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Tenchov R, Sasso JM, Zhou QA. Polyglutamine (PolyQ) Diseases: Navigating the Landscape of Neurodegeneration. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:2665-2694. [PMID: 38996083 PMCID: PMC11311141 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00184] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are a group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders caused by expanded cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats encoding proteins with abnormally expanded polyglutamine tract. A total of nine polyQ disorders have been identified, including Huntington's disease, six spinocerebellar ataxias, dentatorubral pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA), and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA). The diseases of this class are each considered rare, yet polyQ diseases constitute the largest group of monogenic neurodegenerative disorders. While each subtype of polyQ diseases has its own causative gene, certain pathologic molecular attributes have been implicated in virtually all of the polyQ diseases, including protein aggregation, proteolytic cleavage, neuronal dysfunction, transcription dysregulation, autophagy impairment, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Although animal models of polyQ disease are available helping to understand their pathogenesis and access disease-modifying therapies, there is neither a cure nor prevention for these diseases, with only symptomatic treatments available. In this paper, we analyze data from the CAS Content Collection to summarize the research progress in the class of polyQ diseases. We examine the publication landscape in the area in effort to provide insights into current knowledge advances and developments. We review the most discussed concepts and assess the strategies to combat these diseases. Finally, we inspect clinical applications of products against polyQ diseases with their development pipelines. The objective of this review is to provide a broad overview of the evolving landscape of current knowledge regarding the class of polyQ diseases, to outline challenges, and evaluate growth opportunities to further efforts in combating the diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rumiana Tenchov
- CAS, a division of the American
Chemical Society, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Janet M. Sasso
- CAS, a division of the American
Chemical Society, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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2
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Moldovean-Cioroianu NS. Reviewing the Structure-Function Paradigm in Polyglutamine Disorders: A Synergistic Perspective on Theoretical and Experimental Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6789. [PMID: 38928495 PMCID: PMC11204371 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126789] [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: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) disorders are a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the excessive expansion of CAG (cytosine, adenine, guanine) repeats within host proteins. The quest to unravel the complex diseases mechanism has led researchers to adopt both theoretical and experimental methods, each offering unique insights into the underlying pathogenesis. This review emphasizes the significance of combining multiple approaches in the study of polyQ disorders, focusing on the structure-function correlations and the relevance of polyQ-related protein dynamics in neurodegeneration. By integrating computational/theoretical predictions with experimental observations, one can establish robust structure-function correlations, aiding in the identification of key molecular targets for therapeutic interventions. PolyQ proteins' dynamics, influenced by their length and interactions with other molecular partners, play a pivotal role in the polyQ-related pathogenic cascade. Moreover, conformational dynamics of polyQ proteins can trigger aggregation, leading to toxic assembles that hinder proper cellular homeostasis. Understanding these intricacies offers new avenues for therapeutic strategies by fine-tuning polyQ kinetics, in order to prevent and control disease progression. Last but not least, this review highlights the importance of integrating multidisciplinary efforts to advancing research in this field, bringing us closer to the ultimate goal of finding effective treatments against polyQ disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nastasia Sanda Moldovean-Cioroianu
- Institute of Materials Science, Bioinspired Materials and Biosensor Technologies, Kiel University, Kaiserstraße 2, 24143 Kiel, Germany;
- Faculty of Physics, Babeș-Bolyai University, Kogălniceanu 1, RO-400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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3
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Henriques C, Lopes MM, Silva AC, Lobo DD, Badin RA, Hantraye P, Pereira de Almeida L, Nobre RJ. Viral-based animal models in polyglutamine disorders. Brain 2024; 147:1166-1189. [PMID: 38284949 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae012] [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: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine disorders are a complex group of incurable neurodegenerative disorders caused by an abnormal expansion in the trinucleotide cytosine-adenine-guanine tract of the affected gene. To better understand these disorders, our dependence on animal models persists, primarily relying on transgenic models. In an effort to complement and deepen our knowledge, researchers have also developed animal models of polyglutamine disorders employing viral vectors. Viral vectors have been extensively used to deliver genes to the brain, not only for therapeutic purposes but also for the development of animal models, given their remarkable flexibility. In a time- and cost-effective manner, it is possible to use different transgenes, at varying doses, in diverse targeted tissues, at different ages, and in different species, to recreate polyglutamine pathology. This paper aims to showcase the utility of viral vectors in disease modelling, share essential considerations for developing animal models with viral vectors, and provide a comprehensive review of existing viral-based animal models for polyglutamine disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Henriques
