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Nijs M, Van Damme P. The genetics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Curr Opin Neurol 2024; 37:560-569. [PMID: 38967083 PMCID: PMC11377058 DOI: 10.1097/wco.0000000000001294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has a strong genetic basis, but the genetic landscape of ALS appears to be complex. The purpose of this article is to review recent developments in the genetics of ALS. RECENT FINDINGS Large-scale genetic studies have uncovered more than 40 genes contributing to ALS susceptibility. Both rare variants with variable effect size and more common variants with small effect size have been identified. The most common ALS genes are C9orf72 , SOD1 , TARDBP and FUS . Some of the causative genes of ALS are shared with frontotemporal dementia, confirming the molecular link between both diseases. Access to diagnostic gene testing for ALS has to improve, as effective gene silencing therapies for some genetic subtypes of ALS are emerging, but there is no consensus about which genes to test for. SUMMARY Our knowledge about the genetic basis of ALS has improved and the first effective gene silencing therapies for specific genetic subtypes of ALS are underway. These therapeutic advances underline the need for better access to gene testing for people with ALS. Further research is needed to further map the genetic heterogeneity of ALS and to establish the best strategy for gene testing in a clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Nijs
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Leuven Brain Institute, University of Leuven (KU Leuven)
| | - Philip Van Damme
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Leuven Brain Institute, University of Leuven (KU Leuven)
- Neurology Department, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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2
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Xu T, Weng L, Zhang C, Xiao X, Yang Q, Zhu Y, Zhou Y, Liao X, Luo S, Wang J, Tang B, Jiao B, Shen L. Genetic spectrum features and diagnostic accuracy of four plasma biomarkers in 248 Chinese patients with frontotemporal dementia. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:7281-7295. [PMID: 39254359 PMCID: PMC11485083 DOI: 10.1002/alz.14215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is characterized by phenotypic and genetic heterogeneities. However, reports on the large Chinese FTD cohort are lacking. METHODS Two hundred forty-eight patients with FTD were enrolled. All patients and 2010 healthy controls underwent next generation sequencing. Plasma samples were analyzed for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), α-synuclein (α-syn), neurofilament light chain (NfL), and phosphorylated tau protein 181 (p-tau181). RESULTS Gene sequencing identified 48 pathogenic or likely pathogenic mutations in a total of 19.4% of patients with FTD (48/248). The most common mutation was the C9orf72 dynamic mutation (5.2%, 13/248). Significantly increased levels of GFAP, α-syn, NfL, and p-tau181 were detected in patients compared to controls (all p < 0.05). GFAP and α-syn presented better performance for diagnosing FTD. DISCUSSION We investigated the characteristics of phenotypic and genetic spectrum in a large Chinese FTD cohort, and highlighted the utility of plasma biomarkers for diagnosing FTD. HIGHLIGHTS This study used a frontotemporal dementia (FTD) cohort with a large sample size in Asia to update and reveal the clinical and genetic spectrum, and explore the relationship between multiple plasma biomarkers and FTD phenotypes as well as genotypes. We found for the first time that the C9orf72 dynamic mutation frequency ranks first among all mutations, which broke the previous impression that it was rare in Asian patients. Notably, it was the first time the C9orf72 G4C2 repeat expansion had been identified via whole-genome sequencing data, and this was verified using triplet repeat primed polymerase chain reaction (TP-PCR). We analyzed the diagnostic accuracy of four plasma biomarkers (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP], α-synuclein [α-syn], neurofilament light chain [NfL], and phosphorylated tau protein 181 [p-tau181]) at the same time, especially for α-syn being included in the FTD cohort for the first time, and found GFAP and α-syn had the highest diagnostic accuracy for FTD and its varied subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyan Xu
- Department of NeurologyXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Ling Weng
- Department of NeurologyXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Engineering Research Center of Hunan Province in Cognitive Impairment DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Neurodegenerative and Neurogenetic DiseasesChangshaChina
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Cong Zhang
- Department of NeurologyXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Xuewen Xiao
- Department of NeurologyXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Engineering Research Center of Hunan Province in Cognitive Impairment DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Neurodegenerative and Neurogenetic DiseasesChangshaChina
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Qijie Yang
- Department of NeurologyXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Yuan Zhu
- Department of NeurologyXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Yafang Zhou
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Engineering Research Center of Hunan Province in Cognitive Impairment DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Department of GeriatricsXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Xinxin Liao
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Engineering Research Center of Hunan Province in Cognitive Impairment DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Department of GeriatricsXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Shilin Luo
- Department of NeurologyXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Engineering Research Center of Hunan Province in Cognitive Impairment DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Neurodegenerative and Neurogenetic DiseasesChangshaChina
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Junling Wang
- Department of NeurologyXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Engineering Research Center of Hunan Province in Cognitive Impairment DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Neurodegenerative and Neurogenetic DiseasesChangshaChina
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Beisha Tang
- Department of NeurologyXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Engineering Research Center of Hunan Province in Cognitive Impairment DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Neurodegenerative and Neurogenetic DiseasesChangshaChina
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Brain Research CenterCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- FuRong LaboratoryCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Bin Jiao
- Department of NeurologyXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Engineering Research Center of Hunan Province in Cognitive Impairment DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Neurodegenerative and Neurogenetic DiseasesChangshaChina
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Lu Shen
- Department of NeurologyXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Engineering Research Center of Hunan Province in Cognitive Impairment DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Neurodegenerative and Neurogenetic DiseasesChangshaChina
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative DisordersCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- Brain Research CenterCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
