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Genin EC, Abou-Ali M, Paquis-Flucklinger V. Mitochondria, a Key Target in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Pathogenesis. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1981. [PMID: 38002924 PMCID: PMC10671245 DOI: 10.3390/genes14111981] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction occurs in numerous neurodegenerative diseases, particularly amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where it contributes to motor neuron (MN) death. Of all the factors involved in ALS, mitochondria have been considered as a major player, as secondary mitochondrial dysfunction has been found in various models and patients. Abnormal mitochondrial morphology, defects in mitochondrial dynamics, altered activities of respiratory chain enzymes and increased production of reactive oxygen species have been described. Moreover, the identification of CHCHD10 variants in ALS patients was the first genetic evidence that a mitochondrial defect may be a primary cause of MN damage and directly links mitochondrial dysfunction to the pathogenesis of ALS. In this review, we focus on the role of mitochondria in ALS and highlight the pathogenic variants of ALS genes associated with impaired mitochondrial functions. The multiple pathways demonstrated in ALS pathogenesis suggest that all converge to a common endpoint leading to MN loss. This may explain the disappointing results obtained with treatments targeting a single pathological process. Fighting against mitochondrial dysfunction appears to be a promising avenue for developing combined therapies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle C. Genin
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice (IRCAN), Université Côte d’Azur, Inserm U1081, CNRS UMR7284, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Nice, 06200 Nice, France; (M.A.-A.); (V.P.-F.)
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2
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Saadi SM, Cali E, Khalid LB, Yousaf H, Zafar G, Khan HN, Sher M, Vona B, Abdullah U, Malik NA, Klar J, Efthymiou S, Dahl N, Houlden H, Toft M, Baig SM, Fatima A, Iqbal Z. Genetic Investigation of Consanguineous Pakistani Families Segregating Rare Spinocerebellar Disorders. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1404. [PMID: 37510308 PMCID: PMC10379343 DOI: 10.3390/genes14071404] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar disorders are a vast group of rare neurogenetic conditions, generally characterized by overlapping clinical symptoms including progressive cerebellar ataxia, spastic paraparesis, cognitive deficiencies, skeletal/muscular and ocular abnormalities. The objective of the present study is to identify the underlying genetic causes of the rare spinocerebellar disorders in the Pakistani population. Herein, nine consanguineous families presenting different spinocerebellar phenotypes have been investigated using whole exome sequencing. Sanger sequencing was performed for segregation analysis in all the available individuals of each family. The molecular analysis of these families identified six novel pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants; ZFYVE26: c.1093del, SACS: c.1201C>T, BICD2: c.2156A>T, ALS2: c.2171-3T>G, ALS2: c.3145T>A, and B4GALNT1: c.334_335dup, and three already reported pathogenic variants; FA2H: c.159_176del, APTX: c.689T>G, and SETX: c.5308_5311del. The clinical features of all patients in each family are concurrent with the already reported cases. Hence, the current study expands the mutation spectrum of rare spinocerebellar disorders and implies the usefulness of next-generation sequencing in combination with clinical investigation for better diagnosis of these overlapping phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saadia Maryam Saadi
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Health Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering College (NIBGE-C), Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Elisa Cali
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Lubaba Bintee Khalid
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74000, Pakistan
| | - Hammad Yousaf
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Health Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering College (NIBGE-C), Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Ghazala Zafar
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74000, Pakistan
| | - Haq Nawaz Khan
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Sher
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, Iqra National University Swat Campus, Swat 19200, Pakistan
| | - Barbara Vona
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Uzma Abdullah
- University Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (UIBB), Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR), Rawalpindi 46300, Pakistan
| | - Naveed Altaf Malik
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Health Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering College (NIBGE-C), Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Joakim Klar
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University and Science for Life Laboratory, P.O. Box 815, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stephanie Efthymiou
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Niklas Dahl
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University and Science for Life Laboratory, P.O. Box 815, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Mathias Toft
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1171, N-0318 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, P.O. Box 4950 Nydalen, N-0424 Oslo, Norway
| | - Shahid Mahmood Baig
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Health Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering College (NIBGE-C), Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74000, Pakistan
| | - Ambrin Fatima
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74000, Pakistan
| | - Zafar Iqbal
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, P.O. Box 4950 Nydalen, N-0424 Oslo, Norway
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3
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Daneshmandpour Y, Bahmanpour Z, Kazeminasab S, Aghaei Moghadam E, Alehabib E, Chapi M, Tafakhori A, Aghaei N, Darvish H, Emamalizadeh B. A novel mutation in the ALS2 gene in an iranian kurdish family with juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2023; 24:148-151. [PMID: 35852402 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2022.2100263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare disorder that affects both upper and lower motor neurons. Mutations in Alsin Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor (ALS2) correlates with three similar but distinctive syndromes, including the juvenile form of ALS. An Iranian Kurdish family was involved in this study and all members were evaluated with relevant clinical guidelines. Whole exome sequencing and sanger sequencing were applied to all family members to undermine the possible genetic factors. A substitution c. 2110 C>T (p. Arg704X) identified in the ALS2 gene. Bioinformatics analysis indicated the mutation is located in the well-conserved and functional domain of the protein. This study recognized a novel mutation in the ALS2 gene in a proband with the juvenile form of ALS. To our knowledge, this is the first identified ALS2 mutation among the Iranian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousef Daneshmandpour
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Cytogene Genetic Diagnostic Laboratory, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Zahra Bahmanpour
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Somayeh Kazeminasab
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ehsan Aghaei Moghadam
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Alehabib
- Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marjan Chapi
- Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Tafakhori
- Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Negar Aghaei
- Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hossein Darvish
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.,Cancer Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Babak Emamalizadeh
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Cytogene Genetic Diagnostic Laboratory, Tabriz, Iran
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4
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Zhou J, Liu H, Lin Y, Zhao J. Membrane Occupation and Recognition Nexus (MORN) motif controls protein localization and function. FEBS Lett 2022; 596:1839-1850. [PMID: 35568981 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Membrane Occupation and Recognition Nexus (MORN) motif was first defined in 2000, when it was identified in the junctophilin protein family. Dozens of studies have been published ever since, mainly focusing on the function of a given MORN motif-containing protein in parasites, plants or animal cells. Proteins with MORN motifs are not only expressed in most animal and plant cell types but also significantly differ in their intracellular localization, suggesting that the MORN motifs may fulfil multiple physiological functions. Recent studies have found that MORN motif-containing proteins junctophilin 1/2 and MORN3 play a role in cardiac hypertrophy, skeletal muscle fiber stability and cancer. Hence, MORN motif-containing proteins may be exploited to develop improved treatments for various pathological conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases. Here, we review current research on MORN motif-containing proteins in different organisms and provide both ideas and approaches for follow-up exploration of their functions and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinrun Zhou
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China
| | - Honghong Liu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China
| | - Yushuang Lin
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China
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5
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Daks A, Vasileva E, Fedorova O, Shuvalov O, Barlev NA. The Role of Lysine Methyltransferase SET7/9 in Proliferation and Cell Stress Response. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12030362. [PMID: 35330113 PMCID: PMC8949485 DOI: 10.3390/life12030362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Lysine-specific methyltransferase 7 (KMT7) SET7/9, aka Set7, Set9, or SetD7, or KMT5 was discovered 20 years ago, yet its biological role remains rather enigmatic. In this review, we analyze the particularities of SET7/9 enzymatic activity and substrate specificity with respect to its biological importance, mostly focusing on its two well-characterized biological functions: cellular proliferation and stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Daks
- Institute of Cytology RAS, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.D.); (E.V.); (O.F.); (O.S.)
| | - Elena Vasileva
- Institute of Cytology RAS, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.D.); (E.V.); (O.F.); (O.S.)
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
| | - Olga Fedorova
- Institute of Cytology RAS, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.D.); (E.V.); (O.F.); (O.S.)
| | - Oleg Shuvalov
- Institute of Cytology RAS, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.D.); (E.V.); (O.F.); (O.S.)
| | - Nickolai A. Barlev
- Institute of Cytology RAS, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.D.); (E.V.); (O.F.); (O.S.)
- Correspondence:
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6
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Miceli M, Exertier C, Cavaglià M, Gugole E, Boccardo M, Casaluci RR, Ceccarelli N, De Maio A, Vallone B, Deriu MA. ALS2-Related Motor Neuron Diseases: From Symptoms to Molecules. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:77. [PMID: 35053075 PMCID: PMC8773251 DOI: 10.3390/biology11010077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Infantile-onset Ascending Hereditary Spastic Paralysis, Juvenile Primary Lateral Sclerosis and Juvenile Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis are all motor neuron diseases related to mutations on the ALS2 gene, encoding for a 1657 amino acids protein named Alsin. This ~185 kDa multi-domain protein is ubiquitously expressed in various human tissues, mostly in the brain and the spinal cord. Several investigations have indicated how mutations within Alsin's structured domains may be responsible for the alteration of Alsin's native oligomerization state or Alsin's propensity to interact with protein partners. In this review paper, we propose a description of differences and similarities characterizing the above-mentioned ALS2-related rare neurodegenerative disorders, pointing attention to the effects of ALS2 mutation from molecule to organ and at the system level. Known cases were collected through a literature review and rationalized to deeply elucidate the neurodegenerative clinical outcomes as consequences of ALS2 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Miceli
- PolitoBIOMedLab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy; (M.M.); (M.C.); (M.B.); (R.R.C.); (N.C.); (A.D.M.)
| | - Cécile Exertier
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche “A. Rossi Fanelli”, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.E.); (E.G.); (B.V.)
| | - Marco Cavaglià
- PolitoBIOMedLab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy; (M.M.); (M.C.); (M.B.); (R.R.C.); (N.C.); (A.D.M.)
| | - Elena Gugole
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche “A. Rossi Fanelli”, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.E.); (E.G.); (B.V.)
| | - Marta Boccardo
- PolitoBIOMedLab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy; (M.M.); (M.C.); (M.B.); (R.R.C.); (N.C.); (A.D.M.)
| | - Rossana Rita Casaluci
- PolitoBIOMedLab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy; (M.M.); (M.C.); (M.B.); (R.R.C.); (N.C.); (A.D.M.)
| | - Noemi Ceccarelli
- PolitoBIOMedLab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy; (M.M.); (M.C.); (M.B.); (R.R.C.); (N.C.); (A.D.M.)
| | - Alessandra De Maio
- PolitoBIOMedLab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy; (M.M.); (M.C.); (M.B.); (R.R.C.); (N.C.); (A.D.M.)
| | - Beatrice Vallone
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche “A. Rossi Fanelli”, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.E.); (E.G.); (B.V.)
| | - Marco A. Deriu
- PolitoBIOMedLab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy; (M.M.); (M.C.); (M.B.); (R.R.C.); (N.C.); (A.D.M.)
