1
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Majewski S, Klein P, Boillée S, Clarke BE, Patani R. Towards an integrated approach for understanding glia in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Glia 2024. [PMID: 39318236 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24622] [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: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 09/03/2024] [Accepted: 09/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024]
Abstract
Substantial advances in technology are permitting a high resolution understanding of the salience of glia, and have helped us to transcend decades of predominantly neuron-centric research. In particular, recent advances in 'omic' technologies have enabled unique insights into glial biology, shedding light on the cellular and molecular aspects of neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here, we review studies using omic techniques to attempt to understand the role of glia in ALS across different model systems and post mortem tissue. We also address caveats that should be considered when interpreting such studies, and how some of these may be mitigated through either using a multi-omic approach and/or careful low throughput, high fidelity orthogonal validation with particular emphasis on functional validation. Finally, we consider emerging technologies and their potential relevance in deepening our understanding of glia in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislaw Majewski
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Pierre Klein
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Séverine Boillée
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Benjamin E Clarke
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Rickie Patani
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
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2
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Cabeza-Fernández S, Hernández-Rojas R, Casillas-Bajo A, Patel N, de la Fuente AG, Cabedo H, Gomez-Sanchez JA. Schwann cell JUN expression worsens motor performance in an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse model. Glia 2024. [PMID: 39149866 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron death and distal axonopathy. Despite its clinical severity and profound impact in the patients and their families, many questions about its pathogenesis remain still unclear, including the role of Schwann cells and axon-glial signaling in disease progression. Upon axonal injury, upregulation of JUN transcription factor promotes Schwann cell reprogramming into a repair phenotype that favors axon regrowth and neuronal survival. To study the potential role of repair Schwann cells on motoneuron survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, we generated a mouse line that over-expresses JUN in the Schwann cells of the SOD1G93A mutant, a mouse model of this disease. Then, we explored disease progression by evaluating survival, motor performance and histology of peripheral nerves and spinal cord of these mice. We found that Schwann cell JUN overexpression does not prevent axon degeneration neither motor neuron death in the SOD1G93A mice. Instead, it induces a partial demyelination of medium and large size axons, worsening motor performance and resulting in more aggressive disease phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Cabeza-Fernández
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica y Sanitaria de Alicante (ISABIAL), Alicante, Spain
- Molecular control of neuronal axon myelination laboratory, Instituto de Neurociencias UMH-CSIC, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Rubí Hernández-Rojas
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica y Sanitaria de Alicante (ISABIAL), Alicante, Spain
- Molecular control of neuronal axon myelination laboratory, Instituto de Neurociencias UMH-CSIC, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Angeles Casillas-Bajo
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica y Sanitaria de Alicante (ISABIAL), Alicante, Spain
- Molecular control of neuronal axon myelination laboratory, Instituto de Neurociencias UMH-CSIC, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Nikiben Patel
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica y Sanitaria de Alicante (ISABIAL), Alicante, Spain
- Molecular control of neuronal axon myelination laboratory, Instituto de Neurociencias UMH-CSIC, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Alerie G de la Fuente
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica y Sanitaria de Alicante (ISABIAL), Alicante, Spain
- Molecular control of neuronal axon myelination laboratory, Instituto de Neurociencias UMH-CSIC, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Hugo Cabedo
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica y Sanitaria de Alicante (ISABIAL), Alicante, Spain
- Molecular control of neuronal axon myelination laboratory, Instituto de Neurociencias UMH-CSIC, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Jose A Gomez-Sanchez
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica y Sanitaria de Alicante (ISABIAL), Alicante, Spain
- Molecular control of neuronal axon myelination laboratory, Instituto de Neurociencias UMH-CSIC, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
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3
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Szebényi K, Vargová I, Petrova V, Turečková J, Gibbons GM, Řehořová M, Abdelgawad M, Sándor A, Marekova D, Kwok JCF, Jendelová P, Fawcett JW, Lakatos A. Inhibition of PHLDA3 expression in human superoxide dismutase 1-mutant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis astrocytes protects against neurotoxicity. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae244. [PMID: 39144751 PMCID: PMC11323778 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae244] [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: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Pleckstrin homology-like domain family A-member 3 (PHLDA3) has recently been identified as a player in adaptive and maladaptive cellular stress pathways. The outcome of pleckstrin homology-like domain family A-member 3 signalling was shown to vary across different cell types and states. It emerges that its expression and protein level are highly increased in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient-derived astrocytes. Whether it orchestrates a supportive or detrimental function remains unexplored in the context of neurodegenerative pathologies. To directly address the role of pleckstrin homology-like domain family A-member 3 in healthy and ALS astrocytes, we used overexpression and knockdown strategies. We generated cultures of primary mouse astrocytes and also human astrocytes from control and ALS patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells harbouring the superoxide dismutase 1 mutation. Then, we assessed astrocyte viability and the impact of their secretome on oxidative stress responses in human stem cell-derived cortical and spinal neuronal cultures. Here, we show that PHLDA3 overexpression or knockdown in control astrocytes does not significantly affect astrocyte viability or reactive oxygen species production. However, PHLDA3 knockdown in ALS astrocytes diminishes reactive oxygen species concentrations in their supernatants, indicating that pleckstrin homology-like domain family A-member 3 can facilitate stress responses in cells with altered homeostasis. In support, supernatants of PHLDA3-silenced ALS and even control spinal astrocytes with a lower pleckstrin homology-like domain family A-member 3 protein content could prevent sodium arsenite-induced stress granule formation in spinal neurons. Our findings provide evidence that reducing pleckstrin homology-like domain family A-member 3 levels may transform astrocytes into a more neurosupportive state relevant to targeting non-cell autonomous ALS pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kornélia Szebényi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
- Research Centre of Natural Sciences, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Ingrid Vargová
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 142 20, Czech Republic
| | - Veselina Petrova
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Jana Turečková
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 142 20, Czech Republic
| | - George M Gibbons
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Monika Řehořová
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 142 20, Czech Republic
- Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, 150 06, Czech Republic
| | - Mai Abdelgawad
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Alexandra Sándor
- Research Centre of Natural Sciences, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Molecular Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1085, Hungary
| | - Dana Marekova
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 142 20, Czech Republic
| | - Jessica C F Kwok
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 142 20, Czech Republic
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Pavla Jendelová
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 142 20, Czech Republic
- Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, 150 06, Czech Republic
| | - James W Fawcett
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 142 20, Czech Republic
| | - András Lakatos
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
- MRC-WT Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK
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4
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Scaber J, Thomas-Wright I, Clark AJ, Xu Y, Vahsen BF, Carcolé M, Dafinca R, Farrimond L, Isaacs AM, Bennett DL, Talbot K. Cellular and axonal transport phenotypes due to the C9ORF72 HRE in iPSC motor and sensory neurons. Stem Cell Reports 2024; 19:957-972. [PMID: 38876108 PMCID: PMC11252479 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2024.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived motor neurons (MNs) from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the C9ORF72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) have multiple cellular phenotypes, but which of these accurately reflect the biology underlying the cell-specific vulnerability of ALS is uncertain. We therefore compared phenotypes due to the C9ORF72 HRE in MNs with sensory neurons (SNs), which are relatively spared in ALS. The iPSC models were able to partially reproduce the differential gene expression seen between adult SNs and MNs. We demonstrated that the typical hallmarks of C9ORF72-ALS, including RNA foci and dipeptide formation, as well as specific axonal transport defects, occurred equally in MNs and SNs, suggesting that these in vitro phenotypes are not sufficient to explain the cell-type selectivity of ALS in isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Scaber
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK.
| | - Iona Thomas-Wright
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK
| | - Alex J Clark
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Centre for Neuroscience, Surgery and Trauma, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University, E1 2AT London, UK
| | - Yinyan Xu
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK; Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), CAMS Oxford Institute (COI), Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, OX3 7FZ Oxford, UK
| | - Björn F Vahsen
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK
| | - Mireia Carcolé
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, WCIN 3BG London, UK
| | - Ruxandra Dafinca
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK
| | - Lucy Farrimond
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK
| | - Adrian M Isaacs
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, WCIN 3BG London, UK
| | - David L Bennett
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK
| | - Kevin Talbot
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK.