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel M Lopes
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana C Silva
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Diana D Lobo
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Romina Aron Badin
- CEA, DRF, Institute of Biology François Jacob, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- CNRS, CEA, Paris-Sud University, Université Paris-Saclay, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory (UMR9199), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Philippe Hantraye
- CEA, DRF, Institute of Biology François Jacob, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- CNRS, CEA, Paris-Sud University, Université Paris-Saclay, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory (UMR9199), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rui Jorge Nobre
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
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4
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Intrathecal Pseudodelivery of Drugs in the Therapy of Neurodegenerative Diseases: Rationale, Basis and Potential Applications. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15030768. [PMID: 36986629 PMCID: PMC10059785 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15030768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Intrathecal pseudodelivery of drugs is a novel route to administer medications to treat neurodegenerative diseases based on the CSF-sink therapeutic strategy by means of implantable devices. While the development of this therapy is still in the preclinical stage, it offers promising advantages over traditional routes of drug delivery. In this paper, we describe the rationale of this system and provide a technical report on the mechanism of action, that relies on the use of nanoporous membranes enabling selective molecular permeability. On one side, the membranes do not permit the crossing of certain drugs; whereas, on the other side, they permit the crossing of target molecules present in the CSF. Target molecules, by binding drugs inside the system, are retained or cleaved and subsequently eliminated from the central nervous system. Finally, we provide a list of potential indications, the respective molecular targets, and the proposed therapeutic agents.
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Shi B, Lu C, Liu X, Zhou L, Wang K, Tao X. Pharmacological mechanisms underlying the androgen-reducing effects of Shaoyao Gancao Decoction determined by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Minerva Med 2021; 113:735-737. [PMID: 34825814 DOI: 10.23736/s0026-4806.21.07878-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Beibei Shi
- Graduate School, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Caixia Lu
- Department of Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Xueping Liu
- Graduate School, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Lijun Zhou
- Graduate School, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Kaiyue Wang
- Graduate School, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Xijing Tao
- Department of Obstetrics, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, China -
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Lee LKC, Leong LI, Liu Y, Luo M, Chan HYE, Choi CHJ. Preclinical Nanomedicines for Polyglutamine-Based Neurodegenerative Diseases. Mol Pharm 2020; 18:610-626. [PMID: 32584043 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.0c00506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, such as Huntington's disease and several types of spinocerebellar ataxias, are dominantly inherited progressive neurodegenerative disorders and characterized by the presence of expanded CAG trinucleotide repeats in the respective disease locus of the patient genomes. Patients with polyQ diseases currently need to rely on symptom-relieving treatments because disease-modifying therapeutic interventions remain scarce. Many disease-modifying therapeutic agents are now under clinical testing for treating polyQ diseases, but their delivery to the brain is often too invasive (e.g., intracranial injection) or inefficient, owing to in vivo degradation and clearance by physiological barriers (e.g., oral and intravenous administration). Nanoparticles provide a feasible solution for improving drug delivery to the brain, as evidenced by an increasing number of preclinical studies that document the efficacy of nanomedicines for polyQ diseases over the past 5-6 years. In this review, we present the pathogenic mechanisms of polyQ diseases, the common animal models of polyQ diseases for evaluating the efficacy of nanomedicines, and the common administration routes for delivering nanoparticles to the brain. Next, we summarize the recent preclinical applications of nanomedicines for treating polyQ diseases and improving neurological conditions in vivo, placing emphasis on antisense oligonucleotides, small peptide inhibitors, and small molecules as the disease-modifying agents. We conclude with our perspectives of the burgeoning field of "nanomedicines for polyQ diseases", including the use of inorganic nanoparticles and potential drugs as next-generation nanomedicines, development of higher-order animal models of polyQ diseases, and importance of "brain-nano" interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Meihua Luo