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7
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Duman JG, Blanco FA, Cronkite CA, Ru Q, Erikson KC, Mulherkar S, Saifullah AB, Firozi K, Tolias KF. Rac-maninoff and Rho-vel: The symphony of Rho-GTPase signaling at excitatory synapses. Small GTPases 2022; 13:14-47. [PMID: 33955328 PMCID: PMC9707551 DOI: 10.1080/21541248.2021.1885264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic connections between neurons are essential for every facet of human cognition and are thus regulated with extreme precision. Rho-family GTPases, molecular switches that cycle between an active GTP-bound state and an inactive GDP-bound state, comprise a critical feature of synaptic regulation. Rho-GTPases are exquisitely controlled by an extensive suite of activators (GEFs) and inhibitors (GAPs and GDIs) and interact with many different signalling pathways to fulfill their roles in orchestrating the development, maintenance, and plasticity of excitatory synapses of the central nervous system. Among the mechanisms that control Rho-GTPase activity and signalling are cell surface receptors, GEF/GAP complexes that tightly regulate single Rho-GTPase dynamics, GEF/GAP and GEF/GEF functional complexes that coordinate multiple Rho-family GTPase activities, effector positive feedback loops, and mutual antagonism of opposing Rho-GTPase pathways. These complex regulatory mechanisms are employed by the cells of the nervous system in almost every step of development, and prominently figure into the processes of synaptic plasticity that underlie learning and memory. Finally, misregulation of Rho-GTPases plays critical roles in responses to neuronal injury, such as traumatic brain injury and neuropathic pain, and in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, including intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's Disease. Thus, decoding the mechanisms of Rho-GTPase regulation and function at excitatory synapses has great potential for combatting many of the biggest current challenges in mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph G. Duman
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Francisco A. Blanco
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Science Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Christopher A. Cronkite
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Qin Ru
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kelly C. Erikson
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shalaka Mulherkar
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ali Bin Saifullah
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Karen Firozi
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kimberley F. Tolias
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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Rivas S, Silva P, Reyes M, Sepúlveda H, Solano L, Acuña J, Guerrero M, Varas-Godoy M, Quest AFG, Montecino M, Torres VA. The RabGEF ALS2 is a hypoxia inducible target associated with the acquisition of aggressive traits in tumor cells. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22302. [PMID: 33339852 PMCID: PMC7749157 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79270-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor hypoxia and the hypoxia inducible factor-1, HIF-1, play critical roles in cancer progression and metastasis. We previously showed that hypoxia activates the endosomal GTPase Rab5, leading to tumor cell migration and invasion, and that these events do not involve changes in Rab protein expression, suggesting the participation of intermediate activators. Here, we identified ALS2, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor that is upregulated in cancer, as responsible for increased Rab5-GTP loading, cell migration and metastasis in hypoxia. Specifically, hypoxia augmented ALS2 mRNA and protein levels, and these events involved HIF-1α-dependent transcription, as shown by RNAi, pharmacological inhibition, chromatin immunoprecipitation and bioinformatics analyses, which identified a functional HIF-1α-binding site in the proximal promoter region of ALS2. Moreover, ALS2 and Rab5 activity were elevated both in a model of endogenous HIF-1α stabilization (renal cell carcinoma) and by following expression of stable non-hydroxylatable HIF-1α. Strikingly, ALS2 upregulation in hypoxia was required for Rab5 activation, tumor cell migration and invasion, as well as experimental metastasis in C57BL/6 mice. Finally, immunohistochemical analyses in patient biopsies with renal cell carcinoma showed that elevated HIF-1α correlates with increased ALS2 expression. Hence, this study identifies ALS2 as a novel hypoxia-inducible gene associated with tumor progression and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solange Rivas
- Institute for Research in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de Chile, Calle Sergio Livingstone 943, Independencia, Santiago, Chile.,Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Patricio Silva
- Institute for Research in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de Chile, Calle Sergio Livingstone 943, Independencia, Santiago, Chile.,Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Montserrat Reyes
- Department of Pathology and Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Hugo Sepúlveda
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences and FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luis Solano
- Institute for Research in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de Chile, Calle Sergio Livingstone 943, Independencia, Santiago, Chile.,Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Acuña
- Laboratory of Pathological Anatomy, Hospital San José, Santiago, Chile
| | - Marisol Guerrero
- Laboratory of Pathological Anatomy, Hospital San José, Santiago, Chile
| | - Manuel Varas-Godoy
- Center for Cell Biology and Biomedicine (CEBICEM), Faculty of Medicine and Science, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Andrew F G Quest
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Center for Studies on Exercise, Metabolism and Cancer (CEMC), Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Martín Montecino
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences and FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Vicente A Torres
- Institute for Research in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de Chile, Calle Sergio Livingstone 943, Independencia, Santiago, Chile. .,Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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9
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Sprute R, Jergas H, Ölmez A, Alawbathani S, Karasoy H, Dafsari HS, Becker K, Daimagüler HS, Nürnberg P, Muntoni F, Topaloglu H, Uyanik G, Cirak S. Genotype-phenotype correlation in seven motor neuron disease families with novel ALS2 mutations. Am J Med Genet A 2020; 185:344-354. [PMID: 33155358 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.61951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Autosomal-recessive mutations in the Alsin Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (ALS2) gene may cause specific subtypes of childhood-onset progressive neurodegenerative motor neuron diseases (MND). These diseases can manifest with a clinical continuum from infantile ascending hereditary spastic paraplegia (IAHSP) to juvenile-onset forms with or without lower motor neuron involvement, the juvenile primary lateral sclerosis (JPLS) and the juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (JALS). We report 11 patients from seven unrelated Turkish and Yemeni families with clinical signs of IAHSP or JPLS. We performed haplotype analysis or next-generation panel sequencing followed by Sanger Sequencing to unravel the genetic disease cause. We described their clinical phenotype and analyzed the pathogenicity of the detected variants with bioinformatics tools. We further reviewed all previously reported cases with ALS2-related MND. We identified five novel homozygous pathogenic variants in ALS2 at various positions: c.275_276delAT (p.Tyr92CysfsTer11), c.1044C>G (p.Tyr348Ter), c.1718C>A (p.Ala573Glu), c.3161T>C (p.Leu1054Pro), and c.1471+1G>A (NM_020919.3, NP_065970.2). In our cohort, disease onset was in infancy or early childhood with rapid onset of motor neuron signs. Muscle weakness, spasticity, severe dysarthria, dysphagia, and facial weakness were common features in the first decade of life. Frameshift and nonsense mutations clustered in the N-terminal Alsin domains are most prevalent. We enriched the mutational spectrum of ALS2-related disorders with five novel pathogenic variants. Our study indicates a high detection rate of ALS2 mutations in patients with a clinically well-characterized early onset MND. Intrafamilial and even interfamilial diversity in patients with identical pathogenic variants suggest yet unknown modifiers for phenotypic expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanne Sprute
- Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hannah Jergas
- Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Akgün Ölmez
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Salem Alawbathani
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hatice Karasoy
- Department of Neurology, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Hormos Salimi Dafsari
- Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kerstin Becker
- Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hülya-Sevcan Daimagüler
- Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Peter Nürnberg
- Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Francesco Muntoni
- The Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, National Institute for Health Research Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Haluk Topaloglu
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Gökhan Uyanik
- Medical School, Sigmund Freud Private University, Vienna, Austria.,Center for Medical Genetics, Hanusch Hospital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebahattin Cirak
- Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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10
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Lin J, Chen W, Huang P, Xie Y, Zheng M, Yao X. The distinct manifestation of young-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in China. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2020; 22:30-37. [DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2020.1797091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jianing Lin
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weineng Chen
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pian Huang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Youna Xie
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Minying Zheng
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoli Yao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, National Key Clinical Department and Key Discipline of Neurology, Guangzhou, China
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11
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Stankiewicz TR, Pena C, Bouchard RJ, Linseman DA. Dysregulation of Rac or Rho elicits death of motor neurons and activation of these GTPases is altered in the G93A mutant hSOD1 mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 136:104743. [PMID: 31931138 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Rho GTPases play a central role in neuronal survival; however, the antagonistic relationship between Rac and Rho in the regulation of motor neuron survival remains poorly defined. In the current study, we demonstrate that treatment with NSC23766, a selective inhibitor of the Rac-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors, Tiam1 and Trio, is sufficient to induce the death of embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived motor neurons. The mode of cell death is primarily apoptotic and is characterized by caspase-3 activation, de-phosphorylation of ERK5 and AKT, and nuclear translocation of the BH3-only protein Bad. As opposed to the inhibition of Rac, motor neuron cell death is also induced by constitutive activation of Rho, via a mechanism that depends on Rho kinase (ROCK) activity. Investigation of Rac and Rho in the G93A mutant, human Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (hSOD1) mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), revealed that active Rac1-GTP is markedly decreased in spinal cord motor neurons of transgenic mice at disease onset and end-stage, when compared to age-matched wild type (WT) littermates. Furthermore, although there is no significant change in active RhoA-GTP, total RhoB displays a striking redistribution from motor neuron nuclei in WT mouse spinal cord to motor neuron axons in end-stage G93A mutant hSOD1 mice. Collectively, these data suggest that the intricate balance between pro-survival Rac signaling and pro-apoptotic Rho/ROCK signaling is critical for motor neuron survival and therefore, disruption in the balance of their activities and/or localization may contribute to the death of motor neurons in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trisha R Stankiewicz
- University of Denver, Department of Biological Sciences, Denver, CO 80208, United States
| | - Claudia Pena
- University of Denver, Department of Biological Sciences, Denver, CO 80208, United States
| | - Ron J Bouchard
- Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, CO, 80220, United States
| | - Daniel A Linseman
- University of Denver, Department of Biological Sciences, Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, and Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, 2155 E. Wesley Ave., Denver, CO, 80208, United States.