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5
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Rajani RM, Ellingford R, Hellmuth M, Harris SS, Taso OS, Graykowski D, Lam FKW, Arber C, Fertan E, Danial JSH, Swire M, Lloyd M, Giovannucci TA, Bourdenx M, Klenerman D, Vassar R, Wray S, Sala Frigerio C, Busche MA. Selective suppression of oligodendrocyte-derived amyloid beta rescues neuronal dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002727. [PMID: 39042667 PMCID: PMC11265669 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Reduction of amyloid beta (Aβ) has been shown to be effective in treating Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the underlying assumption that neurons are the main source of pathogenic Aβ is untested. Here, we challenge this prevailing belief by demonstrating that oligodendrocytes are an important source of Aβ in the human brain and play a key role in promoting abnormal neuronal hyperactivity in an AD knock-in mouse model. We show that selectively suppressing oligodendrocyte Aβ production improves AD brain pathology and restores neuronal function in the mouse model in vivo. Our findings suggest that targeting oligodendrocyte Aβ production could be a promising therapeutic strategy for treating AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rikesh M. Rajani
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Ellingford
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mariam Hellmuth
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel S. Harris
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Orjona S. Taso
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Graykowski
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Francesca Kar Wey Lam
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Charles Arber
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emre Fertan
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - John S. H. Danial
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St. Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Swire
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marcus Lloyd
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tatiana A. Giovannucci
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mathieu Bourdenx
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Klenerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Vassar
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Selina Wray
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carlo Sala Frigerio
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marc Aurel Busche
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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6
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Gustavsson EK, Sethi S, Gao Y, Brenton JW, García-Ruiz S, Zhang D, Garza R, Reynolds RH, Evans JR, Chen Z, Grant-Peters M, Macpherson H, Montgomery K, Dore R, Wernick AI, Arber C, Wray S, Gandhi S, Esselborn J, Blauwendraat C, Douse CH, Adami A, Atacho DAM, Kouli A, Quaegebeur A, Barker RA, Englund E, Platt F, Jakobsson J, Wood NW, Houlden H, Saini H, Bento CF, Hardy J, Ryten M. The annotation of GBA1 has been concealed by its protein-coding pseudogene GBAP1. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk1296. [PMID: 38924406 PMCID: PMC11204300 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk1296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Mutations in GBA1 cause Gaucher disease and are the most important genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease. However, analysis of transcription at this locus is complicated by its highly homologous pseudogene, GBAP1. We show that >50% of short RNA-sequencing reads mapping to GBA1 also map to GBAP1. Thus, we used long-read RNA sequencing in the human brain, which allowed us to accurately quantify expression from both GBA1 and GBAP1. We discovered significant differences in expression compared to short-read data and identify currently unannotated transcripts of both GBA1 and GBAP1. These included protein-coding transcripts from both genes that were translated in human brain, but without the known lysosomal function-yet accounting for almost a third of transcription. Analyzing brain-specific cell types using long-read and single-nucleus RNA sequencing revealed region-specific variations in transcript expression. Overall, these findings suggest nonlysosomal roles for GBA1 and GBAP1 with implications for our understanding of the role of GBA1 in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil K. Gustavsson
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Siddharth Sethi
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yujing Gao
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jonathan W. Brenton
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Sonia García-Ruiz
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - David Zhang
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Raquel Garza
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund, Sweden
| | - Regina H. Reynolds
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - James R. Evans
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Zhongbo Chen
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Melissa Grant-Peters
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Hannah Macpherson
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kylie Montgomery
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rhys Dore
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anna I. Wernick
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Charles Arber
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Selina Wray
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sonia Gandhi
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Julian Esselborn
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, UK
| | - Cornelis Blauwendraat
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Christopher H. Douse
- Laboratory of Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anita Adami
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund, Sweden
| | - Diahann A. M. Atacho
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund, Sweden
| | - Antonina Kouli
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and John Van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Annelies Quaegebeur
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Clifford Albutt Building, Cambridge, UK
| | - Roger A. Barker
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and John Van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Frances Platt
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Johan Jakobsson
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund, Sweden
| | - Nicholas W. Wood
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Harpreet Saini
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carla F. Bento
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, UK
| | - John Hardy
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
- NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
- Institute for Advanced Study, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Mina Ryten
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
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7
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Klein P, Petrić Howe M, Harley J, Crook H, Esteban Serna S, Roumeliotis TI, Choudhary JS, Chakrabarti AM, Luisier R, Patani R, Ramos A. m6a methylation orchestrates IMP1 regulation of microtubules during human neuronal differentiation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4819. [PMID: 38844464 PMCID: PMC11156911 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49139-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuronal differentiation requires building a complex intracellular architecture, and therefore the coordinated regulation of defined sets of genes. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play a key role in this regulation. However, while their action on individual mRNAs has been explored in depth, the mechanisms used to coordinate gene expression programs shaping neuronal morphology are poorly understood. To address this, we studied how the paradigmatic RBP IMP1 (IGF2BP1), an essential developmental factor, selects and regulates its RNA targets during the human neuronal differentiation. We perform a combination of system-wide and molecular analyses, revealing that IMP1 developmentally transitions to and directly regulates the expression of mRNAs encoding essential regulators of the microtubule network, a key component of neuronal morphology. Furthermore, we show that m6A methylation drives the selection of specific IMP1 mRNA targets and their protein expression during the developmental transition from neural precursors to neurons, providing a molecular principle for the onset of target selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Klein
- Division of Biosciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6XA, UK
- Human Stem Cells and Neurodegeneration Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Marija Petrić Howe
- Human Stem Cells and Neurodegeneration Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jasmine Harley
- Human Stem Cells and Neurodegeneration Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Harry Crook
- Human Stem Cells and Neurodegeneration Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Sofia Esteban Serna
- Division of Biosciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6XA, UK
| | - Theodoros I Roumeliotis
- Functional Proteomics team, The Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Jyoti S Choudhary
- Functional Proteomics team, The Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Anob M Chakrabarti
- RNA Networks Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Raphaëlle Luisier
- Idiap Research Institute, Martigny, 1920, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Rickie Patani
- Human Stem Cells and Neurodegeneration Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Andres Ramos
- Division of Biosciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6XA, UK.
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8
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Pandya VA, Patani R. The role of glial cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 176:381-450. [PMID: 38802179 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2024.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has traditionally been considered a neuron-centric disease. This view is now outdated, with increasing recognition of cell autonomous and non-cell autonomous contributions of central and peripheral nervous system glia to ALS pathomechanisms. With glial research rapidly accelerating, we comprehensively interrogate the roles of astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, ependymal cells, Schwann cells and satellite glia in nervous system physiology and ALS-associated pathology. Moreover, we highlight the inter-glial, glial-neuronal and inter-system polylogue which constitutes the healthy nervous system and destabilises in disease. We also propose classification based on function for complex glial reactive phenotypes and discuss the pre-requisite for integrative modelling to advance translation. Given the paucity of life-enhancing therapies currently available for ALS patients, we discuss the promising potential of harnessing glia in driving ALS therapeutic discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virenkumar A Pandya
- University College London Medical School, London, United Kingdom; The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Rickie Patani
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom; Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, United Kingdom.
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9
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Salzinger A, Ramesh V, Das Sharma S, Chandran S, Thangaraj Selvaraj B. Neuronal Circuit Dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Cells 2024; 13:792. [PMID: 38786016 PMCID: PMC11120636 DOI: 10.3390/cells13100792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The primary neural circuit affected in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients is the corticospinal motor circuit, originating in upper motor neurons (UMNs) in the cerebral motor cortex which descend to synapse with the lower motor neurons (LMNs) in the spinal cord to ultimately innervate the skeletal muscle. Perturbation of these neural circuits and consequent loss of both UMNs and LMNs, leading to muscle wastage and impaired movement, is the key pathophysiology observed. Despite decades of research, we are still lacking in ALS disease-modifying treatments. In this review, we document the current research from patient studies, rodent models, and human stem cell models in understanding the mechanisms of corticomotor circuit dysfunction and its implication in ALS. We summarize the current knowledge about cortical UMN dysfunction and degeneration, altered excitability in LMNs, neuromuscular junction degeneration, and the non-cell autonomous role of glial cells in motor circuit dysfunction in relation to ALS. We further highlight the advances in human stem cell technology to model the complex neural circuitry and how these can aid in future studies to better understand the mechanisms of neural circuit dysfunction underpinning ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Salzinger
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; (A.S.); (V.R.); (S.D.S.); (S.C.)
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Vidya Ramesh
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; (A.S.); (V.R.); (S.D.S.); (S.C.)
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Shreya Das Sharma
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; (A.S.); (V.R.); (S.D.S.); (S.C.)
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; (A.S.); (V.R.); (S.D.S.); (S.C.)
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic (ARRNC), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Bhuvaneish Thangaraj Selvaraj
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; (A.S.); (V.R.); (S.D.S.); (S.C.)
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic (ARRNC), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
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10
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Genge A, Wainwright S, Vande Velde C. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: exploring pathophysiology in the context of treatment. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2024; 25:225-236. [PMID: 38001557 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2023.2278503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a complex, neurodegenerative disorder in which alterations in structural, physiological, and metabolic parameters act synergistically. Over the last decade there has been a considerable focus on developing drugs to slow the progression of the disease. Despite this, only four disease-modifying therapies are approved in North America. Although additional research is required for a thorough understanding of ALS, we have accumulated a large amount of knowledge that could be better integrated into future clinical trials to accelerate drug development and provide patients with improved treatment options. It is likely that future, successful ALS treatments will take a multi-pronged therapeutic approach, targeting different pathways, akin to personalized medicine in oncology. In this review, we discuss the link between ALS pathophysiology and treatments, looking at the therapeutic failures as learning opportunities that can help us refine and optimize drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Genge
- Clinical Research Unit Director, ALS Clinic, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Steven Wainwright
- Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and
| | - Christine Vande Velde
- CHUM Research Center, Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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11
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Klickstein JA, Johnson MA, Antonoudiou P, Maguire J, Paulo JA, Gygi SP, Weihl C, Raman M. ALS-related p97 R155H mutation disrupts lysophagy in iPSC-derived motor neurons. Stem Cell Reports 2024; 19:366-382. [PMID: 38335961 PMCID: PMC10937112 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2024.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the AAA+ ATPase p97 cause multisystem proteinopathy 1, which includes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; however, the pathogenic mechanisms that contribute to motor neuron loss remain obscure. Here, we use two induced pluripotent stem cell models differentiated into spinal motor neurons to investigate how p97 mutations perturb the motor neuron proteome. Using quantitative proteomics, we find that motor neurons harboring the p97 R155H mutation have deficits in the selective autophagy of lysosomes (lysophagy). p97 R155H motor neurons are unable to clear damaged lysosomes and have reduced viability. Lysosomes in mutant motor neurons have increased pH compared with wild-type cells. The clearance of damaged lysosomes involves UBXD1-p97 interaction, which is disrupted in mutant motor neurons. Finally, inhibition of the ATPase activity of p97 using the inhibitor CB-5083 rescues lysophagy defects in mutant motor neurons. These results add to the evidence that endo-lysosomal dysfunction is a key aspect of disease pathogenesis in p97-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A Klickstein
- Department of Developmental Molecular and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Michelle A Johnson
- Department of Developmental Molecular and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | | | - Jamie Maguire
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Joao A Paulo
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Steve P Gygi
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Chris Weihl
- Department of Neurology, Washington University at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Malavika Raman
- Department of Developmental Molecular and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
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12
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Hagemann C, Bailey MCD, Carraro E, Stankevich KS, Lionello VM, Khokhar N, Suklai P, Moreno-Gonzalez C, O’Toole K, Konstantinou G, Dix CL, Joshi S, Giagnorio E, Bergholt MS, Spicer CD, Imbert A, Tedesco FS, Serio A. Low-cost, versatile, and highly reproducible microfabrication pipeline to generate 3D-printed customised cell culture devices with complex designs. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002503. [PMID: 38478490 PMCID: PMC10936828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002503] [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: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell culture devices, such as microwells and microfluidic chips, are designed to increase the complexity of cell-based models while retaining control over culture conditions and have become indispensable platforms for biological systems modelling. From microtopography, microwells, plating devices, and microfluidic systems to larger constructs such as live imaging chamber slides, a wide variety of culture devices with different geometries have become indispensable in biology laboratories. However, while their application in biological projects is increasing exponentially, due to a combination of the techniques, equipment and tools required for their manufacture, and the expertise necessary, biological and biomedical labs tend more often to rely on already made devices. Indeed, commercially developed devices are available for a variety of applications but are often costly and, importantly, lack the potential for customisation by each individual lab. The last point is quite crucial, as often experiments in wet labs are adapted to whichever design is already available rather than designing and fabricating custom systems that perfectly fit the biological question. This combination of factors still restricts widespread application of microfabricated custom devices in most biological wet labs. Capitalising on recent advances in bioengineering and microfabrication aimed at solving these issues, and taking advantage of low-cost, high-resolution desktop resin 3D printers combined with PDMS soft lithography, we have developed an optimised a low-cost and highly reproducible microfabrication pipeline. This is thought specifically for biomedical and biological wet labs with not prior experience in the field, which will enable them to generate a wide variety of customisable devices for cell culture and tissue engineering in an easy, fast reproducible way for a fraction of the cost of conventional microfabrication or commercial alternatives. This protocol is designed specifically to be a resource for biological labs with limited expertise in those techniques and enables the manufacture of complex devices across the μm to cm scale. We provide a ready-to-go pipeline for the efficient treatment of resin-based 3D-printed constructs for PDMS curing, using a combination of polymerisation steps, washes, and surface treatments. Together with the extensive characterisation of the fabrication pipeline, we show the utilisation of this system to a variety of applications and use cases relevant to biological experiments, ranging from micro topographies for cell alignments to complex multipart hydrogel culturing systems. This methodology can be easily adopted by any wet lab, irrespective of prior expertise or resource availability and will enable the wide adoption of tailored microfabricated devices across many fields of biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathleen Hagemann
