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Santarelli S, Londero C, Soldano A, Candelaresi C, Todeschini L, Vernizzi L, Bellosta P. Drosophila melanogaster as a model to study autophagy in neurodegenerative diseases induced by proteinopathies. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1082047. [PMID: 37274187 PMCID: PMC10232775 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1082047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteinopathies are a large group of neurodegenerative diseases caused by both genetic and sporadic mutations in particular genes which can lead to alterations of the protein structure and to the formation of aggregates, especially toxic for neurons. Autophagy is a key mechanism for clearing those aggregates and its function has been strongly associated with the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), hence mutations in both pathways have been associated with the onset of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly those induced by protein misfolding and accumulation of aggregates. Many crucial discoveries regarding the molecular and cellular events underlying the role of autophagy in these diseases have come from studies using Drosophila models. Indeed, despite the physiological and morphological differences between the fly and the human brain, most of the biochemical and molecular aspects regulating protein homeostasis, including autophagy, are conserved between the two species.In this review, we will provide an overview of the most common neurodegenerative proteinopathies, which include PolyQ diseases (Huntington's disease, Spinocerebellar ataxia 1, 2, and 3), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (C9orf72, SOD1, TDP-43, FUS), Alzheimer's disease (APP, Tau) Parkinson's disease (a-syn, parkin and PINK1, LRRK2) and prion diseases, highlighting the studies using Drosophila that have contributed to understanding the conserved mechanisms and elucidating the role of autophagy in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Santarelli
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Chiara Londero
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Alessia Soldano
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Carlotta Candelaresi
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Leonardo Todeschini
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Luisa Vernizzi
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Paola Bellosta
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Department of Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
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Anoar S, Woodling NS, Niccoli T. Mitochondria Dysfunction in Frontotemporal Dementia/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Lessons From Drosophila Models. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:786076. [PMID: 34899176 PMCID: PMC8652125 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.786076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by declining motor and cognitive functions. Even though these diseases present with distinct sets of symptoms, FTD and ALS are two extremes of the same disease spectrum, as they show considerable overlap in genetic, clinical and neuropathological features. Among these overlapping features, mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with both FTD and ALS. Recent studies have shown that cells derived from patients' induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)s display mitochondrial abnormalities, and similar abnormalities have been observed in a number of animal disease models. Drosophila models have been widely used to study FTD and ALS because of their rapid generation time and extensive set of genetic tools. A wide array of fly models have been developed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of toxicity for mutations associated with FTD/ALS. Fly models have been often instrumental in understanding the role of disease associated mutations in mitochondria biology. In this review, we discuss how mutations associated with FTD/ALS disrupt mitochondrial function, and we review how the use of Drosophila models has been pivotal to our current knowledge in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharifah Anoar
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nathaniel S Woodling
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Teresa Niccoli
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Layalle S, They L, Ourghani S, Raoul C, Soustelle L. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Genes in Drosophila melanogaster. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020904. [PMID: 33477509 PMCID: PMC7831090 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating adult-onset neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of upper and lower motoneurons. Most ALS cases are sporadic but approximately 10% of ALS cases are due to inherited mutations in identified genes. ALS-causing mutations were identified in over 30 genes with superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1), chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72), fused in sarcoma (FUS), and TAR DNA-binding protein (TARDBP, encoding TDP-43) being the most frequent. In the last few decades, Drosophila melanogaster emerged as a versatile model for studying neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS. In this review, we describe the different Drosophila ALS models that have been successfully used to decipher the cellular and molecular pathways associated with SOD1, C9orf72, FUS, and TDP-43. The study of the known fruit fly orthologs of these ALS-related genes yielded significant insights into cellular mechanisms and physiological functions. Moreover, genetic screening in tissue-specific gain-of-function mutants that mimic ALS-associated phenotypes identified disease-modifying genes. Here, we propose a comprehensive review on the Drosophila research focused on four ALS-linked genes that has revealed novel pathogenic mechanisms and identified potential therapeutic targets for future therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Layalle
- The Neuroscience Institute of Montpellier, INSERM, University of Montpellier, 34091 Montpellier, France; (S.L.); (L.T.); (S.O.)
