1
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Paul JW, Muratcioğlu S, Kuriyan J. A fluorescence-based sensor for calibrated measurement of protein kinase stability in live cells. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e5023. [PMID: 38801214 PMCID: PMC11129626 DOI: 10.1002/pro.5023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Oncogenic mutations can destabilize signaling proteins, resulting in increased or unregulated activity. Thus, there is considerable interest in mapping the relationship between mutations and the stability of signaling proteins, to better understand the consequences of oncogenic mutations and potentially inform the development of new therapeutics. Here, we develop a tool to study protein-kinase stability in live mammalian cells and the effects of the HSP90 chaperone system on the stability of these kinases. We determine the expression levels of protein kinases by monitoring the fluorescence of fluorescent proteins fused to those kinases, normalized to that of co-expressed reference fluorescent proteins. We used this tool to study the dependence of Src- and Raf-family kinases on the HSP90 system. We demonstrate that this sensor reports on destabilization induced by oncogenic mutations in these kinases. We also show that Src-homology 2 and Src-homology 3 domains, which are required for autoinhibition of Src-family kinases, stabilize these kinase domains in the cell. Our expression-calibrated sensor enables the facile characterization of the effects of mutations and small-molecule drugs on protein-kinase stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W. Paul
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
- California Institute for Quantitative Bioscience (QB3)University of CaliforniaBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Serena Muratcioğlu
- Department of BiochemistryVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - John Kuriyan
- Department of BiochemistryVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTennesseeUSA
- Department of ChemistryVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennesseeUSA
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2
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Cai N, Gao X, Li W, Yang L, Zhao J, Qu J, Zhou Y. Novel trifluoromethyl ketone derivatives as oral cPLA 2/COX-2 dual inhibitors for resolution of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. Bioorg Chem 2024; 148:107453. [PMID: 38761708 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107453] [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: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Thirty-five trifluoromethyl hydrazones and seventeen trifluoromethyl oxime esters were designed and synthesized via molecular hybridization. All the target compounds were initially screened for in vitro anti-inflammatory activity by assessing their inhibitory effect on NO release in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, and the optimal compound was finally identified as 2-(3-Methoxyphenyl)-N'-((6Z,9Z,12Z,15Z)-1,1,1-trifluorohenicosa-6,9,12,15-tetraen-2-ylidene)acetohydrazide (F26, IC50 = 4.55 ± 0.92 μM) with no cytotoxicity. Moreover, F26 potently reduced the production of PGE2 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells compared to indomethacin. The interaction of F26 with COX-2 and cPLA2 was directly verified by the CETSA technique. F26 was found to modulate the phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK and NF-κB p65, as well as the protein expression of IκB, cPLA2, COX-2, and iNOS in LPS-stimulated rat peritoneal macrophages. Additionally, F26 was observed to prevent the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 in LPS-stimulated rat peritoneal macrophages by immunofluorescence localization. Therefore, the aforementioned in vitro experiments demonstrated that F26 blocked the p38 MAPK and NF-κB pathways by binding to COX-2 and cPLA2. In the adjuvant-induced arthritis model, F26 demonstrated a significant effect in preventing arthritis symptoms and inflammatory status in rats, exerting an immunomodulatory role by regulating the homeostasis between Th17 and Treg through inhibition of the p38 MAPK/cPLA2/COX-2/PGE2 and NF-κB pathways. Encouragingly, F26 caused less acute ulcerogenicity in rats at a dose of 50 mg/kg compared to indomethacin. Overall, F26 is a promising candidate worthy of further investigation for treating inflammation and associated pain with lesser gastrointestinal irritation, as well as other symptoms in which cPLA2 and COX-2 are implicated in the pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, Dalian 116024, PR China
| | - Xiang Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, Dalian 116024, PR China
| | - Wenjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, Dalian 116024, PR China
| | - Li Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, Dalian 116024, PR China.
| | - Jinfeng Zhao
- Instrumental Analysis Center, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, Dalian 116024, PR China.
| | - Jingping Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, Dalian 116024, PR China.
| | - Yuhan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, Dalian 116024, PR China.
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3
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Pilotto F, Del Bondio A, Puccio H. Hereditary Ataxias: From Bench to Clinic, Where Do We Stand? Cells 2024; 13:319. [PMID: 38391932 PMCID: PMC10886822 DOI: 10.3390/cells13040319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Cerebellar ataxias are a wide heterogeneous group of movement disorders. Within this broad umbrella of diseases, there are both genetics and sporadic forms. The clinical presentation of these conditions can exhibit a diverse range of symptoms across different age groups, spanning from pure cerebellar manifestations to sensory ataxia and multisystemic diseases. Over the last few decades, advancements in our understanding of genetics and molecular pathophysiology related to both dominant and recessive ataxias have propelled the field forward, paving the way for innovative therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing and arresting the progression of these diseases. Nevertheless, the rarity of certain forms of ataxia continues to pose challenges, leading to limited insights into the etiology of the disease and the identification of target pathways. Additionally, the lack of suitable models hampers efforts to comprehensively understand the molecular foundations of disease's pathophysiology and test novel therapeutic interventions. In the following review, we describe the epidemiology, symptomatology, and pathological progression of hereditary ataxia, including both the prevalent and less common forms of these diseases. Furthermore, we illustrate the diverse molecular pathways and therapeutic approaches currently undergoing investigation in both pre-clinical studies and clinical trials. Finally, we address the existing and anticipated challenges within this field, encompassing both basic research and clinical endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Pilotto
- Institut Neuromyogène, Pathophysiology and Genetics of Neuron and Muscle, Inserm U1315, CNRS-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 UMR5261, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Andrea Del Bondio
- Institut Neuromyogène, Pathophysiology and Genetics of Neuron and Muscle, Inserm U1315, CNRS-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 UMR5261, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Hélène Puccio
- Institut Neuromyogène, Pathophysiology and Genetics of Neuron and Muscle, Inserm U1315, CNRS-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 UMR5261, 69008 Lyon, France
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4
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Tejwani L, Ravindra NG, Lee C, Cheng Y, Nguyen B, Luttik K, Ni L, Zhang S, Morrison LM, Gionco J, Xiang Y, Yoon J, Ro H, Haidery F, Grijalva RM, Bae E, Kim K, Martuscello RT, Orr HT, Zoghbi HY, McLoughlin HS, Ranum LPW, Shakkottai VG, Faust PL, Wang S, van Dijk D, Lim J. Longitudinal single-cell transcriptional dynamics throughout neurodegeneration in SCA1. Neuron 2024; 112:362-383.e15. [PMID: 38016472 PMCID: PMC10922326 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.10.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegeneration is a protracted process involving progressive changes in myriad cell types that ultimately results in the death of vulnerable neuronal populations. To dissect how individual cell types within a heterogeneous tissue contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of a neurodegenerative disorder, we performed longitudinal single-nucleus RNA sequencing of mouse and human spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) cerebellar tissue, establishing continuous dynamic trajectories of each cell population. Importantly, we defined the precise transcriptional changes that precede loss of Purkinje cells and, for the first time, identified robust early transcriptional dysregulation in unipolar brush cells and oligodendroglia. Finally, we applied a deep learning method to predict disease state accurately and identified specific features that enable accurate distinction of wild-type and SCA1 cells. Together, this work reveals new roles for diverse cerebellar cell types in SCA1 and provides a generalizable analysis framework for studying neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon Tejwani
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Neal G Ravindra
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Computer Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Changwoo Lee
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yubao Cheng
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Billy Nguyen
- University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Kimberly Luttik
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Luhan Ni
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Shupei Zhang
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Logan M Morrison
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - John Gionco
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yangfei Xiang
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Hannah Ro
- Yale College, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Rosalie M Grijalva
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Kristen Kim
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Regina T Martuscello
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Harry T Orr
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Huda Y Zoghbi
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hayley S McLoughlin
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
| | - Laura P W Ranum
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for Neurogenetics, College of Medicine, Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Vikram G Shakkottai
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Phyllis L Faust
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Siyuan Wang
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - David van Dijk
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Computer Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Janghoo Lim
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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5
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Paul JW, Muratcioğlu S, Kuriyan J. A Fluorescence-Based Sensor for Calibrated Measurement of Protein Kinase Stability in Live Cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.07.570636. [PMID: 38106090 PMCID: PMC10723428 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.07.570636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Oncogenic mutations can destabilize signaling proteins, resulting in increased or unregulated activity. Thus, there is considerable interest in mapping the relationship between mutations and the stability of proteins, to better understand the consequences of oncogenic mutations and potentially inform the development of new therapeutics. Here, we develop a tool to study protein-kinase stability in live mammalian cells and the effects of the HSP90 chaperone system on the stability of these kinases. We monitor the fluorescence of kinases fused to a fluorescent protein relative to that of a co-expressed reference fluorescent protein. We used this tool to study the dependence of Src- and Raf-family kinases on the HSP90 system. We demonstrate that this sensor reports on destabilization induced by oncogenic mutations in these kinases. We also show that Src-homology 2 (SH2) and Src-homology 3 (SH3) domains, which are required for autoinhibition of Src-family kinases, stabilize these kinase domains in the cell. Our expression-calibrated sensor enables the facile characterization of the effects of mutations and small-molecule drugs on protein-kinase stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W. Paul
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720 USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Bioscience (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720 USA
| | - Serena Muratcioğlu
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232 USA
| | - John Kuriyan
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232 USA
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37240 USA
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6
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Sattarifard H, Safaei A, Khazeeva E, Rastegar M, Davie JR. Mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase (MSK1/2) regulated gene expression in normal and disease states. Biochem Cell Biol 2023; 101:204-219. [PMID: 36812480 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2022-0371] [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] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinases (MSK) are epigenetic modifiers that regulate gene expression in normal and disease cell states. MSK1 and 2 are involved in a chain of signal transduction events bringing signals from the external environment of a cell to specific sites in the genome. MSK1/2 phosphorylate histone H3 at multiple sites, resulting in chromatin remodeling at regulatory elements of target genes and the induction of gene expression. Several transcription factors (RELA of NF-κB and CREB) are also phosphorylated by MSK1/2 and contribute to induction of gene expression. In response to signal transduction pathways, MSK1/2 can stimulate genes involved in cell proliferation, inflammation, innate immunity, neuronal function, and neoplastic transformation. Abrogation of the MSK-involved signaling pathway is among the mechanisms by which pathogenic bacteria subdue the host's innate immunity. Depending on the signal transduction pathways in play and the MSK-targeted genes, MSK may promote or hinder metastasis. Thus, depending on the type of cancer and genes involved, MSK overexpression may be a good or poor prognostic factor. In this review, we focus on mechanisms by which MSK1/2 regulate gene expression, and recent studies on their roles in normal and diseased cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hedieh Sattarifard
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, MB, Canada
| | - Akram Safaei
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, MB, Canada
| | - Enzhe Khazeeva
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, MB, Canada
| | - Mojgan Rastegar
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, MB, Canada
| | - James R Davie
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, MB, Canada
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Sousa A, Rocha S, Vieira J, Reboiro-Jato M, López-Fernández H, Vieira CP. On the identification of potential novel therapeutic targets for spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) neurodegenerative disease using EvoPPI3. J Integr Bioinform 2023; 20:jib-2022-0056. [PMID: 36848492 PMCID: PMC10561075 DOI: 10.1515/jib-2022-0056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
EvoPPI (http://evoppi.i3s.up.pt), a meta-database for protein-protein interactions (PPI), has been upgraded (EvoPPI3) to accept new types of data, namely, PPI from patients, cell lines, and animal models, as well as data from gene modifier experiments, for nine neurodegenerative polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases caused by an abnormal expansion of the polyQ tract. The integration of the different types of data allows users to easily compare them, as here shown for Ataxin-1, the polyQ protein involved in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) disease. Using all available datasets and the data here obtained for Drosophila melanogaster wt and exp Ataxin-1 mutants (also available at EvoPPI3), we show that, in humans, the Ataxin-1 network is much larger than previously thought (380 interactors), with at least 909 interactors. The functional profiling of the newly identified interactors is similar to the ones already reported in the main PPI databases. 16 out of 909 interactors are putative novel SCA1 therapeutic targets, and all but one are already being studied in the context of this disease. The 16 proteins are mainly involved in binding and catalytic activity (mainly kinase activity), functional features already thought to be important in the SCA1 disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Sousa
