 22:2093-2106. [PMID: 25101598 PMCID: PMC4429695 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2014.153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a dominant, genetic neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of voluntary motor control, psychiatric disturbance, and cognitive decline, for which there is currently no disease-modifying therapy. HD is caused by the expansion of a CAG tract in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The mutant HTT protein (muHTT) acquires toxic functions, and there is significant evidence that muHTT lowering would be therapeutically efficacious. However, the wild-type HTT protein (wtHTT) serves vital functions, making allele-specific muHTT lowering strategies potentially safer than nonselective strategies. CAG tract expansion is associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that can be targeted by gene silencing reagents such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to accomplish allele-specific muHTT lowering. Here we evaluate ASOs targeted to HD-associated SNPs in acute in vivo studies including screening, distribution, duration of action and dosing, using a humanized mouse model of HD, Hu97/18, that is heterozygous for the targeted SNPs. We have identified four well-tolerated lead ASOs that potently and selectively silence muHTT at a broad range of doses throughout the central nervous system for 16 weeks or more after a single intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection. With further validation, these ASOs could provide a therapeutic option for individuals afflicted with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber L Southwell
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Niels H Skotte
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Jeffrey B Carroll
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, USA
| | - Crystal N Doty
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Erika B Villanueva
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Eugenia Petoukhov
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kuljeet Vaid
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yuanyun Xie
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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45
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Gusella JF, MacDonald ME, Lee JM. Genetic modifiers of Huntington's disease. Mov Disord 2014; 29:1359-65. [DOI: 10.1002/mds.26001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- James F. Gusella
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Department of Neurology and Center for Human Genetic Research; Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Marcy E. MacDonald
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Department of Neurology and Center for Human Genetic Research; Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Jong-Min Lee
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Department of Neurology and Center for Human Genetic Research; Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston Massachusetts USA
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46
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Drouet V, Ruiz M, Zala D, Feyeux M, Auregan G, Cambon K, Troquier L, Carpentier J, Aubert S, Merienne N, Bourgois-Rocha F, Hassig R, Rey M, Dufour N, Saudou F, Perrier AL, Hantraye P, Déglon N. Allele-specific silencing of mutant huntingtin in rodent brain and human stem cells. PLoS One 2014; 9:e99341. [PMID: 24926995 PMCID: PMC4057216 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder resulting from polyglutamine expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) protein and for which there is no cure. Although suppression of both wild type and mutant HTT expression by RNA interference is a promising therapeutic strategy, a selective silencing of mutant HTT represents the safest approach preserving WT HTT expression and functions. We developed small hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) targeting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) present in the HTT gene to selectively target the disease HTT isoform. Most of these shRNAs silenced, efficiently and selectively, mutant HTT in vitro. Lentiviral-mediated infection with the shRNAs led to selective degradation of mutant HTT mRNA and prevented the apparition of neuropathology in HD rat's striatum expressing mutant HTT containing the various SNPs. In transgenic BACHD mice, the mutant HTT allele was also silenced by this approach, further demonstrating the potential for allele-specific silencing. Finally, the allele-specific silencing of mutant HTT in human embryonic stem cells was accompanied by functional recovery of the vesicular transport of BDNF along microtubules. These findings provide evidence of the therapeutic potential of allele-specific RNA interference for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Drouet
- Institute of Biomedical Imaging (I2BM) and Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- URA2210, Centre National de Recherché Scientifique (CNRS), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Marta Ruiz
- Institute of Biomedical Imaging (I2BM) and Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- URA2210, Centre National de Recherché Scientifique (CNRS), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Diana Zala
- Institut Curie, Orsay, France
- UMR3306, Centre National de Recherché Scientifique (CNRS), Orsay, France
- U1005, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Orsay France
| | - Maxime Feyeux
- U861, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), AFM, Evry, France
- UEVE U861, I-STEM, AFM, Evry, France
| | - Gwennaëlle Auregan
- Institute of Biomedical Imaging (I2BM) and Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- URA2210, Centre National de Recherché Scientifique (CNRS), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Karine Cambon
- Institute of Biomedical Imaging (I2BM) and Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- URA2210, Centre National de Recherché Scientifique (CNRS), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Laetitia Troquier
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC), Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johann Carpentier
- Institute of Biomedical Imaging (I2BM) and Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- URA2210, Centre National de Recherché Scientifique (CNRS), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | | | - Nicolas Merienne
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC), Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fany Bourgois-Rocha
- U861, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), AFM, Evry, France
- UEVE U861, I-STEM, AFM, Evry, France
| | - Raymonde Hassig
- Institute of Biomedical Imaging (I2BM) and Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- URA2210, Centre National de Recherché Scientifique (CNRS), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Maria Rey
