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Bradford D, Rodgers KE. Advancements and challenges in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1401706. [PMID: 38846716 PMCID: PMC11155303 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1401706] [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: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) continues to pose a significant challenge due to the disease complexity and heterogeneous manifestations. Despite recent drug approvals, there remains a critical need for the development of more effective therapies. This review explores the underlying mechanisms involved; including neuroinflammation, glutamate mediated excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and hypermetabolism, and how researchers are trying to develop novel drugs to target these pathways. While progress has been made, the unmet need of ALS patients highlights the urgency for continued research and resource allocation in the pursuit of effective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathleen E. Rodgers
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Center for Innovation in Brain Science, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, United States
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2
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Arnold FJ, Putka AF, Raychaudhuri U, Hsu S, Bedlack RS, Bennett CL, La Spada AR. Revisiting Glutamate Excitotoxicity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Age-Related Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5587. [PMID: 38891774 PMCID: PMC11171854 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115587] [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: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neuron disorder. While there are five FDA-approved drugs for treating this disease, each has only modest benefits. To design new and more effective therapies for ALS, particularly for sporadic ALS of unknown and diverse etiologies, we must identify key, convergent mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. This review focuses on the origin and effects of glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity in ALS (the cortical hyperexcitability hypothesis), in which increased glutamatergic signaling causes motor neurons to become hyperexcitable and eventually die. We characterize both primary and secondary contributions to excitotoxicity, referring to processes taking place at the synapse and within the cell, respectively. 'Primary pathways' include upregulation of calcium-permeable AMPA receptors, dysfunction of the EAAT2 astrocytic glutamate transporter, increased release of glutamate from the presynaptic terminal, and reduced inhibition by cortical interneurons-all of which have been observed in ALS patients and model systems. 'Secondary pathways' include changes to mitochondrial morphology and function, increased production of reactive oxygen species, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. By identifying key targets in the excitotoxicity cascade, we emphasize the importance of this pathway in the pathogenesis of ALS and suggest that intervening in this pathway could be effective for developing therapies for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick J. Arnold
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; (A.F.P.)
| | - Alexandra F. Putka
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; (A.F.P.)
| | - Urmimala Raychaudhuri
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Solomon Hsu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Richard S. Bedlack
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; (A.F.P.)
| | - Craig L. Bennett
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Albert R. La Spada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; (A.F.P.)
- Department of Neurology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- UCI Center for Neurotherapeutics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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3
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Pandya VA, Patani R. The role of glial cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 176:381-450. [PMID: 38802179 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2024.04.005] [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: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has traditionally been considered a neuron-centric disease. This view is now outdated, with increasing recognition of cell autonomous and non-cell autonomous contributions of central and peripheral nervous system glia to ALS pathomechanisms. With glial research rapidly accelerating, we comprehensively interrogate the roles of astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, ependymal cells, Schwann cells and satellite glia in nervous system physiology and ALS-associated pathology. Moreover, we highlight the inter-glial, glial-neuronal and inter-system polylogue which constitutes the healthy nervous system and destabilises in disease. We also propose classification based on function for complex glial reactive phenotypes and discuss the pre-requisite for integrative modelling to advance translation. Given the paucity of life-enhancing therapies currently available for ALS patients, we discuss the promising potential of harnessing glia in driving ALS therapeutic discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virenkumar A Pandya
- University College London Medical School, London, United Kingdom; The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Rickie Patani
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom; Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, United Kingdom.
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4
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Hu Y, Chen W, Wei C, Jiang S, Li S, Wang X, Xu R. Pathological mechanisms of amyotrophic lateral Sclerosis. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1036-1044. [PMID: 37862206 PMCID: PMC10749610 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.382985] [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: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis refers to a neurodegenerative disease involving the motor system, the cause of which remains unexplained despite several years of research. Thus, the journey to understanding or treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is still a long one. According to current research, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is likely not due to a single factor but rather to a combination of mechanisms mediated by complex interactions between molecular and genetic pathways. The progression of the disease involves multiple cellular processes and the interaction between different complex mechanisms makes it difficult to identify the causative factors of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Here, we review the most common amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-associated pathogenic genes and the pathways involved in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as well as summarize currently proposed potential mechanisms responsible for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease and their evidence for involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In addition, we discuss current emerging strategies for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Studying the emergence of these new therapies may help to further our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yushu Hu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Wenzhi Chen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Caihui Wei
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Shishi Jiang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Shu Li
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Xinxin Wang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Renshi Xu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College; The Clinical College of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
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5
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Cheng F, Chapman T, Zhang S, Morsch M, Chung R, Lee A, Rayner SL. Understanding age-related pathologic changes in TDP-43 functions and the consequence on RNA splicing and signalling in health and disease. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 96:102246. [PMID: 38401571 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102246] [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: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
TAR DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43) is a key component in RNA splicing which plays a crucial role in the aging process. In neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia and limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy, TDP-43 can be mutated, mislocalised out of the nucleus of neurons and glial cells and form cytoplasmic inclusions. These TDP-43 alterations can lead to its RNA splicing dysregulation and contribute to mis-splicing of various types of RNA, such as mRNA, microRNA, and circular RNA. These changes can result in the generation of an altered transcriptome and proteome within cells, ultimately changing the diversity and quantity of gene products. In this review, we summarise the findings of novel atypical RNAs resulting from TDP-43 dysfunction and their potential as biomarkers or targets for therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora Cheng
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Tyler Chapman
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Selina Zhang
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Marco Morsch
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Roger Chung
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Albert Lee
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Stephanie L Rayner
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
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Wadsworth GM, Zahurancik WJ, Zeng X, Pullara P, Lai LB, Sidharthan V, Pappu RV, Gopalan V, Banerjee PR. RNAs undergo phase transitions with lower critical solution temperatures. Nat Chem 2023; 15:1693-1704. [PMID: 37932412 PMCID: PMC10872781 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01353-4] [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: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Co-phase separation of RNAs and RNA-binding proteins drives the biogenesis of ribonucleoprotein granules. RNAs can also undergo phase transitions in the absence of proteins. However, the physicochemical driving forces of protein-free, RNA-driven phase transitions remain unclear. Here we report that various types of RNA undergo phase separation with system-specific lower critical solution temperatures. This entropically driven phase separation is an intrinsic feature of the phosphate backbone that requires Mg2+ ions and is modulated by RNA bases. RNA-only condensates can additionally undergo enthalpically favourable percolation transitions within dense phases. This is enabled by a combination of Mg2+-dependent bridging interactions between phosphate groups and RNA-specific base stacking and base pairing. Phase separation coupled to percolation can cause dynamic arrest of RNAs within condensates and suppress the catalytic activity of an RNase P ribozyme. Our work highlights the need to incorporate RNA-driven phase transitions into models for ribonucleoprotein granule biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gable M Wadsworth
- Department of Physics, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Walter J Zahurancik
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Xiangze Zeng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Physics, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
- Teaching and Research Division, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Paul Pullara
- Department of Physics, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Lien B Lai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Vaishnavi Sidharthan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rohit V Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Venkat Gopalan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Priya R Banerjee
- Department of Physics, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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7
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Provenzano F, Torazza C, Bonifacino T, Bonanno G, Milanese M. The Key Role of Astrocytes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Their Commitment to Glutamate Excitotoxicity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15430. [PMID: 37895110 PMCID: PMC10607805 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015430] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last two decades, there has been increasing evidence supporting non-neuronal cells as active contributors to neurodegenerative disorders. Among glial cells, astrocytes play a pivotal role in driving amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) progression, leading the scientific community to focus on the "astrocytic signature" in ALS. Here, we summarized the main pathological mechanisms characterizing astrocyte contribution to MN damage and ALS progression, such as neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, energy metabolism impairment, miRNAs and extracellular vesicles contribution, autophagy dysfunction, protein misfolding, and altered neurotrophic factor release. Since glutamate excitotoxicity is one of the most relevant ALS features, we focused on the specific contribution of ALS astrocytes in this aspect, highlighting the known or potential molecular mechanisms by which astrocytes participate in increasing the extracellular glutamate level in ALS and, conversely, undergo the toxic effect of the excessive glutamate. In this scenario, astrocytes can behave as "producers" and "targets" of the high extracellular glutamate levels, going through changes that can affect themselves and, in turn, the neuronal and non-neuronal surrounding cells, thus actively impacting the ALS course. Moreover, this review aims to point out knowledge gaps that deserve further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Provenzano
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Carola Torazza
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Tiziana Bonifacino
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
- Inter-University Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching & Research (Centro 3R), 56122 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giambattista Bonanno
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Marco Milanese
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
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8
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LaForce GR, Philippidou P, Schaffer AE. mRNA isoform balance in neuronal development and disease. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1762. [PMID: 36123820 PMCID: PMC10024649 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Balanced mRNA isoform diversity and abundance are spatially and temporally regulated throughout cellular differentiation. The proportion of expressed isoforms contributes to cell type specification and determines key properties of the differentiated cells. Neurons are unique cell types with intricate developmental programs, characteristic cellular morphologies, and electrophysiological potential. Neuron-specific gene expression programs establish these distinctive cellular characteristics and drive diversity among neuronal subtypes. Genes with neuron-specific alternative processing are enriched in key neuronal functions, including synaptic proteins, adhesion molecules, and scaffold proteins. Despite the similarity of neuronal gene expression programs, each neuronal subclass can be distinguished by unique alternative mRNA processing events. Alternative processing of developmentally important transcripts alters coding and regulatory information, including interaction domains, transcript stability, subcellular localization, and targeting by RNA binding proteins. Fine-tuning of mRNA processing is essential for neuronal activity and maintenance. Thus, the focus of neuronal RNA biology research is to dissect the transcriptomic mechanisms that underlie neuronal homeostasis, and consequently, predispose neuronal subtypes to disease. This article is categorized under: RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geneva R LaForce
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Polyxeni Philippidou
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Ashleigh E Schaffer
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Fontana IC, Souza DG, Souza DO, Gee A, Zimmer ER, Bongarzone S. A Medicinal Chemistry Perspective on Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2 Dysfunction in Neurodegenerative Diseases. J Med Chem 2023; 66:2330-2346. [PMID: 36787643 PMCID: PMC9969404 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
The excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) plays a key role in the clearance and recycling of glutamate - the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain. EAAT2 loss/dysfunction triggers a cascade of neurodegenerative events, comprising glutamatergic excitotoxicity and neuronal death. Nevertheless, our current knowledge regarding EAAT2 in neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), is restricted to post-mortem analysis of brain tissue and experimental models. Thus, detecting EAAT2 in the living human brain might be crucial to improve diagnosis/therapy for ALS and AD. This perspective article describes the role of EAAT2 in physio/pathological processes and provides a structure-activity relationship of EAAT2-binders, bringing two perspectives: therapy (activators) and diagnosis (molecular imaging tools).
