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Patel SP, Nikam T, Sreepathi B, Karankar VS, Jaiswal A, Vardhan SV, Rana A, Toga V, Srivastava N, Saraf SA, Awasthi S. Unraveling the Molecular Jam: How Crowding Shapes Protein Aggregation in Neurodegenerative Disorders. ACS Chem Biol 2024. [PMID: 39373539 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2024]
Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation are the hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases including Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and prion diseases. A crowded cellular environment plays a crucial role in modulating protein aggregation processes in vivo and the pathological aggregation of proteins linked to different neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we review recent studies examining the effects of various crowding agents, such as polysaccharides, polyethylene glycol, and proteins like BSA and lysozyme on the behaviors of aggregation of several amyloidogenic peptides and proteins, including amylin, huntingtin, tau, α-synuclein, prion, and amyloid-β. We also summarize how the aggregation kinetics, thermodynamic stability, and morphology of amyloid fibrils are altered significantly in the presence of crowding agents. In addition, we also discuss the molecular basis underlying the modulation of amyloidogenic aggregation, focusing on changes in the protein conformation, and the nucleation mechanism. The molecular understanding of the effects of macromolecular crowding on amyloid aggregation is essential for revealing disease pathologies and identifying possible therapeutic targets. Thus, this review offers a perspective on the complex interplay between protein aggregation and the crowded cellular environment in vivo and explains the relevance of crowding in the context of neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashi Prakash Patel
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Raebareli (NIPER-R), Lucknow-226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Tejas Nikam
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Raebareli (NIPER-R), Lucknow-226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Bhargavi Sreepathi
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Raebareli (NIPER-R), Lucknow-226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vijayshree S Karankar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Raebareli (NIPER-R), Lucknow-226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ankita Jaiswal
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Raebareli (NIPER-R), Lucknow-226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Salumuri Vamsi Vardhan
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Raebareli (NIPER-R), Lucknow-226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Anika Rana
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Raebareli (NIPER-R), Lucknow-226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vanshu Toga
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Raebareli (NIPER-R), Lucknow-226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Nidhi Srivastava
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Raebareli (NIPER-R), Lucknow-226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Shubhini A Saraf
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Raebareli (NIPER-R), Lucknow-226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Saurabh Awasthi
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Raebareli (NIPER-R), Lucknow-226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
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2
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Louçã M, El Akrouti D, Lemesle A, Louessard M, Dufour N, Baroin C, de la Fouchardière A, Cotter L, Jean-Jacques H, Redeker V, Perrier AL. Huntingtin lowering impairs the maturation and synchronized synaptic activity of human cortical neuronal networks derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 200:106630. [PMID: 39106928 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite growing descriptions of wild-type Huntingtin (wt-HTT) roles in both adult brain function and, more recently, development, several clinical trials are exploring HTT-lowering approaches that target both wt-HTT and the mutant isoform (mut-HTT) responsible for Huntington's disease (HD). This non-selective targeting is based on the autosomal dominant inheritance of HD, supporting the idea that mut-HTT exerts its harmful effects through a toxic gain-of-function or a dominant-negative mechanism. However, the precise amount of wt-HTT needed for healthy neurons in adults and during development remains unclear. In this study, we address this question by examining how wt-HTT loss affects human neuronal network formation, synaptic maturation, and homeostasis in vitro. Our findings establish a role of wt-HTT in the maturation of dendritic arborization and the acquisition of network-wide synchronized activity by human cortical neuronal networks modeled in vitro. Interestingly, the network synchronization defects only became apparent when more than two-thirds of the wt-HTT protein was depleted. Our study underscores the critical need to precisely understand wt-HTT role in neuronal health. It also emphasizes the potential risks of excessive wt-HTT loss associated with non-selective therapeutic approaches targeting both wt- and mut-HTT isoforms in HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Louçã
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Donya El Akrouti
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Aude Lemesle
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Morgane Louessard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Noëlle Dufour
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Chloé Baroin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Aurore de la Fouchardière
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Laurent Cotter
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Hélène Jean-Jacques
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Virginie Redeker
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Anselme L Perrier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
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3
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Wu Y, Ma B, Liu C, Li D, Sui G. Pathological Involvement of Protein Phase Separation and Aggregation in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:10187. [PMID: 39337671 PMCID: PMC11432175 DOI: 10.3390/ijms251810187] [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: 08/21/2024] [Revised: 09/19/2024] [Accepted: 09/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are the leading cause of human disability and immensely reduce patients' life span and quality. The diseases are characterized by the functional loss of neuronal cells and share several common pathogenic mechanisms involving the malfunction, structural distortion, or aggregation of multiple key regulatory proteins. Cellular phase separation is the formation of biomolecular condensates that regulate numerous biological processes, including neuronal development and synaptic signaling transduction. Aberrant phase separation may cause protein aggregation that is a general phenomenon in the neuronal cells of patients suffering neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we summarize the pathological causes of common neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease, among others. We discuss the regulation of key amyloidogenic proteins with an emphasis of their aberrant phase separation and aggregation. We also introduce the approaches as potential therapeutic strategies to ameliorate neurodegenerative diseases through intervening protein aggregation. Overall, this review consolidates the research findings of phase separation and aggregation caused by misfolded proteins in a context of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinuo Wu
- Aulin College, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China;
| | - Biao Ma
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (B.M.); (C.L.)
| | - Chang Liu
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (B.M.); (C.L.)
| | - Dangdang Li
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (B.M.); (C.L.)
| | - Guangchao Sui
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (B.M.); (C.L.)
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4
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Pradhan S, Bush K, Zhang N, Pandita RK, Tsai CL, Smith C, Pandlebury DF, Gaikwad S, Leonard F, Nie L, Tao A, Russell W, Yuan S, Choudhary S, Ramos KS, Elferink C, Wairkar YP, Tainer JA, Thompson LM, Pandita TK, Sarkar PS. Chromatin remodeler BRG1 recruits huntingtin to repair DNA double-strand breaks in neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.19.613927. [PMID: 39345557 PMCID: PMC11429940 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.19.613927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Persistent DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are enigmatically implicated in neurodegenerative diseases including Huntington's disease (HD), the inherited late-onset disorder caused by CAG repeat elongations in Huntingtin (HTT). Here we combine biochemistry, computation and molecular cell biology to unveil a mechanism whereby HTT coordinates a Transcription-Coupled Non-Homologous End-Joining (TC-NHEJ) complex. HTT joins TC-NHEJ proteins PNKP, Ku70/80, and XRCC4 with chromatin remodeler Brahma-related Gene 1 (BRG1) to resolve transcription-associated DSBs in brain. HTT recruitment to DSBs in transcriptionally active gene- rich regions is BRG1-dependent while efficient TC-NHEJ protein recruitment is HTT-dependent. Notably, mHTT compromises TC-NHEJ interactions and repair activity, promoting DSB accumulation in HD tissues. Importantly, HTT or PNKP overexpression restores TC-NHEJ in a Drosophila HD model dramatically improving genome integrity, motor defects, and lifespan. Collective results uncover HTT stimulation of DSB repair by organizing a TC-NHEJ complex that is impaired by mHTT thereby implicating dysregulation of transcription-coupled DSB repair in mHTT pathophysiology. Highlights BRG1 recruits HTT and NHEJ components to transcriptionally active DSBs.HTT joins BRG1 and PNKP to efficiently repair transcription related DSBs in brain.Mutant HTT impairs the functional integrity of TC-NHEJ complex for DSB repair.HTT expression improves DSB repair, genome integrity and phenotypes in HD flies.
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5
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Garfagnini T, Ferrari L, Koopman MB, Dekker FA, Halters S, Van Kappel E, Mayer G, Bressler S, Maurice MM, Rüdiger SGD, Friedler A. A Peptide Strategy for Inhibiting Different Protein Aggregation Pathways. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202400080. [PMID: 38972842 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202400080] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Protein aggregation correlates with many human diseases. Protein aggregates differ in structure and shape. Strategies to develop effective aggregation inhibitors that reach the clinic failed so far. Here, we developed a family of peptides targeting early aggregation stages for both amorphous and fibrillar aggregates of proteins unrelated in sequence and structure. They act on dynamic precursors before mechanistic differentiation takes place. Using peptide arrays, we first identified peptides inhibiting the amorphous aggregation of a molten globular, aggregation-prone mutant of the Axin tumor suppressor. Optimization revealed that the peptides activity did not depend on their sequences but rather on their molecular determinants: a composition of 20-30 % flexible, 30-40 % aliphatic and 20-30 % aromatic residues, a hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity ratio close to 1, and an even distribution of residues of different nature throughout the sequence. The peptides also suppressed fibrillation of Tau, a disordered protein that forms amyloids in Alzheimer's disease, and slowed down that of Huntingtin Exon1, an amyloidogenic protein in Huntington's disease, both entirely unrelated to Axin. Our compounds thus target early stages of different aggregation mechanisms, inhibiting both amorphous and amyloid aggregation. Such cross-mechanistic, multi-targeting aggregation inhibitors may be lead compounds for developing drug candidates against various protein aggregation diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Garfagnini
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram, 9190401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Luca Ferrari
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584, Utrecht CH, The Netherlands
- Science for Life, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584, Utrecht CH, The Netherlands
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Margreet B Koopman
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584, Utrecht CH, The Netherlands
- Science for Life, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584, Utrecht CH, The Netherlands
| | - Françoise A Dekker
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584, Utrecht CH, The Netherlands
- Science for Life, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584, Utrecht CH, The Netherlands
| | - Sem Halters
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584, Utrecht CH, The Netherlands
- Science for Life, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584, Utrecht CH, The Netherlands
| | - Eline Van Kappel
- Oncode Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584, Utrecht CH, The Netherlands
| | - Guy Mayer
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram, 9190401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shachar Bressler
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram, 9190401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Madelon M Maurice
- Oncode Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584, Utrecht CH, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan G D Rüdiger
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584, Utrecht CH, The Netherlands
- Science for Life, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584, Utrecht CH, The Netherlands
| | - Assaf Friedler
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram, 9190401, Jerusalem, Israel
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6