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135Porto, Portugal
| | - Sara Rocha
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135Porto, Portugal
| | - Jorge Vieira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135Porto, Portugal
| | - Miguel Reboiro-Jato
- Department of Computer Science, CINBIO, Universidade de Vigo, ESEI – Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Informática, 32004Ourense, Spain
- SING Research Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, 36213 Vigo, Spain
| | - Hugo López-Fernández
- Department of Computer Science, CINBIO, Universidade de Vigo, ESEI – Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Informática, 32004Ourense, Spain
- SING Research Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, 36213 Vigo, Spain
| | - Cristina P. Vieira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135Porto, Portugal
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8
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Santarelli S, Londero C, Soldano A, Candelaresi C, Todeschini L, Vernizzi L, Bellosta P. Drosophila melanogaster as a model to study autophagy in neurodegenerative diseases induced by proteinopathies. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1082047. [PMID: 37274187 PMCID: PMC10232775 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1082047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteinopathies are a large group of neurodegenerative diseases caused by both genetic and sporadic mutations in particular genes which can lead to alterations of the protein structure and to the formation of aggregates, especially toxic for neurons. Autophagy is a key mechanism for clearing those aggregates and its function has been strongly associated with the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), hence mutations in both pathways have been associated with the onset of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly those induced by protein misfolding and accumulation of aggregates. Many crucial discoveries regarding the molecular and cellular events underlying the role of autophagy in these diseases have come from studies using Drosophila models. Indeed, despite the physiological and morphological differences between the fly and the human brain, most of the biochemical and molecular aspects regulating protein homeostasis, including autophagy, are conserved between the two species.In this review, we will provide an overview of the most common neurodegenerative proteinopathies, which include PolyQ diseases (Huntington's disease, Spinocerebellar ataxia 1, 2, and 3), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (C9orf72, SOD1, TDP-43, FUS), Alzheimer's disease (APP, Tau) Parkinson's disease (a-syn, parkin and PINK1, LRRK2) and prion diseases, highlighting the studies using Drosophila that have contributed to understanding the conserved mechanisms and elucidating the role of autophagy in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Santarelli
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Chiara Londero
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Alessia Soldano
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Carlotta Candelaresi
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Leonardo Todeschini
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Luisa Vernizzi
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Paola Bellosta
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Department of Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
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9
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Bourquard T, Lee K, Al-Ramahi I, Pham M, Shapiro D, Lagisetty Y, Soleimani S, Mota S, Wilhelm K, Samieinasab M, Kim YW, Huh E, Asmussen J, Katsonis P, Botas J, Lichtarge O. Functional variants identify sex-specific genes and pathways in Alzheimer's Disease. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2765. [PMID: 37179358 PMCID: PMC10183026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38374-z] [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: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of Alzheimer's Disease in females is almost double that of males. To search for sex-specific gene associations, we build a machine learning approach focused on functionally impactful coding variants. This method can detect differences between sequenced cases and controls in small cohorts. In the Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project with mixed sexes, this approach identified genes enriched for immune response pathways. After sex-separation, genes become specifically enriched for stress-response pathways in male and cell-cycle pathways in female. These genes improve disease risk prediction in silico and modulate Drosophila neurodegeneration in vivo. Thus, a general approach for machine learning on functionally impactful variants can uncover sex-specific candidates towards diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Bourquard
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kwanghyuk Lee
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ismael Al-Ramahi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Minh Pham
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Dillon Shapiro
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yashwanth Lagisetty
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Biology and Pharmacology, UTHealth McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Shirin Soleimani
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Samantha Mota
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kevin Wilhelm
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Maryam Samieinasab
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Young Won Kim
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Eunna Huh
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jennifer Asmussen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Panagiotis Katsonis
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Juan Botas
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Olivier Lichtarge
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Computational and Integrative Biomedical Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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10
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Mitroshina EV, Saviuk M, Vedunova MV. Necroptosis in CNS diseases: Focus on astrocytes. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 14:1016053. [PMID: 36778591 PMCID: PMC9911465 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1016053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last few years, necroptosis, a recently described type of cell death, has been reported to play an important role in the development of various brain pathologies. Necroptosis is a cell death mechanism that has morphological characteristics similar to necrosis but is mediated by fundamentally different molecular pathways. Necroptosis is initiated by signaling through the interaction of RIP1/RIP3/MLKL proteins (receptor-interacting protein kinase 1/receptor-interacting protein kinase 3/mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein). RIPK1 kinase is usually inactive under physiological conditions. It is activated by stimulation of death receptors (TNFR1, TNFR2, TLR3, and 4, Fas-ligand) by external signals. Phosphorylation of RIPK1 results in the formation of its complex with death receptors. Further, complexes with the second member of the RIP3 and MLKL cascade appear, and the necroptosome is formed. There is enough evidence that necroptosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of brain ischemia and neurodegenerative diseases. In recent years, a point of view that both neurons and glial cells can play a key role in the development of the central nervous system (CNS) pathologies finds more and more confirmation. Astrocytes play complex roles during neurodegeneration and ischemic brain damage initiating both impair and protective processes. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that induce pathogenic activity of astrocytes remain veiled. In this review, we consider these processes in terms of the initiation of necroptosis. On the other hand, it is important to remember that like other types of programmed cell death, necroptosis plays an important role for the organism, as it induces a strong immune response and is involved in the control of cancerogenesis. In this review, we provide an overview of the complex role of necroptosis as an important pathogenetic component of neuronal and astrocyte death in neurodegenerative diseases, epileptogenesis, and ischemic brain damage.
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11
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Kim G, Nakayama L, Blum JA, Akiyama T, Boeynaems S, Chakraborty M, Couthouis J, Tassoni-Tsuchida E, Rodriguez CM, Bassik MC, Gitler AD. Genome-wide CRISPR screen reveals v-ATPase as a drug target to lower levels of ALS protein ataxin-2. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111508. [PMID: 36288714 PMCID: PMC9664452 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the ataxin-2 gene (ATXN2) cause the neurodegenerative disorders amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2). A therapeutic strategy using antisense oligonucleotides targeting ATXN2 has entered clinical trial in humans. Additional ways to decrease ataxin-2 levels could lead to cheaper or less invasive therapies and elucidate how ataxin-2 is normally regulated. Here, we perform a genome-wide fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)-based CRISPR-Cas9 screen in human cells and identify genes encoding components of the lysosomal vacuolar ATPase (v-ATPase) as modifiers of endogenous ataxin-2 protein levels. Multiple FDA-approved small molecule v-ATPase inhibitors lower ataxin-2 protein levels in mouse and human neurons, and oral administration of at least one of these drugs-etidronate-is sufficient to decrease ataxin-2 in the brains of mice. Together, we propose v-ATPase as a drug target for ALS and SCA2 and demonstrate the value of FACS-based screens in identifying genetic-and potentially druggable-modifiers of human disease proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garam Kim
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Stanford Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Lisa Nakayama
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jacob A Blum
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Stanford Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Tetsuya Akiyama
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Steven Boeynaems
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Meenakshi Chakraborty
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Julien Couthouis
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Caitlin M Rodriguez
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael C Bassik
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Aaron D Gitler
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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12
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Luttik K, Olmos V, Owens A, Khan A, Yun J, Driessen T, Lim J. Identifying Disease Signatures in the Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1 Mouse Cortex. Cells 2022; 11:2632. [PMID: 36078042 PMCID: PMC9454518 DOI: 10.3390/cells11172632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurodegenerative disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is known to lead to the progressive degeneration of specific neuronal populations, including cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs), brainstem cranial nerve nuclei and inferior olive nuclei, and spinocerebellar tracts. The disease-causing protein ataxin-1 is fairly ubiquitously expressed throughout the brain and spinal cord, but most studies have primarily focused on the role of ataxin-1 in the cerebellum and brainstem. Therefore, the functions of ataxin-1 and the effects of SCA1 mutations in other brain regions including the cortex are not well-known. Here, we characterized pathology in the motor cortex of a SCA1 mouse model and performed RNA sequencing in this brain region to investigate the impact of mutant ataxin-1 towards transcriptomic alterations. We identified progressive cortical pathology and significant transcriptomic changes in the motor cortex of a SCA1 mouse model. We also identified progressive, region-specific, colocalization of p62 protein with mutant ataxin-1 aggregates in broad brain regions, but not the cerebellum or brainstem. A cross-regional comparison of the SCA1 cortical and cerebellar transcriptomic changes identified both common and unique gene expression changes between the two regions, including shared synaptic dysfunction and region-specific kinase regulation. These findings suggest that the cortex is progressively impacted via both shared and region-specific mechanisms in SCA1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Luttik
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Victor Olmos
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Ashley Owens
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Joy Yun
- Yale College, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Terri Driessen
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Janghoo Lim
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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13
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Lagisetty Y, Bourquard T, Al-Ramahi I, Mangleburg CG, Mota S, Soleimani S, Shulman JM, Botas J, Lee K, Lichtarge O. Identification of risk genes for Alzheimer's disease by gene embedding. CELL GENOMICS 2022; 2:100162. [PMID: 36268052 PMCID: PMC9581494 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2022.100162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Most disease-gene association methods do not account for gene-gene interactions, even though these play a crucial role in complex, polygenic diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD). To discover new genes whose interactions may contribute to pathology, we introduce GeneEMBED. This approach compares the functional perturbations induced in gene interaction network neighborhoods by coding variants from disease versus healthy subjects. In two independent AD cohorts of 5,169 exomes and 969 genomes, GeneEMBED identified novel candidates. These genes were differentially expressed in post mortem AD brains and modulated neurological phenotypes in mice. Four that were differentially overexpressed and modified neurodegeneration in vivo are PLEC, UTRN, TP53, and POLD1. Notably, TP53 and POLD1 are involved in DNA break repair and inhibited by approved drugs. While these data show proof of concept in AD, GeneEMBED is a general approach that should be broadly applicable to identify genes relevant to risk mechanisms and therapy of other complex diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yashwanth Lagisetty
- Department of Biology and Pharmacology, UTHealth McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Thomas Bourquard
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ismael Al-Ramahi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Carl Grant Mangleburg
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Samantha Mota
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shirin Soleimani
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Joshua M. Shulman
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Juan Botas
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kwanghyuk Lee
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Olivier Lichtarge
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Computational and Integrative Biomedical Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Corresponding author
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14
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Hall A, Abendroth J, Bolejack MJ, Ceska T, Dell’Aiera S, Ellis V, Fox D, François C, Muruthi MM, Prével C, Poullennec K, Romanov S, Valade A, Vanbellinghen A, Yano J, Geraerts M. Discovery and Characterization of a Novel Series of Chloropyrimidines as Covalent Inhibitors of the Kinase MSK1. ACS Med Chem Lett 2022; 13:1099-1108. [PMID: 35859861 PMCID: PMC9290008 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
![]()
We describe the identification and
characterization of a series
of covalent inhibitors of the C-terminal kinase domain (CTKD) of MSK1.
