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Pérot JB, Brouillet E, Flament J. The contribution of preclinical magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy to Huntington's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1306312. [PMID: 38414634 PMCID: PMC10896846 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1306312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is an inherited disorder characterized by psychiatric, cognitive, and motor symptoms due to degeneration of medium spiny neurons in the striatum. A prodromal phase precedes the onset, lasting decades. Current biomarkers include clinical score and striatal atrophy using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). These markers lack sensitivity for subtle cellular changes during the prodromal phase. MRI and MR spectroscopy offer different contrasts for assessing metabolic, microstructural, functional, or vascular alterations in the disease. They have been used in patients and mouse models. Mouse models can be of great interest to study a specific mechanism of the degenerative process, allow better understanding of the pathogenesis from the prodromal to the symptomatic phase, and to evaluate therapeutic efficacy. Mouse models can be divided into three different constructions: transgenic mice expressing exon-1 of human huntingtin (HTT), mice with an artificial chromosome expressing full-length human HTT, and knock-in mouse models with CAG expansion inserted in the murine htt gene. Several studies have used MRI/S to characterized these models. However, the multiplicity of modalities and mouse models available complicates the understanding of this rich corpus. The present review aims at giving an overview of results obtained using MRI/S for each mouse model of HD, to provide a useful resource for the conception of neuroimaging studies using mouse models of HD. Finally, despite difficulties in translating preclinical protocols to clinical applications, many biomarkers identified in preclinical models have already been evaluated in patients. This review also aims to cover this aspect to demonstrate the importance of MRI/S for studying HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Pérot
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris-Saclay, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Institut du Cerveau – Paris Brain Institute – ICM, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Brouillet
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris-Saclay, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Julien Flament
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris-Saclay, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
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2
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Nittari G, Roy P, Martinelli I, Bellitto V, Tomassoni D, Traini E, Tayebati SK, Amenta F. Rodent Models of Huntington's Disease: An Overview. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3331. [PMID: 38137552 PMCID: PMC10741199 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11123331] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant inherited neurological disorder caused by a genetic mutation in the IT15 gene. This neurodegenerative disorder is caused by a polyglutamine repeat expansion mutation in the widely expressed huntingtin (HTT) protein. HD is characterized by the degeneration of basal ganglia neurons and progressive cell death in intrinsic neurons of the striatum, accompanied by dementia and involuntary abnormal choreiform movements. Animal models have been extensively studied and have proven to be extremely valuable for therapeutic target evaluations. They reveal the hallmark of the age-dependent formation of aggregates or inclusions consisting of misfolded proteins. Animal models of HD have provided a therapeutic strategy to treat HD by suppressing mutant HTT (mHTT). Transgenic animal models have significantly increased our understanding of the molecular processes and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the HD behavioral phenotype. Since effective therapies to cure or interrupt the course of the disease are not yet available, clinical research will have to make use of reliable animal models. This paper reviews the main studies of rodents as HD animal models, highlighting the neurological and behavioral differences between them. The choice of an animal model depends on the specific aspect of the disease to be investigated. Toxin-based models can still be useful, but most experimental hypotheses depend on success in a genetic model, whose choice is determined by the experimental question. There are many animal models showing similar HD symptoms or pathologies. They include chemical-induced HDs and genetic HDs, where cell-free and cell culture, lower organisms (such as yeast, Drosophila, C. elegans, zebrafish), rodents (mice, rats), and non-human primates are involved. These models provide accessible systems to study molecular pathogenesis and test potential treatments. For developing more effective pharmacological treatments, better animal models must be available and used to evaluate the efficacy of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Nittari
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Proshanta Roy
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Ilenia Martinelli
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Vincenzo Bellitto
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Daniele Tomassoni
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032 Camerino, Italy;
| | - Enea Traini
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Seyed Khosrow Tayebati
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Francesco Amenta
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
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3
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Thompson LM, Orr HT. HD and SCA1: Tales from two 30-year journeys since gene discovery. Neuron 2023; 111:3517-3530. [PMID: 37863037 PMCID: PMC10842341 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.09.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
One of the more transformative findings in human genetics was the discovery that the expansion of unstable nucleotide repeats underlies a group of inherited neurological diseases. A subset of these unstable repeat neurodegenerative diseases is due to the expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat encoding a stretch of glutamines, i.e., the polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat neurodegenerative diseases. Among the CAG/polyQ repeat diseases are Huntington's disease (HD) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), in which the expansions are within widely expressed proteins. Although both HD and SCA1 are autosomal dominantly inherited, and both typically cause mid- to late-life-onset movement disorders with cognitive decline, they each are characterized by distinct clinical characteristics and predominant sites of neuropathology. Importantly, the respective affected proteins, Huntingtin (HTT, HD) and Ataxin 1 (ATXN1, SCA1), have unique functions and biological properties. Here, we review HD and SCA1 with a focus on how their disease-specific and shared features may provide informative insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Center, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Harry T Orr
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, MN 55455, USA.
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4
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Cas9-mediated replacement of expanded CAG repeats in a pig model of Huntington's disease. Nat Biomed Eng 2023; 7:629-646. [PMID: 36797418 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01007-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The monogenic nature of Huntington's disease (HD) and other neurodegenerative diseases caused by the expansion of glutamine-encoding CAG repeats makes them particularly amenable to gene therapy. Here we show the feasibility of replacing expanded CAG repeats in the mutant HTT allele with a normal CAG repeat in genetically engineered pigs mimicking the selective neurodegeneration seen in patients with HD. A single intracranial or intravenous injection of adeno-associated virus encoding for Cas9, a single-guide RNA targeting the HTT gene, and donor DNA containing the normal CAG repeat led to the depletion of mutant HTT in the animals and to substantial reductions in the dysregulated expression and neurotoxicity of mutant HTT and in neurological symptoms. Our findings support the further translational development of virally delivered Cas9-based gene therapies for the treatment of genetic neurodegenerative diseases.
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Stella N. THC and CBD: Similarities and differences between siblings. Neuron 2023; 111:302-327. [PMID: 36638804 PMCID: PMC9898277 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its sibling, cannabidiol (CBD), are produced by the same Cannabis plant and have similar chemical structures but differ dramatically in their mechanisms of action and effects on brain functions. Both THC and CBD exhibit promising therapeutic properties; however, impairments and increased incidence of mental health diseases are associated with acute and chronic THC use, respectively, and significant side effects are associated with chronic use of high-dose CBD. This review covers recent molecular and preclinical discoveries concerning the distinct mechanisms of action and bioactivities of THC and CBD and their impact on human behavior and diseases. These discoveries provide a foundation for the development of cannabinoid-based therapeutics for multiple devastating diseases and to assure their safe use in the growing legal market of Cannabis-based products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nephi Stella
- Department of Pharmacology, Department Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Cannabis Research, Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Gangwani MR, Soto JS, Jami-Alahmadi Y, Tiwari S, Kawaguchi R, Wohlschlegel JA, Khakh BS. Neuronal and astrocytic contributions to Huntington's disease dissected with zinc finger protein transcriptional repressors. Cell Rep 2023; 42:111953. [PMID: 36640336 PMCID: PMC9898160 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by expanded CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (HTT) resulting in expression of mutant HTT proteins (mHTT) with extended polyglutamine tracts, including in striatal neurons and astrocytes. It is unknown whether pathophysiology in vivo can be attenuated by lowering mHTT in either cell type throughout the brain, and the relative contributions of neurons and astrocytes to HD remain undefined. We use zinc finger protein (ZFP) transcriptional repressors to cell-selectively lower mHTT in vivo. Astrocytes display loss of essential functions such as cholesterol metabolism that are partly driven by greater neuronal dysfunctions, which encompass neuromodulation, synaptic, and intracellular signaling pathways. Using transcriptomics, proteomics, electrophysiology, and behavior, we dissect neuronal and astrocytic contributions to HD pathophysiology. Remarkably, brain-wide delivery of neuronal ZFPs results in strong mHTT lowering, rescue of HD-associated behavioral and molecular phenotypes, and significant extension of lifespan, findings that support translational development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohitkumar R. Gangwani
- Department of Physiology, University of California Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Joselyn S. Soto
- Department of Physiology, University of California Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Yasaman Jami-Alahmadi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Srushti Tiwari
- Department of Physiology, University of California Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Riki Kawaguchi
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - James A. Wohlschlegel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Baljit S. Khakh
- Department of Physiology, University of California Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA,Department of Neurobiology, University of California Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
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Smith EJ, Sathasivam K, Landles C, Osborne GF, Mason MA, Gomez-Paredes C, Taxy BA, Milton RE, Ast A, Schindler F, Zhang C, Duan W, Wanker EE, Bates GP. Early detection of exon 1 huntingtin aggregation in zQ175 brains by molecular and histological approaches. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad010. [PMID: 36756307 PMCID: PMC9901570 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntingtin-lowering approaches that target huntingtin expression are a major focus for therapeutic intervention for Huntington's disease. When the cytosine, adenine and guanine repeat is expanded, the huntingtin pre-mRNA is alternatively processed to generate the full-length huntingtin and HTT1a transcripts. HTT1a encodes the aggregation-prone and highly pathogenic exon 1 huntingtin protein. In evaluating huntingtin-lowering approaches, understanding how the targeting strategy modulates levels of both transcripts and the huntingtin protein isoforms that they encode will be essential. Given the aggregation-propensity of exon 1 huntingtin, the impact of a given strategy on the levels and subcellular location of aggregated huntingtin will need to be determined. We have developed and applied sensitive molecular approaches to monitor the levels of aggregated and soluble huntingtin isoforms in tissue lysates. We have used these, in combination with immunohistochemistry, to map the appearance and accumulation of aggregated huntingtin throughout the CNS of zQ175 mice, a model of Huntington's disease frequently chosen for preclinical studies. Aggregation analyses were performed on tissues from zQ175 and wild-type mice at monthly intervals from 1 to 6 months of age. We developed three homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence assays to track the accumulation of aggregated huntingtin and showed that two of these were specific for the exon 1 huntingtin protein. Collectively, the homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence assays detected huntingtin aggregation in the 10 zQ175 CNS regions by 1-2 months of age. Immunohistochemistry with the polyclonal S830 anti-huntingtin antibody showed that nuclear huntingtin aggregation, in the form of a diffuse nuclear immunostain, could be visualized in the striatum, hippocampal CA1 region and layer IV of the somatosensory cortex by 2 months. That this diffuse nuclear immunostain represented aggregated huntingtin was confirmed by immunohistochemistry with a polyglutamine-specific antibody, which required formic acid antigen retrieval to expose its epitope. By 6 months of age, nuclear and cytoplasmic inclusions were widely distributed throughout the brain. Homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence analysis showed that the comparative levels of soluble exon 1 huntingtin between CNS regions correlated with those for huntingtin aggregation. We found that soluble exon 1 huntingtin levels decreased over the 6-month period, whilst those of soluble full-length mutant huntingtin remained unchanged, data that were confirmed for the cortex by immunoprecipitation and western blotting. These data support the hypothesis that exon 1 huntingtin initiates the aggregation process in knock-in mouse models and pave the way for a detailed analysis of huntingtin aggregation in response to huntingtin-lowering treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward J Smith