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor C Fontana
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom.,Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Blickagången 16 - Neo floor seventh, 141 83 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Débora G Souza
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga, 6681 Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Diogo O Souza
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Antony Gee
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Eduardo R Zimmer
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Sarmento Leite 500, sala, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry (PPGBioq), and Pharmacology and Therapeutics (PPGFT), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Sarmento Leite 500, sala, 305 Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga, 6681 Porto Alegre, Brazil.,McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Salvatore Bongarzone
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
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10
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Bustos LM, Sattler R. The Fault in Our Astrocytes - cause or casualties of proteinopathies of ALS/FTD and other neurodegenerative diseases? FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR MEDICINE 2023; 3:1075805. [PMID: 39165755 PMCID: PMC11334001 DOI: 10.3389/fmmed.2023.1075805] [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: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
Many neurodegenerative diseases fall under the class of diseases known as proteinopathies, whereby the structure and localization of specific proteins become abnormal. These aberrant proteins often aggregate within cells which disrupts vital homeostatic and physiological cellular functions, ultimately contributing to cell death. Although neurodegenerative disease research is typically neurocentric, there is evidence supporting the role of non-neuronal cells in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Specifically, the role of astrocytes in neurodegenerative diseases has been an ever-growing area of research. Astrocytes are one of the most abundant cell types in the central nervous system (CNS) and provide an array of essential homeostatic functions that are disrupted in neurodegenerative diseases. Astrocytes can exhibit a reactive phenotype that is characterized by molecular changes, as well as changes in morphology and function. In neurodegenerative diseases, there is potential for reactive astrocytes to assume a loss-of-function phenotype in homeostatic operations such as synapse maintenance, neuronal metabolic support, and facilitating cell-cell communication between glia and neurons. They are also able to concurrently exhibit gain-of-function phenotypes that can be destructive to neural networks and the astrocytes themselves. Additionally, astrocytes have been shown to internalize disease related proteins and reflect similar or exacerbated pathology that has been observed in neurons. Here, we review several major neurodegenerative disease-specific proteinopathies and what is known about their presence in astrocytes and the potential consequences regarding cell and non-cell autonomous neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynette M. Bustos
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Rita Sattler
- Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, United States
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11
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Meanti R, Bresciani E, Rizzi L, Coco S, Zambelli V, Dimitroulas A, Molteni L, Omeljaniuk RJ, Locatelli V, Torsello A. Potential Applications for Growth Hormone Secretagogues Treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:2376-2394. [PMID: 36111771 PMCID: PMC10616926 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x20666220915103613] [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: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) arises from neuronal death due to complex interactions of genetic, molecular, and environmental factors. Currently, only two drugs, riluzole and edaravone, have been approved to slow the progression of this disease. However, ghrelin and other ligands of the GHS-R1a receptor have demonstrated interesting neuroprotective activities that could be exploited in this pathology. Ghrelin, a 28-amino acid hormone, primarily synthesized and secreted by oxyntic cells in the stomach wall, binds to the pituitary GHS-R1a and stimulates GH secretion; in addition, ghrelin is endowed with multiple extra endocrine bioactivities. Native ghrelin requires esterification with octanoic acid for binding to the GHS-R1a receptor; however, this esterified form is very labile and represents less than 10% of circulating ghrelin. A large number of synthetic compounds, the growth hormone secretagogues (GHS) encompassing short peptides, peptoids, and non-peptidic moieties, are capable of mimicking several biological activities of ghrelin, including stimulation of GH release, appetite, and elevation of blood IGF-I levels. GHS have demonstrated neuroprotective and anticonvulsant effects in experimental models of pathologies both in vitro and in vivo. To illustrate, some GHS, currently under evaluation by regulatory agencies for the treatment of human cachexia, have a good safety profile and are safe for human use. Collectively, evidence suggests that ghrelin and cognate GHS may constitute potential therapies for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Meanti
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, Monza, 20900, Italy
| | - Elena Bresciani
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, Monza, 20900, Italy
| | - Laura Rizzi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, Monza, 20900, Italy
| | - Silvia Coco
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, Monza, 20900, Italy
| | - Vanessa Zambelli
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, Monza, 20900, Italy
| | - Anna Dimitroulas
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Stag Hill, Guildford, GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Molteni
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, Monza, 20900, Italy
| | - Robert J. Omeljaniuk
- Department of Biology, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Rd, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Vittorio Locatelli
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, Monza, 20900, Italy
| | - Antonio Torsello
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, Monza, 20900, Italy
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12
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Steinert JR, Amal H. The contribution of an imbalanced redox signalling to neurological and neurodegenerative conditions. Free Radic Biol Med 2023; 194:71-83. [PMID: 36435368 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.11.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Nitric oxide and other redox active molecules such as oxygen free radicals provide essential signalling in diverse neuronal functions, but their excess production and insufficient scavenging induces cytotoxic redox stress which is associated with numerous neurodegenerative and neurological conditions. A further component of redox signalling is mediated by a homeostatic regulation of divalent metal ions, the imbalance of which contributes to neuronal dysfunction. Additional antioxidant molecules such as glutathione and enzymes such as super oxide dismutase are involved in maintaining a physiological redox status within neurons. When cellular processes are perturbed and generation of free radicals overwhelms the antioxidants capacity of the neurons, a resulting redox damage leads to neuronal dysfunction and cell death. Cellular sources for production of redox-active molecules may include NADPH oxidases, mitochondria, cytochrome P450 and nitric oxide (NO)-generating enzymes, such as endothelial, neuronal and inducible NO synthases. Several neurodegenerative and developmental neurological conditions are associated with an imbalanced redox state as a result of neuroinflammatory processes leading to nitrosative and oxidative stress. Ongoing research aims at understanding the causes and consequences of such imbalanced redox homeostasis and its role in neuronal dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joern R Steinert
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, School of Life Sciences, Nottingham, NG7 2NR, UK.
| | - Haitham Amal
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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13
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Strong MJ, Swash M. Finding Common Ground on the Site of Onset of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Neurology 2022; 99:1042-1048. [PMID: 36261296 PMCID: PMC9754652 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000201387] [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: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The fundamental origin of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has remained an enigma since its earliest description as a relentlessly progressive degeneration with prominent neuromuscular manifestations that are associated with upper and lower motor neuron dysfunction. Although this remains the hallmark of ALS, a significant proportion of patients will also demonstrate one or more features of frontotemporal dysfunction, including a frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Understanding whether these 2 seemingly disparate syndromes are simply reflective of the co-occurrence of 2 distinct pathologic processes or the clinical manifestations of a common pathophysiologic derangement involving the brain more widely has gripped contemporary ALS researchers. Supporting a commonality of causation, both ALS and FTD show an alteration in the metabolism of TAR DNA-binding protein 43, marked by a shift in nucleocytoplasmic localization alongside a broad range of neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions consisting of pathologic aggregates of RNA-binding proteins. Similarly, several disease-associated or disease-modifying genetic variants that are shared between the 2 disorders suggest shared underlying mechanisms. In both, a prominent glial response has been postulated to contribute to non-cell-autonomous spread. A more contemporary hypothesis, however, suggests that syndromes of cortical and subcortical dysfunction are driven by impairments in discrete neural networks. This postulates that such networks, including networks subserving motor or cognitive function, possess unique and selective vulnerabilities to either single molecular toxicities or combinations thereof. The co-occurrence of one or more network dysfunctions in ALS and FTD is thus a reflection not of unique neuroanatomic correlates but rather of shared molecular vulnerabilities. The basis of such shared vulnerabilities becomes the fulcrum around which the next advances in our understanding of ALS and its possible therapy will develop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Strong
- From the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences (M.J.S.), Western University, London, Canada; Department of Neurology (M.S.), Barts and the London School of Medicine QMUL, United Kingdom; and Institute of Neuroscience (M.S.), University of Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Michael Swash
- From the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences (M.J.S.), Western University, London, Canada; Department of Neurology (M.S.), Barts and the London School of Medicine QMUL, United Kingdom; and Institute of Neuroscience (M.S.), University of Lisbon, Portugal
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14
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Lee J, Cho H, Kwon I. Phase separation of low-complexity domains in cellular function and disease. EXPERIMENTAL & MOLECULAR MEDICINE 2022; 54:1412-1422. [PMID: 36175485 PMCID: PMC9534829 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-022-00857-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we discuss the ways in which recent studies of low-complexity (LC) domains have challenged our understanding of the mechanisms underlying cellular organization. LC sequences, long believed to function in the absence of a molecular structure, are abundant in the proteomes of all eukaryotic organisms. Over the past decade, the phase separation of LC domains has emerged as a fundamental mechanism driving dynamic multivalent interactions of many cellular processes. We review the key evidence showing the role of phase separation of individual proteins in organizing cellular assemblies and facilitating biological function while implicating the dynamics of phase separation as a key to biological validity and functional utility. We also highlight the evidence showing that pathogenic LC proteins alter various phase separation-dependent interactions to elicit debilitating human diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Progress in understanding the biology of phase separation may offer useful hints toward possible therapeutic interventions to combat the toxicity of pathogenic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwon Lee
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16419, Korea
| | - Hana Cho
- Department of Physiology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16419, Korea.
| | - Ilmin Kwon
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16419, Korea.