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutics Science, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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Singh V, Patel KA, Sharma RK, Patil PR, Joshi AS, Parihar R, Athilingam T, Sinha N, Ganesh S, Sinha P, Roy I, Thakur AK. Discovery of Arginine Ethyl Ester as Polyglutamine Aggregation Inhibitor: Conformational Transitioning of Huntingtin N-Terminus Augments Aggregation Suppression. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:3969-3985. [PMID: 31460743 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic disorder caused by a CAG expansion mutation in the huntingtin gene leading to polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the N-terminal part of huntingtin (Httex1). Expanded polyQ, through a complex aggregation pathway, forms aggregates in neurons and presents a potential therapeutic target. Here we show Httex1 aggregation suppression by arginine and arginine ethyl ester (AEE) in vitro, as well as in yeast and mammalian cell models of HD, bearing expanded polyQ. These molecules also rescue locomotion dysfunction in HD Drosophila model. Both molecules alter the hydrogen bonding network of polyQ to enhance its aqueous solubility and delay aggregation. AEE shows direct binding with the NT17 part of Httex1 to induce structural changes to impart an enhanced inhibitory effect. This study provides a platform for the development of better arginine based therapeutic molecules against polyQ-rich Httex1 aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virender Singh
- Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Kinjal A. Patel
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, S.A.S. Nagar, Punjab 160062, India
| | - Raj Kumar Sharma
- Centre of Biomedical Research, SGPGIMS Campus, Raibarelly Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226014, India
| | - Pratik R. Patil
- Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
| | - Abhayraj S. Joshi
- Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
| | - Rashmi Parihar
- Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
| | - Thamarailingam Athilingam
- Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
| | - Neeraj Sinha
- Centre of Biomedical Research, SGPGIMS Campus, Raibarelly Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226014, India
| | - Subramaniam Ganesh
- Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
| | - Pradip Sinha
- Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
| | - Ipsita Roy
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, S.A.S. Nagar, Punjab 160062, India
| | - Ashwani Kumar Thakur
- Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
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8
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Characterization of the human head louse nit sheath reveals proteins with adhesive property that show no resemblance to known proteins. Sci Rep 2019; 9:48. [PMID: 30631086 PMCID: PMC6328571 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36913-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Human head and body lice attach their eggs respectively to human hair or clothing by female lice secreted glue that hardens into a nit sheath that protects the egg. In this study, a series of experiments were conducted to characterize the glue-like material of the nit sheath. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy on embryo-cleared nit showed proteinaceous amide I bands. With this result, we determined the amino acid composition of the nit sheath proteins and performed similarity search against the protein products of the body louse genome to identify the candidate nit sheath proteins. The identified two homologous proteins newly named as louse nit sheath protein (LNSP) 1 and LNSP2 are composed of three domains of characteristic repeating sequences. The N-terminal and middle domains consist of tandem two-residue repeats of Gln-Ala and Gly-Ala, respectively, which are expected to fold into β-strands and may further stack into β-sheets, whereas the C-terminal domain contains multiple consecutive Gln residues. Temporal and spatial transcription profiling demonstrated that both LNSP1 and LNSP2 are most predominantly expressed in the accessory gland of females of egg-laying stage, supporting that they indeed encode the nit sheath proteins. Further adhesive property of recombinant partial LNSP1 suggests that both LNSP1 and LNSP2 may act as glues.
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9
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Bravo-Arredondo JM, Kegulian NC, Schmidt T, Pandey NK, Situ AJ, Ulmer TS, Langen R. The folding equilibrium of huntingtin exon 1 monomer depends on its polyglutamine tract. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:19613-19623. [PMID: 30315108 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.004808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion of the polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in exon 1 of the huntingtin protein (Httex1) leads to Huntington's disease resulting in fatal neurodegeneration. However, it remains poorly understood how polyQ expansions alter protein structure and cause toxicity. Using CD, EPR, and NMR spectroscopy, we found here that monomeric Httex1 consists of two co-existing structural states whose ratio is determined by polyQ tract length. We observed that short Q-lengths favor a largely random-coil state, whereas long Q-lengths increase the proportion of a predominantly α-helical state. We also note that by following a mobility gradient, Httex1 α-helical conformation is restricted to the N-terminal N17 region and to the N-terminal portion of the adjoining polyQ tract. Structuring in both regions was interdependent and likely stabilized by tertiary contacts. Although little helicity was present in N17 alone, each Gln residue in Httex1 enhanced helix stability by 0.03-0.05 kcal/mol, causing a pronounced preference for the α-helical state at pathological Q-lengths. The Q-length-dependent structuring and rigidification could be mimicked in proteins with shorter Q-lengths by a decrease in temperature, indicating that lower temperatures similarly stabilize N17 and polyQ intramolecular contacts. The more rigid α-helical state of Httex1 with an expanded polyQ tract is expected to alter interactions with cellular proteins and modulate the toxic Httex1 misfolding process. We propose that the polyQ-dependent shift in the structural equilibrium may enable future therapeutic strategies that specifically target Httex1 with toxic Q-lengths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose M Bravo-Arredondo
