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Sultana OF, Bandaru M, Islam MA, Reddy PH. Unraveling the complexity of human brain: Structure, function in healthy and disease states. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 100:102414. [PMID: 39002647 PMCID: PMC11384519 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
The human brain stands as an intricate organ, embodying a nexus of structure, function, development, and diversity. This review delves into the multifaceted landscape of the brain, spanning its anatomical intricacies, diverse functional capacities, dynamic developmental trajectories, and inherent variability across individuals. The dynamic process of brain development, from early embryonic stages to adulthood, highlights the nuanced changes that occur throughout the lifespan. The brain, a remarkably complex organ, is composed of various anatomical regions, each contributing uniquely to its overall functionality. Through an exploration of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and electrophysiology, this review elucidates how different brain structures interact to support a wide array of cognitive processes, sensory perception, motor control, and emotional regulation. Moreover, it addresses the impact of age, sex, and ethnic background on brain structure and function, and gender differences profoundly influence the onset, progression, and manifestation of brain disorders shaped by genetic, hormonal, environmental, and social factors. Delving into the complexities of the human brain, it investigates how variations in anatomical configuration correspond to diverse functional capacities across individuals. Furthermore, it examines the impact of neurodegenerative diseases on the structural and functional integrity of the brain. Specifically, our article explores the pathological processes underlying neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases, shedding light on the structural alterations and functional impairments that accompany these conditions. We will also explore the current research trends in neurodegenerative diseases and identify the existing gaps in the literature. Overall, this article deepens our understanding of the fundamental principles governing brain structure and function and paves the way for a deeper understanding of individual differences and tailored approaches in neuroscience and clinical practice-additionally, a comprehensive understanding of structural and functional changes that manifest in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omme Fatema Sultana
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Madhuri Bandaru
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Md Ariful Islam
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - P Hemachandra Reddy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Nutritional Sciences Department, College of Human Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Neurology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA 5. Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
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2
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Neueder A, Kojer K, Gu Z, Wang Y, Hering T, Tabrizi S, Taanman JW, Orth M. Huntington's disease affects mitochondrial network dynamics predisposing to pathogenic mitochondrial DNA mutations. Brain 2024; 147:2009-2022. [PMID: 38195181 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) predominantly affects the brain, causing a mixed movement disorder, cognitive decline and behavioural abnormalities. It also causes a peripheral phenotype involving skeletal muscle. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been reported in tissues of HD models, including skeletal muscle, and lymphoblast and fibroblast cultures from patients with HD. Mutant huntingtin protein (mutHTT) expression can impair mitochondrial quality control and accelerate mitochondrial ageing. Here, we obtained fresh human skeletal muscle, a post-mitotic tissue expressing the mutated HTT allele at physiological levels since birth, and primary cell lines from HTT CAG repeat expansion mutation carriers and matched healthy volunteers to examine whether such a mitochondrial phenotype exists in human HD. Using ultra-deep mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing, we showed an accumulation of mtDNA mutations affecting oxidative phosphorylation. Tissue proteomics indicated impairments in mtDNA maintenance with increased mitochondrial biogenesis of less efficient oxidative phosphorylation (lower complex I and IV activity). In full-length mutHTT expressing primary human cell lines, fission-inducing mitochondrial stress resulted in normal mitophagy. In contrast, expression of high levels of N-terminal mutHTT fragments promoted mitochondrial fission and resulted in slower, less dynamic mitophagy. Expression of high levels of mutHTT fragments due to somatic nuclear HTT CAG instability can thus affect mitochondrial network dynamics and mitophagy, leading to pathogenic mtDNA mutations. We show that life-long expression of mutant HTT causes a mitochondrial phenotype indicative of mtDNA instability in fresh post-mitotic human skeletal muscle. Thus, genomic instability may not be limited to nuclear DNA, where it results in somatic expansion of the HTT CAG repeat length in particularly vulnerable cells such as striatal neurons. In addition to efforts targeting the causative mutation, promoting mitochondrial health may be a complementary strategy in treating diseases with DNA instability such as HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kerstin Kojer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Zhenglong Gu
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Yiqin Wang
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Tanja Hering
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sarah Tabrizi
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jan-Willem Taanman
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Michael Orth
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
- Swiss Huntington Centre, Siloah AG, 3073 Gümligen, Switzerland
- University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bern University, CH-3000 Bern 60, Switzerland
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3
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Pierzynowska K, Podlacha M, Gaffke L, Rintz E, Wiśniewska K, Cyske Z, Węgrzyn G. Correction of symptoms of Huntington disease by genistein through FOXO3-mediated autophagy stimulation. Autophagy 2024; 20:1159-1182. [PMID: 37992314 PMCID: PMC11135876 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2023.2286116] [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: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the HTT gene. The expansion of CAG triplets leads to the appearance of misfolded HTT (huntingtin) forming aggregates and leading to impairment of neuronal functions. Here we demonstrate that stimulation of macroautophagy/autophagy by genistein (4',5,7-trihydroxyisoflavone or 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4 H-1-benzopyran-4-one) caused a reduction of levels of mutated HTT in brains of HD mice and correction of their behavior as assessed in a battery of cognitive, anxiety and motor tests, even if the compound was administered after symptoms had developed in the animals. Biochemical and immunological parameters were also improved in HD mice. Studies on molecular mechanisms of genistein-mediated stimulation of autophagy in HD cells indicated the involvement of the FOXO3-related pathway. In conclusion, treatment with genistein stimulates the autophagy process in the brains of HD mice, leading to correction of symptoms of HD, suggesting that it might be considered as a potential drug for this disease. Combined with a very recently published report indicating that impaired autophagy may be a major cause of neurodegenerative changes, these results may indicate the way to the development of effective therapeutic approaches for different neurodegenerative diseases by testing compounds (or possibly combinations of compounds) capable of stimulating autophagy and/or unblocking this process.Abbreviations: CNS: central nervous system; EPM: elevated plus-maze; GOT1/ASPAT: glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase 1, soluble; GPT/ALAT/ALT: glutamic pyruvic transaminase, soluble; HD: Huntington disease; HTT: huntingtin; IL: interleukin; mHTT: mutant huntingtin; NOR: novel object recognition; MWM: Morris water maze; OF: open field; ROS: reactive oxygen species; TNF: tumor necrosis factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Pierzynowska
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Magdalena Podlacha
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Lidia Gaffke
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Estera Rintz
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Karolina Wiśniewska
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Cyske
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Węgrzyn
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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4
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Burtscher J, Strasser B, Pepe G, Burtscher M, Kopp M, Di Pardo A, Maglione V, Khamoui AV. Brain-Periphery Interactions in Huntington's Disease: Mediators and Lifestyle Interventions. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4696. [PMID: 38731912 PMCID: PMC11083237 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Prominent pathological features of Huntington's disease (HD) are aggregations of mutated Huntingtin protein (mHtt) in the brain and neurodegeneration, which causes characteristic motor (such as chorea and dystonia) and non-motor symptoms. However, the numerous systemic and peripheral deficits in HD have gained increasing attention recently, since those factors likely modulate disease progression, including brain pathology. While whole-body metabolic abnormalities and organ-specific pathologies in HD have been relatively well described, the potential mediators of compromised inter-organ communication in HD have been insufficiently characterized. Therefore, we applied an exploratory literature search to identify such mediators. Unsurprisingly, dysregulation of inflammatory factors, circulating mHtt, and many other messenger molecules (hormones, lipids, RNAs) were found that suggest impaired inter-organ communication, including of the gut-brain and muscle-brain axis. Based on these findings, we aimed to assess the risks and potentials of lifestyle interventions that are thought to improve communication across these axes: dietary strategies and exercise. We conclude that appropriate lifestyle interventions have great potential to reduce symptoms and potentially modify disease progression (possibly via improving inter-organ signaling) in HD. However, impaired systemic metabolism and peripheral symptoms warrant particular care in the design of dietary and exercise programs for people with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Burtscher
- Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Strasser
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, 1100 Vienna, Austria;
- Faculty of Medicine, Sigmund Freud Private University, 1020 Vienna, Austria
| | - Giuseppe Pepe
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (G.P.); (A.D.P.); (V.M.)
| | - Martin Burtscher
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Martin Kopp
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Alba Di Pardo
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (G.P.); (A.D.P.); (V.M.)