| | - Laetitia They
- The Neuroscience Institute of Montpellier, INSERM, University of Montpellier, 34091 Montpellier, France; (S.L.); (L.T.); (S.O.)
| | - Sarah Ourghani
- The Neuroscience Institute of Montpellier, INSERM, University of Montpellier, 34091 Montpellier, France; (S.L.); (L.T.); (S.O.)
| | - Cédric Raoul
- The Neuroscience Institute of Montpellier, INSERM, University of Montpellier, 34091 Montpellier, France; (S.L.); (L.T.); (S.O.)
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia
- Correspondence: (C.R.); (L.S.)
| | - Laurent Soustelle
- The Neuroscience Institute of Montpellier, INSERM, University of Montpellier, 34091 Montpellier, France; (S.L.); (L.T.); (S.O.)
- Correspondence: (C.R.); (L.S.)
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Lam I, Hallacli E, Khurana V. Proteome-Scale Mapping of Perturbed Proteostasis in Living Cells. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2020; 12:cshperspect.a034124. [PMID: 30910772 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a034124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Proteinopathies are degenerative diseases in which specific proteins adopt deleterious conformations, leading to the dysfunction and demise of distinct cell types. They comprise some of the most significant diseases of aging-from Alzheimer's disease to Parkinson's disease to type 2 diabetes-for which not a single disease-modifying or preventative strategy exists. Here, we survey approaches in tractable cellular and organismal models that bring us toward a more complete understanding of the molecular consequences of protein misfolding. These include proteome-scale profiling of genetic modifiers, as well as transcriptional and proteome changes. We describe assays that can capture protein interactomes in situ and distinct protein conformational states. A picture of cellular drivers and responders to proteotoxicity emerges from this work, distinguishing general alterations of proteostasis from cellular events that are deeply tied to the intrinsic function of the misfolding protein. These distinctions have consequences for the understanding and treatment of proteinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Lam
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Disease, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Erinc Hallacli
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Disease, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Vikram Khurana
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Disease, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138.,New York Stem Cell Foundation - Robertson Investigator
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Gallart-Palau X, Tan LM, Serra A, Gao Y, Ho HH, Richards AM, Kandiah N, Chen CP, Kalaria RN, Sze SK. Degenerative protein modifications in the aging vasculature and central nervous system: A problem shared is not always halved. Ageing Res Rev 2019; 53:100909. [PMID: 31116994 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2019.100909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Aging influences the pathogenesis and progression of several major diseases affecting both the cardiovascular system (CVS) and central nervous system (CNS). Defining the common molecular features that underpin these disorders in these crucial body systems will likely lead to increased quality of life and improved 'health-span' in the global aging population. Degenerative protein modifications (DPMs) have been strongly implicated in the molecular pathogenesis of several age-related diseases affecting the CVS and CNS, including atherosclerosis, heart disease, dementia syndromes, and stroke. However, these isolated findings have yet to be integrated into a wider framework, which considers the possibility that, despite their distinct features, CVS and CNS disorders may in fact be closely related phenomena. In this work, we review the current literature describing molecular roles of the major age-associated DPMs thought to significantly impact on human health, including carbamylation, citrullination and deamidation. In particular, we focus on data indicating that specific DPMs are shared between multiple age-related diseases in both CVS and CNS settings. By contextualizing these data, we aim to assist future studies in defining the universal mechanisms that underpin both vascular and neurological manifestations of age-related protein degeneration.
