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Pircs K, Drouin-Ouellet J, Horváth V, Gil J, Rezeli M, Garza R, Grassi DA, Sharma Y, St-Amour I, Harris K, Jönsson ME, Johansson PA, Vuono R, Fazal SV, Stoker T, Hersbach BA, Sharma K, Lagerwall J, Lagerström S, Storm P, Hébert SS, Marko-Varga G, Parmar M, Barker RA, Jakobsson J. Distinct subcellular autophagy impairments in induced neurons from Huntington’s disease patients. Brain 2021; 145:3035-3057. [PMID: 34936701 PMCID: PMC9473361 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by CAG expansions in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Modelling Huntington's disease is challenging, as rodent and cellular models poorly recapitulate the disease as seen in ageing humans. To address this, we generated induced neurons through direct reprogramming of human skin fibroblasts, which retain age-dependent epigenetic characteristics. Huntington's disease induced neurons (HD-iNs) displayed profound deficits in autophagy, characterized by reduced transport of late autophagic structures from the neurites to the soma. These neurite-specific alterations in autophagy resulted in shorter, thinner and fewer neurites specifically in HD-iNs. CRISPRi-mediated silencing of HTT did not rescue this phenotype but rather resulted in additional autophagy alterations in control induced neurons, highlighting the importance of wild-type HTT in normal neuronal autophagy. In summary, our work identifies a distinct subcellular autophagy impairment in adult patient derived Huntington's disease neurons and provides a new rationale for future development of autophagy activation therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Pircs
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Janelle Drouin-Ouellet
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, H3 T 1J4, Canada
- Developmental and Regenerative Neurobiology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Division of Neurobiology and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11 and B10, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Vivien Horváth
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jeovanis Gil
- Oncology and Pathology, Kamprad Lab, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, S-221 85, Lund, Sweden
| | - Melinda Rezeli
- Clinical Protein Science and Imaging, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, S-221 85, Lund, Sweden
| | - Raquel Garza
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Daniela A. Grassi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Yogita Sharma
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Isabelle St-Amour
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec – Université Laval, CHUL, Québec, QC G1E 6W2, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Center – Université Laval, Québec, QC G1E 1T2, Canada
| | - Kate Harris
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute & John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Forvie Site, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Marie E. Jönsson
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Pia A. Johansson
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Romina Vuono
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute & John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Forvie Site, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Shaline V. Fazal
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute & John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Forvie Site, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Thomas Stoker
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute & John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Forvie Site, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Bob A. Hersbach
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kritika Sharma
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jessica Lagerwall
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Stina Lagerström
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Petter Storm
- Developmental and Regenerative Neurobiology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Division of Neurobiology and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11 and B10, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sébastien S. Hébert
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec – Université Laval, CHUL, Québec, QC G1E 6W2, Canada
| | - György Marko-Varga
- Oncology and Pathology, Kamprad Lab, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, S-221 85, Lund, Sweden
| | - Malin Parmar
- Developmental and Regenerative Neurobiology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Division of Neurobiology and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11 and B10, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Roger A. Barker
- Developmental and Regenerative Neurobiology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Division of Neurobiology and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11 and B10, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute & John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Forvie Site, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Johan Jakobsson
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, BMC A11, Lund University, S-221 84, Lund, Sweden
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Brattås PL, Hersbach BA, Madsen S, Petri R, Jakobsson J, Pircs K. Impact of differential and time-dependent autophagy activation on therapeutic efficacy in a model of Huntington disease. Autophagy 2021; 17:1316-1329. [PMID: 32374203 PMCID: PMC8204969 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1760014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of macroautophagy/autophagy, a key mechanism involved in the degradation and removal of aggregated proteins, can successfully reverse Huntington disease phenotypes in various model systems. How neuronal autophagy impairments need to be considered in Huntington disease progression to achieve a therapeutic effect is currently not known. In this study, we used a mouse model of HTT (huntingtin) protein aggregation to investigate how different methods and timing of autophagy activation influence the efficacy of autophagy-activating treatment in vivo. We found that overexpression of human TFEB, a master regulator of autophagy, did not decrease mutant HTT aggregation. On the other hand, Becn1 overexpression, an autophagic regulator that plays a key role in autophagosome formation, partially cleared mutant HTT aggregates and restored neuronal pathology, but only when administered early in the disease progression. When Becn1 was administered at a later stage, when prominent mutant HTT accumulation and autophagy impairments have occurred, Becn1 overexpression did not rescue the mutant HTT-associated phenotypes. Together, these results demonstrate that the targets used to activate autophagy, as well as the timing of autophagy activation, are crucial for achieving efficient therapeutic effects.Abbreviations: AAV: adeno-associated viral vectors; ACTB: actin beta; BECN1: beclin 1, autophagy related; DAPI: 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; GO: gene ontology; HD: Huntington disease; HTT: huntingtin; ICQ: Li's intensity correlation quotient; IHC: immunohistochemistry; LAMP1: lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1; MAP1LC3B/LC3B: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; mHTT: mutant huntingtin; PCA: principal component analysis; PPP1R1B/DARPP-32: protein phosphatase 1 regulatory inhibitor subunit 1B; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; TFEB: transcription factor EB; WB: western blot; WT: wild-type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per Ludvik Brattås
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Bob A. Hersbach
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sofia Madsen
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Rebecca Petri
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Johan Jakobsson
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Karolina Pircs
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Naranjo JR, Zhang H, Villar D, González P, Dopazo XM, Morón-Oset J, Higueras E, Oliveros JC, Arrabal MD, Prieto A, Cercós P, González T, De la Cruz A, Casado-Vela J, Rábano A, Valenzuela C, Gutierrez-Rodriguez M, Li JY, Mellström B. Activating transcription factor 6 derepression mediates neuroprotection in Huntington disease. J Clin Invest 2016; 126:627-38. [PMID: 26752648 DOI: 10.1172/jci82670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Deregulated protein and Ca2+ homeostasis underlie synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration in Huntington disease (HD); however, the factors that disrupt homeostasis are not fully understood. Here, we determined that expression of downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator (DREAM), a multifunctional Ca2+-binding protein, is reduced in murine in vivo and in vitro HD models and in HD patients. DREAM downregulation was observed early after birth and was associated with endogenous neuroprotection. In the R6/2 mouse HD model, induced DREAM haplodeficiency or blockade of DREAM activity by chronic administration of the drug repaglinide delayed onset of motor dysfunction, reduced striatal atrophy, and prolonged life span. DREAM-related neuroprotection was linked to an interaction between DREAM and the unfolded protein response (UPR) sensor activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6). Repaglinide blocked this interaction and enhanced ATF6 processing and nuclear accumulation of transcriptionally active ATF6, improving prosurvival UPR function in striatal neurons. Together, our results identify a role for DREAM silencing in the activation of ATF6 signaling, which promotes early neuroprotection in HD.
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