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Iwamoto N, Liu Y, Frank-Kamenetsky M, Maguire A, Tseng WC, Taborn K, Kothari N, Akhtar A, Bowman K, Shelke JD, Lamattina A, Hu XS, Jang HG, Kandasamy P, Liu F, Longo K, Looby R, Meena, Metterville J, Pan Q, Purcell-Estabrook E, Shimizu M, Prakasha PS, Standley S, Upadhyay H, Yang H, Yin Y, Zhao A, Francis C, Byrne M, Dale E, Verdine GL, Vargeese C. Preclinical evaluation of stereopure antisense oligonucleotides for allele-selective lowering of mutant HTT. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102246. [PMID: 39027419 PMCID: PMC11255113 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by the expansion of cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats in one copy of the HTT gene (mutant HTT, mHTT). The unaffected HTT gene encodes wild-type HTT (wtHTT) protein, which supports processes important for the health and function of the central nervous system. Selective lowering of mHTT for the treatment of HD may provide a benefit over nonselective HTT-lowering approaches, as it aims to preserve the beneficial activities of wtHTT. Targeting a heterozygous single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) where the targeted variant is on the mHTT gene is one strategy for achieving allele-selective activity. Herein, we investigated whether stereopure phosphorothioate (PS)- and phosphoryl guanidine (PN)-containing oligonucleotides can direct allele-selective mHTT lowering by targeting rs362273 (SNP3). We demonstrate that our SNP3-targeting molecules are potent, durable, and selective for mHTT in vitro and in vivo in mouse models. Through comparisons with a surrogate for the nonselective investigational compound tominersen, we also demonstrate that allele-selective molecules display equivalent potency toward mHTT with improved durability while sparing wtHTT. Our preclinical findings support the advancement of WVE-003, an investigational allele-selective compound currently in clinical testing (NCT05032196) for the treatment of patients with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ali Akhtar
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Fangjun Liu
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Ken Longo
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | - Meena
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | - Qianli Pan
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Hailin Yang
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yuan Yin
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | | | - Mike Byrne
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Elena Dale
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Gregory L. Verdine
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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7
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Gulumkar VN, Dowdy SF. Stereopure ASOs: An unanticipated increase in selectivity for targeting mutant HTT. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102312. [PMID: 39281704 PMCID: PMC11399643 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Vijay N Gulumkar
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Steven F Dowdy
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
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8
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Wei Y, Gao X, Fang J, Xiao Y, Liu J, Liu Y, Zhang X, Shen B. Tailoring the p Ka of Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Probes to Visualize Aggrephagy and Resolve Its Microenvironmental Viscosity. Anal Chem 2024; 96:14160-14167. [PMID: 39169631 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c02065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Aggrephagy describes lysosomal transport and degradation of protein aggregates via cellular macroautophagy, a key mechanism to prevent neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we develop a dual-probe method to visualize the aggrephagy process and resolve its viscosity heterogeneity using fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM). The dual-probe system consists of (1) a near-infrared lysosomal targeting FLIM probe (Lyso-P1) that is derived from a rhodamine scaffold with a tailored pKa value to accommodate an acidic lysosomal environment and (2) a green BODIPY-based FLIM probe (Agg-P2) that reports on degradation of cellular aggregates via HaloTag. Both probes exhibit acid-resistant, viscosity-dependent fluorescence intensity and lifetime (τ) responses, which are ready for intensity- and FLIM-based imaging. Photochemical, theoretical, and biochemical characterizations reveal the probes' mechanism-of-actions. In cells, we exploit Lyso-P1 and Agg-P2 to simultaneously quantify both lysosomal and protein aggegates' viscosity changes upon the aggrephagy process via FLIM. We reveal orthogonal changes in microenvironmental viscosities and morphological heterogeneity upon various cellular stresses. Overall, we provide an imaging toolset to quantitatively study aggrephay, which may benefit screening of aggrephay modulators for disease intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wei
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Xiaochen Gao
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Jiabao Fang
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Yu Xiao
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Jiachen Liu
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Yu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, 600 Dunyu Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Baoxing Shen
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
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9
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Thorpe HJ, Partha R, Little J, Clark NL, Chow CY. Evolutionary rate covariation is pervasive between glycosylation pathways and points to potential disease modifiers. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011406. [PMID: 39259723 PMCID: PMC11419382 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 09/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in glycosylation pathways, such as N-linked glycosylation, O-linked glycosylation, and GPI anchor synthesis, lead to Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG). CDG typically present with seizures, hypotonia, and developmental delay but display large clinical variability with symptoms affecting every system in the body. This variability suggests modifier genes might influence the phenotypes. Because of the similar physiology and clinical symptoms, there are likely common genetic modifiers between CDG. Here, we use evolution as a tool to identify common modifiers between CDG and glycosylation genes. Protein glycosylation is evolutionarily conserved from yeast to mammals. Evolutionary rate covariation (ERC) identifies proteins with similar evolutionary rates that indicate shared biological functions and pathways. Using ERC, we identified strong evolutionary rate signatures between proteins in the same and different glycosylation pathways. Genome-wide analysis of proteins showing significant ERC with GPI anchor synthesis proteins revealed strong signatures with ncRNA modification proteins and DNA repair proteins. We also identified strong patterns of ERC based on cellular sub-localization of the GPI anchor synthesis enzymes. Functional testing of the highest scoring candidates validated genetic interactions and identified novel genetic modifiers of CDG genes. ERC analysis of disease genes and biological pathways allows for rapid prioritization of potential genetic modifiers, which can provide a better understanding of disease pathophysiology and novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly J. Thorpe
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Raghavendran Partha
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jordan Little
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Nathan L. Clark
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Clement Y. Chow
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
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10
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Zajicek F, Verhaeghe J, De Lombaerde S, Van Eetveldt A, Miranda A, Munoz-Sanjuan I, Dominguez C, Khetarpal V, Bard J, Liu L, Staelens S, Bertoglio D. Preclinical evaluation of the novel [ 18F]CHDI-650 PET ligand for non-invasive quantification of mutant huntingtin aggregates in Huntington's disease. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2024:10.1007/s00259-024-06880-x. [PMID: 39190197 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-024-06880-x] [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: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) aggregates is a potential tool to monitor disease progression as well as the efficacy of candidate therapeutic interventions for Huntington's disease (HD). To date, the focus has been mainly on the investigation of 11C radioligands; however, favourable 18F radiotracers will facilitate future clinical translation. This work aimed at characterising the novel [18F]CHDI-650 PET radiotracer using a combination of in vivo and in vitro approaches in a mouse model of HD. METHODS After characterising [18F]CHDI-650 using in vitro autoradiography, we assessed in vivo plasma and brain radiotracer stability as well as kinetics through dynamic PET imaging in the heterozygous (HET) zQ175DN mouse model of HD and wild-type (WT) littermates at 9 months of age. Additionally, we performed a head-to-head comparison study at 3 months with the previously published [11C]CHDI-180R radioligand. RESULTS Plasma and brain radiometabolite profiles indicated a suitable metabolic profile for in vivo imaging of [18F]CHDI-650. Both in vitro autoradiography and in vivo [18F]CHDI-650 PET imaging at 9 months of age demonstrated a significant genotype effect (p < 0.0001) despite the poor test-retest reliability. [18F]CHDI-650 PET imaging at 3 months of age displayed higher differentiation between genotypes when compared to [11C]CHDI-180R. CONCLUSION Overall, [18F]CHDI-650 allows for discrimination between HET and WT zQ175DN mice at 9 and 3 months of age. [18F]CHDI-650 represents the first suitable 18F radioligand to image mHTT aggregates in mice and its clinical evaluation is underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Zajicek
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- µNeuro Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Verhaeghe
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- µNeuro Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Stef De Lombaerde
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Annemie Van Eetveldt
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- µNeuro Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Alan Miranda
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- µNeuro Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ignacio Munoz-Sanjuan
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Celia Dominguez
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Vinod Khetarpal
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Bard
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Longbin Liu
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven Staelens
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- µNeuro Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Daniele Bertoglio
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
- µNeuro Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
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11
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Chassé M, Vasdev N. Emerging targets for positron emission tomography imaging in proteinopathies. NPJ IMAGING 2024; 2:30. [PMID: 39185440 PMCID: PMC11338821 DOI: 10.1038/s44303-024-00032-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of neurodegenerative disease has historically focused on a small number of established targets. The development of selective PET radiotracers for novel biological targets enables new ways to interrogate the neuropathology of proteinopathies and will advance our understanding of neurodegeneration. This perspective aims to highlight recent PET radiotracers developed for five emerging targets in proteinopathies (i.e., mHTT, BACE1, TDP-43, OGA, and CH24H).
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Chassé
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Toronto, ON Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Neil Vasdev
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Toronto, ON Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
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12
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Boulos A, Maroun D, Ciechanover A, Ziv NE. Peripheral sequestration of huntingtin delays neuronal death and depends on N-terminal ubiquitination. Commun Biol 2024; 7:1014. [PMID: 39155290 PMCID: PMC11330980 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06733-1] [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: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a glutamine repeat expansion in the protein huntingtin. Mutated huntingtin (mHtt) forms aggregates whose impacts on neuronal survival are still debated. Using weeks-long, continual imaging of cortical neurons, we find that mHtt is gradually sequestrated into peripheral, mainly axonal aggregates, concomitant with dramatic reductions in cytosolic mHtt levels and enhanced neuronal survival. in-situ pulse-chase imaging reveals that aggregates continually gain and lose mHtt, in line with these acting as mHtt sinks at equilibrium with cytosolic pools. Mutating two N-terminal lysines found to be ubiquitinated in HD animal models suppresses peripheral aggregate formation and reductions in cytosolic mHtt, promotes nuclear aggregate formation, stabilizes aggregates and leads to pervasive neuronal death. These findings demonstrate the capacity of aggregates formed at peripheral locations to sequester away cytosolic, presumably toxic mHtt forms and support a crucial role for N-terminal ubiquitination in promoting these processes and delaying neuronal death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayub Boulos
- Technion Faculty of Medicine, Rappaport Institute and Network Biology Research Laboratories, Fishbach Building, Technion City, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Dunia Maroun
- Technion Faculty of Medicine, Rappaport Institute and Network Biology Research Laboratories, Fishbach Building, Technion City, Haifa, Israel
| | - Aaron Ciechanover
- Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Rappaport Technion Integrated Cancer Center (RTICC), Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Noam E Ziv
- Technion Faculty of Medicine, Rappaport Institute and Network Biology Research Laboratories, Fishbach Building, Technion City, Haifa, Israel.