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12
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Yang S, Wu S, Fifita J, McCann E, Fat SCM, Galper J, Freckleton S, Zhang KY, Blair IP. Theme 3 In vitro experimental models. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2019; 20:135-159. [PMID: 31702460 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2019.1646991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Background: Ongoing disease gene discoveries continue to drive our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying ALS. Causative genes from 60% of ALS families have been identified using modern genetic techniques, but the causal gene defect is yet to be identified in the remaining 40% of families. These remaining families often do not follow true Mendelian inheritance patterns and are challenging to solve using traditional genetic analysis alone. In vitro and in vivo studies have become critical in assessing and validating these ALS candidate genes.Objectives: In this study, we aim to develop and validate the utility of an in vitro functional pipeline for the discovery and validation of novel ALS candidate genes.Methods: A panel of cell based-assays were applied to candidate genes to examine the presence/absence of known ALS pathologies in cell lines as well as human autopsy tissues. These include immunofluorescence, flow cytometry and western blotting to study toxicity, neuronal inclusion formation, interaction with TDP-43, aberrant protein degradation and accumulation in detergent-insoluble cellular fractions. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were also used to examine if candidates were present in neuronal inclusions from ALS patient spinal cord tissues.Results: The in vitro pipeline was applied to five candidate genes from an ALS family that is negative for known ALS gene mutations. Two candidates were prioritized as top candidates based on their capacity to induce known ALS cellular pathologies. In transfected cells, the variants in these two genes caused a significantly higher toxicity than wild type, formed detergent insoluble inclusions and was able to co-aggregate with TDP-43 in neuronal cells. The variants have also led to protein degradation defects. One of the candidates also co-localised with TDP-43-positive neuronal inclusions in sporadic ALS patient post-mortem tissues, a signature pathology of ALS.Discussion and conclusions: We have demonstrated the utility of a functional prioritization pipeline and successfully prioritized two novel candidate ALS genes. These genes, and its associated pathways, will be further investigated through the development of animal models to establish if there is support for its role in ALS. New ALS genes offer fresh diagnostic and therapeutic targets and tools for the generation of novel animal models to better understand disease biology and offer preclinical testing of candidate treatments for ALS in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Yang
- Centre for MND Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sharlynn Wu
- Centre for MND Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jennifer Fifita
- Centre for MND Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Emily McCann
- Centre for MND Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sandrine Chan Moi Fat
- Centre for MND Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jasmin Galper
- Centre for MND Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sarah Freckleton
- Centre for MND Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kathrine Y Zhang
- Centre for MND Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ian P Blair
- Centre for MND Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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13
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Whole-Transcriptome Analysis of APP/PS1 Mouse Brain and Identification of circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Networks to Investigate AD Pathogenesis. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2019; 18:1049-1062. [PMID: 31786335 PMCID: PMC6906698 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2019.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common forms of dementia and is characterized by a progressive loss of cognition. A hallmark of AD is known to be the extensive distribution of neuronal tangles and amyloid plaques in the brain, but the molecular and cellular complexity of AD remains poorly elucidated, which limits the development of effective clinical treatments for AD. Accumulating evidence indicates that noncoding RNAs participate in AD-associated pathophysiology, but the details are largely unknown. Moreover, although recent studies have revealed a potential link between AD and circular RNA (circRNA)-associated competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks, few genome-wide studies have identified putative circRNA-associated ceRNA pairs involved in AD. Here, we used deep RNA sequencing to systematically investigate circRNA-associated ceRNA mechanisms in the brain of AD model mice (APP/PS1). Our results identified 235, 30, and 1,202 significantly dysregulated circRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), and mRNAs, respectively, and we used the sequencing data to construct the most comprehensive circRNA-associated ceRNA networks to date in the APP/PS1 brain. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that the identified networks are involved in regulating AD development from distinct origins, such as from the dendrite (GO: 0030425) and the synapse (GO: 0045202). Following rigorous selection, the circRNA-associated ceRNA networks in this AD mouse model were discovered to be mainly involved in dendritic development and memory (Sorbs2) and mouse neural development (ALS2). This study presents the first systematic dissection of circRNA-associated ceRNA profiles in the APP/PS1 mouse brain, and the identified circRNA-associated ceRNA networks could provide insights that facilitate AD diagnosis and therapy in the future.
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14
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Nan H, Ichinose Y, Tanaka M, Koh K, Ishiura H, Mitsui J, Mizukami H, Morimoto M, Hamada S, Ohtsuka T, Tsuji S, Takiyama Y. UBAP1 mutations cause juvenile-onset hereditary spastic paraplegias (SPG80) and impair UBAP1 targeting to endosomes. J Hum Genet 2019; 64:1055-1065. [PMID: 31515522 DOI: 10.1038/s10038-019-0670-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We aimed to find a new causative gene and elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying a new type of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP). Patients with HSP were recruited from the Japan Spastic Paraplegia Research Consortium (JASPAC). Exome sequencing of genomic DNA from patients in four families was carried out, followed by Sanger sequencing of the UBAP1 gene. A mouse homolog of one UBAP1 frameshift mutation carried by one of the patients was created as a disease model. Functional properties of the UBAP1 wild type and UBAP1-mutant in mouse hippocampus neurons were examined. We identified three novel heterozygous loss of function mutations (c.425_426delAG, c.312delC, and c.535G>T) in the UBAP1 gene as the genetic cause of a new type of HSP (SPG80). All the patients presented identical clinical features of a pure type of juvenile-onset HSP. Functional studies on mouse hippocampal neurons revealed that the C-terminal deletion UBAP1-mutant of our disease model had lost its ability to bind ubiquitin in vitro. Overexpression of the UBAP1 wild type interacts directly with ubiquitin on enlarged endosomes, while the UBAP1-mutant cannot be recruited to endosome membranes. Our study demonstrated that mutations in the UBAP1 gene cause a new type of HSP and elucidated its pathogenesis. The full-length UBAP1 protein is involved in endosomal dynamics in neurons, while loss of UBAP1 function may perturb endosomal fusion and sorting of ubiquitinated cargos. These effects could be more prominent in neurons, thereby giving rise to the phenotype of a neurodegenerative disease such as HSP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitian Nan
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, 409-3898, Japan
| | - Yuta Ichinose
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, 409-3898, Japan
| | - Masaki Tanaka
- Institute of Medical Genomics, International University of Health and Welfare, Chiba, 286-8686, Japan
| | - Kishin Koh
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, 409-3898, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Ishiura
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Jun Mitsui
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Heisuke Mizukami
- Department of Neurology, Yokohama City Seibu Hospital, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Yokohama, 241-0811, Japan
| | - Masafumi Morimoto
- Department of Pediatrics, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Shun Hamada
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, 409-3898, Japan
| | - Toshihisa Ohtsuka
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, 409-3898, Japan
| | - Shoji Tsuji
- Institute of Medical Genomics, International University of Health and Welfare, Chiba, 286-8686, Japan.,Department of Molecular Neurology, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Takiyama
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, 409-3898, Japan.
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15
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Tripolszki K, Gampawar P, Schmidt H, Nagy ZF, Nagy D, Klivényi P, Engelhardt JI, Széll M. Comprehensive Genetic Analysis of a Hungarian Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Cohort. Front Genet 2019; 10:732. [PMID: 31475037 PMCID: PMC6707335 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons. Genetic factors play a key role in ALS, and identifying variants that contribute to ALS susceptibility is an important step toward understanding the etiology of the disease. The frequency of protein altering variants in ALS patients has been extensively investigated in populations of different ethnic origin. To further delineate the genetic architecture of the Hungarian ALS patients, we aimed to detect potentially damaging variants in major and minor ALS genes and in genes related to other neurogenetic disorders. A combination of repeat-sizing of C9orf72 and next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to comprehensively assess genetic variations in 107 Hungarian patients with ALS. Variants in major ALS genes were detected in 36.45% of patients. As a result of repeat sizing, pathogenic repeat expansions in the C9orf72 gene were detected in 10 patients (9.3%). According to the NGS results, the most frequently mutated genes were NEK1 (5.6%), NEFH, SQSTM1 (3.7%), KIF5A, SPG11 (2.8%), ALS2, CCNF, FUS, MATR3, TBK1, and UBQLN2 (1.9%). Furthermore, potentially pathogenic variants were found in GRN and SIGMAR1 genes in single patients. Additional 33 novel or rare known variants were detected in minor ALS genes, as well as 48 variants in genes previously linked to other neurogenetic disorders. The latter finding supports the hypothesis that common pathways in different neurodegenerative diseases may contribute to the development of ALS. While the disease-causing role of several variants identified in this study has previously been established, other variants may show reduced penetrance or may be rare benign variants. Our findings highlight the necessity for large-scale multicenter studies on ALS patients to gain a more accurate view of the genetic pattern of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Piyush Gampawar
- Research Unit for Genetic Epidemiology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Helena Schmidt
- Research Unit for Genetic Epidemiology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Zsófia F. Nagy
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Dóra Nagy
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Péter Klivényi
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | | | - Márta Széll
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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16
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Nguyen DKH, Thombre R, Wang J. Autophagy as a common pathway in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurosci Lett 2019; 697:34-48. [PMID: 29626651 PMCID: PMC6170747 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Age-dependent neurodegenerative diseases are associated with a decline in protein quality control systems including autophagy. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron degenerative disease of complex etiology with increasing connections to other neurodegenerative conditions such as frontotemporal dementia. Among the diverse genetic causes for ALS, a striking feature is the common connection to autophagy and its associated pathways. There is a recurring theme of protein misfolding as in other neurodegenerative diseases, but importantly there is a distinct common thread among ALS genes that connects them to the cascade of autophagy. However, the roles of autophagy in ALS remain enigmatic and it is still unclear whether activation or inhibition of autophagy would be a reliable avenue to ameliorate the disease. The main evidence that links autophagy to different genetic forms of ALS is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dao K H Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA; Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Ravi Thombre
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA; Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Jiou Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA; Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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17
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Helal M, Mazaheri N, Shalbafan B, Malamiri RA, Dilaver N, Buchert R, Mohammadiasl J, Golchin N, Sedaghat A, Mehrjardi MYV, Haack TB, Riess O, Chung WK, Galehdari H, Shariati G, Maroofian R. Clinical presentation and natural history of infantile-onset ascending spastic paralysis from three families with an ALS2 founder variant. Neurol Sci 2018; 39:1917-1925. [PMID: 30128655 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-018-3526-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Biallelic mutations of the alsin Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (ALS2) gene cause a group of overlapping autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorders including infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis (IAHSP), juvenile primary lateral sclerosis (JPLS), and juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (JALS/ALS2), caused by retrograde degeneration of the upper motor neurons of the pyramidal tracts. Here, we describe 11 individuals with IAHSP, aged 2-48 years, with IAHSP from three unrelated consanguineous Iranian families carrying the homozygous c.1640+1G>A founder mutation in ALS2. Three affected siblings from one family exhibit generalized dystonia which has not been previously described in families with IAHSP and has only been reported in three unrelated consanguineous families with JALS/ALS2. We report the oldest individuals with IAHSP to date and provide evidence that these patients survive well into their late 40s with preserved cognition and normal eye movements. Our study delineates the phenotypic spectrum of IAHSP and ALS2-related disorders and provides valuable insights into the natural disease course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayada Helal
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Molecular Genetics, Columbia University Medical Center, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue, Room 620, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Neda Mazaheri
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.,Narges Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis Laboratory, East Mihan Ave., Kianpars, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Bita Shalbafan
- Iranian Social Security Organization, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Azizi Malamiri
- Department of Paediatric Neurology, Golestan Medical, Educational, and Research Centre, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Nafi Dilaver
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Rebecca Buchert
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, 72074, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Javad Mohammadiasl
- Department of Genetics, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.,Ahvaz Noor Genetics Laboratory, Ahvaz, Iran
| | | | - Alireza Sedaghat
- Narges Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis Laboratory, East Mihan Ave., Kianpars, Ahvaz, Iran.,Diabetes Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Yahya Vahidi Mehrjardi
- Medical Genetics Research Centre, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.,Diabetes Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Tobias B Haack
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, 72074, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Olaf Riess
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, 72074, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Wendy K Chung
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Molecular Genetics, Columbia University Medical Center, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue, Room 620, New York, NY, 10032, USA.,Departments of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue, Room 620, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Hamid Galehdari
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Shariati
- Narges Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis Laboratory, East Mihan Ave., Kianpars, Ahvaz, Iran.,Department of Genetics, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Reza Maroofian
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St George's University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE, UK.
