1
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Niso-Santano M, Fuentes JM, Galluzzi L. Immunological aspects of central neurodegeneration. Cell Discov 2024; 10:41. [PMID: 38594240 PMCID: PMC11004155 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-024-00666-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The etiology of various neurodegenerative disorders that mainly affect the central nervous system including (but not limited to) Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease has classically been attributed to neuronal defects that culminate with the loss of specific neuronal populations. However, accumulating evidence suggests that numerous immune effector cells and the products thereof (including cytokines and other soluble mediators) have a major impact on the pathogenesis and/or severity of these and other neurodegenerative syndromes. These observations not only add to our understanding of neurodegenerative conditions but also imply that (at least in some cases) therapeutic strategies targeting immune cells or their products may mediate clinically relevant neuroprotective effects. Here, we critically discuss immunological mechanisms of central neurodegeneration and propose potential strategies to correct neurodegeneration-associated immunological dysfunction with therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireia Niso-Santano
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas-Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), Cáceres, Spain.
| | - José M Fuentes
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas-Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), Cáceres, Spain
| | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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2
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Zimmer TS, Orr AL, Orr AG. Astrocytes in selective vulnerability to neurodegenerative disease. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:289-302. [PMID: 38521710 PMCID: PMC11006581 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.02.008] [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: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Selective vulnerability of specific brain regions and cell populations is a hallmark of neurodegenerative disorders. Mechanisms of selective vulnerability involve neuronal heterogeneity, functional specializations, and differential sensitivities to stressors and pathogenic factors. In this review we discuss the growing body of literature suggesting that, like neurons, astrocytes are heterogeneous and specialized, respond to and integrate diverse inputs, and induce selective effects on brain function. In disease, astrocytes undergo specific, context-dependent changes that promote different pathogenic trajectories and functional outcomes. We propose that astrocytes contribute to selective vulnerability through maladaptive transitions to context-divergent phenotypes that impair specific brain regions and functions. Further studies on the multifaceted roles of astrocytes in disease may provide new therapeutic approaches to enhance resilience against neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till S Zimmer
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adam L Orr
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna G Orr
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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3
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Ling E, Nemesh J, Goldman M, Kamitaki N, Reed N, Handsaker RE, Genovese G, Vogelgsang JS, Gerges S, Kashin S, Ghosh S, Esposito JM, Morris K, Meyer D, Lutservitz A, Mullally CD, Wysoker A, Spina L, Neumann A, Hogan M, Ichihara K, Berretta S, McCarroll SA. A concerted neuron-astrocyte program declines in ageing and schizophrenia. Nature 2024; 627:604-611. [PMID: 38448582 PMCID: PMC10954558 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07109-5] [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: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Human brains vary across people and over time; such variation is not yet understood in cellular terms. Here we describe a relationship between people's cortical neurons and cortical astrocytes. We used single-nucleus RNA sequencing to analyse the prefrontal cortex of 191 human donors aged 22-97 years, including healthy individuals and people with schizophrenia. Latent-factor analysis of these data revealed that, in people whose cortical neurons more strongly expressed genes encoding synaptic components, cortical astrocytes more strongly expressed distinct genes with synaptic functions and genes for synthesizing cholesterol, an astrocyte-supplied component of synaptic membranes. We call this relationship the synaptic neuron and astrocyte program (SNAP). In schizophrenia and ageing-two conditions that involve declines in cognitive flexibility and plasticity1,2-cells divested from SNAP: astrocytes, glutamatergic (excitatory) neurons and GABAergic (inhibitory) neurons all showed reduced SNAP expression to corresponding degrees. The distinct astrocytic and neuronal components of SNAP both involved genes in which genetic risk factors for schizophrenia were strongly concentrated. SNAP, which varies quantitatively even among healthy people of similar age, may underlie many aspects of normal human interindividual differences and may be an important point of convergence for multiple kinds of pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emi Ling
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - James Nemesh
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Melissa Goldman
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nolan Kamitaki