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13
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Tanimoto S, Okumura H. Why Is Arginine the Only Amino Acid That Inhibits Polyglutamine Monomers from Taking on Toxic Conformations? ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:2925-2935. [PMID: 39009034 PMCID: PMC11311134 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00276] [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: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are devastating neurodegenerative disorders characterized by abnormal expansion of glutamine repeats within specific proteins. The aggregation of polyQ proteins is a critical pathological hallmark of these diseases. Arginine was identified as a promising inhibitory compound because it prevents polyQ-protein monomers from forming intra- and intermolecular β-sheet structures and hinders polyQ proteins from aggregating to form oligomers. Such an aggregation inhibitory effect was not observed in other amino acids. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of the aggregation inhibition and the factors that differentiate arginine from other amino acids, in terms of the inhibition of the polyQ-protein aggregation, remain poorly understood. Here, we performed replica-permutation molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which arginine inhibits the formation of the intramolecular β-sheet structure of a polyQ monomer. We found that the intramolecular β-sheet structure with more than four β-bridges of the polyQ monomer with arginine is more unstable than without any ligand and with lysine. We also found that arginine has 1.6-2.1 times more contact with polyQ than lysine. In addition, we revealed that arginine forms more hydrogen bonds with the main chain of the polyQ monomer than lysine. More hydrogen bonds formed between arginine and polyQ inhibit polyQ from forming the long intramolecular β-sheet structure. It is known that intramolecular β-sheet structure enhances intermolecular β-sheet structure between proteins. These effects are thought to be the reason for the inhibition of polyQ aggregation. This study provides insights into the molecular events underlying arginine's inhibition of polyQ-protein aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoichi Tanimoto
- Exploratory
Research Center on Life and Living Systems, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hisashi Okumura
- Exploratory
Research Center on Life and Living Systems, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
- National
Institutes of Natural Sciences, Institute
for Molecular Science, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
- Graduate
Institute for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
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14
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Fote GM, Eapen VV, Lim RG, Yu C, Salazar L, McClure NR, McKnight J, Nguyen TB, Heath MC, Lau AL, Villamil MA, Miramontes R, Kratter IH, Finkbeiner S, Reidling JC, Paulo JA, Kaiser P, Huang L, Housman DE, Thompson LM, Steffan JS. Huntingtin contains an ubiquitin-binding domain and regulates lysosomal targeting of mitochondrial and RNA-binding proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2319091121. [PMID: 39074279 PMCID: PMC11317567 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319091121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the normal function of the Huntingtin (HTT) protein is of significance in the design and implementation of therapeutic strategies for Huntington's disease (HD). Expansion of the CAG repeat in the HTT gene, encoding an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat within the HTT protein, causes HD and may compromise HTT's normal activity contributing to HD pathology. Here, we investigated the previously defined role of HTT in autophagy specifically through studying HTT's association with ubiquitin. We find that HTT interacts directly with ubiquitin in vitro. Tandem affinity purification was used to identify ubiquitinated and ubiquitin-associated proteins that copurify with a HTT N-terminal fragment under basal conditions. Copurification is enhanced by HTT polyQ expansion and reduced by mimicking HTT serine 421 phosphorylation. The identified HTT-interacting proteins include RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) involved in mRNA translation, proteins enriched in stress granules, the nuclear proteome, the defective ribosomal products (DRiPs) proteome and the brain-derived autophagosomal proteome. To determine whether the proteins interacting with HTT are autophagic targets, HTT knockout (KO) cells and immunoprecipitation of lysosomes were used to investigate autophagy in the absence of HTT. HTT KO was associated with reduced abundance of mitochondrial proteins in the lysosome, indicating a potential compromise in basal mitophagy, and increased lysosomal abundance of RBPs which may result from compensatory up-regulation of starvation-induced macroautophagy. We suggest HTT is critical for appropriate basal clearance of mitochondrial proteins and RBPs, hence reduced HTT proteostatic function with mutation may contribute to the neuropathology of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianna M. Fote
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA92697
- Department of Neurological Surgery, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA92868
| | - Vinay V. Eapen
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Casma Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Ryan G. Lim
- The University of California Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Clinton Yu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Lisa Salazar
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA92868
| | - Nicolette R. McClure
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Jharrayne McKnight
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Thai B. Nguyen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Marie C. Heath
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Alice L. Lau
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA92868
| | - Mark A. Villamil
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Ricardo Miramontes
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA92868
| | - Ian H. Kratter
- Center for Systems and Therapeutics, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA94158
- Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab, Stanford, CA94304
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94304
| | - Steven Finkbeiner
- Center for Systems and Therapeutics, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA94158
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94158
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94158
| | - Jack C. Reidling
- The University of California Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Joao A. Paulo
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Peter Kaiser
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Lan Huang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - David E. Housman
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Leslie M. Thompson
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA92697
- The University of California Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA92868
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
- Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Joan S. Steffan
- The University of California Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA92868
- Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
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15
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Sarkar B, Rana N, Singh C, Singh A. Medicinal herbal remedies in neurodegenerative diseases: an update on antioxidant potential. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2024; 397:5483-5511. [PMID: 38472370 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-024-03027-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
It has been widely documented that medicinal herbal remedies are effective, have fewer side effects than conventional medicine, and have a synergistic effect on health collaborations in the fight against complicated diseases. Traditional treatments for neurological problems in ancient times sometimes involved the use of herbal remedies and conventional methods from East Asian countries including India, Japan, China, and Korea. We collected and reviewed studies on plant-derived neuroprotective drugs and tested them in neurotoxic models. Basic research, preclinical and clinical transgene research can benefit from in silico, in vitro, and in vivo investigations. Research, summaries of the extracts, fractions, and herbal ingredients were compiled from popular scientific databases, which were then examined according to origin and bioactivity. Given the complex and varied causes of neurodegeneration, it may be beneficial to focus on multiple mechanisms of action and a neuroprotection approach. This approach aims to prevent cell death and restore function to damaged neurons, offering promising strategies for preventing and treating neurodegenerative diseases. Neurodegenerative illnesses can potentially be treated with natural compounds that have been identified as neuroprotective agents. To gain deeper insights into the neuropharmacological mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective and therapeutic properties of naturally occurring antioxidant phytochemical compounds in diverse neurodegenerative diseases, this study aims to comprehensively review such compounds, focusing on their modulation of apoptotic markers such as caspase, Bax, Bcl-2, and proinflammatory markers. In addition, we delve into a range of efficacies of antioxidant phytochemical compounds as neuroprotective agents in animal models. They reduce the oxidative stress of the brain and have been shown to have anti-apoptotic effects. Many researches have demonstrated that plant extracts or bioactive compounds can fight neurodegenerative disorders. Herbal medications may offer neurodegenerative disease patients' new treatments. This may be a cheaper and more culturally appropriate alternative to standard drugs for millions of people with age-related NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biplob Sarkar
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, affiliated to IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, 144603, Punjab, India
| | - Nitasha Rana
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, affiliated to IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, 144603, Punjab, India
| | - Charan Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, HNB Garhwal University (A Central University), Chauras Campus, Distt. Tehri Garhwal, Srinagar, 249161, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Arti Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, affiliated to IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, 144603, Punjab, India.
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16
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Gadhave DG, Sugandhi VV, Jha SK, Nangare SN, Gupta G, Singh SK, Dua K, Cho H, Hansbro PM, Paudel KR. Neurodegenerative disorders: Mechanisms of degeneration and therapeutic approaches with their clinical relevance. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 99:102357. [PMID: 38830548 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) are expected to pose a significant challenge for both medicine and public health in the upcoming years due to global demographic changes. NDs are mainly represented by degeneration/loss of neurons, which is primarily accountable for severe mental illness. This neuronal degeneration leads to many neuropsychiatric problems and permanent disability in an individual. Moreover, the tight junction of the brain, blood-brain barrier (BBB)has a protective feature, functioning as a biological barrier that can prevent medicines, toxins, and foreign substances from entering the brain. However, delivering any medicinal agent to the brain in NDs (i.e., Multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, etc.) is enormously challenging. There are many approved therapies to address NDs, but most of them only help treat the associated manifestations. The available therapies have failed to control the progression of NDs due to certain factors, i.e., BBB and drug-associated undesirable effects. NDs have extremely complex pathology, with many pathogenic mechanisms involved in the initiation and progression; thereby, a limited survival rate has been observed in ND patients. Hence, understanding the exact mechanism behind NDs is crucial to developing alternative approaches for improving ND patients' survival rates. Thus, the present review sheds light on different cellular mechanisms involved in NDs and novel therapeutic approaches with their clinical relevance, which will assist researchers in developing alternate strategies to address the limitations of conventional ND therapies. The current work offers the scope into the near future to improve the therapeutic approach of NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dnyandev G Gadhave
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Dattakala Shikshan Sanstha's, Dattakala College of Pharmacy (Affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University), Swami Chincholi, Daund, Pune, Maharashtra 413130, India; College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, St. John's University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Vrashabh V Sugandhi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Dattakala Shikshan Sanstha's, Dattakala College of Pharmacy (Affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University), Swami Chincholi, Daund, Pune, Maharashtra 413130, India; College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, St. John's University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Saurav Kumar Jha
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering (BSBE), Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
| | - Sopan N Nangare
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, H. R. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Shirpur, Dhule, Maharashtra 425405, India
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- Centre of Medical and Bio-allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Rajpura, Punjab 140401, India
| | - Sachin Kumar Singh
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, India; Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Kamal Dua
- Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Discipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Uttaranchal Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun
| | - Hyunah Cho
- College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, St. John's University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439, USA.
| | - Philip M Hansbro
- Centre for Inflammation, Faculty of Science, School of Life Science, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Sydney 2007, Australia.
| | - Keshav Raj Paudel
- Uttaranchal Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun; Centre for Inflammation, Faculty of Science, School of Life Science, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Sydney 2007, Australia.
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17
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Ramazi S, Dadzadi M, Darvazi M, Seddigh N, Allahverdi A. Protein modification in neurodegenerative diseases. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e674. [PMID: 39105197 PMCID: PMC11298556 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.674] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications play a crucial role in governing cellular functions and protein behavior. Researchers have implicated dysregulated posttranslational modifications in protein misfolding, which results in cytotoxicity, particularly in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and Huntington disease. These aberrant posttranslational modifications cause proteins to gather in certain parts of the brain that are linked to the development of the diseases. This leads to neuronal dysfunction and the start of neurodegenerative disease symptoms. Cognitive decline and neurological impairments commonly manifest in neurodegenerative disease patients, underscoring the urgency of comprehending the posttranslational modifications' impact on protein function for targeted therapeutic interventions. This review elucidates the critical link between neurodegenerative diseases and specific posttranslational modifications, focusing on Tau, APP, α-synuclein, Huntingtin protein, Parkin, DJ-1, and Drp1. By delineating the prominent aberrant posttranslational modifications within Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and Huntington disease, the review underscores the significance of understanding the interplay among these modifications. Emphasizing 10 key abnormal posttranslational modifications, this study aims to provide a comprehensive framework for investigating neurodegenerative diseases holistically. The insights presented herein shed light on potential therapeutic avenues aimed at modulating posttranslational modifications to mitigate protein aggregation and retard neurodegenerative disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahin Ramazi
- Department of BiophysicsFaculty of Biological SciencesTarbiat Modares UniversityTehranIran
| | - Maedeh Dadzadi
- Department of BiotechnologyFaculty of Advanced Science and TechnologyTehran Medical SciencesIslamic Azad UniversityTehranIran
| | - Mona Darvazi
- Department of BiophysicsFaculty of Biological SciencesTarbiat Modares UniversityTehranIran
| | - Nasrin Seddigh
- Department of BiochemistryFaculty of Advanced Science and TechnologyTehran Medical SciencesIslamic Azad UniversityTehranIran
| | - Abdollah Allahverdi
- Department of BiophysicsFaculty of Biological SciencesTarbiat Modares UniversityTehranIran
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18
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Kudriavskii VV, Goncharov AO, Eremeev AV, Ruchko ES, Veselovsky VA, Klimina KM, Bogomazova AN, Lagarkova MA, Moshkovskii SA, Kliuchnikova AA. RNA Editing by ADAR Adenosine Deaminases in the Cell Models of CAG Repeat Expansion Diseases: Significant Effect of Differentiation from Stem Cells into Brain Organoids in the Absence of Substantial Influence of CAG Repeats on the Level of Editing. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:1474-1489. [PMID: 39245456 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924080078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024]
Abstract
Expansion of CAG repeats in certain genes is a known cause of several neurodegenerative diseases, but exact mechanism behind this is not yet fully understood. It is believed that the double-stranded RNA regions formed by CAG repeats could be harmful to the cell. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that these RNA regions might potentially interfere with ADAR RNA editing enzymes, leading to the reduced A-to-I editing of RNA and activation of the interferon response. We studied induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from the patients with Huntington's disease or ataxia type 17, as well as midbrain organoids developed from these cells. A targeted panel for next-generation sequencing was used to assess editing in the specific RNA regions. Differentiation of iPSCs into brain organoids led to increase in the ADAR2 gene expression and decrease in the expression of protein inhibitors of RNA editing. As a result, there was increase in the editing of specific ADAR2 substrates, which allowed identification of differential substrates of ADAR isoforms. However, comparison of the pathology and control groups did not show differences in the editing levels among the iPSCs. Additionally, brain organoids with 42-46 CAG repeats did not exhibit global changes. On the other hand, brain organoids with the highest number of CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (76) showed significant decrease in the level of RNA editing of specific transcripts, potentially involving ADAR1. Notably, editing of the long non-coding RNA PWAR5 was nearly absent in this sample. It could be stated in conclusion that in most cultures with repeat expansion, the hypothesized effect on RNA editing was not confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viacheslav V Kudriavskii
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 121205, Russia.