The initial hit was identified via a high-throughput screening and
represents a rare example of a covalent inhibitor which acts via an
SNAr reaction of a 2,5-dichloropyrimidine with a
cysteine residue (Cys440). The covalent mechanism of action was supported
by in vitro biochemical experiments and was confirmed
by mass spectrometry. Ultimately, the displacement of the 2-chloro
moiety was confirmed by crystallization of an inhibitor with the CTKD.
We also disclose the crystal structures of three compounds from this
series bound to the CTKD of MSK1, in addition to the crystal structures
of two unrelated RSK2 covalent inhibitors bound to the CTKD of MSK1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Hall
- UCB, Avenue de l’Industrie, Braine-L’Alleud 1420, Belgium
| | - Jan Abendroth
- UCB Seattle, 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110, United States
| | - Madison J. Bolejack
- UCB Seattle, 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110, United States
| | - Tom Ceska
- UCB, 216 Bath Road, Slough SL1 3WE, U.K
| | | | | | - David Fox
- UCB Seattle, 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110, United States
| | - Cyril François
- NovAliX, Avenue de l’Industrie, Braine-L’Alleud 1420, Belgium
| | - Muigai M. Muruthi
- UCB Seattle, 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110, United States
| | - Camille Prével
- UCB, Avenue de l’Industrie, Braine-L’Alleud 1420, Belgium
| | | | - Sergei Romanov
- NANOSYN, 3100 Central Expressway, Santa Clara, California 95051, United States
| | - Anne Valade
- UCB, Avenue de l’Industrie, Braine-L’Alleud 1420, Belgium
| | | | - Jason Yano
- UCB Boston, 87 Cambridge Park Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140, United States
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15
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Costa MD, Maciel P. Modifier pathways in polyglutamine (PolyQ) diseases: from genetic screens to drug targets. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:274. [PMID: 35503478 PMCID: PMC11071829 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04280-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Polyglutamine (PolyQ) diseases include a group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders caused by unstable expansions of CAG trinucleotide repeats in the coding region of specific genes. Such genetic alterations produce abnormal proteins containing an unusually long PolyQ tract that renders them more prone to aggregate and cause toxicity. Although research in the field in the last years has contributed significantly to the knowledge of the biological mechanisms implicated in these diseases, effective treatments are still lacking. In this review, we revisit work performed in models of PolyQ diseases, namely the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, and provide a critical overview of the high-throughput unbiased genetic screens that have been performed using these systems to identify novel genetic modifiers of PolyQ diseases. These approaches have revealed a wide variety of cellular processes that modulate the toxicity and aggregation of mutant PolyQ proteins, reflecting the complexity of these disorders and demonstrating how challenging the development of therapeutic strategies can be. In addition to the unbiased large-scale genetic screenings in non-vertebrate models, complementary studies in mammalian systems, closer to humans, have contributed with novel genetic modifiers of PolyQ diseases, revealing neuronal function and inflammation as key disease modulators. A pathway enrichment analysis, using the human orthologues of genetic modifiers of PolyQ diseases clustered modifier genes into major themes translatable to the human disease context, such as protein folding and transport as well as transcription regulation. Innovative genetic strategies of genetic manipulation, together with significant advances in genomics and bioinformatics, are taking modifier genetic studies to more realistic disease contexts. The characterization of PolyQ disease modifier pathways is of extreme relevance to reveal novel therapeutic possibilities to delay disease onset and progression in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Daniela Costa
- School of Medicine, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3Bs-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Maciel
- School of Medicine, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
- ICVS/3Bs-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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16
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Lee WS, Al-Ramahi I, Jeong HH, Jang Y, Lin T, Adamski CJ, Lavery LA, Rath S, Richman R, Bondar VV, Alcala E, Revelli JP, Orr HT, Liu Z, Botas J, Zoghbi HY. Cross-species genetic screens identify transglutaminase 5 as a regulator of polyglutamine-expanded ataxin-1. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:e156616. [PMID: 35499073 PMCID: PMC9057624 DOI: 10.1172/jci156616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Many neurodegenerative disorders are caused by abnormal accumulation of misfolded proteins. In spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), accumulation of polyglutamine-expanded (polyQ-expanded) ataxin-1 (ATXN1) causes neuronal toxicity. Lowering total ATXN1, especially the polyQ-expanded form, alleviates disease phenotypes in mice, but the molecular mechanism by which the mutant ATXN1 is specifically modulated is not understood. Here, we identified 22 mutant ATXN1 regulators by performing a cross-species screen of 7787 and 2144 genes in human cells and Drosophila eyes, respectively. Among them, transglutaminase 5 (TG5) preferentially regulated mutant ATXN1 over the WT protein. TG enzymes catalyzed cross-linking of ATXN1 in a polyQ-length-dependent manner, thereby preferentially modulating mutant ATXN1 stability and oligomerization. Perturbing Tg in Drosophila SCA1 models modulated mutant ATXN1 toxicity. Moreover, TG5 was enriched in the nuclei of SCA1-affected neurons and colocalized with nuclear ATXN1 inclusions in brain tissue from patients with SCA1. Our work provides a molecular insight into SCA1 pathogenesis and an opportunity for allele-specific targeting for neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won-Seok Lee
- Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Science Program, and
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ismael Al-Ramahi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Hyun-Hwan Jeong
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, and
| | - Youjin Jang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Tao Lin
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Carolyn J. Adamski
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Laura A. Lavery
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Smruti Rath
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ronald Richman
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Vitaliy V. Bondar
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Elizabeth Alcala
- Exceptional Research Opportunities Program, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jean-Pierre Revelli
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Harry T. Orr
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Zhandong Liu
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, and
| | - Juan Botas
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Huda Y. Zoghbi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, and
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
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17
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Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-activated protein kinases (MAPKAPKs) are defined by their exclusive activation by MAPKs. They can be activated by classical and atypical MAPKs that have been stimulated by mitogens and various stresses. Genetic deletions of MAPKAPKs and availability of highly specific small-molecule inhibitors have continuously increased our functional understanding of these kinases. MAPKAPKs cooperate in the regulation of gene expression at the level of transcription; RNA processing, export, and stability; and protein synthesis. The diversity of stimuli for MAPK activation, the cross talk between the different MAPKs and MAPKAPKs, and the specific substrate pattern of MAPKAPKs orchestrate immediate-early and inflammatory responses in space and time and ensure proper control of cell growth, differentiation, and cell behavior. Hence, MAPKAPKs are promising targets for cancer therapy and treatments for conditions of acute and chronic inflammation, such as cytokine storms and rheumatoid arthritis. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biochemistry, Volume 91 is June 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Ronkina
- Institute of Cell Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany;
| | - Matthias Gaestel
- Institute of Cell Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany;
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18
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Brady DC, Hmeljak J, Dar AC. Understanding and drugging RAS: 40 years to break the tip of the iceberg. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:274631. [PMID: 35244677 PMCID: PMC8905715 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Several cancers and rare genetic diseases are caused by dysregulation in the RAS signaling pathway. RAS proteins serve as molecular switches that regulate pathways involved in cellular growth, differentiation and survival. These pathways have been an intense area of investigation for four decades, since the initial identification of somatic RAS mutations linked to human cancers. In the past few years, inhibitors against several RAS effectors, as well as direct inhibitors of the K-RAS mutant G12C, have been developed. This Special Issue in DMM includes original Research articles on RAS-driven cancers and RASopathies. The articles provide insights into mechanisms and biomarkers, and evaluate therapeutic targets. Several articles also present new disease models, whereas others describe technologies or approaches to evaluate the function of RAS in vivo. The collection also includes a series of Review articles on RAS biology and translational aspects of defining and treating RAS-driven diseases. In this Editorial, we summarize this collection and discuss the potential impact of the articles within this evolving area of research. We also identify areas of growth and possible future developments. Summary: This Editorial introduces DMM’s new Special Issue on the RAS pathway. The Guest Editors reflect on the impact of the featured articles on the landscape of the RAS field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donita C Brady
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Julija Hmeljak
- The Company of Biologists, Bidder Building, Station Road, Histon, Cambridge CB24 9LF, UK
| | - Arvin C Dar
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Tisch Cancer Institute, Center for Therapeutic Discovery, Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029-5674, USA
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19
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Behbahanipour M, García-Pardo J, Ventura S. Decoding the role of coiled-coil motifs in human prion-like proteins. Prion 2021; 15:143-154. [PMID: 34428113 PMCID: PMC8386614 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2021.1961569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions are self-propagating proteins that cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases in humans. However, increasing evidence suggests that eukaryotic cells exploit prion conformational conversion for functional purposes. A recent study delineated a group of twenty prion-like proteins in humans, characterized by the presence of low-complexity glutamine-rich sequences with overlapping coiled-coil (CCs) motifs. This is the case of Mediator complex subunit 15 (MED15), which is overexpressed in a wide range of human cancers. Biophysical studies demonstrated that the prion-like domain (PrLD) of MED15 forms homodimers in solution, sustained by CCs interactions. Furthermore, the same coiled-coil (CC) region plays a crucial role in the PrLD structural transition to a transmissible β-sheet amyloid state. In this review, we discuss the role of CCs motifs and their contribution to amyloid transitions in human prion-like domains (PrLDs), while providing a comprehensive overview of six predicted human prion-like proteins involved in transcription, gene expression, or DNA damage response and associated with human disease, whose PrLDs contain or overlap with CCs sequences. Finally, we try to rationalize how these molecular signatures might relate to both their function and involvement in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molood Behbahanipour
- Institut De Biotecnologia I De Biomedicina (Ibb) and Departament De Bioquímica I Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autónoma De Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier García-Pardo
- Institut De Biotecnologia I De Biomedicina (Ibb) and Departament De Bioquímica I Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autónoma De Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Institut De Biotecnologia I De Biomedicina (Ibb) and Departament De Bioquímica I Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autónoma De Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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20
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Huang H, Toker N, Burr E, Okoro J, Moog M, Hearing C, Lagalwar S. Intercellular Propagation and Aggregate Seeding of Mutant Ataxin-1. J Mol Neurosci 2021; 72:708-718. [PMID: 34826062 PMCID: PMC8986690 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-021-01944-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Intercellular propagation of aggregated protein inclusions along actin-based tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) has been reported as a means of pathogenic spread in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases. Propagation of oligomeric-structured polyglutamine-expanded ataxin-1 (Atxn1[154Q]) has been reported in the cerebellum of a Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) knock-in mouse to correlate with disease propagation. In this study, we investigated whether a physiologically relevant polyglutamine-expanded ATXN1 protein (ATXN1[82Q]) could propagate intercellularly. Using a cerebellar-derived live cell model, we observed ATXN1 aggregates form in the nucleus, subsequently form in the cytoplasm, and finally, propagate to neighboring cells along actin-based intercellular connections. Additionally, we observed the facilitation of aggregate-resistant proteins into aggregates given the presence of aggregation-prone proteins within cells. Taken together, our results support a pathogenic role of intercellular propagation of polyglutamine-expanded ATXN1 inclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyang Huang
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas Toker
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Eliza Burr
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Jeff Okoro
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Maia Moog
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Casey Hearing
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Sarita Lagalwar
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA.