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Kirupa Sathasivam
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Christian Landles
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Georgina F Osborne
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Michael A Mason
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Casandra Gomez-Paredes
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Bridget A Taxy
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Rebecca E Milton
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Anne Ast
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Franziska Schindler
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Chuangchuang Zhang
- Division of Neurobiology, Department Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Department Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Wenzhen Duan
- Division of Neurobiology, Department Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Department Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Erich E Wanker
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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Geijtenbeek KW, Janzen J, Bury AE, Sanz-Sanz A, Hoebe RA, Bondulich MK, Bates GP, Reits EAJ, Schipper-Krom S. Reduction in PA28αβ activation in HD mouse brain correlates to increased mHTT aggregation in cell models. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278130. [PMID: 36574405 PMCID: PMC9794069 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant heritable disorder caused by an expanded CAG trinucleotide repeat at the N-terminus of the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. Lowering the levels of soluble mutant HTT protein prior to aggregation through increased degradation by the proteasome would be a therapeutic strategy to prevent or delay the onset of disease. Native PAGE experiments in HdhQ150 mice and R6/2 mice showed that PA28αβ disassembles from the 20S proteasome during disease progression in the affected cortex, striatum and hippocampus but not in cerebellum and brainstem. Modulating PA28αβ activated proteasomes in various in vitro models showed that PA28αβ improved polyQ degradation, but decreased the turnover of mutant HTT. Silencing of PA28αβ in cells lead to an increase in mutant HTT aggregates, suggesting that PA28αβ is critical for overall proteostasis, but only indirectly affects mutant HTT aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jolien Janzen
- Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Medical Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aleksandra E. Bury
- Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Medical Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alicia Sanz-Sanz
- Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Medical Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ron A. Hoebe
- Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Medical Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marie K. Bondulich
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gillian P. Bates
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eric A. J. Reits
- Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Medical Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Sabine Schipper-Krom
- Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Medical Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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9
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de Oliveira Furlam T, Roque IG, Machado da Silva EW, Vianna PP, Costa Valadão PA, Guatimosim C, Teixeira AL, de Miranda AS. Inflammasome activation and assembly in Huntington's disease. Mol Immunol 2022; 151:134-142. [PMID: 36126501 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes capable of sensing pathogen-associated and damage-associated molecular patterns, triggering innate immune pathways. Activation of inflammasomes results in a pro-inflammatory cascade involving, among other molecules, caspases and interleukins. NLRP3 (nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-repeat containing family, pyrin domain-containing 3) is the most studied inflammasome complex, and its activation results in caspase-1 mediated cleavage of the pro-interleukins IL-1β and IL-18 into their mature forms, also inducing a gasdermin D mediated form of pro-inflammatory cell death, i.e. pyroptosis. Accumulating evidence has implicated NLRP3 inflammasome complex in neurodegenerative diseases. The evidence in HD is still scant and mostly derived from pre-clinical studies. This review aims to present the available evidence on NLRP3 inflammasome activation in HD and to discuss whether targeting this innate immune system complex might be a promising therapeutic strategy to alleviate its symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Pedro Parenti Vianna
- School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Cristina Guatimosim
- Department of Morphology - Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Antônio Lúcio Teixeira
- Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA; Faculdade Santa Casa BH, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Aline Silva de Miranda
- Department of Morphology - Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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10
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Gu X, Richman J, Langfelder P, Wang N, Zhang S, Bañez-Coronel M, Wang HB, Yang L, Ramanathan L, Deng L, Park CS, Choi CR, Cantle JP, Gao F, Gray M, Coppola G, Bates GP, Ranum LPW, Horvath S, Colwell CS, Yang XW. Uninterrupted CAG repeat drives striatum-selective transcriptionopathy and nuclear pathogenesis in human Huntingtin BAC mice. Neuron 2022; 110:1173-1192.e7. [PMID: 35114102 PMCID: PMC9462388 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In Huntington's disease (HD), the uninterrupted CAG repeat length, but not the polyglutamine length, predicts disease onset. However, the underlying pathobiology remains unclear. Here, we developed bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice expressing human mutant huntingtin (mHTT) with uninterrupted, and somatically unstable, CAG repeats that exhibit progressive disease-related phenotypes. Unlike prior mHTT transgenic models with stable, CAA-interrupted, polyglutamine-encoding repeats, BAC-CAG mice show robust striatum-selective nuclear inclusions and transcriptional dysregulation resembling those in murine huntingtin knockin models and HD patients. Importantly, the striatal transcriptionopathy in HD models is significantly correlated with their uninterrupted CAG repeat length but not polyglutamine length. Finally, among the pathogenic entities originating from mHTT genomic transgenes and only present or enriched in the uninterrupted CAG repeat model, somatic CAG repeat instability and nuclear mHTT aggregation are best correlated with early-onset striatum-selective molecular pathogenesis and locomotor and sleep deficits, while repeat RNA-associated pathologies and repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation may play less selective or late pathogenic roles, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Gu
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Richman
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Peter Langfelder
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nan Wang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shasha Zhang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Monica Bañez-Coronel
- Center for Neurogenetics, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, Norman Fixel Institute of Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Huei-Bin Wang
- Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lucia Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lalini Ramanathan
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Linna Deng
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chang Sin Park
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christopher R Choi
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey P Cantle
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Fuying Gao
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michelle Gray
- Department of Neurology and Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Laura P W Ranum
- Center for Neurogenetics, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, Norman Fixel Institute of Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christopher S Colwell
- Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - X William Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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11
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C57BL/6 Background Attenuates mHTT Toxicity in the Striatum of YAC128 Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222312664. [PMID: 34884469 PMCID: PMC8657915 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Mouse models are frequently used to study Huntington’s disease (HD). The onset and severity of neuronal and behavioral pathologies vary greatly between HD mouse models, which results from different huntingtin expression levels and different CAG repeat length. HD pathology appears to depend also on the strain background of mouse models. Thus, behavioral deficits of HD mice are more severe in the FVB than in the C57BL/6 background. Alterations in medium spiny neuron (MSN) morphology and function have been well documented in young YAC128 mice in the FVB background. Here, we tested the relevance of strain background for mutant huntingtin (mHTT) toxicity on the cellular level by investigating HD pathologies in YAC128 mice in the C57BL/6 background (YAC128/BL6). Morphology, spine density, synapse function and membrane properties were not or only subtly altered in MSNs of 12-month-old YAC128/BL6 mice. Despite the mild cellular phenotype, YAC128/BL6 mice showed deficits in motor performance. More pronounced alterations in MSN function were found in the HdhQ150 mouse model in the C57BL/6 background (HdhQ150/BL6). Consistent with the differences in HD pathology, the number of inclusion bodies was considerably lower in YAC128/BL6 mice than HdhQ150/BL6 mice. This study highlights the relevance of strain background for mHTT toxicity in HD mouse models.
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12
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Martinez B, Peplow PV. Altered microRNA expression in animal models of Huntington's disease and potential therapeutic strategies. Neural Regen Res 2021; 16:2159-2169. [PMID: 33818488 PMCID: PMC8354140 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.310673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A review of recent animal models of Huntington's disease showed many microRNAs had altered expression levels in the striatum and cerebral cortex, and which were mostly downregulated. Among the altered microRNAs were miR-9/9*, miR-29b, miR-124a, miR-132, miR-128, miR-139, miR-122, miR-138, miR-23b, miR-135b, miR-181 (all downregulated) and miR-448 (upregulated), and similar changes had been previously found in Huntington's disease patients. In the animal cell studies, the altered microRNAs included miR-9, miR-9*, miR-135b, miR-222 (all downregulated) and miR-214 (upregulated). In the animal models, overexpression of miR-155 and miR-196a caused a decrease in mutant huntingtin mRNA and protein level, lowered the mutant huntingtin aggregates in striatum and cortex, and improved performance in behavioral tests. Improved performance in behavioral tests also occurred with overexpression of miR-132 and miR-124. In the animal cell models, overexpression of miR-22 increased the viability of rat primary cortical and striatal neurons infected with mutant huntingtin and decreased huntingtin -enriched foci of ≥ 2 µm. Also, overexpression of miR-22 enhanced the survival of rat primary striatal neurons treated with 3-nitropropionic acid. Exogenous expression of miR-214, miR-146a, miR-150, and miR-125b decreased endogenous expression of huntingtin mRNA and protein in HdhQ111/HdhQ111 cells. Further studies with animal models of Huntington's disease are warranted to validate these findings and identify specific microRNAs whose overexpression inhibits the production of mutant huntingtin protein and other harmful processes and may provide a more effective means of treating Huntington's disease in patients and slowing its progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget Martinez
- Physical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
- Department of Medicine, St. Georges University School of Medicine, Grenada
| | - Philip V. Peplow
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Correspondence to: Philip V. Peplow, .