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15
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LaForce GR, Farr JS, Liu J, Akesson C, Gumus E, Pinkard O, Miranda HC, Johnson K, Sweet TJ, Ji P, Lin A, Coller J, Philippidou P, Wagner EJ, Schaffer AE. Suppression of premature transcription termination leads to reduced mRNA isoform diversity and neurodegeneration. Neuron 2022; 110:1340-1357.e7. [PMID: 35139363 PMCID: PMC9035109 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Tight regulation of mRNA isoform expression is essential for neuronal development, maintenance, and function; however, the repertoire of proteins that govern isoform composition and abundance remains incomplete. Here, we show that the RNA kinase CLP1 regulates mRNA isoform expression through suppression of proximal cleavage and polyadenylation. We found that human stem-cell-derived motor neurons without CLP1 or with the disease-associated CLP1 p.R140H variant had distinct patterns of RNA-polymerase-II-associated cleavage and polyadenylation complex proteins that correlated with polyadenylation site usage. These changes resulted in imbalanced mRNA isoform expression of long genes important for neuronal function that were recapitulated in vivo. Strikingly, we observed the same pattern of reduced mRNA isoform diversity in 3' end sequencing data from brain tissues of patients with neurodegenerative disease. Together, our results identify a previously uncharacterized role for CLP1 in mRNA 3' end formation and reveal an mRNA misprocessing signature in neurodegeneration that may suggest a common mechanism of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geneva R LaForce
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Jordan S Farr
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Jingyi Liu
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Cydni Akesson
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Evren Gumus
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Mugla 48000, Turkey; Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Harran, Sanliurfa 63000, Turkey
| | - Otis Pinkard
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Helen C Miranda
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Katherine Johnson
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Thomas J Sweet
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Ping Ji
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Ai Lin
- Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, WC67+HC Dongcheng, Beijing, China
| | - Jeff Coller
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Polyxeni Philippidou
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Eric J Wagner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Ashleigh E Schaffer
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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16
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Broadhead MJ, Bonthron C, Waddington J, Smith WV, Lopez MF, Burley S, Valli J, Zhu F, Komiyama NH, Smith C, Grant SGN, Miles GB. Selective vulnerability of tripartite synapses in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 143:471-486. [PMID: 35305541 PMCID: PMC8960590 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02412-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder. Separate lines of evidence suggest that synapses and astrocytes play a role in the pathological mechanisms underlying ALS. Given that astrocytes make specialised contacts with some synapses, called tripartite synapses, we hypothesise that tripartite synapses could act as the fulcrum of disease in ALS. To test this hypothesis, we have performed an extensive microscopy-based investigation of synapses and tripartite synapses in the spinal cord of ALS model mice and post-mortem human tissue from ALS cases. We reveal widescale synaptic changes at the early symptomatic stages of the SOD1G93a mouse model. Super-resolution microscopy reveals that large complex postsynaptic structures are lost in ALS mice. Most surprisingly, tripartite synapses are selectively lost, while non-tripartite synapses remain in equal number to healthy controls. Finally, we also observe a similar selective loss of tripartite synapses in human post-mortem ALS spinal cords. From these data we conclude that tripartite synaptopathy is a key hallmark of ALS.
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17
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Shibuya K, Otani R, Suzuki YI, Kuwabara S, Kiernan MC. Neuronal Hyperexcitability and Free Radical Toxicity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Established and Future Targets. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15040433. [PMID: 35455429 PMCID: PMC9025031 DOI: 10.3390/ph15040433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease with evidence of degeneration involving upper and lower motor neuron compartments of the nervous system. Presently, two drugs, riluzole and edaravone, have been established as being useful in slowing disease progression in ALS. Riluzole possesses anti-glutamatergic properties, while edaravone eliminates free radicals (FRs). Glutamate is the excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain and spinal cord and binds to several inotropic receptors. Excessive activation of these receptors generates FRs, inducing neurodegeneration via damage to intracellular organelles and upregulation of proinflammatory mediators. FRs bind to intracellular structures, leading to cellular impairment that contributes to neurodegeneration. As such, excitotoxicity and FR toxicities have been considered as key pathophysiological mechanisms that contribute to the cascade of degeneration that envelopes neurons in ALS. Recent advanced technologies, including neurophysiological, imaging, pathological and biochemical techniques, have concurrently identified evidence of increased excitability in ALS. This review focuses on the relationship between FRs and excitotoxicity in motor neuronal degeneration in ALS and introduces concepts linked to increased excitability across both compartments of the human nervous system. Within this cellular framework, future strategies to promote therapeutic development in ALS, from the perspective of neuronal excitability and function, will be critically appraised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazumoto Shibuya
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8677, Japan; (K.S.); (R.O.); (Y.-i.S.); (S.K.)
| | - Ryo Otani
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8677, Japan; (K.S.); (R.O.); (Y.-i.S.); (S.K.)
| | - Yo-ichi Suzuki
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8677, Japan; (K.S.); (R.O.); (Y.-i.S.); (S.K.)
| | - Satoshi Kuwabara
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8677, Japan; (K.S.); (R.O.); (Y.-i.S.); (S.K.)
| | - Matthew C. Kiernan
- Brain and Mind Centre, Department of Neurology, University of Sydney, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney 2050, Australia
- Correspondence:
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18
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Poly-dipeptides produced from C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeats cause selective motor neuron hyperexcitability in ALS. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2113813119. [PMID: 35259014 PMCID: PMC8931230 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113813119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
SignificanceThe GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Despite myriad studies on the toxic effects of poly-dipeptides produced from the C9orf72 repeats, the mechanisms underlying the selective hyperexcitability of motor cortex that characterizes the early stages of C9orf72 ALS patients remain elusive. Here, we show that the proline-arginine poly-dipeptides cause hyperexcitability in cortical motor neurons by increasing persistent sodium currents conducted by the Nav1.2/β4 sodium channel complex, which is highly expressed in the motor cortex. These findings provide the basis for understanding how the C9orf72 mutation causes motor neuron hyperactivation that can lead to the motor neuron death in C9orf72 ALS.
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19
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Induction of Survival of Motor Neuron (SMN) Protein Deficiency in Spinal Astrocytes by Small Interfering RNA as an In Vitro Model of Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030558. [PMID: 35159369 PMCID: PMC8834238 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disorder leading to progressive loss of ventral horn neurons resulting in muscle wasting. Here we investigate the contribution of spinal astrocytes to the pathogenesis of late-onset SMA forms using a mouse model. Furthermore, we generated SMA-like astrocytes using survival of motor neuron (SMN) siRNA transfection techniques. In the SMA mouse model, the activation of spinal astrocytes and the reduction of the inward rectifier potassium channel Kir4.1 and excitatory amino acid transporter 1 (EAAT1) were observed at postnatal day (P) 28, preceding the loss of spinal motor neurons appearing earliest at P42. Using SMA-like astrocytes, we could mimic the modulation of spinal astrocytes of the mouse model in a dish and perform electrophysiological assessments and functional assays. In SMA-like astrocytes, glutamate uptake was diminished due to a reduction in EAAT1. Furthermore, patch-clamp measurements revealed reduced potassium uptake into astrocytes with membrane depolarization. Additionally, exposure of healthy spinal motor neurons to a conditioned medium of SMA-like astrocytes resulted in increased firing frequency. These data demonstrate spinal astrocytes’ crucial role in the late-onset SMA forms’ pathogenesis.