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21
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Leysen S, Burnley RJ, Rodriguez E, Milroy LG, Soini L, Adamski CJ, Nitschke L, Davis R, Obsil T, Brunsveld L, Crabbe T, Zoghbi HY, Ottmann C, Davis JM. A Structural Study of the Cytoplasmic Chaperone Effect of 14-3-3 Proteins on Ataxin-1. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167174. [PMID: 34302818 PMCID: PMC8505757 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Expansion of the polyglutamine tract in the N terminus of Ataxin-1 is the main cause of the neurodegenerative disease, spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1). However, the C-terminal part of the protein - including its AXH domain and a phosphorylation on residue serine 776 - also plays a crucial role in disease development. This phosphorylation event is known to be crucial for the interaction of Ataxin-1 with the 14-3-3 adaptor proteins and has been shown to indirectly contribute to Ataxin-1 stability. Here we show that 14-3-3 also has a direct anti-aggregation or "chaperone" effect on Ataxin-1. Furthermore, we provide structural and biophysical information revealing how phosphorylated S776 in the intrinsically disordered C terminus of Ataxin-1 mediates the cytoplasmic interaction with 14-3-3 proteins. Based on these findings, we propose that 14-3-3 exerts the observed chaperone effect by interfering with Ataxin-1 dimerization through its AXH domain, reducing further self-association. The chaperone effect is particularly important in the context of SCA1, as it was previously shown that a soluble form of mutant Ataxin-1 is the major driver of pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seppe Leysen
- Global Chemistry, UCB Biopharma UK, Slough SL1 3WE, UK
| | | | | | - Lech-Gustav Milroy
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Eindhoven 5600 MB, the Netherlands
| | - Lorenzo Soini
- Global Chemistry, UCB Biopharma UK, Slough SL1 3WE, UK; Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Eindhoven 5600 MB, the Netherlands
| | - Carolyn J Adamski
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Larissa Nitschke
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rachel Davis
- Global Chemistry, UCB Biopharma UK, Slough SL1 3WE, UK
| | - Tomas Obsil
- Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 12843, Czech Republic
| | - Lucas Brunsveld
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Eindhoven 5600 MB, the Netherlands
| | - Tom Crabbe
- Immuno-Bone Discovery, UCB Biopharma UK, Slough SL1 3WE, UK
| | - Huda Yahya Zoghbi
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Eindhoven 5600 MB, the Netherlands
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22
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Elsaey MA, Namikawa K, Köster RW. Genetic Modeling of the Neurodegenerative Disease Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1 in Zebrafish. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7351. [PMID: 34298970 PMCID: PMC8306488 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are progredient neurodegenerative diseases commonly affecting the survival of Purkinje cells (PCs) in the human cerebellum. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is caused by the mutated ataxin1 (Atx1) gene product, in which a polyglutamine stretch encoded by CAG repeats is extended in affected SCA1 patients. As a monogenetic disease with the Atx1-polyQ protein exerting a gain of function, SCA1 can be genetically modelled in animals by cell type-specific overexpression. We have established a transgenic PC-specific SCA1 model in zebrafish coexpressing the fluorescent reporter protein mScarlet together with either human wild type Atx1[30Q] as control or SCA1 patient-derived Atx1[82Q]. SCA1 zebrafish display an age-dependent PC degeneration starting at larval stages around six weeks postfertilization, which continuously progresses during further juvenile and young adult stages. Interestingly, PC degeneration is observed more severely in rostral than in caudal regions of the PC population. Although such a neuropathology resulted in no gross locomotor control deficits, SCA1-fish with advanced PC loss display a reduced exploratory behaviour. In vivo imaging in this SCA1 model may help to better understand such patterned PC death known from PC neurodegeneration diseases, to elucidate disease mechanisms and to provide access to neuroprotective compound characterization in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A. Elsaey
- Division of Cellular & Molecular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany;
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
| | - Kazuhiko Namikawa
- Division of Cellular & Molecular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany;
| | - Reinhard W. Köster
- Division of Cellular & Molecular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany;
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23
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Zhang N, Bewick B, Schultz J, Tiwari A, Krencik R, Zhang A, Adachi K, Xia G, Yun K, Sarkar P, Ashizawa T. DNAzyme Cleavage of CAG Repeat RNA in Polyglutamine Diseases. Neurotherapeutics 2021; 18:1710-1728. [PMID: 34160773 PMCID: PMC8609077 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-021-01075-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
CAG repeat expansion is the genetic cause of nine incurable polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases with neurodegenerative features. Silencing repeat RNA holds great therapeutic value. Here, we developed a repeat-based RNA-cleaving DNAzyme that catalyzes the destruction of expanded CAG repeat RNA of six polyQ diseases with high potency. DNAzyme preferentially cleaved the expanded allele in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) cells. While cleavage was non-allele-specific for spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) cells, treatment of DNAzyme leads to improved cell viability without affecting mitochondrial metabolism or p62-dependent aggresome formation. DNAzyme appears to be stable in mouse brain for at least 1 month, and an intermediate dosage of DNAzyme in a SCA3 mouse model leads to a significant reduction of high molecular weight ATXN3 proteins. Our data suggest that DNAzyme is an effective RNA silencing molecule for potential treatment of multiple polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX USA
| | - Brittani Bewick
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX USA
| | - Jason Schultz
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX USA
| | - Anjana Tiwari
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX USA
| | - Robert Krencik
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX USA
| | - Aijun Zhang
- Center for Bioenergetics, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX USA
| | - Kaho Adachi
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, UC-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Guangbin Xia
- Indiana University School of Medicine-Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, IN USA
| | - Kyuson Yun
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX USA
| | - Partha Sarkar
- Department of Neurology and Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Anatomy, UTMB Health, Galveston, TX USA
| | - Tetsuo Ashizawa
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX USA
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24
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RACK1 modulates polyglutamine-induced neurodegeneration by promoting ERK degradation in Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009558. [PMID: 33983927 PMCID: PMC8118270 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine diseases are neurodegenerative diseases caused by the expansion of polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts within different proteins. Although multiple pathways have been found to modulate aggregation of the expanded polyQ proteins, the mechanisms by which polyQ tracts induced neuronal cell death remain unknown. We conducted a genome-wide genetic screen to identify genes that suppress polyQ-induced neurodegeneration when mutated. Loss of the scaffold protein RACK1 alleviated cell death associated with the expression of polyQ tracts alone, as well as in models of Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) and Huntington's disease (HD), without affecting proteostasis of polyQ proteins. A genome-wide RNAi screen for modifiers of this rack1 suppression phenotype revealed that knockdown of the E3 ubiquitin ligase, POE (Purity of essence), further suppressed polyQ-induced cell death, resulting in nearly wild-type looking eyes. Biochemical analyses demonstrated that RACK1 interacts with POE and ERK to promote ERK degradation. These results suggest that RACK1 plays a key role in polyQ pathogenesis by promoting POE-dependent degradation of ERK, and implicate RACK1/POE/ERK as potent drug targets for treatment of polyQ diseases.
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25
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Dissecting the complexity of CNV pathogenicity: insights from Drosophila and zebrafish models. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 68:79-87. [PMID: 33812298 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2021.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Genetic architecture predisposes regions of the human genome to copy-number variants, which confer substantial disease risk, most prominently towards neurodevelopmental disorders. These variants typically contain multiple genes and are often associated with extensive pleiotropy and variable phenotypic expressivity. Despite the expansion of the fidelity of CNV detection, and the study of such lesions at the population level, understanding causal mechanisms for CNV phenotypes will require biological testing of constituent genes and their interactions. In this regard, model systems amenable to high-throughput phenotypic analysis of dosage-sensitive genes (and combinations thereof) are beginning to offer improved granularity of CNV-driven pathology. Here, we review the utility of Drosophila and zebrafish models for pathogenic CNV regions, highlight the advances made in discovery of single gene drivers and genetic interactions that determine specific CNV phenotypes, and argue for their validity in dissecting conserved developmental mechanisms associated with CNVs.