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18
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Deng Z, Sheehan P, Chen S, Yue Z. Is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia an autophagy disease? Mol Neurodegener 2017; 12:90. [PMID: 29282133 PMCID: PMC5746010 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-017-0232-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are neurodegenerative disorders that share genetic risk factors and pathological hallmarks. Intriguingly, these shared factors result in a high rate of comorbidity of these diseases in patients. Intracellular protein aggregates are a common pathological hallmark of both diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that impaired RNA processing and disrupted protein homeostasis are two major pathogenic pathways for these diseases. Indeed, recent evidence from genetic and cellular studies of the etiology and pathogenesis of ALS-FTD has suggested that defects in autophagy may underlie various aspects of these diseases. In this review, we discuss the link between genetic mutations, autophagy dysfunction, and the pathogenesis of ALS-FTD. Although dysfunction in a variety of cellular pathways can lead to these diseases, we provide evidence that ALS-FTD is, in many cases, an autophagy disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Deng
- Brain center, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.,Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, 442000, China.,Department of Neurology, The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029, USA
| | - Patricia Sheehan
- Department of Neurology, The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029, USA
| | - Shi Chen
- Brain center, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China. .,Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, 442000, China.
| | - Zhenyu Yue
- Department of Neurology, The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029, USA.
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19
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Chen YC, Farzadfard F, Gharaei N, Chen WCW, Cao J, Lu TK. Randomized CRISPR-Cas Transcriptional Perturbation Screening Reveals Protective Genes against Alpha-Synuclein Toxicity. Mol Cell 2017; 68:247-257.e5. [PMID: 28985507 PMCID: PMC5702536 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2017.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The genome-wide perturbation of transcriptional networks with CRISPR-Cas technology has primarily involved systematic and targeted gene modulation. Here, we developed PRISM (Perturbing Regulatory Interactions by Synthetic Modulators), a screening platform that uses randomized CRISPR-Cas transcription factors (crisprTFs) to globally perturb transcriptional networks. By applying PRISM to a yeast model of Parkinson's disease (PD), we identified guide RNAs (gRNAs) that modulate transcriptional networks and protect cells from alpha-synuclein (αSyn) toxicity. One gRNA identified in this screen outperformed the most protective suppressors of αSyn toxicity reported previously, highlighting PRISM's ability to identify modulators of important phenotypes. Gene expression profiling revealed genes differentially modulated by this strong protective gRNA that rescued yeast from αSyn toxicity when overexpressed. Human homologs of top-ranked hits protected against αSyn-induced cell death in a human neuronal PD model. Thus, high-throughput and unbiased perturbation of transcriptional networks via randomized crisprTFs can reveal complex biological phenotypes and effective disease modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Chou Chen
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Fahim Farzadfard
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; MIT Microbiology Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Nava Gharaei
- MCO Graduate Program, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - William C W Chen
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jicong Cao
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Timothy K Lu
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; MIT Microbiology Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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20
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Marei H, Malliri A. Rac1 in human diseases: The therapeutic potential of targeting Rac1 signaling regulatory mechanisms. Small GTPases 2017; 8:139-163. [PMID: 27442895 PMCID: PMC5584733 DOI: 10.1080/21541248.2016.1211398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2016] [Revised: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal Rac1 signaling is linked to a number of debilitating human diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. As such, Rac1 represents an attractive therapeutic target, yet the search for effective Rac1 inhibitors is still underway. Given the adverse effects associated with Rac1 signaling perturbation, cells have evolved several mechanisms to ensure the tight regulation of Rac1 signaling. Thus, characterizing these mechanisms can provide invaluable information regarding major cellular events that lead to aberrant Rac1 signaling. Importantly, this information can be utilized to further facilitate the development of effective pharmacological modulators that can restore normal Rac1 signaling. In this review, we focus on the pathological role of Rac1 signaling, highlighting the benefits and potential drawbacks of targeting Rac1 in a clinical setting. Additionally, we provide an overview of available compounds that target key Rac1 regulatory mechanisms and discuss future therapeutic avenues arising from our understanding of these mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadir Marei
- Cell Signaling Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Angeliki Malliri
- Cell Signaling Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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21
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Chi W, Ma X, Niu J, Zou M. Genome-wide identification of genes probably relevant to the adaptation of schizothoracins (Teleostei: Cypriniformes) to the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:310. [PMID: 28427344 PMCID: PMC5397779 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3703-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Molecular adaptation to the severe environments present during the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has attracted the attention of researchers. The divergence of the three specialization groups of schizothoracins (Primitive, Specialized and Highly Specialized) may correspond to the three phases of plateau uplift. Based on the transcripts of representative species of the three specialized groups and an outgroup, genes in schizothoracins that may have played important roles during the adaptation to new environments were investigated. RESULTS The contigs of Gymnodiptychus dybowskii and Schizothorax pseudaksaiensis were compared with those of Gymnocypris przewalskii ganzihonensis and the outgroup Sinocyclocheilus angustiporus, and 5,894 ortholog groups with an alignment length longer than 90 nt after deleting gaps were retained. Evolutionary analyses indicated that the average evolutionary rate of the branch leading to the Specialized group was faster than that of the branch leading to the Highly Specialized group. Moreover, the numbers of gene categories in which more than half of the genes evolved faster than the average values of the genome were 117 and 15 along the branches leading to the Specialized and Highly Specialized groups, respectively. A total of 40, 36, and 55 genes were likely subject to positive selection along the branches leading to the Primitive, Specialized and Highly Specialized groups, respectively, and many of these genes are likely relevant to adaptation to the cold temperatures, low oxygen concentrations, and strong ultraviolet radiation that result from elevation. CONCLUSIONS By selecting representative species of the three groups of schizothoracins and applying next-generation sequencing technology, several candidate genes corresponding to adaptation to the three phases of plateau uplift were identified. Some of the genes identified in this report that were likely subject to positive selection are good candidates for subsequent evolutionary and functional analyses of adaptation to high altitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Chi
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, China
| | - Xufa Ma
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiangong Niu
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Fisheries Research Institute of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, China
| | - Ming Zou
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, China
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22
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González-Domínguez R, Santos HM, Bebianno MJ, García-Barrera T, Gómez-Ariza JL, Capelo JL. Combined proteomic and metallomic analyses in Scrobicularia plana clams to assess environmental pollution of estuarine ecosystems. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 113:117-124. [PMID: 27593851 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.08.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/27/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Estuaries are very important ecosystems with great ecological and economic value, but usually highly impacted by anthropogenic pressure. Thus, the assessment of pollution levels in these habitats is critical in order to evaluate their environmental quality. In this work, we combined complementary metallomic and proteomic approaches with the aim to monitor the effects of environmental pollution on Scrobicularia plana clams captured in three estuarine systems from the south coast of Portugal; Arade estuary, Ria Formosa and Guadiana estuary. Multi-elemental profiling of digestive glands was carried out to evaluate the differential pollution levels in the three study areas. Then, proteomic analysis by means of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry revealed twenty-one differential proteins, which could be associated with multiple toxicological mechanisms induced in environmentally stressed organisms. Accordingly, it could be concluded that the combination of different omic approaches presents a great potential in environmental research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl González-Domínguez
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, Campus de El Carmen, 21007 Huelva, Spain; Campus of Excellence International ceiA3, University of Huelva, Spain; Research Center of Health and Environment (CYSMA), University of Huelva, Campus de El Carmen, 21007 Huelva, Spain.
| | - Hugo Miguel Santos
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; ProteoMass Scientific Society, MadanPark, Rua dos Inventores s/n, Monte de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
| | - Maria João Bebianno
- CIMA, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-135 Faro, Portugal.