| | | | - Andy V. Khamoui
- Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33458, USA;
- Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
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5
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Wells RG, Neilson LE, McHill AW, Hiller AL. Dietary fasting and time-restricted eating in Huntington's disease: therapeutic potential and underlying mechanisms. Transl Neurodegener 2024; 13:17. [PMID: 38561866 PMCID: PMC10986006 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-024-00406-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder caused by aggregation of the mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein, resulting from a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene HTT. HD is characterized by a variety of debilitating symptoms including involuntary movements, cognitive impairment, and psychiatric disturbances. Despite considerable efforts, effective disease-modifying treatments for HD remain elusive, necessitating exploration of novel therapeutic approaches, including lifestyle modifications that could delay symptom onset and disease progression. Recent studies suggest that time-restricted eating (TRE), a form of intermittent fasting involving daily caloric intake within a limited time window, may hold promise in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including HD. TRE has been shown to improve mitochondrial function, upregulate autophagy, reduce oxidative stress, regulate the sleep-wake cycle, and enhance cognitive function. In this review, we explore the potential therapeutic role of TRE in HD, focusing on its underlying physiological mechanisms. We discuss how TRE might enhance the clearance of mHTT, recover striatal brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels, improve mitochondrial function and stress-response pathways, and synchronize circadian rhythm activity. Understanding these mechanisms is critical for the development of targeted lifestyle interventions to mitigate HD pathology and improve patient outcomes. While the potential benefits of TRE in HD animal models are encouraging, future comprehensive clinical trials will be necessary to evaluate its safety, feasibility, and efficacy in persons with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell G Wells
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
| | - Lee E Neilson
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Neurology and PADRECC VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Andrew W McHill
- Sleep, Chronobiology and Health Laboratory, School of Nursing, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Amie L Hiller
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Neurology and PADRECC VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
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6
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Arsuffi-Marcon R, Souza LG, Santos-Miranda A, Joviano-Santos JV. Neurotoxicity of Pyrethroids in neurodegenerative diseases: From animals' models to humans' studies. Chem Biol Interact 2024; 391:110911. [PMID: 38367681 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2024.110911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are associated with diverse symptoms, both motor and mental. Genetic and environmental factors can trigger neurodegenerative diseases. Chemicals as pesticides are constantly used in agriculture and also domestically. In this regard, pyrethroids (PY), are a class of insecticides in which its main mechanism of action is through disruption of voltage-dependent sodium channels function in insects. However, in mammals, they can also induce oxidative stress and enzyme dysfunction. This review investigates the association between PY and neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and Autism in animal models and humans. Published works using specific and non-specific models for these diseases were selected. We showed a tendency toward the development and/or aggravating of these neurodegenerative diseases following exposure to PYs. In animal models, the biochemical mechanisms of the diseases and their interaction with the insecticides are more deeply investigated. Nonetheless, only a few studies considered the specific model for each type of disease to analyze the impacts of the exposure. The choice of a specific model during the research is an important step and our review highlights the knowledge gaps of PYs effects using these models reinforcing the importance of them during the design of the experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Arsuffi-Marcon
- Center for Mathematics, Computing, and Cognition (CMCC), Federal University of ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo Do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lizandra Gomes Souza
- Center for Mathematics, Computing, and Cognition (CMCC), Federal University of ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo Do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Artur Santos-Miranda
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Julliane V Joviano-Santos
- Post-Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Faculdade Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Laboratório de Investigações NeuroCardíacas, Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais (LINC CMMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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7
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Bahat A, Itzhaki E, Weiss B, Tolmasov M, Tsoory M, Kuperman Y, Brandis A, Shurrush KA, Dikstein R. Lowering mutant huntingtin by small molecules relieves Huntington's disease symptoms and progression. EMBO Mol Med 2024; 16:523-546. [PMID: 38374466 PMCID: PMC10940305 DOI: 10.1038/s44321-023-00020-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an incurable inherited disorder caused by a repeated expansion of glutamines in the huntingtin gene (Htt). The mutant protein causes neuronal degeneration leading to severe motor and psychological symptoms. Selective downregulation of the mutant Htt gene expression is considered the most promising therapeutic approach for HD. We report the identification of small molecule inhibitors of Spt5-Pol II, SPI-24 and SPI-77, which selectively lower mutant Htt mRNA and protein levels in HD cells. In the BACHD mouse model, their direct delivery to the striatum diminished mutant Htt levels, ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction, restored BDNF expression, and improved motor and anxiety-like phenotypes. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that these SPIs pass the blood-brain-barrier. Prolonged subcutaneous injection or oral administration to early-stage mice significantly delayed disease deterioration. SPI-24 long-term treatment had no side effects or global changes in gene expression. Thus, lowering mutant Htt levels by small molecules can be an effective therapeutic strategy for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anat Bahat
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
| | - Elad Itzhaki
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Benjamin Weiss
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Michael Tolmasov
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life-Sciences and The Leslie & Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Michael Tsoory
- Department of Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Yael Kuperman
- Department of Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Alexander Brandis
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Khriesto A Shurrush
- The Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Rivka Dikstein
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
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Cano-Cano F, Martín-Loro F, Gallardo-Orihuela A, González-Montelongo MDC, Ortuño-Miquel S, Hervás-Corpión I, de la Villa P, Ramón-Marco L, Navarro-Calvo J, Gómez-Jaramillo L, Arroba AI, Valor LM. Retinal dysfunction in Huntington's disease mouse models concurs with local gliosis and microglia activation. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4176. [PMID: 38378796 PMCID: PMC10879138 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54347-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an aberrant expansion of CAG repeats in the HTT gene that mainly affects basal ganglia. Although striatal dysfunction has been widely studied in HD mouse models, other brain areas can also be relevant to the pathology. In this sense, we have special interest on the retina as this is the most exposed part of the central nervous system that enable health monitoring of patients using noninvasive techniques. To establish the retina as an appropriate tissue for HD studies, we need to correlate the retinal alterations with those in the inner brain, i.e., striatum. We confirmed the malfunction of the transgenic R6/1 retinas, which underwent a rearrangement of their transcriptome as extensive as in the striatum. Although tissue-enriched genes were downregulated in both areas, a neuroinflammation signature was only clearly induced in the R6/1 retina in which the observed glial activation was reminiscent of the situation in HD patient's brains. The retinal neuroinflammation was confirmed in the slow progressive knock-in zQ175 strain. Overall, these results demonstrated the suitability of the mouse retina as a research model for HD and its associated glial activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fátima Cano-Cano
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz (INiBICA), Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Francisco Martín-Loro
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz (INiBICA), Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Andrea Gallardo-Orihuela
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz (INiBICA), Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - María Del Carmen González-Montelongo
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz (INiBICA), Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Samanta Ortuño-Miquel
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), Unidad de Bioinformática, Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis, 03010, Alicante, Spain
| | - Irati Hervás-Corpión
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz (INiBICA), Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
- Programa de Tumores Sólidos, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Departamento de Pediatría, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), 31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Pedro de la Villa
- Departamento de Biología de Sistemas, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucía Ramón-Marco
- Laboratorio de Investigación, Diagnostics Building, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis, Av. Pintor Baeza 12, 03010, Alicante, Spain
| | - Jorge Navarro-Calvo
- Laboratorio de Investigación, Diagnostics Building, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis, Av. Pintor Baeza 12, 03010, Alicante, Spain
| | - Laura Gómez-Jaramillo
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz (INiBICA), Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Ana I Arroba
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz (INiBICA), Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain.
| | - Luis M Valor
- Laboratorio de Investigación, Diagnostics Building, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis, Av. Pintor Baeza 12, 03010, Alicante, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche (IDiBE), 03202, Elche, Spain.
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Li H, Desai R, Quiles N, Quinn L, Friel C. Characterizing Heart Rate Variability Response to Maximal Exercise Testing in People with Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2024; 13:67-76. [PMID: 38489192 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-230593] [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] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Background Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant, neurodegenerative disease that involves dysfunction in the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Heart rate variability (HRV) is a valid and noninvasive measure for ANS dysfunction, yet no study has characterized HRV response to exercise in people with HD. Objective Characterize HRV response to exercise in individuals with HD and explore its implications for exercise prescription and cardiac dysautonomia mechanisms. Methods 19 participants with HD were recruited as part of a cohort of individuals enrolled in the Physical Activity and Exercise Outcomes in Huntington's Disease (PACE-HD) study at Teachers College, Columbia University (TC). 13 non-HD age- and gender-matched control participants were also recruited from TC. HRV was recorded with a Polar H10 heart rate (HR) monitor before, during, and after a ramp cycle-ergometer exercise test. Results Participants with HD showed reduced HR peak (p < 0.01) and HR reserve (p < 0.001) compared with controls. Participants with HD demonstrated reduced root mean square of successive differences between normal-to-normal intervals (RMSSD) and successive differences of normal-to-normal intervals (SDSD) at rest (p < 0.001). Participants with HD also showed differences for low frequency (LF) power (p < 0.01), high frequency (HF) normalized units (nu) (p < 0.05), LF (nu) (p < 0.001), and HF/LF ratio (p < 0.05) compared with controls. Conclusions We found reduced aerobic exercise capacity and sympathovagal dysautonomia both at rest and during post-exercise recovery in people with HD, suggesting modified exercise prescription may be required for people with HD. Further investigations focusing on cardiac dysautonomia and underlying mechanisms of sympathovagal dysautonomia in people with HD are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyu Li
- Programs in Physical Therapy, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Radhika Desai
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Norberto Quiles
- Department of Family, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences, Queens College, The City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lori Quinn
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ciarán Friel
- Institute of Health System Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
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10
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Kolachana S, Motwani K, Sakiani S. Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage and Diffuse Bowel Dilation in Huntington Disease. ACG Case Rep J 2024; 11:e01255. [PMID: 38179262 PMCID: PMC10766219 DOI: 10.14309/crj.0000000000001255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative condition associated with pathologic involvement beyond the striatum including involvement of the autonomic nervous system. Bowel dysfunction is found in patients with HD, but the exact mechanism is poorly understood and not well reported. Patients may be affected with problems such as dysphagia, weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, esophagitis, and gastritis. Lower bowel symptoms are more prevalent with longer disease course. We present a case of a patient with late-stage HD who presents with severe esophagitis causing gastrointestinal hemorrhage, significant dysmotility including chronic dysphagia requiring gastrostomy tube, and chronic small bowel and colonic ileus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sindhura Kolachana
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD
| | - Kiran Motwani
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Sasan Sakiani
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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11
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Javed H, Meeran MFN, Jha NK, Ashraf GM, Ojha S. Sesamol: A Phenolic Compound of Health Benefits and Therapeutic Promise in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Curr Top Med Chem 2024; 24:797-809. [PMID: 38141184 DOI: 10.2174/0115680266273944231213070916] [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: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Sesamol, one of the key bioactive ingredients of sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum L.), is responsible for many of its possible nutritional benefits. Both the Chinese and Indian medical systems have recognized the therapeutic potential of sesame seeds. It has been shown to have significant therapeutic potential against oxidative stress, inflammatory diseases, metabolic syndrome, neurodegeneration, and mental disorders. Sesamol is a benign molecule that inhibits the expression of inflammatory indicators like numerous enzymes responsible for inducing inflammation, protein kinases, cytokines, and redox status. This review summarises the potential beneficial effects of sesamol against neurological diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Huntington's disease (HD). Recently, sesamol has been shown to reduce amyloid peptide accumulation and attenuate cognitive deficits in AD models. Sesamol has also been demonstrated to reduce the severity of PD and HD in animal models by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways. The mechanism of sesamol's pharmacological activities against neurodegenerative diseases will also be discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayate Javed
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamed Fizur Nagoor Meeran
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering & Technology (SET), Sharda University, Greater Noida, 201310, UP, India
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied & Life Sciences (SALS), Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, 248007, India
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering and Food Technology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, 140413, India
| | - Ghulam Md Ashraf
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shreesh Ojha
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
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12
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da Silva van der Laan A, Borges V, Saba RA, Ferraz HB. Economic Burden of Huntington's Disease: Analysis from a Brazilian Tertiary Care Perspective. J Huntingtons Dis 2024; 13:349-356. [PMID: 39150831 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-240025] [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] [Indexed: 08/18/2024]
Abstract
Background Huntington's disease (HD) exerts significant impacts on individuals and families worldwide. Nevertheless, data on its economic burden in Brazil are scarce, revealing a critical gap in understanding the associated healthcare costs. Objective This study was conducted at a tertiary neurology outpatient clinic in Brazil with the aim of assessing annual healthcare service utilization and associated costs for HD patients. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional observational study involving 34 HD patients. A structured questionnaire was applied to collect data on direct medical costs (outpatient services, medications), non-medical direct costs (complementary therapies, mobility aids, home adaptations), and indirect costs (lost productivity, caregiver costs, government benefits) over one year. Results Significant economic impacts were observed, with average annual direct medical costs of $4686.82 per HD patient. Non-medical direct and indirect costs increased the financial burden, highlighting extensive resource utilization beyond healthcare services. Thirty-three out of 34 HD patients were unemployed or retired, and 16 relied on government benefits, reflecting broader socioeconomic implications. Despite the dataset's limitations, it provides crucial insights into the economic impact of HD on patients and the Brazilian public health system. Conclusions The findings underscore the urgent need for a more comprehensive evaluation of the costs to inform governmental policies related to HD. Future research is needed to expand the data pool and develop a nuanced understanding of the economic burdens of HD to help formulate effective healthcare strategies for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vanderci Borges