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26
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Lee WS, Lavery L, Rousseaux MWC, Rutledge EB, Jang Y, Wan YW, Wu SR, Kim W, Al-Ramahi I, Rath S, Adamski CJ, Bondar VV, Tewari A, Soleimani S, Mota S, Yalamanchili HK, Orr HT, Liu Z, Botas J, Zoghbi HY. Dual targeting of brain region-specific kinases potentiates neurological rescue in Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. EMBO J 2021; 40:e106106. [PMID: 33709453 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020106106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A critical question in neurodegeneration is why the accumulation of disease-driving proteins causes selective neuronal loss despite their brain-wide expression. In Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), accumulation of polyglutamine-expanded Ataxin-1 (ATXN1) causes selective degeneration of cerebellar and brainstem neurons. Previous studies revealed that inhibiting Msk1 reduces phosphorylation of ATXN1 at S776 as well as its levels leading to improved cerebellar function. However, there are no regulators that modulate ATXN1 in the brainstem-the brain region whose pathology is most closely linked to premature death. To identify new regulators of ATXN1, we performed genetic screens and identified a transcription factor-kinase axis (ZBTB7B-RSK3) that regulates ATXN1 levels. Unlike MSK1, RSK3 is highly expressed in the human and mouse brainstems where it regulates Atxn1 by phosphorylating S776. Reducing Rsk3 rescues brainstem-associated pathologies and deficits, and lowering Rsk3 and Msk1 together improves cerebellar and brainstem function in an SCA1 mouse model. Our results demonstrate that selective vulnerability of brain regions in SCA1 is governed by region-specific regulators of ATXN1, and targeting multiple regulators could rescue multiple degenerating brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won-Seok Lee
- Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Science Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Laura Lavery
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maxime W C Rousseaux
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Eric B Rutledge
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Youjin Jang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ying-Wooi Wan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sih-Rong Wu
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wonho Kim
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ismael Al-Ramahi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Smruti Rath
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carolyn J Adamski
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vitaliy V Bondar
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ambika Tewari
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shirin Soleimani
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Samantha Mota
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hari K Yalamanchili
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Harry T Orr
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Zhandong Liu
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Juan Botas
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Huda Y Zoghbi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, TX, USA
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27
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Cong C, Liang W, Zhang C, Wang Y, Yang Y, Wang X, Wang S, Huo D, Wang H, Wang D, Feng H. PAK4 suppresses motor neuron degeneration in hSOD1 G93A -linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cell and rat models. Cell Prolif 2021; 54:e13003. [PMID: 33615605 PMCID: PMC8016643 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons (MN). CREB pathway-mediated inhibition of apoptosis contributes to neuron protection, and PAK4 activates CREB signalling in diverse cell types. This study aimed to investigate PAK4's effect and mechanism of action in ALS. METHODS We analysed RNA levels by qRT-PCR, protein levels by immunofluorescence and Western blotting, and apoptosis by flow cytometry and TUNEL staining. Cell transfection was performed for in vitro experiment. Mice were injected intraspinally to evaluate PAK4 function in vivo experiment. Rotarod test was performed to measure motor function. RESULTS The expression and activation of PAK4 significantly decreased in the cell and mouse models of ALS as the disease progressed, which was caused by the negative regulation of miR-9-5p. Silencing of PAK4 increased the apoptosis of MN by inhibiting CREB-mediated neuroprotection, whereas overexpression of PAK4 protected MN from hSOD1G93A -induced degeneration by activating CREB signalling. The neuroprotective effect of PAK4 was markedly inhibited by CREB inhibitor. In ALS models, the PAK4/CREB pathway was inhibited, and cell apoptosis increased. In vivo experiments revealed that PAK4 overexpression in the spinal neurons of hSOD1G93A mice suppressed MN degeneration, prolonged survival and promoted the CREB pathway. CONCLUSIONS PAK4 protects MN from degeneration by activating the anti-apoptotic effects of CREB signalling, suggesting it may be a therapeutic target in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaohua Cong
- Department of Neurology, The First Clinical College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Weiwei Liang
- Department of Neurology, The First Clinical College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Chunting Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Clinical College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Clinical College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yueqing Yang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Clinical College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xudong Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Clinical College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Shuyu Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Clinical College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Di Huo
- Department of Neurology, The First Clinical College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Hongyong Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Clinical College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Di Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Clinical College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Honglin Feng
- Department of Neurology, The First Clinical College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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28
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Nitschke L, Coffin SL, Xhako E, El-Najjar DB, Orengo JP, Alcala E, Dai Y, Wan YW, Liu Z, Orr HT, Zoghbi HY. Modulation of ATXN1 S776 phosphorylation reveals the importance of allele-specific targeting in SCA1. JCI Insight 2021; 6:144955. [PMID: 33554954 PMCID: PMC7934855 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.144955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor incoordination, mild cognitive decline, respiratory dysfunction, and early lethality. It is caused by the expansion of the polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in Ataxin-1 (ATXN1), which stabilizes the protein, leading to its toxic accumulation in neurons. Previously, we showed that serine 776 (S776) phosphorylation is critical for ATXN1 stability and contributes to its toxicity in cerebellar Purkinje cells. Still, the therapeutic potential of disrupting S776 phosphorylation on noncerebellar SCA1 phenotypes remains unstudied. Here, we report that abolishing S776 phosphorylation specifically on the polyQ-expanded ATXN1 of SCA1-knockin mice reduces ATXN1 throughout the brain and not only rescues the cerebellar motor incoordination but also improves respiratory function and extends survival while not affecting the hippocampal learning and memory deficits. As therapeutic approaches are likely to decrease S776 phosphorylation on polyQ-expanded and WT ATXN1, we further disrupted S776 phosphorylation on both alleles and observed an attenuated rescue, demonstrating a potential protective role of WT allele. This study not only highlights the role of S776 phosphorylation to regulate ATXN1 levels throughout the brain but also suggests distinct brain region–specific disease mechanisms and demonstrates the importance of developing allele-specific therapies for maximal benefits in SCA1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa Nitschke
- Program in Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences and.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Stephanie L Coffin
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.,Program in Genetics and Genomics
| | - Eder Xhako
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.,Program in Genetics and Genomics
| | - Dany B El-Najjar
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - James P Orengo
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Neurology, and
| | - Elizabeth Alcala
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yanwan Dai
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ying-Wooi Wan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Zhandong Liu
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Harry T Orr
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Huda Y Zoghbi
- Program in Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences and.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.,Program in Genetics and Genomics.,Department of Neurology, and.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
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29
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Selective neuronal degeneration in MATR3 S85C knock-in mouse model of early-stage ALS. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5304. [PMID: 33082323 PMCID: PMC7576598 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18949-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A missense mutation, S85C, in the MATR3 gene is a genetic cause for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It is unclear how the S85C mutation affects MATR3 function and contributes to disease. Here, we develop a mouse model that harbors the S85C mutation in the endogenous Matr3 locus using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. MATR3 S85C knock-in mice recapitulate behavioral and neuropathological features of early-stage ALS including motor impairment, muscle atrophy, neuromuscular junction defects, Purkinje cell degeneration and neuroinflammation in the cerebellum and spinal cord. Our neuropathology data reveals a loss of MATR3 S85C protein in the cell bodies of Purkinje cells and motor neurons, suggesting that a decrease in functional MATR3 levels or loss of MATR3 function contributes to neuronal defects. Our findings demonstrate that the MATR3 S85C mouse model mimics aspects of early-stage ALS and would be a promising tool for future basic and preclinical research.
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30
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Wang L, Adamski CJ, Bondar VV, Craigen E, Collette JR, Pang K, Han K, Jain A, Y Jung S, Liu Z, Sifers RN, Holder JL, Zoghbi HY. A kinome-wide RNAi screen identifies ERK2 as a druggable regulator of Shank3 stability. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:2504-2516. [PMID: 30696942 PMCID: PMC6663662 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0325-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Neurons are sensitive to changes in the dosage of many genes, especially those regulating synaptic functions. Haploinsufficiency of SHANK3 causes Phelan-McDermid syndrome and autism, whereas duplication of the same gene leads to SHANK3 duplication syndrome, a disorder characterized by neuropsychiatric phenotypes including hyperactivity and bipolar disorder as well as epilepsy. We recently demonstrated the functional modularity of Shank3, which suggests that normalizing levels of Shank3 itself might be more fruitful than correcting pathways that function downstream of it for treatment of disorders caused by alterations in SHANK3 dosage. To identify upstream regulators of Shank3 abundance, we performed a kinome-wide siRNA screen and identified multiple kinases that potentially regulate Shank3 protein stability. Interestingly, we discovered that several kinases in the MEK/ERK2 pathway destabilize Shank3 and that genetic deletion and pharmacological inhibition of ERK2 increases Shank3 abundance in vivo. Mechanistically, we show that ERK2 binds Shank3 and phosphorylates it at three residues to promote its poly-ubiquitination-dependent degradation. Altogether, our findings uncover a druggable pathway as a potential therapeutic target for disorders with reduced SHANK3 dosage, provide a rich resource for studying Shank3 regulation, and demonstrate the feasibility of this approach for identifying regulators of dosage-sensitive genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Carolyn J Adamski
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Vitaliy V Bondar
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Evelyn Craigen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - John R Collette
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kaifang Pang
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kihoon Han
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Division of Brain Korea 21 Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Antrix Jain
- Alkek Center for Molecular Discovery, Verna and Marrs McLean, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sung Y Jung
- Alkek Center for Molecular Discovery, Verna and Marrs McLean, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zhandong Liu
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Richard N Sifers
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - J Lloyd Holder
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Huda Y Zoghbi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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31
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Tejwani L, Lim J. Pathogenic mechanisms underlying spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:4015-4029. [PMID: 32306062 PMCID: PMC7541529 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03520-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The family of hereditary cerebellar ataxias is a large group of disorders with heterogenous clinical manifestations and genetic etiologies. Among these, over 30 autosomal dominantly inherited subtypes have been identified, collectively referred to as the spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs). Generally, the SCAs are characterized by a progressive gait impairment with classical cerebellar features, and in a subset of SCAs, accompanied by extra-cerebellar features. Beyond the common gait impairment and cerebellar atrophy, the wide range of additional clinical features observed across the SCAs is likely explained by the diverse set of mutated genes that encode proteins with seemingly disparate functional roles in nervous system biology. By synthesizing knowledge obtained from studies of the various SCAs over the past several decades, convergence onto a few key cellular changes, namely ion channel dysfunction and transcriptional dysregulation, has become apparent and may represent central mechanisms of cerebellar disease pathogenesis. This review will detail our current understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of the SCAs, focusing primarily on the first described autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia, SCA1, as well as the emerging common core mechanisms across the various SCAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon Tejwani
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Janghoo Lim
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
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32
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Nitschke L, Tewari A, Coffin SL, Xhako E, Pang K, Gennarino VA, Johnson JL, Blanco FA, Liu Z, Zoghbi HY. miR760 regulates ATXN1 levels via interaction with its 5' untranslated region. Genes Dev 2020; 34:1147-1160. [PMID: 32763910 PMCID: PMC7462065 DOI: 10.1101/gad.339317.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Identifying modifiers of dosage-sensitive genes involved in neurodegenerative disorders is imperative to discover novel genetic risk factors and potential therapeutic entry points. In this study, we focus on Ataxin-1 (ATXN1), a dosage-sensitive gene involved in the neurodegenerative disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1). While the precise maintenance of ATXN1 levels is essential to prevent disease, the mechanisms that regulate ATXN1 expression remain largely unknown. We demonstrate that ATXN1's unusually long 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) negatively regulates its expression via posttranscriptional mechanisms. Based on recent reports that microRNAs (miRNAs) can interact with both 3' and 5' UTRs to regulate their target genes, we identify miR760 as a negative regulator that binds to a conserved site in ATXN1's 5' UTR to induce RNA degradation and translational inhibition. We found that delivery of Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-expressing miR760 in the cerebellum reduces ATXN1 levels in vivo and mitigates motor coordination deficits in a mouse model of SCA1. These findings provide new insights into the regulation of ATXN1 levels, present additional evidence for miRNA-mediated gene regulation via 5' UTR binding, and raise the possibility that noncoding mutations in the ATXN1 locus may act as risk factors for yet to be discovered progressive ataxias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa Nitschke
- Program in Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Ambika Tewari
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Stephanie L Coffin
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Program in Genetics and Genomics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Eder Xhako
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Program in Genetics and Genomics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Kaifang Pang
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Vincenzo A Gennarino
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Jennifer L Johnson
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Francisco A Blanco
- Program in Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Zhandong Liu
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Huda Y Zoghbi
