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Mi Z, Povysheva N, Rose ME, Ma J, Zeh DJ, Harikumar N, Bhuiyan MIH, Graham SH. Abolishing UCHL1's hydrolase activity exacerbates ischemia-induced axonal injury and functional deficits in mice. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2024:271678X241258809. [PMID: 38833565 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x241258809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) is a neuronal protein important in maintaining axonal integrity and motor function and may be important in the pathogenesis of many neurological disorders. UCHL1 may ameliorate acute injury and improve recovery after cerebral ischemia. In the current study, the hypothesis that UCHL1's hydrolase activity underlies its effect in maintaining axonal integrity and function is tested after ischemic injury. Hydrolase activity was inhibited by treatment with a UCHL1 hydrolase inhibitor or by employing knockin mice bearing a mutation in the hydrolase active site (C90A). Ischemic injury was induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) in brain slice preparations and by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) surgery in mice. Hydrolase activity inhibition increased restoration time and decreased the amplitude of evoked axonal responses in the corpus callosum after OGD. Mutation of the hydrolase active site exacerbated white matter injury as detected by SMI32 immunohistochemistry, and motor deficits as detected by beam balance and cylinder testing after tMCAO. These results demonstrate that UCHL1 hydrolase activity ameliorates white matter injury and functional deficits after acute ischemic injury and support the hypothesis that UCHL1 activity plays a significant role in preserving white matter integrity and recovery of function after cerebral ischemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiping Mi
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nadya Povysheva
- Department of Neuroscience, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Marie E Rose
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jie Ma
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dennis J Zeh
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nikitha Harikumar
- Department of Neuroscience, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mohammad Iqbal H Bhuiyan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Steven H Graham
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Mi Z, Ma J, Zeh DJ, Rose ME, Henchir JJ, Liu H, Ma X, Cao G, Dixon CE, Graham SH. Systemic treatment with ubiquitin carboxy terminal hydrolase L1 TAT protein ameliorates axonal injury and reduces functional deficits after traumatic brain injury in mice. Exp Neurol 2024; 373:114650. [PMID: 38092186 PMCID: PMC10939891 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114650] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often associated with axonal injury that leads to significant motor and cognitive deficits. Ubiquitin carboxy terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) is highly expressed in neurons and loss of its activity plays an important role in the pathogenesis of TBI. Fusion protein was constructed containing wild type (WT) UCHL1 and the HIV trans-activator of transcription capsid protein transduction domain (TAT-UCHL1) that facilitates transport of the protein into neurons after systemic administration. Additional mutant proteins bearing cysteine to alanine UCHL1 mutations at cysteine 152 (C152A TAT-UCHL1) that prevents nitric oxide and reactive lipid binding of C152, and at cysteine 220 (C220A TAT-UCHL1) that inhibits farnesylation of the C220 site were also constructed. WT, C152A, and C220A TAT-UCHL1 proteins administered to mice systemically after controlled cortical impact (CCI) were detectable in brain at 1 h, 4 h and 24 h after CCI by immunoblot. Mice treated with C152A or WT TAT-UCHL1 decreased axonal injury detected by NF200 immunohistochemistry 24 h after CCI, but C220A TAT-UCHL1 treatment had no significant effect. Further study indicated that WT TAT-UCHL1 treatment administered 24 h after CCI alleviated axonal injury as detected by SMI32 immunoreactivity 7 d after CCI, improved motor and cognitive deficits, reduced accumulation of total and K48-linked poly-Ub proteins, and attenuated the increase of the autophagy marker Beclin-1. These results suggest that UCHL1 activity contributes to the pathogenesis of white matter injury, and that restoration of UCHL1 activity by systemic treatment with WT TAT-UCHL1 after CCI may improve motor and cognitive deficits. These results also suggest that farnesylation of the C220 site may be required for the protective effects of UCHL1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiping Mi
- Geriatric Research Educational and Clinical Center, V.A. Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jie Ma
- Geriatric Research Educational and Clinical Center, V.A. Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dennis J Zeh
- Geriatric Research Educational and Clinical Center, V.A. Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Marie E Rose
- Geriatric Research Educational and Clinical Center, V.A. Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jeremy J Henchir
- Geriatric Research Educational and Clinical Center, V.A. Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15216, USA; Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15216, USA
| | - Hao Liu
- Geriatric Research Educational and Clinical Center, V.A. Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina
| | - Xiecheng Ma
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15216, USA; Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15216, USA
| | - Guodong Cao
- Geriatric Research Educational and Clinical Center, V.A. Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - C Edward Dixon
- Geriatric Research Educational and Clinical Center, V.A. Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15216, USA; Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15216, USA
| | - Steven H Graham
- Geriatric Research Educational and Clinical Center, V.A. Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Mi Z, Graham SH. Role of UCHL1 in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and brain injury. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 86:101856. [PMID: 36681249 PMCID: PMC9992267 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
UCHL1 is a multifunctional protein expressed at high concentrations in neurons in the brain and spinal cord. UCHL1 plays important roles in regulating the level of cellular free ubiquitin and redox state as well as the degradation of select proteins. This review focuses on the potential role of UCHL1 in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and brain injury and recovery. Subjects addressed in the review include 1) Normal physiological functions of UCHL1. 2) Posttranslational modification sites and splice variants that alter the function of UCHL1 and mouse models with mutations and deletions of UCHL1. 3) The hypothesized role and pathogenic mechanisms of UCHL1 in neurodegenerative diseases and brain injury. 4) Potential therapeutic strategies targeting UCHL1 in these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiping Mi
- Departments of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States; Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States.
| | - Steven H Graham
- Departments of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States; Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States.
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