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13
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Bozzi M, Sciandra F. Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Muscle Wasting in Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21218314. [PMID: 33167595 PMCID: PMC7664236 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by pathogenic expansions of the triplet cytosine-adenosine-guanosine (CAG) within the Huntingtin gene. These expansions lead to a prolongation of the poly-glutamine stretch at the N-terminus of Huntingtin causing protein misfolding and aggregation. Huntingtin and its pathological variants are widely expressed, but the central nervous system is mainly affected, as proved by the wide spectrum of neurological symptoms, including behavioral anomalies, cognitive decline and motor disorders. Other hallmarks of HD are loss of body weight and muscle atrophy. This review highlights some key elements that likely provide a major contribution to muscle atrophy, namely, alteration of the transcriptional processes, mitochondrial dysfunction, which is strictly correlated to loss of energy homeostasis, inflammation, apoptosis and defects in the processes responsible for the protein quality control. The improvement of muscular symptoms has proven to slow the disease progression and extend the life span of animal models of HD, underlining the importance of a deep comprehension of the molecular mechanisms driving deterioration of muscular tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Bozzi
- Dipartimento Universitario di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Sezione di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Roma, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Roma, Italy
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”– SCITEC Sede di Roma, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Roma, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Francesca Sciandra
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”– SCITEC Sede di Roma, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Roma, Italy;
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14
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Landles C, Milton RE, Ali N, Flomen R, Flower M, Schindler F, Gomez-Paredes C, Bondulich MK, Osborne GF, Goodwin D, Salsbury G, Benn CL, Sathasivam K, Smith EJ, Tabrizi SJ, Wanker EE, Bates GP. Subcellular Localization And Formation Of Huntingtin Aggregates Correlates With Symptom Onset And Progression In A Huntington'S Disease Model. Brain Commun 2020; 2:fcaa066. [PMID: 32954323 PMCID: PMC7425396 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is caused by the expansion of a CAG repeat within exon 1 of the HTT gene, which is unstable, leading to further expansion, the extent of which is brain region and peripheral tissue specific. The identification of DNA repair genes as genetic modifiers of Huntington's disease, that were known to abrogate somatic instability in Huntington's disease mouse models, demonstrated that somatic CAG expansion is central to disease pathogenesis, and that the CAG repeat threshold for pathogenesis in specific brain cells might not be known. We have previously shown that the HTT gene is incompletely spliced generating a small transcript that encodes the highly pathogenic exon 1 HTT protein. The longer the CAG repeat, the more of this toxic fragment is generated, providing a pathogenic consequence for somatic expansion. Here, we have used the R6/2 mouse model to investigate the molecular and behavioural consequences of expressing exon 1 HTT with 90 CAGs, a mutation that causes juvenile Huntington's disease, compared to R6/2 mice carrying ∼200 CAGs, a repeat expansion of a size rarely found in Huntington's disease patient's blood, but which has been detected in post-mortem brains as a consequence of somatic CAG repeat expansion. We show that nuclear aggregation occurred earlier in R6/2(CAG)90 mice and that this correlated with the onset of transcriptional dysregulation. Whereas in R6/2(CAG)200 mice, cytoplasmic aggregates accumulated rapidly and closely tracked with the progression of behavioural phenotypes and with end-stage disease. We find that aggregate species formed in the R6/2(CAG)90 brains have different properties to those in the R6/2(CAG)200 mice. Within the nucleus, they retain a diffuse punctate appearance throughout the course of the disease, can be partially solubilized by detergents and have a greater seeding potential in young mice. In contrast, aggregates from R6/2(CAG)200 brains polymerize into larger structures that appear as inclusion bodies. These data emphasize that a subcellular analysis, using multiple complementary approaches, must be undertaken in order to draw any conclusions about the relationship between HTT aggregation and the onset and progression of disease phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Landles
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Rebecca E Milton
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Nadira Ali
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Rachel Flomen
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Michael Flower
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Franziska Schindler
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), 10178 Berlin, Germany
| | - Casandra Gomez-Paredes
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Marie K Bondulich
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Georgina F Osborne
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Daniel Goodwin
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Grace Salsbury
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Caroline L Benn
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK.,LoQus23 Therapeutics, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Kirupa Sathasivam
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Edward J Smith
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Erich E Wanker
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), 10178 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG, UK
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15
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Ardan T, Baxa M, Levinská B, Sedláčková M, Nguyen TD, Klíma J, Juhás Š, Juhásová J, Šmatlíková P, Vochozková P, Motlík J, Ellederová Z. Transgenic minipig model of Huntington's disease exhibiting gradually progressing neurodegeneration. Dis Model Mech 2019; 13:dmm.041319. [PMID: 31645369 PMCID: PMC6918760 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.041319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently developed therapeutic approaches for the treatment of Huntington's disease (HD) require preclinical testing in large animal models. The minipig is a suitable experimental animal because of its large gyrencephalic brain, body weight of 70-100 kg, long lifespan, and anatomical, physiological and metabolic resemblance to humans. The Libechov transgenic minipig model for HD (TgHD) has proven useful for proof of concept of developing new therapies. However, to evaluate the efficacy of different therapies on disease progression, a broader phenotypic characterization of the TgHD minipig is needed. In this study, we analyzed the brain tissues of TgHD minipigs at the age of 48 and 60-70 months, and compared them to wild-type animals. We were able to demonstrate not only an accumulation of different forms of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) in TgHD brain, but also pathological changes associated with cellular damage caused by mHTT. At 48 months, we detected pathological changes that included the demyelination of brain white matter, loss of function of striatal neurons in the putamen and activation of microglia. At 60-70 months, we found a clear marker of neurodegeneration: significant cell loss detected in the caudate nucleus, putamen and cortex. This was accompanied by clusters of structures accumulating in the neurites of some neurons, a sign of their degeneration that is also seen in Alzheimer's disease, and a significant activation of astrocytes. In summary, our data demonstrate age-dependent neuropathology with later onset of neurodegeneration in TgHD minipigs. Summary: Longitudinal phenotyping of the minipig model for Huntington's disease demonstrates a slow and age-dependent neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taras Ardan
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Baxa
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Božena Levinská
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslava Sedláčková
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Masaryk University in Brno, Faculty of Medicine, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - The Duong Nguyen
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Klíma
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Štefan Juhás
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Juhásová
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Šmatlíková
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Vochozková
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Motlík
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenka Ellederová
- Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, 27721 Libechov, Czech Republic
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16
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Franich NR, Hickey MA, Zhu C, Osborne GF, Ali N, Chu T, Bove NH, Lemesre V, Lerner RP, Zeitlin SO, Howland D, Neueder A, Landles C, Bates GP, Chesselet M. Phenotype onset in Huntington's disease knock-in mice is correlated with the incomplete splicing of the mutant huntingtin gene. J Neurosci Res 2019; 97:1590-1605. [PMID: 31282030 PMCID: PMC6801054 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat within the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The Q140 and HdhQ150 knock-in HD mouse models were generated such that HdhQ150 mice have an expanded CAG repeat inserted into the mouse Htt gene, whereas in the Q140s, mouse exon 1 Htt was replaced with a mutated version of human exon 1. By standardizing mouse strain background, breeding to homozygosity and employing sensitive behavioral tests, we demonstrate that the onset of behavioral phenotypes occurs earlier in the Q140 than the HdhQ150 knock-in mouse models and that huntingtin (HTT) aggregation appears earlier in the striata of Q140 mice. We have previously found that the incomplete splicing of mutant HTT from exon 1 to exon 2 results in the production of a small polyadenylated transcript that encodes the highly pathogenic mutant HTT exon 1 protein. In this report, we have identified a functional consequence of the sequence differences between these two models at the RNA level, in that the level of incomplete splicing, and of the mutant exon 1 HTT protein, are greater in the brains of Q140 mice. While differences in the human and mouse exon 1 HTT proteins (e.g., proline rich sequences) could also contribute to the phenotypic differences, our data indicate that the incomplete splicing of HTT and approaches to lower the levels of the exon 1 HTT transcript should be pursued as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R. Franich
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Miriam A. Hickey
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of TartuTartuEstonia
| | - Chunni Zhu
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Georgina F. Osborne
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Nadira Ali
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Tiffany Chu
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Nicholas H. Bove
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Vincent Lemesre
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Renata P. Lerner
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Scott O. Zeitlin
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of Virginia School of MedicineCharlottesvilleVirginia
| | - David Howland
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation Inc.New YorkNew York
| | - Andreas Neueder
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Christian Landles
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Gillian P. Bates
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Marie‐Francoise Chesselet
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesCalifornia
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17
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Franich NR, Basso M, André EA, Ochaba J, Kumar A, Thein S, Fote G, Kachemov M, Lau AL, Yeung SY, Osmand A, Zeitlin SO, Ratan RR, Thompson LM, Steffan JS. Striatal Mutant Huntingtin Protein Levels Decline with Age in Homozygous Huntington's Disease Knock-In Mouse Models. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 7:137-150. [PMID: 29843246 PMCID: PMC6002862 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-170274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Background: Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with aging, caused by an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat within the Huntingtin (HTT) protein. In HD, degeneration of the striatum and atrophy of the cortex are observed while cerebellum is less affected. Objective: To test the hypothesis that HTT protein levels decline with age, which together with HTT mutation could influence disease progression. Methods: Using whole brain cell lysates, a unique method of SDS-PAGE and western analysis was used to quantitate HTT protein, which resolves as a monomer and as a high molecular weight species that is modulated by the presence of transglutaminase 2. HTT levels were measured in striatum, cortex and cerebellum in congenic homozygous Q140 and HdhQ150 knock-in mice and WT littermate controls. Results: Mutant HTT in both homozygous knock-in HD mouse models and WT HTT in control striatal and cortical tissues significantly declined in a progressive manner over time. Levels of mutant HTT in HD cerebellum remained high during aging. Conclusions: A general decline in mutant HTT levels in striatum and cortex is observed that may contribute to disease progression in homozygous knock-in HD mouse models through reduction of HTT function. In cerebellum, sustained levels of mutant HTT with aging may be protective to this tissue which is less overtly affected in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R Franich
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Manuela Basso
- Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Emily A André
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Joseph Ochaba
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Amit Kumar
- Burke Medical Research Institute, White Plains, NY, USA.,Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Soe Thein
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Gianna Fote
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Marketta Kachemov
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Alice L Lau
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Sylvia Y Yeung
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Osmand
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Scott O Zeitlin
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Rajiv R Ratan
- Burke Medical Research Institute, White Plains, NY, USA.,Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Joan S Steffan
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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18