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Departmentof Neurology and Neurosurgery, R. Pedro de Toledo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Roberta Arb Saba
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Departmentof Neurology and Neurosurgery, R. Pedro de Toledo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Henrique Ballalai Ferraz
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Departmentof Neurology and Neurosurgery, R. Pedro de Toledo, São Paulo, Brazil
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13
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Soltani Khaboushan A, Moeinafshar A, Ersi MH, Teixeira AL, Majidi Zolbin M, Kajbafzadeh AM. Circulating levels of inflammatory biomarkers in Huntington's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Neuroimmunol 2023; 385:578243. [PMID: 37984118 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2023.578243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by an abnormally high number of CAG repeats at the huntingtin-encoding gene, HTT. This genetic alteration results in the expression of a mutant form of the protein (mHTT) and the formation of intracellular aggregates, inducing an inflammatory state within the affected areas. This dysfunction of inflammatory response leads to elevated levels of related inflammatory markers in both CNS tissue samples and body fluids. This study aims to investigate peripheral/blood concentrations of inflammatory molecules in HD. METHODS A search was conducted in MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases until March 30th, 2023. Random-effect meta-analysis was used for exploring concentrations of inflammatory molecules in HD. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were used to assess heterogeneity among the included studies. The study protocol has been registered in PROSPERO with the ID number CRD42022296078. RESULTS Ten studies were included in the meta-analysis. Plasma levels of Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-10 were higher in HD compared to controls. Other biomarkers, namely, complement component C-reactive protein (CRP), C3, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), IL-1, IL-2, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), did not show any significant differences between the two groups. In addition, the subgroup analysis results established no significant differences in levels of these biomarkers in body fluids among premanifest and manifest HD patients. CONCLUSION The results of this study provide evidence for the presence of higher plasma levels of IL-6 and IL-10 in HD patients in comparison with healthy controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Soltani Khaboushan
- Pediatric Urology and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Gene, Cell and Tissue Research Institute, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran; Students' Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Aysan Moeinafshar
- Pediatric Urology and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Gene, Cell and Tissue Research Institute, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hamed Ersi
- Pediatric Urology and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Gene, Cell and Tissue Research Institute, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran; Evidence Based Medicine Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Antonio L Teixeira
- Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Masoumeh Majidi Zolbin
- Pediatric Urology and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Gene, Cell and Tissue Research Institute, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abdol-Mohammad Kajbafzadeh
- Pediatric Urology and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Gene, Cell and Tissue Research Institute, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
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14
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Barwell T, Seroude L. Polyglutamine disease in peripheral tissues. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:3303-3311. [PMID: 37642359 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad138] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
This year is a milestone anniversary of the discovery that Huntington's disease is caused by the presence of expanded polyglutamine repeats in the huntingtin gene leading to the formation of huntingtin aggregates. 30 years have elapsed and there is still no cure and the only FDA-approved treatment to alleviate the debilitating locomotor impairments presents several adverse effects. It has long been neglected that the huntingtin gene is almost ubiquitously expressed in many tissues outside of the nervous system. Growing evidence indicates that these peripheral tissues can contribute to the symptoms of the disease. New findings in Drosophila have shown that the selective expression of mutant huntingtin in muscle or fat is sufficient to cause detrimental effects in the absence of any neurodegeneration. In addition, it was discovered that a completely different tissue distribution of Htt aggregates in Drosophila muscles is responsible for a drastic aggravation of the detrimental effects. This review examines the peripheral tissues that express huntingtin with an added focus on the nature and distribution of the aggregates, if any.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Barwell
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, 116 Barrie St, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Laurent Seroude
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, 116 Barrie St, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
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15
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Voelkl K, Gutiérrez-Ángel S, Keeling S, Koyuncu S, da Silva Padilha M, Feigenbutz D, Arzberger T, Vilchez D, Klein R, Dudanova I. Neuroprotective effects of hepatoma-derived growth factor in models of Huntington's disease. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202302018. [PMID: 37580082 PMCID: PMC10427761 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302018] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a movement disorder caused by a mutation in the Huntingtin gene that leads to severe neurodegeneration. Molecular mechanisms of HD are not sufficiently understood, and no cure is currently available. Here, we demonstrate neuroprotective effects of hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) in cellular and mouse HD models. We show that HD-vulnerable neurons in the striatum and cortex express lower levels of HDGF than resistant ones. Moreover, lack of endogenous HDGF exacerbated motor impairments and reduced the life span of R6/2 Huntington's disease mice. AAV-mediated delivery of HDGF into the brain reduced mutant Huntingtin inclusion load, but had no significant effect on motor behavior or life span. Interestingly, both nuclear and cytoplasmic versions of HDGF were efficient in rescuing mutant Huntingtin toxicity in cellular HD models. Moreover, extracellular application of recombinant HDGF improved viability of mutant Huntingtin-expressing primary neurons and reduced mutant Huntingtin aggregation in neural progenitor cells differentiated from human patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells. Our findings provide new insights into the pathomechanisms of HD and demonstrate neuroprotective potential of HDGF in neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Voelkl
- Department of Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sara Gutiérrez-Ángel
- Department of Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sophie Keeling
- Department of Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Seda Koyuncu
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Miguel da Silva Padilha
- Department of Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Center for Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Dennis Feigenbutz
- Department of Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Thomas Arzberger
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Munich, Germany
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - David Vilchez
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Klein
- Department of Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Irina Dudanova
- Department of Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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16
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Roth JR, de Moraes RCM, Xu BP, Crawley SR, Khan MA, Melkani GC. Rapamycin reduces neuronal mutant huntingtin aggregation and ameliorates locomotor performance in Drosophila. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1223911. [PMID: 37823007 PMCID: PMC10562706 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1223911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by movement and cognitive dysfunction. HD is caused by a CAG expansion in exon 1 of the HTT gene that leads to a polyglutamine (PQ) repeat in the huntingtin protein, which aggregates in the brain and periphery. Previously, we used Drosophila models to determine that Htt-PQ aggregation in the heart causes shortened lifespan and cardiac dysfunction that is ameliorated by promoting chaperonin function or reducing oxidative stress. Here, we further study the role of neuronal mutant huntingtin and how it affects peripheral function. We overexpressed normal (Htt-PQ25) or expanded mutant (Htt-PQ72) exon 1 of huntingtin in Drosophila neurons and found that mutant huntingtin caused age-dependent Htt-PQ aggregation in the brain and could cause a loss of synapsin. To determine if this neuronal dysfunction led to peripheral dysfunction, we performed a negative geotaxis assay to measure locomotor performance and found that neuronal mutant huntingtin caused an age-dependent decrease in locomotor performance. Next, we found that rapamycin reduced Htt-PQ aggregation in the brain. These results demonstrate the role of neuronal Htt-PQ in dysfunction in models of HD, suggest that brain-periphery crosstalk could be important to the pathogenesis of HD, and show that rapamycin reduces mutant huntingtin aggregation in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R. Roth
- Department of Pathology, Cellular and Molecular Division, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Ruan Carlos Macedo de Moraes
- Department of Pathology, Cellular and Molecular Division, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Brittney P. Xu
- Department of Pathology, Cellular and Molecular Division, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Savannah R. Crawley
- Department of Pathology, Cellular and Molecular Division, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Malghalara A. Khan
- Department of Pathology, Cellular and Molecular Division, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Girish C. Melkani
- Department of Pathology, Cellular and Molecular Division, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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17
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Jiang A, Handley RR, Lehnert K, Snell RG. From Pathogenesis to Therapeutics: A Review of 150 Years of Huntington's Disease Research. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13021. [PMID: 37629202 PMCID: PMC10455900 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241613021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative genetic disorder caused by an expanded polyglutamine-coding (CAG) trinucleotide repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. HD behaves as a highly penetrant dominant disorder likely acting through a toxic gain of function by the mutant huntingtin protein. Widespread cellular degeneration of the medium spiny neurons of the caudate nucleus and putamen are responsible for the onset of symptomology that encompasses motor, cognitive, and behavioural abnormalities. Over the past 150 years of HD research since George Huntington published his description, a plethora of pathogenic mechanisms have been proposed with key themes including excitotoxicity, dopaminergic imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunction, metabolic defects, disruption of proteostasis, transcriptional dysregulation, and neuroinflammation. Despite the identification and characterisation of the causative gene and mutation and significant advances in our understanding of the cellular pathology in recent years, a disease-modifying intervention has not yet been clinically approved. This review includes an overview of Huntington's disease, from its genetic aetiology to clinical presentation and its pathogenic manifestation. An updated view of molecular mechanisms and the latest therapeutic developments will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Jiang
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, Centre for Brain Research, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (R.R.H.); (K.L.); (R.G.S.)
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18
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Gasser J, Gillet G, Valadas JS, Rouvière L, Kotian A, Fan W, Keaney J, Kadiu I. Innate immune activation and aberrant function in the R6/2 mouse model and Huntington's disease iPSC-derived microglia. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1191324. [PMID: 37415834 PMCID: PMC10319581 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1191324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by CAG repeats in exon 1 of the HTT gene. A hallmark of HD along with other psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases is alteration in the neuronal circuitry and synaptic loss. Microglia and peripheral innate immune activation have been reported in pre-symptomatic HD patients; however, what "activation" signifies for microglial and immune function in HD and how it impacts synaptic health remains unclear. In this study we sought to fill these gaps by capturing immune phenotypes and functional activation states of microglia and peripheral immunity in the R6/2 model of HD at pre-symptomatic, symptomatic and end stages of disease. These included characterizations of microglial phenotypes at single cell resolution, morphology, aberrant functions such as surveillance and phagocytosis and their impact on synaptic loss in vitro and ex vivo in R6/2 mouse brain tissue slices. To further understand how relevant the observed aberrant microglial behaviors are to human disease, transcriptomic analysis was performed using HD patient nuclear sequencing data and functional assessments were conducted using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived microglia. Our results show temporal changes in brain infiltration of peripheral lymphoid and myeloid cells, increases in microglial activation markers and phagocytic functions at the pre-symptomatic stages of disease. Increases in microglial surveillance and synaptic uptake parallel significant reduction of spine density in R6/2 mice. These findings were mirrored by an upregulation of gene signatures in the endocytic and migratory pathways in disease-associated microglial subsets in human HD brains, as well as increased phagocytic and migratory functions of iPSC-derived HD microglia. These results collectively suggest that targeting key and specific microglial functions related to synaptic surveillance and pruning may be therapeutically beneficial in attenuating cognitive decline and psychiatric aspects of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Gasser
- Neuroinflammation Focus Area, Neuroscience Research, UCB Biopharma SRL, Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium
| | - Gaelle Gillet
- Neuroinflammation Focus Area, Neuroscience Research, UCB Biopharma SRL, Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium
| | - Jorge S. Valadas
- Neuroinflammation Focus Area, Neuroscience Research, UCB Biopharma SRL, Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium
| | - Laura Rouvière
- Neuroinflammation Focus Area, Neuroscience Research, UCB Biopharma SRL, Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium
| | - Apoorva Kotian
- Development Science, UCB Biopharma SRL, Slough, United Kingdom
| | - Wenqiang Fan
- Neuroinflammation Focus Area, Neuroscience Research, UCB Biopharma SRL, Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium
| | - James Keaney
- Neuroinflammation Focus Area, Neuroscience Research, UCB Biopharma SRL, Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium
| | - Irena Kadiu
- Neuroinflammation Focus Area, Neuroscience Research, UCB Biopharma SRL, Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium
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19
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Fernández A, Martínez-Ramírez C, Gómez A, de Diego AMG, Gandía L, Casarejos MJ, García AG. Mitochondrial dysfunction in chromaffin cells from the R6/1 mouse model of Huntington's disease: Impact on exocytosis and calcium current regulation. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 179:106046. [PMID: 36806818 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106046] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
From a pathogenic perspective, Huntington's disease (HD) is being considered as a synaptopathy. As such, alterations in brain neurotransmitter release occur. As the activity of the sympathoadrenal axis is centrally controlled, deficits in the exocytotic release of catecholamine release may also occur. In fact, in chromaffin cells (CCs) of the adrenal medulla of the R6/1 model of HD, decrease of secretion and altered kinetics of the exocytotic fusion pore have been reported. Those alterations could be linked to mitochondrial deficits occurring in peripheral CCs, similar to those described in brain mitochondria. Here we have inquired about alterations in mitochondrial structure and function and their impact on exocytosis and calcium channel currents (ICa). We have monitored various parameters linked to those events, in wild type (WT) and the R6/1 mouse model of HD at a pre-disease stage (2 months age, 2 m), and when motor deficits are present (7 months age, 7 m). In isolated CCs from 7 m and in the adrenal medulla of R6/1 mice, we found the following alterations (with respect 7 m WT mice): (i) augmented fragmented mitochondria and oxidative stress with increased oxidized glutathione; (ii) decreased basal and maximal respiration; (iii) diminution of ATP cell levels; (iv) mitochondrial depolarization; (v) drastic decrease of catecholamine release with poorer potentiation by protonophore FCCP; (vi) decreased ICa inhibition by FCCP; and (vii) lesser potentiation by BayK8644 of ICa and smaller prolongation of current deactivation. Of note was the fact several of these alterations were already manifested in CCs from 2 m R6/1 mice at pre-disease stages. Based on those results, a plausible hypothesis can be raised in the sense that altered mitochondrial function seems to be an early primary event in HD pathogenesis. This is in line with an increasing number of mitochondrial, metabolic, and inflammatory alterations being recently reported in various HD peripheral tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Fernández
- Instituto Teófilo Hernando, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Fundación Teófilo Hernando, Parque científico de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Martínez-Ramírez
- Instituto Teófilo Hernando, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Fundación Teófilo Hernando, Parque científico de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Gómez
- Servicio de Neurobiología, IRYCIS, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio M G de Diego
- Instituto Teófilo Hernando, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Gandía
- Instituto Teófilo Hernando, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Fundación Teófilo Hernando, Parque científico de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - María José Casarejos
- Servicio de Neurobiología, IRYCIS, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio G García
- Instituto Teófilo Hernando, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Fundación Teófilo Hernando, Parque científico de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.