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20
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Hirschberg S, Dvorzhak A, Rasooli-Nejad SMA, Angelov S, Kirchner M, Mertins P, Lättig-Tünnemann G, Harms C, Schmitz D, Grantyn R. Uncoupling the Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2 From Its C-Terminal Interactome Restores Synaptic Glutamate Clearance at Corticostriatal Synapses and Alleviates Mutant Huntingtin-Induced Hypokinesia. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 15:792652. [PMID: 35173582 PMCID: PMC8841566 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.792652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid removal of glutamate from the sites of glutamate release is an essential step in excitatory synaptic transmission. However, despite many years of research, the molecular mechanisms underlying the intracellular regulation of glutamate transport at tripartite synapses have not been fully uncovered. This limits the options for pharmacological treatment of glutamate-related motor disorders, including Huntington’s disease (HD). We therefore investigated the possible binding partners of transgenic EAAT2 and their alterations under the influence of mutant huntingtin (mHTT). Mass spectrometry analysis after pull-down of striatal YFP-EAAT2 from wild-type (WT) mice and heterozygote (HET) Q175 mHTT-knock-in mice identified a total of 148 significant (FDR < 0.05) binders to full-length EAAT2. Of them 58 proteins exhibited mHTT-related differences. Most important, in 26 of the 58 mHTT-sensitive cases, protein abundance changed back toward WT levels when the mice expressed a C-terminal-truncated instead of full-length variant of EAAT2. These findings motivated new attempts to clarify the role of astrocytic EAAT2 regulation in cortico-basal movement control. Striatal astrocytes of Q175 HET mice were targeted by a PHP.B vector encoding EAAT2 with different degree of C-terminal modification, i.e., EAAT2-S506X (truncation at S506), EAAT2-4KR (4 lysine to arginine substitutions) or EAAT2 (full-length). The results were compared to HET and WT injected with a tag-only vector (CTRL). It was found that the presence of a C-terminal-modified EAAT2 transgene (i) increased the level of native EAAT2 protein in striatal lysates and perisynaptic astrocyte processes, (ii) enhanced the glutamate uptake of transduced astrocytes, (iii) stimulated glutamate clearance at individual corticostriatal synapses, (iv) increased the glutamate uptake of striatal astrocytes and (iv) alleviated the mHTT-related hypokinesia (open field indicators of movement initiation). In contrast, over-expression of full-length EAAT2 neither facilitated glutamate uptake nor locomotion. Together, our results support the new hypothesis that preventing abnormal protein-protein interactions at the C-terminal of EAAT2 could eliminate the mHTT-related deficits in corticostriatal synaptic glutamate clearance and movement initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Hirschberg
- Synaptic Dysfunction Lab, Neuroscience Research Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anton Dvorzhak
- Synaptic Dysfunction Lab, Neuroscience Research Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Seyed M. A. Rasooli-Nejad
- Synaptic Dysfunction Lab, Neuroscience Research Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Svilen Angelov
- Synaptic Dysfunction Lab, Neuroscience Research Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marieluise Kirchner
- Proteomics Platform, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Mertins
- Proteomics Platform, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Gilla Lättig-Tünnemann
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Harms
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dietmar Schmitz
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, Berlin, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rosemarie Grantyn
- Synaptic Dysfunction Lab, Neuroscience Research Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, Berlin, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Rosemarie Grantyn,
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21
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Ziff OJ, Clarke BE, Taha DM, Crerar H, Luscombe NM, Patani R. Meta-analysis of human and mouse ALS astrocytes reveals multi-omic signatures of inflammatory reactive states. Genome Res 2022; 32:71-84. [PMID: 34963663 PMCID: PMC8744676 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275939.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes contribute to motor neuron death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but whether they adopt deleterious features consistent with inflammatory reactive states remains incompletely resolved. To identify inflammatory reactive features in ALS human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived astrocytes, we examined transcriptomics, proteomics, and glutamate uptake in VCP-mutant astrocytes. We complemented this by examining other ALS mutations and models using a systematic meta-analysis of all publicly-available ALS astrocyte sequencing data, which included hiPSC-derived astrocytes carrying SOD1, C9orf72, and FUS gene mutations as well as mouse ALS astrocyte models with SOD1G93A mutation, Tardbp deletion, and Tmem259 (also known as membralin) deletion. ALS astrocytes were characterized by up-regulation of genes involved in the extracellular matrix, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and the immune response and down-regulation of synaptic integrity, glutamate uptake, and other neuronal support processes. We identify activation of the TGFB, Wnt, and hypoxia signaling pathways in both hiPSC and mouse ALS astrocytes. ALS changes positively correlate with TNF, IL1A, and complement pathway component C1q-treated inflammatory reactive astrocytes, with significant overlap of differentially expressed genes. By contrasting ALS changes with models of protective reactive astrocytes, including middle cerebral artery occlusion and spinal cord injury, we uncover a cluster of genes changing in opposing directions, which may represent down-regulated homeostatic genes and up-regulated deleterious genes in ALS astrocytes. These observations indicate that ALS astrocytes augment inflammatory processes while concomitantly suppressing neuronal supporting mechanisms, thus resembling inflammatory reactive states and offering potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Ziff
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin E Clarke
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Doaa M Taha
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21511, Egypt
| | - Hamish Crerar
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas M Luscombe
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Rickie Patani
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
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22
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Belkozhayev AM, Al-Yozbaki M, George A, Niyazova RY, Sharipov KO, Byrne LJ, Wilson CM. Extracellular Vesicles, Stem Cells and the Role of miRNAs in Neurodegeneration. Curr Neuropharmacol 2022; 20:1450-1478. [PMID: 34414870 PMCID: PMC9881087 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x19666210817150141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
There are different modalities of intercellular communication governed by cellular homeostasis. In this review, we will explore one of these forms of communication called extracellular vesicles (EVs). These vesicles are released by all cells in the body and are heterogeneous in nature. The primary function of EVs is to share information through their cargo consisting of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids (mRNA, miRNA, dsDNA etc.) with other cells, which have a direct consequence on their microenvironment. We will focus on the role of EVs of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the nervous system and how these participate in intercellular communication to maintain physiological function and provide neuroprotection. However, deregulation of this same communication system could play a role in several neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, prion disease and Huntington's disease. The release of EVs from a cell provides crucial information to what is happening inside the cell and thus could be used in diagnostics and therapy. We will discuss and explore new avenues for the clinical applications of using engineered MSC-EVs and their potential therapeutic benefit in treating neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayaz M. Belkozhayev
- Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
- Structural and Functional Genomics Laboratory of M.A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
| | - Minnatallah Al-Yozbaki
- Canterbury Christ Church University, School of Human and Life Sciences, Life Sciences Industry Liaison Lab, Sandwich, UK
| | - Alex George
- Canterbury Christ Church University, School of Human and Life Sciences, Life Sciences Industry Liaison Lab, Sandwich, UK
- Jubilee Centre for Medical Research, Jubilee Mission Medical College & Research Institute, Thrissur, Kerala, India
| | - Raigul Ye Niyazova
- Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
| | - Kamalidin O. Sharipov
- Structural and Functional Genomics Laboratory of M.A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
| | - Lee J. Byrne
- Canterbury Christ Church University, School of Human and Life Sciences, Life Sciences Industry Liaison Lab, Sandwich, UK
| | - Cornelia M. Wilson
- Canterbury Christ Church University, School of Human and Life Sciences, Life Sciences Industry Liaison Lab, Sandwich, UK
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23
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Roger L, Tomas F, Gire V. Mechanisms and Regulation of Cellular Senescence. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222313173. [PMID: 34884978 PMCID: PMC8658264 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222313173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular senescence entails a state of an essentially irreversible proliferative arrest in which cells remain metabolically active and secrete a range of pro-inflammatory and proteolytic factors as part of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. There are different types of senescent cells, and senescence can be induced in response to many DNA damage signals. Senescent cells accumulate in different tissues and organs where they have distinct physiological and pathological functions. Despite this diversity, all senescent cells must be able to survive in a nondividing state while protecting themselves from positive feedback loops linked to the constant activation of the DNA damage response. This capacity requires changes in core cellular programs. Understanding how different cell types can undergo extensive changes in their transcriptional programs, metabolism, heterochromatin patterns, and cellular structures to induce a common cellular state is crucial to preventing cancer development/progression and to improving health during aging. In this review, we discuss how senescent cells continuously evolve after their initial proliferative arrest and highlight the unifying features that define the senescent state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauréline Roger
- Structure and Instability of Genomes Laboratory, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), CNRS-UMR 7196/INSERM U1154, 43 Rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France;
| | - Fanny Tomas
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5237, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France;
| | - Véronique Gire
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5237, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-(0)-434359513; Fax: +33-(0)-434359410
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Rossi S, Cozzolino M. Dysfunction of RNA/RNA-Binding Proteins in ALS Astrocytes and Microglia. Cells 2021; 10:cells10113005. [PMID: 34831228 PMCID: PMC8616248 DOI: 10.3390/cells10113005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a neurological disease that primarily affects motor neurons in the cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord. The process that leads to motor neuron degeneration is strongly influenced by non-motor neuronal events that occur in a variety of cell types. Among these, neuroinflammatory processes mediated by activated astrocytes and microglia play a relevant role. In recent years, it has become clear that dysregulation of essential steps of RNA metabolism, as a consequence of alterations in RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), is a central event in the degeneration of motor neurons. Yet, a causal link between dysfunctional RNA metabolism and the neuroinflammatory processes mediated by astrocytes and microglia in ALS has been poorly defined. In this review, we will discuss the available evidence showing that RBPs and associated RNA processing are affected in ALS astrocytes and microglia, and the possible mechanisms involved in these events.
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Liu S, Kang WJ, Abrimian A, Xu J, Cartegni L, Majumdar S, Hesketh P, Bekker A, Pan YX. Alternative Pre-mRNA Splicing of the Mu Opioid Receptor Gene, OPRM1: Insight into Complex Mu Opioid Actions. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11101525. [PMID: 34680158 PMCID: PMC8534031 DOI: 10.3390/biom11101525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Most opioid analgesics used clinically, including morphine and fentanyl, as well as the recreational drug heroin, act primarily through the mu opioid receptor, a class A Rhodopsin-like G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). The single-copy mu opioid receptor gene, OPRM1, undergoes extensive alternative splicing, creating multiple splice variants or isoforms via a variety of alternative splicing events. These OPRM1 splice variants can be categorized into three major types based on the receptor structure: (1) full-length 7 transmembrane (TM) C-terminal variants; (2) truncated 6TM variants; and (3) single TM variants. Increasing evidence suggests that these OPRM1 splice variants are pharmacologically important in mediating the distinct actions of various mu opioids. More importantly, the OPRM1 variants can be targeted for development of novel opioid analgesics that are potent against multiple types of pain, but devoid of many side-effects associated with traditional opiates. In this review, we provide an overview of OPRM1 alternative splicing and its functional relevance in opioid pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA; (S.L.); (W.-J.K.); (A.A.); (J.X.); (P.H.); (A.B.)
| | - Wen-Jia Kang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA; (S.L.); (W.-J.K.); (A.A.); (J.X.); (P.H.); (A.B.)
| | - Anna Abrimian
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA; (S.L.); (W.-J.K.); (A.A.); (J.X.); (P.H.); (A.B.)
| | - Jin Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA; (S.L.); (W.-J.K.); (A.A.); (J.X.); (P.H.); (A.B.)
| | - Luca Cartegni
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
| | - Susruta Majumdar
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA;
| | - Patrick Hesketh
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA; (S.L.); (W.-J.K.); (A.A.); (J.X.); (P.H.); (A.B.)
| | - Alex Bekker
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA; (S.L.); (W.-J.K.); (A.A.); (J.X.); (P.H.); (A.B.)
| | - Ying-Xian Pan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA; (S.L.); (W.-J.K.); (A.A.); (J.X.); (P.H.); (A.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-973-972-3213
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Extracellular Vesicles Taken up by Astrocytes. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910553. [PMID: 34638890 PMCID: PMC8508591 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are composed of lipid bilayer membranes and contain various molecules, such as mRNA and microRNA (miRNA), that regulate the functions of the recipient cell. Recent studies have reported the importance of EV-mediated intercellular communication in the brain. The brain contains several types of cells, including neurons and glial cells. Among them, astrocytes are the most abundant glial cells in the mammalian brain and play a wide range of roles, from structural maintenance of the brain to regulation of neurotransmission. Furthermore, since astrocytes can take up EVs, it is possible that EVs originating from inside and outside the brain affect astrocyte function, which in turn affects brain function. However, it has not been fully clarified whether the specific targeting mechanism of EVs to astrocytes as recipient cells exists. In recent years, EVs have attracted attention as a cell-targeted therapeutic approach in various organs, and elucidation of the targeting mechanism of EVs to astrocytes may pave the way for new therapies for brain diseases. In this review, we focus on EVs in the brain that affect astrocyte function and discuss the targeting mechanism of EVs to astrocytes.