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Kielar C, Morton AJ. Early Neurodegeneration in R6/2 Mice Carrying the Huntington's Disease Mutation with a Super-Expanded CAG Repeat, Despite Normal Lifespan. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 7:61-76. [PMID: 29480204 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-170265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The threshold of CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene that causes HD is 36 CAG repeats, although 'superlong' expansions are found in individual neurons in postmortem brains. Previously, we showed that, compared to mice with <250 CAG repeats, onset of disease in R6/2 mice carrying superlong (>440) CAG repeat expansions was delayed, and disease progression was slower. Inclusion pathology also differed from 250 CAG repeat mice, being dominated by a novel kind of extranuclear neuronal inclusion (nENNI) that resembles a class of aggregate seen in patients with the adult onset form of HD. Here, we characterised neuropathology in R6/2 mice with >400 CAG repeats using light and electron microscopy. nENNIs were found with increased frequency and wider distribution with age. Some nENNIs appear to 'mature' as the disease develops, developing a multi-layered cored structure. Mice with superlong CAG repeats do not develop clinical signs until they are around 30-40 weeks of age, and they attain a normal life span (>2 years). Nevertheless, they show brain atrophy and unequivocal neuron loss from the striatum and cortex by 22 weeks of age, an age at which similar pathology is seen in 250 CAG repeat mice. Since this time-point is 'end stage' for a 250 CAG mouse, but very far (at least 18 months) from end stage for a > 440 CAG repeat mouse, our data confirm that the appearance of clinical signs, the formation of inclusions, and neurodegeneration are processes that progress independently. A better understanding of the relationship between CAG repeat length, neurodegenerative pathways, and clinical behavioural signs is essential, if we are to find strategies to delay or reverse the course of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Kielar
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - A Jennifer Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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19
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Zhunina OA, Yabbarov NG, Orekhov AN, Deykin AV. Modern approaches for modelling dystonia and Huntington's disease in vitro and in vivo. Int J Exp Pathol 2019; 100:64-71. [PMID: 31090117 DOI: 10.1111/iep.12320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Dystonia associated with Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease or other neurodegenerative diseases substantially affects patients' quality of life and is a major health problem worldwide. The above-mentioned diseases are characterized by neurodegeneration accompanied by motor and cognitive impairment and often have complex aetiology. A frequent feature of these conditions is the abnormal accumulation of protein aggregates within specific neuronal populations in the affected brain regions. Familial neurodegenerative diseases are associated with a number of genetic mutations. Identification of these mutations allowed creation of modern model systems for studying neurodegeneration, either in cultured cells or in model animals. Animal models, especially mouse models, have contributed considerably to improving our understanding of the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. These models have allowed study of the pathogenic mechanisms and development of new disease-modifying strategies and therapeutic approaches. However, due to the complex nature of these pathologies and the irreversible damage that they cause to the neural tissue, effective therapies against neurodegeneration remain to be elaborated. In this review, we provide an overview of cellular and animal models developed for studying neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease and dystonia of different origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga A Zhunina
- JSC "Russian Research Center for Molecular Diagnostics and Therapy", Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikita G Yabbarov
- JSC "Russian Research Center for Molecular Diagnostics and Therapy", Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander N Orekhov
- Laboratory of Angiopathology, Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russia.,Institute for Atherosclerosis Research, Skolkovo Innovative Center, Moscow, Russia
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20
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Burgold J, Schulz-Trieglaff EK, Voelkl K, Gutiérrez-Ángel S, Bader JM, Hosp F, Mann M, Arzberger T, Klein R, Liebscher S, Dudanova I. Cortical circuit alterations precede motor impairments in Huntington's disease mice. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6634. [PMID: 31036840 PMCID: PMC6488584 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43024-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating hereditary movement disorder, characterized by degeneration of neurons in the striatum and cortex. Studies in human patients and mouse HD models suggest that disturbances of neuronal function in the neocortex play an important role in disease onset and progression. However, the precise nature and time course of cortical alterations in HD have remained elusive. Here, we use chronic in vivo two-photon calcium imaging to longitudinally monitor the activity of identified single neurons in layer 2/3 of the primary motor cortex in awake, behaving R6/2 transgenic HD mice and wildtype littermates. R6/2 mice show age-dependent changes in cortical network function, with an increase in activity that affects a large fraction of cells and occurs rather abruptly within one week, preceeding the onset of motor defects. Furthermore, quantitative proteomics demonstrate a pronounced downregulation of synaptic proteins in the cortex, and histological analyses in R6/2 mice and human HD autopsy cases reveal a reduction in perisomatic inhibitory synaptic contacts on layer 2/3 pyramidal cells. Taken together, our study provides a time-resolved description of cortical network dysfunction in behaving HD mice and points to disturbed excitation/inhibition balance as an important pathomechanism in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Burgold
- Department of Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Kerstin Voelkl
- Department of Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sara Gutiérrez-Ángel
- Department of Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jakob Maximilian Bader
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Fabian Hosp
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Matthias Mann
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Thomas Arzberger
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377, Munich, Germany
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Klein
- Department of Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377, Munich, Germany.
| | - Sabine Liebscher
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377, Munich, Germany.
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.
- Biomedical Center, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Irina Dudanova
- Department of Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.
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21
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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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22
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mHTT Seeding Activity: A Marker of Disease Progression and Neurotoxicity in Models of Huntington's Disease. Mol Cell 2019; 71:675-688.e6. [PMID: 30193095 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Self-propagating, amyloidogenic mutant huntingtin (mHTT) aggregates may drive progression of Huntington's disease (HD). Here, we report the development of a FRET-based mHTT aggregate seeding (FRASE) assay that enables the quantification of mHTT seeding activity (HSA) in complex biosamples from HD patients and disease models. Application of the FRASE assay revealed HSA in brain homogenates of presymptomatic HD transgenic and knockin mice and its progressive increase with phenotypic changes, suggesting that HSA quantitatively tracks disease progression. Biochemical investigations of mouse brain homogenates demonstrated that small, rather than large, mHTT structures are responsible for the HSA measured in FRASE assays. Finally, we assessed the neurotoxicity of mHTT seeds in an inducible Drosophila model transgenic for HTTex1. We found a strong correlation between the HSA measured in adult neurons and the increased mortality of transgenic HD flies, indicating that FRASE assays detect disease-relevant, neurotoxic, mHTT structures with severe phenotypic consequences in vivo.
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23
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Aymerich MS, Aso E, Abellanas MA, Tolon RM, Ramos JA, Ferrer I, Romero J, Fernández-Ruiz J. Cannabinoid pharmacology/therapeutics in chronic degenerative disorders affecting the central nervous system. Biochem Pharmacol 2018; 157:67-84. [PMID: 30121249 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2018.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) exerts a modulatory effect of important functions such as neurotransmission, glial activation, oxidative stress, or protein homeostasis. Dysregulation of these cellular processes is a common neuropathological hallmark in aging and in neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). The broad spectrum of actions of cannabinoids allows targeting different aspects of these multifactorial diseases. In this review, we examine the therapeutic potential of the ECS for the treatment of chronic neurodegenerative diseases of the CNS focusing on Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. First, we describe the localization of the molecular components of the ECS and how they are altered under neurodegenerative conditions, either contributing to or protecting cells from degeneration. Second, we address recent advances in the modulation of the ECS using experimental models through different strategies including the direct targeting of cannabinoid receptors with agonists or antagonists, increasing the endocannabinoid tone by the inhibition of endocannabinoid hydrolysis, and activation of cannabinoid receptor-independent effects. Preclinical evidence indicates that cannabinoid pharmacology is complex but supports the therapeutic potential of targeting the ECS. Third, we review the clinical evidence and discuss the future perspectives on how to bridge human and animal studies to develop cannabinoid-based therapies for each neurodegenerative disorder. Finally, we summarize the most relevant opportunities of cannabinoid pharmacology related to each disease and the multiple unexplored pathways in cannabinoid pharmacology that could be useful for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria S Aymerich
- Universidad de Navarra, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Bioquímica y Genética, Pamplona, Spain; Universidad de Navarra, CIMA, Programa de Neurociencias, Pamplona, Spain; IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Spain.
| | - Ester Aso
- Departamento de Patología y Terapéutica Experimental, Universidad de Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; CIBERNED, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
| | - Miguel A Abellanas
- Universidad de Navarra, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Bioquímica y Genética, Pamplona, Spain; Universidad de Navarra, CIMA, Programa de Neurociencias, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Rosa M Tolon
- Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain
| | - Jose A Ramos
- CIBERNED, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; IRYCIS, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isidre Ferrer
- Departamento de Patología y Terapéutica Experimental, Universidad de Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; CIBERNED, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
| | - Julian Romero
- Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain
| | - Javier Fernández-Ruiz
- CIBERNED, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; IRYCIS, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
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24
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Hosp F, Gutiérrez-Ángel S, Schaefer MH, Cox J, Meissner F, Hipp MS, Hartl FU, Klein R, Dudanova I, Mann M. Spatiotemporal Proteomic Profiling of Huntington's Disease Inclusions Reveals Widespread Loss of Protein Function. Cell Rep 2018; 21:2291-2303. [PMID: 29166617 PMCID: PMC5714591 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.10.097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin exon 1 (HttEx1) in Huntington’s disease (HD) proceeds from soluble oligomers to late-stage inclusions. The nature of the aggregates and how they lead to neuronal dysfunction is not well understood. We employed mass spectrometry (MS)-based quantitative proteomics to dissect spatiotemporal mechanisms of neurodegeneration using the R6/2 mouse model of HD. Extensive remodeling of the soluble brain proteome correlated with insoluble aggregate formation during disease progression. In-depth and quantitative characterization of the aggregates uncovered an unprecedented complexity of several hundred proteins. Sequestration to aggregates depended on protein expression levels and sequence features such as low-complexity regions or coiled-coil domains. In a cell-based HD model, overexpression of a subset of the sequestered proteins in most cases rescued viability and reduced aggregate size. Our spatiotemporally resolved proteome resource of HD progression indicates that widespread loss of cellular protein function contributes to aggregate-mediated toxicity. Spatiotemporally resolved brain proteome of wild-type and HD mice Quantitative characterization of huntingtin inclusion bodies in vivo Sequestration correlates with protein expression levels and specific sequence features Resupplying sequestered proteins ameliorates HTT-induced toxicity and inclusion size
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Hosp
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sara Gutiérrez-Ángel
- Department Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Martin H Schaefer
- EMBL/CRG Systems Biology Research Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jürgen Cox
- Computational Systems Biochemistry Laboratory, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Felix Meissner
- Experimental Systems Immunology Laboratory, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Mark S Hipp
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - F-Ulrich Hartl
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Klein
- Department Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Irina Dudanova
- Department Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Matthias Mann
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
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25
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In vivo neutralization of the protagonist role of macrophages during the chronic inflammatory stage of Huntington's disease. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11447. [PMID: 30061661 PMCID: PMC6065433 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29792-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases, characterised by the progressive and selective neuronal death in the central nervous system, are frequently accompanied by an activated immune system. In Huntington’s disease (HD), clinical and animal studies show evidence of immune activity, along with hyper-reactive monocyte/macrophage responses, while application of immunosuppressive regimens have imparted beneficial effects to HD mice. These findings suggest a contributory role of the immune system in HD pathology, with immune-based interventions offering a potential therapeutic strategy. Herein, we show that peripheral and CNS immune system activity increased with disease progression in HD mouse models and defined the phenotype of the immune response. Additionally, the depletion of monocytes and macrophages in vivo, via clodronate liposome treatment, revealed a major contributory role of these innate immune cells to the chronic inflammatory milieu observed during the course of the disease. This suggests that peripheral immunomodulatory strategies targeting monocytes and macrophages could be relevant for HD.