| | - Anton O Goncharov
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Artem V Eremeev
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Evgenii S Ruchko
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Vladimir A Veselovsky
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Ksenia M Klimina
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Alexandra N Bogomazova
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Maria A Lagarkova
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Sergei A Moshkovskii
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow, 119121, Russia
- Max Planck Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, Göttingen, 37077, Germany.
| | - Anna A Kliuchnikova
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, 119435, Russia
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow, 119121, Russia
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19
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Ye Y, Jia P, Miao J, Wang Y, Li Z, Lin Y, He M, Liu S, Zheng BR, Wu J, Pan J, Li CM, Hou P, Guo D. CCDC50 mediates the clearance of protein aggregates to prevent cellular proteotoxicity. Autophagy 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38869076 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2024.2367183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein aggregation caused by the disruption of proteostasis will lead to cellular cytotoxicity and even cell death, which is implicated in multiple neurodegenerative diseases. The elimination of aggregated proteins is mediated by selective macroautophagy receptors, which is termed aggrephagy. However, the identity and redundancy of aggrephagy receptors in recognizing substrates remain largely unexplored. Here, we find that CCDC50, a highly expressed autophagy receptor in brain, is recruited to proteotoxic stresses-induced polyubiquitinated protein aggregates and ectopically expressed aggregation-prone proteins. CCDC50 recognizes and further clears these cytotoxic aggregates through autophagy. The ectopic expression of CCDC50 increases the tolerance to stress-induced proteotoxicity and hence improved cell survival in neuron cells, whereas CCDC50 deficiency caused accumulation of lipid deposits and polyubiquitinated protein conjugates in the brain of one-year-old mice. Our study illustrates how aggrephagy receptor CCDC50 combats proteotoxic stress for the benefit of neuronal cell survival, thus suggesting a protective role in neurotoxic proteinopathy.Abbreviations: AD: Alzheimer disease; ALS: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; ATG5: autophagy related 5; BODIPY: boron-dipyrromethene; CASP3: caspase 3; CCDC50: coiled-coil domain containing 50; CCT2: chaperonin containing TCP1 subunit 2; CHX: cycloheximide; CQ: chloroquine; CRISPR: clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeat; Cas9: CRISPR-associated system 9; DAPI: 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; FK2: Anti-ubiquitinylated proteins antibody, clone FK2; FUS: FUS RNA binding protein; GFP: green fluorescent protein; HD: Huntington disease; HTT: huntingtin; KEGG: Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes; LDS: LIR-docking site; LIR: LC3-interacting region; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MAPT/tau: microtubule associated protein tau; MIU: motif interacting with ubiquitin; NBR1: NBR1, autophagy cargo receptor; OPTN: optineurin; PD: Parkinson disease; PI: propidium iodide; ROS: reactive oxygen species; SOD1: superoxide dismutase 1; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; TAX1BP1: Tax1 binding protein 1; Ub: ubiquitin; UDS: UIM-docking site; UIM: ubiquitin interacting motif; UPS: ubiquitin-proteasome system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Ye
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Centre for Infection and Immunity Study (CIIS), School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Penghui Jia
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiafan Miao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Centre for Infection and Immunity Study (CIIS), School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yicheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Centre for Infection and Immunity Study (CIIS), School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Zibo Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Centre for Infection and Immunity Study (CIIS), School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuxin Lin
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Miao He
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Centre for Infection and Immunity Study (CIIS), School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Shurui Liu
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Bi-Rong Zheng
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Junyu Wu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Centre for Infection and Immunity Study (CIIS), School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Ji'an Pan
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Centre for Infection and Immunity Study (CIIS), School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Chun-Mei Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Centre for Infection and Immunity Study (CIIS), School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Panpan Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Deyin Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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20
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Aranda-Anzaldo A, Dent MAR, Segura-Anaya E, Martínez-Gómez A. Protein folding, cellular stress and cancer. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 191:40-57. [PMID: 38969306 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2024.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
Proteins are acknowledged as the phenotypical manifestation of the genotype, because protein-coding genes carry the information for the strings of amino acids that constitute the proteins. It is widely accepted that protein function depends on the corresponding "native" structure or folding achieved within the cell, and that native protein folding corresponds to the lowest free energy minimum for a given protein. However, protein folding within the cell is a non-deterministic dissipative process that from the same input may produce different outcomes, thus conformational heterogeneity of folded proteins is the rule and not the exception. Local changes in the intracellular environment promote variation in protein folding. Hence protein folding requires "supervision" by a host of chaperones and co-chaperones that help their client proteins to achieve the folding that is most stable according to the local environment. Such environmental influence on protein folding is continuously transduced with the help of the cellular stress responses (CSRs) and this may lead to changes in the rules of engagement between proteins, so that the corresponding protein interactome could be modified by the environment leading to an alternative cellular phenotype. This allows for a phenotypic plasticity useful for adapting to sudden and/or transient environmental changes at the cellular level. Starting from this perspective, hereunder we develop the argument that the presence of sustained cellular stress coupled to efficient CSRs may lead to the selection of an aberrant phenotype as the resulting adaptation of the cellular proteome (and the corresponding interactome) to such stressful conditions, and this can be a common epigenetic pathway to cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Aranda-Anzaldo
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Tollocan y Jesús Carranza s/n, Toluca, 50180, Edo. Méx., Mexico.
| | - Myrna A R Dent
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Tollocan y Jesús Carranza s/n, Toluca, 50180, Edo. Méx., Mexico
| | - Edith Segura-Anaya
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Tollocan y Jesús Carranza s/n, Toluca, 50180, Edo. Méx., Mexico
| | - Alejandro Martínez-Gómez
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Tollocan y Jesús Carranza s/n, Toluca, 50180, Edo. Méx., Mexico
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21
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Neumann EN, Bertozzi TM, Wu E, Serack F, Harvey JW, Brauer PP, Pirtle CP, Coffey A, Howard M, Kamath N, Lenz K, Guzman K, Raymond MH, Khalil AS, Deverman BE, Minikel EV, Vallabh SM, Weissman JS. Brainwide silencing of prion protein by AAV-mediated delivery of an engineered compact epigenetic editor. Science 2024; 384:ado7082. [PMID: 38935715 DOI: 10.1126/science.ado7082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Prion disease is caused by misfolding of the prion protein (PrP) into pathogenic self-propagating conformations, leading to rapid-onset dementia and death. However, elimination of endogenous PrP halts prion disease progression. In this study, we describe Coupled Histone tail for Autoinhibition Release of Methyltransferase (CHARM), a compact, enzyme-free epigenetic editor capable of silencing transcription through programmable DNA methylation. Using a histone H3 tail-Dnmt3l fusion, CHARM recruits and activates endogenous DNA methyltransferases, thereby reducing transgene size and cytotoxicity. When delivered to the mouse brain by systemic injection of adeno-associated virus (AAV), Prnp-targeted CHARM ablates PrP expression across the brain. Furthermore, we have temporally limited editor expression by implementing a kinetically tuned self-silencing approach. CHARM potentially represents a broadly applicable strategy to suppress pathogenic proteins, including those implicated in other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin N Neumann
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Tessa M Bertozzi
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Elaine Wu
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Fiona Serack
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - John W Harvey
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Pamela P Brauer
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Catherine P Pirtle
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Alissa Coffey
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Michael Howard
- Comparative Medicine, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Nikita Kamath
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kenney Lenz
- Comparative Medicine, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kenia Guzman
- Comparative Medicine, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Michael H Raymond
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ahmad S Khalil
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Benjamin E Deverman
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Eric Vallabh Minikel
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Sonia M Vallabh
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jonathan S Weissman
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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22
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Seefelder M, Kochanek S, Klein FAC. ProteinCoLoc streamlines Bayesian analysis of colocalization in microscopic images. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13277. [PMID: 38858475 PMCID: PMC11164984 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63884-1] [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: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Colocalization, the spatial overlap of molecular entities, is often key to support their involvement in common functions. Existing colocalization tools, however, face limitations, particularly because of their basic statistical analysis and their low-throughput manual entry processes making them unsuitable for automation and potentially introducing bias. These shortcomings underscore the need for user-friendly tools streamlining colocalization assessments and enabling their robust and automated quantitative analyses. We have developed ProteinCoLoc, an innovative software designed for automated high-throughput colocalization analyses and incorporating advanced statistical features such as Bayesian modelling, automatic background detection and localised correlation analysis. ProteinCoLoc rationalises colocalization assessments without manual input, comes with a user-friendly graphical user interface and provides various analytics allowing to study and locally quantify colocalization. This easy-to-use application presents numerous advantages, including a direct comparison with controls employing a Bayesian model and the analysis of local correlation patterns, while reducing hands-on time through automatic background detection. The software was validated while studying the colocalization pattern of two proteins forming a stable complex: the huntingtin protein (HTT) and its partner huntingtin-associated protein 40 (HAP40). Our results showcase the software's capacity to quantitatively assess colocalizations. ProteinCoLoc is available both as a Julia package and as a compiled software ( https://github.com/ma-seefelder/ProteinCoLoc ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Seefelder
- Department of Gene Therapy, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Stefan Kochanek
- Department of Gene Therapy, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
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23
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Martin-Solana E, Casado-Zueras L, Torres TE, Goya GF, Fernandez-Fernandez MR, Fernandez JJ. Disruption of the mitochondrial network in a mouse model of Huntington's disease visualized by in-tissue multiscale 3D electron microscopy. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:88. [PMID: 38840253 PMCID: PMC11151585 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01802-2] [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: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the coding sequence of huntingtin protein. Initially, it predominantly affects medium-sized spiny neurons (MSSNs) of the corpus striatum. No effective treatment is still available, thus urging the identification of potential therapeutic targets. While evidence of mitochondrial structural alterations in HD exists, previous studies mainly employed 2D approaches and were performed outside the strictly native brain context. In this study, we adopted a novel multiscale approach to conduct a comprehensive 3D in situ structural analysis of mitochondrial disturbances in a mouse model of HD. We investigated MSSNs within brain tissue under optimal structural conditions utilizing state-of-the-art 3D imaging technologies, specifically FIB/SEM for the complete imaging of neuronal somas and Electron Tomography for detailed morphological examination, and image processing-based quantitative analysis. Our findings suggest a disruption of the mitochondrial network towards fragmentation in HD. The network of interlaced, slim and long mitochondria observed in healthy conditions transforms into isolated, swollen and short entities, with internal cristae disorganization, cavities and abnormally large matrix granules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Martin-Solana
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | | | - Teobaldo E Torres
- Advanced Microscopy Laboratory, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Gerardo F Goya
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Jose-Jesus Fernandez
- Spanish National Research Council (CSIC, CINN), Health Research Institute of Asturias (ISPA), 33011, Oviedo, Spain.