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nora Reed
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert E Handsaker
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Giulio Genovese
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan S Vogelgsang
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sherif Gerges
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Seva Kashin
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sulagna Ghosh
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Daniel Meyer
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alyssa Lutservitz
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher D Mullally
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alec Wysoker
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Liv Spina
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anna Neumann
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marina Hogan
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kiku Ichihara
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sabina Berretta
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Steven A McCarroll
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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4
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Zipursky S, Lee J, Sergeeva A, Ahlsen G, Mannepalli S, Bahna F, Goodman K, Khakh B, Weiner J, Shapiro L, Honig B. Astrocyte morphogenesis requires self-recognition. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3932947. [PMID: 38463964 PMCID: PMC10925414 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3932947/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Self-recognition is a fundamental cellular process across evolution and forms the basis of neuronal self-avoidance1-4. Clustered protocadherins (Pcdh), comprising a large family of isoform-specific homophilic recognition molecules, play a pivotal role in neuronal self-avoidance required for mammalian brain development5-7. The probabilistic expression of different Pcdh isoforms confers unique identities upon neurons and forms the basis for neuronal processes to discriminate between self and non-self5,6,8. Whether this self-recognition mechanism exists in astrocytes, the other predominant cell type of the brain, remains unknown. Here, we report that a specific isoform in the Pcdhγ cluster, γC3, is highly enriched in human and murine astrocytes. Through genetic manipulation, we demonstrate that γC3 acts autonomously to regulate astrocyte morphogenesis in the mouse visual cortex. To determine if γC3 proteins act by promoting recognition between processes of the same astrocyte, we generated pairs of γC3 chimeric proteins capable of heterophilic binding to each other, but incapable of homophilic binding. Co-expressing complementary heterophilic binding isoform pairs in the same γC3 null astrocyte restored normal morphology. By contrast, chimeric γC3 proteins individually expressed in single γC3 null mutant astrocytes did not. These data establish that self-recognition is essential for astrocyte development in the mammalian brain and that, by contrast to neuronal self-recognition, a single Pcdh isoform is both necessary and sufficient for this process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John Lee
- University of California Los Angeles
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5
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Ling E, Nemesh J, Goldman M, Kamitaki N, Reed N, Handsaker RE, Genovese G, Vogelgsang JS, Gerges S, Kashin S, Ghosh S, Esposito JM, French K, Meyer D, Lutservitz A, Mullally CD, Wysoker A, Spina L, Neumann A, Hogan M, Ichihara K, Berretta S, McCarroll SA. Concerted neuron-astrocyte gene expression declines in aging and schizophrenia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.07.574148. [PMID: 38260461 PMCID: PMC10802483 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.07.574148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Human brains vary across people and over time; such variation is not yet understood in cellular terms. Here we describe a striking relationship between people's cortical neurons and cortical astrocytes. We used single-nucleus RNA-seq to analyze the prefrontal cortex of 191 human donors ages 22-97 years, including healthy individuals and persons with schizophrenia. Latent-factor analysis of these data revealed that in persons whose cortical neurons more strongly expressed genes for synaptic components, cortical astrocytes more strongly expressed distinct genes with synaptic functions and genes for synthesizing cholesterol, an astrocyte-supplied component of synaptic membranes. We call this relationship the Synaptic Neuron-and-Astrocyte Program (SNAP). In schizophrenia and aging - two conditions that involve declines in cognitive flexibility and plasticity 1,2 - cells had divested from SNAP: astrocytes, glutamatergic (excitatory) neurons, and GABAergic (inhibitory) neurons all reduced SNAP expression to corresponding degrees. The distinct astrocytic and neuronal components of SNAP both involved genes in which genetic risk factors for schizophrenia were strongly concentrated. SNAP, which varies quantitatively even among healthy persons of similar age, may underlie many aspects of normal human interindividual differences and be an important point of convergence for multiple kinds of pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emi Ling
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - James Nemesh
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Melissa Goldman
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nolan Kamitaki
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nora Reed