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI)
| | - Matthew C. D. Bailey
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Craniofacial & Regenerative Biology, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eugenia Carraro
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI)
| | - Ksenia S. Stankevich
- Department of Chemistry and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Valentina Maria Lionello
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Noreen Khokhar
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pacharaporn Suklai
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI)
| | - Carmen Moreno-Gonzalez
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI)
| | - Kelly O’Toole
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI)
| | | | | | - Sudeep Joshi
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eleonora Giagnorio
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Neurology IV—Neuroimmunology and Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Mads S. Bergholt
- Centre for Craniofacial & Regenerative Biology, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher D. Spicer
- Department of Chemistry and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | | | - Francesco Saverio Tedesco
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health & Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Serio
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI)
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13
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Hung C, Patani R. Elevated 4R tau contributes to endolysosomal dysfunction and neurodegeneration in VCP-related frontotemporal dementia. Brain 2024; 147:970-979. [PMID: 37882537 PMCID: PMC10907086 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are two incurable neurodegenerative diseases that exist on a clinical, genetic and pathological spectrum. The VCP gene is highly relevant, being directly implicated in both FTD and ALS. Here, we investigate the effects of VCP mutations on the cellular homoeostasis of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical neurons, focusing on endolysosomal biology and tau pathology. We found that VCP mutations cause abnormal accumulation of enlarged endolysosomes accompanied by impaired interaction between two nuclear RNA binding proteins: fused in sarcoma (FUS) and splicing factor, proline- and glutamine-rich (SFPQ) in human cortical neurons. The spatial dissociation of intranuclear FUS and SFPQ correlates with alternative splicing of the MAPT pre-mRNA and increased tau phosphorylation. Importantly, we show that inducing 4R tau expression using antisense oligonucleotide technology is sufficient to drive neurodegeneration in control human neurons, which phenocopies VCP-mutant neurons. In summary, our findings demonstrate that tau hyperphosphorylation, endolysosomal dysfunction, lysosomal membrane rupture, endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis are driven by a pathogenic increase in 4R tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christy Hung
- Human Stem Cells and Neurodegeneration Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Disease in Children, London WC1N 1DZ, UK
| | - Rickie Patani
- Human Stem Cells and Neurodegeneration Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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14
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Scott EY, Safarian N, Casasbuenas DL, Dryden M, Tockovska T, Ali S, Peng J, Daniele E, Nie Xin Lim I, Bang KWA, Tripathy S, Yuzwa SA, Wheeler AR, Faiz M. Integrating single-cell and spatially resolved transcriptomic strategies to survey the astrocyte response to stroke in male mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1584. [PMID: 38383565 PMCID: PMC10882052 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45821-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes, a type of glial cell in the central nervous system (CNS), adopt diverse states in response to injury that are influenced by their location relative to the insult. Here, we describe a platform for spatially resolved, single-cell transcriptomics and proteomics, called tDISCO (tissue-digital microfluidic isolation of single cells for -Omics). We use tDISCO alongside two high-throughput platforms for spatial (Visium) and single-cell transcriptomics (10X Chromium) to examine the heterogeneity of the astrocyte response to a cortical ischemic stroke in male mice. We show that integration of Visium and 10X Chromium datasets infers two astrocyte populations, proximal or distal to the injury site, while tDISCO determines the spatial boundaries and molecular profiles that define these populations. We find that proximal astrocytes show differences in lipid shuttling, with enriched expression of Apoe and Fabp5. Our datasets provide a resource for understanding the roles of astrocytes in stroke and showcase the utility of tDISCO for hypothesis-driven, spatially resolved single-cell experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Y Scott
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George St., Toronto, ON, M5S 3H6, Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Nickie Safarian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College St., Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R8, Canada
- The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, CA, 250 College St., Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Daniela Lozano Casasbuenas
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Michael Dryden
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George St., Toronto, ON, M5S 3H6, Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Teodora Tockovska
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Shawar Ali
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jiaxi Peng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George St., Toronto, ON, M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Emerson Daniele
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Isabel Nie Xin Lim
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - K W Annie Bang
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Flow Cytometry Core, Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Shreejoy Tripathy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College St., Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R8, Canada
- The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, CA, 250 College St., Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Scott A Yuzwa
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Aaron R Wheeler
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George St., Toronto, ON, M5S 3H6, Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College St., Toronto, ON, M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Maryam Faiz
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada.
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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15
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Jensen BK. Astrocyte-Neuron Interactions Contributing to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Progression. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 39:285-318. [PMID: 39190080 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-64839-7_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a complex disease impacting motor neurons of the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord. Disease etiology is quite heterogeneous with over 40 genes causing the disease and a vast ~90% of patients having no prior family history. Astrocytes are major contributors to ALS, particularly through involvement in accelerating disease progression. Through study of genetic forms of disease including SOD1, TDP43, FUS, C9orf72, VCP, TBK1, and more recently patient-derived cells from sporadic individuals, many biological mechanisms have been identified to cause intrinsic or glial-mediated neurotoxicity to motor neurons. Overall, many of the normally supportive and beneficial roles that astrocytes contribute to neuronal health and survival instead switch to become deleterious and neurotoxic. While the exact pathways may differ based on disease-origin, altered astrocyte-neuron communication is a common feature of ALS. Within this chapter, distinct genetic forms are examined in detail, along with what is known from sporadic patient-derived cells. Overall, this chapter highlights the interplay between astrocytes and neurons in this complex disease and describes the key features underlying: astrocyte-mediated motor neuron toxicity, excitotoxicity, oxidative/nitrosative stress, protein dyshomeostasis, metabolic imbalance, inflammation, trophic factor withdrawal, blood-brain/blood-spinal cord barrier involvement, disease spreading, and the extracellular matrix/cell adhesion/TGF-β signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigid K Jensen
- Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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16
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Raguseo F, Wang Y, Li J, Petrić Howe M, Balendra R, Huyghebaert A, Vadukul DM, Tanase DA, Maher TE, Malouf L, Rubio-Sánchez R, Aprile FA, Elani Y, Patani R, Di Michele L, Di Antonio M. The ALS/FTD-related C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion forms RNA condensates through multimolecular G-quadruplexes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8272. [PMID: 38092738 PMCID: PMC10719400 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43872-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are neurodegenerative diseases that exist on a clinico-pathogenetic spectrum, designated ALS/FTD. The most common genetic cause of ALS/FTD is expansion of the intronic hexanucleotide repeat (GGGGCC)n in C9orf72. Here, we investigate the formation of nucleic acid secondary structures in these expansion repeats, and their role in generating condensates characteristic of ALS/FTD. We observe significant aggregation of the hexanucleotide sequence (GGGGCC)n, which we associate to the formation of multimolecular G-quadruplexes (mG4s) by using a range of biophysical techniques. Exposing the condensates to G4-unfolding conditions leads to prompt disassembly, highlighting the key role of mG4-formation in the condensation process. We further validate the biological relevance of our findings by detecting an increased prevalence of G4-structures in C9orf72 mutant human motor neurons when compared to healthy motor neurons by staining with a G4-selective fluorescent probe, revealing signal in putative condensates. Our findings strongly suggest that RNA G-rich repetitive sequences can form protein-free condensates sustained by multimolecular G-quadruplexes, highlighting their potential relevance as therapeutic targets for C9orf72 mutation-related ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Raguseo
- Imperial College London, Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
- University of Cambridge, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
- Imperial College London, Institute of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Yiran Wang
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jessica Li
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Marija Petrić Howe
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Rubika Balendra
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Anouk Huyghebaert
- Imperial College London, Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
- Imperial College London, Institute of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Devkee M Vadukul
- Imperial College London, Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Diana A Tanase
- Imperial College London, Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
- University of Cambridge, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Thomas E Maher
- Imperial College London, Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
- Imperial College London, Institute of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Layla Malouf
- Imperial College London, Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
- University of Cambridge, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Roger Rubio-Sánchez
- University of Cambridge, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Francesco A Aprile
- Imperial College London, Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
- Imperial College London, Institute of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Yuval Elani
- Imperial College London, Department of Chemical Engineering, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Rickie Patani
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Lorenzo Di Michele
- Imperial College London, Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
- University of Cambridge, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK.
| | - Marco Di Antonio
- Imperial College London, Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
- Imperial College London, Institute of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
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17
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Ahmed M, Spicer C, Harley J, Taylor JP, Hanna M, Patani R, Greensmith L. Amplifying the Heat Shock Response Ameliorates ALS and FTD Pathology in Mouse and Human Models. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:6896-6915. [PMID: 37516663 PMCID: PMC10657827 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03509-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are now known as parts of a disease spectrum with common pathological features and genetic causes. However, as both conditions are clinically heterogeneous, patient groups may be phenotypically similar but pathogenically and genetically variable. Despite numerous clinical trials, there remains no effective therapy for these conditions, which, in part, may be due to challenges of therapy development in a heterogeneous patient population. Disruption to protein homeostasis is a key feature of different forms of ALS and FTD. Targeting the endogenous protein chaperone system, the heat shock response (HSR) may, therefore, be a potential therapeutic approach. We conducted a preclinical study of a known pharmacological amplifier of the HSR, called arimoclomol, in mice with a mutation in valosin-containing protein (VCP) which causes both ALS and FTD in patients. We demonstrate that amplification of the HSR ameliorates the ALS/FTD-like phenotype in the spinal cord and brain of mutant VCP mice and prevents neuronal loss, replicating our earlier findings in the SOD1 mouse model of ALS. Moreover, in human cell models, we demonstrate improvements in pathology upon arimoclomol treatment in mutant VCP patient fibroblasts and iPSC-derived motor neurons. Our findings suggest that targeting of the HSR may have therapeutic potential, not only in non-SOD1 ALS, but also for the treatment of FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mhoriam Ahmed
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Charlotte Spicer
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jasmine Harley
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - J Paul Taylor
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, USA
| | - Michael Hanna
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Rickie Patani
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Linda Greensmith
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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18
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Provenzano F, Torazza C, Bonifacino T, Bonanno G, Milanese M. The Key Role of Astrocytes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Their Commitment to Glutamate Excitotoxicity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15430. [PMID: 37895110 PMCID: PMC10607805 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last two decades, there has been increasing evidence supporting non-neuronal cells as active contributors to neurodegenerative disorders. Among glial cells, astrocytes play a pivotal role in driving amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) progression, leading the scientific community to focus on the "astrocytic signature" in ALS. Here, we summarized the main pathological mechanisms characterizing astrocyte contribution to MN damage and ALS progression, such as neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, energy metabolism impairment, miRNAs and extracellular vesicles contribution, autophagy dysfunction, protein misfolding, and altered neurotrophic factor release. Since glutamate excitotoxicity is one of the most relevant ALS features, we focused on the specific contribution of ALS astrocytes in this aspect, highlighting the known or potential molecular mechanisms by which astrocytes participate in increasing the extracellular glutamate level in ALS and, conversely, undergo the toxic effect of the excessive glutamate. In this scenario, astrocytes can behave as "producers" and "targets" of the high extracellular glutamate levels, going through changes that can affect themselves and, in turn, the neuronal and non-neuronal surrounding cells, thus actively impacting the ALS course. Moreover, this review aims to point out knowledge gaps that deserve further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Provenzano
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Carola Torazza
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Tiziana Bonifacino
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
- Inter-University Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching & Research (Centro 3R), 56122 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giambattista Bonanno
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Marco Milanese
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
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19
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Ziff OJ, Harley J, Wang Y, Neeves J, Tyzack G, Ibrahim F, Skehel M, Chakrabarti AM, Kelly G, Patani R. Nucleocytoplasmic mRNA redistribution accompanies RNA binding protein mislocalization in ALS motor neurons and is restored by VCP ATPase inhibition. Neuron 2023; 111:3011-3027.e7. [PMID: 37480846 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by nucleocytoplasmic mislocalization of the RNA-binding protein (RBP) TDP-43. However, emerging evidence suggests more widespread mRNA and protein mislocalization. Here, we employed nucleocytoplasmic fractionation, RNA sequencing, and mass spectrometry to investigate the localization of mRNA and protein in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons (iPSMNs) from ALS patients with TARDBP and VCP mutations. ALS mutant iPSMNs exhibited extensive nucleocytoplasmic mRNA redistribution, RBP mislocalization, and splicing alterations. Mislocalized proteins exhibited a greater affinity for redistributed transcripts, suggesting a link between RBP mislocalization and mRNA redistribution. Notably, treatment with ML240, a VCP ATPase inhibitor, partially restored mRNA and protein localization in ALS mutant iPSMNs. ML240 induced changes in the VCP interactome and lysosomal localization and reduced oxidative stress and DNA damage. These findings emphasize the link between RBP mislocalization and mRNA redistribution in ALS motor neurons and highlight the therapeutic potential of VCP inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Ziff
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, NW1 1AT London, UK; Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG London, UK; National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London NHS Foundation Trust, WC1N 3BG London, UK.