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26
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Neueder A, Bates GP. RNA Related Pathology in Huntington's Disease. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1049:85-101. [PMID: 29427099 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-71779-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
This chapter summarises research investigating the expression of huntingtin sense and anti-sense transcripts, the effect of the mutation on huntingtin processing as well as the more global effect of the mutation on the coding and non-coding transcriptomes. The huntingtin gene is ubiquitously expressed, although expression levels vary between tissues and cell types. A SNP that affects NF-ĸB binding in the huntingtin promoter modulates the expression level of huntingtin transcripts and is associated with the age of disease onset. Incomplete splicing between exon 1 and exon 2 has been shown to result in the expression of a small polyadenylated mRNA that encodes the highly pathogenic exon 1 huntingtin protein. This occurs in a CAG-repeat length dependent manner in all full-length mouse models of HD as well as HD patient post-mortem brains and fibroblasts. An antisense transcript to huntingtin is generated that contains a CUG repeat that is expanded in HD patients. In myotonic dystrophy, expanded CUG repeats form RNA foci in cell nuclei that bind specific proteins (e.g. MBL1). Short, pure CAG RNAs of approximately 21 nucleotides that have been processed by DICER can inhibit the translation of other CAG repeat containing mRNAs. The HD mutation affects the transcriptome at the level of mRNA expression, splicing and the expression of non-coding RNAs. Finally, expanded repetitive stretched of nucleotides can lead to RAN translation, in which the ribosome translates from the expanded repeat in all possible reading frames, producing proteins with various poly-amino acid tracts. The extent to which these events contribute to HD pathogenesis is largely unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Neueder
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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Polyzos AA, Wood NI, Williams P, Wipf P, Morton AJ, McMurray CT. XJB-5-131-mediated improvement in physiology and behaviour of the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease is age- and sex- dependent. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0194580. [PMID: 29630611 PMCID: PMC5890981 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We have reported that the radical scavenger XJB-5-131 attenuates or reverses progression of the disease phenotype in the HdhQ(150/150) mouse, a slow onset model of HD. Here, we tested whether XJB-5-131 has beneficial effects in R6/2 mice, a severe early onset model of HD. We found that XJB-5-131 has beneficial effects in R6/2 mice, by delaying features of the motor and histological phenotype. The impact was sex-dependent, with a stronger effect in male mice. XJB-5-131 treatment improved some locomotor deficits in female R6/2 mice, but the effects were, in general, greater in male mice. Chronic treatment of male R6/2 mice with XJB-5-1-131 reduced weight loss, and improved the motor and temperature regulation deficits, especially in male mice. Treatment with XJB-5-131 had no effect on the lifespan of R6/2 mice. Nevertheless, it significantly slowed somatic expansion at 90 days, and reduced the density of inclusions. Our data show that while treatment with XJB-5-131 had complex effects on the phenotype of R6/2 mice, it produced a number of significant improvements in this severe model of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aris A. Polyzos
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
| | - Nigel I. Wood
- Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, Anatomy Building, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Williams
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
| | - Peter Wipf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - A. Jennifer Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, Anatomy Building, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Cynthia T. McMurray
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Cao JK, Detloff PJ, Gardner RG, Stella N. Sex-dependent behavioral impairments in the HdhQ350/+ mouse line. Behav Brain Res 2018; 337:34-45. [PMID: 28927719 PMCID: PMC5659761 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's Disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease characterized by gradual deterioration of motor and cognitive functions and development of psychiatric deficits. Animal models provide powerful means to study the pathological processes, molecular dysfunctions and symptoms associated with HD. We performed a longitudinal behavioral study of the newly developed HdhQ350/+ mouse line, a knock-in model that expresses a repeat of 350 glutamines. We found remarkable sex-dependent differences on symptom onset and severity. While both sexes lose weight and grip strength, only HdhQ350/+ males have impaired motor coordination as measured by the rotarod and alterations in gait as measured by the catwalk assay. While HdhQ350/+ females do not exhibit impairment in motor coordination, we found a reduction in dark phase locomotor activity. Male and female HdhQ350/+ mice do not show anxiety as measured by the elevated plus maze or changes in exploration as measured by the open field test. To investigate these sex-dependent differences, we performed western blot analyses of striatal tissue. We measured equal mutant huntingtin protein expression in both sexes and found evidence of aggregation. We found the expected decrease of DARPP-32 expression only in female HdhQ350/+ mice. Remarkably, we found no evidence of reduction in synaptophysin or CB1 receptors in HdhQ350/+ tissue of either sex. Our study indicates that male and female HdhQ350/+ mice differentially recapitulate select behavioral impairments commonly measured in other HD mouse models with limited sex-dependent changes in recognized histopathological markers. We conclude that expanded polyglutamine repeats influence HD pathogenesis in a sex-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K Cao
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
| | - Peter J Detloff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, United States
| | - Richard G Gardner
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
| | - Nephi Stella
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States.
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29
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Abstract
The identification of the mutation causing Huntington's disease (HD) has led to the generation of a large number of mouse models. These models are used to further enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the disease, as well as investigating and identifying therapeutic targets for this disorder. Here we review the transgenic, knock-in mice commonly used to model HD, as well those that have been generated to study specific disease mechanisms. We then provide a brief overview of the importance of standardizing the use of HD mice and describe brief protocols used for genotyping the mouse models used within the Bates Laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela P Farshim
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington's Disease Centre and Dementia Research Institute, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington's Disease Centre and Dementia Research Institute, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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30
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Of rodents and men: understanding the emergence of motor and cognitive symptoms in Huntington disease. Behav Pharmacol 2017; 27:403-14. [PMID: 26886208 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Arguably, one of the most important milestones in Huntington disease research since the discovery of the gene responsible has been the generation of different genetic animal models. Although clinical reports have shown evidence of progressive cognitive impairments in gene carriers before motor symptoms are diagnosed, such symptoms have been much less obvious in animal models. In this review, we summarize the three main classes of animal models for Huntington disease and describe some relevant translational assays for behavioural deficits evaluation. Finally, we argue that a good knowledge of the emergence of motor and cognitive symptoms in mice and rat models is indispensable for the selection of endpoint measures in early preclinical drug screening studies.