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24
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Martin-Solana E, Diaz-Lopez I, Mohamedi Y, Ventoso I, Fernandez JJ, Fernandez-Fernandez MR. Progressive alterations in polysomal architecture and activation of ribosome stalling relief factors in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 195:106488. [PMID: 38565397 PMCID: PMC7616275 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106488] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Given their highly polarized morphology and functional singularity, neurons require precise spatial and temporal control of protein synthesis. Alterations in protein translation have been implicated in the development and progression of a wide range of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington's disease (HD). In this study we examined the architecture of polysomes in their native brain context in striatal tissue from the zQ175 knock-in mouse model of HD. We performed 3D electron tomography of high-pressure frozen and freeze-substituted striatal tissue from HD models and corresponding controls at different ages. Electron tomography results revealed progressive remodelling towards a more compacted polysomal architecture in the mouse model, an effect that coincided with the emergence and progression of HD related symptoms. The aberrant polysomal architecture is compatible with ribosome stalling phenomena. In fact, we also detected in the zQ175 model an increase in the striatal expression of the stalling relief factor EIF5A2 and an increase in the accumulation of eIF5A1, eIF5A2 and hypusinated eIF5A1, the active form of eIF5A1. Polysomal sedimentation gradients showed differences in the relative accumulation of 40S ribosomal subunits and in polysomal distribution in striatal samples of the zQ175 model. These findings indicate that changes in the architecture of the protein synthesis machinery may underlie translational alterations associated with HD, opening new avenues for understanding the progression of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Martin-Solana
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC). Campus UAM, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene Diaz-Lopez
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yamina Mohamedi
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA). Av. Hospital Universitario s/n, 33011 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Ivan Ventoso
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM) and Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose-Jesus Fernandez
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC). Campus UAM, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA). Av. Hospital Universitario s/n, 33011 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Nanomateriales y Nanotecnología (CINN-CSIC). Av. Vega 4-6, 33940 El Entrego, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Maria Rosario Fernandez-Fernandez
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC). Campus UAM, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA). Av. Hospital Universitario s/n, 33011 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Nanomateriales y Nanotecnología (CINN-CSIC). Av. Vega 4-6, 33940 El Entrego, Asturias, Spain.
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25
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Bonsor M, Ammar O, Schnoegl S, Wanker EE, Silva Ramos E. Polyglutamine disease proteins: Commonalities and differences in interaction profiles and pathological effects. Proteomics 2024; 24:e2300114. [PMID: 38615323 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202300114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Currently, nine polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion diseases are known. They include spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 17), spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA), and Huntington's disease (HD). At the root of these neurodegenerative diseases are trinucleotide repeat mutations in coding regions of different genes, which lead to the production of proteins with elongated polyQ tracts. While the causative proteins differ in structure and molecular mass, the expanded polyQ domains drive pathogenesis in all these diseases. PolyQ tracts mediate the association of proteins leading to the formation of protein complexes involved in gene expression regulation, RNA processing, membrane trafficking, and signal transduction. In this review, we discuss commonalities and differences among the nine polyQ proteins focusing on their structure and function as well as the pathological features of the respective diseases. We present insights from AlphaFold-predicted structural models and discuss the biological roles of polyQ-containing proteins. Lastly, we explore reported protein-protein interaction networks to highlight shared protein interactions and their potential relevance in disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Bonsor
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Orchid Ammar
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sigrid Schnoegl
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Erich E Wanker
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eduardo Silva Ramos
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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26
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Berg MJ, Veeranna, Rosa CM, Kumar A, Mohan PS, Stavrides P, Marchionini DM, Yang DS, Nixon RA. Pathobiology of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway in the Huntington's disease brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.29.596470. [PMID: 38854113 PMCID: PMC11160756 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.29.596470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Accumulated levels of mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) and its fragments are considered contributors to the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD). Although lowering mHTT by stimulating autophagy has been considered a possible therapeutic strategy, the role and competence of autophagy-lysosomal pathway (ALP) during HD progression in the human disease remains largely unknown. Here, we used multiplex confocal and ultrastructural immunocytochemical analyses of ALP functional markers in relation to mHTT aggresome pathology in striatum and the less affected cortex of HD brains staged from HD2 to HD4 by Vonsattel neuropathological criteria compared to controls. Immunolabeling revealed the localization of HTT/mHTT in ALP vesicular compartments labeled by autophagy-related adaptor proteins p62/SQSTM1 and ubiquitin, and cathepsin D (CTSD) as well as HTT-positive inclusions. Although comparatively normal at HD2, neurons at later HD stages exhibited progressive enlargement and clustering of CTSD-immunoreactive autolysosomes/lysosomes and, ultrastructurally, autophagic vacuole/lipofuscin granules accumulated progressively, more prominently in striatum than cortex. These changes were accompanied by rises in levels of HTT/mHTT and p62/SQSTM1, particularly their fragments, in striatum but not in the cortex, and by increases of LAMP1 and LAMP2 RNA and LAMP1 protein. Importantly, no blockage in autophagosome formation and autophagosome-lysosome fusion was detected, thus pinpointing autophagy substrate clearance deficits as a basis for autophagic flux declines. The findings collectively suggest that upregulated lysosomal biogenesis and preserved proteolysis maintain autophagic clearance in early-stage HD, but failure at advanced stages contributes to progressive HTT build-up and potential neurotoxicity. These findings support the prospect that ALP stimulation applied at early disease stages, when clearance machinery is fully competent, may have therapeutic benefits in HD patients.
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27
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Avila A, Zhang SL. A circadian clock regulates the blood-brain barrier across phylogeny. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2024; 126:241-287. [PMID: 39029975 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2024.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
As the central regulatory system of an organism, the brain is responsible for overseeing a wide variety of physiological processes essential for an organism's survival. To maintain the environment necessary for neurons to function, the brain requires highly selective uptake and elimination of specific molecules through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). As an organism's activities vary throughout the day, how does the BBB adapt to meet the changing needs of the brain? A mechanism is through temporal regulation of BBB permeability via its circadian clock, which will be the focal point of this chapter. To comprehend the circadian clock's role within the BBB, we will first examine the anatomy of the BBB and the transport mechanisms enabling it to fulfill its role as a restrictive barrier. Next, we will define the circadian clock, and the discussion will encompass an introduction to circadian rhythms, the Transcription-Translation Feedback Loop (TTFL) as the mechanistic basis of circadian timekeeping, and the organization of tissue clocks found in organisms. Then, we will cover the role of the circadian rhythms in regulating the cellular mechanisms and functions of the BBB. We discuss the implications of this regulation in influencing sleep behavior, the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, and finally drug delivery for treatment of neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Avila
- Cell Biology Department, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Shirley L Zhang
- Cell Biology Department, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.
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28
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Chen L, Qin Y, Guo T, Zhu W, Lin J, Xing T, Duan X, Zhang Y, Ruan E, Li X, Yin P, Li S, Li XJ, Yang S. HAP40 modulates mutant Huntingtin aggregation and toxicity in Huntington's disease mice. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:337. [PMID: 38744826 PMCID: PMC11094052 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06716-4] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenic neurodegenerative disease, caused by the CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in exon 1 of the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. The HTT gene encodes a large protein known to interact with many proteins. Huntingtin-associated protein 40 (HAP40) is one that shows high binding affinity with HTT and functions to maintain HTT conformation in vitro. However, the potential role of HAP40 in HD pathogenesis remains unknown. In this study, we found that the expression level of HAP40 is in parallel with HTT but inversely correlates with mutant HTT aggregates in mouse brains. Depletion of endogenous HAP40 in the striatum of HD140Q knock-in (KI) mice leads to enhanced mutant HTT aggregation and neuronal loss. Consistently, overexpression of HAP40 in the striatum of HD140Q KI mice reduced mutant HTT aggregation and ameliorated the behavioral deficits. Mechanistically, HAP40 preferentially binds to mutant HTT and promotes Lysine 48-linked ubiquitination of mutant HTT. Our results revealed that HAP40 is an important regulator of HTT protein homeostasis in vivo and hinted at HAP40 as a therapeutic target in HD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laiqiang Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiyang Qin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Guo
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenzhen Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingpan Lin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Xing
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuezhi Duan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiran Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Eshu Ruan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Medical Genetics and Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Peng Yin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shihua Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Su Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
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Lu X, Lu J, Li S, Feng S, Wang Y, Cui L. The Role of Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in the Accumulation of Pathological Proteins: New Perspectives on the Mechanism of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Aging Dis 2024:AD.2024.0209. [PMID: 38739933 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2024.0209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
It is widely accepted that living organisms form highly dynamic membrane-less organelles (MLOS) with various functions through phase separation, and the indispensable role that phase separation plays in the mechanisms of normal physiological functions and pathogenesis is gradually becoming clearer. Pathological aggregates, regarded as hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases, have been revealed to be closely related to aberrant phase separation. Specific proteins are assembled into condensates and transform into insoluble inclusions through aberrant phase separation, contributing to the development of diseases. In this review, we present an overview of the progress of phase separation research, involving its biological mechanisms and the status of research in neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on five main disease-specific proteins, tau, TDP-43, FUS, α-Syn and HTT, and how exactly these proteins reside within dynamic liquid-like compartments and thus turn into solid deposits. Further studies will yield new perspectives for understanding the aggregation mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategies, and future research directions are anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Lu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Jiongtong Lu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Shengnan Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Sifan Feng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Lili Cui
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
- The Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Guangdong, School of Ocean and Tropical Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
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30
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Mehanna R, Jankovic J. Systemic Symptoms in Huntington's Disease: A Comprehensive Review. Mov Disord Clin Pract 2024; 11:453-464. [PMID: 38529740 PMCID: PMC11078495 DOI: 10.1002/mdc3.14029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although Huntington's disease (HD) is usually thought of as a triad of motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms, there is growing appreciation of HD as a systemic illness affecting the entire body. OBJECTIVES This review aims to draw attention to these systemic non-motor symptoms in HD. METHODS We identified relevant studies published in English by searching MEDLINE (from 1966 to September 2023), using the following subject headings: Huntington disease, autonomic, systemic, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary, sexual and cutaneous, and additional specific symptoms. RESULTS Data from 123 articles were critically reviewed with focus on systemic features associated with HD, such as cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary, sexual and sweating. CONCLUSION This systematic review draws attention to a variety of systemic and autonomic co-morbidities in patients with HD. Not all of them correlate with the severity of the primary HD symptoms or CAG repeats. More research is needed to better understand the pathophysiology and treatment of systemic and autonomic dysfunction in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raja Mehanna
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Joseph Jankovic
- Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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31
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Sampaio C. Huntington disease - Update on ongoing therapeutic developments and a look toward the future. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2024; 122:106049. [PMID: 38418319 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2024.106049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Sampaio
- CHDI Management, Inc. Advisors to CHDI Foundation, Princeton, USA; Faculdade Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa (FMUL), Portugal.