| | - Jasmine Harley
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, NW1 1AT London, UK; Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG London, UK; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A(∗)STAR Research Entities, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Yiran Wang
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, NW1 1AT London, UK; Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG London, UK
| | - Jacob Neeves
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, NW1 1AT London, UK; Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG London, UK
| | - Giulia Tyzack
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, NW1 1AT London, UK; Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG London, UK
| | - Fairouz Ibrahim
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, NW1 1AT London, UK
| | - Mark Skehel
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, NW1 1AT London, UK
| | | | - Gavin Kelly
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, NW1 1AT London, UK; Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG London, UK
| | - Rickie Patani
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, NW1 1AT London, UK; Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG London, UK; National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London NHS Foundation Trust, WC1N 3BG London, UK.
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20
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Ragupathy H, Vukku M, Barodia SK. Cell-Type-Specific Mitochondrial Quality Control in the Brain: A Plausible Mechanism of Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14421. [PMID: 37833867 PMCID: PMC10572699 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegeneration is an age-dependent progressive phenomenon with no defined cause. Aging is the main risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. During aging, activated microglia undergo phenotypic alterations that can lead to neuroinflammation, which is a well-accepted event in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Several common mechanisms are shared by genetically or pathologically distinct neurodegenerative diseases, such as excitotoxicity, mitochondrial deficits and oxidative stress, protein misfolding and translational dysfunction, autophagy and microglia activation. Progressive loss of the neuronal population due to increased oxidative stress leads to neurodegenerative diseases, mostly due to the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria. Mitochondrial dysfunction and excessive neuroinflammatory responses are both sufficient to induce pathology in age-dependent neurodegeneration. Therefore, mitochondrial quality control is a key determinant for the health and survival of neuronal cells in the brain. Research has been primarily focused to demonstrate the significance of neuronal mitochondrial health, despite the important contributions of non-neuronal cells that constitute a significant portion of the brain volume. Moreover, mitochondrial morphology and function are distinctly diverse in different tissues; however, little is known about their molecular diversity among cell types. Mitochondrial dynamics and quality in different cell types markedly decide the fate of overall brain health; therefore, it is not justifiable to overlook non-neuronal cells and their significant and active contribution in facilitating overall neuronal health. In this review article, we aim to discuss the mitochondrial quality control of different cell types in the brain and how important and remarkable the diversity and highly synchronized connecting property of non-neuronal cells are in keeping the neurons healthy to control neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manasvi Vukku
- Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
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21
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Catanese A, Rajkumar S, Sommer D, Masrori P, Hersmus N, Van Damme P, Witzel S, Ludolph A, Ho R, Boeckers TM, Mulaw M. Multiomics and machine-learning identify novel transcriptional and mutational signatures in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain 2023; 146:3770-3782. [PMID: 36883643 PMCID: PMC10473564 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal and incurable neurodegenerative disease that mainly affects the neurons of the motor system. Despite the increasing understanding of its genetic components, their biological meanings are still poorly understood. Indeed, it is still not clear to which extent the pathological features associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are commonly shared by the different genes causally linked to this disorder. To address this point, we combined multiomics analysis covering the transcriptional, epigenetic and mutational aspects of heterogenous human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived C9orf72-, TARDBP-, SOD1- and FUS-mutant motor neurons as well as datasets from patients' biopsies. We identified a common signature, converging towards increased stress and synaptic abnormalities, which reflects a unifying transcriptional program in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis despite the specific profiles due to the underlying pathogenic gene. In addition, whole genome bisulphite sequencing linked the altered gene expression observed in mutant cells to their methylation profile, highlighting deep epigenetic alterations as part of the abnormal transcriptional signatures linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We then applied multi-layer deep machine-learning to integrate publicly available blood and spinal cord transcriptomes and found a statistically significant correlation between their top predictor gene sets, which were significantly enriched in toll-like receptor signalling. Notably, the overrepresentation of this biological term also correlated with the transcriptional signature identified in mutant human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons, highlighting novel insights into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis marker genes in a tissue-independent manner. Finally, using whole genome sequencing in combination with deep learning, we generated the first mutational signature for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and defined a specific genomic profile for this disease, which is significantly correlated to ageing signatures, hinting at age as a major player in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This work describes innovative methodological approaches for the identification of disease signatures through the combination of multiomics analysis and provides novel knowledge on the pathological convergencies defining amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Catanese
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, 89081 Ulm, Germany
- Translational Protein Biochemistry, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm site, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sandeep Rajkumar
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Daniel Sommer
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Pegah Masrori
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicole Hersmus
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philip Van Damme
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Simon Witzel
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University School of Medicine, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert Ludolph
- Translational Protein Biochemistry, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm site, 89081 Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University School of Medicine, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Ritchie Ho
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Tobias M Boeckers
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, 89081 Ulm, Germany
- Translational Protein Biochemistry, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm site, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Medhanie Mulaw
- Unit for Single-Cell Genomics, Medical Faculty, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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22
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Aly A, Laszlo ZI, Rajkumar S, Demir T, Hindley N, Lamont DJ, Lehmann J, Seidel M, Sommer D, Franz-Wachtel M, Barletta F, Heumos S, Czemmel S, Kabashi E, Ludolph A, Boeckers TM, Henstridge CM, Catanese A. Integrative proteomics highlight presynaptic alterations and c-Jun misactivation as convergent pathomechanisms in ALS. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 146:451-475. [PMID: 37488208 PMCID: PMC10412488 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02611-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease mainly affecting upper and lower motoneurons. Several functionally heterogeneous genes have been associated with the familial form of this disorder (fALS), depicting an extremely complex pathogenic landscape. This heterogeneity has limited the identification of an effective therapy, and this bleak prognosis will only improve with a greater understanding of convergent disease mechanisms. Recent evidence from human post-mortem material and diverse model systems has highlighted the synapse as a crucial structure actively involved in disease progression, suggesting that synaptic aberrations might represent a shared pathological feature across the ALS spectrum. To test this hypothesis, we performed the first comprehensive analysis of the synaptic proteome from post-mortem spinal cord and human iPSC-derived motoneurons carrying mutations in the major ALS genes. This integrated approach highlighted perturbations in the molecular machinery controlling vesicle release as a shared pathomechanism in ALS. Mechanistically, phosphoproteomic analysis linked the presynaptic vesicular phenotype to an accumulation of cytotoxic protein aggregates and to the pro-apoptotic activation of the transcription factor c-Jun, providing detailed insights into the shared pathobiochemistry in ALS. Notably, sub-chronic treatment of our iPSC-derived motoneurons with the fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid exerted a neuroprotective effect by efficiently rescuing the alterations revealed by our multidisciplinary approach. Together, this study provides strong evidence for the central and convergent role played by the synaptic microenvironment within the ALS spinal cord and highlights a potential therapeutic target that counteracts degeneration in a heterogeneous cohort of human motoneuron cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amr Aly
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Zsofia I Laszlo
- Division of Cellular and Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK
| | - Sandeep Rajkumar
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tugba Demir
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Nicole Hindley
- Division of Cellular and Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK
| | - Douglas J Lamont
- FingerPrints Proteomics Facility, Discovery Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK
| | - Johannes Lehmann
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Mira Seidel
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Daniel Sommer
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Francesca Barletta
- Quantitative Biology Center (QBiC), University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simon Heumos
- Quantitative Biology Center (QBiC), University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Biomedical Data Science, Department of Computer Science, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Czemmel
- Quantitative Biology Center (QBiC), University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Edor Kabashi
- Laboratory of Translational Research for Neurological Disorders, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM, UMR 1163, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Albert Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm Site, Germany
| | - Tobias M Boeckers
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm Site, Germany
| | - Christopher M Henstridge
- Division of Cellular and Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK.
| | - Alberto Catanese
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm Site, Germany.
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23
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Chu S, Xie X, Payan C, Stochaj U. Valosin containing protein (VCP): initiator, modifier, and potential drug target for neurodegenerative diseases. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:52. [PMID: 37545006 PMCID: PMC10405438 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00639-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The AAA+ ATPase valosin containing protein (VCP) is essential for cell and organ homeostasis, especially in cells of the nervous system. As part of a large network, VCP collaborates with many cofactors to ensure proteostasis under normal, stress, and disease conditions. A large number of mutations have revealed the importance of VCP for human health. In particular, VCP facilitates the dismantling of protein aggregates and the removal of dysfunctional organelles. These are critical events to prevent malfunction of the brain and other parts of the nervous system. In line with this idea, VCP mutants are linked to the onset and progression of neurodegeneration and other diseases. The intricate molecular mechanisms that connect VCP mutations to distinct brain pathologies continue to be uncovered. Emerging evidence supports the model that VCP controls cellular functions on multiple levels and in a cell type specific fashion. Accordingly, VCP mutants derail cellular homeostasis through several mechanisms that can instigate disease. Our review focuses on the association between VCP malfunction and neurodegeneration. We discuss the latest insights in the field, emphasize open questions, and speculate on the potential of VCP as a drug target for some of the most devastating forms of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siwei Chu
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, HG3 1Y6, Canada
| | - Xinyi Xie
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, HG3 1Y6, Canada
| | - Carla Payan
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, HG3 1Y6, Canada
| | - Ursula Stochaj
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, HG3 1Y6, Canada.