- Program in Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Program in Genetics and Genomics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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33
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Sun L, Zhang J, Chen W, Chen Y, Zhang X, Yang M, Xiao M, Ma F, Yao Y, Ye M, Zhang Z, Chen K, Chen F, Ren Y, Ni S, Zhang X, Yan Z, Sun Z, Zhou H, Yang H, Xie S, Haque ME, Huang K, Yang Y. Attenuation of epigenetic regulator SMARCA4 and ERK-ETS signaling suppresses aging-related dopaminergic degeneration. Aging Cell 2020; 19:e13210. [PMID: 32749068 PMCID: PMC7511865 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
How complex interactions of genetic, environmental factors and aging jointly contribute to dopaminergic degeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD) is largely unclear. Here, we applied frequent gene co‐expression analysis on human patient substantia nigra‐specific microarray datasets to identify potential novel disease‐related genes. In vivo Drosophila studies validated two of 32 candidate genes, a chromatin‐remodeling factor SMARCA4 and a biliverdin reductase BLVRA. Inhibition of SMARCA4 was able to prevent aging‐dependent dopaminergic degeneration not only caused by overexpression of BLVRA but also in four most common Drosophila PD models. Furthermore, down‐regulation of SMARCA4 specifically in the dopaminergic neurons prevented shortening of life span caused by α‐synuclein and LRRK2. Mechanistically, aberrant SMARCA4 and BLVRA converged on elevated ERK‐ETS activity, attenuation of which by either genetic or pharmacological manipulation effectively suppressed dopaminergic degeneration in Drosophila in vivo. Down‐regulation of SMARCA4 or drug inhibition of MEK/ERK also mitigated mitochondrial defects in PINK1 (a PD‐associated gene)‐deficient human cells. Our findings underscore the important role of epigenetic regulators and implicate a common signaling axis for therapeutic intervention in normal aging and a broad range of age‐related disorders including PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Sun
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics School of Medicine Indiana University Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Wenfeng Chen
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Yun Chen
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Mingjuan Yang
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Min Xiao
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Fujun Ma
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Yizhou Yao
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Meina Ye
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Zhenkun Zhang
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Kai Chen
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Fei Chen
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Yujun Ren
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Shiwei Ni
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Xi Zhang
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
| | - Zhangming Yan
- MOE Key Lab of Bioinformatics School of Life Sciences Tsinghua University Beijing China
| | - Zhi‐Rong Sun
- MOE Key Lab of Bioinformatics School of Life Sciences Tsinghua University Beijing China
| | - Hai‐Meng Zhou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Enzymology Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University Jiaxing China
| | - Hongqin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Science and Technology for Medicine Ministry of Education Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
| | - Shusen Xie
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Science and Technology for Medicine Ministry of Education Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
| | - M. Emdadul Haque
- Department of Biochemistry College of Medicine and Health Sciences United Arab Emirates University Al‐Ain United Arab Emirates
| | - Kun Huang
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
- Department of Hematology and Oncology School of Medicine Indiana University Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Yufeng Yang
- Institute of Life Sciences Fuzhou University Fuzhou Fujian China
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Science and Technology for Medicine Ministry of Education Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
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34
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Javed S, Selliah T, Lee YJ, Huang WH. Dosage-sensitive genes in autism spectrum disorders: From neurobiology to therapy. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 118:538-567. [PMID: 32858083 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of heterogenous neurodevelopmental disorders affecting 1 in 59 children. Syndromic ASDs are commonly associated with chromosomal rearrangements or dosage imbalance involving a single gene. Many of these genes are dosage-sensitive and regulate transcription, protein homeostasis, and synaptic function in the brain. Despite vastly different molecular perturbations, syndromic ASDs share core symptoms including social dysfunction and repetitive behavior. However, each ASD subtype has a unique pathogenic mechanism and combination of comorbidities that require individual attention. We have learned a great deal about how these dosage-sensitive genes control brain development and behaviors from genetically-engineered mice. Here we describe the clinical features of eight monogenic neurodevelopmental disorders caused by dosage imbalance of four genes, as well as recent advances in using genetic mouse models to understand their pathogenic mechanisms and develop intervention strategies. We propose that applying newly developed quantitative molecular and neuroscience technologies will advance our understanding of the unique neurobiology of each disorder and enable the development of personalized therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sehrish Javed
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Tharushan Selliah
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Yu-Ju Lee
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Wei-Hsiang Huang
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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35
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O'Callaghan B, Hofstra B, Handler HP, Kordasiewicz HB, Cole T, Duvick L, Friedrich J, Rainwater O, Yang P, Benneyworth M, Nichols-Meade T, Heal W, Ter Haar R, Henzler C, Orr HT. Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapeutic Approach for Suppression of Ataxin-1 Expression: A Safety Assessment. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2020; 21:1006-1016. [PMID: 32818920 PMCID: PMC7452125 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2020.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a lethal, autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the ATAXIN-1 (ATXN1) protein. Preclinical studies demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of approaches that target and reduce Atxn1 expression in a non-allele-specific manner. However, studies using Atxn1−/− mice raise cautionary notes that therapeutic reductions of ATXN1 might lead to undesirable effects such as reduction in the activity of the tumor suppressor Capicua (CIC), activation of the protease β-secretase 1 (BACE1) and subsequent increased amyloidogenic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), or a reduction in hippocampal neuronal precursor cells that would impact hippocampal function. Here, we tested whether an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-mediated reduction of Atxn1 produced unwanted effects involving BACE1, CIC activity, or reduction in hippocampal neuronal precursor cells. Notably, no effects on BACE1, CIC tumor suppressor function, or number of hippocampal neuronal precursor cells were found in mice subjected to a chronic in vivo ASO-mediated reduction of Atxn1. These data provide further support for targeted reductions of ATXN1 as a therapeutic approach for SCA1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennon O'Callaghan
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Bente Hofstra
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Hillary P Handler
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Tracy Cole
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Lisa Duvick
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jillian Friedrich
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Orion Rainwater
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Praseuth Yang
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | | | - Wesley Heal
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Rachel Ter Haar
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Christine Henzler
- Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Harry T Orr
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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36
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Zhang S, Williamson NA, Duvick L, Lee A, Orr HT, Korlin-Downs A, Yang P, Mok YF, Jans DA, Bogoyevitch MA. The ataxin-1 interactome reveals direct connection with multiple disrupted nuclear transport pathways. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3343. [PMID: 32620905 PMCID: PMC7334205 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17145-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tract form of ataxin-1 drives disease progression in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1). Although known to form distinctive intranuclear bodies, the cellular pathways and processes that polyQ-ataxin-1 influences remain poorly understood. Here we identify the direct and proximal partners constituting the interactome of ataxin-1[85Q] in Neuro-2a cells, pathways analyses indicating a significant enrichment of essential nuclear transporters, pointing to disruptions in nuclear transport processes in the presence of elevated levels of ataxin-1. Our direct assessments of nuclear transporters and their cargoes confirm these observations, revealing disrupted trafficking often with relocalisation of transporters and/or cargoes to ataxin-1[85Q] nuclear bodies. Analogous changes in importin-β1, nucleoporin 98 and nucleoporin 62 nuclear rim staining are observed in Purkinje cells of ATXN1[82Q] mice. The results highlight a disruption of multiple essential nuclear protein trafficking pathways by polyQ-ataxin-1, a key contribution to furthering understanding of pathogenic mechanisms initiated by polyQ tract proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunyuan Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Nicholas A Williamson
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Lisa Duvick
- Institute of Translational Neuroscience, and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Alexander Lee
- Nuclear Signalling Lab., Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Harry T Orr
- Institute of Translational Neuroscience, and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Austin Korlin-Downs
- Institute of Translational Neuroscience, and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Praseuth Yang
- Institute of Translational Neuroscience, and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Yee-Foong Mok
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - David A Jans
- Nuclear Signalling Lab., Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Marie A Bogoyevitch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
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37
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Huichalaf CH, Al-Ramahi I, Park KW, Grunke SD, Lu N, de Haro M, El-Zein K, Gallego-Flores T, Perez AM, Jung SY, Botas J, Zoghbi HY, Jankowsky JL. Cross-species genetic screens to identify kinase targets for APP reduction in Alzheimer's disease. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 28:2014-2029. [PMID: 30753434 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
An early hallmark of Alzheimer's disease is the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ), inspiring numerous therapeutic strategies targeting this peptide. An alternative approach is to destabilize the amyloid beta precursor protein (APP) from which Aβ is derived. We interrogated innate pathways governing APP stability using a siRNA screen for modifiers whose own reduction diminished APP in human cell lines and transgenic Drosophila. As proof of principle, we validated PKCβ-a known modifier identified by the screen-in an APP transgenic mouse model. PKCβ was genetically targeted using a novel adeno-associated virus shuttle vector to deliver microRNA-adapted shRNA via intracranial injection. In vivo reduction of PKCβ initially diminished APP and delayed plaque formation. Despite persistent PKCβ suppression, the effect on APP and amyloid diminished over time. Our study advances this approach for mining druggable modifiers of disease-associated proteins, while cautioning that prolonged in vivo validation may be needed to reveal emergent limitations on efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ismael Al-Ramahi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Nan Lu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maria de Haro
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Karla El-Zein
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tatiana Gallego-Flores
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Alma M Perez
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Juan Botas
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Huda Y Zoghbi
- Department of Neuroscience.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics.,Department of Pediatrics.,Department of Neurology.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Joanna L Jankowsky
- Department of Neuroscience.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.,Department of Neurology.,Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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38
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Chen CA, Pal R, Yin J, Tao H, Amawi A, Sabo A, Bainbridge MN, Gibbs RA, Zoghbi HY, Schaaf CP. Combination of whole exome sequencing and animal modeling identifies TMPRSS9 as a candidate gene for autism spectrum disorder. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 29:459-470. [PMID: 31943016 PMCID: PMC7015847 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders are associated with some degree of developmental regression in up to 30% of all cases. Rarely, however, is the regression so extreme that a developmentally advanced young child would lose almost all ability to communicate and interact with her surroundings. We applied trio whole exome sequencing to a young woman who experienced extreme developmental regression starting at 2.5 years of age and identified compound heterozygous nonsense mutations in TMPRSS9, which encodes for polyserase-1, a transmembrane serine protease of poorly understood physiological function. Using semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction, we showed that Tmprss9 is expressed in various mouse tissues, including the brain. To study the consequences of TMPRSS9 loss of function on the mammalian brain, we generated a knockout mouse model. Through a battery of behavioral assays, we found that Tmprss9-/- mice showed decreased social interest and social recognition. We observed a borderline recognition memory deficit by novel object recognition in aged Tmprss9-/- female mice, but not in aged Tmprss9-/- male mice or younger adult Tmprss9-/- mice in both sexes. This study provides evidence to suggest that loss of function variants in TMPRSS9 are related to an autism spectrum disorder. However, the identification of more individuals with similar phenotypes and TMPRSS9 loss of function variants is required to establish a robust gene-disease relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-An Chen
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rituraj Pal
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jiani Yin
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Huifang Tao
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Abdallah Amawi
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Aniko Sabo
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Richard A Gibbs
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Huda Y Zoghbi
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Christian P Schaaf
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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39
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Recent Advances in the Treatment of Cerebellar Disorders. Brain Sci 2019; 10:brainsci10010011. [PMID: 31878024 PMCID: PMC7017280 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Various etiopathologies affect the cerebellum, resulting in the development of cerebellar ataxias (CAs), a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized clinically by movement incoordination, affective dysregulation, and cognitive dysmetria. Recent progress in clinical and basic research has opened the door of the ‘‘era of therapy” of CAs. The therapeutic rationale of cerebellar diseases takes into account the capacity of the cerebellum to compensate for pathology and restoration, which is collectively termed cerebellar reserve. In general, treatments of CAs are classified into two categories: cause-cure treatments, aimed at arresting disease progression, and neuromodulation therapies, aimed at potentiating cerebellar reserve. Both forms of therapies should be introduced as soon as possible, at a time where cerebellar reserve is still preserved. Clinical studies have established evidence-based cause-cure treatments for metabolic and immune-mediated CAs. Elaborate protocols of rehabilitation and non-invasive cerebellar stimulation facilitate cerebellar reserve, leading to recovery in the case of controllable pathologies (metabolic and immune-mediated CAs) and delay of disease progression in the case of uncontrollable pathologies (degenerative CAs). Furthermore, recent advances in molecular biology have encouraged the development of new forms of therapies: the molecular targeting therapy, which manipulates impaired RNA or proteins, and the neurotransplantation therapy, which delays cell degeneration and facilitates compensatory functions. The present review focuses on the therapeutic rationales of these recently developed therapeutic modalities, highlighting the underlying pathogenesis.