- FuRong LaboratoryCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
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Luan T, Li Q, Huang Z, Feng Y, Xu D, Zhou Y, Hu Y, Wang T. Axonopathy Underlying Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Unraveling Complex Pathways and Therapeutic Insights. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-024-01267-2. [PMID: 39097850 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01267-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive axonopathy, jointly leading to the dying back of the motor neuron, disrupting both nerve signaling and motor control. In this review, we highlight the roles of axonopathy in ALS progression, driven by the interplay of multiple factors including defective trafficking machinery, protein aggregation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Dysfunctional intracellular transport, caused by disruptions in microtubules, molecular motors, and adaptors, has been identified as a key contributor to disease progression. Aberrant protein aggregation involving TDP-43, FUS, SOD1, and dipeptide repeat proteins further amplifies neuronal toxicity. Mitochondrial defects lead to ATP depletion, oxidative stress, and Ca2+ imbalance, which are regarded as key factors underlying the loss of neuromuscular junctions and axonopathy. Mitigating these defects through interventions including neurotrophic treatments offers therapeutic potential. Collaborative research efforts aim to unravel ALS complexities, opening avenues for holistic interventions that target diverse pathological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongshu Luan
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Qing Li
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Zhi Huang
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Yu Feng
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Duo Xu
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Yujie Zhou
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Yiqing Hu
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Tong Wang
- The Brain Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
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Lambert-Smith IA, Shephard VK, McAlary L, Yerbury JJ, Saunders DN. High-content analysis of proteostasis capacity in cellular models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Sci Rep 2024; 14:13844. [PMID: 38879591 PMCID: PMC11180180 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64366-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Disrupted proteome homeostasis (proteostasis) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been a major focus of research in the past two decades. However, the proteostasis processes that become disturbed in ALS are not fully understood. Obtaining more detailed knowledge of proteostasis disruption in association with different ALS-causing mutations will improve our understanding of ALS pathophysiology and may identify novel therapeutic targets and strategies for ALS patients. Here we describe the development and use of a novel high-content analysis (HCA) assay to investigate proteostasis disturbances caused by the expression of several ALS-causing gene variants. This assay involves the use of conformationally-destabilised mutants of firefly luciferase (Fluc) to examine protein folding/re-folding capacity in NSC-34 cells expressing ALS-associated mutations in the genes encoding superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1A4V) and cyclin F (CCNFS621G). We demonstrate that these Fluc isoforms can be used in high-throughput format to report on reductions in the activity of the chaperone network that result from the expression of SOD1A4V, providing multiplexed information at single-cell resolution. In addition to SOD1A4V and CCNFS621G, NSC-34 models of ALS-associated TDP-43, FUS, UBQLN2, OPTN, VCP and VAPB mutants were generated that could be screened using this assay in future work. For ALS-associated mutant proteins that do cause reductions in protein quality control capacity, such as SOD1A4V, this assay has potential to be applied in drug screening studies to identify candidate compounds that can ameliorate this deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella A Lambert-Smith
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.
| | - Victoria K Shephard
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Luke McAlary
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Justin J Yerbury
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Darren N Saunders
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.
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5
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Kinger S, Jagtap YA, Kumar P, Choudhary A, Prasad A, Prajapati VK, Kumar A, Mehta G, Mishra A. Proteostasis in neurodegenerative diseases. Adv Clin Chem 2024; 121:270-333. [PMID: 38797543 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acc.2024.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Proteostasis is essential for normal function of proteins and vital for cellular health and survival. Proteostasis encompasses all stages in the "life" of a protein, that is, from translation to functional performance and, ultimately, to degradation. Proteins need native conformations for function and in the presence of multiple types of stress, their misfolding and aggregation can occur. A coordinated network of proteins is at the core of proteostasis in cells. Among these, chaperones are required for maintaining the integrity of protein conformations by preventing misfolding and aggregation and guide those with abnormal conformation to degradation. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy are major cellular pathways for degrading proteins. Although failure or decreased functioning of components of this network can lead to proteotoxicity and disease, like neuron degenerative diseases, underlying factors are not completely understood. Accumulating misfolded and aggregated proteins are considered major pathomechanisms of neurodegeneration. In this chapter, we have described the components of three major branches required for proteostasis-chaperones, UPS and autophagy, the mechanistic basis of their function, and their potential for protection against various neurodegenerative conditions, like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease. The modulation of various proteostasis network proteins, like chaperones, E3 ubiquitin ligases, proteasome, and autophagy-associated proteins as therapeutic targets by small molecules as well as new and unconventional approaches, shows promise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Kinger
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Yuvraj Anandrao Jagtap
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Prashant Kumar
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Akash Choudhary
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Amit Prasad
- School of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Vijay Kumar Prajapati
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Simrol, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Gunjan Mehta
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Amit Mishra
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
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6