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20
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Wasser CI, Mercieca EC, Kong G, Hannan AJ, Allford B, McKeown SJ, Stout JC, Glikmann-Johnston Y. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Probiotics Targeting Gut Dysbiosis in Huntington’s Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2023; 12:43-55. [PMID: 37005888 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-220556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Background: Gastrointestinal symptoms are clinical features of Huntington’s disease (HD), which adversely affect people’s quality of life. We recently reported the first evidence of gut dysbiosis in HD gene expansion carriers (HDGECs). Here, we report on a randomized controlled clinical trial of a 6-week probiotic intervention in HDGECs. Objective: The primary objective was to determine whether probiotics improved gut microbiome composition in terms of richness, evenness, structure, and diversity of functional pathways and enzymes. Exploratory objectives were to determine whether probiotic supplementation improved cognition, mood, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Methods: Forty-one HDGECs, including 19 early manifest and 22 premanifest HDGECs were compared with 36 matched-healthy controls (HCs). Participants were randomly assigned probiotics or placebo and provided fecal samples at baseline and 6-week follow-up, which were sequenced using 16S-V3-V4 rRNA to characterize the gut microbiome. Participants completed a battery of cognitive tests and self-report questionnaires measuring mood and gastrointestinal symptoms. Results: HDGECs had altered gut microbiome diversity when compared to HCs, indicating gut dysbiosis. Probiotic intervention did not ameliorate gut dysbiosis or have any effect on cognition, mood, or gastrointestinal symptoms. Gut microbiome differences between HDGECs and HCs were unchanged across time points, suggesting consistency of gut microbiome differences within groups. Conclusion: Despite the lack of probiotic effects in this trial, the potential utility of the gut as a therapeutic target in HD should continue to be explored given the clinical symptomology, gut dysbiosis, and positive results from probiotics and other gut interventions in similar neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory I Wasser
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Ageing and Neurodegeneration Program, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Emily-Clare Mercieca
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Ageing and Neurodegeneration Program, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Geraldine Kong
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Brain Centre, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Brain Centre, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Brianna Allford
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Ageing and Neurodegeneration Program, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Sonja J McKeown
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Julie C Stout
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Ageing and Neurodegeneration Program, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Yifat Glikmann-Johnston
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Ageing and Neurodegeneration Program, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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21
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Tshilenge KT, Aguirre CG, Bons J, Gerencser AA, Basisty N, Song S, Rose J, Lopez-Ramirez A, Naphade S, Loureiro A, Battistoni E, Milani M, Wehrfritz C, Holtz A, Hetz C, Mooney SD, Schilling B, Ellerby LM. Proteomic Analysis of Huntington's Disease Medium Spiny Neurons Identifies Alterations in Lipid Droplets. Mol Cell Proteomics 2023; 22:100534. [PMID: 36958627 PMCID: PMC10165459 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2023.100534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. The resulting polyglutamine (polyQ) tract alters the function of the HTT protein. Although HTT is expressed in different tissues, the medium spiny projection neurons (MSNs) in the striatum are particularly vulnerable in HD. Thus, we sought to define the proteome of human HD patient-derived MSNs. We differentiated HD72 induced pluripotent stem cells and isogenic controls into MSNs and carried out quantitative proteomic analysis. Using data-dependent acquisitions with FAIMS for label-free quantification on the Orbitrap Lumos mass spectrometer, we identified 6,323 proteins with at least two unique peptides. Of these, 901 proteins were altered significantly more in the HD72-MSNs than in isogenic controls. Functional enrichment analysis of upregulated proteins demonstrated extracellular matrix and DNA signaling (DNA replication pathway, double-strand break repair, G1/S transition) with the highest significance. Conversely, processes associated with the downregulated proteins included neurogenesis-axogenesis, the brain-derived neurotrophic factor-signaling pathway, Ephrin-A: EphA pathway, regulation of synaptic plasticity, triglyceride homeostasis cholesterol, plasmid lipoprotein particle immune response, interferon-γ signaling, immune system major histocompatibility complex, lipid metabolism and cellular response to stimulus. Moreover, proteins involved in the formation and maintenance of axons, dendrites, and synapses (e.g., Septin protein members) were dysregulated in HD72-MSNs. Importantly, lipid metabolism pathways were altered, and using quantitative image, we found analysis that lipid droplets accumulated in the HD72-MSN, suggesting a deficit in the turnover of lipids possibly through lipophagy. Our proteomics analysis of HD72-MSNs identified relevant pathways that are altered in MSNs and confirm current and new therapeutic targets for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlos Galicia Aguirre
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, 94945, USA; University of Southern California, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, 3715 McClintock Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90893, USA
| | - Joanna Bons
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, 94945, USA
| | - Akos A Gerencser
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, 94945, USA
| | - Nathan Basisty
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, 94945, USA; Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging (NIA), NIH, Baltimore, Maryland, 21244, USA
| | - Sicheng Song
- Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Jacob Rose
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, 94945, USA
| | | | - Swati Naphade
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, 94945, USA
| | - Ashley Loureiro
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, 94945, USA
| | - Elena Battistoni
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, 94945, USA
| | - Mateus Milani
- Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile; Center for Geroscience, Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO), Santiago, Chile; Program of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Chile
| | - Cameron Wehrfritz
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, 94945, USA
| | - Anja Holtz
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, 94945, USA
| | - Claudio Hetz
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, 94945, USA; Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile; Center for Geroscience, Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO), Santiago, Chile; Program of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Chile
| | - Sean D Mooney
- Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Birgit Schilling
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, 94945, USA; University of Southern California, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, 3715 McClintock Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90893, USA.
| | - Lisa M Ellerby
- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, 94945, USA; University of Southern California, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, 3715 McClintock Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90893, USA.
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22
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Massy E, Roudier J, Balandraud N. Case report: Polyarthritis as a new manifestation for Huntington's disease? Joint Bone Spine 2023; 90:105530. [PMID: 36690064 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbspin.2023.105530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Massy
- Service de rhumatologie, AP-HM, Marseille, France; Inserm UMRs1097, Autoimmune Arthritis (AA), Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France.
| | - Jean Roudier
- Service de rhumatologie, AP-HM, Marseille, France; Inserm UMRs1097, Autoimmune Arthritis (AA), Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Nathalie Balandraud
- Service de rhumatologie, AP-HM, Marseille, France; Inserm UMRs1097, Autoimmune Arthritis (AA), Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France
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23
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Hasholt LF. Upregulated Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy May Perform a Key Role in Reduced Cancer Incidence in Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2023; 12:371-376. [PMID: 37927269 PMCID: PMC11091607 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-230586] [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] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Incidence of cancer is markedly reduced in patients with the hereditary neurodegenerative polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases. We have very poor knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms, but the expanded polyQ sequence is assumed to play a central role, because it is common to the respective disease related proteins. The inhibition seems to take place in all kinds of cells, because the lower cancer frequency applies to nearly all types of tumors and is not related with the characteristic pathological changes in specific brain tissues. Further, the cancer repressing mechanisms appear to be active early in life including in pre-symptomatic and early phase polyQ patients. Autophagy plays a central role in clearing proteins with expanded polyQ tracts, and autophagy modulation has been demonstrated and particularly investigated in Huntington's disease (HD). Macroautophagy may be dysfunctional due to defects in several steps of the process, whereas increased chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) has been shown in HD patients, cell and animal models. Recently, CMA is assumed to play a key role in prevention of cellular transformation of normal cells into cancer cells. Investigations of normal cells from HD and other polyQ carriers could therefore add further insight into the protective mechanisms of CMA in tumorigenesis, and be important for development of autophagy based strategies to prevent malignant processes leading to cancer and neurodegeneration.