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Barton SK, Gregory JM, Selvaraj BT, McDade K, Henstridge CM, Spires-Jones TL, James OG, Mehta AR, Story D, Burr K, Magnani D, Isaacs AM, Smith C, Chandran S. Dysregulation in Subcellular Localization of Myelin Basic Protein mRNA Does Not Result in Altered Myelination in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:705306. [PMID: 34539336 PMCID: PMC8440970 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.705306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological hallmarks of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), including protein misfolding, are well established in oligodendrocytes. More recently, an RNA trafficking deficit of key myelin proteins has been suggested in oligodendrocytes in ALS but the extent to which this affects myelination and the relative contribution of this to disease pathogenesis is unclear. ALS autopsy research findings showing demyelination contrasts with the routine clinical-pathological workup of ALS cases where it is rare to see white matter abnormalities other than simple Wallerian degeneration secondary to widespread neuronal loss. To begin to address this apparent variance, we undertook a comprehensive evaluation of myelination at an RNA, protein and structural level using human pathological material from sporadic ALS patients, genetic ALS patients (harboring C9orf72 mutation) and age- and sex-matched non-neurological controls. We performed (i) quantitative spatial profiling of the mRNA transcript encoding myelin basic protein (MBP), (ii) quantification of MBP protein and (iii) the first quantitative structural assessment of myelination in ALS post-mortem specimens by electron microscopy. We show no differences in MBP protein levels or ultrastructural myelination, despite a significant dysregulation in the subcellular trafficking of MBP mRNA in ALS patients compared to controls. We therefore confirm that whilst there are cell autonomous mRNA trafficking deficits affecting oligodendrocytes in ALS, this has no effect on myelin structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha K. Barton
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jenna M. Gregory
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Bhuvaneish T. Selvaraj
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Karina McDade
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher M. Henstridge
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tara L. Spires-Jones
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Owen G. James
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Arpan R. Mehta
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - David Story
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Burr
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Dario Magnani
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian M. Isaacs
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Colin Smith
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Kadbhane A, Patel M, Srivastava S, Singh PK, Madan J, Singh SB, Khatri DK. Perspective insights and application of exosomes as a novel tool against neurodegenerative disorders: An expository appraisal. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2021.102526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Rodríguez-Campuzano AG, Ortega A. Glutamate transporters: Critical components of glutamatergic transmission. Neuropharmacology 2021; 192:108602. [PMID: 33991564 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate central nervous system. Once released, it binds to specific membrane receptors and transporters activating a wide variety of signal transduction cascades, as well as its removal from the synaptic cleft in order to avoid its extracellular accumulation and the overstimulation of extra-synaptic receptors that might result in neuronal death through a process known as excitotoxicity. Although neurodegenerative diseases are heterogenous in clinical phenotypes and genetic etiologies, a fundamental mechanism involved in neuronal degeneration is excitotoxicity. Glutamate homeostasis is critical for brain physiology and Glutamate transporters are key players in maintaining low extracellular Glutamate levels. Therefore, the characterization of Glutamate transporters has been an active area of glutamatergic research for the last 40 years. Transporter activity its regulated at different levels: transcriptional and translational control, transporter protein trafficking and membrane mobility, and through extensive post-translational modifications. The elucidation of these mechanisms has emerged as an important piece to shape our current understanding of glutamate actions in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada G Rodríguez-Campuzano
- Departamento de Toxicología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Apartado Postal 14-740, Ciudad de México, 07000, Mexico
| | - Arturo Ortega
- Departamento de Toxicología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Apartado Postal 14-740, Ciudad de México, 07000, Mexico.
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Neurophysiological Mechanisms Underlying Cortical Hyper-Excitability in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Review. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11050549. [PMID: 33925493 PMCID: PMC8145013 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11050549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neuromotor disease characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons (MNs), resulting in muscle paralysis and death. Early cortical hyper-excitability is a common pathological process observed clinically and in animal disease models. Although the mechanisms that underlie cortical hyper-excitability are not completely understood, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that cause enhanced neuronal intrinsic excitability and changes in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic activity are starting to emerge. Here, we review the evidence for an anterograde glutamatergic excitotoxic process, leading to cortical hyper-excitability via intrinsic cellular and synaptic mechanisms and for the role of interneurons in establishing disinhibition in clinical and experimental settings. Understanding the mechanisms that lead to these complex pathological processes will likely produce key insights towards developing novel therapeutic strategies to rescue upper MNs, thus alleviating the impact of this fatal disease.
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Mini-Review: Induced pluripotent stem cells and the search for new cell-specific ALS therapeutic targets. Neurosci Lett 2021; 755:135911. [PMID: 33892003 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.135911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Amongst the most important discoveries in ALS pathobiology are the works demonstrating that multiple cell types contribute to disease onset and progression. However, a significant limitation in ALS research is the inability to obtain tissues from ALS patient brain and spinal cord during the course of the disease. In vivo modeling has provided insights into the role of these cell subtypes in disease onset and progression. However, in vivo models also have shortcomings, including the reliance on a limited number of models based upon hereditary forms of the disease. Therefore, using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) reprogrammed from somatic cells of ALS patients, with both hereditary and sporadic forms of the disease, and differentiated into cell subtypes of both the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS), have become powerful complementary tools for investigating basic mechanisms of disease as well as a platform for drug discovery. Motor neuron and other neuron subtypes, as well as non-neuronal cells have been differentiated from human iPSC and studied for their potential contributions to ALS pathobiology. As iPSC technologies have advanced, 3D modeling with multicellular systems organised in microfluidic chambers or organoids are the next step in validating the pathways and therapeutic targets already identified. Precision medicine approaches with iPSC using either traditional strategies of screening drugs that target a known pathogenic mechanism as well as "blind-to-target" drug screenings that allow for patient stratification based on drug response rather than clinical characteristics are now being employed.
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32
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Aptardi predicts polyadenylation sites in sample-specific transcriptomes using high-throughput RNA sequencing and DNA sequence. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1652. [PMID: 33712618 PMCID: PMC7955126 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21894-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Annotation of polyadenylation sites from short-read RNA sequencing alone is a challenging computational task. Other algorithms rooted in DNA sequence predict potential polyadenylation sites; however, in vivo expression of a particular site varies based on a myriad of conditions. Here, we introduce aptardi (alternative polyadenylation transcriptome analysis from RNA-Seq data and DNA sequence information), which leverages both DNA sequence and RNA sequencing in a machine learning paradigm to predict expressed polyadenylation sites. Specifically, as input aptardi takes DNA nucleotide sequence, genome-aligned RNA-Seq data, and an initial transcriptome. The program evaluates these initial transcripts to identify expressed polyadenylation sites in the biological sample and refines transcript 3'-ends accordingly. The average precision of the aptardi model is twice that of a standard transcriptome assembler. In particular, the recall of the aptardi model (the proportion of true polyadenylation sites detected by the algorithm) is improved by over three-fold. Also, the model-trained using the Human Brain Reference RNA commercial standard-performs well when applied to RNA-sequencing samples from different tissues and different mammalian species. Finally, aptardi's input is simple to compile and its output is easily amenable to downstream analyses such as quantitation and differential expression.