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC), Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Noëlle Dufour
- Institute of Biomedical Imaging (I2BM) and Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- URA2210, Centre National de Recherché Scientifique (CNRS), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- Institut Curie, Orsay, France
- UMR3306, Centre National de Recherché Scientifique (CNRS), Orsay, France
- U1005, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Orsay France
| | - Anselme L. Perrier
- U861, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), AFM, Evry, France
- UEVE U861, I-STEM, AFM, Evry, France
| | - Philippe Hantraye
- Institute of Biomedical Imaging (I2BM) and Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- URA2210, Centre National de Recherché Scientifique (CNRS), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Nicole Déglon
- Institute of Biomedical Imaging (I2BM) and Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- URA2210, Centre National de Recherché Scientifique (CNRS), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC), Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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47
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Kay C, Skotte N, Southwell A, Hayden M. Personalized gene silencing therapeutics for Huntington disease. Clin Genet 2014; 86:29-36. [DOI: 10.1111/cge.12385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Revised: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Kay
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute; University of British Columbia; Vancouver Canada
| | - N.H. Skotte
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute; University of British Columbia; Vancouver Canada
| | - A.L. Southwell
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute; University of British Columbia; Vancouver Canada
| | - M.R. Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute; University of British Columbia; Vancouver Canada
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48
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Gidalevitz T, Wang N, Deravaj T, Alexander-Floyd J, Morimoto RI. Natural genetic variation determines susceptibility to aggregation or toxicity in a C. elegans model for polyglutamine disease. BMC Biol 2013; 11:100. [PMID: 24079614 PMCID: PMC3816611 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-11-100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2013] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Monogenic gain-of-function protein aggregation diseases, including Huntington’s disease, exhibit substantial variability in age of onset, penetrance, and clinical symptoms, even between individuals with similar or identical mutations. This difference in phenotypic expression of proteotoxic mutations is proposed to be due, at least in part, to the variability in genetic background. To address this, we examined the role of natural variation in defining the susceptibility of genetically diverse individuals to protein aggregation and toxicity, using the Caenorhabditis elegans polyglutamine model. Results Introgression of polyQ40 into three wild genetic backgrounds uncovered wide variation in onset of aggregation and corresponding toxicity, as well as alteration in the cell-specific susceptibility to aggregation. To further dissect these relationships, we established a panel of 21 recombinant inbred lines that showed a broad range of aggregation phenotypes, independent of differences in expression levels. We found that aggregation is a transgressive trait, and does not always correlate with measures of toxicity, such as early onset of muscle dysfunction, egg-laying deficits, or reduced lifespan. Moreover, distinct measures of proteotoxicity were independently modified by the genetic background. Conclusions Resistance to protein aggregation and the ability to restrict its associated cellular dysfunction are independently controlled by the natural variation in genetic background, revealing important new considerations in the search for targets for therapeutic intervention in conformational diseases. Thus, our C. elegans model can serve as a powerful tool to dissect the contribution of natural variation to individual susceptibility to proteotoxicity. Please see related commentary by Kaeberlein, http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/11/102.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tali Gidalevitz
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208-3500, USA.
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49
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Abstract
Instability of repetitive DNA sequences within the genome is associated with a number of human diseases. The expansion of trinucleotide repeats is recognized as a major cause of neurological and neuromuscular diseases, and progress in understanding the mutations over the last 20 years has been substantial. Here we provide a brief summary of progress with an emphasis on technical advances at different stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Budworth
- Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Corticostriatal dysfunction and glutamate transporter 1 (GLT1) in Huntington's disease: interactions between neurons and astrocytes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 2:57-66. [PMID: 22905336 DOI: 10.1016/j.baga.2012.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's Disease (HD) is a fatally inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded glutamine repeat in the N-terminal region of the huntingtin (HTT) protein. The result is a progressively worsening triad of cognitive, emotional, and motor alterations that typically begin in adulthood and end in death 10-20 years later. Autopsy of HD patients indicates massive cell loss in the striatum and its main source of input, the cerebral cortex. Further studies of HD patients and transgenic animal models of HD indicate that corticostriatal neuronal processing is altered long before neuronal death takes place. In fact, altered neuronal function appears to be the primary driver of the HD behavioral phenotype, and dysregulation of glutamate, the excitatory amino acid released by corticostriatal afferents, is believed to play a critical role. Although mutant HTT interferes with the operation of multiple proteins related to glutamate transmission, consistent evidence links the expression of mutant HTT with reduced activity of glutamate transporter 1 (rodent GLT1 or human EAAT2), the astrocytic protein responsible for the bulk of glutamate uptake. Here, we review corticostriatal dysfunction in HD and focus on GLT1 and its expression in astrocytes as a possible therapeutic target.
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