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Rayner SL, Hogan A, Davidson JM, Cheng F, Luu L, Morsch M, Blair I, Chung R, Lee A. Cyclin F, Neurodegeneration, and the Pathogenesis of ALS/FTD. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:214-228. [PMID: 36062310 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221120182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of motor neuron disease and is characterized by the degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons of the brain and spinal cord. ALS is also linked clinically, genetically, and pathologically to a form of dementia known as frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Identifying gene mutations that cause ALS/FTD has provided valuable insight into the disease process. Several ALS/FTD-causing mutations occur within proteins with roles in protein clearance systems. This includes ALS/FTD mutations in CCNF, which encodes the protein cyclin F: a component of a multiprotein E3 ubiquitin ligase that mediates the ubiquitylation of substrates for their timely degradation. In this review, we provide an update on the link between ALS/FTD CCNF mutations and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alison Hogan
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Flora Cheng
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Luan Luu
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Marco Morsch
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ian Blair
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Roger Chung
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Albert Lee
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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7
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Aksoy YA, Cole AJ, Deng W, Hesselson D. Zebrafish CCNF and FUS Mediate Stress-Specific Motor Responses. Cells 2024; 13:372. [PMID: 38474336 DOI: 10.3390/cells13050372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons. Mutations in the cyclin F (CCNF) and fused in sarcoma (FUS) genes have been associated with ALS pathology. In this study, we aimed to investigate the functional role of CCNF and FUS in ALS by using genome editing techniques to generate zebrafish models with genetic disruptions in these genes. Sequence comparisons showed significant homology between human and zebrafish CCNF and FUS proteins. We used CRISPR/Cas9 and TALEN-mediated genome editing to generate targeted disruptions in the zebrafish ccnf and fus genes. Ccnf-deficient zebrafish exhibited abnormal motor neuron development and axonal outgrowth, whereas Fus-deficient zebrafish did not exhibit developmental abnormalities or axonopathies in primary motor neurons. However, Fus-deficient zebrafish displayed motor impairments in response to oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress. The Ccnf-deficient zebrafish were only sensitized to endoplasmic reticulum stress, indicating that ALS genes have overlapping as well as unique cellular functions. These zebrafish models provide valuable platforms for studying the functional consequences of CCNF and FUS mutations in ALS pathogenesis. Furthermore, these zebrafish models expand the drug screening toolkit used to evaluate possible ALS treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yagiz Alp Aksoy
- Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Cancer Diagnosis and Pathology Group, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Alexander J Cole
- Centenary Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Wei Deng
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Daniel Hesselson
- Centenary Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Dey B, Kumar A, Patel AB. Pathomechanistic Networks of Motor System Injury in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:1778-1806. [PMID: 37622689 PMCID: PMC11284732 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230824091601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is the most common, adult-onset, progressive motor neurodegenerative disorder that results in death within 3 years of the clinical diagnosis. Due to the clinicopathological heterogeneity, any reliable biomarkers for diagnosis or prognosis of ALS have not been identified till date. Moreover, the only three clinically approved treatments are not uniformly effective in slowing the disease progression. Over the last 15 years, there has been a rapid advancement in research on the complex pathomechanistic landscape of ALS that has opened up new avenues for successful clinical translation of targeted therapeutics. Multiple studies suggest that the age-dependent interaction of risk-associated genes with environmental factors and endogenous modifiers is critical to the multi-step process of ALS pathogenesis. In this review, we provide an updated discussion on the dysregulated cross-talk between intracellular homeostasis processes, the unique molecular networks across selectively vulnerable cell types, and the multisystemic nature of ALS pathomechanisms. Importantly, this work highlights the alteration in epigenetic and epitranscriptomic landscape due to gene-environment interactions, which have been largely overlooked in the context of ALS pathology. Finally, we suggest that precision medicine research in ALS will be largely benefitted from the stratification of patient groups based on the clinical phenotype, onset and progression, genome, exposome, and metabolic identities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bedaballi Dey
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Hyderabad 500007, Telangana, India
- AcSIR-Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Arvind Kumar
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Hyderabad 500007, Telangana, India
- AcSIR-Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Anant Bahadur Patel
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Hyderabad 500007, Telangana, India
- AcSIR-Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Álvarez I, Tirado-Herranz A, Alvarez-Palomo B, Osete JR, Edel MJ. Proteomic Analysis of Human iPSC-Derived Neural Stem Cells and Motor Neurons Identifies Proteasome Structural Alterations. Cells 2023; 12:2800. [PMID: 38132120 PMCID: PMC10742145 DOI: 10.3390/cells12242800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Proteins targeted by the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) are identified for degradation by the proteasome, which has been implicated in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules present peptides broken down by the proteasome and are involved in neuronal plasticity, regulating the synapse number and axon regeneration in the central or peripheral nervous system during development and in brain diseases. The mechanisms governing these effects are mostly unknown, but evidence from different compartments of the cerebral cortex indicates the presence of immune-like MHC receptors in the central nervous system. METHODS We used human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) differentiated into neural stem cells and then into motor neurons as a developmental model to better understand the structure of the proteasome in developing motor neurons. We performed a proteomic analysis of starting human skin fibroblasts, their matching iPSCs, differentiated neural stem cells and motor neurons that highlighted significant differences in the constitutive proteasome and immunoproteasome subunits during development toward motor neurons from iPSCs. RESULTS The proteomic analysis showed that the catalytic proteasome subunits expressed in fibroblasts differed from those in the neural stem cells and motor neurons. Western blot analysis confirmed the proteomic data, particularly the decreased expression of the β5i (PSMB8) subunit immunoproteasome in MNs compared to HFFs and increased β5 (PSMB5) in MNs compared to HFFs. CONCLUSION The constitutive proteasome subunits are upregulated in iPSCs and NSCs from HFFs. Immunoproteasome subunit β5i expression is higher in MNs than NSCs; however, overall, there is more of a constitutive proteasome structure in MNs when comparing HFFs to MNs. The proteasome composition may have implications for motor neuron development and neurodevelopmental diseases that warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iñaki Álvarez
- Departament de Biologia Cellular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Fisiologia i Immunologia, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; (I.Á.); (A.T.-H.)