- From the Departments of Physiology and Neuroscience and.,the Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Calzada Apizaquito S/N, 90300 Apizaco, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Natalie C Kegulian
- Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033 and
| | - Thomas Schmidt
- Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033 and
| | | | - Alan J Situ
- From the Departments of Physiology and Neuroscience and
| | - Tobias S Ulmer
- From the Departments of Physiology and Neuroscience and.,Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033 and
| | - Ralf Langen
- From the Departments of Physiology and Neuroscience and .,Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033 and
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10
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Mier P, Andrade-Navarro MA. Glutamine Codon Usage and polyQ Evolution in Primates Depend on the Q Stretch Length. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:816-825. [PMID: 29608721 PMCID: PMC5841385 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Amino acid usage in a proteome depends mostly on its taxonomy, as it does the codon usage in transcriptomes. Here, we explore the level of variation in the codon usage of a specific amino acid, glutamine, in relation to the number of consecutive glutamine residues. We show that CAG triplets are consistently more abundant in short glutamine homorepeats (polyQ, four to eight residues) than in shorter glutamine stretches (one to three residues), leading to the evolutionary growth of the repeat region in a CAG-dependent manner. The length of orthologous polyQ regions is mostly stable in primates, particularly the short ones. Interestingly, given a short polyQ the CAG usage is higher in unstable-in-length orthologous polyQ regions. This indicates that CAG triplets produce the necessary instability for a glutamine stretch to grow. Proteins related to polyQ-associated diseases behave in a more extreme way, with longer glutamine stretches in human and evolutionarily closer nonhuman primates, and an overall higher CAG usage. In the light of our results, we suggest an evolutionary model to explain the glutamine codon usage in polyQ regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Mier
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Miguel A Andrade-Navarro
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
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11
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Ni Y, Seballos S, Fletcher B, Romigh T, Yehia L, Mester J, Senter L, Niazi F, Saji M, Ringel MD, LaFramboise T, Eng C. Germline compound heterozygous poly-glutamine deletion in USF3 may be involved in predisposition to heritable and sporadic epithelial thyroid carcinoma. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:243-257. [PMID: 28011713 PMCID: PMC5351935 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cowden syndrome (CS) is an autosomal dominant disorder that predisposes to breast, thyroid, and other epithelial cancers. Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), as one of the major component cancers of CS, is the fastest rising incident cancer in the USA, and the most familial of all solid tumours. To identify additional candidate genes of CS and potentially DTC, we analysed a multi-generation CS-like family with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), applying a combined linkage-based and whole-genome sequencing strategy and identified an in-frame germline compound heterozygous deletion, p.[Gln1478del];[Gln1476-Gln1478del] in USF3 (previously known as KIAA2018). Among 90 unrelated CS/CS-like individuals, 29% were found to have p.[Gln1478del];[Gln1476-Gln1478del]. Of 497 TCGA PTC individuals, 138 (27%) were found to carry this germline compound deletion, with somatically decreased tumour USF3 expression. We demonstrate an increased migration phenotype along with enhanced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signature after USF3 knockdown or USF3 p.[Gln1478del];[Gln1476-Gln1478del] overexpression, which sensitizes cells to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Loss of USF3 function induced cell necrosis-like features and impaired respiratory capacity while providing a glutamine-dependent cell survival advantage, strongly suggests a metabolic survival and migration-favouring microenvironment for carcinogenesis. Therefore, USF3 may be involved in the predisposition of thyroid cancer. Importantly, the results that glutamine-dependent survival and sensitivity to ER stress in USF3-deficient cells provide avenues for therapeutic and adjunct preventive interventions for both sporadic cancer as well as cancer predisposition syndromes with similar mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Ni
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA
| | - Spencer Seballos
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA
| | - Benjamin Fletcher
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA
| | - Todd Romigh
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA
| | - Lamis Yehia
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA
| | - Jessica Mester
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA.,Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA
| | - Leigha Senter
- Division of Human Genetics.,Thyroid Center Unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, OH, USA
| | - Farshad Niazi
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA
| | - Motoyasu Saji
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, OH, USA.,Thyroid Center Unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, OH, USA
| | - Matthew D Ringel
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, OH, USA.,Thyroid Center Unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, OH, USA
| | - Thomas LaFramboise
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences.,Germline High Risk Focus Group, CASE Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA
| | - Charis Eng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA.,Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA.,Stanley Shalom Zielony Nursing Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences.,Germline High Risk Focus Group, CASE Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, USA