- Quantitative Life Sciences Program, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
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24
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Miceli C, Leri M, Stefani M, Bucciantini M. Autophagy-related proteins: Potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of aging-related diseases. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 89:101967. [PMID: 37270146 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Autophagy plays a key role in cellular, tissue and organismal homeostasis and in the production of the energy load needed at critical times during development and in response to nutrient shortage. Autophagy is generally considered as a pro-survival mechanism, although its deregulation has been linked to non-apoptotic cell death. Autophagy efficiency declines with age, thus contributing to many different pathophysiological conditions, such as cancer, cardiomyopathy, diabetes, liver disease, autoimmune diseases, infections, and neurodegeneration. Accordingly, it has been proposed that the maintenance of a proper autophagic activity contributes to the extension of the lifespan in different organisms. A better understanding of the interplay between autophagy and risk of age-related pathologies is important to propose nutritional and life-style habits favouring disease prevention as well as possible clinical applications aimed at promoting long-term health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Miceli
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Naples, Italy
| | - Manuela Leri
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Massimo Stefani
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Monica Bucciantini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
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25
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Rojas F, Aguilar R, Almeida S, Fritz E, Corvalán D, Ampuero E, Abarzúa S, Garcés P, Amaro A, Diaz I, Arredondo C, Cortes N, Sanchez M, Mercado C, Varela-Nallar L, Gao FB, Montecino M, van Zundert B. Mature iPSC-derived astrocytes of an ALS/FTD patient carrying the TDP43 A90V mutation display a mild reactive state and release polyP toxic to motoneurons. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1226604. [PMID: 37645251 PMCID: PMC10461635 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1226604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes play a critical role in the maintenance of a healthy central nervous system and astrocyte dysfunction has been implicated in various neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). There is compelling evidence that mouse and human ALS and ALS/FTD astrocytes can reduce the number of healthy wild-type motoneurons (MNs) in co-cultures or after treatment with astrocyte conditioned media (ACM), independently of their genotype. A growing number of studies have shown that soluble toxic factor(s) in the ACM cause non-cell autonomous MN death, including our recent identification of inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) that is excessively released from mouse primary astrocytes (SOD1, TARDBP, and C9ORF72) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived astrocytes (TARDBP) to kill MNs. However, others have reported that astrocytes carrying mutant TDP43 do not produce detectable MN toxicity. This controversy is likely to arise from the findings that human iPSC-derived astrocytes exhibit a rather immature and/or reactive phenotype in a number of studies. Here, we have succeeded in generating a highly homogenous population of functional quiescent mature astrocytes from control subject iPSCs. Using identical conditions, we also generated mature astrocytes from an ALS/FTD patient carrying the TDP43A90V mutation. These mutant TDP43 patient-derived astrocytes exhibit key pathological hallmarks, including enhanced cytoplasmic TDP-43 and polyP levels. Additionally, mutant TDP43 astrocytes displayed a mild reactive signature and an aberrant function as they were unable to promote synaptogenesis of hippocampal neurons. The polyP-dependent neurotoxic nature of the TDP43A90V mutation was further confirmed as neutralization of polyP in ACM derived from mutant TDP43 astrocytes prevented MN death. Our results establish that human astrocytes carrying the TDP43A90V mutation exhibit a cell-autonomous pathological signature, hence providing an experimental model to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of the neurotoxic phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola Rojas
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Aguilar
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sandra Almeida
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMMS), Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Elsa Fritz
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniela Corvalán
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Estibaliz Ampuero
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, Universidad de Santiago, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastián Abarzúa
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Polett Garcés
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Armando Amaro
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Iván Diaz
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cristian Arredondo
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nicole Cortes
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mario Sanchez
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Constanza Mercado
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Lorena Varela-Nallar
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fen-Biao Gao
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMMS), Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Martin Montecino
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation CRG, Santiago, Chile
| | - Brigitte van Zundert
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMMS), Worcester, MA, United States
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26
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Patani R, Hardingham GE, Liddelow SA. Functional roles of reactive astrocytes in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Nat Rev Neurol 2023; 19:395-409. [PMID: 37308616 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-023-00822-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 102.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite advances in uncovering the mechanisms that underlie neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative disease, therapies that prevent neuronal loss remain elusive. Targeting of disease-defining markers in conditions such as Alzheimer disease (amyloid-β and tau) or Parkinson disease (α-synuclein) has been met with limited success, suggesting that these proteins do not act in isolation but form part of a pathological network. This network could involve phenotypic alteration of multiple cell types in the CNS, including astrocytes, which have a major neurosupportive, homeostatic role in the healthy CNS but adopt reactive states under acute or chronic adverse conditions. Transcriptomic studies in human patients and disease models have revealed the co-existence of many putative reactive sub-states of astrocytes. Inter-disease and even intra-disease heterogeneity of reactive astrocytic sub-states are well established, but the extent to which specific sub-states are shared across different diseases is unclear. In this Review, we highlight how single-cell and single-nuclei RNA sequencing and other 'omics' technologies can enable the functional characterization of defined reactive astrocyte states in various pathological scenarios. We provide an integrated perspective, advocating cross-modal validation of key findings to define functionally important sub-states of astrocytes and their triggers as tractable therapeutic targets with cross-disease relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rickie Patani
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, Human Stem Cells and Neurodegeneration Laboratory, London, UK
| | - Giles E Hardingham
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Shane A Liddelow
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Parekh Center for Interdisciplinary Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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27
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Szebényi K, Barrio-Hernandez I, Gibbons GM, Biasetti L, Troakes C, Beltrao P, Lakatos A. A human proteogenomic-cellular framework identifies KIF5A as a modulator of astrocyte process integrity with relevance to ALS. Commun Biol 2023; 6:678. [PMID: 37386082 PMCID: PMC10310856 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05041-4] [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: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies identified several disease-causing mutations in neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the contribution of genetic variants to pathway disturbances and their cell type-specific variations, especially in glia, is poorly understood. We integrated ALS GWAS-linked gene networks with human astrocyte-specific multi-omics datasets to elucidate pathognomonic signatures. It predicts that KIF5A, a motor protein kinesin-1 heavy-chain isoform, previously detected only in neurons, can also potentiate disease pathways in astrocytes. Using postmortem tissue and super-resolution structured illumination microscopy in cell-based perturbation platforms, we provide evidence that KIF5A is present in astrocyte processes and its deficiency disrupts structural integrity and mitochondrial transport. We show that this may underly cytoskeletal and trafficking changes in SOD1 ALS astrocytes characterised by low KIF5A levels, which can be rescued by c-Jun N-terminal Kinase-1 (JNK1), a kinesin transport regulator. Altogether, our pipeline reveals a mechanism controlling astrocyte process integrity, a pre-requisite for synapse maintenance and suggests a targetable loss-of-function in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kornélia Szebényi
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | | | - George M Gibbons
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Luca Biasetti
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Claire Troakes
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Pedro Beltrao
- European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SD, UK.
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8093, Switzerland.
| | - András Lakatos
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK.
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK.
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28
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Arber C, Casey JM, Crawford S, Rambarack N, Yaman U, Wiethoff S, Augustin E, Piers TM, Rostagno A, Ghiso J, Lewis PA, Revesz T, Hardy J, Pocock JM, Houlden H, Schott JM, Salih DA, Lashley T, Wray S. Microglia produce the amyloidogenic ABri peptide in familial British dementia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.27.546552. [PMID: 37425748 PMCID: PMC10327149 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.27.546552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in ITM2B cause familial British, Danish, Chinese and Korean dementias. In familial British dementia (FBD) a mutation in the stop codon of the ITM2B gene (also known as BRI2 ) causes a C-terminal cleavage fragment of the ITM2B/BRI2 protein to be extended by 11 amino acids. This fragment, termed amyloid-Bri (ABri), is highly insoluble and forms extracellular plaques in the brain. ABri plaques are accompanied by tau pathology, neuronal cell death and progressive dementia, with striking parallels to the aetiology and pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. The molecular mechanisms underpinning FBD are ill-defined. Using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, we show that expression of ITM2B/BRI2 is 34-fold higher in microglia than neurons, and 15-fold higher in microglia compared with astrocytes. This cell-specific enrichment is supported by expression data from both mouse and human brain tissue. ITM2B/BRI2 protein levels are higher in iPSC-microglia compared with neurons and astrocytes. Consequently, the ABri peptide was detected in patient iPSC-derived microglial lysates and conditioned media but was undetectable in patient-derived neurons and control microglia. Pathological examination of post-mortem tissue support ABri expression in microglia that are in proximity to pre-amyloid deposits. Finally, gene co-expression analysis supports a role for ITM2B/BRI2 in disease-associated microglial responses. These data demonstrate that microglia are the major contributors to the production of amyloid forming peptides in FBD, potentially acting as instigators of neurodegeneration. Additionally, these data also suggest ITM2B/BRI2 may be part of a microglial response to disease, motivating further investigations of its role in microglial activation. This has implications for our understanding of the role of microglia and the innate immune response in the pathogenesis of FBD and other neurodegenerative dementias including Alzheimer's disease.