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32
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Ratié L, Humbert S. A developmental component to Huntington's disease. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2024; 180:357-362. [PMID: 38614929 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2024.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a dominantly inherited disorder characterized by the dysfunction and death of cortical and striatal neurons. Striatal degeneration in Huntington's disease is due, at least in part, to defective cortical signalling to the striatum. Although Huntington's disease generally manifests at the adult stage, mouse and neuroimaging studies of presymptomatic mutation carriers suggest that it may affect neurodevelopment. In support of this notion, the development of the cortex is altered in mice with Huntington's disease and the foetuses of human Huntington's disease gene carriers. We will discuss these studies and the contribution of abnormal brain development to the later appearance of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Ratié
- U1216, CEA, Grenoble Institute Neurosciences, Inserm, université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - S Humbert
- Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute, Inserm, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
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33
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Burtscher J, Strasser B, Pepe G, Burtscher M, Kopp M, Di Pardo A, Maglione V, Khamoui AV. Brain-Periphery Interactions in Huntington's Disease: Mediators and Lifestyle Interventions. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4696. [PMID: 38731912 PMCID: PMC11083237 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Prominent pathological features of Huntington's disease (HD) are aggregations of mutated Huntingtin protein (mHtt) in the brain and neurodegeneration, which causes characteristic motor (such as chorea and dystonia) and non-motor symptoms. However, the numerous systemic and peripheral deficits in HD have gained increasing attention recently, since those factors likely modulate disease progression, including brain pathology. While whole-body metabolic abnormalities and organ-specific pathologies in HD have been relatively well described, the potential mediators of compromised inter-organ communication in HD have been insufficiently characterized. Therefore, we applied an exploratory literature search to identify such mediators. Unsurprisingly, dysregulation of inflammatory factors, circulating mHtt, and many other messenger molecules (hormones, lipids, RNAs) were found that suggest impaired inter-organ communication, including of the gut-brain and muscle-brain axis. Based on these findings, we aimed to assess the risks and potentials of lifestyle interventions that are thought to improve communication across these axes: dietary strategies and exercise. We conclude that appropriate lifestyle interventions have great potential to reduce symptoms and potentially modify disease progression (possibly via improving inter-organ signaling) in HD. However, impaired systemic metabolism and peripheral symptoms warrant particular care in the design of dietary and exercise programs for people with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Burtscher
- Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Strasser
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, 1100 Vienna, Austria;
- Faculty of Medicine, Sigmund Freud Private University, 1020 Vienna, Austria
| | - Giuseppe Pepe
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (G.P.); (A.D.P.); (V.M.)
| | - Martin Burtscher
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Martin Kopp
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Alba Di Pardo
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (G.P.); (A.D.P.); (V.M.)
| | | | - Andy V. Khamoui
- Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33458, USA;
- Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
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34
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Jeong J, Usman M, Li Y, Zhou XZ, Lu KP. Pin1-Catalyzed Conformation Changes Regulate Protein Ubiquitination and Degradation. Cells 2024; 13:731. [PMID: 38727267 PMCID: PMC11083468 DOI: 10.3390/cells13090731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The unique prolyl isomerase Pin1 binds to and catalyzes cis-trans conformational changes of specific Ser/Thr-Pro motifs after phosphorylation, thereby playing a pivotal role in regulating the structure and function of its protein substrates. In particular, Pin1 activity regulates the affinity of a substrate for E3 ubiquitin ligases, thereby modulating the turnover of a subset of proteins and coordinating their activities after phosphorylation in both physiological and disease states. In this review, we highlight recent advancements in Pin1-regulated ubiquitination in the context of cancer and neurodegenerative disease. Specifically, Pin1 promotes cancer progression by increasing the stabilities of numerous oncoproteins and decreasing the stabilities of many tumor suppressors. Meanwhile, Pin1 plays a critical role in different neurodegenerative disorders via the regulation of protein turnover. Finally, we propose a novel therapeutic approach wherein the ubiquitin-proteasome system can be leveraged for therapy by targeting pathogenic intracellular targets for TRIM21-dependent degradation using stereospecific antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Jeong
- Departments of Biochemistry and Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (J.J.)
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Muhammad Usman
- Departments of Biochemistry and Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (J.J.)
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Yitong Li
- Departments of Biochemistry and Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (J.J.)
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Xiao Zhen Zhou
- Departments of Biochemistry and Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (J.J.)
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, Western University, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
| | - Kun Ping Lu
- Departments of Biochemistry and Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada; (J.J.)
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
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35
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Song N, Mei S, Wang X, Hu G, Lu M. Focusing on mitochondria in the brain: from biology to therapeutics. Transl Neurodegener 2024; 13:23. [PMID: 38632601 PMCID: PMC11022390 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-024-00409-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria have multiple functions such as supplying energy, regulating the redox status, and producing proteins encoded by an independent genome. They are closely related to the physiology and pathology of many organs and tissues, among which the brain is particularly prominent. The brain demands 20% of the resting metabolic rate and holds highly active mitochondrial activities. Considerable research shows that mitochondria are closely related to brain function, while mitochondrial defects induce or exacerbate pathology in the brain. In this review, we provide comprehensive research advances of mitochondrial biology involved in brain functions, as well as the mitochondria-dependent cellular events in brain physiology and pathology. Furthermore, various perspectives are explored to better identify the mitochondrial roles in neurological diseases and the neurophenotypes of mitochondrial diseases. Finally, mitochondrial therapies are discussed. Mitochondrial-targeting therapeutics are showing great potentials in the treatment of brain diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanshan Song
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Shuyuan Mei
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Xiangxu Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Department of Pharmacology, Neuroprotective Drug Discovery Key Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Gang Hu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Department of Pharmacology, Neuroprotective Drug Discovery Key Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
| | - Ming Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Department of Pharmacology, Neuroprotective Drug Discovery Key Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
- Changzhou Second People's Hospital, Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, 213000, China.
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36
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Henriques C, Lopes MM, Silva AC, Lobo DD, Badin RA, Hantraye P, Pereira de Almeida L, Nobre RJ. Viral-based animal models in polyglutamine disorders. Brain 2024; 147:1166-1189. [PMID: 38284949 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine disorders are a complex group of incurable neurodegenerative disorders caused by an abnormal expansion in the trinucleotide cytosine-adenine-guanine tract of the affected gene. To better understand these disorders, our dependence on animal models persists, primarily relying on transgenic models. In an effort to complement and deepen our knowledge, researchers have also developed animal models of polyglutamine disorders employing viral vectors. Viral vectors have been extensively used to deliver genes to the brain, not only for therapeutic purposes but also for the development of animal models, given their remarkable flexibility. In a time- and cost-effective manner, it is possible to use different transgenes, at varying doses, in diverse targeted tissues, at different ages, and in different species, to recreate polyglutamine pathology. This paper aims to showcase the utility of viral vectors in disease modelling, share essential considerations for developing animal models with viral vectors, and provide a comprehensive review of existing viral-based animal models for polyglutamine disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Henriques
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel M Lopes
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana C Silva
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Diana D Lobo
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Romina Aron Badin
- CEA, DRF, Institute of Biology François Jacob, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- CNRS, CEA, Paris-Sud University, Université Paris-Saclay, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory (UMR9199), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Philippe Hantraye
- CEA, DRF, Institute of Biology François Jacob, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- CNRS, CEA, Paris-Sud University, Université Paris-Saclay, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory (UMR9199), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rui Jorge Nobre
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
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37
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Ojalvo-Pacheco J, Yakhine-Diop SMS, Fuentes JM, Paredes-Barquero M, Niso-Santano M. Role of TFEB in Huntington's Disease. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:238. [PMID: 38666850 PMCID: PMC11048341 DOI: 10.3390/biology13040238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by an expansion of the CAG trinucleotide repeat in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. This expansion leads to a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract at the N-terminal end of HTT, which reduces the solubility of the protein and promotes its accumulation. Inefficient clearance of mutant HTT (mHTT) by the proteasome or autophagy-lysosomal system leads to accumulation of oligomers and toxic protein aggregates in neurons, resulting in impaired proteolytic systems, transcriptional dysregulation, impaired axonal transport, mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular energy imbalance. Growing evidence suggests that the accumulation of mHTT aggregates and autophagic and/or lysosomal dysfunction are the major pathogenic mechanisms underlying HD. In this context, enhancing autophagy may be an effective therapeutic strategy to remove protein aggregates and improve cell function. Transcription factor EB (TFEB), a master transcriptional regulator of autophagy, controls the expression of genes critical for autophagosome formation, lysosomal biogenesis, lysosomal function and autophagic flux. Consequently, the induction of TFEB activity to promote intracellular clearance may be a therapeutic strategy for HD. However, while some studies have shown that overexpression of TFEB facilitates the clearance of mHTT aggregates and ameliorates the disease phenotype, others indicate such overexpression may lead to mHTT co-aggregation and worsen disease progression. Further studies are necessary to confirm whether TFEB modulation could be an effective therapeutic strategy against mHTT-mediated toxicity in different disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Ojalvo-Pacheco
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Caceres, Spain; (J.O.-P.); (S.M.S.Y.-D.); (J.M.F.)