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Robert E. Handsaker
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Giulio Genovese
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jonathan S. Vogelgsang
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Sherif Gerges
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Seva Kashin
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sulagna Ghosh
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | | | - Daniel Meyer
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alyssa Lutservitz
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christopher D. Mullally
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alec Wysoker
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Liv Spina
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anna Neumann
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Marina Hogan
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kiku Ichihara
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sabina Berretta
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Steven A. McCarroll
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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6
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Fernández-Moncada I, Eraso-Pichot A, Tor TD, Fortunato-Marsol B, Marsicano G. An enquiry to the role of CB1 receptors in neurodegeneration. Neurobiol Dis 2023:106235. [PMID: 37481040 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders are debilitating conditions that impair patient quality of life and that represent heavy social-economic burdens to society. Whereas the root of some of these brain illnesses lies in autosomal inheritance, the origin of most of these neuropathologies is scantly understood. Similarly, the cellular and molecular substrates explaining the progressive loss of brain functions remains to be fully described too. Indeed, the study of brain neurodegeneration has resulted in a complex picture, composed of a myriad of altered processes that include broken brain bioenergetics, widespread neuroinflammation and aberrant activity of signaling pathways. In this context, several lines of research have shown that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and its main signaling hub, the type-1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptor are altered in diverse neurodegenerative disorders. However, some of these data are conflictive or poorly described. In this review, we summarize the findings about the alterations in ECS and CB1 receptors signaling in three representative brain illnesses, the Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, and we discuss the relevance of these studies in understanding neurodegeneration development and progression, with a special focus on astrocyte function. Noteworthy, the analysis of ECS defects in neurodegeneration warrant much more studies, as our conceptual understanding of ECS function has evolved quickly in the last years, which now include glia cells and the subcellular-specific CB1 receptors signaling as critical players of brain functions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Abel Eraso-Pichot
- Université de Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Tommaso Dalla Tor
- Université de Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Catania, Catania 95124, Italy
| | | | - Giovanni Marsicano
- Université de Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
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Pinchaud K, Masson C, Dayre B, Mounier C, Gilles JF, Vanhoutte P, Caboche J, Betuing S. Cell-Type Specific Regulation of Cholesterogenesis by CYP46A1 Re-Expression in zQ175 HD Mouse Striatum. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11001. [PMID: 37446179 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311001] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholesterol metabolism dysregulation is associated with several neurological disorders. In Huntington's disease (HD), several enzymes involved in cholesterol metabolism are downregulated, among which the neuronal cholesterol 24-hydroxylase, CYP46A1, is of particular interest. The restoration of CYP46A1 expression in striatal neurons of HD mouse models is beneficial for motor behavior, cholesterol metabolism, transcriptomic activity, and alleviates neuropathological hallmarks induced by mHTT. Among the genes regulated after CYP46A1 restoration, those involved in cholesterol synthesis and efflux may explain the positive effect of CYP46A1 on cholesterol precursor metabolites. Since cholesterol homeostasis results from a fine-tuning between neurons and astrocytes, we quantified the distribution of key genes regulating cholesterol metabolism and efflux in astrocytes and neurons using in situ hybridization coupled with S100β and NeuN immunostaining, respectively. Neuronal expression of CYP46A1 in the striatum of HD zQ175 mice increased key cholesterol synthesis driver genes (Hmgcr, Dhcr24), specifically in neurons. This effect was associated with an increase of the srebp2 transcription factor gene that regulates most of the genes encoding for cholesterol enzymes. However, the cholesterol efflux gene, ApoE, was specifically upregulated in astrocytes by CYP46A1, probably though a paracrine effect. In summary, the neuronal expression of CYP46A1 has a dual and specific effect on neurons and astrocytes, regulating cholesterol metabolism. The neuronal restoration of CYP46A1 in HD paves the way for future strategies to compensate for mHTT toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katleen Pinchaud
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), CNRS UMR 8246/INSERM U1130, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Chloé Masson