| | - Tamara García-Barrera
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, Campus de El Carmen, 21007 Huelva, Spain; Campus of Excellence International ceiA3, University of Huelva, Spain; Research Center of Health and Environment (CYSMA), University of Huelva, Campus de El Carmen, 21007 Huelva, Spain.
| | - José Luis Gómez-Ariza
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Huelva, Campus de El Carmen, 21007 Huelva, Spain; Campus of Excellence International ceiA3, University of Huelva, Spain; Research Center of Health and Environment (CYSMA), University of Huelva, Campus de El Carmen, 21007 Huelva, Spain.
| | - José Luis Capelo
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; ProteoMass Scientific Society, MadanPark, Rua dos Inventores s/n, Monte de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
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23
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Hadano S, Mitsui S, Pan L, Otomo A, Kubo M, Sato K, Ono S, Onodera W, Abe K, Chen X, Koike M, Uchiyama Y, Aoki M, Warabi E, Yamamoto M, Ishii T, Yanagawa T, Shang HF, Yoshii F. Functional links between SQSTM1 and ALS2 in the pathogenesis of ALS: cumulative impact on the protection against mutant SOD1-mediated motor dysfunction in mice. Hum Mol Genet 2016; 25:3321-3340. [PMID: 27439389 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a selective loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Multiple toxicity pathways, such as oxidative stress, misfolded protein accumulation, and dysfunctional autophagy, are implicated in the pathogenesis of ALS. However, the molecular basis of the interplay between such multiple factors in vivo remains unclear. Here, we report that two independent ALS-linked autophagy-associated gene products; SQSTM1/p62 and ALS2/alsin, but not antioxidant-related factor; NFE2L2/Nrf2, are implicated in the pathogenesis in mutant SOD1 transgenic ALS models. We generated SOD1H46R mice either on a Nfe2l2-null, Sqstm1-null, or Sqstm1/Als2-double null background. Loss of SQSTM1 but not NFE2L2 exacerbated disease symptoms. A simultaneous inactivation of SQSTM1 and ALS2 further accelerated the onset of disease. Biochemical analyses revealed that loss of SQSTM1 increased the level of insoluble SOD1 at the intermediate stage of the disease, whereas no further elevation occurred at the end-stage. Notably, absence of SQSTM1 rather suppressed the mutant SOD1-dependent accumulation of insoluble polyubiquitinated proteins, while ALS2 loss enhanced it. Histopathological examinations demonstrated that loss of SQSTM1 accelerated motor neuron degeneration with accompanying the preferential accumulation of ubiquitin-positive aggregates in spinal neurons. Since SQSTM1 loss is more detrimental to SOD1H46R mice than lack of ALS2, the selective accumulation of such aggregates in neurons might be more insulting than the biochemically-detectable insoluble proteins. Collectively, two ALS-linked factors, SQSTM1 and ALS2, have distinct but additive protective roles against mutant SOD1-mediated toxicity by modulating neuronal proteostasis possibly through the autophagy-endolysosomal system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Hadano
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan .,Research Center for Brain and Nervous Diseases, Tokai University Graduate School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.,The Institute of Medical Sciences, Tokai University, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shun Mitsui
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Lei Pan
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Asako Otomo
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.,The Institute of Medical Sciences, Tokai University, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.,Micro/Nano Technology Center, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Mizuki Kubo
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kai Sato
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Suzuka Ono
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Wakana Onodera
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Koichiro Abe
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - XuePing Chen
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Masato Koike
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuo Uchiyama
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masashi Aoki
- Department of Neurology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Eiji Warabi
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Masayuki Yamamoto
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Ishii
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Toru Yanagawa
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hui-Fang Shang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Fumihito Yoshii
- The Institute of Medical Sciences, Tokai University, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.,Department of Neurology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
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24
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Ishida M, E Oguchi M, Fukuda M. Multiple Types of Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors (GEFs) for Rab Small GTPases. Cell Struct Funct 2016; 41:61-79. [PMID: 27246931 DOI: 10.1247/csf.16008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Rab small GTPases are highly conserved master regulators of membrane traffic in all eukaryotes. The same as the activation and inactivation of other small GTPases, the activation and inactivation of Rabs are tightly controlled by specific GEFs (guanine nucleotide exchange factors) and GAPs (GTPase-activating proteins), respectively. Although almost all Rab-GAPs reported thus far have a TBC (Tre-2/Bub2/Cdc16)/Rab-GAP domain in common, recent accumulating evidence has indicated the existence of a number of structurally unrelated types of Rab-GEFs, including DENN proteins, VPS9 proteins, Sec2 proteins, TRAPP complexes, heterodimer GEFs (Mon1-Ccz1, HPS1-HPS4 (BLOC-3 complex), Ric1-Rgp1 and Rab3GAP1/2), and other GEFs (e.g., REI-1 and RPGR). In this review article we provide an up-to-date overview of the structures and functions of all putative Rab-GEFs in mammals, with a special focus on their substrate Rabs, interacting proteins, associations with genetic diseases, and intracellular localizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morié Ishida
- Laboratory of Membrane Trafficking Mechanisms, Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University
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25
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Mohamed AR, Cumbo V, Harii S, Shinzato C, Chan CX, Ragan MA, Bourne DG, Willis BL, Ball EE, Satoh N, Miller DJ. The transcriptomic response of the coral
Acropora digitifera
to a competent
Symbiodinium
strain: the symbiosome as an arrested early phagosome. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:3127-41. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Revised: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. R. Mohamed
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
- Comparative Genomics Centre and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology James Cook University Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
- Zoology Department Faculty of Science Benha University Benha 13518 Egypt
- AIMS@JCU Department of Molecular and Cell Biology Australian Institute of Marine Science James Cook University Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
| | - V. Cumbo
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney NSW 2109 Australia
| | - S. Harii
- Sesoko Station Tropical Biosphere Research Center University of the Ryukyus 3422 Sesoko Motobu Okinawa 905‐0227 Japan
| | - C. Shinzato
- Marine Genomics Unit Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Promotion Corporation Onna Okinawa 904‐0412 Japan
| | - C. X. Chan
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - M. A. Ragan
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Institute for Molecular Bioscience The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - D. G. Bourne
- Australian Institute for Marine Science PMB 3 Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
| | - B. L. Willis
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
- Department of Marine Ecosystems and Impacts James Cook University Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
| | - E. E. Ball
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
| | - N. Satoh
- Marine Genomics Unit Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Promotion Corporation Onna Okinawa 904‐0412 Japan
| | - D. J. Miller
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
- Comparative Genomics Centre and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology James Cook University Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
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26
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Is membrane homeostasis the missing link between inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases? Cell Mol Life Sci 2015; 72:4795-805. [PMID: 26403788 PMCID: PMC5005413 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-2038-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 08/16/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Systemic inflammation and infections are associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Unfortunately, the molecular bases of this link are still largely undiscovered. We, therefore, review how inflammatory processes can imbalance membrane homeostasis and theorize how this may have an effect on the aggregation behavior of the proteins implicated in such diseases. Specifically, we describe the processes that generate such imbalances at the molecular level, and try to understand how they affect protein folding and localization. Overall, current knowledge suggests that microglia pro-inflammatory mediators can generate membrane damage, which may have an impact in terms of triggering or accelerating disease manifestation.
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27
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Stankiewicz TR, Linseman DA. Rho family GTPases: key players in neuronal development, neuronal survival, and neurodegeneration. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:314. [PMID: 25339865 PMCID: PMC4187614 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 281] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Accepted: 09/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The Rho family of GTPases belongs to the Ras superfamily of low molecular weight (∼21 kDa) guanine nucleotide binding proteins. The most extensively studied members are RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42. In the last few decades, studies have demonstrated that Rho family GTPases are important regulatory molecules that link surface receptors to the organization of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons. Indeed, Rho GTPases mediate many diverse critical cellular processes, such as gene transcription, cell–cell adhesion, and cell cycle progression. However, Rho GTPases also play an essential role in regulating neuronal morphology. In particular, Rho GTPases regulate dendritic arborization, spine morphogenesis, growth cone development, and axon guidance. In addition, more recent efforts have underscored an important function for Rho GTPases in regulating neuronal survival and death. Interestingly, Rho GTPases can exert either a pro-survival or pro-death signal in neurons depending upon both the cell type and neurotoxic insult involved. This review summarizes key findings delineating the involvement of Rho GTPases and their effectors in the regulation of neuronal survival and death. Collectively, these results suggest that dysregulation of Rho family GTPases may potentially underscore the etiology of some forms of neurodegenerative disease such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trisha R Stankiewicz
- Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Denver, CO, USA ; Department of Biological Sciences and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, University of Denver Denver, CO, USA
| | - Daniel A Linseman
- Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Denver, CO, USA ; Department of Biological Sciences and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, University of Denver Denver, CO, USA ; Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Medicine and Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado Denver Aurora, CO, USA
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28
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Gentil BJ, McLean JR, Xiao S, Zhao B, Durham HD, Robertson J. A two-hybrid screen identifies an unconventional role for the intermediate filament peripherin in regulating the subcellular distribution of the SNAP25-interacting protein, SIP30. J Neurochem 2014; 131:588-601. [DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2014] [Revised: 08/02/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benoit J. Gentil
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery; McGill University; Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Jesse R. McLean
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Shangxi Xiao
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Beibei Zhao
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Heather D. Durham
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery; McGill University; Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Janice Robertson
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
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29
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Lo Giudice T, Lombardi F, Santorelli FM, Kawarai T, Orlacchio A. Hereditary spastic paraplegia: clinical-genetic characteristics and evolving molecular mechanisms. Exp Neurol 2014; 261:518-39. [PMID: 24954637 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2014.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 244] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2014] [Revised: 06/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous neurological disorders characterized by pathophysiologic hallmark of length-dependent distal axonal degeneration of the corticospinal tracts. The prominent features of this pathological condition are progressive spasticity and weakness of the lower limbs. To date, 72 spastic gait disease-loci and 55 spastic paraplegia genes (SPGs) have been identified. All modes of inheritance (autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, and X-linked) have been described. Recently, a late onset spastic gait disorder with maternal trait of inheritance has been reported, as well as mutations in genes not yet classified as spastic gait disease. Several cellular processes are involved in its pathogenesis, such as membrane and axonal transport, endoplasmic reticulum membrane modeling and shaping, mitochondrial function, DNA repair, autophagy, and abnormalities in lipid metabolism and myelination processes. Moreover, recent evidences have been found about the impairment of endosome membrane trafficking in vesicle formation and about the involvement of oxidative stress and mtDNA polymorphisms in the onset of the disease. Interactome networks have been postulated by bioinformatics and biological analyses of spastic paraplegia genes, which would contribute to the development of new therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Temistocle Lo Giudice
- Laboratorio di Neurogenetica, Centro Europeo di Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC) - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università di Roma "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Lombardi
- Laboratorio di Neurogenetica, Centro Europeo di Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC) - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Filippo Maria Santorelli
- Unità Operativa Complessa di Medicina Molecolare, Neurogenetica e Malattie Neurodegenerative, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Toshitaka Kawarai
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Health Biosciences, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Antonio Orlacchio
- Laboratorio di Neurogenetica, Centro Europeo di Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC) - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università di Roma "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.