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29
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Valori CF, Sulmona C, Brambilla L, Rossi D. Astrocytes: Dissecting Their Diverse Roles in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Cells 2023; 12:1450. [PMID: 37296571 PMCID: PMC10252425 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are fatal neurodegenerative disorders often co-occurring in the same patient, a feature that suggests a common origin of the two diseases. Consistently, pathological inclusions of the same proteins as well as mutations in the same genes can be identified in both ALS/FTD. Although many studies have described several disrupted pathways within neurons, glial cells are also regarded as crucial pathogenetic contributors in ALS/FTD. Here, we focus our attention on astrocytes, a heterogenous population of glial cells that perform several functions for optimal central nervous system homeostasis. Firstly, we discuss how post-mortem material from ALS/FTD patients supports astrocyte dysfunction around three pillars: neuroinflammation, abnormal protein aggregation, and atrophy/degeneration. Furthermore, we summarize current attempts at monitoring astrocyte functions in living patients using either novel imaging strategies or soluble biomarkers. We then address how astrocyte pathology is recapitulated in animal and cellular models of ALS/FTD and how we used these models both to understand the molecular mechanisms driving glial dysfunction and as platforms for pre-clinical testing of therapeutics. Finally, we present the current clinical trials for ALS/FTD, restricting our discussion to treatments that modulate astrocyte functions, directly or indirectly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara F. Valori
- Molecular Neuropathology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 72072 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Neuropathology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Sulmona
- Laboratory for Research on Neurodegenerative Disorders, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Liliana Brambilla
- Laboratory for Research on Neurodegenerative Disorders, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Daniela Rossi
- Laboratory for Research on Neurodegenerative Disorders, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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30
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Pinton L, Khedr M, Lionello VM, Sarcar S, Maffioletti SM, Dastidar S, Negroni E, Choi S, Khokhar N, Bigot A, Counsell JR, Bernardo AS, Zammit PS, Tedesco FS. 3D human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived bioengineered skeletal muscles for tissue, disease and therapy modeling. Nat Protoc 2023; 18:1337-1376. [PMID: 36792780 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-022-00790-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Skeletal muscle is a complex tissue composed of multinucleated myofibers responsible for force generation that are supported by multiple cell types. Many severe and lethal disorders affect skeletal muscle; therefore, engineering models to reproduce such cellular complexity and function are instrumental for investigating muscle pathophysiology and developing therapies. Here, we detail the modular 3D bioengineering of multilineage skeletal muscles from human induced pluripotent stem cells, which are first differentiated into myogenic, neural and vascular progenitor cells and then combined within 3D hydrogels under tension to generate an aligned myofiber scaffold containing vascular networks and motor neurons. 3D bioengineered muscles recapitulate morphological and functional features of human skeletal muscle, including establishment of a pool of cells expressing muscle stem cell markers. Importantly, bioengineered muscles provide a high-fidelity platform to study muscle pathology, such as emergence of dysmorphic nuclei in muscular dystrophies caused by mutant lamins. The protocol is easy to follow for operators with cell culture experience and takes between 9 and 30 d, depending on the number of cell lineages in the construct. We also provide examples of applications of this advanced platform for testing gene and cell therapies in vitro, as well as for in vivo studies, providing proof of principle of its potential as a tool to develop next-generation neuromuscular or musculoskeletal therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Pinton
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Moustafa Khedr
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Valentina M Lionello
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Shilpita Sarcar
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sara M Maffioletti
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), Milan, Italy
| | - Sumitava Dastidar
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Elisa Negroni
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
- Center for Research in Myology UMRS974, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Myology Institute AIM, Paris, France
| | - SungWoo Choi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Noreen Khokhar
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Anne Bigot
- Center for Research in Myology UMRS974, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Myology Institute AIM, Paris, France
| | - John R Counsell
- UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - Andreia Sofia Bernardo
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Peter S Zammit
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Francesco Saverio Tedesco
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK.
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
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31
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Ganji R, Paulo JA, Xi Y, Kline I, Zhu J, Clemen CS, Weihl CC, Purdy JG, Gygi SP, Raman M. The p97-UBXD8 complex regulates ER-Mitochondria contact sites by altering membrane lipid saturation and composition. Nat Commun 2023; 14:638. [PMID: 36746962 PMCID: PMC9902492 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36298-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The intimate association between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondrial membranes at ER-Mitochondria contact sites (ERMCS) is a platform for critical cellular processes, particularly lipid synthesis. How contacts are remodeled and the impact of altered contacts on lipid metabolism remains poorly understood. We show that the p97 AAA-ATPase and its adaptor ubiquitin-X domain adaptor 8 (UBXD8) regulate ERMCS. The p97-UBXD8 complex localizes to contacts and its loss increases contacts in a manner that is dependent on p97 catalytic activity. Quantitative proteomics and lipidomics of ERMCS demonstrates alterations in proteins regulating lipid metabolism and a significant change in membrane lipid saturation upon UBXD8 deletion. Loss of p97-UBXD8 increased membrane lipid saturation via SREBP1 and the lipid desaturase SCD1. Aberrant contacts can be rescued by unsaturated fatty acids or overexpression of SCD1. We find that the SREBP1-SCD1 pathway is negatively impacted in the brains of mice with p97 mutations that cause neurodegeneration. We propose that contacts are exquisitely sensitive to alterations to membrane lipid composition and saturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Ganji
- Department of Developmental Molecular and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joao A Paulo
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yuecheng Xi
- Department of Immunobiology, BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Ian Kline
- Department of Immunobiology, BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Jiang Zhu
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Ilumina Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Christoph S Clemen
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Vegetative Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Conrad C Weihl
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - John G Purdy
- Department of Immunobiology, BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Steve P Gygi
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Malavika Raman
- Department of Developmental Molecular and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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32
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Tseng CS, Chao YW, Liu YH, Huang YS, Chao HW. Dysregulated proteostasis network in neuronal diseases. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1075215. [PMID: 36910151 PMCID: PMC9998692 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1075215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-term maintenance of synaptic connections is important for brain function, which depends on varying proteostatic regulations to govern the functional integrity of neuronal proteomes. Proteostasis supports an interconnection of pathways that regulates the fate of proteins from synthesis to degradation. Defects in proteostatic signaling are associated with age-related functional decline and neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies have advanced our knowledge of how cells have evolved distinct mechanisms to safely control protein homeostasis during synthesis, folding and degradation, and in different subcellular organelles and compartments. Neurodegeneration occurs when these protein quality controls are compromised by accumulated pathogenic proteins or aging to an irreversible state. Consequently, several therapeutic strategies, such as targeting the unfolded protein response and autophagy pathways, have been developed to reduce the burden of misfolded proteins and proved useful in animal models. Here, we present a brief overview of the molecular mechanisms involved in maintaining proteostatic networks, along with some examples linking dysregulated proteostasis to neuronal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-San Tseng
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Wen Chao
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hsiang Liu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Shuian Huang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsu-Wen Chao
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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33
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Theme 05 - Human Cell Biology and Pathology (including iPSC studies). Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2022.2120681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Limone F, Klim JR, Mordes DA. Pluripotent stem cell strategies for rebuilding the human brain. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:1017299. [PMID: 36408113 PMCID: PMC9667068 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1017299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders have been extremely challenging to treat with traditional drug-based approaches and curative therapies are lacking. Given continued progress in stem cell technologies, cell replacement strategies have emerged as concrete and potentially viable therapeutic options. In this review, we cover advances in methods used to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells into several highly specialized types of neurons, including cholinergic, dopaminergic, and motor neurons, and the potential clinical applications of stem cell-derived neurons for common neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, ataxia, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Additionally, we summarize cellular differentiation techniques for generating glial cell populations, including oligodendrocytes and microglia, and their conceivable translational roles in supporting neural function. Clinical trials of specific cell replacement therapies in the nervous system are already underway, and several attractive avenues in regenerative medicine warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Limone
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Daniel A. Mordes
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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35
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Ahlstedt BA, Ganji R, Raman M. The functional importance of VCP to maintaining cellular protein homeostasis. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:1457-1469. [PMID: 36196920 PMCID: PMC9704522 DOI: 10.1042/bst20220648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The AAA-ATPase (ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities) valosin-containing protein (VCP), is essential for many cellular pathways including but not limited to endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD), DNA damage responses, and cell cycle regulation. VCP primarily identifies ubiquitylated proteins in these pathways and mediates their unfolding and degradation by the 26S proteasome. This review summarizes recent research on VCP that has uncovered surprising new ways that this ATPase is regulated, new aspects of recognition of substrates and novel pathways and substrates that utilize its activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A. Ahlstedt
- Department of Developmental Molecular and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, U.S.A
| | - Rakesh Ganji
- Department of Developmental Molecular and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, U.S.A
| | - Malavika Raman
- Department of Developmental Molecular and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, U.S.A
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36
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Gelon PA, Dutchak PA, Sephton CF. Synaptic dysfunction in ALS and FTD: anatomical and molecular changes provide insights into mechanisms of disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1000183. [PMID: 36263379 PMCID: PMC9575515 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1000183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic loss is a pathological feature of all neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). ALS is a disease of the cortical and spinal motor neurons resulting in fatal paralysis due to denervation of muscles. FTD is a form of dementia that primarily affects brain regions controlling cognition, language and behavior. Once classified as two distinct diseases, ALS and FTD are now considered as part of a common disease spectrum based on overlapping clinical, pathological and genetic evidence. At the cellular level, aggregation of common proteins and overlapping gene susceptibilities are shared in both ALS and FTD. Despite the convergence of these two fields of research, the underlying disease mechanisms remain elusive. However, recent discovers from ALS and FTD patient studies and models of ALS/FTD strongly suggests that synaptic dysfunction is an early event in the disease process and a unifying hallmark of these diseases. This review provides a summary of the reported anatomical and cellular changes that occur in cortical and spinal motor neurons in ALS and FTD tissues and models of disease. We also highlight studies that identify changes in the proteome and transcriptome of ALS and FTD models and provide a conceptual overview of the processes that contribute to synaptic dysfunction in these diseases. Due to space limitations and the vast number of publications in the ALS and FTD fields, many articles have not been discussed in this review. As such, this review focuses on the three most common shared mutations in ALS and FTD, the hexanucleuotide repeat expansion within intron 1 of chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9ORF72), transactive response DNA binding protein 43 (TARDBP or TDP-43) and fused in sarcoma (FUS), with the intention of highlighting common pathways that promote synaptic dysfunction in the ALS-FTD disease spectrum.