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), CNRS UMR 8246/INSERM U1130, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Baptiste Dayre
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), CNRS UMR 8246/INSERM U1130, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Coline Mounier
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), CNRS UMR 8246/INSERM U1130, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jean-François Gilles
- Imaging Facility, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Peter Vanhoutte
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), CNRS UMR 8246/INSERM U1130, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jocelyne Caboche
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), CNRS UMR 8246/INSERM U1130, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Betuing
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), CNRS UMR 8246/INSERM U1130, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
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8
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Khakh BS, Goldman SA. Astrocytic contributions to Huntington's disease pathophysiology. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1522:42-59. [PMID: 36864567 PMCID: PMC10145027 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14977] [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] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal, monogenic, autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine-encoding CAG expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene that results in mutant huntingtin proteins (mHTT) in cells throughout the body. Although large parts of the central nervous system (CNS) are affected, the striatum is especially vulnerable and undergoes marked atrophy. Astrocytes are abundant within the striatum and contain mHTT in HD, as well as in mouse models of the disease. We focus on striatal astrocytes and summarize how they participate in, and contribute to, molecular pathophysiology and disease-related phenotypes in HD model mice. Where possible, reference is made to pertinent astrocyte alterations in human HD. Astrocytic dysfunctions related to cellular morphology, extracellular ion and neurotransmitter homeostasis, and metabolic support all accompany the development and progression of HD, in both transgenic mouse and human cellular and chimeric models of HD. These findings reveal the potential for the therapeutic targeting of astrocytes so as to restore synaptic as well as tissue homeostasis in HD. Elucidation of the mechanisms by which astrocytes contribute to HD pathogenesis may inform a broader understanding of the role of glial pathology in neurodegenerative disorders and, by so doing, enable new strategies of glial-directed therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baljit S. Khakh
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Steven A. Goldman
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
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9
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Brown TG, Thayer MN, VanTreeck JG, Zarate N, Hart DW, Heilbronner S, Gomez-Pastor R. Striatal spatial heterogeneity, clustering, and white matter association of GFAP + astrocytes in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1094503. [PMID: 37187609 PMCID: PMC10175581 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1094503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects the striatum, a brain region that controls movement and some forms of cognition. Neuronal dysfunction and loss in HD is accompanied by increased astrocyte density and astrocyte pathology. Astrocytes are a heterogeneous population classified into multiple subtypes depending on the expression of different gene markers. Studying whether mutant Huntingtin (HTT) alters specific subtypes of astrocytes is necessary to understand their relative contribution to HD. Methods Here, we studied whether astrocytes expressing two different markers; glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), associated with astrocyte activation, and S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B), a marker of matured astrocytes and inflammation, were differentially altered in HD. Results First, we found three distinct populations in the striatum of WT and symptomatic zQ175 mice: GFAP+, S100B+, and dual GFAP+S100B+. The number of GFAP+ and S100B+ astrocytes throughout the striatum was increased in HD mice compared to WT, coinciding with an increase in HTT aggregation. Overlap between GFAP and S100B staining was expected, but dual GFAP+S100B+ astrocytes only accounted for less than 10% of all tested astrocytes and the number of GFAP+S100B+ astrocytes did not differ between WT and HD, suggesting that GFAP+ astrocytes and S100B+ astrocytes are distinct types of astrocytes. Interestingly, a spatial characterization of these astrocyte subtypes in HD mice showed that while S100B+ were homogeneously distributed throughout the striatum, GFAP+ preferentially accumulated in "patches" in the dorsomedial (dm) striatum, a region associated with goal-directed behaviors. In addition, GFAP+ astrocytes in the dm striatum of zQ175 mice showed increased clustering and association with white matter fascicles and were preferentially located in areas with low HTT aggregate load. Discussion In summary, we showed that GFAP+ and S100B+ astrocyte subtypes are distinctly affected in HD and exist in distinct spatial arrangements that may offer new insights to the function of these specific astrocytes subtypes and their potential implications in HD pathology.
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