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24
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Dhankhar J, Shrivastava A, Agrawal N. Amendment of Altered Immune Response by Curcumin in Drosophila Model of Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2023; 12:335-354. [PMID: 37781812 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-230595] [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] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Though primarily classified as a brain disorder, surplus studies direct Huntington's disease (HD) to be a multi-system disorder affecting various tissues and organs, thus affecting overall physiology of host. Recently, we have reported that neuronal expression of mutant huntingtin induces immune dysregulation in Drosophila and may pose chronic threat to challenged individuals. Therefore, we tested the polyphenolic compound curcumin to circumvent the impact of immune dysregulation in Drosophila model of HD. OBJECTIVE The present study examined the molecular basis underlying immune derangements and immunomodulatory potential of curcumin in HD. METHODS UAS-GAL4 system was used to imitate the HD symptoms in Drosophila, and the desired female progenies (elav > Httex1pQ25; control and elav > Httex1pQ93; diseased) were cultured on food mixed without and with 10 μM concentration of curcumin since early development. Effect of curcumin supplementation was investigated by monitoring the hemocytes' count and their functional abilities in diseased condition. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in cells was assessed by DHE staining and mitochondrial dysfunction was assessed by CMXros red dye. In addition, transcript levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-microbial peptides were monitored by qRT-PCR. RESULTS We found that curcumin supplementation commendably reduced higher crystal cell count and phenoloxidase activity in diseased flies. Interestingly, curcumin significantly managed altered plasmatocytes count, improved their phagocytic activity by upregulating the expression of key phagocytic receptors in HD condition. Moreover, substantial alleviation of ROS levels and mitochondria dysfunction was observed in plasmatocytes of diseased flies upon curcumin supplementation. Furthermore, curcumin administration effectively attenuated transcriptional expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and AMPs in diseased flies. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that curcumin efficiently attenuates immune derangements in HD flies and may prove beneficial in alleviating complexities associated with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Dhankhar
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | | | - Namita Agrawal
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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25
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Dickson E, Fryklund C, Soylu-Kucharz R, Sjögren M, Stenkula KG, Björkqvist M. Altered Adipocyte Cell Size Distribution Prior to Weight Loss in the R6/2 Model of Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2023; 12:253-266. [PMID: 37718850 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-230587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metabolic alterations contribute to disease onset and prognosis of Huntington's disease (HD). Weight loss in the R6/2 mouse model of HD is a consistent feature, with onset in mid-to-late stage of disease. OBJECTIVE In the present study, we aimed to investigate molecular and functional changes in white adipose tissue (WAT) that occur at weight loss in R6/2 mice. We further elaborated on the effect of leptin-deficiency and early obesity in R6/2 mice. METHODS We performed analyses at 12 weeks of age; a time point that coincides with the start of weight loss in our R6/2 mouse colony. Gonadal (visceral) and inguinal (subcutaneous) WAT depot weights were monitored, as well as adipocyte size distribution. Response to isoprenaline-stimulated glycerol release and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in adipocytes from gonadal WAT was assessed. RESULTS In R6/2 mice, WAT depot weights were comparable to wildtype (WT) mice, and the response to insulin and isoprenaline in gonadal adipocytes was unaltered. Leptin-deficient R6/2 mice exhibited distinct changes compared to leptin-deficient WT mice. At 12 weeks, female leptin-deficient R6/2 mice had reduced body weight accompanied by an increased proportion of smaller adipocytes, while in contrast; male mice displayed a shift towards larger adipocyte sizes without a significant body weight reduction at this timepoint. CONCLUSIONS We here show that there are early sex-specific changes in adipocyte cell size distribution in WAT of R6/2 mice and leptin-deficient R6/2 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elna Dickson
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Claes Fryklund
- Glucose Transport and Protein Trafficking, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Rana Soylu-Kucharz
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marie Sjögren
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Karin G Stenkula
- Glucose Transport and Protein Trafficking, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Björkqvist
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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26
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Ahamad S, Bhat SA. The Emerging Landscape of Small-Molecule Therapeutics for the Treatment of Huntington's Disease. J Med Chem 2022; 65:15993-16032. [PMID: 36490325 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene (HTT). The new insights into HD's cellular and molecular pathways have led to the identification of numerous potent small-molecule therapeutics for HD therapy. The field of HD-targeting small-molecule therapeutics is accelerating, and the approval of these therapeutics to combat HD may be expected in the near future. For instance, preclinical candidates such as naphthyridine-azaquinolone, AN1, AN2, CHDI-00484077, PRE084, EVP4593, and LOC14 have shown promise for further optimization to enter into HD clinical trials. This perspective aims to summarize the advent of small-molecule therapeutics at various stages of clinical development for HD therapy, emphasizing their structure and design, therapeutic effects, and specific mechanisms of action. Further, we have highlighted the key drivers involved in HD pathogenesis to provide insights into the basic principle for designing promising anti-HD therapeutic leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakir Ahamad
- Department of Chemistry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh202002, India
| | - Shahnawaz A Bhat
- Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh202002, India
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27
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Jia Q, Li S, Li XJ, Yin P. Neuroinflammation in Huntington's disease: From animal models to clinical therapeutics. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1088124. [PMID: 36618375 PMCID: PMC9815700 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1088124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by preferential loss of neurons in the striatum in patients, which leads to motor and cognitive impairments and death that often occurs 10-15 years after the onset of symptoms. The expansion of a glutamine repeat (>36 glutamines) in the N-terminal region of huntingtin (HTT) has been defined as the cause of HD, but the mechanism underlying neuronal death remains unclear. Multiple mechanisms, including inflammation, may jointly contribute to HD pathogenesis. Altered inflammation response is evident even before the onset of classical symptoms of HD. In this review, we summarize the current evidence on immune and inflammatory changes, from HD animal models to clinical phenomenon of patients with HD. The understanding of the impact of inflammation on HD would help develop novel strategies to treat HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Peng Yin
- *Correspondence: Xiao-Jiang Li, ; Peng Yin,
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28
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Singh A, Agrawal N. Progressive transcriptional changes in metabolic genes and altered fatbody homeostasis in Drosophila model of Huntington's disease. Metab Brain Dis 2022; 37:2783-2792. [PMID: 36121619 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-022-01078-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disorder marked by progressive neuronal atrophy, particularly in striatum and cerebral cortex. Although predominant manifestations of the disease include loss in the triad of motor, cognitive and behavioral capabilities, metabolic dysfunction in patients and HD models are being increasingly recognized. Patients display progressive body weight loss, which aggravates the disease and leads to cachexia in the terminal stages. Using the Drosophila model of HD, we have earlier reported that diseased flies exhibit an atypical pattern of lipid gain and loss with progression along with exhibiting extensive mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired calcium homeostasis and heightened apoptosis in the fatbody. Here, we first monitored the structural changes that abdominal fatbody undergoes with disease progression. Further, we checked the transcriptional changes of key metabolic genes in whole fly as well as genes regulating mitochondrial function, apoptosis, autophagy and calcium homeostasis in the abdominal fatbody. We found extensive alterations in whole-body and fatbody-specific transcriptional profile of the diseased flies, which was in consort with their stage-specific physiological state. Additionally, we also assessed lysosome-mediated autophagy in the fatbody of diseased flies in order to ascertain the mechanisms contributing to fatbody atrophy at the terminal stage. Interestingly, we found elevated autophagy in fatbody of flies throughout disease progression. This study provides new insights into the effect on peripheral metabolism due to degeneration of neurons in the neurodegenerative disease, thereby discerns novel mechanisms leading to cachexia in diseased flies and advocates for the need of managing metabolic dysfunctions in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Singh
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, 110007, New Delhi, India
| | - Namita Agrawal
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, 110007, New Delhi, India.
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29
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Dickson E, Dwijesha AS, Andersson N, Lundh S, Björkqvist M, Petersén Å, Soylu-Kucharz R. Microarray profiling of hypothalamic gene expression changes in Huntington's disease mouse models. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1027269. [PMID: 36408416 PMCID: PMC9671106 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1027269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Structural changes and neuropathology in the hypothalamus have been suggested to contribute to the non-motor manifestations of Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. In this study, we investigated whether hypothalamic HTT expression causes transcriptional changes. Hypothalamic RNA was isolated from two different HD mouse models and their littermate controls; BACHD mice with ubiquitous expression of full-length mutant HTT (mHTT) and wild-type mice with targeted hypothalamic overexpression of either wild-type HTT (wtHTT) or mHTT fragments. The mHTT and wtHTT groups showed the highest number of differentially expressed genes compared to the BACHD mouse model. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) with leading-edge analysis showed that suppressed sterol- and cholesterol metabolism were shared between hypothalamic wtHTT and mHTT overexpression. Most distinctive for mHTT overexpression was the suppression of neuroendocrine networks, in which qRT-PCR validation confirmed significant downregulation of neuropeptides with roles in feeding behavior; hypocretin neuropeptide precursor (Hcrt), tachykinin receptor 3 (Tacr3), cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (Cart) and catecholamine-related biological processes; dopa decarboxylase (Ddc), histidine decarboxylase (Hdc), tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (Vip). In BACHD mice, few hypothalamic genes were differentially expressed compared to age-matched WT controls. However, GSEA indicated an enrichment of inflammatory- and gonadotropin-related processes at 10 months. In conclusion, we show that both wtHTT and mHTT overexpression change hypothalamic transcriptome profile, specifically mHTT, altering neuroendocrine circuits. In contrast, the ubiquitous expression of full-length mHTT in the BACHD hypothalamus moderately affects the transcriptomic profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elna Dickson
- Biomarkers in Brain Disease, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Amoolya Sai Dwijesha
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Natalie Andersson
- Pathways of Cancer Cell Evolution, Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sofia Lundh
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Björkqvist
- Biomarkers in Brain Disease, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Åsa Petersén
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Rana Soylu-Kucharz
- Biomarkers in Brain Disease, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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30
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Marchionini DM, Liu JP, Ambesi-Impiombato A, Kerker K, Cirillo K, Bansal M, Mushlin R, Brunner D, Ramboz S, Kwan M, Kuhlbrodt K, Tillack K, Peters F, Rauhala L, Obenauer J, Greene JR, Hartl C, Khetarpal V, Lager B, Rosinski J, Aaronson J, Alam M, Signer E, Muñoz-Sanjuán I, Howland D, Zeitlin SO. Benefits of global mutant huntingtin lowering diminish over time in a Huntington's disease mouse model. JCI Insight 2022; 7:e161769. [PMID: 36278490 PMCID: PMC9714791 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.161769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
We have developed an inducible Huntington's disease (HD) mouse model that allows temporal control of whole-body allele-specific mutant huntingtin (mHtt) expression. We asked whether moderate global lowering of mHtt (~50%) was sufficient for long-term amelioration of HD-related deficits and, if so, whether early mHtt lowering (before measurable deficits) was required. Both early and late mHtt lowering delayed behavioral dysfunction and mHTT protein aggregation, as measured biochemically. However, long-term follow-up revealed that the benefits, in all mHtt-lowering groups, attenuated by 12 months of age. While early mHtt lowering attenuated cortical and striatal transcriptional dysregulation evaluated at 6 months of age, the benefits diminished by 12 months of age, and late mHtt lowering did not ameliorate striatal transcriptional dysregulation at 12 months of age. Only early mHtt lowering delayed the elevation in cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chain that we observed in our model starting at 9 months of age. As small-molecule HTT-lowering therapeutics progress to the clinic, our findings suggest that moderate mHtt lowering allows disease progression to continue, albeit at a slower rate, and could be relevant to the degree of mHTT lowering required to sustain long-term benefits in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeh-Ping Liu
- University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mei Kwan
- Psychogenics Inc., Paramus, New Jersey, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Brenda Lager
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jim Rosinski
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jeff Aaronson
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, New York, New York, USA
| | - Morshed Alam
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ethan Signer
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - David Howland
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, New York, New York, USA
| | - Scott O. Zeitlin
- University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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31
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de Oliveira Furlam T, Roque IG, Machado da Silva EW, Vianna PP, Costa Valadão PA, Guatimosim C, Teixeira AL, de Miranda AS. Inflammasome activation and assembly in Huntington's disease. Mol Immunol 2022; 151:134-142. [PMID: 36126501 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2022.09.002] [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: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes capable of sensing pathogen-associated and damage-associated molecular patterns, triggering innate immune pathways. Activation of inflammasomes results in a pro-inflammatory cascade involving, among other molecules, caspases and interleukins. NLRP3 (nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-repeat containing family, pyrin domain-containing 3) is the most studied inflammasome complex, and its activation results in caspase-1 mediated cleavage of the pro-interleukins IL-1β and IL-18 into their mature forms, also inducing a gasdermin D mediated form of pro-inflammatory cell death, i.e. pyroptosis. Accumulating evidence has implicated NLRP3 inflammasome complex in neurodegenerative diseases. The evidence in HD is still scant and mostly derived from pre-clinical studies. This review aims to present the available evidence on NLRP3 inflammasome activation in HD and to discuss whether targeting this innate immune system complex might be a promising therapeutic strategy to alleviate its symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Pedro Parenti Vianna
- School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Cristina Guatimosim
- Department of Morphology - Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Antônio Lúcio Teixeira
- Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA; Faculdade Santa Casa BH, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Aline Silva de Miranda
- Department of Morphology - Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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St-Cyr S, Child DD, Giaime E, Smith AR, Pascua CJ, Hahm S, Saiah E, Davidson BL. Huntington’s disease phenotypes are improved via mTORC1 modulation by small molecule therapy. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273710. [PMID: 36037192 PMCID: PMC9423655 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease for which the major causes of mortality are neurodegeneration-associated aspiration pneumonia followed by cardiac failure. mTORC1 pathway perturbations are present in HD models and human tissues. Amelioration of mTORC1 deficits by genetic modulation improves disease phenotypes in HD models, is not a viable therapeutic strategy. Here, we assessed a novel small molecule mTORC1 pathway activator, NV-5297, for its improvement of the disease phenotypes in the N171-82Q HD mouse model. Oral dosing of NV-5297 over 6 weeks activated mTORC1, increased striatal volume, improved motor learning and heart contractility. Further, the heart contractility, heart fibrosis, and survival were improved in response to the cardiac stressor isoprenaline when compared to vehicle-treated mice. Cummulatively, these data support mTORC1 activation as a therapeutic target in HD and consolidates NV-5297 as a promising drug candidate for treating central and peripheral HD phenotypes and, more generally, mTORC1-deficit related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie St-Cyr
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Daniel D. Child
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- The Perelman School of Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Emilie Giaime
- Navitor Pharmaceuticals Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Alicia R. Smith
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Christine J. Pascua
- Division of Cardiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Seung Hahm
- Navitor Pharmaceuticals Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Eddine Saiah
- Navitor Pharmaceuticals Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BLD); (ES)
| | - Beverly L. Davidson
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- The Perelman School of Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BLD); (ES)
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Tomczyk M, Braczko A, Mierzejewska P, Podlacha M, Krol O, Jablonska P, Jedrzejewska A, Pierzynowska K, Wegrzyn G, Slominska EM, Smolenski RT. Rosiglitazone Ameliorates Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction by Correction of Energetics in Huntington’s Disease. Cells 2022; 11:cells11172662. [PMID: 36078070 PMCID: PMC9454785 DOI: 10.3390/cells11172662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a rare neurodegenerative disease that is accompanied by skeletal muscle atrophy and cardiomyopathy. Tissues affected by HD (central nervous system [CNS], skeletal muscle, and heart) are known to suffer from deteriorated cellular energy metabolism that manifests already at presymptomatic stages. This work aimed to test the effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ agonist—rosiglitazone on grip strength and heart function in an experimental HD model—on R6/1 mice and to address the mechanisms. We noted that rosiglitazone treatment lead to improvement of R6/1 mice grip strength and cardiac mechanical function. It was accompanied by an enhancement of the total adenine nucleotides pool, increased glucose oxidation, changes in mitochondrial number (indicated as increased citric synthase activity), and reduction in mitochondrial complex I activity. These metabolic changes were supported by increased total antioxidant status in HD mice injected with rosiglitazone. Correction of energy deficits with rosiglitazone was further indicated by decreased accumulation of nucleotide catabolites in HD mice serum. Thus, rosiglitazone treatment may not only delay neurodegeneration but also may ameliorate cardio- and myopathy linked to HD by improvement of cellular energetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Tomczyk
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdansk, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
- Correspondence: (M.T.); (R.T.S.)