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30
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Takayama Y, Itoh RE, Tsuyama T, Uemura T. Age-dependent deterioration of locomotion inDrosophila melanogasterdeficient in the homologue ofamyotrophic lateral sclerosis 2. Genes Cells 2014; 19:464-77. [DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Takayama
- Graduate School of Biostudies; Kyoto University; Kyoto 606-8501 Japan
| | - Reina E. Itoh
- Graduate School of Biostudies; Kyoto University; Kyoto 606-8501 Japan
| | - Taiichi Tsuyama
- Graduate School of Biostudies; Kyoto University; Kyoto 606-8501 Japan
| | - Tadashi Uemura
- Graduate School of Biostudies; Kyoto University; Kyoto 606-8501 Japan
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31
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Eker HK, Unlü SE, Al-Salmi F, Crosby AH. A novel homozygous mutation in ALS2 gene in four siblings with infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis. Eur J Med Genet 2014; 57:275-8. [PMID: 24704789 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2014.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autosomal recessive early onset forms of motor neuron disorders including infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paraplegia (OMIM #607225) are due to homozygous mutations in the ALS2 gene. Here, we report on a novel splice-site mutation of the ALS2 (c.2351+2C>A) in four children of a consanguineous union with infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paraplegia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hatice Koçak Eker
- Department of Medical Genetics, Dr Faruk Sükan Maternity and Pediatric Hospital, Konya, Turkey.
| | | | - Fatema Al-Salmi
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Andrew H Crosby
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
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32
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Racis L, Tessa A, Pugliatti M, Storti E, Agnetti V, Santorelli FM. Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis: a case report and brief literature review. Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2014; 18:235-9. [PMID: 24144828 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2013.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 09/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis (IAHSP) is a rare, early-onset autosomal recessive motor neuron disease associated with mutations in ALS2. AIM We studied a 17-year-old boy who had features of IAHSP. We also reviewed the current literature on ALS2-related syndromes. METHODS Clinical and neuroimaging studies were performed. Blood DNA analyses were combined with mRNA studies in cultured skin fibroblasts. RESULTS Like previously described cases, the patient presented with severe spastic paraparesis and showed rapid progression of paresis to the upper limbs. He also developed bulbar involvement and severe scoliosis during childhood. In blood DNA we identified a novel splice-site homozygous mutation in ALS2 (c.3836+1G > T), producing exon skipping in fibroblast mRNA and predicting premature protein truncation. CONCLUSIONS This case adds to the allelic heterogeneity of IAHSP. Review of the pertinent literature indicates a fairly homogeneous clinical picture in IAHSP that should facilitate molecular confirmation and prevention of long-term complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loretta Racis
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Sassari, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Maura Pugliatti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Virgilio Agnetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Sassari, Italy
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Mutations in the PLEKHG5 gene is relevant with autosomal recessive intermediate Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2013; 8:104. [PMID: 23844677 PMCID: PMC3728151 DOI: 10.1186/1750-1172-8-104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2013] [Accepted: 07/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mutations in the Pleckstrin homology domain-containing, family G member 5 (PLEKHG5) gene has been reported in a family harboring an autosomal recessive lower motor neuron disease (LMND). However, the PLEKHG5 mutation has not been described to cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). Methods To identify the causative mutation in an autosomal recessive intermediate CMT (RI-CMT) family with childhood onset, whole exome sequencing (WES), histopathology, and lower leg MRIs were performed. Expression and activity of each mutant protein were analyzed. Results We identified novel compound heterozygous (p.Thr663Met and p.Gly820Arg) mutations in the PLEKHG5 gene in the present family. The patient revealed clinical manifestations of sensory neuropathy. Fatty replacements in the distal lower leg muscles were more severe than in the thigh muscles. Although the symptoms and signs of this patient harboring slow nerve conduction velocities suggested the possibility of demyelinating neuropathy, a distal sural nerve biopsy was compatible with axonal neuropathy. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the patient has a low level of PLEKHG5 in the distal sural nerve and an in vitro assay suggested that the mutant proteins have a defect in activating the NF-κB signaling pathway. Conclusions This study identifies compound heterozygous PLEKHG5 mutations as the cause of RI-CMT. We suggest that PLEKHG5 might play a role in the peripheral motor and sensory nervous system. This study expands the phenotypic spectrum of PLEKHG5 mutations.
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Furuta N, Makioka K, Fujita Y, Ikeda M, Takatama M, Matsuoka M, Okamoto K. Reduced expression of BTBD10 in anterior horn cells with
G
olgi fragmentation and
pTDP
‐43‐positive inclusions in patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neuropathology 2013; 33:397-404. [DOI: 10.1111/neup.12010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2012] [Revised: 11/16/2012] [Accepted: 11/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natsumi Furuta
- Department of Neurology Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Kouki Makioka
- Department of Neurology Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Yukio Fujita
- Department of Neurology Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Masaki Ikeda
- Department of Neurology Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine
| | - Masamitsu Takatama
- Department of Internal Medicine Geriatrics Research Institute and Hospital Gunma
| | | | - Koichi Okamoto
- Department of Neurology Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine
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Çobanoğlu G, Ozansoy M, Başak AN. Are alsin and spartin novel interaction partners? Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2012; 427:1-4. [PMID: 22982304 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.08.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2012] [Accepted: 08/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in ALS2 gene/alsin are associated with recessive forms of motor neuron disorders including Juvenile Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (JALS), Infantile-onset Ascending Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (IAHSP) and Juvenile Primary Lateral Sclerosis (JPLS). In this study, we show that alsin and another MND-linked protein, spartin are related to each other both at mRNA and protein levels in Neuro2a cells. We observed significant alterations in spartin expression in alsin knock-down conditions. We further found that both proteins colocalize in N2a cells and spartin isoform-a precipitates with alsin in the same protein complex. In the light of these results we suggest that alsin and spartin may interact each other physically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gönenç Çobanoğlu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Neurodegeneration Research Laboratory (NDAL), Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
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36
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Abstract
Autophagy is a degradative modality that involves intracellular elimination of proteins and organelles by lysosomes. It is a conservative process and plays a crucial role in cell growth and development, and keeping cellular homeostasis especially under stress-induced situations. Recently, increasing evidence suggests that autophagic alternations may contribute to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as one of initial factors. LC3-II and p62 are found increased in spinal cord of both ALS patients and experimental models, indicating overwhelming autophagic level. But the aggregation of ALS-associated proteins, including SOD1 and TDP-43 suggest possible insufficiency of autophagy induction. Besides, augment autophagic level through genetic pathway or rapamycin leads to paradoxical results in different neurodegenerative diseases models. So, it remains controversial about autophagic effects on ALS progress. In this review, we will depict a comprehensive role that autophagy plays in ALS and focus on the influence of impaired autophagic flux and excessive autophagic vacuoles (AVs) that may aggregate ALS development. And we will discuss the potential therapeutic targets through modulating autophagic level to treat this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-yuan Song
- Department of Neurology, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
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37
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Dysregulation of the autophagy-endolysosomal system in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and related motor neuron diseases. Neurol Res Int 2012; 2012:498428. [PMID: 22852081 PMCID: PMC3407648 DOI: 10.1155/2012/498428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2012] [Accepted: 05/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a heterogeneous group of incurable motor neuron diseases (MNDs) characterized by a selective loss of upper and lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Most cases of ALS are sporadic, while approximately 5–10% cases are familial. More than 16 causative genes for ALS/MNDs have been identified and their underlying pathogenesis, including oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, neural inflammation, protein misfolding and accumulation, dysfunctional intracellular trafficking, abnormal RNA processing, and noncell-autonomous damage, has begun to emerge. It is currently believed that a complex interplay of multiple toxicity pathways is implicated in disease onset and progression. Among such mechanisms, ones that are associated with disturbances of protein homeostasis, the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy, have recently been highlighted. Although it remains to be determined whether disease-associated protein aggregates have a toxic or protective role in the pathogenesis, the formation of them results from the imbalance between generation and degradation of misfolded proteins within neuronal cells. In this paper, we focus on the autophagy-lysosomal and endocytic degradation systems and implication of their dysfunction to the pathogenesis of ALS/MNDs. The autophagy-endolysosomal pathway could be a major target for the development of therapeutic agents for ALS/MNDs.