| | - Adrián Tirado-Herranz
- Departament de Biologia Cellular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Fisiologia i Immunologia, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; (I.Á.); (A.T.-H.)
| | - Belén Alvarez-Palomo
- Banc de Sang i Teixits, Edifici Dr. Frederic Duran i Jordà, Passeig Taulat, 116, 08005 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Jordi Requena Osete
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 4956 Oslo, Norway
| | - Michael J. Edel
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Discipline of Medical Sciences and Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth 6009, Australia
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10
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Rizzuti M, Sali L, Melzi V, Scarcella S, Costamagna G, Ottoboni L, Quetti L, Brambilla L, Papadimitriou D, Verde F, Ratti A, Ticozzi N, Comi GP, Corti S, Gagliardi D. Genomic and transcriptomic advances in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 92:102126. [PMID: 37972860 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder and the most common motor neuron disease. ALS shows substantial clinical and molecular heterogeneity. In vitro and in vivo models coupled with multiomic techniques have provided important contributions to unraveling the pathomechanisms underlying ALS. To date, despite promising results and accumulating knowledge, an effective treatment is still lacking. Here, we provide an overview of the literature on the use of genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics and microRNAs to deeply investigate the molecular mechanisms developing and sustaining ALS. We report the most relevant genes implicated in ALS pathogenesis, discussing the use of different high-throughput sequencing techniques and the role of epigenomic modifications. Furthermore, we present transcriptomic studies discussing the most recent advances, from microarrays to bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing. Finally, we discuss the use of microRNAs as potential biomarkers and promising tools for molecular intervention. The integration of data from multiple omic approaches may provide new insights into pathogenic pathways in ALS by shedding light on diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, helping to stratify patients into clinically relevant subgroups, revealing novel therapeutic targets and supporting the development of new effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mafalda Rizzuti
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Sali
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Melzi
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Simone Scarcella
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluca Costamagna
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Linda Ottoboni
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Quetti
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Brambilla
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Federico Verde
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonia Ratti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy; Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo Pietro Comi
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Neuromuscular and Rare Diseases Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Corti
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Delia Gagliardi
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
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11
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Ragagnin AMG, Sundaramoorthy V, Farzana F, Gautam S, Saravanabavan S, Takalloo Z, Mehta P, Do-Ha D, Parakh S, Shadfar S, Hunter J, Vidal M, Jagaraj CJ, Brocardo M, Konopka A, Yang S, Rayner SL, Williams KL, Blair IP, Chung RS, Lee A, Ooi L, Atkin JD. ALS/FTD-associated mutation in cyclin F inhibits ER-Golgi trafficking, inducing ER stress, ERAD and Golgi fragmentation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20467. [PMID: 37993492 PMCID: PMC10665471 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46802-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severely debilitating neurodegenerative condition that is part of the same disease spectrum as frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Mutations in the CCNF gene, encoding cyclin F, are present in both sporadic and familial ALS and FTD. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration remain unclear. Proper functioning of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi apparatus compartments is essential for normal physiological activities and to maintain cellular viability. Here, we demonstrate that ALS/FTD-associated variant cyclin FS621G inhibits secretory protein transport from the ER to Golgi apparatus, by a mechanism involving dysregulation of COPII vesicles at ER exit sites. Consistent with this finding, cyclin FS621G also induces fragmentation of the Golgi apparatus and activates ER stress, ER-associated degradation, and apoptosis. Induction of Golgi fragmentation and ER stress were confirmed with a second ALS/FTD variant cyclin FS195R, and in cortical primary neurons. Hence, this study provides novel insights into pathogenic mechanisms associated with ALS/FTD-variant cyclin F, involving perturbations to both secretory protein trafficking and ER-Golgi homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey M G Ragagnin
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Vinod Sundaramoorthy
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Fabiha Farzana
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Shashi Gautam
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Sayanthooran Saravanabavan
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Zeinab Takalloo
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Prachi Mehta
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Dzung Do-Ha
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Sonam Parakh
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Sina Shadfar
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Julie Hunter
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Marta Vidal
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Cyril J Jagaraj
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Mariana Brocardo
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Anna Konopka
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Shu Yang
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Stephanie L Rayner
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Kelly L Williams
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Ian P Blair
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Roger S Chung
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Albert Lee
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Lezanne Ooi
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Julie D Atkin
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia.