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Walters R, Manion J, Neely GG. Dissecting Motor Neuron Disease With Drosophila melanogaster. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:331. [PMID: 31031583 PMCID: PMC6473072 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor Neuron Disease (MND) typically affects patients during the later stages of life, and thus, MND is having an increasingly devastating impact on diagnosed individuals, their families and society. The umbrella term MND refers to diseases which cause the progressive loss of upper and/or lower motor neurons and a subsequent decrease in motor ability such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The study of these diseases is complex and has recently involved the use of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, in the case of MND, it has been difficult to identify the complex genetics involved in subtypes, and functional investigation of new candidate disease genes is warranted. Drosophila is a powerful model for addressing these complex diseases. The UAS/Gal4/Gal80 system allows for the upregulation of Drosophila genes, the “knockdown” of genes and the ectopic expression of human genes or mutations in a tissue-specific manner; often resulting in Drosophila models which exhibit typical MND disease pathologies. These can then be further interrogated to identify disease-modifying genes or mutations and disease pathways. This review will discuss two common MNDs and the current Drosophila models which are being used to research their genetic basis and the different pathologies of MND.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Walters
- Dr. John and Anne Chong Lab for Functional Genomics, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - John Manion
- Dr. John and Anne Chong Lab for Functional Genomics, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - G Gregory Neely
- Dr. John and Anne Chong Lab for Functional Genomics, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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RNA-seq analyses reveal that cervical spinal cords and anterior motor neurons from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis subjects show reduced expression of mitochondrial DNA-encoded respiratory genes, and rhTFAM may correct this respiratory deficiency. Brain Res 2017; 1667:74-83. [PMID: 28511992 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Revised: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a generally fatal neurodegenerative disease of adults that produces weakness and atrophy due to dysfunction and death of upper and lower motor neurons. We used RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) to analyze expression of all mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-encoded respiratory genes in ALS and CTL human cervical spinal cords (hCSC) and isolated motor neurons. We analyzed with RNA-seq mtDNA gene expression in human neural stem cells (hNSC) exposed to recombinant human mitochondrial transcription factor A (rhTFAM), visualized in 3-dimensions clustered gene networks activated by rhTFAM, quantitated their interactions with other genes and determined their gene ontology (GO) families. RNA-seq and quantitative PCR (qPCR) analyses showed reduced mitochondrial gene expression in ALS hCSC and ALS motor neurons isolated by laser capture microdissection (LCM), and revealed that hNSC and CTL human cervical spinal cords were similar. Rats treated with i.v. rhTFAM showed a dose-response increase in brain respiration and an increase in spinal cord mitochondrial gene expression. Treatment of hNSC with rhTFAM increased expression of mtDNA-encoded respiratory genes and produced one major and several minor clusters of gene interactions. Gene ontology (GO) analysis of rhTFAM-stimulated gene clusters revealed enrichment in GO families involved in RNA and mRNA metabolism, suggesting mitochondrial-nuclear signaling. In postmortem ALS hCSC and LCM-isolated motor neurons we found reduced expression of mtDNA respiratory genes. In hNSC's rhTFAM increased mtDNA gene expression and stimulated mRNA metabolism by unclear mechanisms. rhTFAM may be useful in improving bioenergetic function in ALS.
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Gallart-Palau X, Serra A, Sze SK. LERLIC-MS/MS for In-depth Characterization and Quantification of Glutamine and Asparagine Deamidation in Shotgun Proteomics. J Vis Exp 2017. [PMID: 28448026 DOI: 10.3791/55626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterization of protein deamidation is imperative to decipher the role(s) and potentialities of this protein posttranslational modification (PTM) in human pathology and other biochemical contexts. In order to perform characterization of protein deamidation, we have recently developed a novel long-length electrostatic repulsion-hydrophilic interaction chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LERLIC-MS/MS) method which can separate the glutamine (Gln) and asparagine (Asn) isoform products of deamidation from model compounds to highly complex biological samples. LERLIC-MS/MS is, therefore, the first shotgun proteomics strategy for the separation and quantification of Gln deamidation isoforms. We also demonstrate, as a novelty, that the sample processing protocol outlined here stabilizes the succinimide intermediate allowing its characterization by LERLIC-MS/MS. Application of LERLIC-MS/MS as shown in this video article can help to elucidate the currently unknown molecular arrays of protein deamidation. Additionally, LERLIC-MS/MS provides further understanding of the enzymatic reactions that encompass deamidation in distinct biological backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Gallart-Palau
- Division of Structural Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University
| | - Aida Serra
- Division of Structural Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University
| | - Siu Kwan Sze
- Division of Structural Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University;
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