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37
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Petrić Howe M, Crerar H, Neeves J, Harley J, Tyzack GE, Klein P, Ramos A, Patani R, Luisier R. Physiological intron retaining transcripts in the cytoplasm abound during human motor neurogenesis. Genome Res 2022; 32:1808-1825. [PMID: 36180233 PMCID: PMC9712626 DOI: 10.1101/gr.276898.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Intron retention (IR) is now recognized as a dominant splicing event during motor neuron (MN) development; however, the role and regulation of intron-retaining transcripts (IRTs) localized to the cytoplasm remain particularly understudied. Here we show that IR is a physiological process that is spatiotemporally regulated during MN lineage restriction and that IRTs in the cytoplasm are detected in as many as 13% (n = 2297) of the genes expressed during this process. We identify a major class of cytoplasmic IRTs that are not associated with reduced expression of their own genes but instead show a high capacity for RNA-binding protein and miRNA occupancy. Finally, we show that ALS-causing VCP mutations lead to a selective increase in cytoplasmic abundance of this particular class of IRTs, which in turn temporally coincides with an increase in the nuclear expression level of predicted miRNA target genes. Altogether, our study identifies a previously unrecognized class of cytoplasmic intronic sequences with potential regulatory function beyond gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Petrić Howe
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Hamish Crerar
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Jacob Neeves
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Jasmine Harley
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Giulia E Tyzack
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Pierre Klein
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6XA, United Kingdom
| | - Andres Ramos
- Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6XA, United Kingdom
| | - Rickie Patani
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Raphaëlle Luisier
- Idiap Research Institute, Genomics and Health Informatics, CH-1920 Martigny, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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38
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Wang F, Li S, Wang TY, Lopez GA, Antoshechkin I, Chou TF. P97/VCP ATPase inhibitors can rescue p97 mutation-linked motor neuron degeneration. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac176. [PMID: 35865348 PMCID: PMC9294923 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in p97/VCP cause two motor neuron diseases: inclusion body myopathy associated with Paget disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia and familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. How p97 mutations lead to motor neuron degeneration is, however, unknown. Here we used patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells to generate p97 mutant motor neurons. We reduced the genetic background variation by comparing mutant motor neurons to its isogenic wild type lines. Proteomic analysis reveals that p97R155H/+ motor neurons upregulate several cell cycle proteins at Day 14, but this effect diminishes by Day 20. Molecular changes linked to delayed cell cycle exit are observed in p97 mutant motor neurons. We also find that two p97 inhibitors, CB-5083 and NMS-873, restore some dysregulated protein levels. In addition, two p97 inhibitors and a food and drug administration-approved cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor, Abemaciclib, can rescue motor neuron death. Overall, we successfully used iPSC-derived motor neurons, identified dysregulated proteome and transcriptome and showed that p97 inhibitors rescue phenotypes in this disease model.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Wang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - S Li
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - T Y Wang
- Proteome Exploration Laboratory, Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - G A Lopez
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - I Antoshechkin
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - T F Chou
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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39
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Sommer D, Rajkumar S, Seidel M, Aly A, Ludolph A, Ho R, Boeckers TM, Catanese A. Aging-Dependent Altered Transcriptional Programs Underlie Activity Impairments in Human C9orf72-Mutant Motor Neurons. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:894230. [PMID: 35774867 PMCID: PMC9237792 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.894230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease characterized by dysfunction and loss of upper and lower motor neurons (MN). Despite several studies identifying drastic alterations affecting synaptic composition and functionality in different experimental models, the specific contribution of impaired activity to the neurodegenerative processes observed in ALS-related MN remains controversial. In particular, contrasting lines of evidence have shown both hyper- as well as hypoexcitability as driving pathomechanisms characterizing this specific neuronal population. In this study, we combined high definition multielectrode array (HD-MEA) techniques with transcriptomic analysis to longitudinally monitor and untangle the activity-dependent alterations arising in human C9orf72-mutant MN. We found a time-dependent reduction of neuronal activity in ALSC9orf72 cultures occurring as synaptic contacts undergo maturation and matched by a significant loss of mutant MN upon aging. Notably, ALS-related neurons displayed reduced network synchronicity most pronounced at later stages of culture, suggesting synaptic imbalance. In concordance with the HD-MEA data, transcriptomic analysis revealed an early up-regulation of synaptic terms in ALSC9orf72 MN, whose expression was decreased in aged cultures. In addition, treatment of older mutant cells with Apamin, a K+ channel blocker previously shown to be neuroprotective in ALS, rescued the time-dependent loss of firing properties observed in ALSC9orf72 MN as well as the expression of maturity-related synaptic genes. All in all, this study broadens the understanding of how impaired synaptic activity contributes to MN degeneration in ALS by correlating electrophysiological alterations to aging-dependent transcriptional programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sommer
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sandeep Rajkumar
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
| | - Mira Seidel
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
| | - Amr Aly
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Ritchie Ho
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Tobias M. Boeckers
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Alberto Catanese
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
- *Correspondence: Alberto Catanese,
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40
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Hagemann C, Moreno Gonzalez C, Guetta L, Tyzack G, Chiappini C, Legati A, Patani R, Serio A. Axonal Length Determines Distinct Homeostatic Phenotypes in Human iPSC Derived Motor Neurons on a Bioengineered Platform. Adv Healthc Mater 2022; 11:e2101817. [PMID: 35118820 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202101817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Stem cell-based experimental platforms for neuroscience can effectively model key mechanistic aspects of human development and disease. However, conventional culture systems often overlook the engineering constraints that cells face in vivo. This is particularly relevant for neurons covering long range connections such as spinal motor neurons (MNs). Their axons extend up to 1m in length and require a complex interplay of mechanisms to maintain cellular homeostasis. However, shorter axons in conventional cultures may not faithfully capture important aspects of their longer counterparts. Here this issue is directly addressed by establishing a bioengineered platform to assemble arrays of human axons ranging from micrometers to centimeters, which allows systematic investigation of the effects of length on human axonas for the first time. This approach reveales a link between length and metabolism in human MNs in vitro, where axons above a "threshold" size induce specific molecular adaptations in cytoskeleton composition, functional properties, local translation, and mitochondrial homeostasis. The findings specifically demonstrate the existence of a length-dependent mechanism that switches homeostatic processes within human MNs. The findings have critical implications for in vitro modeling of several neurodegenerative disorders and reinforce the importance of modeling cell shape and biophysical constraints with fidelity and precision in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathleen Hagemann
- Centre for Craniofacial & Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Carmen Moreno Gonzalez
- Centre for Craniofacial & Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Ludovica Guetta
- Centre for Craniofacial & Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Giulia Tyzack
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Ciro Chiappini
- Centre for Craniofacial & Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Andrea Legati
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Rickie Patani
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Andrea Serio
- Centre for Craniofacial & Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
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41
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Taha DM, Clarke BE, Hall CE, Tyzack GE, Ziff OJ, Greensmith L, Kalmar B, Ahmed M, Alam A, Thelin EP, Garcia NM, Helmy A, Sibley CR, Patani R. Astrocytes display cell autonomous and diverse early reactive states in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain 2022; 145:481-489. [PMID: 35042241 PMCID: PMC9014746 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a rapidly progressive and fatal disease. Although astrocytes are increasingly recognized contributors to the underlying pathogenesis, the cellular autonomy and uniformity of astrocyte reactive transformation in different genetic forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis remain unresolved. Here we systematically examine these issues by using highly enriched and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes from patients with VCP and SOD1 mutations. We show that VCP mutant astrocytes undergo cell-autonomous reactive transformation characterized by increased expression of complement component 3 (C3) in addition to several characteristic gene expression changes. We then demonstrate that isochronic SOD1 mutant astrocytes also undergo a cell-autonomous reactive transformation, but that this is molecularly distinct from VCP mutant astrocytes. This is shown through transcriptome-wide analyses, identifying divergent gene expression profiles and activation of different key transcription factors in SOD1 and VCP mutant human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes. Finally, we show functional differences in the basal cytokine secretome between VCP and SOD1 mutant human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes. Our data therefore reveal that reactive transformation can occur cell autonomously in human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis astrocytes and with a striking degree of early molecular and functional heterogeneity when comparing different disease-causing mutations. These insights may be important when considering astrocyte reactivity as a putative therapeutic target in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doaa M Taha
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK.,Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21511, Egypt
| | - Benjamin E Clarke
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Claire E Hall
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Giulia E Tyzack
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Oliver J Ziff
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Linda Greensmith
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Bernadett Kalmar
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Mhoriam Ahmed
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Aftab Alam
- Division of Neurosurgery and Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Eric P Thelin
- Division of Neurosurgery and Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Nuria Marco Garcia
- Division of Neurosurgery and Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Adel Helmy
- Division of Neurosurgery and Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Christopher R Sibley
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK.,Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Rickie Patani
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
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42
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The pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Mitochondrial dysfunction, protein misfolding and epigenetics. Brain Res 2022; 1786:147904. [PMID: 35390335 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.147904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with multiple complex mechanisms involved. Among them, mitochondrial dysfunction plays an important role in ALS. Multiple studies have shown that mitochondria are closely associated with reactive oxygen species production and oxidative stress and exhibit different functional states in different genetic backgrounds. In this review we explored the roles of Ca2+, autophagy, mitochondrial quality control in the regulation of mitochondrial homeostasis and their relationship with ALS. In addition, we also summarized and analyzed the roles of protein misfolding and abnormal aggregation in the pathogenesis of ALS. Moreover, we also discussed how epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and protein post-translational modification affect initiation and progression of ALS. Nevertheless, existing events still cannot fully explain the pathogenesis of ALS at present, more studies are required to explore pathological mechanisms of ALS.
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43
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Cx43 hemichannels contribute to astrocyte-mediated toxicity in sporadic and familial ALS. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2107391119. [PMID: 35312356 PMCID: PMC9060483 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107391119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Our results demonstrate that connexin 43 hemichannels are the conduits for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) astrocyte-mediated motor neuron toxicity and disease spread, acting as a common mechanism that can target both familial ALS and sporadic ALS populations. Furthermore, our present work provides proof of principle that tonabersat, as a drug already studied in clinical trials for other indications, could serve as a potential ALS therapeutic. Connexin 43 (Cx43) gap junctions and hemichannels mediate astrocyte intercellular communication in the central nervous system under normal conditions and contribute to astrocyte-mediated neurotoxicity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here, we show that astrocyte-specific knockout of Cx43 in a mouse model of ALS slows disease progression both spatially and temporally, provides motor neuron (MN) protection, and improves survival. In addition, Cx43 expression is up-regulated in human postmortem tissue and cerebrospinal fluid from ALS patients. Using human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived astrocytes (hiPSC-A) from both familial and sporadic ALS, we establish that Cx43 is up-regulated and that Cx43-hemichannels are enriched at the astrocyte membrane. We also demonstrate that the pharmacological blockade of Cx43-hemichannels in ALS astrocytes using GAP 19, a mimetic peptide blocker, and tonabersat, a clinically tested small molecule, provides neuroprotection of hiPSC-MN and reduces ALS astrocyte-mediated neuronal hyperexcitability. Extending the in vitro application of tonabersat with chronic administration to SOD1G93A mice results in MN protection with a reduction in reactive astrocytosis and microgliosis. Taking these data together, our studies identify Cx43 hemichannels as conduits of astrocyte-mediated disease progression and a pharmacological target for disease-modifying ALS therapies.