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12
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Davidson JM, Wu SSL, Rayner SL, Cheng F, Duncan K, Russo C, Newbery M, Ding K, Scherer NM, Balez R, García-Redondo A, Rábano A, Rosa-Fernandes L, Ooi L, Williams KL, Morsch M, Blair IP, Di Ieva A, Yang S, Chung RS, Lee A. The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase SCF Cyclin F Promotes Sequestosome-1/p62 Insolubility and Foci Formation and is Dysregulated in ALS and FTD Pathogenesis. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:5034-5054. [PMID: 37243816 PMCID: PMC10415446 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03355-2] [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: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)- and frontotemporal dementia (FTD)-linked mutations in CCNF have been shown to cause dysregulation to protein homeostasis. CCNF encodes for cyclin F, which is part of the cyclin F-E3 ligase complex SCFcyclinF known to ubiquitylate substrates for proteasomal degradation. In this study, we identified a function of cyclin F to regulate substrate solubility and show how cyclin F mechanistically underlies ALS and FTD disease pathogenesis. We demonstrated that ALS and FTD-associated protein sequestosome-1/p62 (p62) was a canonical substrate of cyclin F which was ubiquitylated by the SCFcyclinF complex. We found that SCFcyclin F ubiquitylated p62 at lysine(K)281, and that K281 regulated the propensity of p62 to aggregate. Further, cyclin F expression promoted the aggregation of p62 into the insoluble fraction, which corresponded to an increased number of p62 foci. Notably, ALS and FTD-linked mutant cyclin F p.S621G aberrantly ubiquitylated p62, dysregulated p62 solubility in neuronal-like cells, patient-derived fibroblasts and induced pluripotent stem cells and dysregulated p62 foci formation. Consistently, motor neurons from patient spinal cord tissue exhibited increased p62 ubiquitylation. We suggest that the p.S621G mutation impairs the functions of cyclin F to promote p62 foci formation and shift p62 into the insoluble fraction, which may be associated to aberrant mutant cyclin F-mediated ubiquitylation of p62. Given that p62 dysregulation is common across the ALS and FTD spectrum, our study provides insights into p62 regulation and demonstrates that ALS and FTD-linked cyclin F mutant p.S621G can drive p62 pathogenesis associated with ALS and FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennilee M Davidson
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
| | - Sharlynn S L Wu
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Stephanie L Rayner
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Flora Cheng
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Kimberley Duncan
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Carlo Russo
- Computational NeuroSurgery (CNS) Lab, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Michelle Newbery
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience and Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Kunjie Ding
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Natalie M Scherer
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Rachelle Balez
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience and Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Alberto García-Redondo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER U-723), Unidad de ELA, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre de Madrid, SERMAS, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Rábano
- Neuropathology Department and CIEN Tissue Bank, Alzheimer's Centre Reina Sofia-CIEN Foundation, 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - Livia Rosa-Fernandes
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Lezanne Ooi
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience and Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Kelly L Williams
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Marco Morsch
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Ian P Blair
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Antonio Di Ieva
- Computational NeuroSurgery (CNS) Lab, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Shu Yang
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Roger S Chung
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Albert Lee
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Level 1, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
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13
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Bodin A, Greibill L, Gouju J, Letournel F, Pozzi S, Julien JP, Renaud L, Bohl D, Millecamps S, Verny C, Cassereau J, Lenaers G, Chevrollier A, Tassin AM, Codron P. Transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 is enriched at the centrosome in human cells. Brain 2023; 146:3624-3633. [PMID: 37410912 PMCID: PMC10473568 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The centrosome, as the main microtubule organizing centre, plays key roles in cell polarity, genome stability and ciliogenesis. The recent identification of ribosomes, RNA-binding proteins and transcripts at the centrosome suggests local protein synthesis. In this context, we hypothesized that TDP-43, a highly conserved RNA binding protein involved in the pathophysiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration, could be enriched at this organelle. Using dedicated high magnification sub-diffraction microscopy on human cells, we discovered a novel localization of TDP-43 at the centrosome during all phases of the cell cycle. These results were confirmed on purified centrosomes by western blot and immunofluorescence microscopy. In addition, the co-localization of TDP-43 and pericentrin suggested a pericentriolar enrichment of the protein, leading us to hypothesize that TDP-43 might interact with local mRNAs and proteins. Supporting this hypothesis, we found four conserved centrosomal mRNAs and 16 centrosomal proteins identified as direct TDP-43 interactors. More strikingly, all the 16 proteins are implicated in the pathophysiology of TDP-43 proteinopathies, suggesting that TDP-43 dysfunction in this organelle contributes to neurodegeneration. This first description of TDP-43 centrosomal enrichment paves the way for a more comprehensive understanding of TDP-43 physiology and pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia Bodin
- Univ Angers, Equipe MitoLab, Unité MitoVasc, Inserm U1083, CNRS 6015, SFR ICAT, 49100 Angers, France
- Neurobiology and neuropathology, University-Hospital of Angers, 49933 Angers, France
| | - Logan Greibill
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Julien Gouju
- Neurobiology and neuropathology, University-Hospital of Angers, 49933 Angers, France
| | - Franck Letournel
- Neurobiology and neuropathology, University-Hospital of Angers, 49933 Angers, France
| | - Silvia Pozzi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Laval, Québec City, Qc G1V 0A6, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec, Qc G1E 1T2, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Julien
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Laval, Québec City, Qc G1V 0A6, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec, Qc G1E 1T2, Canada
| | - Laurence Renaud
- Département de Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Qc H3C 3J7, Canada
- Groupe de recherche sur le système nerveux central, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Qc H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Delphine Bohl