| | - Alicja Braczko
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
| | | | - Magdalena Podlacha
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdansk, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Oliwia Krol
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Patrycja Jablonska
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Agata Jedrzejewska
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Karolina Pierzynowska
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdansk, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Wegrzyn
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdansk, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Ewa M. Slominska
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Ryszard T. Smolenski
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
- Correspondence: (M.T.); (R.T.S.)
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Singh A, Agrawal N. Metabolism in Huntington's disease: a major contributor to pathology. Metab Brain Dis 2022; 37:1757-1771. [PMID: 34704220 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-021-00844-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressively debilitating neurodegenerative disease exhibiting autosomal-dominant inheritance. It is caused by an unstable expansion in the CAG repeat tract of HD gene, which transforms the disease-specific Huntingtin protein (HTT) to a mutant form (mHTT). The profound neuronal death in cortico-striatal circuits led to its identification and characterisation as a neurodegenerative disease. However, equally disturbing are the concomitant whole-body manifestations affecting nearly every organ of the diseased individuals, at varying extents. Altered central and peripheral metabolism of energy, proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and carbohydrates encompass the gross pathology of the disease. Intense fluctuation of body weight, glucose homeostasis and organ-specific subcellular abnormalities are being increasingly recognised in HD. Many of these metabolic abnormalities exist years before the neuropathological manifestations such as chorea, cognitive decline and behavioural abnormalities develop, and prove to be reliable predictors of the disease progression. In this review, we provide a consolidated overview of the central and peripheral metabolic abnormalities associated with HD, as evidenced from clinical and experimental studies. Additionally, we have discussed the potential of metabolic biomolecules to translate into efficient biomarkers for the disease onset as well as progression. Finally, we provide a brief outlook on the efficacy of existing therapies targeting metabolic remediation. While it is clear that components of altered metabolic pathways can mark many aspects of the disease, it is only conceivable that combinatorial therapies aiming for neuronal protection in consort with metabolic upliftment will prove to be more efficient than the existing symptomatic treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Singh
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Namita Agrawal
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, 110007, India.
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Kangussu LM, Rocha NP, Valadão PAC, Machado TCG, Soares KB, Joviano-Santos JV, Latham LB, Colpo GD, Almeida-Santos AF, Furr Stimming E, Simões e Silva AC, Teixeira AL, Miranda AS, Guatimosim C. Renin-Angiotensin System in Huntington's Disease: Evidence from Animal Models and Human Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:7686. [PMID: 35887034 PMCID: PMC9316902 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) is expressed in the central nervous system and has important functions that go beyond blood pressure regulation. Clinical and experimental studies have suggested that alterations in the brain RAS contribute to the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. However, there is limited information regarding the involvement of RAS components in Huntington's disease (HD). Herein, we used the HD murine model, (BACHD), as well as samples from patients with HD to investigate the role of both the classical and alternative axes of RAS in HD pathophysiology. BACHD mice displayed worse motor performance in different behavioral tests alongside a decrease in the levels and activity of the components of the RAS alternative axis ACE2, Ang-(1-7), and Mas receptors in the striatum, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. BACHD mice also displayed a significant increase in mRNA expression of the AT1 receptor, a component of the RAS classical arm, in these key brain regions. Moreover, patients with manifest HD presented higher plasma levels of Ang-(1-7). No significant changes were found in the levels of ACE, ACE2, and Ang II. Our findings provided the first evidence that an imbalance in the RAS classical and counter-regulatory arms may play a role in HD pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas M. Kangussu
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Natalia P. Rocha
- Department of Neurology, The Mitchell Center for Alzheimer′s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- McGovern Medical School, HDSA Center of Excellence at The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (L.B.L.); (E.F.S.)
- Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77054, USA;
| | - Priscila A. C. Valadão
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Thatiane C. G. Machado
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Kívia B. Soares
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Julliane V. Joviano-Santos
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
- Center for Mathematics, Computing, and Cognition (CMCC), Federal University of ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo 09612-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Leigh B. Latham
- McGovern Medical School, HDSA Center of Excellence at The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (L.B.L.); (E.F.S.)
- School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Gabriela D. Colpo
- Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77054, USA;
| | - Ana Flávia Almeida-Santos
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Erin Furr Stimming
- McGovern Medical School, HDSA Center of Excellence at The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (L.B.L.); (E.F.S.)
| | - Ana Cristina Simões e Silva
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30130-100, MG, Brazil;
| | - Antônio L. Teixeira
- Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77054, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Aline Silva Miranda
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Cristina Guatimosim
- Department of Morphology, Biological Science Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (L.M.K.); (P.A.C.V.); (T.C.G.M.); (K.B.S.); (J.V.J.-S.); (A.F.A.-S.); (A.S.M.); (C.G.)
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Soares ES, Prediger RD, Brocardo PS, Cimarosti HI. SUMO-modifying Huntington's disease. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2022; 12:203-209. [PMID: 35746980 PMCID: PMC9210482 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2022.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Small ubiquitin-like modifiers, SUMOs, are proteins that are conjugated to target substrates and regulate their functions in a post-translational modification called SUMOylation. In addition to its physiological roles, SUMOylation has been implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases (HD). HD is a neurodegenerative monogenetic autosomal dominant disorder caused by a mutation in the CAG repeat of the huntingtin (htt) gene, which expresses a mutant Htt protein more susceptible to aggregation and toxicity. Besides Htt, other SUMO ligases, enzymes, mitochondrial and autophagic components are also important for the progression of the disease. Here we review the main aspects of Htt SUMOylation and its role in cellular processes involved in the pathogenesis of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ericks S. Soares
- Post-graduate Program in Pharmacology, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Rui D. Prediger
- Post-graduate Program in Pharmacology, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Post-graduate Program in Neuroscience, UFSC, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Patricia S. Brocardo
- Post-graduate Program in Neuroscience, UFSC, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Helena I. Cimarosti
- Post-graduate Program in Pharmacology, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Post-graduate Program in Neuroscience, UFSC, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
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Gómez-Jaramillo L, Cano-Cano F, González-Montelongo MDC, Campos-Caro A, Aguilar-Diosdado M, Arroba AI. A New Perspective on Huntington's Disease: How a Neurological Disorder Influences the Peripheral Tissues. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:6089. [PMID: 35682773 PMCID: PMC9181740 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a toxic, aggregation-prone expansion of CAG repeats in the HTT gene with an age-dependent progression that leads to behavioral, cognitive and motor symptoms. Principally affecting the frontal cortex and the striatum, mHTT disrupts many cellular functions. In fact, increasing evidence shows that peripheral tissues are affected by neurodegenerative diseases. It establishes an active crosstalk between peripheral tissues and the brain in different neurodegenerative diseases. This review focuses on the current knowledge of peripheral tissue effects in HD animal and cell experimental models and identifies biomarkers and mechanisms involved or affected in the progression of the disease as new therapeutic or early diagnostic options. The particular changes in serum/plasma, blood cells such as lymphocytes, immune blood cells, the pancreas, the heart, the retina, the liver, the kidney and pericytes as a part of the blood-brain barrier are described. It is important to note that several changes in different mouse models of HD present differences between them and between the different ages analyzed. The understanding of the impact of peripheral organ inflammation in HD may open new avenues for the development of novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gómez-Jaramillo
- Undad de Investigación, Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), 11002 Cádiz, Spain; (L.G.-J.); (F.C.-C.); (M.d.C.G.-M.); (A.C.-C.); (M.A.-D.)
| | - Fátima Cano-Cano
- Undad de Investigación, Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), 11002 Cádiz, Spain; (L.G.-J.); (F.C.-C.); (M.d.C.G.-M.); (A.C.-C.); (M.A.-D.)
| | - María del Carmen González-Montelongo
- Undad de Investigación, Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), 11002 Cádiz, Spain; (L.G.-J.); (F.C.-C.); (M.d.C.G.-M.); (A.C.-C.); (M.A.-D.)
| | - Antonio Campos-Caro
- Undad de Investigación, Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), 11002 Cádiz, Spain; (L.G.-J.); (F.C.-C.); (M.d.C.G.-M.); (A.C.-C.); (M.A.-D.)
- Área de Genética, Departamento de Biomedicina, Biotecnología y Salud Pública, Universidad de Cádiz, 11002 Cádiz, Spain
| | - Manuel Aguilar-Diosdado
- Undad de Investigación, Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), 11002 Cádiz, Spain; (L.G.-J.); (F.C.-C.); (M.d.C.G.-M.); (A.C.-C.); (M.A.-D.)
- Departamento de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Universidad de Cádiz, 11002 Cádiz, Spain
| | - Ana I. Arroba
- Undad de Investigación, Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), 11002 Cádiz, Spain; (L.G.-J.); (F.C.-C.); (M.d.C.G.-M.); (A.C.-C.); (M.A.-D.)