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Becceneri AB, Fuzer AM, Popolin CP, Cazal CDM, Domingues VDC, Fernandes JB, Vieira PC, Cominetti MR. Acetylation of cedrelone increases its cytotoxic activity and reverts the malignant phenotype of breast cancer cells in 3D culture. Chem Biol Interact 2019; 316:108920. [PMID: 31857088 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2019.108920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Cedrelone is a limonoid isolated from the plant Trichilia catigua (Meliaceae). Previous studies have demonstrated that cedrelone (1) has several damaging effects on triple negative breast tumor (TNBC) cell line MDA-MB-231. In this work we investigated two new derivatives of cedrelone, the acetate (1a) and the mesylate (1b), to examine whether their effects are improved in comparison to the lead molecule. Cedrelone acetate (1a) was the most cytotoxic compound on TNBC cells and was chosen for additional analyses in traditional two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cultures and three-dimensional (3D) assays. In 2D, 1a induced cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and inhibited essential steps of the metastasis process of the MDA-MB-231 cells, in vitro. Moreover, 1a was able to revert the malignant phenotype of the T4-2 cells in 3D. These effects were concomitant with the downregulation of EGFR, β1-integrin and phospho-Akt, which could have resulted in a decrease of NFκB levels and MMP9 activity. These results suggest that 1a could be used as an important model for the design of a new drug to be applied in cancer treatment and be further studied in vivo for its antitumor and antimetastatic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Blanque Becceneri
- Department of Gerontology, Federal University of São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luís, Km 235 - São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
| | - Angelina Maria Fuzer
- Department of Gerontology, Federal University of São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luís, Km 235 - São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Cecília Patrícia Popolin
- Department of Gerontology, Federal University of São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luís, Km 235 - São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Vanessa de Cássia Domingues
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luis, Km 235 - São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - João Batista Fernandes
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luis, Km 235 - São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Paulo Cezar Vieira
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. do Café, Vila Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcia Regina Cominetti
- Department of Gerontology, Federal University of São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luís, Km 235 - São Carlos, SP, Brazil
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Srinivasan SR, Shakkottai VG. Moving Towards Therapy in SCA1: Insights from Molecular Mechanisms, Identification of Novel Targets, and Planning for Human Trials. Neurotherapeutics 2019; 16:999-1008. [PMID: 31338702 PMCID: PMC6985354 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-019-00763-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of neurodegenerative disorders inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. The SCAs result in progressive gait imbalance, incoordination of the limbs, speech changes, and oculomotor dysfunction, among other symptoms. Over the past few decades, significant strides have been made in understanding the pathogenic mechanisms underlying these diseases. Although multiple efforts using a combination of genetics and pharmacology with small molecules have been made towards developing new therapeutics, no FDA approved treatment currently exists. In this review, we focus on SCA1, a common SCA subtype, in which some of the greatest advances have been made in understanding disease biology, and consequently potential therapeutic targets. Understanding of the underlying basic biology and targets of therapy in SCA1 is likely to give insight into treatment strategies in other SCAs. The diversity of the biology in the SCAs, and insight from SCA1 suggests, however, that both shared treatment strategies and specific approaches tailored to treat distinct genetic causes of SCA are likely needed for this group of devastating neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vikram G Shakkottai
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, 4009 BSRB, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA.
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42
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Simón-Carrasco L, Jiménez G, Barbacid M, Drosten M. The Capicua tumor suppressor: a gatekeeper of Ras signaling in development and cancer. Cell Cycle 2019; 17:702-711. [PMID: 29578365 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2018.1450029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcriptional repressor Capicua (CIC) has emerged as an important rheostat of cell growth regulated by RAS/MAPK signaling. Cic was originally discovered in Drosophila, where it was shown to be inactivated by MAPK signaling downstream of the RTKs Torso and EGFR, which results in signal-dependent responses that are required for normal cell fate specification, proliferation and survival of developing and adult tissues. CIC is highly conserved in mammals, where it is also negatively regulated by MAPK signaling. Here, we review the roles of CIC during mammalian development, tissue homeostasis, tumor formation and therapy resistance. Available data indicate that CIC is involved in multiple biological processes, including lung development, liver homeostasis, autoimmunity and neurobehavioral processes. Moreover, CIC has been shown to be involved in tumor development as a tumor suppressor, both in human as well as in mouse models. Finally, several lines of evidence implicate CIC as a determinant of sensitivity to EGFR and MAPK pathway inhibitors, suggesting that CIC may play a broader role in human cancer than originally anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Simón-Carrasco
- a Molecular Oncology Programme, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO) , Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, Madrid , Spain
| | - Gerardo Jiménez
- b Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona-CSIC , Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona , Spain.,c ICREA , Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona , Spain
| | - Mariano Barbacid
- a Molecular Oncology Programme, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO) , Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, Madrid , Spain
| | - Matthias Drosten
- a Molecular Oncology Programme, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO) , Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, Madrid , Spain
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Abstract
The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) comprise more than 40 autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorders that present principally with progressive ataxia. Within the past few years, studies of pathogenic mechanisms in the SCAs have led to the development of promising therapeutic strategies, especially for SCAs caused by polyglutamine-coding CAG repeats. Nucleotide-based gene-silencing approaches that target the first steps in the pathogenic cascade are one promising approach not only for polyglutamine SCAs but also for the many other SCAs caused by toxic mutant proteins or RNA. For these and other emerging therapeutic strategies, well-coordinated preparation is needed for fruitful clinical trials. To accomplish this goal, investigators from the United States and Europe are now collaborating to share data from their respective SCA cohorts. Increased knowledge of the natural history of SCAs, including of the premanifest and early symptomatic stages of disease, will improve the prospects for success in clinical trials of disease-modifying drugs. In addition, investigators are seeking validated clinical outcome measures that demonstrate responsiveness to changes in SCA populations. Findings suggest that MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy biomarkers will provide objective biological readouts of disease activity and progression, but more work is needed to establish disease-specific biomarkers that track target engagement in therapeutic trials. Together, these efforts suggest that the development of successful therapies for one or more SCAs is not far away.