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Millecamps
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Christophe Verny
- Univ Angers, Equipe MitoLab, Unité MitoVasc, Inserm U1083, CNRS 6015, SFR ICAT, 49100 Angers, France
- Department of Neurology, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Center, University-Hospital of Angers, 49933 Angers, France
| | - Julien Cassereau
- Univ Angers, Equipe MitoLab, Unité MitoVasc, Inserm U1083, CNRS 6015, SFR ICAT, 49100 Angers, France
- Department of Neurology, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Center, University-Hospital of Angers, 49933 Angers, France
| | - Guy Lenaers
- Univ Angers, Equipe MitoLab, Unité MitoVasc, Inserm U1083, CNRS 6015, SFR ICAT, 49100 Angers, France
- Department of Neurology, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Center, University-Hospital of Angers, 49933 Angers, France
| | - Arnaud Chevrollier
- Univ Angers, Equipe MitoLab, Unité MitoVasc, Inserm U1083, CNRS 6015, SFR ICAT, 49100 Angers, France
| | - Anne-Marie Tassin
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Philippe Codron
- Univ Angers, Equipe MitoLab, Unité MitoVasc, Inserm U1083, CNRS 6015, SFR ICAT, 49100 Angers, France
- Neurobiology and neuropathology, University-Hospital of Angers, 49933 Angers, France
- Department of Neurology, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Center, University-Hospital of Angers, 49933 Angers, France
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14
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Akçimen F, Lopez ER, Landers JE, Nath A, Chiò A, Chia R, Traynor BJ. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: translating genetic discoveries into therapies. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:642-658. [PMID: 37024676 PMCID: PMC10611979 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00592-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in sequencing technologies and collaborative efforts have led to substantial progress in identifying the genetic causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This momentum has, in turn, fostered the development of putative molecular therapies. In this Review, we outline the current genetic knowledge, emphasizing recent discoveries and emerging concepts such as the implication of distinct types of mutation, variability in mutated genes in diverse genetic ancestries and gene-environment interactions. We also propose a high-level model to synthesize the interdependent effects of genetics, environmental and lifestyle factors, and ageing into a unified theory of ALS. Furthermore, we summarize the current status of therapies developed on the basis of genetic knowledge established for ALS over the past 30 years, and we discuss how developing treatments for ALS will advance our understanding of targeting other neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulya Akçimen
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Elia R Lopez
- Therapeutic Development Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - John E Landers
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Avindra Nath
- Section of Infections of the Nervous System, National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Adriano Chiò
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, C.N.R, Rome, Italy
- Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Citta' della Salute e della Scienza, Turin, Italy
| | - Ruth Chia
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bryan J Traynor
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Therapeutic Development Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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15
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Scaber J, Thompson AG, Farrimond L, Feneberg E, Proudfoot M, Ossher L, Turner MR, Talbot K. Advantages of routine next-generation sequencing over standard genetic testing in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis clinic. Eur J Neurol 2023; 30:2240-2249. [PMID: 37159497 PMCID: PMC10947345 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Next-generation sequencing has enhanced our understanding of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and its genetic epidemiology. Outside the research setting, testing is often restricted to those who report a family history. The aim of this study was to explore the added benefit of offering routine genetic testing to all patients in a regional ALS centre. METHODS C9ORF72 expansion testing and exome sequencing was offered to consecutive patients (150 with ALS and 12 with primary lateral sclerosis [PLS]) attending the Oxford Motor Neuron Disease Clinic within a defined time period. RESULTS A total of 17 (11.3%) highly penetrant pathogenic variants in C9ORF72, SOD1, TARDBP, FUS and TBK1 were detected, of which 10 were also found through standard clinical genetic testing pathways. The systematic approach resulted in five additional diagnoses of a C9ORF72 expansion (number needed to test [NNT] = 28), and two further missense variants in TARDBP and SOD1 (NNT = 69). Additionally, 3 patients were found to carry pathogenic risk variants in NEK1, and 13 patients harboured common missense variants in CFAP410 and KIF5A, also associated with an increased risk of ALS. We report two novel non-coding loss-of-function splice variants in TBK1 and OPTN. No relevant variants were found in the PLS patients. Patients were offered double-blinded participation, but >80% requested disclosure of the results. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that expanding genetic testing to all patients with a clinical diagnosis of ALS enhances the potential for recruitment to clinical trials, but will have direct resource implications for genetic counselling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Scaber
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Oxford, John Radcliffe HospitalOxfordUK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience DiscoveryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Alexander G. Thompson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Oxford, John Radcliffe HospitalOxfordUK
| | - Lucy Farrimond
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Oxford, John Radcliffe HospitalOxfordUK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience DiscoveryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Emily Feneberg
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Oxford, John Radcliffe HospitalOxfordUK
| | - Malcolm Proudfoot
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Oxford, John Radcliffe HospitalOxfordUK
| | - Lynn Ossher
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Oxford, John Radcliffe HospitalOxfordUK
| | - Martin R. Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Oxford, John Radcliffe HospitalOxfordUK
| | - Kevin Talbot
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Oxford, John Radcliffe HospitalOxfordUK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience DiscoveryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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16