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Kiernan MC, Vucic S, Talbot K, McDermott CJ, Hardiman O, Shefner JM, Al-Chalabi A, Huynh W, Cudkowicz M, Talman P, Van den Berg LH, Dharmadasa T, Wicks P, Reilly C, Turner MR. Improving clinical trial outcomes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nat Rev Neurol 2021; 17:104-118. [PMID: 33340024 PMCID: PMC7747476 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-020-00434-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Individuals who are diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) today face the same historically intransigent problem that has existed since the initial description of the disease in the 1860s - a lack of effective therapies. In part, the development of new treatments has been hampered by an imperfect understanding of the biological processes that trigger ALS and promote disease progression. Advances in our understanding of these biological processes, including the causative genetic mutations, and of the influence of environmental factors have deepened our appreciation of disease pathophysiology. The consequent identification of pathogenic targets means that the introduction of effective therapies is becoming a realistic prospect. Progress in precision medicine, including genetically targeted therapies, will undoubtedly change the natural history of ALS. The evolution of clinical trial designs combined with improved methods for patient stratification will facilitate the translation of novel therapies into the clinic. In addition, the refinement of emerging biomarkers of therapeutic benefits is critical to the streamlining of care for individuals. In this Review, we synthesize these developments in ALS and discuss the further developments and refinements needed to accelerate the introduction of effective therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Kiernan
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
- Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Steve Vucic
- Sydney Medical School Westmead, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kevin Talbot
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Christopher J McDermott
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre, Sheffield, UK
| | - Orla Hardiman
- Academic Neurology Unit, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- National Neuroscience Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jeremy M Shefner
- Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix, Creighton University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - William Huynh
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Merit Cudkowicz
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paul Talman
- Neurosciences Department, Barwon Health District, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Leonard H Van den Berg
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Thanuja Dharmadasa
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul Wicks
- Wicks Digital Health, Lichfield, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Reilly
- The Motor Neurone Disease Association of New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Martin R Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Nguyen T, Urrutia-Cabrera D, Liou RHC, Luu CD, Guymer R, Wong RCB. New Technologies to Study Functional Genomics of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 8:604220. [PMID: 33505962 PMCID: PMC7829507 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.604220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss in people over 50 years old in developed countries. Currently, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of the genetic factors contributing to AMD, which is critical to identify effective therapeutic targets to improve treatment outcomes for AMD patients. Here we discuss the latest technologies that can facilitate the identification and functional study of putative genes in AMD pathology. We review improved genomic methods to identify novel AMD genes, advances in single cell transcriptomics to profile gene expression in specific retinal cell types, and summarize recent development of in vitro models for studying AMD using induced pluripotent stem cells, organoids and biomaterials, as well as new molecular technologies using CRISPR/Cas that could facilitate functional studies of AMD-associated genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tu Nguyen
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Daniel Urrutia-Cabrera
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Roxanne Hsiang-Chi Liou
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Chi D Luu
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Robyn Guymer
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Raymond Ching-Bong Wong
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Ishunina TA. Alternative splicing in aging and Alzheimer's disease: Highlighting the role of tau and estrogen receptor α isoforms in the hypothalamus. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 182:177-189. [PMID: 34266591 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819973-2.00012-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Human genes show the highest efficacy of alternative splicing (AS) in the brain as compared to other tissues. Within the brain, a remarkably rich diversity of AS events was identified in the hypothalamus. The AS frequency is increased in the aging brain. Such AS events, as intron retention and accumulation of circular RNAs, were acknowledged as some of the main hallmarks of the aging brain. In Alzheimer's disease (AD) pivotal (tau gene, in particular), risk, candidate and other genes show significant alterations in AS. Therefore AD has been suggested to be a disease of dysregulated AS. One of the reported risk factors for AD is estrogen deficiency that may interfere with the extension of neurobrillary tangles. Mounting evidence suggests that estrogens may decrease hyperphosphorylated tau deposition in the brain. Furthermore, AS of estrogen receptor α (ERα) mRNA is decreased in AD brain areas with the highest tau load. These potential interactions among tau, estrogens, and ERα AS may be important for the development of therapeutic and preventive strategies for AD. The intriguing point is that the amount of splice variants of ERα in the hypothalamus and the hippocampus is increased in aging and decreased in AD, while ERα is one of the regulators of AS and is subject to AS itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana A Ishunina
- Department of Histology, Embryology and Cytology, Kursk State Medical University, Kursk, Russia.
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36
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Burlando B, Milanese M, Giordano G, Bonifacino T, Ravera S, Blanchini F, Bonanno G. A multistationary loop model of ALS unveils critical molecular interactions involving mitochondria and glucose metabolism. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0244234. [PMID: 33332476 PMCID: PMC7746301 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a poor-prognosis disease with puzzling pathogenesis and inconclusive treatments. We develop a mathematical model of ALS based on a system of interactive feedback loops, focusing on the mutant SOD1G93A mouse. Misfolded mutant SOD1 aggregates in motor neuron (MN) mitochondria and triggers a first loop characterized by oxidative phosphorylation impairment, AMP kinase over-activation, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase (PFK3) rise, glucose metabolism shift from pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) to glycolysis, cell redox unbalance, and further worsening of mitochondrial dysfunction. Oxidative stress then triggers a second loop, involving the excitotoxic glutamatergic cascade, with cytosolic Ca2+ overload, increase of PFK3 expression, and further metabolic shift from PPP to glycolysis. Finally, cytosolic Ca2+ rise is also detrimental to mitochondria and oxidative phosphorylation, thus closing a third loop. These three loops are overlapped and positive (including an even number of inhibitory steps), hence they form a candidate multistationary (bistable) system. To describe the system dynamics, we model the interactions among the functional agents with differential equations. The system turns out to admit two stable equilibria: the healthy state, with high oxidative phosphorylation and preferential PPP, and the pathological state, with AMP kinase activation, PFK3 over expression, oxidative stress, excitotoxicity and MN degeneration. We demonstrate that the loop system is monotone: all functional agents consistently act toward the healthy or pathological condition, depending on low or high mutant SOD1 input. We also highlight that molecular interactions involving PFK3 are crucial, as their deletion disrupts the system's bistability leading to a single healthy equilibrium point. Hence, our mathematical model unveils that promising ALS management strategies should be targeted to mechanisms that keep low PFK3 expression and activity within MNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Burlando
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Marco Milanese
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Giulia Giordano
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Delft Center for Systems and Control, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Silvia Ravera
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Franco Blanchini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche, Informatiche e Fisiche, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Giambattista Bonanno
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
- IRCCS—Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy
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37
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Rojas P, Ramírez AI, Fernández-Albarral JA, López-Cuenca I, Salobrar-García E, Cadena M, Elvira-Hurtado L, Salazar JJ, de Hoz R, Ramírez JM. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Neurodegenerative Motor Neuron Disease With Ocular Involvement. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:566858. [PMID: 33071739 PMCID: PMC7544921 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.566858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes degeneration of the lower and upper motor neurons and is the most prevalent motor neuron disease. This disease is characterized by muscle weakness, stiffness, and hyperreflexia. Patients survive for a short period from the onset of the disease. Most cases are sporadic, with only 10% of the cases being genetic. Many genes are now known to be involved in familial ALS cases, including some of the sporadic cases. It has also been observed that, in addition to genetic factors, there are numerous molecular mechanisms involved in these pathologies, such as excitotoxicity, mitochondrial disorders, alterations in axonal transport, oxidative stress, accumulation of misfolded proteins, and neuroinflammation. This pathology affects the motor neurons, the spinal cord, the cerebellum, and the brain, but recently, it has been shown that it also affects the visual system. This impact occurs not only at the level of the oculomotor system but also at the retinal level, which is why the retina is being proposed as a possible biomarker of this pathology. The current review discusses the main aspects mentioned above related to ALS, such as the main genes involved, the most important molecular mechanisms that affect this pathology, its ocular involvement, and the possible usefulness of the retina as a biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Rojas
- Instituto de Investigaciones Oftalmológicas Ramón Castroviejo, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto Oftálmico de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana I Ramírez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Oftalmológicas Ramón Castroviejo, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,OFTARED, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Inmunología Oftalmología y ORL, Facultad de Óptica y Optometría, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José A Fernández-Albarral
- Instituto de Investigaciones Oftalmológicas Ramón Castroviejo, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Inés López-Cuenca
- Instituto de Investigaciones Oftalmológicas Ramón Castroviejo, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Salobrar-García
- Instituto de Investigaciones Oftalmológicas Ramón Castroviejo, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,OFTARED, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Inmunología Oftalmología y ORL, Facultad de Óptica y Optometría, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Cadena
- Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto Oftálmico de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorena Elvira-Hurtado
- Instituto de Investigaciones Oftalmológicas Ramón Castroviejo, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan J Salazar
- Instituto de Investigaciones Oftalmológicas Ramón Castroviejo, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,OFTARED, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Inmunología Oftalmología y ORL, Facultad de Óptica y Optometría, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosa de Hoz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Oftalmológicas Ramón Castroviejo, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,OFTARED, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Inmunología Oftalmología y ORL, Facultad de Óptica y Optometría, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M Ramírez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Oftalmológicas Ramón Castroviejo, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,OFTARED, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Inmunología Oftalmología y ORL, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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38
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Proteotoxicity and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21165646. [PMID: 32781742 PMCID: PMC7460676 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are a major burden for our society, affecting millions of people worldwide. A main goal of past and current research is to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying proteotoxicity, a common theme among these incurable and debilitating conditions. Cell proteome alteration is considered to be one of the main driving forces that triggers neurodegeneration, and unraveling the biological complexity behind the affected molecular pathways constitutes a daunting challenge. This review summarizes the current state on key processes that lead to cellular proteotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, providing a comprehensive landscape of recent literature. A foundational understanding of how proteotoxicity affects disease etiology and progression may provide essential insight towards potential targets amenable of therapeutic intervention.