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12
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Lazarev VF, Mikhaylova ER, Guzhova IV, Margulis BA. Possible Function of Molecular Chaperones in Diseases Caused by Propagating Amyloid Aggregates. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:277. [PMID: 28559794 PMCID: PMC5433261 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The vast majority of neurodegenerative pathologies stem from the formation of toxic oligomers and aggregates composed of wrongly folded proteins. These protein complexes can be released from pathogenic cells and enthralled by other cells, causing the formation of new aggregates in a prion-like manner. By this mechanism, migrating complexes can transmit a disorder to distant regions of the brain and promote gradually transmitting degenerative processes. Molecular chaperones can counteract the toxicity of misfolded proteins. In this review, we discuss recent data on the possible cytoprotective functions of chaperones in horizontally transmitting neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir F Lazarev
- Laboratory of Cell Protection Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of SciencesSt. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Elena R Mikhaylova
- Laboratory of Cell Protection Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of SciencesSt. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Irina V Guzhova
- Laboratory of Cell Protection Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of SciencesSt. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Boris A Margulis
- Laboratory of Cell Protection Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of SciencesSt. Petersburg, Russia
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Adegbuyiro A, Sedighi F, Pilkington AW, Groover S, Legleiter J. Proteins Containing Expanded Polyglutamine Tracts and Neurodegenerative Disease. Biochemistry 2017; 56:1199-1217. [PMID: 28170216 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Several hereditary neurological and neuromuscular diseases are caused by an abnormal expansion of trinucleotide repeats. To date, there have been 10 of these trinucleotide repeat disorders associated with an expansion of the codon CAG encoding glutamine (Q). For these polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, there is a critical threshold length of the CAG repeat required for disease, and further expansion beyond this threshold is correlated with age of onset and symptom severity. PolyQ expansion in the translated proteins promotes their self-assembly into a variety of oligomeric and fibrillar aggregate species that accumulate into the hallmark proteinaceous inclusion bodies associated with each disease. Here, we review aggregation mechanisms of proteins with expanded polyQ-tracts, structural consequences of expanded polyQ ranging from monomers to fibrillar aggregates, the impact of protein context and post-translational modifications on aggregation, and a potential role for lipid membranes in aggregation. As the pathogenic mechanisms that underlie these disorders are often classified as either a gain of toxic function or loss of normal protein function, some toxic mechanisms associated with mutant polyQ tracts will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adewale Adegbuyiro
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Faezeh Sedighi
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Albert W Pilkington
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Sharon Groover
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Justin Legleiter
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 9304, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,NanoSAFE, P.O. Box 6223, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
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14
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Escalona-Rayo O, Fuentes-Vázquez P, Leyva-Gómez G, Cisneros B, Villalobos R, Magaña JJ, Quintanar-Guerrero D. Nanoparticulate strategies for the treatment of polyglutamine diseases by halting the protein aggregation process. Drug Dev Ind Pharm 2017; 43:871-888. [PMID: 28142290 DOI: 10.1080/03639045.2017.1281949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are a class of neurodegenerative disorders that cause cellular dysfunction and, eventually, neuronal death in specific regions of the brain. Neurodegeneration is linked to the misfolding and aggregation of expanded polyQ-containing proteins, and their inhibition is one of major therapeutic strategies used commonly. However, successful treatment has been limited to date because of the intrinsic properties of therapeutic agents (poor water solubility, low bioavailability, poor pharmacokinetic properties), and difficulty in crossing physiological barriers, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In order to solve these problems, nanoparticulate systems with dimensions of 1-1000 nm able to incorporate small and macromolecules with therapeutic value, to protect and deliver them directly to the brain, have recently been developed, but their use for targeting polyQ disease-mediated protein misfolding and aggregation remains scarce. This review provides an update of the polyQ protein aggregation process and the development of therapeutic strategies for halting it. The main features that a nanoparticulate system should possess in order to enhance brain delivery are discussed, as well as the different types of materials utilized to produce them. The final part of this review focuses on the potential application of nanoparticulate system strategies to improve the specific and efficient delivery of therapeutic agents to the brain for the treatment of polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Escalona-Rayo
- a Laboratorio de Investigación y Posgrado en Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Cuautitlán Izcalli , Mexico
| | - Paulina Fuentes-Vázquez