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Abstract
Human voluntary movement is controlled by the pyramidal motor system, a long CNS pathway comprising corticospinal and lower motor neurons. Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are a large, genetically diverse group of inherited neurologic disorders characterized by a length-dependent distal axonopathy of the corticospinal tracts, resulting in lower limb spasticity and weakness. A range of studies are converging on alterations in the shaping of organelles, particularly the endoplasmic reticulum, as well as intracellular membrane trafficking and distribution as primary defects underlying the HSPs, with clear relevance for other long axonopathies affecting peripheral nerves and lower motor neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Blackstone
- Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
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Different human copper-zinc superoxide dismutase mutants, SOD1G93A and SOD1H46R, exert distinct harmful effects on gross phenotype in mice. PLoS One 2012; 7:e33409. [PMID: 22438926 PMCID: PMC3306410 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2011] [Accepted: 02/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a heterogeneous group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterized by a selective loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Creation of transgenic mice expressing mutant Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), as ALS models, has made an enormous impact on progress of the ALS studies. Recently, it has been recognized that genetic background and gender affect many physiological and pathological phenotypes. However, no systematic studies focusing on such effects using ALS models other than SOD1G93A mice have been conducted. To clarify the effects of genetic background and gender on gross phenotypes among different ALS models, we here conducted a comparative analysis of growth curves and lifespans using congenic lines of SOD1G93A and SOD1H46R mice on two different genetic backgrounds; C57BL/6N (B6) and FVB/N (FVB). Copy number of the transgene and their expression between SOD1G93A and SOD1H46R lines were comparable. B6 congenic mutant SOD1 transgenic lines irrespective of their mutation and gender differences lived longer than corresponding FVB lines. Notably, the G93A mutation caused severer disease phenotypes than did the H46R mutation, where SOD1G93A mice, particularly on a FVB background, showed more extensive body weight loss and earlier death. Gender effect on survival also solely emerged in FVB congenic SOD1G93A mice. Conversely, consistent with our previous study using B6 lines, lack of Als2, a murine homolog for the recessive juvenile ALS causative gene, in FVB congenic SOD1H46R, but not SOD1G93A, mice resulted in an earlier death, implying a genetic background-independent but mutation-dependent phenotypic modification. These results indicate that SOD1G93A- and SOD1H46R-mediated toxicity and their associated pathogenic pathways are not identical. Further, distinctive injurious effects resulted from different SOD1 mutations, which are associated with genetic background and/or gender, suggests the presence of several genetic modifiers of disease expression in the mouse genome.
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40
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Li Q, Spencer NY, Pantazis NJ, Engelhardt JF. Alsin and SOD1(G93A) proteins regulate endosomal reactive oxygen species production by glial cells and proinflammatory pathways responsible for neurotoxicity. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:40151-62. [PMID: 21937428 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.279711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have implicated enhanced Nox2-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) by microglia in the pathogenesis of motor neuron death observed in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this context, ALS mutant forms of SOD1 enhance Rac1 activation, leading to increased Nox2-dependent microglial ROS production and neuron cell death in mice. It remains unclear if other genetic mutations that cause ALS also function through similar Nox-dependent pathways to enhance ROS-mediate motor neuron death. In the present study, we sought to understand whether alsin, which is mutated in an inherited juvenile form of ALS, functionally converges on Rac1-dependent pathways acted upon by SOD1(G93A) to regulate Nox-dependent ROS production. Our studies demonstrate that glial cell expression of SOD1(G93A) or wild type alsin induces ROS production, Rac1 activation, secretion of TNFα, and activation of NFκB, leading to decreased motor neuron survival in co-culture. Interestingly, coexpression of alsin, or shRNA against Nox2, with SOD1(G93A) in glial cells attenuated these proinflammatory indicators and protected motor neurons in co-culture, although shRNAs against Nox1 and Nox4 had little effect. SOD1(G93A) expression dramatically enhanced TNFα-mediated endosomal ROS in glial cells in a Rac1-dependent manner and alsin overexpression inhibited SOD1(G93A)-induced endosomal ROS and Rac1 activation. SOD1(G93A) expression enhanced recruitment of alsin to the endomembrane compartment in glial cells, suggesting that these two proteins act to modulate Nox2-dependent endosomal ROS and proinflammatory signals that modulate NFκB. These studies suggest that glial proinflammatory signals regulated by endosomal ROS are influenced by two gene products known to cause ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Li
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
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41
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Enunlu I, Ozansoy M, Basak AN. Alfa-class prefoldin protein UXT is a novel interacting partner of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis 2 (Als2) protein. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2011; 413:471-5. [PMID: 21907703 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2011.08.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2011] [Accepted: 08/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in Als2 gene cause several autosomal recessive forms of motor neuron diseases including Juvenile Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (JALS), Juvenile Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLSJ) and Infantile-onset Ascending Hereditary Spastic Paralysis (IAHSP). To find novel protein-protein interactions of Als2 protein we performed a yeast two hybrid screen and fished out the Ubiquitously Expressed Transcript (UXT) protein. UXT is a novel gene encoding for an α-class prefoldin type chaperone which acts as a co-activator for various transcriptional factors such as Nf-κB and AR. The interaction between Als2 and UXT was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. Co-localization between endogenous Als2 and UXT was mainly found in the cytoplasm of neuronal Neuro2a cells with immunofluorescence microscopy. Cell cycle arrest of Neuro2a cells showed that Als2 and Uxt transcriptional levels are synchronously changing. Our results suggest that Als2 is a binding partner of Uxt and Als2/Uxt interaction could be important for the activation of Nf-κB pathway. These results provides basis for future research to investigate the role of Nf-κB pathway in the development of motor neuron diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izzet Enunlu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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42
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Jeppesen DK, Bohr VA, Stevnsner T. DNA repair deficiency in neurodegeneration. Prog Neurobiol 2011; 94:166-200. [PMID: 21550379 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2011.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2011] [Revised: 04/18/2011] [Accepted: 04/22/2011] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Deficiency in repair of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA damage has been linked to several neurodegenerative disorders. Many recent experimental results indicate that the post-mitotic neurons are particularly prone to accumulation of unrepaired DNA lesions potentially leading to progressive neurodegeneration. Nucleotide excision repair is the cellular pathway responsible for removing helix-distorting DNA damage and deficiency in such repair is found in a number of diseases with neurodegenerative phenotypes, including Xeroderma Pigmentosum and Cockayne syndrome. The main pathway for repairing oxidative base lesions is base excision repair, and such repair is crucial for neurons given their high rates of oxygen metabolism. Mismatch repair corrects base mispairs generated during replication and evidence indicates that oxidative DNA damage can cause this pathway to expand trinucleotide repeats, thereby causing Huntington's disease. Single-strand breaks are common DNA lesions and are associated with the neurodegenerative diseases, ataxia-oculomotor apraxia-1 and spinocerebellar ataxia with axonal neuropathy-1. DNA double-strand breaks are toxic lesions and two main pathways exist for their repair: homologous recombination and non-homologous end-joining. Ataxia telangiectasia and related disorders with defects in these pathways illustrate that such defects can lead to early childhood neurodegeneration. Aging is a risk factor for neurodegeneration and accumulation of oxidative mitochondrial DNA damage may be linked with the age-associated neurodegenerative disorders Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mutation in the WRN protein leads to the premature aging disease Werner syndrome, a disorder that features neurodegeneration. In this article we review the evidence linking deficiencies in the DNA repair pathways with neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Kjølhede Jeppesen
- Danish Centre for Molecular Gerontology and Danish Aging Research Center, University of Aarhus, Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus, Denmark
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43
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Defective relocalization of ALS2/alsin missense mutants to Rac1-induced macropinosomes accounts for loss of their cellular function and leads to disturbed amphisome formation. FEBS Lett 2011; 585:730-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2011.01.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2010] [Revised: 01/26/2011] [Accepted: 01/29/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Liang Q, Lu X, Jiang L, Wang C, Fan Y, Zhang C. EMB1211 is required for normal embryo development and influences chloroplast biogenesis in Arabidopsis. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2010; 140:380-394. [PMID: 20738804 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3054.2010.01407.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Chloroplast biogenesis is tightly linked with embryogenesis and seedling development. A growing body of work has been done on the molecular mechanisms underlying chloroplast development; however, the molecular components involved in chloroplast biogenesis during embryogenesis remain largely uncharacterized. In this paper, we show that an Arabidopsis mutant carrying a T-DNA insertion in a gene encoding a multiple membrane occupation and recognition nexus (MORN)-containing protein exhibits severe defects during embryogenesis, producing abnormal embryos and thereby leading to a lethality of young seedlings. Genetic and microscopic studies reveal that the mutation is allelic to a previously designated Arabidopsis embryo-defective 1211 mutant (emb1211). The emb1211 +/- mutant plants produce approximately 25% of white-colored ovules with abnormal embryos since late globular stage when primary chloroplast biogenesis takes place, while the wild-type plants produce all green ovules. Transmission electron microscopic analysis reveals the absence of normal chloroplast development, both in the mutant embryos and in the mutant seedlings, that contributes to the albinism. The EMB1211 gene is preferentially expressed in developing embryos as revealed in the EMB1211::GUS transgenic plants. Taken together, the data indicate that EMB1211 has an important role during embryogenesis and chloroplast biogenesis in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuju Liang
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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45
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Lorestani A, Sheiner L, Yang K, Robertson SD, Sahoo N, Brooks CF, Ferguson DJP, Striepen B, Gubbels MJ. A Toxoplasma MORN1 null mutant undergoes repeated divisions but is defective in basal assembly, apicoplast division and cytokinesis. PLoS One 2010; 5:e12302. [PMID: 20808817 PMCID: PMC2924399 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2010] [Accepted: 07/27/2010] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The membrane occupation and recognition nexus protein 1 (MORN1) is highly conserved among apicomplexan parasites and is associated with several structures that have a role in cell division. Here we dissected the role of MORN1 using the relatively simple budding process of Toxoplasma gondii as a model. Ablation of MORN1 in a conditional null mutant resulted in pronounced defects suggesting a central role for MORN1 in apicoplast segregation and in daughter cell budding. Lack of MORN1 resulted in double-headed parasites. These Janus-headed parasites form two complete apical complexes but fail to assemble a basal complex. Moreover, these parasites were capable of undergoing several more budding rounds resulting in the formation of up to 16-headed parasites conjoined at the basal end. Despite this segregation defect, the mother's cytoskeleton was completely disassembled in every budding round. Overall this argues that successful completion of the budding is not required for cell cycle progression. None of the known basal complex components, including a set of recently identified inner membrane complex (IMC) proteins, localized correctly in these multi-headed parasites. These data suggest that MORN1 is essential for assembly of the basal complex, and that lack of the basal complex abolishes the contractile capacity assigned to the basal complex late in daughter formation. Consistent with this hypothesis we observe that MORN1 mutants fail to efficiently constrict and divide the apicoplast. We used the null background provided by the mutant to dissect the function of subdomains of the MORN1 protein. This demonstrated that deletion of a single MORN domain already prevented the function of MORN1 whereas a critical role for the short linker between MORN domains 6 and 7 was identified. In conclusion, MORN1 is required for basal complex assembly and loss of MORN1 results in defects in apicoplast division and daughter segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Lorestani
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Lilach Sheiner
- Department of Cellular Biology and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Kevin Yang
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Seth D. Robertson
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nivedita Sahoo
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Carrie F. Brooks
- Department of Cellular Biology and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - David J. P. Ferguson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Cellular Biology and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Marc-Jan Gubbels
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Hadano S, Yoshii Y, Otomo A, Kunita R, Suzuki-Utsunomiya K, Pan L, Kakuta S, Iwasaki Y, Iwakura Y, Ikeda JE. Genetic background and gender effects on gross phenotypes in congenic lines of ALS2/alsin-deficient mice. Neurosci Res 2010; 68:131-6. [PMID: 20558214 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2010.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2010] [Revised: 06/01/2010] [Accepted: 06/07/2010] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in human ALS2 account for several juvenile recessive motor neuron diseases (MNDs). To understand the molecular basis underlying motor dysfunction in ALS2-linked MNDs, several lines of Als2(-/-) mice with a mixed genetic background were thus far generated, and their phenotypes were thoroughly characterized. However, several phenotypic discrepancies among different Als2-deficient lines became evident. To investigate whether genetic backgrounds are associated with such discrepancies, we here generated congenic lines of Als2(-/-) mice on two different genetic backgrounds; C57BL/6 (B6) and FVB/N (FVB), and investigated their gross phenotypes. Both B6 and FVB congenic lines were viable and fertile with no evidences for obvious abnormalities. There were no differences in growth curves between wild-type and Als2(-/-) mice on each genetic background. Remarkably, Als2(-/-) mice on a FVB, but not a B6, background exhibited a shorter life span than wild-type litters. Further, B6 female, but not male, Als2(-/-) mice showed a significantly lower spontaneous rearing activity than wild-type litters. These genetic background- and/or gender-specific findings suggest the presence of modifiers for life span and motor activities in Als2(-/-) mice. These congenic mice should provide a useful means to understand the molecular and genetic basis for variable expression of pathological phenotypes in MNDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Hadano
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Centre, Tokai University Graduate School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.