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39
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Ruiz-Ruiz C, Calzaferri F, García AG. P2X7 Receptor Antagonism as a Potential Therapy in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:93. [PMID: 32595451 PMCID: PMC7303288 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
This review focuses on the purinergic ionotropic receptor P2X7 (P2X7R) as a potential target for developing drugs that delay the onset and/or disease progression in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Description of clinical and genetic ALS features is followed by an analysis of advantages and drawbacks of transgenic mouse models of disease based on mutations in a bunch of proteins, particularly Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), TAR-DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43), Fused in Sarcoma/Translocated in Sarcoma (FUS), and Chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72). Though of limited value, these models are however critical to study the proof of concept of new compounds, before reaching clinical trials. The authors also provide a description of ALS pathogenesis including protein aggregation, calcium-dependent excitotoxicity, dysfunction of calcium-binding proteins, ultrastructural mitochondrial alterations, disruption of mitochondrial calcium handling, and overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Understanding disease pathogenic pathways may ease the identification of new drug targets. Subsequently, neuroinflammation linked with P2X7Rs in ALS pathogenesis is described in order to understand the rationale of placing the use of P2X7R antagonists as a new therapeutic pharmacological approach to ALS. This is the basis for the hypothesis that a P2X7R blocker could mitigate the neuroinflammatory state, indirectly leading to neuroprotection and higher motoneuron survival in ALS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Ruiz-Ruiz
- Instituto Teófilo Hernando and Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francesco Calzaferri
- Instituto Teófilo Hernando and Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio G García
- Instituto Teófilo Hernando and Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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40
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Armada-Moreira A, Gomes JI, Pina CC, Savchak OK, Gonçalves-Ribeiro J, Rei N, Pinto S, Morais TP, Martins RS, Ribeiro FF, Sebastião AM, Crunelli V, Vaz SH. Going the Extra (Synaptic) Mile: Excitotoxicity as the Road Toward Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:90. [PMID: 32390802 PMCID: PMC7194075 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Excitotoxicity is a phenomenon that describes the toxic actions of excitatory neurotransmitters, primarily glutamate, where the exacerbated or prolonged activation of glutamate receptors starts a cascade of neurotoxicity that ultimately leads to the loss of neuronal function and cell death. In this process, the shift between normal physiological function and excitotoxicity is largely controlled by astrocytes since they can control the levels of glutamate on the synaptic cleft. This control is achieved through glutamate clearance from the synaptic cleft and its underlying recycling through the glutamate-glutamine cycle. The molecular mechanism that triggers excitotoxicity involves alterations in glutamate and calcium metabolism, dysfunction of glutamate transporters, and malfunction of glutamate receptors, particularly N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptors (NMDAR). On the other hand, excitotoxicity can be regarded as a consequence of other cellular phenomena, such as mitochondrial dysfunction, physical neuronal damage, and oxidative stress. Regardless, it is known that the excessive activation of NMDAR results in the sustained influx of calcium into neurons and leads to several deleterious consequences, including mitochondrial dysfunction, reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction, impairment of calcium buffering, the release of pro-apoptotic factors, among others, that inevitably contribute to neuronal loss. A large body of evidence implicates NMDAR-mediated excitotoxicity as a central mechanism in the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and epilepsy. In this review article, we explore different causes and consequences of excitotoxicity, discuss the involvement of NMDAR-mediated excitotoxicity and its downstream effects on several neurodegenerative disorders, and identify possible strategies to study new aspects of these diseases that may lead to the discovery of new therapeutic approaches. With the understanding that excitotoxicity is a common denominator in neurodegenerative diseases and other disorders, a new perspective on therapy can be considered, where the targets are not specific symptoms, but the underlying cellular phenomena of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Armada-Moreira
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Joana I. Gomes
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carolina Campos Pina
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Oksana K. Savchak
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana Gonçalves-Ribeiro
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nádia Rei
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sara Pinto
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Tatiana P. Morais
- Neuroscience Division, School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Robertta Silva Martins
- Laboratório de Neurofarmacologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
| | - Filipa F. Ribeiro
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana M. Sebastião
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Vincenzo Crunelli
- Neuroscience Division, School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Sandra H. Vaz
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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41
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Lee A, Balcar VJ, McCombe P, Pow DV. Human brain neurons express a novel splice variant of excitatory amino acid transporter 5 (hEAAT5v). J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:3134-3142. [PMID: 32173860 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Excitatory amino acid transporter 5 (EAAT5) is a protein that is known to be alternately spliced and to be abundantly expressed in the retina by populations of neurons including photoreceptors and bipolar cells. EAAT5 acts as a slow glutamate transporter and also as glutamate-gated chloride channel, the chloride conductance being large enough for EAAT5 to serve functionally as an "inhibitory" glutamate receptor. However, there has been a long-standing view that the classically spliced form of EAAT5 is not abundant or widespread in the brain and so it has not been extensively investigated in the literature. We recently identified a human-specific splicing form of EAAT5 that was not expressed by rodents but was shown to be a functional glutamate transporter. We have examined the expression of this form of EAAT5, hEAAT5v at the mRNA, and protein level in human brain, and show that populations of human cortical pyramidal neurons and cerebellar Purkinje cells show significant expression of hEAAT5v. Accordingly, we infer that EAAT5 may well be a player in modulating neuronal function in the human brain and propose that its localization in both glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons could be compatible with a role in influencing intracellular chloride and thereby neuronal parameters such as membrane potential rather than acting as a presynaptic glutamate transporter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aven Lee
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Vladimir J Balcar
- Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Laboratory of Neurobiology and Pathological Physiology, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pamela McCombe
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - David V Pow
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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42
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Duan W, Guo M, Yi L, Liu Y, Li Z, Ma Y, Zhang G, Liu Y, Bu H, Song X, Li C. The deletion of mutant SOD1 via CRISPR/Cas9/sgRNA prolongs survival in an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse model. Gene Ther 2020; 27:157-169. [PMID: 31819203 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-019-0116-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) mutation is one of the most notable causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and modifying the mutant SOD1 gene is the best approach for the treatment of patients with ALS linked to the mutations in this gene. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas9)/sgRNA delivered by the adeno-associated virus (AAV) system is a powerful tool for genome editing in the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we tested the capacity of the AAV-SaCas9-sgRNA system to modify mutant SOD1 in SOD1G93A transgenic mice and found that AAV9-SaCas9-sgRNA5 deleted the SOD1 gene, improved the lifespan of SOD1G93A mice by 54.6%, and notably ameliorated the performance of ALS transgenic mice. An immunochemical analysis showed that the expression of mutant SOD1 was very weak in motor neurons expressing SaCas9-sgRNA5. Consequently, the area showing muscle atrophy was more notably restored in the group treated with SaCas9-sgRNA5 compared with the group treated with SaCas9-sgLacZ. In addition, deep sequencing did not show the indel mutation in the gene highly matched to sgRNA5. Hence, AAV9-SaCas9-sgRNA-based gene editing is a feasible potential treatment for patients with ALS linked to SOD1 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weisong Duan
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
- Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
- Institute of Cardiocerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
| | - Moran Guo
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
- Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
| | - Le Yi
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
- Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
| | - Yakun Liu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
- Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
| | - Zhongyao Li
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
- Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
- Institute of Cardiocerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
| | - Yanqin Ma
- Jiangsu Nhwa Pharm. Co., Ltd, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Guisen Zhang
- Jiangsu Nhwa Pharm. Co., Ltd, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Yaling Liu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
- Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
- Institute of Cardiocerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
| | - Hui Bu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
- Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
- Institute of Cardiocerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China
| | - Xueqin Song
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China.
- Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China.
- Institute of Cardiocerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China.
| | - Chunyan Li
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China.
- Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China.
- Institute of Cardiocerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, 050000, Hebei, PR China.
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43
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Allen SP, Hall B, Castelli LM, Francis L, Woof R, Siskos AP, Kouloura E, Gray E, Thompson AG, Talbot K, Higginbottom A, Myszczynska M, Allen CF, Stopford MJ, Hemingway J, Bauer CS, Webster CP, De Vos KJ, Turner MR, Keun HC, Hautbergue GM, Ferraiuolo L, Shaw PJ. Astrocyte adenosine deaminase loss increases motor neuron toxicity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain 2020; 142:586-605. [PMID: 30698736 PMCID: PMC6391613 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As clinical evidence supports a negative impact of dysfunctional energy metabolism on the disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, it is vital to understand how the energy metabolic pathways are altered and whether they can be restored to slow disease progression. Possible approaches include increasing or rerouting catabolism of alternative fuel sources to supplement the glycolytic and mitochondrial pathways such as glycogen, ketone bodies and nucleosides. To analyse the basis of the catabolic defect in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis we used a novel phenotypic metabolic array. We profiled fibroblasts and induced neuronal progenitor-derived human induced astrocytes from C9orf72 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients compared to normal controls, measuring the rates of production of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides from 91 potential energy substrates. This approach shows for the first time that C9orf72 human induced astrocytes and fibroblasts have an adenosine to inosine deamination defect caused by reduction of adenosine deaminase, which is also observed in induced astrocytes from sporadic patients. Patient-derived induced astrocyte lines were more susceptible to adenosine-induced toxicity, which could be mimicked by inhibiting adenosine deaminase in control lines. Furthermore, adenosine deaminase inhibition in control induced astrocytes led to increased motor neuron toxicity in co-cultures, similar to the levels observed with patient derived induced astrocytes. Bypassing metabolically the adenosine deaminase defect by inosine supplementation was beneficial bioenergetically in vitro, increasing glycolytic energy output and leading to an increase in motor neuron survival in co-cultures with induced astrocytes. Inosine supplementation, in combination with modulation of the level of adenosine deaminase may represent a beneficial therapeutic approach to evaluate in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott P Allen
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
- Correspondence to: Dr Scott Allen Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK E-mail:
| | - Benjamin Hall
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
| | - Lydia M Castelli
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
| | - Laura Francis
- The Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, UK
| | - Ryan Woof
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
| | - Alexandros P Siskos
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Eirini Kouloura
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth Gray
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, John Radcliffe Hospital, West Wing Level 6, Oxford, UK
| | - Alexander G Thompson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, John Radcliffe Hospital, West Wing Level 6, Oxford, UK
| | - Kevin Talbot
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, John Radcliffe Hospital, West Wing Level 6, Oxford, UK
| | - Adrian Higginbottom
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
| | - Monika Myszczynska
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
| | - Chloe F Allen
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
| | - Matthew J Stopford
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jordan Hemingway
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
| | - Claudia S Bauer
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
| | - Christopher P Webster
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
| | - Kurt J De Vos
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
| | - Martin R Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, John Radcliffe Hospital, West Wing Level 6, Oxford, UK
| | - Hector C Keun
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Guillaume M Hautbergue
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
| | - Laura Ferraiuolo
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
| | - Pamela J Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, UK
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44
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Pajarillo E, Rizor A, Lee J, Aschner M, Lee E. The role of astrocytic glutamate transporters GLT-1 and GLAST in neurological disorders: Potential targets for neurotherapeutics. Neuropharmacology 2019; 161:107559. [PMID: 30851309 PMCID: PMC6731169 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS) which initiates rapid signal transmission in the synapse before its re-uptake into the surrounding glia, specifically astrocytes. The astrocytic glutamate transporters glutamate-aspartate transporter (GLAST) and glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) and their human homologs excitatory amino acid transporter 1 (EAAT1) and 2 (EAAT2), respectively, are the major transporters which take up synaptic glutamate to maintain optimal extracellular glutamic levels, thus preventing accumulation in the synaptic cleft and ensuing excitotoxicity. Growing evidence has shown that excitotoxicity is associated with various neurological disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), manganism, ischemia, schizophrenia, epilepsy, and autism. While the mechanisms of neurological disorders are not well understood, the dysregulation of GLAST/GLT-1 may play a significant role in excitotoxicity and associated neuropathogenesis. The expression and function of GLAST/GLT-1 may be dysregulated at the genetic, epigenetic, transcriptional or translational levels, leading to high levels of extracellular glutamate and excitotoxicity. Consequently, understanding the regulatory mechanisms of GLAST/GLT-1 has been an area of interest in developing therapeutics for the treatment of neurological disorders. Pharmacological agents including β-lactam antibiotics, estrogen/selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), growth factors, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), and translational activators have shown significant efficacy in enhancing the expression and function of GLAST/GLT-1 and glutamate uptake both in vitro and in vivo. This comprehensive review will discuss the regulatory mechanisms of GLAST/GLT-1, their association with neurological disorders, and the pharmacological agents which mediate their expression and function. This article is part of the issue entitled 'Special Issue on Neurotransmitter Transporters'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Pajarillo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, 32301, USA
| | - Asha Rizor
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, 32301, USA
| | - Jayden Lee
- Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Eunsook Lee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, 32301, USA.