- a Laboratorio de Investigación y Posgrado en Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Cuautitlán Izcalli , Mexico
| | - Gerardo Leyva-Gómez
- b Laboratory of Connective Tissue , CENIAQ, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra , Mexico City , Mexico
| | - Bulmaro Cisneros
- c Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology , CINVESTAV-IPN , Mexico City , Mexico
| | - Rafael Villalobos
- d División de Estudios de Posgrado (Tecnología Farmacéutica), Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Cuautitlán Izcalli , Mexico
| | - Jonathan J Magaña
- e Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Department of Genetics , Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra , Mexico City , Mexico
| | - David Quintanar-Guerrero
- a Laboratorio de Investigación y Posgrado en Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Cuautitlán Izcalli , Mexico
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15
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Esteves S, Duarte-Silva S, Maciel P. Discovery of Therapeutic Approaches for Polyglutamine Diseases: A Summary of Recent Efforts. Med Res Rev 2016; 37:860-906. [PMID: 27870126 DOI: 10.1002/med.21425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Revised: 10/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Polyglutamine (PolyQ) diseases are a group of neurodegenerative disorders caused by the expansion of cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) trinucleotide repeats in the coding region of specific genes. This leads to the production of pathogenic proteins containing critically expanded tracts of glutamines. Although polyQ diseases are individually rare, the fact that these nine diseases are irreversibly progressive over 10 to 30 years, severely impairing and ultimately fatal, usually implicating the full-time patient support by a caregiver for long time periods, makes their economic and social impact quite significant. This has led several researchers worldwide to investigate the pathogenic mechanism(s) and therapeutic strategies for polyQ diseases. Although research in the field has grown notably in the last decades, we are still far from having an effective treatment to offer patients, and the decision of which compounds should be translated to the clinics may be very challenging. In this review, we provide a comprehensive and critical overview of the most recent drug discovery efforts in the field of polyQ diseases, including the most relevant findings emerging from two different types of approaches-hypothesis-based candidate molecule testing and hypothesis-free unbiased drug screenings. We hereby summarize and reflect on the preclinical studies as well as all the clinical trials performed to date, aiming to provide a useful framework for increasingly successful future drug discovery and development efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Esteves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's PT Government Associate Laboratory, University of Minho, Guimarães, Braga, Portugal
| | - Sara Duarte-Silva
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's PT Government Associate Laboratory, University of Minho, Guimarães, Braga, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Maciel
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's PT Government Associate Laboratory, University of Minho, Guimarães, Braga, Portugal
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16
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Wen J, Scoles DR, Facelli JC. Effects of the enlargement of polyglutamine segments on the structure and folding of ataxin-2 and ataxin-3 proteins. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2016; 35:504-519. [PMID: 26861241 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2016.1152199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) and type 3 (SCA3) are two common autosomal-dominant inherited ataxia syndromes, both of which are related to the unstable expansion of trinucleotide CAG repeats in the coding region of the related ATXN2 and ATXN3 genes, respectively. The poly-glutamine (poly-Q) tract encoded by the CAG repeats has long been recognized as an important factor in disease pathogenesis and progress. In this study, using the I-TASSER method for 3D structure prediction, we investigated the effect of poly-Q tract enlargement on the structure and folding of ataxin-2 and ataxin-3 proteins. Our results show good agreement with the known experimental structures of the Josephin and UIM domains providing credence to the simulation results presented here, which show that the enlargement of the poly-Q region not only affects the local structure of these regions but also affects the structures of functional domains as well as the whole protein. The changes observed in the predicted models of the UIM domains in ataxin-3 when the poly-Q track is enlarged provide new insights on possible pathogenic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingran Wen
- a Department of Biomedical Informatics , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Daniel R Scoles
- b Department of Neurology , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Julio C Facelli
- a Department of Biomedical Informatics , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
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17