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31
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Bondulich MK, Jolinon N, Osborne GF, Smith EJ, Rattray I, Neueder A, Sathasivam K, Ahmed M, Ali N, Benjamin AC, Chang X, Dick JRT, Ellis M, Franklin SA, Goodwin D, Inuabasi L, Lazell H, Lehar A, Richard-Londt A, Rosinski J, Smith DL, Wood T, Tabrizi SJ, Brandner S, Greensmith L, Howland D, Munoz-Sanjuan I, Lee SJ, Bates GP. Myostatin inhibition prevents skeletal muscle pathophysiology in Huntington's disease mice. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14275. [PMID: 29079832 PMCID: PMC5660167 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14290-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder of which skeletal muscle atrophy is a common feature, and multiple lines of evidence support a muscle-based pathophysiology in HD mouse models. Inhibition of myostatin signaling increases muscle mass, and therapeutic approaches based on this are in clinical development. We have used a soluble ActRIIB decoy receptor (ACVR2B/Fc) to test the effects of myostatin/activin A inhibition in the R6/2 mouse model of HD. Weekly administration from 5 to 11 weeks of age prevented body weight loss, skeletal muscle atrophy, muscle weakness, contractile abnormalities, the loss of functional motor units in EDL muscles and delayed end-stage disease. Inhibition of myostatin/activin A signaling activated transcriptional profiles to increase muscle mass in wild type and R6/2 mice but did little to modulate the extensive Huntington's disease-associated transcriptional dysregulation, consistent with treatment having little impact on HTT aggregation levels. Modalities that inhibit myostatin signaling are currently in clinical trials for a variety of indications, the outcomes of which will present the opportunity to assess the potential benefits of targeting this pathway in HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie K Bondulich
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Nelly Jolinon
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Georgina F Osborne
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Edward J Smith
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Ivan Rattray
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Andreas Neueder
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Kirupa Sathasivam
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Mhoriam Ahmed
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Nadira Ali
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Agnesska C Benjamin
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Xiaoli Chang
- Department Molecular Biology and Genetics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - James R T Dick
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Matthew Ellis
- Division of Neuropathology, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sophie A Franklin
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Daniel Goodwin
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Linda Inuabasi
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Hayley Lazell
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Adam Lehar
- Department Molecular Biology and Genetics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Angela Richard-Londt
- Division of Neuropathology, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jim Rosinski
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation Inc, New York, NY, 10001, USA
| | - Donna L Smith
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Tobias Wood
- Department of Neuroimaging, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sebastian Brandner
- Division of Neuropathology, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Linda Greensmith
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - David Howland
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation Inc, New York, NY, 10001, USA
| | | | - Se-Jin Lee
- Department Molecular Biology and Genetics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
- Department Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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32
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Neueder A, Gipson TA, Batterton S, Lazell HJ, Farshim PP, Paganetti P, Housman DE, Bates GP. HSF1-dependent and -independent regulation of the mammalian in vivo heat shock response and its impairment in Huntington's disease mouse models. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12556. [PMID: 28970536 PMCID: PMC5624871 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12897-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The heat shock response (HSR) is a mechanism to cope with proteotoxic stress by inducing the expression of molecular chaperones and other heat shock response genes. The HSR is evolutionarily well conserved and has been widely studied in bacteria, cell lines and lower eukaryotic model organisms. However, mechanistic insights into the HSR in higher eukaryotes, in particular in mammals, are limited. We have developed an in vivo heat shock protocol to analyze the HSR in mice and dissected heat shock factor 1 (HSF1)-dependent and -independent pathways. Whilst the induction of proteostasis-related genes was dependent on HSF1, the regulation of circadian function related genes, indicating that the circadian clock oscillators have been reset, was independent of its presence. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the in vivo HSR is impaired in mouse models of Huntington's disease but we were unable to corroborate the general repression of transcription that follows a heat shock in lower eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Neueder
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Theresa A Gipson
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
| | - Sophie Batterton
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hayley J Lazell
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pamela P Farshim
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paolo Paganetti
- Neuroscience Discovery, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, CH-4002, Basel, Switzerland
- Laboratory for Biomedical Neuroscience, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, EOC, c/o SIRM, Torricella-Taverne, Switzerland
| | - David E Housman
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
| | - Gillian P Bates
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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33
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Schut MH, Patassini S, Kim EH, Bullock J, Waldvogel HJ, Faull RLM, Pepers BA, den Dunnen JT, van Ommen GJB, van Roon-Mom WMC. Effect of post-mortem delay on N-terminal huntingtin protein fragments in human control and Huntington disease brain lysates. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0178556. [PMID: 28570578 PMCID: PMC5453542 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease is associated with elongation of a CAG repeat in the HTT gene that results in a mutant huntingtin protein. Several studies have implicated N-terminal huntingtin protein fragments in Huntington disease pathogenesis. Ideally, these fragments are studied in human brain tissue. However, the use of human brain tissue comes with certain unavoidable variables such as post mortem delay, artefacts from freeze-thaw cycles and subject-to-subject variation. Knowledge on how these variables might affect N-terminal huntingtin protein fragments in post mortem human brain is important for a proper interpretation of study results. The effect of post mortem delay on protein in human brain is known to vary depending on the protein of interest. In the present study, we have assessed the effect of post mortem delay on N-terminal huntingtin protein fragments using western blot. We mimicked post mortem delay in one individual control case and one individual Huntington disease case with low initial post mortem delay. The influence of subject-to-subject variation on N-terminal huntingtin fragments was assessed in human cortex and human striatum using two cohorts of control and Huntington disease subjects. Our results show that effects of post mortem delay on N-terminal huntingtin protein fragments are minor in our individual subjects. Additionally, one freeze-thaw cycle decreases the huntingtin western blot signal intensity in the cortex control subject, but does not introduce additional N-terminal huntingtin fragments. Our results suggest that subject-to-subject variation contributes more to variability in N-terminal huntingtin fragments than post mortem delay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menno H. Schut
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Stefano Patassini
- Centre for Brain Research and Department of Anatomy with Radiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Eric H. Kim
- Centre for Brain Research and Department of Anatomy with Radiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jocelyn Bullock
- Centre for Brain Research and Department of Anatomy with Radiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Henry J. Waldvogel
- Centre for Brain Research and Department of Anatomy with Radiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard L. M. Faull
- Centre for Brain Research and Department of Anatomy with Radiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Barry A. Pepers
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Johan T. den Dunnen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Genome Technology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gert-Jan B. van Ommen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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34
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Neueder A, Landles C, Ghosh R, Howland D, Myers RH, Faull RLM, Tabrizi SJ, Bates GP. The pathogenic exon 1 HTT protein is produced by incomplete splicing in Huntington's disease patients. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1307. [PMID: 28465506 PMCID: PMC5431000 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01510-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously shown that exon 1 of the huntingtin gene does not always splice to exon 2 resulting in the production of a small polyadenylated mRNA (HTTexon1) that encodes the highly pathogenic exon 1 HTT protein. The level of this read-through product is proportional to CAG repeat length and is present in all knock-in mouse models of Huntington's disease (HD) with CAG lengths of 50 and above and in the YAC128 and BACHD mouse models, both of which express a copy of the human HTT gene. We have now developed specific protocols for the quantitative analysis of the transcript levels of HTTexon1 in human tissue and applied these to a series of fibroblast lines and post-mortem brain samples from individuals with either adult-onset or juvenile-onset HD. We found that the HTTexon1 mRNA is present in fibroblasts from juvenile HD patients and can also be readily detected in the sensory motor cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum of post-mortem brains from HD individuals, particularly in those with early onset disease. This finding will have important implications for strategies to lower mutant HTT levels in patients and the design of future therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Neueder
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Landles
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rhia Ghosh
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Howland
- CHDI Management Inc./CHDI Foundation Inc., Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Richard H Myers
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, United States of America
| | - Richard L M Faull
- Department of Anatomy with Radiology and Center for Brain Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gillian P Bates
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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35
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André W, Sandt C, Nondier I, Djian P, Hoffner G. Inclusions of R6/2 Mice Are Not Amyloid and Differ Structurally from Those of Huntington Disease Brain. Anal Chem 2017; 89:5201-5209. [PMID: 28398721 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b04199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
R6/2 mice contain an N-terminal fragment of human huntingtin with an expanded polyQ and develop a neurological disease resembling Huntington disease. Although the brain of R6/2 mice contains numerous inclusions, there is very little neuronal death. In that respect, R6/2 mice differ from patients with Huntington disease whose striatum and cerebral cortex develop inclusions associated with extensive neuronal loss. We have previously demonstrated using synchrotron-based infrared microspectroscopy that the striatum and the cortex of patients with Huntington disease contained inclusions specifically enriched in amyloid β-sheets. We had concluded that the presence of an amyloid motif conferred toxicity to the inclusions. We demonstrate here by synchrotron based infrared microspectroscopy in transmission and attenuated total reflectance mode that the inclusions of R6/2 mice possess no detectable amyloid and are composed of proteins whose structure is not distinguishable from that of the surrounding soluble proteins. The difference in structure between the inclusions of patients affected by Huntington disease and those of R6/2 mice might explain why the former but not the latter cause neuronal death.
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Affiliation(s)
- William André
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Université Paris Descartes , UMR 8118, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cérébrale, 75006 Paris, France.,Synchrotron SOLEIL , 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | | | - Isabelle Nondier
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Université Paris Descartes , UMR 8118, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cérébrale, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Philippe Djian
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Université Paris Descartes , UMR 8118, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cérébrale, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Guylaine Hoffner
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Université Paris Descartes , UMR 8118, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cérébrale, 75006 Paris, France
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36
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Tyebji S, Hannan AJ. Synaptopathic mechanisms of neurodegeneration and dementia: Insights from Huntington's disease. Prog Neurobiol 2017; 153:18-45. [PMID: 28377290 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2017.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2016] [Revised: 03/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Dementia encapsulates a set of symptoms that include loss of mental abilities such as memory, problem solving or language, and reduces a person's ability to perform daily activities. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, however dementia can also occur in other neurological disorders such as Huntington's disease (HD). Many studies have demonstrated that loss of neuronal cell function manifests pre-symptomatically and thus is a relevant therapeutic target to alleviate symptoms. Synaptopathy, the physiological dysfunction of synapses, is now being approached as the target for many neurological and psychiatric disorders, including HD. HD is an autosomal dominant and progressive degenerative disorder, with clinical manifestations that encompass movement, cognition, mood and behaviour. HD is one of the most common tandem repeat disorders and is caused by a trinucleotide (CAG) repeat expansion, encoding an extended polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin protein. Animal models as well as human studies have provided detailed, although not exhaustive, evidence of synaptic dysfunction in HD. In this review, we discuss the neuropathology of HD and how the changes in synaptic signalling in the diseased brain lead to its symptoms, which include dementia. Here, we review and discuss the mechanisms by which the 'molecular orchestras' and their 'synaptic symphonies' are disrupted in neurodegeneration and dementia, focusing on HD as a model disease. We also explore the therapeutic strategies currently in pre-clinical and clinical testing that are targeted towards improving synaptic function in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiraz Tyebji