- Área de Genética, Departamento de Biomedicina, Biotecnología y Salud Pública, Universidad de Cádiz, 11002 Cádiz, Spain
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Calabrese G, Molzahn C, Mayor T. Protein interaction networks in neurodegenerative diseases: from physiological function to aggregation. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102062. [PMID: 35623389 PMCID: PMC9234719 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of protein inclusions is linked to many neurodegenerative diseases that typically develop in older individuals, due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. In rare familial neurodegenerative disorders, genes encoding for aggregation-prone proteins are often mutated. While the underlying mechanism leading to these diseases still remains to be fully elucidated, efforts in the past 20 years revealed a vast network of protein–protein interactions that play a major role in regulating the aggregation of key proteins associated with neurodegeneration. Misfolded proteins that can oligomerize and form insoluble aggregates associate with molecular chaperones and other elements of the proteolytic machineries that are the frontline workers attempting to protect the cells by promoting clearance and preventing aggregation. Proteins that are normally bound to aggregation-prone proteins can become sequestered and mislocalized in protein inclusions, leading to their loss of function. In contrast, mutations, posttranslational modifications, or misfolding of aggregation-prone proteins can lead to gain of function by inducing novel or altered protein interactions, which in turn can impact numerous essential cellular processes and organelles, such as vesicle trafficking and the mitochondria. This review examines our current knowledge of protein–protein interactions involving several key aggregation-prone proteins that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We aim to provide an overview of the protein interaction networks that play a central role in driving or mitigating inclusion formation, while highlighting some of the key proteomic studies that helped to uncover the extent of these networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetano Calabrese
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4 Vancouver BC, Canada.
| | - Cristen Molzahn
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4 Vancouver BC, Canada
| | - Thibault Mayor
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4 Vancouver BC, Canada.
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Ferguson MW, Kennedy CJ, Palpagama TH, Waldvogel HJ, Faull RLM, Kwakowsky A. Current and Possible Future Therapeutic Options for Huntington's Disease. J Cent Nerv Syst Dis 2022; 14:11795735221092517. [PMID: 35615642 PMCID: PMC9125092 DOI: 10.1177/11795735221092517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by an excessive number of CAG trinucleotide repeats within the huntingtin gene (HTT). HD patients can present with a variety of symptoms including chorea, behavioural and psychiatric abnormalities and cognitive decline. Each patient has a unique combination of symptoms, and although these can be managed using a range of medications and non-drug treatments there is currently no cure for the disease. Current therapies prescribed for HD can be categorized by the symptom they treat. These categories include chorea medication, antipsychotic medication, antidepressants, mood stabilizing medication as well as non-drug therapies. Fortunately, there are also many new HD therapeutics currently undergoing clinical trials that target the disease at its origin; lowering the levels of mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT). Currently, much attention is being directed to antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies, which bind to pre-RNA or mRNA and can alter protein expression via RNA degradation, blocking translation or splice modulation. Other potential therapies in clinical development include RNA interference (RNAi) therapies, RNA targeting small molecule therapies, stem cell therapies, antibody therapies, non-RNA targeting small molecule therapies and neuroinflammation targeted therapies. Potential therapies in pre-clinical development include Zinc-Finger Protein (ZFP) therapies, transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) therapies and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated system (Cas) therapies. This comprehensive review aims to discuss the efficacy of current HD treatments and explore the clinical trial progress of emerging potential HD therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie W. Ferguson
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Connor J. Kennedy
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Thulani H. Palpagama
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Henry J. Waldvogel
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard L. M. Faull
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andrea Kwakowsky
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
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Huntingtin Co-Isolates with Small Extracellular Vesicles from Blood Plasma of TgHD and KI-HD Pig Models of Huntington's Disease and Human Blood Plasma. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105598. [PMID: 35628406 PMCID: PMC9147436 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Huntington’s disease (HD) is rare incurable hereditary neurodegenerative disorder caused by CAG repeat expansion in the gene coding for the protein huntingtin (HTT). Mutated huntingtin (mHTT) undergoes fragmentation and accumulation, affecting cellular functions and leading to neuronal cell death. Porcine models of HD are used in preclinical testing of currently emerging disease modifying therapies. Such therapies are aimed at reducing mHTT expression, postpone the disease onset, slow down the progression, and point out the need of biomarkers to monitor disease development and therapy efficacy. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs), particularly exosomes, gained attention as possible carriers of disease biomarkers. We aimed to characterize HTT and mHTT forms/fragments in blood plasma derived EVs in transgenic (TgHD) and knock-in (KI-HD) porcine models, as well as in HD patients’ plasma. (2) Methods: Small EVs were isolated by ultracentrifugation and HTT forms were visualized by western blotting. (3) Results: The full length 360 kDa HTT co-isolated with EVs from both the pig model and HD patient plasma. In addition, a ~70 kDa mutant HTT fragment was specific for TgHD pigs. Elevated total huntingtin levels in EVs from plasma of HD groups compared to controls were observed in both pig models and HD patients, however only in TgHD were they significant (p = 0.02). (4) Conclusions: Our study represents a valuable initial step towards the characterization of EV content in the search for HD biomarkers.
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Martí-Martínez S, Valor LM. A Glimpse of Molecular Biomarkers in Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105411. [PMID: 35628221 PMCID: PMC9142992 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by an abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. Although the main symptomatology is explained by alterations at the level of the central nervous system, predominantly affecting the basal ganglia, a peripheral component of the disease is being increasingly acknowledged. Therefore, the manifestation of the disease is complex and variable among CAG expansion carriers, introducing uncertainty in the appearance of specific signs, age of onset and severity of disease. The monogenic nature of the disorder allows a precise diagnosis, but the use of biomarkers with prognostic value is still needed to achieve clinical management of the patients in an individual manner. In addition, we need tools to evaluate the patient's response to potential therapeutic approaches. In this review, we provide a succinct summary of the most interesting molecular biomarkers that have been assessed in patients, mostly obtained from body fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid, peripheral blood and saliva.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Martí-Martínez
- Servicio de Neurología, Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain;
| | - Luis M. Valor
- Laboratorio de Apoyo a la Investigación, Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-965-913-988
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Environmental stimulation in Huntington disease patients and animal models. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 171:105725. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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Dickson E, Soylu-Kucharz R, Petersén Å, Björkqvist M. Hypothalamic expression of huntingtin causes distinct metabolic changes in Huntington's disease mice. Mol Metab 2022; 57:101439. [PMID: 35007790 PMCID: PMC8814380 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In Huntington's disease (HD), the disease-causing huntingtin (HTT) protein is ubiquitously expressed and causes both central and peripheral pathology. In clinical HD, a higher body mass index has been associated with slower disease progression, indicating the role of metabolic changes in disease pathogenesis. Underlying mechanisms of metabolic changes in HD remain poorly understood, but recent studies suggest the involvement of hypothalamic dysfunction. The present study aimed to investigate whether modulation of hypothalamic HTT levels would affect metabolic phenotype and disease features in HD using mouse models. METHODS We used the R6/2 and BACHD mouse models that express different lengths of mutant HTT to develop lean- and obese phenotypes, respectively. We utilized adeno-associated viral vectors to overexpress either mutant or wild-type HTT in the hypothalamus of R6/2, BACHD, and their wild-type littermates. The metabolic phenotype was assessed by body weight measurements over time and body composition analysis using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at the endpoint. R6/2 mice were further characterized using behavioral analyses, including rotarod, nesting-, and hindlimb clasping tests during early- and late-time points of disease progression. Finally, gene expression analysis was performed in R6/2 mice and wild-type littermates in order to assess transcriptional changes in the hypothalamus and adipose tissue. RESULTS Hypothalamic overexpression of mutant HTT induced significant gender-affected body weight gain in all models, including wild-type mice. In R6/2 females, early weight gain shifted to weight loss during the corresponding late stage of disease despite increased fat accumulation. Body weight changes were accompanied by behavioral alterations. During the period of early weight gain, R6/2 mice displayed a comparable locomotor capacity to wild-type mice. When assessing behavior just prior to weight loss onset in R6/2 mice, decreased locomotor performance was observed in R6/2 females with hypothalamic overexpression of mutant HTT. Transcriptional downregulation of beta-3 adrenergic receptor (B3AR), adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) in gonadal white adipose tissue was accompanied by distinct alterations in hypothalamic gene expression profiles in R6/2 females after mutant HTT overexpression. No significant effect on metabolic phenotype in R6/2 was seen in response to wild-type HTT overexpression. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our findings provide further support for the role of HTT in metabolic control via hypothalamic neurocircuits. Understanding the specific central neurocircuits and their peripheral link underlying metabolic imbalance in HD may open up avenues for novel therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elna Dickson
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC A10, 221 84 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Rana Soylu-Kucharz
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC A10, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Åsa Petersén
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC D11, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Björkqvist
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC A10, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
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Jarosińska OD, Rüdiger SGD. Molecular Strategies to Target Protein Aggregation in Huntington's Disease. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:769184. [PMID: 34869596 PMCID: PMC8636123 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.769184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the aggregation of the mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein in nerve cells. mHTT self-aggregates to form soluble oligomers and insoluble fibrils, which interfere in a number of key cellular functions. This leads to cell quiescence and ultimately cell death. There are currently still no treatments available for HD, but approaches targeting the HTT levels offer systematic, mechanism-driven routes towards curing HD and other neurodegenerative diseases. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge of the mRNA targeting approaches such as antisense oligonucleotides and RNAi system; and the novel methods targeting mHTT and aggregates for degradation via the ubiquitin proteasome or the autophagy-lysosomal systems. These methods include the proteolysis-targeting chimera, Trim-Away, autophagosome-tethering compound, autophagy-targeting chimera, lysosome-targeting chimera and approach targeting mHTT for chaperone-mediated autophagy. These molecular strategies provide a knowledge-based approach to target HD and other neurodegenerative diseases at the origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga D. Jarosińska
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Science for Life, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Stefan G. D. Rüdiger
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Science for Life, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Marotta J, Piano C, Brunetti V, Genovese D, Bentivoglio AR, Calabresi P, Cortelli P, Della Marca G. Heart Rate Variability during wake and sleep in Huntington's Disease patients. An observational, cross-sectional, cohort study. NEURODEGENER DIS 2021; 21:79-86. [PMID: 34749365 DOI: 10.1159/000520754] [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: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autonomic dysfunction has been reported as one of non-motor manifestations of both pre-symptomatic and manifest Huntington's Disease (HD). The aim of our study was to evaluate heart rate variability (HRV) during wake and sleep in a cohort of patients with manifest HD. Methods Thirty consecutive patients with manifest HD were enrolled, 14 men and 16 women, mean age 57.3±12.2 years. All patients underwent full-night attended video-polysomnography. HRV was analyzed during wake, NREM and REM sleep, in time and frequency domain. Results were compared with a control group of healthy volunteers matched for age and sex. Results During wake HD patients presented significantly higher mean heart rate than controls (72.4±9.6 vs 58.1±7.3 bpm; p<0.001). During NREM sleep, HD patients showed higher mean heart rate (65.6±11.1 vs 48.8±4.6 bpm; p<0.001) and greater Low Frequency (LF) component of HRV (52.9±22.6 vs 35.5±17.3 n.u.; p=0.004). During REM sleep, we observed lower standard deviation of the R-R interval (SDNN) in HD subjects (3.4±2.2 vs 3.7±1.3 ms; p=0.015). Conclusion Our results showed that HD patients have higher heart rate than controls, during wake and NREM, but not during REM sleep. Among HRV variability parameters, the most relevant difference regarded the LF component, which reflects, at least partially, the ortho-sympathetic output. Our results confirm the involvement of autonomic nervous system in HD and demonstrate that it is evident during both wake and sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Marotta