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Cox LE, Ferraiuolo L, Goodall EF, Heath PR, Higginbottom A, Mortiboys H, Hollinger HC, Hartley JA, Brockington A, Burness CE, Morrison KE, Wharton SB, Grierson AJ, Ince PG, Kirby J, Shaw PJ. Mutations in CHMP2B in lower motor neuron predominant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). PLoS One 2010; 5:e9872. [PMID: 20352044 PMCID: PMC2844426 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2009] [Accepted: 01/28/2010] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a common late-onset neurodegenerative disease, is associated with fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) in 3-10% of patients. A mutation in CHMP2B was recently identified in a Danish pedigree with autosomal dominant FTD. Subsequently, two unrelated patients with familial ALS, one of whom also showed features of FTD, were shown to carry missense mutations in CHMP2B. The initial aim of this study was to determine whether mutations in CHMP2B contribute more broadly to ALS pathogenesis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Sequencing of CHMP2B in 433 ALS cases from the North of England identified 4 cases carrying 3 missense mutations, including one novel mutation, p.Thr104Asn, none of which were present in 500 neurologically normal controls. Analysis of clinical and neuropathological data of these 4 cases showed a phenotype consistent with the lower motor neuron predominant (progressive muscular atrophy (PMA)) variant of ALS. Only one had a recognised family history of ALS and none had clinically apparent dementia. Microarray analysis of motor neurons from CHMP2B cases, compared to controls, showed a distinct gene expression signature with significant differential expression predicting disassembly of cell structure; increased calcium concentration in the ER lumen; decrease in the availability of ATP; down-regulation of the classical and p38 MAPK signalling pathways, reduction in autophagy initiation and a global repression of translation. Transfection of mutant CHMP2B into HEK-293 and COS-7 cells resulted in the formation of large cytoplasmic vacuoles, aberrant lysosomal localisation demonstrated by CD63 staining and impairment of autophagy indicated by increased levels of LC3-II protein. These changes were absent in control cells transfected with wild-type CHMP2B. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE We conclude that in a population drawn from North of England pathogenic CHMP2B mutations are found in approximately 1% of cases of ALS and 10% of those with lower motor neuron predominant ALS. We provide a body of evidence indicating the likely pathogenicity of the reported gene alterations. However, absolute confirmation of pathogenicity requires further evidence, including documentation of familial transmission in ALS pedigrees which might be most fruitfully explored in cases with a LMN predominant phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Cox
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Ferraiuolo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Emily F. Goodall
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Paul R. Heath
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Higginbottom
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Heather Mortiboys
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah C. Hollinger
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Judith A. Hartley
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Alice Brockington
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Christine E. Burness
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Karen E. Morrison
- Department of Neurology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, East Midlands, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen B. Wharton
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J. Grierson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Paul G. Ince
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Janine Kirby
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Pamela J. Shaw
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Loss of ALS2/Alsin exacerbates motor dysfunction in a SOD1-expressing mouse ALS model by disturbing endolysosomal trafficking. PLoS One 2010; 5:e9805. [PMID: 20339559 PMCID: PMC2842444 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2009] [Accepted: 03/03/2010] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background ALS2/alsin is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for the small GTPase Rab5 and involved in macropinocytosis-associated endosome fusion and trafficking, and neurite outgrowth. ALS2 deficiency accounts for a number of juvenile recessive motor neuron diseases (MNDs). Recently, it has been shown that ALS2 plays a role in neuroprotection against MND-associated pathological insults, such as toxicity induced by mutant Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1). However, molecular mechanisms underlying the relationship between ALS2-associated cellular function and its neuroprotective role remain unclear. Methodology/Principal Findings To address this issue, we investigated the molecular and pathological basis for the phenotypic modification of mutant SOD1-expressing mice by ALS2 loss. Genetic ablation of Als2 in SOD1H46R, but not SOD1G93A, transgenic mice aggravated the mutant SOD1-associated disease symptoms such as body weight loss and motor dysfunction, leading to the earlier death. Light and electron microscopic examinations revealed the presence of degenerating and/or swollen spinal axons accumulating granular aggregates and autophagosome-like vesicles in early- and even pre-symptomatic SOD1H46R mice. Further, enhanced accumulation of insoluble high molecular weight SOD1, poly-ubiquitinated proteins, and macroautophagy-associated proteins such as polyubiquitin-binding protein p62/SQSTM1 and a lipidated form of light chain 3 (LC3-II), emerged in ALS2-deficient SOD1H46R mice. Intriguingly, ALS2 was colocalized with LC3 and p62, and partly with SOD1 on autophagosome/endosome hybrid compartments, and loss of ALS2 significantly lowered the lysosome-dependent clearance of LC3 and p62 in cultured cells. Conclusions/Significance Based on these observations, although molecular basis for the distinctive susceptibilities to ALS2 loss in different mutant SOD1-expressing ALS models is still elusive, disturbance of the endolysosomal system by ALS2 loss may exacerbate the SOD1H46R-mediated neurotoxicity by accelerating the accumulation of immature vesicles and misfolded proteins in the spinal cord. We propose that ALS2 is implicated in endolysosomal trafficking through the fusion between endosomes and autophagosomes, thereby regulating endolysosomal protein degradation in vivo.
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Lee J, Han CT, Hur Y. Overexpression of BrMORN, a novel 'membrane occupation and recognition nexus' motif protein gene from Chinese cabbage, promotes vegetative growth and seed production in Arabidopsis. Mol Cells 2010; 29:113-22. [PMID: 20016940 DOI: 10.1007/s10059-010-0006-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2009] [Revised: 10/14/2009] [Accepted: 10/28/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins that contain membrane occupation and recognition nexus (MORN) motifs regulate various aspects of cellular metabolism by localizing proteins in different cellular organelles. The full-length Brassica rapa MORN motif protein (BrMORN) cDNA consists of 1,510 bp encoding 502 deduced amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 55.8 kDa and an isoelectric point of 9.72. BrMORN is a novel protein composed of two N-terminal transmembrane helices and seven C-terminal MORN motifs and it appears to be localized on the plastid envelope. BrMORN expression was relatively high in actively-growing tissues, but low in mature tissues and under some abiotic stresses. Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing BrMORN showed an enhanced rate of growth, hypocotyl elongation, and increases in the size of vegetative organs and seed productivity under normal growth conditions. In addition, cell size in Arabidopsis plants overexpressing BrMORN was 24% larger than that of wild-type plants, implying that the increase in the size of vegetative organs is due to cell enlargement. The increased size of the vegetative organs also led to increased seed production. Our data suggest that the MORN motif of BrMORN may act at the plastid envelope and facilitate plant growth via cell enlargement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeongyeo Lee
- Plant Genomics Institute, College of Biosystems Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea
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Carter BJ, Anklesaria P, Choi S, Engelhardt JF. Redox modifier genes and pathways in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Antioxid Redox Signal 2009; 11:1569-86. [PMID: 19187001 PMCID: PMC2842588 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2008.2414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Enhanced redox-stress caused by neuroinflammation, mitochondria, and NADPH oxidases has been hypothesized to play critical roles in disease progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, distinguishing whether the redox-stress observed in ALS is due to a primary defect in cellular reactive oxygen species metabolism/catabolism, or is a secondary consequence of neuroinflammation, has been difficult and the issue remains a matter of debate. Emerging evidence suggests that defects in genes that regulate NADPH oxidases may account for at least some forms of ALS. NADPH oxidases are key signaling complexes that influence cellular responses to growth factors and cytokines. In this context, NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species exert spatial control over the redox-dependent activation of certain pro-inflammatory receptors. Understanding the biology of how NADPH oxidases control cell signaling may help to clarify how genetic determinants of ALS lead to dysregulated pro-inflammatory signaling. This review provides a framework for understanding endosomal signaling through NADPH oxidases and potential mechanisms whereby gene defects in various forms of ALS may influence this cellular process and lead to motor neuron degeneration. Lastly, this review discusses past and current efforts to treat ALS using antioxidant therapies, as well as the limitations and advantages of each of these approaches.
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