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45
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Allen SP, Hall B, Woof R, Francis L, Gatto N, Shaw AC, Myszczynska M, Hemingway J, Coldicott I, Willcock A, Job L, Hughes RM, Boschian C, Bayatti N, Heath PR, Bandmann O, Mortiboys H, Ferraiuolo L, Shaw PJ. C9orf72 expansion within astrocytes reduces metabolic flexibility in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain 2019; 142:3771-3790. [PMID: 31647549 PMCID: PMC6906594 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It is important to understand how the disease process affects the metabolic pathways in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and whether these pathways can be manipulated to ameliorate disease progression. To analyse the basis of the metabolic defect in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis we used a phenotypic metabolic profiling approach. Using fibroblasts and reprogrammed induced astrocytes from C9orf72 and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases we measured the production rate of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides (NADH) from 91 potential energy substrates simultaneously. Our screening approach identified that C9orf72 and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis induced astrocytes have distinct metabolic profiles compared to controls and displayed a loss of metabolic flexibility that was not observed in fibroblast models. This loss of metabolic flexibility, involving defects in adenosine, fructose and glycogen metabolism, as well as disruptions in the membrane transport of mitochondrial specific energy substrates, contributed to increased starvation induced toxicity in C9orf72 induced astrocytes. A reduction in glycogen metabolism was attributed to loss of glycogen phosphorylase and phosphoglucomutase at the protein level in both C9orf72 induced astrocytes and induced neurons. In addition, we found alterations in the levels of fructose metabolism enzymes and a reduction in the methylglyoxal removal enzyme GLO1 in both C9orf72 and sporadic models of disease. Our data show that metabolic flexibility is important in the CNS in times of bioenergetic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott P Allen
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Benjamin Hall
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Ryan Woof
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Laura Francis
- The Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Noemi Gatto
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Allan C Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Monika Myszczynska
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Jordan Hemingway
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Ian Coldicott
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Amelia Willcock
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Lucy Job
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Rachel M Hughes
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Camilla Boschian
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Nadhim Bayatti
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Paul R Heath
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Oliver Bandmann
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Heather Mortiboys
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Laura Ferraiuolo
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Pamela J Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
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46
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Malik AR, Willnow TE. Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters in Physiology and Disorders of the Central Nervous System. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20225671. [PMID: 31726793 PMCID: PMC6888459 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20225671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) encompass a class of five transporters with distinct expression in neurons and glia of the central nervous system (CNS). EAATs are mainly recognized for their role in uptake of the amino acid glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter. EAATs-mediated clearance of glutamate released by neurons is vital to maintain proper glutamatergic signalling and to prevent toxic accumulation of this amino acid in the extracellular space. In addition, some EAATs also act as chloride channels or mediate the uptake of cysteine, required to produce the reactive oxygen speciesscavenger glutathione. Given their central role in glutamate homeostasis in the brain, as well as their additional activities, it comes as no surprise that EAAT dysfunctions have been implicated in numerous acute or chronic diseases of the CNS, including ischemic stroke and epilepsy, cerebellar ataxias, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease. Here we review the studies in cellular and animal models, as well as in humans that highlight the roles of EAATs in the pathogenesis of these devastating disorders. We also discuss the mechanisms regulating EAATs expression and intracellular trafficking and new exciting possibilities to modulate EAATs and to provide neuroprotection in course of pathologies affecting the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna R. Malik
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
- Correspondence:
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Batra G, Jain M, Singh RS, Sharma AR, Singh A, Prakash A, Medhi B. Novel therapeutic targets for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Indian J Pharmacol 2019; 51:418-425. [PMID: 32029967 PMCID: PMC6984016 DOI: 10.4103/ijp.ijp_823_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an untreatable and fatal neurodegenerative disease that is identified by the loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord, brain stem, and motor cortex which theatrically reduces life expectancy. Although the primary cause of ALS remains unclear, its heterogeneity put forward for consideration of association with various factors, including endogenous and/or environmental ones, which may be involved in progressive motor neuron stress that causes activation of different cell death pathways. It is hypothesized that this disease is triggered by factors related to genetic, environmental, and age-dependent risk. In spite of large neurobiological, molecular and genetic research, at the beginning of the 21st century, ALS still remains one of the most devastating neurodegenerative diseases because of the lack of effective therapeutic targets. It is a challenge for the clinical and scientific community. A better understanding of the etiology of ALS is necessary to develop specific targets of this progressive neurodegenerative disease. This review states about the current knowledge of targets in ALS research. This review provides an overview of the contribution of different targets like mitochondrial dysfunction, glutamate transport and excitotoxicity, protein accumulation, Oxidative stress, neuromuscular junction, microglia, and other molecular targets in the pathogenesis of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gitika Batra
- Department of Neurology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Manav Jain
- Department of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Rahul Soloman Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Amit Raj Sharma
- Department of Neurology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Ashutosh Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Ajay Prakash
- Department of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Bikash Medhi
- Department of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
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Abstract
Motor neuron disorders are highly debilitating and mostly fatal conditions for which only limited therapeutic options are available. To overcome this limitation and develop more effective therapeutic strategies, it is critical to discover the pathogenic mechanisms that trigger and sustain motor neuron degeneration with the greatest accuracy and detail. In the case of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), several genes have been associated with familial forms of the disease, whilst the vast majority of cases develop sporadically and no defined cause can be held responsible. On the contrary, the huge majority of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) occurrences are caused by loss-of-function mutations in a single gene, SMN1. Although the typical hallmark of both diseases is the loss of motor neurons, there is increasing awareness that pathological lesions are also present in the neighbouring glia, whose dysfunction clearly contributes to generating a toxic environment in the central nervous system. Here, ALS and SMA are sequentially presented, each disease section having a brief introduction, followed by a focussed discussion on the role of the astrocytes in the disease pathogenesis. Such a dissertation is substantiated by the findings that built awareness on the glial involvement and how the glial-neuronal interplay is perturbed, along with the appraisal of this new cellular site for possible therapeutic intervention.
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49
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Wang C, Buolamwini JK. A novel RNA variant of human concentrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hCNT1) that is a potential cancer biomarker. Exp Hematol Oncol 2019; 8:18. [PMID: 31440421 PMCID: PMC6704654 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-019-0144-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The human concentrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hCNT1) a product of the SLC28A1 gene is one of the three concentrative nucleoside transporters, with a substrate specificity for physiological pyrimidine nucleosides. It has recently been implicated in tumor suppression. We have unraveled a splice variant RNA transcript that is overexpressed in some tumor tissues and some cancer cells. This study established that observation. Methods We examined several clones of hCNT1 generated from RT-PCR of total RNA from human kidney tissue purchased from Ambion. The resulting cDNA clones were then sequenced, and a variant that retained intron 4, and skipped some exons fully or partly, specifically exons 5 and 13 were completely missed and only part of exon 6 was spliced. Tissue expression analysis by PCR indicated a similar distribution of expression of RNA of the splice variant hCNT1-IR as that of the dominant variant hCNT1, particularly in the small intestine, kidney and liver. Further, analysis of various tumor samples with PCR primers designed from this novel hCNT1 splice variant (hCNT1-IR) revealed interestingly that it is overexpressed in some cancer tissues relative to normal tissues, particularly kidney, liver and pancreatic cancers. Conclusion We have identified a novel intron retaining and exon skipping splice variant of the hCNT1 nucleoside transporter, and designated it hCNT1-IR, which has a similar tissue expression distribution as the normal hCNT1 variant, but unlike the normal transcript, hCNT1-IR is overexpressed in some cancers and may serve as a potential cancer biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Wang
- 1Department of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, 881 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN 38163 USA
| | - John K Buolamwini
- 1Department of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, 881 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN 38163 USA.,2Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064 USA
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50
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Perrone B, La Cognata V, Sprovieri T, Ungaro C, Conforti FL, Andò S, Cavallaro S. Alternative Splicing of ALS Genes: Misregulation and Potential Therapies. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2019; 40:1-14. [PMID: 31385134 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-019-00717-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's disease affect a rapidly increasing population worldwide. Although common pathogenic mechanisms have been identified (e.g., protein aggregation or dysfunction, immune response alteration and axonal degeneration), the molecular events underlying timing, dosage, expression, and location of RNA molecules are still not fully elucidated. In particular, the alternative splicing (AS) mechanism is a crucial player in RNA processing and represents a fundamental determinant for brain development, as well as for the physiological functions of neuronal circuits. Although in recent years our knowledge of AS events has increased substantially, deciphering the molecular interconnections between splicing and ALS remains a complex task and still requires considerable efforts. In the present review, we will summarize the current scientific evidence outlining the involvement of AS in the pathogenic processes of ALS. We will also focus on recent insights concerning the tuning of splicing mechanisms by epigenomic and epi-transcriptomic regulation, providing an overview of the available genomic technologies to investigate AS drivers on a genome-wide scale, even at a single-cell level resolution. In the future, gene therapy strategies and RNA-based technologies may be utilized to intercept or modulate the splicing mechanism and produce beneficial effects against ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Perrone
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Mangone, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Valentina La Cognata
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Catania, Italy
| | - Teresa Sprovieri
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Mangone, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Carmine Ungaro
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Mangone, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Francesca Luisa Conforti
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Andò
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy.,Centro Sanitario, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Cavallaro
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Catania, Italy.
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