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44
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Scarian E, Fiamingo G, Diamanti L, Palmieri I, Gagliardi S, Pansarasa O. The Role of VCP Mutations in the Spectrum of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Frontotemporal Dementia. Front Neurol 2022; 13:841394. [PMID: 35273561 PMCID: PMC8902152 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.841394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) are two neurological diseases which, respectively, and primarily affect motor neurons and frontotemporal lobes. Although they can lead to different signs and symptoms, it is now evident that these two pathologies form a continuum and that hallmarks of both diseases can be present within the same person in the so-called ALS-FTD spectrum. Many studies have focused on the genetic overlap of these pathologies and it is now clear that different genes, such as C9orf72, TARDBP, SQSTM1, FUS, and p97/VCP can be mutated in both the diseases. VCP was one of the first genes associated with both FTD and ALS representing an early example of gene overlapping. VCP belongs to the type II AAA (ATPases Associated with diverse cellular activities) family and is involved in ubiquitinated proteins degradation, autophagy, lysosomal clearance and mitochondrial quality control. Since its numerous roles, mutations in this gene lead to different pathological features, first and foremost TDP-43 mislocalization. This review aims to outline recent findings on VCP roles and on how its mutations are linked to the neuropathology of ALS and FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eveljn Scarian
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,Cellular Models and Neuroepigenetics Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Fiamingo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Luca Diamanti
- Neuroncology Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Ilaria Palmieri
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,Neurogenetics Research Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Stella Gagliardi
- Molecular Biology and Transcriptomics Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Orietta Pansarasa
- Cellular Models and Neuroepigenetics Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
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45
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Johns AE, Maragakis NJ. Exploring Motor Neuron Diseases Using iPSC Platforms. Stem Cells 2022; 40:2-13. [PMID: 35511862 PMCID: PMC9199844 DOI: 10.1093/stmcls/sxab006] [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: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The degeneration of motor neurons is a pathological hallmark of motor neuron diseases (MNDs), but emerging evidence suggests that neuronal vulnerability extends well beyond this cell subtype. The ability to assess motor function in the clinic is limited to physical examination, electrophysiological measures, and tissue-based or neuroimaging techniques which lack the resolution to accurately assess neuronal dysfunction as the disease progresses. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are all MNDs with devastating clinical outcomes that contribute significantly to disease burden as patients are no longer able to carry out normal activities of daily living. The critical need to accurately assess the cause and progression of motor neuron dysfunction, especially in the early stages of those diseases, has motivated the use of human iPSC-derived motor neurons (hiPSC-MN) to study the neurobiological mechanisms underlying disease pathogenesis and to generate platforms for therapeutic discovery and testing. As our understanding of MNDs has grown, so too has our need to develop more complex in vitro models which include hiPSC-MN co-cultured with relevant non-neuronal cells in 2D as well as in 3D organoid and spheroid systems. These more complex hiPSC-derived culture systems have led to the implementation of new technologies, including microfluidics, multielectrode array, and machine learning which offer novel insights into the functional correlates of these emerging model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra E Johns
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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46
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Feng SY, Lin H, Che CH, Huang HP, Liu CY, Zou ZY. Phenotype of VCP Mutations in Chinese Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients. Front Neurol 2022; 13:790082. [PMID: 35197922 PMCID: PMC8858817 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.790082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the valosin-containing protein (VCP) gene have been linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the Caucasian populations. However, the phenotype of VCP mutations in Chinese patients with (ALS) remains unclear. Targeted next-generation sequencing covered 28 ALS-related genes including the VCP gene was undertaken to screen in a Chinese cohort of 275 sporadic ALS cases and 15 familial ALS pedigrees. An extensive literature review was performed to identify all patients with ALS carrying VCP mutations previously reported. The clinical characteristics and genetic features of ALS patients with VCP mutations were reviewed. One known p.R155C mutation in the VCP gene was detected in two siblings from a familial ALS pedigree and two sporadic individuals. In addition, the same VCP p.R155C mutation was detected in an additional patient with ALS referred in 2021. Three patients with VCP p.R155C mutation presented with muscular weakness starting from proximal extremities to distal extremities. The other patient developed a phenotype of Paget's disease of bone in addition to the progressive muscular atrophy. We reported the first VCP mutation carrier manifesting ALS with Paget's disease of bone in the Chinese population. Our findings expand the phenotypic spectrum of the VCP mutations in Chinese patients with ALS and suggest that ALS patients with VCP p.R155C mutations tend to present with relatively young onset, symmetrical involvement of proximal muscles weakness of arms or legs, and then progressed to distal muscles of limbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Yan Feng
- Department of Neurophysiology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Han Lin
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Chun-Hui Che
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hua-Pin Huang
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Institute of Clinical Neurology, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Chang-Yun Liu
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Institute of Clinical Neurology, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhang-Yu Zou
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Institute of Clinical Neurology, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zhang-Yu Zou
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47
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Soubannier V, Chaineau M, Gursu L, Haghi G, Franco Flores AK, Rouleau G, Durcan TM, Stifani S. Rapid Generation of Ventral Spinal Cord-like Astrocytes from Human iPSCs for Modeling Non-Cell Autonomous Mechanisms of Lower Motor Neuron Disease. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030399. [PMID: 35159209 PMCID: PMC8834281 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes play important roles in the function and survival of neuronal cells. Dysfunctions of astrocytes are associated with numerous disorders and diseases of the nervous system, including motor neuron diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based approaches are becoming increasingly important for the study of the mechanisms underlying the involvement of astrocytes in non-cell autonomous processes of motor neuron degeneration in ALS. These studies must account for the molecular and functional diversity among astrocytes in different regions of the brain and spinal cord. It is essential that the most pathologically relevant astrocyte preparations are used when investigating non-cell autonomous mechanisms of either upper or lower motor neuron degeneration in ALS. Here, we describe the efficient and streamlined generation of human iPSC-derived astrocytes with molecular and biological properties similar to physiological astrocytes in the ventral spinal cord. These induced astrocytes exhibit spontaneous and ATP-induced calcium transients, and lack signs of overt activation. Human iPSC-derived astrocytes with ventral spinal cord features offer advantages over more generic astrocyte preparations for the study of both ventral spinal cord astrocyte biology and the involvement of astrocytes in mechanisms of lower motor neuron degeneration in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Soubannier
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (V.S.); (G.R.); (T.M.D.)
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (M.C.); (L.G.); (G.H.); (A.K.F.F.)
| | - Mathilde Chaineau
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (M.C.); (L.G.); (G.H.); (A.K.F.F.)
| | - Lale Gursu
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (M.C.); (L.G.); (G.H.); (A.K.F.F.)
| | - Ghazal Haghi
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (M.C.); (L.G.); (G.H.); (A.K.F.F.)
| | - Anna Kristyna Franco Flores
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (M.C.); (L.G.); (G.H.); (A.K.F.F.)
| | - Guy Rouleau
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (V.S.); (G.R.); (T.M.D.)
| | - Thomas M. Durcan
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (V.S.); (G.R.); (T.M.D.)
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (M.C.); (L.G.); (G.H.); (A.K.F.F.)
| | - Stefano Stifani
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (V.S.); (G.R.); (T.M.D.)
- Correspondence:
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Giacomelli E, Vahsen BF, Calder EL, Xu Y, Scaber J, Gray E, Dafinca R, Talbot K, Studer L. Human stem cell models of neurodegeneration: From basic science of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to clinical translation. Cell Stem Cell 2022; 29:11-35. [PMID: 34995492 PMCID: PMC8785905 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by progressive cell loss leading to disruption of the structure and function of the central nervous system. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was among the first of these disorders modeled in patient-specific iPSCs, and recent findings have translated into some of the earliest iPSC-inspired clinical trials. Focusing on ALS as an example, we evaluate the status of modeling neurodegenerative diseases using iPSCs, including methods for deriving and using disease-relevant neuronal and glial lineages. We further highlight the remaining challenges in exploiting the full potential of iPSC technology for understanding and potentially treating neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Giacomelli
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
| | - Björn F Vahsen
- Oxford Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Elizabeth L Calder
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yinyan Xu
- Oxford Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), CAMS Oxford Institute (COI), Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Jakub Scaber
- Oxford Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Elizabeth Gray
- Oxford Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Ruxandra Dafinca
- Oxford Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Kevin Talbot
- Oxford Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
| | - Lorenz Studer
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA.
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Ziff OJ, Clarke BE, Taha DM, Crerar H, Luscombe NM, Patani R. Meta-analysis of human and mouse ALS astrocytes reveals multi-omic signatures of inflammatory reactive states. Genome Res 2022; 32:71-84. [PMID: 34963663 PMCID: PMC8744676 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275939.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes contribute to motor neuron death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but whether they adopt deleterious features consistent with inflammatory reactive states remains incompletely resolved. To identify inflammatory reactive features in ALS human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived astrocytes, we examined transcriptomics, proteomics, and glutamate uptake in VCP-mutant astrocytes. We complemented this by examining other ALS mutations and models using a systematic meta-analysis of all publicly-available ALS astrocyte sequencing data, which included hiPSC-derived astrocytes carrying SOD1, C9orf72, and FUS gene mutations as well as mouse ALS astrocyte models with SOD1G93A mutation, Tardbp deletion, and Tmem259 (also known as membralin) deletion. ALS astrocytes were characterized by up-regulation of genes involved in the extracellular matrix, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and the immune response and down-regulation of synaptic integrity, glutamate uptake, and other neuronal support processes. We identify activation of the TGFB, Wnt, and hypoxia signaling pathways in both hiPSC and mouse ALS astrocytes. ALS changes positively correlate with TNF, IL1A, and complement pathway component C1q-treated inflammatory reactive astrocytes, with significant overlap of differentially expressed genes. By contrasting ALS changes with models of protective reactive astrocytes, including middle cerebral artery occlusion and spinal cord injury, we uncover a cluster of genes changing in opposing directions, which may represent down-regulated homeostatic genes and up-regulated deleterious genes in ALS astrocytes. These observations indicate that ALS astrocytes augment inflammatory processes while concomitantly suppressing neuronal supporting mechanisms, thus resembling inflammatory reactive states and offering potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Ziff
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin E Clarke
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Doaa M Taha
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21511, Egypt
| | - Hamish Crerar
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas M Luscombe
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Rickie Patani
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
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50
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Bi X, Zhang Y, Yu Y, Yuan J, Xu S, Liu F, Ye J, Liu P. MiRNA-339-5p promotes isoproterenol-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by targeting VCP to activate the mTOR signaling. Cell Biol Int 2021; 46:288-299. [PMID: 34854520 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.11731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate multiple biological processes and participate in various cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to investigate the role of miR-339-5p in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and the involved mechanism. Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) were cultured and stimulated with isoproterenol (ISO). The hypertrophic responses were monitored by measuring the cell surface area and expression of hypertrophic markers including β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) and atrial natriuretic factor (ANF). Bioinformatic prediction tools and dual-luciferase reporter assay were performed to identify the target gene of miR-339-5p. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were used to determine the levels of miR-339-5p and its downstream effectors. Our data showed that miR-339-5p was upregulated during cardiomyocyte hypertrophy triggered by ISO. MiR-339-5p overexpression resulted in enlargement of cell size and increased the levels of hypertrophic markers. In contrast, inhibition of miR-339-5p significantly attenuated ISO-induced hypertrophic responses of NRCMs. Valosin-containing protein (VCP), a suppressor of cardiac hypertrophy via inhibiting mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, was validated as a target of miR-339-5p. MiR-339-5p suppressed VCP protein expression, leading to elevated phosphorylation of mTOR and ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K). VCP depletion activated the mTOR/S6K cascade and could compromise the anti-hypertrophic effects of miR-339-5p inhibitor. Additionally, the hypertrophic responses caused by miR-339-5p was alleviated in the presence of mTOR inhibitor rapamycin. In conclusion, our research revealed that miR-339-5p promoted ISO-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by targeting VCP to activate the mTOR signaling, suggesting a promising therapeutic intervention by interfering miR-339-5p.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Bi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuhong Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China
| | - Youhui Yu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China
| | - Siting Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fang Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiantao Ye
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peiqing Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China
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