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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37
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Rattray I, Smith EJ, Crum WR, Walker TA, Gale R, Bates GP, Modo M. Correlations of Behavioral Deficits with Brain Pathology Assessed through Longitudinal MRI and Histopathology in the HdhQ150/Q150 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0168556. [PMID: 28099507 PMCID: PMC5242535 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of mouse models have been developed that express mutant huntingtin (mHTT) leading to aggregates and inclusions that model the molecular pathology observed in Huntington's disease. Here we show that although homozygous HdhQ150 knock-in mice developed motor impairments (rotarod, locomotor activity, grip strength) by 36 weeks of age, cognitive dysfunction (swimming T maze, fear conditioning, odor discrimination, social interaction) was not evident by 94 weeks. Concomitant to behavioral assessments, T2-weighted MRI volume measurements indicated a slower striatal growth with a significant difference between wild type (WT) and HdhQ150 mice being present even at 15 weeks. Indeed, MRI indicated significant volumetric changes prior to the emergence of the "clinical horizon" of motor impairments at 36 weeks of age. A striatal decrease of 27% was observed over 94 weeks with cortex (12%) and hippocampus (21%) also indicating significant atrophy. A hypothesis-free analysis using tensor-based morphometry highlighted further regions undergoing atrophy by contrasting brain growth and regional neurodegeneration. Histology revealed the widespread presence of mHTT aggregates and cellular inclusions. However, there was little evidence of correlations between these outcome measures, potentially indicating that other factors are important in the causal cascade linking the molecular pathology to the emergence of behavioral impairments. In conclusion, the HdhQ150 mouse model replicates many aspects of the human condition, including an extended pre-manifest period prior to the emergence of motor impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Rattray
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- King’s College London School of Medicine, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Guy’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Edward J. Smith
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- King’s College London School of Medicine, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Guy’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - William R. Crum
- King’s College London, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas A. Walker
- King’s College London School of Medicine, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Guy’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Gale
- King’s College London School of Medicine, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Guy’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gillian P. Bates
- King’s College London School of Medicine, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Guy’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michel Modo
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Radiology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
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38
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Kino Y, Washizu C, Kurosawa M, Yamada M, Doi H, Takumi T, Adachi H, Katsuno M, Sobue G, Hicks GG, Hattori N, Shimogori T, Nukina N. FUS/TLS acts as an aggregation-dependent modifier of polyglutamine disease model mice. Sci Rep 2016; 6:35236. [PMID: 27739513 PMCID: PMC5064419 DOI: 10.1038/srep35236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
FUS/TLS is an RNA/DNA-binding protein associated with neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Previously, we found that a prion-like domain in the N-terminus of FUS/TLS mediates co-aggregation between FUS/TLS and mutant huntingtin, the gene product of Huntington's disease (HD). Here, we show that heterozygous knockout of FUS/TLS worsened the phenotypes of model mice of (HD, but not spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA). This difference was correlated with the degree of pathological association between disease proteins and FUS/TLS. Co-aggregation between FUS/TLS and mutant huntingtin resulted in the depletion of free FUS/TLS protein in HD mice that was detected as a monomer in SDS-PAGE analysis. Recently, we found that FUS/TLS paralogs, TAF15 and EWS, were up-regulated in homozygous FUS/TLS knockout mice. These two proteins were up-regulated in both HD and FUS/TLS heterozygote mice, and were further elevated in HD-TLS+/- double mutant mice, consistent with the functional impairment of FUS/TLS. These results suggest that FUS/TLS sequestration by co-aggregation is a rate-limiting factor of disease phenotypes of HD and that inclusions may have an adverse aspect, rather than being simply benign or protective. In addition, our results highlight inclusions as repositories of potential modifiers of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Kino
- CREST(Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology), JST, Saitama, Japan.,Department of Neuroscience for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Laboratory for Structural Neuropathology , Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan.,Laboratory for Molecular Mechanisms of Thalamus Development, Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan.,Department of Bioinformatics and Molecular Neuropathology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Chika Washizu
- Laboratory for Structural Neuropathology , Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
| | - Masaru Kurosawa
- CREST(Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology), JST, Saitama, Japan.,Department of Neuroscience for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Laboratory for Structural Neuropathology , Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan.,Laboratory for Molecular Mechanisms of Thalamus Development, Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
| | - Mizuki Yamada
- Laboratory for Structural Neuropathology , Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Doi
- Department of Clinical Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Toru Takumi
- CREST(Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology), JST, Saitama, Japan.,Laboratory for Mental Biology, Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan.,Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Adachi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Gen Sobue
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Geoffrey G Hicks
- Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Nobutaka Hattori
- Department of Neuroscience for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomomi Shimogori
- Laboratory for Molecular Mechanisms of Thalamus Development, Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Nukina
- CREST(Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology), JST, Saitama, Japan.,Department of Neuroscience for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Laboratory for Structural Neuropathology , Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan.,Laboratory for Molecular Mechanisms of Thalamus Development, Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan.,Laboratory of Structural Neuropathology, Doshisha University Graduate School of Brain Science, Kyoto, Japan
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39
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Jansen AHP, van Hal M, Op den Kelder IC, Meier RT, de Ruiter AA, Schut MH, Smith DL, Grit C, Brouwer N, Kamphuis W, Boddeke HWGM, den Dunnen WFA, van Roon WMC, Bates GP, Hol EM, Reits EA. Frequency of nuclear mutant huntingtin inclusion formation in neurons and glia is cell-type-specific. Glia 2016; 65:50-61. [PMID: 27615381 PMCID: PMC5129569 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Revised: 08/07/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant inherited neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by a CAG expansion in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene, leading to HTT inclusion formation in the brain. The mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) is ubiquitously expressed and therefore nuclear inclusions could be present in all brain cells. The effects of nuclear inclusion formation have been mainly studied in neurons, while the effect on glia has been comparatively disregarded. Astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes are glial cells that are essential for normal brain function and are implicated in several neurological diseases. Here we examined the number of nuclear mHTT inclusions in both neurons and various types of glia in the two brain areas that are the most affected in HD, frontal cortex, and striatum. We compared nuclear mHTT inclusion body formation in three HD mouse models that express either full‐length HTT or an N‐terminal exon1 fragment of mHTT, and we observed nuclear inclusions in neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia. When studying the frequency of cells with nuclear inclusions in mice, we found that half of the population of neurons contained nuclear inclusions at the disease end stage, whereas the proportion of GFAP‐positive astrocytes and oligodendrocytes having a nuclear inclusion was much lower, while microglia hardly showed any nuclear inclusions. Nuclear inclusions were also present in neurons and all studied glial cell types in human patient material. This is the first report to compare nuclear mHTT inclusions in glia and neurons in different HD mouse models and HD patient brains. GLIA 2016;65:50–61
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne H P Jansen
- Department of Cell biology & Histology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maurik van Hal
- Department of Cell biology & Histology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ilse C Op den Kelder
- Department of Cell biology & Histology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Romy T Meier
- Department of Cell biology & Histology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anna-Aster de Ruiter
- Department of Cell biology & Histology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Menno H Schut
- Center for Human and Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Donna L Smith
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Corien Grit
- Department of Neuroscience, Section Medical Physiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, AV, 9713, The Netherlands
| | - Nieske Brouwer
- Department of Neuroscience, Section Medical Physiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, AV, 9713, The Netherlands
| | - Willem Kamphuis
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H W G M Boddeke
- Department of Neuroscience, Section Medical Physiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, AV, 9713, The Netherlands
| | - Wilfred F A den Dunnen
- Department of Neuroscience, Section Medical Physiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, AV, 9713, The Netherlands
| | - Willeke M C van Roon
- Center for Human and Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elly M Hol
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eric A Reits
- Department of Cell biology & Histology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Coccurello R, Bisogno T. The bright side of psychoactive substances: cannabinoid-based drugs in motor diseases. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2016; 9:1351-1362. [DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2016.1209111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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41
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Ochaba J, Monteys AM, O'Rourke JG, Reidling JC, Steffan JS, Davidson BL, Thompson LM. PIAS1 Regulates Mutant Huntingtin Accumulation and Huntington's Disease-Associated Phenotypes In Vivo. Neuron 2016; 90:507-20. [PMID: 27146268 PMCID: PMC4942306 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The disruption of protein quality control networks is central to pathology in Huntington's disease (HD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. The aberrant accumulation of insoluble high-molecular-weight protein complexes containing the Huntingtin (HTT) protein and SUMOylated protein corresponds to disease manifestation. We previously identified an HTT-selective E3 SUMO ligase, PIAS1, that regulates HTT accumulation and SUMO modification in cells. Here we investigated whether PIAS1 modulation in neurons alters HD-associated phenotypes in vivo. Instrastriatal injection of a PIAS1-directed miRNA significantly improved behavioral phenotypes in rapidly progressing mutant HTT (mHTT) fragment R6/2 mice. PIAS1 reduction prevented the accumulation of mHTT and SUMO- and ubiquitin-modified proteins, increased synaptophysin levels, and normalized key inflammatory markers. In contrast, PIAS1 overexpression exacerbated mHTT-associated phenotypes and aberrant protein accumulation. These results confirm the association between aberrant accumulation of expanded polyglutamine-dependent insoluble protein species and pathogenesis, and they link phenotypic benefit to reduction of these species through PIAS1 modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Ochaba
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Alex Mas Monteys
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jacqueline G O'Rourke
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Jack C Reidling
- Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Joan S Steffan
- Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Beverly L Davidson
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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Strong MK, Southwell AL, Yonan JM, Hayden MR, Macgregor GR, Thompson LM, Steward O. Age-Dependent Resistance to Excitotoxicity in Htt CAG140 Mice and the Effect of Strain Background. J Huntingtons Dis 2016; 1:221-41. [PMID: 23833693 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-129005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Mouse strain background can influence vulnerability to excitotoxic neuronal cell death and potentially modulate phenotypes in transgenic mouse models of human disease. Evidence supports a contribution of excitotoxicity to the selective death of medium spiny neurons in Huntington's disease (HD). Here, we assess whether strain differences in excitotoxic vulnerability influence striatal cell death in a knock-in mouse model of HD. Previous studies that evaluated resistance to excitotoxic lesions in several mouse models of HD had variable outcomes. In the present study, we directly compare one model on two different background strains to test the contribution of strain to excitotoxicity-mediated neurodegeneration. Mice of the FVB/N strain, which are highly vulnerable to excitotoxicity, become extremely resistant to quinolinic acid-induced striatal neurodegeneration with age, when carrying a huntingtin (Htt) allele expressing a HD transgene (CAG140). The resistance is much greater than the age-dependent resistance that has been previously reported in YAC128 mice. By 12 months of age, both heterozygous and homozygous FVB.CAG140 mice displayed virtually complete resistance to quinolinic acid-induced striatal neurodegeneration. A similar resistance develops in CAG140 mice on a C57BL/6N background although the effect size is smaller because C57BL/6N mice are already resistant due to genetic background. In a direct comparison with the YAC128 mice, FVB.CAG140 mice have greater resistance. FVB.CAG140 mice are also resistant to neurodegeneration following kainic acid-induced status epilepticus suggesting the existence of a common cellular mechanism that provides protection against multiple types of excitotoxic insult. These findings establish FVB.CAG140 mice as a useful model to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms that confer neuroprotection against excitotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa K Strong