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Mikhaylova ER, Lazarev VF, Nikotina AD, Margulis BA, Guzhova IV. Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase augments the intercellular transmission and toxicity of polyglutamine aggregates in a cell model of Huntington disease. J Neurochem 2016; 136:1052-63. [PMID: 26662373 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The common feature of Huntington disease is the accumulation of oligomers or aggregates of mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT), which causes the death of a subset of striatal neuronal populations. The cytotoxic species can leave neurons and migrate to other groups of cells penetrating and damaging them in a prion-like manner. We hypothesized that the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), previously shown to elevate the aggregation of mHTT, is associated with an increased efficiency of intercellular propagation of mHTT. GAPDH, on its own or together with polyglutamine species, was shown to be released into the extracellular milieu mainly from dying cells as assessed by a novel enzyme immunoassay, western blotting, and ultrafiltration. The conditioned medium of cells with growing GAPDH-polyQ aggregates was toxic to naïve cells, whereas depletion of the aggregates from the medium lowered this cytotoxicity. The GAPDH component of the aggregates was found to increase their toxicity by two-fold in comparison with polyQ alone. Furthermore, GAPDH-polyQ complexes were shown to penetrate acceptor cells and to increase the capacity of polyQ to prionize its intracellular homolog containing a repeat of 25 glutamine residues. Finally, inhibitors of intracellular transport showed that polyQ-GAPDH complexes, as well as GAPDH itself, penetrated cells using clathrin-mediated endocytosis. This suggested a pivotal role of the enzyme in the intercellular transmission of Huntington disease pathogenicity. In conclusion, GAPDH occurring in complexes with polyglutamine strengthens the prion-like activity and toxicity of the migrating aggregates. Aggregating polygluatmine tracts were shown to release from the cells over-expressing mutant huntingtin in a complex with glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). The enzyme enhances the intracellular transport of aggregates to healthy cells, prionization of normal cellular proteins and finally cell death, thus demonstrating the pivotal role of GAPDH in the horizontal transmission of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena R Mikhaylova
- Laboratory of Cell Protection Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Vladimir F Lazarev
- Laboratory of Cell Protection Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alina D Nikotina
- Laboratory of Cell Protection Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Boris A Margulis
- Laboratory of Cell Protection Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Irina V Guzhova
- Laboratory of Cell Protection Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
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18
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Darrow MC, Sergeeva OA, Isas JM, Galaz-Montoya JG, King JA, Langen R, Schmid MF, Chiu W. Structural Mechanisms of Mutant Huntingtin Aggregation Suppression by the Synthetic Chaperonin-like CCT5 Complex Explained by Cryoelectron Tomography. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:17451-61. [PMID: 25995452 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.655373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease, a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by functional deficits and loss of striatal neurons, is linked to an expanded and unstable CAG trinucleotide repeat in the huntingtin gene (HTT). This DNA sequence translates to a polyglutamine repeat in the protein product, leading to mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein aggregation. The aggregation of mHTT is inhibited in vitro and in vivo by the TCP-1 ring complex (TRiC) chaperonin. Recently, a novel complex comprised of a single type of TRiC subunit has been reported to inhibit mHTT aggregation. Specifically, the purified CCT5 homo-oligomer complex, when compared with TRiC, has a similar structure, ATP use, and substrate refolding activity, and, importantly, it also inhibits mHTT aggregation. Using an aggregation suppression assay and cryoelectron tomography coupled with a novel computational classification method, we uncover the interactions between the synthetic CCT5 complex (∼ 1 MDa) and aggregates of mutant huntingtin exon 1 containing 46 glutamines (mHTTQ46-Ex1). We find that, in a similar fashion to TRiC, synthetic CCT5 complex caps mHTT fibrils at their tips and encapsulates mHTT oligomers, providing a structural description of the inhibition of mHTTQ46-Ex1 by CCT5 complex and a shared mechanism of mHTT inhibition between TRiC chaperonin and the CCT5 complex: cap and contain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele C Darrow
- From the National Center for Macromolecular Imaging, Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Oksana A Sergeeva
- the Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, and
| | - Jose M Isas
- the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033
| | - Jesús G Galaz-Montoya
- From the National Center for Macromolecular Imaging, Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Jonathan A King
- the Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, and
| | - Ralf Langen
- the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033
| | - Michael F Schmid
- From the National Center for Macromolecular Imaging, Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Wah Chiu
- From the National Center for Macromolecular Imaging, Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030,
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19
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Abstract
The post-translational modification of proteins with ubiquitin represents a complex signalling system that co-ordinates essential cellular functions, including proteolysis, DNA repair, receptor signalling and cell communication. DUBs (deubiquitinases), the enzymes that disassemble ubiquitin chains and remove ubiquitin from proteins, are central to this system. Reflecting the complexity and versatility of ubiquitin signalling, DUB activity is controlled in multiple ways. Although several lines of evidence indicate that aberrant DUB function may promote human disease, the underlying molecular mechanisms are often unclear. Notwithstanding, considerable interest in DUBs as potential drug targets has emerged over the past years. The future success of DUB-based therapy development will require connecting the basic science of DUB function and enzymology with drug discovery. In the present review, we discuss new insights into DUB activity regulation and their links to disease, focusing on the role of DUBs as regulators of cell identity and differentiation, and discuss their potential as emerging drug targets.