| | - Sokhna M. S. Yakhine-Diop
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Caceres, Spain; (J.O.-P.); (S.M.S.Y.-D.); (J.M.F.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativa, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), 10003 Caceres, Spain
| | - José M. Fuentes
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Caceres, Spain; (J.O.-P.); (S.M.S.Y.-D.); (J.M.F.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativa, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), 10003 Caceres, Spain
| | - Marta Paredes-Barquero
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativa, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), 10003 Caceres, Spain
| | - Mireia Niso-Santano
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Caceres, Spain; (J.O.-P.); (S.M.S.Y.-D.); (J.M.F.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativa, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), 10003 Caceres, Spain
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Saremi S, Khajeh K. Amyloid fibril cytotoxicity and associated disorders. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2024; 206:265-290. [PMID: 38811083 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2024.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Misfolded proteins assemble into fibril structures that are called amyloids. Unlike usually folded proteins, misfolded fibrils are insoluble and deposit extracellularly or intracellularly. Misfolded proteins interrupt the function and structure of cells and cause amyloid disease. There is increasing evidence that the most pernicious species are oligomers. Misfolded proteins disrupt cell function and cause cytotoxicity by calcium imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and intracellular reactive oxygen species. Despite profound impacts on health, social, and economic factors, amyloid diseases remain untreatable. To develop new therapeutics and to understand the pathological manifestations of amyloidosis, research into the origin and pathology of amyloidosis is urgently needed. This chapter describes the basic concept of amyloid disease and the function of atypical amyloid deposits in them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabereh Saremi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Khosro Khajeh
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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Tong H, Yang T, Xu S, Li X, Liu L, Zhou G, Yang S, Yin S, Li XJ, Li S. Huntington's Disease: Complex Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Strategies. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3845. [PMID: 38612657 PMCID: PMC11011923 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073845] [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: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) arises from the abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (HTT), resulting in the production of the mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) with a polyglutamine stretch in its N-terminus. The pathogenic mechanisms underlying HD are complex and not yet fully elucidated. However, mHTT forms aggregates and accumulates abnormally in neuronal nuclei and processes, leading to disruptions in multiple cellular functions. Although there is currently no effective curative treatment for HD, significant progress has been made in developing various therapeutic strategies to treat HD. In addition to drugs targeting the neuronal toxicity of mHTT, gene therapy approaches that aim to reduce the expression of the mutant HTT gene hold great promise for effective HD therapy. This review provides an overview of current HD treatments, discusses different therapeutic strategies, and aims to facilitate future therapeutic advancements in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (H.T.); (T.Y.); (S.X.); (X.L.); (L.L.); (G.Z.); (S.Y.); (S.Y.)
| | - Shihua Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (H.T.); (T.Y.); (S.X.); (X.L.); (L.L.); (G.Z.); (S.Y.); (S.Y.)
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Sun X, Liu L, Wu C, Li X, Guo J, Zhang J, Guan J, Wang N, Gu L, Yang XW, Li GM. Mutant huntingtin protein induces MLH1 degradation, DNA hyperexcision, and cGAS-STING-dependent apoptosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313652121. [PMID: 38498709 PMCID: PMC10990133 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313652121] [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: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The repeat-expanded HTT encodes a mutated HTT (mHTT), which is known to induce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), activation of the cGAS-STING pathway, and apoptosis in HD. However, the mechanism by which mHTT triggers these events is unknown. Here, we show that HTT interacts with both exonuclease 1 (Exo1) and MutLα (MLH1-PMS2), a negative regulator of Exo1. While the HTT-Exo1 interaction suppresses the Exo1-catalyzed DNA end resection during DSB repair, the HTT-MutLα interaction functions to stabilize MLH1. However, mHTT displays a significantly reduced interaction with Exo1 or MutLα, thereby losing the ability to regulate Exo1. Thus, cells expressing mHTT exhibit rapid MLH1 degradation and hyperactive DNA excision, which causes severe DNA damage and cytosolic DNA accumulation. This activates the cGAS-STING pathway to mediate apoptosis. Therefore, we have identified unique functions for both HTT and mHTT in modulating DNA repair and the cGAS-STING pathway-mediated apoptosis by interacting with MLH1. Our work elucidates the mechanism by which mHTT causes HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Sun
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310006, China
| | - Lu Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Chao Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Xueying Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Jinzhen Guo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Junqiu Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Junhong Guan
- Cui-ying Experimental Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou730030, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Liya Gu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - X. Willian Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Guo-Min Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
- Institute for Cancer Research, Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Beijing100069, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, China
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Mac Donagh J, Marchesini A, Spiga A, Fallico MJ, Arrías PN, Monzon AM, Vagiona AC, Gonçalves-Kulik M, Mier P, Andrade-Navarro MA. Structured Tandem Repeats in Protein Interactions. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2994. [PMID: 38474241 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052994] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Tandem repeats (TRs) in protein sequences are consecutive, highly similar sequence motifs. Some types of TRs fold into structural units that pack together in ensembles, forming either an (open) elongated domain or a (closed) propeller, where the last unit of the ensemble packs against the first one. Here, we examine TR proteins (TRPs) to see how their sequence, structure, and evolutionary properties favor them for a function as mediators of protein interactions. Our observations suggest that TRPs bind other proteins using large, structured surfaces like globular domains; in particular, open-structured TR ensembles are favored by flexible termini and the possibility to tightly coil against their targets. While, intuitively, open ensembles of TRs seem prone to evolve due to their potential to accommodate insertions and deletions of units, these evolutionary events are unexpectedly rare, suggesting that they are advantageous for the emergence of the ancestral sequence but are early fixed. We hypothesize that their flexibility makes it easier for further proteins to adapt to interact with them, which would explain their large number of protein interactions. We provide insight into the properties of open TR ensembles, which make them scaffolds for alternative protein complexes to organize genes, RNA and proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Mac Donagh
- Science and Technology Department, National University of Quilmes, Bernal B1876, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
| | - Abril Marchesini
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
- Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Institute (IBBM, UNLP-CONICET), Faculty of Exact Sciences, University of La Plata, La Plata 1900, Argentina
| | - Agostina Spiga
- Science and Technology Department, National University of Quilmes, Bernal B1876, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
| | - Maximiliano José Fallico
- Laboratory of Bioactive Compound Research and Development, Faculty of Exact Sciences, University of La Plata, La Plata 1900, Argentina
| | - Paula Nazarena Arrías
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Alexander Miguel Monzon
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Via Giovanni Gradenigo 6/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Aimilia-Christina Vagiona
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Mariane Gonçalves-Kulik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Pablo Mier
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Miguel A Andrade-Navarro
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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Jurcau A, Simion A, Jurcau MC. Emerging antibody-based therapies for Huntington's disease: current status and perspectives for future development. Expert Rev Neurother 2024; 24:299-312. [PMID: 38324338 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2024.2314183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Being an inherited neurodegenerative disease with an identifiable genetic defect, Huntington's disease (HD) is a suitable candidate for early intervention, possibly even in the pre-symptomatic stage. Our recent advances in elucidating the pathogenesis of HD have revealed a series of novel potential therapeutic targets, among which immunotherapies are actively pursued in preclinical experiments. AREAS COVERED This review focuses on the potential of antibody-based treatments targeting various epitopes (of mutant huntingtin as well as phosphorylated tau) that are currently evaluated in vitro and in animal experiments. The references used in this review were retrieved from the PubMed database, searching for immunotherapies in HD, and clinical trial registries were reviewed for molecules already evaluated in clinical trials. EXPERT OPINION Antibody-based therapies have raised considerable interest in a series of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by deposition of aggregated of aberrantly folded proteins, HD included. Intrabodies and nanobodies can interact with mutant huntingtin inside the nervous cells. However, the conflicting results obtained with some of these intrabodies highlight the need for proper choice of epitopes and for developing animal models more closely mimicking human disease. Approval of these strategies will require a considerable financial and logistic effort on behalf of healthcare systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anamaria Jurcau
- Department of Psycho-Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania
| | - Aurel Simion
- Department of Psycho-Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania
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Arsuffi-Marcon R, Souza LG, Santos-Miranda A, Joviano-Santos JV. Neurotoxicity of Pyrethroids in neurodegenerative diseases: From animals' models to humans' studies. Chem Biol Interact 2024; 391:110911. [PMID: 38367681 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2024.110911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are associated with diverse symptoms, both motor and mental. Genetic and environmental factors can trigger neurodegenerative diseases. Chemicals as pesticides are constantly used in agriculture and also domestically. In this regard, pyrethroids (PY), are a class of insecticides in which its main mechanism of action is through disruption of voltage-dependent sodium channels function in insects. However, in mammals, they can also induce oxidative stress and enzyme dysfunction. This review investigates the association between PY and neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and Autism in animal models and humans. Published works using specific and non-specific models for these diseases were selected. We showed a tendency toward the development and/or aggravating of these neurodegenerative diseases following exposure to PYs. In animal models, the biochemical mechanisms of the diseases and their interaction with the insecticides are more deeply investigated. Nonetheless, only a few studies considered the specific model for each type of disease to analyze the impacts of the exposure. The choice of a specific model during the research is an important step and our review highlights the knowledge gaps of PYs effects using these models reinforcing the importance of them during the design of the experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Arsuffi-Marcon
- Center for Mathematics, Computing, and Cognition (CMCC), Federal University of ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo Do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lizandra Gomes Souza
- Center for Mathematics, Computing, and Cognition (CMCC), Federal University of ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo Do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Artur Santos-Miranda
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Julliane V Joviano-Santos
- Post-Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Faculdade Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Laboratório de Investigações NeuroCardíacas, Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais (LINC CMMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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44
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Caron NS, Aly AEE, Findlay Black H, Martin DDO, Schmidt ME, Ko S, Anderson C, Harvey EM, Casal LL, Anderson LM, Rahavi SMR, Reid GSD, Oda MN, Stanimirovic D, Abulrob A, McBride JL, Leavitt BR, Hayden MR. Systemic delivery of mutant huntingtin lowering antisense oligonucleotides to the brain using apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks for Huntington disease. J Control Release 2024; 367:27-44. [PMID: 38215984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Efficient delivery of therapeutics to the central nervous system (CNS) remains a major challenge for the treatment of neurological diseases. Huntington disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion mutation in the HTT gene which codes for a toxic mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein. Pharmacological reduction of mHTT in the CNS using antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) ameliorates HD-like phenotypes in rodent models of HD, with such therapies being investigated in clinical trials for HD. In this study, we report the optimization of apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks (apoA-I NDs) as vehicles for delivery of a HTT-targeted ASO (HTT ASO) to the brain and peripheral organs for HD. We demonstrate that apoA-I wild type (WT) and the apoA-I K133C mutant incubated with a synthetic lipid, 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, can self-assemble into monodisperse discoidal particles with diameters <20 nm that transmigrate across an in vitro blood-brain barrier model of HD. We demonstrate that apoA-I NDs are well tolerated in vivo, and that apoA-I K133C NDs show enhanced distribution to the CNS and peripheral organs compared to apoA-I WT NDs following systemic administration. ApoA-I K133C conjugated with HTT ASO forms NDs (HTT ASO NDs) that induce significant mHTT lowering in the liver, skeletal muscle and heart as well as in the brain when delivered intravenously in the BACHD mouse model of HD. Furthermore, HTT ASO NDs increase the magnitude of mHTT lowering in the striatum and cortex compared to HTT ASO alone following intracerebroventricular administration. These findings demonstrate the potential utility of apoA-I NDs as biocompatible vehicles for enhancing delivery of mutant HTT lowering ASOs to the CNS and peripheral organs for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Amirah E-E Aly
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Dale D O Martin
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mandi E Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christine Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Emily M Harvey
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lorenzo L Casal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lisa M Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Seyed M R Rahavi
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gregor S D Reid
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Danica Stanimirovic
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Abedelnasser Abulrob
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jodi L McBride
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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Xiang Y, Song X, Long D. Ferroptosis regulation through Nrf2 and implications for neurodegenerative diseases. Arch Toxicol 2024; 98:579-615. [PMID: 38265475 PMCID: PMC10861688 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-023-03660-8] [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: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
This article provides an overview of the background knowledge of ferroptosis in the nervous system, as well as the key role of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in regulating ferroptosis. The article takes Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as the starting point to explore the close association between Nrf2 and ferroptosis, which is of clear and significant importance for understanding the mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) based on oxidative stress (OS). Accumulating evidence links ferroptosis to the pathogenesis of NDs. As the disease progresses, damage to the antioxidant system, excessive OS, and altered Nrf2 expression levels, especially the inhibition of ferroptosis by lipid peroxidation inhibitors and adaptive enhancement of Nrf2 signaling, demonstrate the potential clinical significance of Nrf2 in detecting and identifying ferroptosis, as well as targeted therapy for neuronal loss and mitochondrial dysfunction. These findings provide new insights and possibilities for the treatment and prevention of NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Xiang
- School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, People's Republic of China
- Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaohua Song
- School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, People's Republic of China
- Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, People's Republic of China
| | - Dingxin Long
- School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, People's Republic of China.
- Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, People's Republic of China.
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Gaudet ID, Xu H, Gordon E, Cannestro GA, Lu ML, Wei J. Elevated SLC7A2 expression is associated with an abnormal neuroinflammatory response and nitrosative stress in Huntington's disease. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:59. [PMID: 38419038 PMCID: PMC10900710 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03038-2] [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: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
We previously identified solute carrier family 7 member 2 (SLC7A2) as one of the top upregulated genes when normal Huntingtin was deleted. SLC7A2 has a high affinity for L-arginine. Arginine is implicated in inflammatory responses, and SLC7A2 is an important regulator of innate and adaptive immunity in macrophages. Although neuroinflammation is clearly demonstrated in animal models and patients with Huntington's disease (HD), the question of whether neuroinflammation actively participates in HD pathogenesis is a topic of ongoing research and debate. Here, we studied the role of SLC7A2 in mediating the neuroinflammatory stress response in HD cells. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), quantitative RT-PCR and data mining of publicly available RNA-seq datasets of human patients were performed to assess the levels of SLC7A2 mRNA in different HD cellular models and patients. Biochemical studies were then conducted on cell lines and primary mouse astrocytes to investigate arginine metabolism and nitrosative stress in response to neuroinflammation. The CRISPR-Cas9 system was used to knock out SLC7A2 in STHdhQ7 and Q111 cells to investigate its role in mediating the neuroinflammatory response. Live-cell imaging was used to measure mitochondrial dynamics. Finally, exploratory studies were performed using the Enroll-HD periodic human patient dataset to analyze the effect of arginine supplements on HD progression. We found that SLC7A2 is selectively upregulated in HD cellular models and patients. HD cells exhibit an overactive response to neuroinflammatory challenges, as demonstrated by abnormally high iNOS induction and NO production, leading to increased protein nitrosylation. Depleting extracellular Arg or knocking out SLC7A2 blocked iNOS induction and NO production in STHdhQ111 cells. We further examined the functional impact of protein nitrosylation on a well-documented protein target, DRP-1, and found that more mitochondria were fragmented in challenged STHdhQ111 cells. Last, analysis of Enroll-HD datasets suggested that HD patients taking arginine supplements progressed more rapidly than others. Our data suggest a novel pathway that links arginine uptake to nitrosative stress via upregulation of SLC7A2 in the pathogenesis and progression of HD. This further implies that arginine supplements may potentially pose a greater risk to HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian D Gaudet
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA
| | - Hongyuan Xu
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA
| | - Emily Gordon
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA
| | - Gianna A Cannestro
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA
| | - Michael L Lu
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA
| | - Jianning Wei
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA.
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Firdaus Z, Li X. Unraveling the Genetic Landscape of Neurological Disorders: Insights into Pathogenesis, Techniques for Variant Identification, and Therapeutic Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2320. [PMID: 38396996 PMCID: PMC10889342 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042320] [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: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetic abnormalities play a crucial role in the development of neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs). Genetic exploration has indeed contributed to unraveling the molecular complexities responsible for the etiology and progression of various NDDs. The intricate nature of rare and common variants in NDDs contributes to a limited understanding of the genetic risk factors associated with them. Advancements in next-generation sequencing have made whole-genome sequencing and whole-exome sequencing possible, allowing the identification of rare variants with substantial effects, and improving the understanding of both Mendelian and complex neurological conditions. The resurgence of gene therapy holds the promise of targeting the etiology of diseases and ensuring a sustained correction. This approach is particularly enticing for neurodegenerative diseases, where traditional pharmacological methods have fallen short. In the context of our exploration of the genetic epidemiology of the three most prevalent NDDs-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease, our primary goal is to underscore the progress made in the development of next-generation sequencing. This progress aims to enhance our understanding of the disease mechanisms and explore gene-based therapies for NDDs. Throughout this review, we focus on genetic variations, methodologies for their identification, the associated pathophysiology, and the promising potential of gene therapy. Ultimately, our objective is to provide a comprehensive and forward-looking perspective on the emerging research arena of NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeba Firdaus
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA;
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Xiaogang Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA;
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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Franklin GL, Teive HAG, Tensini FS, Camargo CHF, de Lima NDSC, de Dos Santos DDC, Meira AT, Tabrizi SJ. The Huntington's Disease Gene Discovery. Mov Disord 2024; 39:227-234. [PMID: 38179605 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The gene for Huntington's disease (HD) was discovered in 1993, after an international collaborative initiative that led researchers to remote regions of South America. It was the most remarkable milestone, since George Huntington's initial description. Through the phenomenological discussions led by Jean-Martin Charcot and Willian Osler, and finally Americo Negrette's reports, which served as the inspiration for the Venezuela Project led by Nancy Wexler, the journey toward discovering the Huntington's disease (HD) gene was marked by substantial efforts. This monumental achievement involved the analysis of more than 18,000 blood samples and gathered dozens of researchers in an integrated effort, enabling the mapping of the gene on chromosome 4 in 1983 and leading, a decade later, to the precise localization and identification of the HTT gene. The discovery of the HD mutation represented a pivotal moment in the field of genetics and neurology, significantly enhancing our understanding of the disease and creating opportunities for future treatments. The progress made and the knowledge gained during this journey catalyzed the development of many innovative molecular techniques that have advanced research in other medical conditions. In this article, the authors celebrate three decades of this memorable event, revisiting the historical aspects, providing insights into the techniques developed, and delving into the paths that ultimately led to the discovery of the HD gene. © 2024 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo L Franklin
- Internal Medicine Department, Pontifical University Catholic of Parana, Medical School, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Hélio A G Teive
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Internal Medicine Department, HC, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Fernando Spina Tensini
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Internal Medicine Department, HC, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Alex T Meira
- Internal Medicine Department, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
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Ahamad S, Bano N, Khan S, Hussain MK, Bhat SA. Unraveling the Puzzle of Therapeutic Peptides: A Promising Frontier in Huntington's Disease Treatment. J Med Chem 2024; 67:783-815. [PMID: 38207096 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder characterized by a mutation in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, resulting in the production of a mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT). The accumulation of mHTT leads to the development of toxic aggregates in neurons, causing cell dysfunction and, eventually, cell death. Peptide therapeutics target various aspects of HD pathology, including mHTT reduction and aggregation inhibition, extended CAG mRNA degradation, and modulation of dysregulated signaling pathways, such as BDNF/TrkB signaling. In addition, these peptide therapeutics also target the detrimental interactions of mHTT with InsP3R1, CaM, or Caspase-6 proteins to mitigate HD. This Perspective provides a detailed perspective on anti-HD therapeutic peptides, highlighting their design, structural characteristics, neuroprotective effects, and specific mechanisms of action. Peptide therapeutics for HD exhibit promise in preclinical models, but further investigation is required to confirm their effectiveness as viable therapeutic strategies, recognizing that no approved peptide therapy for HD currently exists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakir Ahamad
- Department of Chemistry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Nargis Bano
- Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Sameera Khan
- Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | | | - Shahnawaz A Bhat
- Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
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Krause A, Anderson DG, Ferreira-Correia A, Dawson J, Baine-Savanhu F, Li PP, Margolis RL. Huntington disease-like 2: insight into neurodegeneration from an African disease. Nat Rev Neurol 2024; 20:36-49. [PMID: 38114648 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-023-00906-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD)-like 2 (HDL2) is a rare genetic disease caused by an expanded trinucleotide repeat in the JPH3 gene (encoding junctophilin 3) that shows remarkable clinical similarity to HD. To date, HDL2 has been reported only in patients with definite or probable African ancestry. A single haplotype background is shared by patients with HDL2 from different populations, supporting a common African origin for the expansion mutation. Nevertheless, outside South Africa, reports of patients with HDL2 in Africa are scarce, probably owing to limited clinical services across the continent. Systematic comparisons of HDL2 and HD have revealed closely overlapping motor, cognitive and psychiatric features and similar patterns of cerebral and striatal atrophy. The pathogenesis of HDL2 remains unclear but it is proposed to occur through several mechanisms, including loss of protein function and RNA and/or protein toxicity. This Review summarizes our current knowledge of this African-specific HD phenocopy and highlights key areas of overlap between HDL2 and HD. Given the aforementioned similarities in clinical phenotype and pathology, an improved understanding of HDL2 could provide novel insights into HD and other neurodegenerative and/or trinucleotide repeat expansion disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Krause
- Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - David G Anderson
- Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- University of Glasgow, Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, UK
| | - Aline Ferreira-Correia
- Department of Psychology, School of Human and Community Development, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jessica Dawson
- Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Fiona Baine-Savanhu
- Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Pan P Li
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Russell L Margolis
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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