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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Fisher SP, Schwartz MD, Wurts-Black S, Thomas AM, Chen TM, Miller MA, Palmerston JB, Kilduff TS, Morairty SR. Quantitative Electroencephalographic Analysis Provides an Early-Stage Indicator of Disease Onset and Progression in the zQ175 Knock-In Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. Sleep 2016; 39:379-91. [PMID: 26446107 DOI: 10.5665/sleep.5448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 09/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Patients with Huntington's disease (HD) show a high prevalence of sleep disorders that typically occur prior to the onset of motoric symptoms and neurodegeneration. Our understanding of the pathophysiological alterations in premanifest HD is limited, hindering the ability to measure disease modification in response to treatment. We used a full-length knock-in HD model to determine early changes in the electroencephalogram (EEG) and sleep that may predict the onset and progression of the disease. METHODS A 10-month longitudinal study was designed to determine the effect of the HD mutation on the EEG and sleep/wake changes in heterozygous (HET) and homozygous (HOM) zQ175 mice and wild-type (WT) littermates from 8 to 48 w of age. Mice were instrumented with tethered headmounts to record EEG/electromyography signals. Telemeters were implanted to continuously measure locomotor activity (LMA) and body temperature (Tb). Sleep deprivation (SDep) was performed at 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, and 48 w of age. RESULTS The HD mutation disrupted the EEG field potential from 8-12 w in an age- and mutant huntington dose-dependent manner, prior to changes in sleep/wake states, LMA, and Tb. Prominent effects of the HD mutation on the EEG included a progressive reduction in low frequency power, a slowing of rapid eye movement peak theta frequency, and the emergence of state-dependent beta/gamma oscillations. There was no effect of genotype on the relative increase in nonrapid eye movement delta power or sleep time in response to SDep. CONCLUSIONS The expression of the Huntington's disease (HD) mutation results in complex EEG alterations that occur prior to deficits in behavioral measures and are one of the earliest phenotypes uncovered in this mouse model. Despite these EEG changes, homeostatic responses to sleep loss were preserved in HET and HOM zQ175 mice. Greater insight into the localization and response of these EEG alterations to novel therapies may enable early intervention and improve outcomes for patients with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon P Fisher
- Center for Neuroscience, Biosciences Division, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Michael D Schwartz
- Center for Neuroscience, Biosciences Division, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Sarah Wurts-Black
- Center for Neuroscience, Biosciences Division, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Alexia M Thomas
- Center for Neuroscience, Biosciences Division, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Tsui-Ming Chen
- Center for Neuroscience, Biosciences Division, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Michael A Miller
- Center for Neuroscience, Biosciences Division, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Jeremiah B Palmerston
- Center for Neuroscience, Biosciences Division, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Thomas S Kilduff
- Center for Neuroscience, Biosciences Division, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Stephen R Morairty
- Center for Neuroscience, Biosciences Division, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
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SIRT1 Activity Is Linked to Its Brain Region-Specific Phosphorylation and Is Impaired in Huntington's Disease Mice. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0145425. [PMID: 26815359 PMCID: PMC4731418 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder for which there are no disease-modifying treatments. SIRT1 is a NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase that is implicated in maintaining neuronal health during development, differentiation and ageing. Previous studies suggested that the modulation of SIRT1 activity is neuroprotective in HD mouse models, however, the mechanisms controlling SIRT1 activity are unknown. We have identified a striatum-specific phosphorylation-dependent regulatory mechanism of SIRT1 induction under normal physiological conditions, which is impaired in HD. We demonstrate that SIRT1 activity is down-regulated in the brains of two complementary HD mouse models, which correlated with altered SIRT1 phosphorylation levels. This SIRT1 impairment could not be rescued by the ablation of DBC1, a negative regulator of SIRT1, but was linked to changes in the sub-cellular distribution of AMPK-α1, a positive regulator of SIRT1 function. This work provides insights into the regulation of SIRT1 activity with the potential for the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
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Mutant huntingtin downregulates myelin regulatory factor-mediated myelin gene expression and affects mature oligodendrocytes. Neuron 2015; 85:1212-26. [PMID: 25789755 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that non-neuronal mutant huntingtin toxicity plays an important role in Huntington's disease (HD); however, whether and how mutant huntingtin affects oligodendrocytes, which are vitally important for neural function and axonal integrity, remains unclear. We first verified the presence of mutant huntingtin in oligodendrocytes in HD140Q knockin mice. We then established transgenic mice (PLP-150Q) that selectively express mutant huntingtin in oligodendrocytes. PLP-150Q mice show progressive neurological symptoms and early death, as well as age-dependent demyelination and reduced expression of myelin genes that are downstream of myelin regulatory factor (MYRF or MRF), a transcriptional regulator that specifically activates and maintains the expression of myelin genes in mature oligodendrocytes. Consistently, mutant huntingtin binds abnormally to MYRF and affects its transcription activity. Our findings suggest that dysfunction of mature oligodendrocytes is involved in HD pathogenesis and may also make a good therapeutic target.
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Chang R, Liu X, Li S, Li XJ. Transgenic animal models for study of the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease and therapy. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2015; 9:2179-88. [PMID: 25931812 PMCID: PMC4404937 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s58470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is caused by a genetic mutation that results in polyglutamine expansion in the N-terminal regions of huntingtin. As a result, this polyQ expansion leads to the misfolding and aggregation of mutant huntingtin as well as age-dependent neurodegeneration. The genetic mutation in HD allows for generating a variety of animal models that express different forms of mutant huntingtin and show differential pathology. Studies of these animal models have provided an important insight into the pathogenesis of HD. Mouse models of HD include transgenic mice, which express N-terminal or full-length mutant huntingtin ubiquitously or selectively in different cell types, and knock-in mice that express full-length mutant Htt at the endogenous level. Large animals, such as pig, sheep, and monkeys, have also been used to generate animal HD models. This review focuses on the different features of commonly used transgenic HD mouse models as well as transgenic large animal models of HD, and also discusses how to use them to identify potential therapeutics. Since HD shares many pathological features with other neurodegenerative diseases, identification of therapies for HD would also help to develop effective treatment for different neurodegenerative diseases that are also caused by protein misfolding and occur in an age-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renbao Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xudong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shihua Li
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China ; Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Mielcarek M, Toczek M, Smeets CJLM, Franklin SA, Bondulich MK, Jolinon N, Muller T, Ahmed M, Dick JRT, Piotrowska I, Greensmith L, Smolenski RT, Bates GP. HDAC4-myogenin axis as an important marker of HD-related skeletal muscle atrophy. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005021. [PMID: 25748626 PMCID: PMC4352047 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle remodelling and contractile dysfunction occur through both acute and chronic disease processes. These include the accumulation of insoluble aggregates of misfolded amyloid proteins that is a pathological feature of Huntington’s disease (HD). While HD has been described primarily as a neurological disease, HD patients’ exhibit pronounced skeletal muscle atrophy. Given that huntingtin is a ubiquitously expressed protein, skeletal muscle fibres may be at risk of a cell autonomous HD-related dysfunction. However the mechanism leading to skeletal muscle abnormalities in the clinical and pre-clinical HD settings remains unknown. To unravel this mechanism, we employed the R6/2 transgenic and HdhQ150 knock-in mouse models of HD. We found that symptomatic animals developed a progressive impairment of the contractile characteristics of the hind limb muscles tibialis anterior (TA) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL), accompanied by a significant loss of motor units in the EDL. In symptomatic animals, these pronounced functional changes were accompanied by an aberrant deregulation of contractile protein transcripts and their up-stream transcriptional regulators. In addition, HD mouse models develop a significant reduction in muscle force, possibly as a result of a deterioration in energy metabolism and decreased oxidation that is accompanied by the re-expression of the HDAC4-DACH2-myogenin axis. These results show that muscle dysfunction is a key pathological feature of HD. Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder in which the mutation results in an extra-long tract of glutamines that causes the huntingtin protein to aggregate. It is characterized by neurological symptoms and brain pathology, which is associated with nuclear and cytoplasmic protein aggregates and with transcriptional deregulation. Despite the fact that HD has been recognized principally as a neurological disease, there are multiple studies indicating that peripheral pathologies including cardiac dysfunction and skeletal muscle atrophy, contribute to the overall progression of HD. To unravel the cause of the skeletal muscle dysfunction, we applied a wide range of molecular and physiological methods to the analysis of two well established genetic mouse models of this disease. We found that symptomatic animals developed muscle dysfunction characterised by a change in the contractile characteristics of fast twitch muscles and a decrease in twitch and tetanic force of hindlimb muscles. In addition, there is a significant decrease in the number of motor units innervating the EDL muscle, and this motor unit loss progresses during the course of the disease. These changes were accompanied by the re-expression of contractile transcripts and markers of muscle denervation such as the HDAC4-Dach2-myogenin axis, as well as the apparent deterioration in energy metabolism and decreased oxidation. Therefore, we conclude, that the HD-related skeletal muscle atrophy is accompanied by progressive loss of functional motor units.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Mielcarek
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (MM); (GPB)
| | - Marta Toczek
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Cleo J. L. M. Smeets
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie A. Franklin
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marie K. Bondulich
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nelly Jolinon
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Muller
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mhoriam Ahmed
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders and MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - James R. T. Dick
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders and MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Linda Greensmith
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders and MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ryszard T. Smolenski
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
- Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Gillian P. Bates
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (MM); (GPB)
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Gu X, Cantle JP, Greiner ER, Lee CYD, Barth AM, Gao F, Park CS, Zhang Z, Sandoval-Miller S, Zhang RL, Diamond M, Mody I, Coppola G, Yang XW. N17 Modifies mutant Huntingtin nuclear pathogenesis and severity of disease in HD BAC transgenic mice. Neuron 2015; 85:726-41. [PMID: 25661181 PMCID: PMC4386927 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Revised: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus is a critical subcellular compartment for the pathogenesis of polyglutamine disorders, including Huntington’s disease (HD). Recent studies suggest the first 17-amino-acid domain (N17) of mutant Huntingtin (mHTT) mediates its nuclear exclusion in cultured cells. Here, we test whether N17 could be a molecular determinant of nuclear mHTT pathogenesis in vivo. BAC transgenic mice expressing mHTT lacking the N17 domain (BACHD-ΔN17) show dramatically accelerated mHTT pathology exclusively in the nucleus, which is associated with HD-like transcriptionopathy. Interestingly, BACHD-ΔN17 mice manifest more overt disease-like phenotypes than the original BACHD mice, including body weight loss, movement deficits, robust striatal neuronal loss, and neuroinflammation. Mechanistically, N17 is necessary for nuclear exclusion of small mHTT fragments that are part of nuclear pathology in HD. Together, our study suggests that N17 modifies nuclear pathogenesis and disease severity in HD mice by regulating subcellular localization of known nuclear pathogenic mHTT species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Gu
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jeffrey P Cantle
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Erin R Greiner
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - C Y Daniel Lee
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Albert M Barth
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Fuying Gao
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Chang Sin Park
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Zhiqiang Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Susana Sandoval-Miller
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Richard L Zhang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Marc Diamond
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Istvan Mody
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - X William Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Mason RP, Breda C, Kooner GS, Mallucci GR, Kyriacou CP, Giorgini F. Modeling Huntington Disease in Yeast and Invertebrates. Mov Disord 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-405195-9.00033-0] [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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