- UOC Neuroriabilitazione ad Alta Intensità, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Piano
- UOC Neurologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Brunetti
- UOC Neurologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Danilo Genovese
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Bentivoglio
- UOC Neurologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Calabresi
- UOC Neurologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Cortelli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giacomo Della Marca
- UOC Neurologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
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Mouro Pinto R, Arning L, Giordano JV, Razghandi P, Andrew MA, Gillis T, Correia K, Mysore JS, Grote Urtubey DM, Parwez CR, von Hein SM, Clark HB, Nguyen HP, Förster E, Beller A, Jayadaev S, Keene CD, Bird TD, Lucente D, Vonsattel JP, Orr H, Saft C, Petrasch-Parwez E, Wheeler VC. Patterns of CAG repeat instability in the central nervous system and periphery in Huntington's disease and in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:2551-2567. [PMID: 32761094 PMCID: PMC7471505 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The expanded HTT CAG repeat causing Huntington’s disease (HD) exhibits somatic expansion proposed to drive the rate of disease onset by eliciting a pathological process that ultimately claims vulnerable cells. To gain insight into somatic expansion in humans, we performed comprehensive quantitative analyses of CAG expansion in ~50 central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral postmortem tissues from seven adult-onset and one juvenile-onset HD individual. We also assessed ATXN1 CAG repeat expansion in brain regions of an individual with a neurologically and pathologically distinct repeat expansion disorder, spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1). Our findings reveal similar profiles of tissue instability in all HD individuals, which, notably, were also apparent in the SCA1 individual. CAG expansion was observed in all tissues, but to different degrees, with multiple cortical regions and neostriatum tending to have the greatest instability in the CNS, and liver in the periphery. These patterns indicate different propensities for CAG expansion contributed by disease locus-independent trans-factors and demonstrate that expansion per se is not sufficient to cause cell type or disease-specific pathology. Rather, pathology may reflect distinct toxic processes triggered by different repeat lengths across cell types and diseases. We also find that the HTT CAG length-dependent expansion propensity of an individual is reflected in all tissues and in cerebrospinal fluid. Our data indicate that peripheral cells may be a useful source to measure CAG expansion in biomarker assays for therapeutic efforts, prompting efforts to dissect underlying mechanisms of expansion that may differ between the brain and periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Mouro Pinto
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Larissa Arning
- Department of Human Genetics, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44780, Germany
| | - James V Giordano
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Pedram Razghandi
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Marissa A Andrew
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Tammy Gillis
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Kevin Correia
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jayalakshmi S Mysore
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Constanze R Parwez
- Department of Neuroanatomy and Molecular Brain Research, Institute of Anatomy, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44780, Germany
| | - Sarah M von Hein
- Department of Neurology, Huntington Centre NRW, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44791, Germany
| | - H Brent Clark
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Institute of Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Huu Phuc Nguyen
- Department of Human Genetics, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44780, Germany
| | - Eckart Förster
- Department of Neuroanatomy and Molecular Brain Research, Institute of Anatomy, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44780, Germany
| | - Allison Beller
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Suman Jayadaev
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - C Dirk Keene
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Thomas D Bird
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.,Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Diane Lucente
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jean-Paul Vonsattel
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Harry Orr
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Institute of Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Carsten Saft
- Department of Neurology, Huntington Centre NRW, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44791, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Petrasch-Parwez
- Department of Neuroanatomy and Molecular Brain Research, Institute of Anatomy, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum 44780, Germany
| | - Vanessa C Wheeler
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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miR-302 Attenuates Mutant Huntingtin-Induced Cytotoxicity through Restoration of Autophagy and Insulin Sensitivity. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168424. [PMID: 34445125 PMCID: PMC8395150 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168424] [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: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant brain disorder caused by mutant huntingtin (mHtt). Although the detailed mechanisms remain unclear, the mutational expansion of polyglutamine in mHtt is proposed to induce protein aggregates and neuronal toxicity. Previous studies have shown that the decreased insulin sensitivity is closely related to mHtt-associated impairments in HD patients. However, how mHtt interferes with insulin signaling in neurons is still unknown. In the present study, we used a HD cell model to demonstrate that the miR-302 cluster, an embryonic stem cell-specific polycistronic miRNA, is significantly downregulated in mHtt-Q74-overexpressing neuronal cells. On the contrary, restoration of miR-302 cluster was shown to attenuate mHtt-induced cytotoxicity by improving insulin sensitivity, leading to a reduction of mHtt aggregates through the enhancement of autophagy. In addition, miR-302 also promoted mitophagy and stimulated Sirt1/AMPK-PGC1α pathway thereby preserving mitochondrial function. Taken together, these results highlight the potential role of miR-302 cluster in neuronal cells, and provide a novel mechanism for mHtt-impaired insulin signaling in the pathogenesis of HD.
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Li L, Sun Y, Zhang Y, Wang W, Ye C. Mutant Huntingtin Impairs Pancreatic β-cells by Recruiting IRS-2 and Disturbing the PI3K/AKT/FoxO1 Signaling Pathway in Huntington's Disease. J Mol Neurosci 2021; 71:2646-2658. [PMID: 34331233 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-021-01869-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Patients with Huntington's disease (HD) have an increased incidence of diabetes. However, the molecular mechanisms of pancreatic β-cell dysfunction have not been entirely clarified. Revealing the pathogenesis of diabetes can provide a novel understanding of the onset and progression of HD, as well as potential clues for the development of new therapeutics. Here, we demonstrated that the mouse pancreatic insulinoma cell line NIT-1 expressing N-terminal mutant huntingtin (mHTT) containing 160 polyglutamine (160Q cells) displayed lower cell proliferative ability than the cells expressing N-terminal wild-type HTT containing 20 polyglutamine (20Q cells). In addition, 160Q cells were more prone to apoptosis and exhibited deficient glucose-stimulated insulin expression and secretion. Furthermore, insulin signaling molecule insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS-2) expression decreased and was recruited into mHTT aggregates. Consequently, glucose stimulation failed to activate the downstream molecule phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) in 160Q cells, leading to reduced phosphorylation levels of serine-threonine protein kinase AKT and forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1). These data indicate that activation of the glucose-stimulated PI3K/AKT/FoxO1 signaling pathway is significantly blocked in pancreatic β-cells in HD. Importantly, insulin treatment inhibited the aggregation of mHTT and significantly improved the activation of PI3K/AKT/FoxO1 signaling in 160Q cells. These results suggest that the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/FoxO1 pathway might be due to the recruitment of IRS-2 into mHTT aggregates in HD β-cells, ultimately contributing to the impairment of pancreatic β-cells. In conclusion, our work provides new insight into the underlying mechanisms of the high incidence of diabetes and abnormal glucose homeostasis in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., P.R. of China
| | - Yun Sun
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, P.R. of China
| | - Yinong Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, P.R. of China
| | - Weixi Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, P.R. of China
| | - Cuifang Ye
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, P.R. of China.
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Wang Y, Guo X, Ye K, Orth M, Gu Z. Accelerated expansion of pathogenic mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmies in Huntington's disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2014610118. [PMID: 34301881 PMCID: PMC8325154 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2014610118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction is found in the brain and peripheral tissues of patients diagnosed with Huntington's disease (HD), an irreversible neurodegenerative disease of which aging is a major risk factor. Mitochondrial function is encoded by not only nuclear DNA but also DNA within mitochondria (mtDNA). Expansion of mtDNA heteroplasmies (coexistence of mutated and wild-type mtDNA) can contribute to age-related decline of mitochondrial function but has not been systematically investigated in HD. Here, by using a sensitive mtDNA-targeted sequencing method, we studied mtDNA heteroplasmies in lymphoblasts and longitudinal blood samples of HD patients. We found a significant increase in the fraction of mtDNA heteroplasmies with predicted pathogenicity in lymphoblasts from 1,549 HD patients relative to lymphoblasts from 182 healthy individuals. The increased fraction of pathogenic mtDNA heteroplasmies in HD lymphoblasts also correlated with advancing HD stages and worsened disease severity measured by HD motor function, cognitive function, and functional capacity. Of note, elongated CAG repeats in HTT promoted age-dependent expansion of pathogenic mtDNA heteroplasmies in HD lymphoblasts. We then confirmed in longitudinal blood samples of 169 HD patients that expansion of pathogenic mtDNA heteroplasmies was correlated with decline in functional capacity and exacerbation of HD motor and cognitive functions during a median follow-up of 6 y. The results of our study indicate accelerated decline of mtDNA quality in HD, and highlight monitoring mtDNA heteroplasmies longitudinally as a way to investigate the progressive decline of mitochondrial function in aging and age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqin Wang
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Xiaoxian Guo
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Kaixiong Ye
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Michael Orth
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Zhenglong Gu
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853;
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50
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van der Burg JMM, Weydt P, Landwehrmeyer GB, Aziz NA. Effect of Body Weight on Age at Onset in Huntington Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study. NEUROLOGY-GENETICS 2021; 7:e603. [PMID: 34250226 PMCID: PMC8265577 DOI: 10.1212/nxg.0000000000000603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Objective Weight loss is associated with clinical progression in Huntington disease (HD), but whether body weight causally affects disease onset or progression is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to assess whether genetically determined variations in body weight are causally related to age at onset in HD. Methods Using data from different recent genome-wide association studies, we performed a 2-sample mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess whether genetic markers of body mass index (BMI) are causally related to residual age at onset in HD, i.e., the difference between observed and expected age at onset based on mutation size. Our study had a statistical power of 90% to detect a causal effect of ≥3.8 months per BMI unit change at a type I error rate of 0.05. Results Inverse-variance weighted MR estimates showed that a higher genetically determined BMI was not causally related to residual age at onset in HD (β = -0.44 years per unit increase in BMI, confidence interval: -1.33 to 0.46, p = 0.34). All other complementary (nonparametric) MR regression methods yielded similar results. Conclusions Although maintaining a healthy and stable body weight remains important in patients with HD, promoting weight gain with the aim of delaying disease onset or slowing down disease progression should be discouraged. Our findings point toward the existence of underlying pathologic processes that dictate both the rate of clinical progression and weight loss in HD, which need further elucidation as targeting these pathways, rather than body weight per se, could be of therapeutic value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorien M M van der Burg
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care (J.M.M.v.d.B.), Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands; Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Gerontopsychiatry (P.W.), University of Bonn; Department of Neurology (G.B.L.), Ulm University Hospital; Department of Neurology (N.A.A.), University Hospital Bonn; and Population Health Sciences (N.A.A.), German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Patrick Weydt
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care (J.M.M.v.d.B.), Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands; Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Gerontopsychiatry (P.W.), University of Bonn; Department of Neurology (G.B.L.), Ulm University Hospital; Department of Neurology (N.A.A.), University Hospital Bonn; and Population Health Sciences (N.A.A.), German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Georg Bernhard Landwehrmeyer
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care (J.M.M.v.d.B.), Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands; Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Gerontopsychiatry (P.W.), University of Bonn; Department of Neurology (G.B.L.), Ulm University Hospital; Department of Neurology (N.A.A.), University Hospital Bonn; and Population Health Sciences (N.A.A.), German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - N Ahmad Aziz
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care (J.M.M.v.d.B.), Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands; Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Gerontopsychiatry (P.W.), University of Bonn; Department of Neurology (G.B.L.), Ulm University Hospital; Department of Neurology (N.A.A.), University Hospital Bonn; and Population Health Sciences (N.A.A.), German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
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