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44
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Manek R, Nelson T, Tseng E, Rodriguez-Lebron E. 5'UTR-mediated regulation of Ataxin-1 expression. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 134:104564. [PMID: 31381977 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of mutant Ataxin-1 with an abnormally expanded polyglutamine domain is necessary for the onset and progression of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1). Understanding how Ataxin-1 expression is regulated in the human brain could inspire novel molecular therapies for this fatal, dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease. Previous studies have shown that the ATXN1 3'UTR plays a key role in regulating the Ataxin-1 cellular pool via diverse post-transcriptional mechanisms. Here we show that elements within the ATXN1 5'UTR also participate in the regulation of Ataxin-1 expression. PCR and PacBio sequencing analysis of cDNA obtained from control and SCA1 human brain samples revealed the presence of three major, alternatively spliced ATXN1 5'UTR variants. In cell-based assays, fusion of these variants upstream of an EGFP reporter construct revealed significant and differential impacts on total EGFP protein output, uncovering a type of genetic rheostat-like function of the ATXN1 5'UTR. We identified ribosomal scanning of upstream AUG codons and increased transcript instability as potential mechanisms of regulation. Importantly, transcript-based analyses revealed significant differences in the expression pattern of ATXN1 5'UTR variants between control and SCA1 cerebellum. Together, the data presented here shed light into a previously unknown role for the ATXN1 5'UTR in the regulation of Ataxin-1 and provide new opportunities for the development of SCA1 therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachna Manek
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Tiffany Nelson
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | | | - Edgardo Rodriguez-Lebron
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
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45
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Kourkouta E, Weij R, González-Barriga A, Mulder M, Verheul R, Bosgra S, Groenendaal B, Puoliväli J, Toivanen J, van Deutekom JCT, Datson NA. Suppression of Mutant Protein Expression in SCA3 and SCA1 Mice Using a CAG Repeat-Targeting Antisense Oligonucleotide. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2019; 17:601-614. [PMID: 31394429 PMCID: PMC6695277 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) and type 1 (SCA1) are dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders that are currently incurable. Both diseases are caused by a CAG-repeat expansion in exon 10 of the Ataxin-3 and exon 8 of the Ataxin-1 gene, respectively, encoding an elongated polyglutamine tract that confers toxic properties to the resulting proteins. We have previously shown lowering of the pathogenic polyglutamine protein in Huntington's disease mouse models using (CUG)7, a CAG repeat-targeting antisense oligonucleotide. Here we evaluated the therapeutic capacity of (CUG)7 for SCA3 and SCA1, in vitro in patient-derived cell lines and in vivo in representative mouse models. Repeated intracerebroventricular (CUG)7 administration resulted in a significant reduction of mutant Ataxin-3 and Ataxin-1 proteins throughout the brain of SCA3 and SCA1 mouse models, respectively. Furthermore, in both a SCA3 patient cell line and the MJD84.2 mouse model, (CUG)7 induced formation of a truncated Ataxin-3 protein species lacking the polyglutamine stretch, likely arising from (CUG)7-mediated exon 10 skipping. In contrast, skipping of exon 8 of Ataxin-1 did not significantly contribute to the Ataxin-1 protein reduction observed in (CUG)7-treated SCA1154Q/2Q mice. These findings support the therapeutic potential of a single CAG repeat-targeting AON for the treatment of multiple polyglutamine disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rudie Weij
- BioMarin Nederland BV, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jussi Toivanen
- Charles River Discovery Research Services, Kuopio, Finland
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46
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Song H, Li H, Guo S, Pan Y, Fu Y, Zhou Z, Li Z, Wen X, Sun X, He B, Gu H, Zhao Q, Wang C, An P, Luo S, Hu Y, Xie X, Lu B. Targeting Gpr52 lowers mutant HTT levels and rescues Huntington's disease-associated phenotypes. Brain 2019; 141:1782-1798. [PMID: 29608652 PMCID: PMC5972579 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
See Huang and Gitler (doi:10.1093/brain/awy112) for a scientific commentary on this article. Lowering the levels of disease-causing proteins is an attractive treatment strategy for neurodegenerative disorders, among which Huntington’s disease is an appealing disease for testing this strategy because of its monogenetic nature. Huntington’s disease is mainly caused by cytotoxicity of the mutant HTT protein with an expanded polyglutamine repeat tract. Lowering the soluble mutant HTT may reduce its downstream toxicity and provide potential treatment for Huntington’s disease. This is hard to achieve by small-molecule compound drugs because of a lack of effective targets. Here we demonstrate Gpr52, an orphan G protein-coupled receptor, as a potential Huntington’s disease drug target. Knocking-out Gpr52 significantly reduces mutant HTT levels in the striatum and rescues Huntington’s disease-associated behavioural phenotypes in a knock-in Huntington’s disease mouse model expressing endogenous mutant Htt. Importantly, a novel Gpr52 antagonist E7 reduces mutant HTT levels and rescues Huntington’s disease-associated phenotypes in cellular and mouse models. Our study provides an entry point for Huntington’s disease drug discovery by targeting Gpr52.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haikun Song
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hexuan Li
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shimeng Guo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yuyin Pan
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhua Fu
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zijian Zhou
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhaoyang Li
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xue Wen
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoli Sun
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bingqing He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Haifeng Gu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Quan Zhao
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cen Wang
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping An
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shouqing Luo
- Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Translational and Stratified Medicine, University of Plymouth, Research Way, Plymouth, UK
| | - Youhong Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xin Xie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Boxun Lu
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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47
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Jeong HH, Kim SY, Rousseaux MWC, Zoghbi HY, Liu Z. Beta-binomial modeling of CRISPR pooled screen data identifies target genes with greater sensitivity and fewer false negatives. Genome Res 2019; 29:999-1008. [PMID: 31015259 PMCID: PMC6581060 DOI: 10.1101/gr.245571.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The simplicity and cost-effectiveness of CRISPR technology have made high-throughput pooled screening approaches accessible to virtually any laboratory. Analyzing the large sequencing data derived from these studies, however, still demands considerable bioinformatics expertise. Various methods have been developed to lessen this requirement, but there are still three tasks for accurate CRISPR screen analysis that involve bioinformatic know-how, if not prowess: designing a proper statistical hypothesis test for robust target identification, developing an accurate mapping algorithm to quantify sgRNA levels, and minimizing the parameters that need to be fine-tuned. To make CRISPR screen analysis more reliable as well as more readily accessible, we have developed a new algorithm, called CRISPRBetaBinomial or CB2 Based on the beta-binomial distribution, which is better suited to sgRNA data, CB2 outperforms the eight most commonly used methods (HiTSelect, MAGeCK, PBNPA, PinAPL-Py, RIGER, RSA, ScreenBEAM, and sgRSEA) in both accurately quantifying sgRNAs and identifying target genes, with greater sensitivity and a much lower false discovery rate. It also accommodates staggered sgRNA sequences. In conjunction with CRISPRcloud, CB2 brings CRISPR screen analysis within reach for a wider community of researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Hwan Jeong
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Seon Young Kim
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Maxime W C Rousseaux
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Huda Y Zoghbi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Zhandong Liu
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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48
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Deal SL, Yamamoto S. Unraveling Novel Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration Through a Large-Scale Forward Genetic Screen in Drosophila. Front Genet 2019; 9:700. [PMID: 30693015 PMCID: PMC6339878 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegeneration is characterized by progressive loss of neurons. Genetic and environmental factors both contribute to demise of neurons, leading to diverse devastating cognitive and motor disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases in humans. Over the past few decades, the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has become an integral tool to understand the molecular, cellular and genetic mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration. Extensive tools and sophisticated technologies allow Drosophila geneticists to identify and study evolutionarily conserved genes that are essential for neural maintenance. In this review, we will focus on a large-scale mosaic forward genetic screen on the fly X-chromosome that led to the identification of a number of essential genes that exhibit neurodegenerative phenotypes when mutated. Most genes identified from this screen are evolutionarily conserved and many have been linked to human diseases with neurological presentations. Systematic electrophysiological and ultrastructural characterization of mutant tissue in the context of the Drosophila visual system, followed by a series of experiments to understand the mechanism of neurodegeneration in each mutant led to the discovery of novel molecular pathways that are required for neuronal integrity. Defects in mitochondrial function, lipid and iron metabolism, protein trafficking and autophagy are recurrent themes, suggesting that insults that eventually lead to neurodegeneration may converge on a set of evolutionarily conserved cellular processes. Insights from these studies have contributed to our understanding of known neurodegenerative diseases such as Leigh syndrome and Friedreich's ataxia and have also led to the identification of new human diseases. By discovering new genes required for neural maintenance in flies and working with clinicians to identify patients with deleterious variants in the orthologous human genes, Drosophila biologists can play an active role in personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Deal
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
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49
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MTSS1/Src family kinase dysregulation underlies multiple inherited ataxias. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E12407-E12416. [PMID: 30530649 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1816177115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetically heterogeneous spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are caused by Purkinje neuron dysfunction and degeneration, but their underlying pathological mechanisms remain elusive. The Src family of nonreceptor tyrosine kinases (SFK) are essential for nervous system homeostasis and are increasingly implicated in degenerative disease. Here we reveal that the SFK suppressor Missing-in-metastasis (MTSS1) is an ataxia locus that links multiple SCAs. MTSS1 loss results in increased SFK activity, reduced Purkinje neuron arborization, and low basal firing rates, followed by cell death. Surprisingly, mouse models for SCA1, SCA2, and SCA5 show elevated SFK activity, with SCA1 and SCA2 displaying dramatically reduced MTSS1 protein levels through reduced gene expression and protein translation, respectively. Treatment of each SCA model with a clinically approved Src inhibitor corrects Purkinje neuron basal firing and delays ataxia progression in MTSS1 mutants. Our results identify a common SCA therapeutic target and demonstrate a key role for MTSS1/SFK in Purkinje neuron survival and ataxia progression.
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Friedrich J, Kordasiewicz HB, O'Callaghan B, Handler HP, Wagener C, Duvick L, Swayze EE, Rainwater O, Hofstra B, Benneyworth M, Nichols-Meade T, Yang P, Chen Z, Ortiz JP, Clark HB, Öz G, Larson S, Zoghbi HY, Henzler C, Orr HT. Antisense oligonucleotide-mediated ataxin-1 reduction prolongs survival in SCA1 mice and reveals disease-associated transcriptome profiles. JCI Insight 2018; 3:123193. [PMID: 30385727 PMCID: PMC6238731 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.123193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a dominantly inherited ataxia caused by expansion of a translated CAG repeat encoding a glutamine tract in the ataxin-1 (ATXN1) protein. Despite advances in understanding the pathogenesis of SCA1, there are still no therapies to alter its progressive fatal course. RNA-targeting approaches have improved disease symptoms in preclinical rodent models of several neurological diseases. Here, we investigated the therapeutic capability of an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting mouse Atxn1 in Atxn1154Q/2Q-knockin mice that manifest motor deficits and premature lethality. Following a single ASO treatment at 5 weeks of age, mice demonstrated rescue of these disease-associated phenotypes. RNA-sequencing analysis of genes with expression restored to WT levels in ASO-treated Atxn1154Q/2Q mice was used to demonstrate molecular differences between SCA1 pathogenesis in the cerebellum and disease in the medulla. Finally, select neurochemical abnormalities detected by magnetic resonance spectroscopy in vehicle-treated Atxn1154Q/2Q mice were reversed in the cerebellum and brainstem (a region containing the pons and the medulla) of ASO-treated Atxn1154Q/2Q mice. Together, these findings support the efficacy and therapeutic importance of directly targeting ATXN1 RNA expression as a strategy for treating both motor deficits and lethality in SCA1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian Friedrich
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience and.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Brennon O'Callaghan
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience and.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Hillary P Handler
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience and.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience
| | - Carmen Wagener
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience and.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Lisa Duvick
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience and.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Orion Rainwater
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience and.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Bente Hofstra
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience and.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | | | | | - Praseuth Yang
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience and.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Zhao Chen
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience and.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Judit Perez Ortiz
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience and.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience
| | - H Brent Clark
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Gülin Öz
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sarah Larson
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Huda Y Zoghbi
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Christine Henzler
- Research Informatics Support Systems Bioinformatics, Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Harry T Orr
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience and.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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