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21
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Lazarev VF, Benken KA, Semenyuk PI, Sarantseva SV, Bolshakova OI, Mikhaylova ER, Muronetz VI, Guzhova IV, Margulis BA. GAPDH binders as potential drugs for the therapy of polyglutamine diseases: Design of a new screening assay. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:581-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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22
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Fan HC, Ho LI, Chi CS, Chen SJ, Peng GS, Chan TM, Lin SZ, Harn HJ. Polyglutamine (PolyQ) diseases: genetics to treatments. Cell Transplant 2015; 23:441-58. [PMID: 24816443 DOI: 10.3727/096368914x678454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are a group of neurodegenerative disorders caused by expanded cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats encoding a long polyQ tract in the respective proteins. To date, a total of nine polyQ disorders have been described: six spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) types 1, 2, 6, 7, 17; Machado-Joseph disease (MJD/SCA3); Huntington's disease (HD); dentatorubral pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA); and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, X-linked 1 (SMAX1/SBMA). PolyQ diseases are characterized by the pathological expansion of CAG trinucleotide repeat in the translated region of unrelated genes. The translated polyQ is aggregated in the degenerated neurons leading to the dysfunction and degeneration of specific neuronal subpopulations. Although animal models of polyQ disease for understanding human pathology and accessing disease-modifying therapies in neurodegenerative diseases are available, there is neither a cure nor prevention for these diseases, and only symptomatic treatments for polyQ diseases currently exist. Long-term pharmacological treatment is so far disappointing, probably due to unwanted complications and decreasing drug efficacy. Cellular transplantation of stem cells may provide promising therapeutic avenues for restoration of the functions of degenerative and/or damaged neurons in polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hueng-Chuen Fan
- Department of Pediatrics, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
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23
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Hoffner G, Djian P. Polyglutamine Aggregation in Huntington Disease: Does Structure Determine Toxicity? Mol Neurobiol 2014; 52:1297-1314. [PMID: 25336039 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-8932-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Huntington disease is a dominantly inherited disease of the central nervous system. The mutational expansion of polyglutamine beyond a critical length produces a toxic gain of function in huntingtin and results in neuronal death. In the course of the disease, expanded huntingtin is proteolyzed, becomes abnormally folded, and accumulates in oligomers, fibrils, and microscopic inclusions. The aggregated forms of the expanded protein are structurally diverse. Structural heterogeneity may explain why polyglutamine-containing aggregates could paradoxically be either toxic or neuroprotective. When defined, the toxic structures could then specifically be targeted by prophylactic or therapeutic drugs aimed at inhibiting polyglutamine aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guylaine Hoffner
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Cérébrale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Saints Pères, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Djian
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Cérébrale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Saints Pères, 75006, Paris, France.
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24
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Mohan RD, Abmayr SM, Workman JL. The expanding role for chromatin and transcription in polyglutamine disease. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2014; 26:96-104. [PMID: 25108806 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2014.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Revised: 06/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Nine genetic diseases arise from expansion of CAG repeats in seemingly unrelated genes. They are referred to as polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases due to the presence of elongated glutamine tracts in the corresponding proteins. The pathologic consequences of polyQ expansion include progressive spinal, cerebellar, and neural degeneration. These pathologies are not identical, however, suggesting that disruption of protein-specific functions is crucial to establish and maintain each disease. A closer examination of protein function reveals that several act as regulators of gene expression. Here we examine the roles these proteins play in regulating gene expression, discuss how polyQ expansion may disrupt these functions to cause disease, and speculate on the neural specificity of perturbing ubiquitous gene regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D Mohan
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E 50th St., Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Susan M Abmayr
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E 50th St., Kansas City, MO 64110, USA.
| | - Jerry L Workman
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E 50th St., Kansas City, MO 64110, USA.
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25
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Fiszer A, Krzyzosiak WJ. Oligonucleotide-based strategies to combat polyglutamine diseases. Nucleic Acids Res 2014; 42:6787-810. [PMID: 24848018 PMCID: PMC4066792 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Considerable advances have been recently made in understanding the molecular aspects of pathogenesis and in developing therapeutic approaches for polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases. Studies on pathogenic mechanisms have extended our knowledge of mutant protein toxicity, confirmed the toxicity of mutant transcript and identified other toxic RNA and protein entities. One very promising therapeutic strategy is targeting the causative gene expression with oligonucleotide (ON) based tools. This straightforward approach aimed at halting the early steps in the cascade of pathogenic events has been widely tested for Huntington's disease and spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. In this review, we gather information on the use of antisense oligonucleotides and RNA interference triggers for the experimental treatment of polyQ diseases in cellular and animal models. We present studies testing non-allele-selective and allele-selective gene silencing strategies. The latter include targeting SNP variants associated with mutations or targeting the pathologically expanded CAG repeat directly. We compare gene silencing effectors of various types in a number of aspects, including their design, efficiency in cell culture experiments and pre-clinical testing. We discuss advantages, current limitations and perspectives of various ON-based strategies used to treat polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Fiszer
- Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Wlodzimierz J Krzyzosiak
- Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
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26
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Affiliation(s)
- N Tirada
- From the George Washington University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Washington, DC
| | - L M Levy
- From the George Washington University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Washington, DC.
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