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Bagyinszky E, Hulme J, An SSA. Studies of Genetic and Proteomic Risk Factors of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Inspire Biomarker Development and Gene Therapy. Cells 2023; 12:1948. [PMID: 37566027 PMCID: PMC10417729 DOI: 10.3390/cells12151948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease affecting the upper and lower motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness, motor impairments, disabilities and death. Approximately 5-10% of ALS cases are associated with positive family history (familial ALS or fALS), whilst the remainder are sporadic (sporadic ALS, sALS). At least 50 genes have been identified as causative or risk factors for ALS. Established pathogenic variants include superoxide dismutase type 1 (SOD1), chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (c9orf72), TAR DNA Binding Protein (TARDBP), and Fused In Sarcoma (FUS); additional ALS-related genes including Charged Multivesicular Body Protein 2B (CHMP2B), Senataxin (SETX), Sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1), TANK Binding Kinase 1 (TBK1) and NIMA Related Kinase 1 (NEK1), have been identified. Mutations in these genes could impair different mechanisms, including vesicle transport, autophagy, and cytoskeletal or mitochondrial functions. So far, there is no effective therapy against ALS. Thus, early diagnosis and disease risk predictions remain one of the best options against ALS symptomologies. Proteomic biomarkers, microRNAs, and extracellular vehicles (EVs) serve as promising tools for disease diagnosis or progression assessment. These markers are relatively easy to obtain from blood or cerebrospinal fluids and can be used to identify potential genetic causative and risk factors even in the preclinical stage before symptoms appear. In addition, antisense oligonucleotides and RNA gene therapies have successfully been employed against other diseases, such as childhood-onset spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which could also give hope to ALS patients. Therefore, an effective gene and biomarker panel should be generated for potentially "at risk" individuals to provide timely interventions and better treatment outcomes for ALS patients as soon as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Bagyinszky
- Graduate School of Environment Department of Industrial and Environmental Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea;
| | - John Hulme
- Graduate School of Environment Department of Industrial and Environmental Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea;
| | - Seong Soo A. An
- Department of Bionano Technology, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea
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17
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Antonioni A, Raho EM, Lopriore P, Pace AP, Latino RR, Assogna M, Mancuso M, Gragnaniello D, Granieri E, Pugliatti M, Di Lorenzo F, Koch G. Frontotemporal Dementia, Where Do We Stand? A Narrative Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11732. [PMID: 37511491 PMCID: PMC10380352 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a neurodegenerative disease of growing interest, since it accounts for up to 10% of middle-age-onset dementias and entails a social, economic, and emotional burden for the patients and caregivers. It is characterised by a (at least initially) selective degeneration of the frontal and/or temporal lobe, generally leading to behavioural alterations, speech disorders, and psychiatric symptoms. Despite the recent advances, given its extreme heterogeneity, an overview that can bring together all the data currently available is still lacking. Here, we aim to provide a state of the art on the pathogenesis of this disease, starting with established findings and integrating them with more recent ones. In particular, advances in the genetics field will be examined, assessing them in relation to both the clinical manifestations and histopathological findings, as well as considering the link with other diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Furthermore, the current diagnostic criteria will be explored, including neuroimaging methods, nuclear medicine investigations, and biomarkers on biological fluids. Of note, the promising information provided by neurophysiological investigations, i.e., electroencephalography and non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, concerning the alterations in brain networks and neurotransmitter systems will be reviewed. Finally, current and experimental therapies will be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annibale Antonioni
- Unit of Clinical Neurology, Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Department, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Doctoral Program in Translational Neurosciences and Neurotechnologies, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Emanuela Maria Raho
- Unit of Clinical Neurology, Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Department, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Piervito Lopriore
- Neurological Institute, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Antonia Pia Pace
- Institute of Radiology, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, University Hospital S. Maria della Misericordia, Azienda Sanitaria-Universitaria Friuli Centrale, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Raffaela Rita Latino
- Complex Structure of Neurology, Emergency Department, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Martina Assogna
- Centro Demenze, Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', 00133 Rome, Italy
- Non Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Michelangelo Mancuso
- Neurological Institute, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniela Gragnaniello
- Nuerology Unit, Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Department, Ferrara University Hospital, 44124 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Enrico Granieri
- Unit of Clinical Neurology, Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Department, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Maura Pugliatti
- Unit of Clinical Neurology, Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Department, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Francesco Di Lorenzo
- Non Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomo Koch
- Non Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Iit@Unife Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Section of Human Physiology, Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Department, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
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18
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Stump AL, Rioux DJ, Albright R, Melki GL, Prosser DC. Yeast Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Type 8 Mimic Phenotypes Seen in Mammalian Cells Expressing Mutant VAPB P56S. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1147. [PMID: 37509182 PMCID: PMC10377116 DOI: 10.3390/biom13071147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a complex neurodegenerative disease that results in the loss of motor neurons and can occur sporadically or due to genetic mutations. Among the 30 genes linked to familial ALS, a P56S mutation in VAPB, an ER-resident protein that functions at membrane contact sites, causes ALS type 8. Mammalian cells expressing VAPBP56S have distinctive phenotypes, including ER collapse, protein and/or membrane-containing inclusions, and sensitivity to ER stress. VAPB is conserved through evolution and has two homologs in budding yeast, SCS2 and SCS22. Previously, a humanized version of SCS2 bearing disease-linked mutations was described, and it caused Scs2-containing inclusions when overexpressed in yeast. Here, we describe a yeast model for ALS8 in which the two SCS genes are deleted and replaced with a single chromosomal copy of either wild-type or mutant yeast SCS2 or human VAPB expressed from the SCS2 promoter. These cells display ER collapse, the formation of inclusion-like structures, and sensitivity to tunicamycin, an ER stress-inducing drug. Based on the phenotypic similarity to mammalian cells expressing VAPBP56S, we propose that these models can be used to study the molecular basis of cell death or dysfunction in ALS8. Moreover, other conserved ALS-linked genes may create opportunities for the generation of yeast models of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- AnnaMari L. Stump
- Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
- VCU Life Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Daniel J. Rioux
- Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
- VCU Life Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Richard Albright
- Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Guiliano L. Melki
- Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Derek C. Prosser
- Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
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Farrawell NE, Bax M, McAlary L, McKenna J, Maksour S, Do-Ha D, Rayner SL, Blair IP, Chung RS, Yerbury JJ, Ooi L, Saunders DN. ALS-linked CCNF variant disrupts motor neuron ubiquitin homeostasis. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:2386-2398. [PMID: 37220877 PMCID: PMC10652331 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are fatal neurodegenerative disorders that share pathological features, including the aberrant accumulation of ubiquitinated protein inclusions within motor neurons. Previously, we have shown that the sequestration of ubiquitin (Ub) into inclusions disrupts Ub homeostasis in cells expressing ALS-associated variants superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), fused in sarcoma (FUS) and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43). Here, we investigated whether an ALS/FTD-linked pathogenic variant in the CCNF gene, encoding the E3 Ub ligase Cyclin F (CCNF), also perturbs Ub homeostasis. The presence of a pathogenic CCNF variant was shown to cause ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) dysfunction in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons harboring the CCNF S621G mutation. The expression of the CCNFS621G variant was associated with an increased abundance of ubiquitinated proteins and significant changes in the ubiquitination of key UPS components. To further investigate the mechanisms responsible for this UPS dysfunction, we overexpressed CCNF in NSC-34 cells and found that the overexpression of both wild-type (WT) and the pathogenic variant of CCNF (CCNFS621G) altered free Ub levels. Furthermore, double mutants designed to decrease the ability of CCNF to form an active E3 Ub ligase complex significantly improved UPS function in cells expressing both CCNFWT and the CCNFS621G variant and were associated with increased levels of free monomeric Ub. Collectively, these results suggest that alterations to the ligase activity of the CCNF complex and the subsequent disruption to Ub homeostasis play an important role in the pathogenesis of CCNF-associated ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie E Farrawell
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - Monique Bax
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - Luke McAlary
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - Jessie McKenna
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Simon Maksour
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - Dzung Do-Ha
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - Stephanie L Rayner
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ian P Blair
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Roger S Chung
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Justin J Yerbury
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - Lezanne Ooi
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - Darren N Saunders
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
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20
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Wang H, Guan L, Deng M. Recent progress of the genetics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and challenges of gene therapy. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1170996. [PMID: 37250416 PMCID: PMC10213321 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1170996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The causes of ALS are not fully understood. About 10% of ALS cases were associated with genetic factors. Since the discovery of the first familial ALS pathogenic gene SOD1 in 1993 and with the technology advancement, now over 40 ALS genes have been found. Recent studies have identified ALS related genes including ANXA11, ARPP21, CAV1, C21ORF2, CCNF, DNAJC7, GLT8D1, KIF5A, NEK1, SPTLC1, TIA1, and WDR7. These genetic discoveries contribute to a better understanding of ALS and show the potential to aid the development of better ALS treatments. Besides, several genes appear to be associated with other neurological disorders, such as CCNF and ANXA11 linked to FTD. With the deepening understanding of the classic ALS genes, rapid progress has been made in gene therapies. In this review, we summarize the latest progress on classical ALS genes and clinical trials for these gene therapies, as well as recent findings on newly discovered ALS genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Wang
- Institute of Medical Innovation and Research, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - LiPing Guan
- Institute of Medical Innovation and Research, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Laboratory of Genomics and Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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21
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Zhao B, Jiang Q, Lin J, Wei Q, Li C, Hou Y, Cao B, Zhang L, Ou R, Liu K, Yang T, Xiao Y, Huang R, Shang H. Genetic and Phenotypic Spectrum of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients with CCNF Variants from a Large Chinese Cohort. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:4150-4160. [PMID: 37171577 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03380-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Cyclin F (CCNF) variants have been found to be associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/frontotemporal dementia (FTD). However, the genetic and clinical characteristics of ALS patients who carry CCNF variants are largely unknown. Genetic analysis was performed for 1587 Chinese ALS patients, and missense variants were predicted by software analyses. Additionally, we searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for relevant literature and conducted a meta-analysis of the frequency of variants. In our ALS cohort, we identified 29 nonsynonymous variants in 41 ALS patients. Among these ALS patients, 18 (1.1%) were carriers of 15 rare missense variants that were considered probably pathogenic variants, and 11 of 15 variants were novel. Seven relevant studies were identified, and a total of 43 CCNF variants in 59 ALS patients with a frequency of 0.8% were reported. The ratio of males to females in our cohort (10/8) was similar to that in Caucasian populations (4/7) and significantly higher than that in Asian populations (10/1). The proportion of bulbar onset in Caucasian CCNF carriers was similar to our cohort (25.0 vs. 27.8%); however, bulbar onset had never been reported in previous Asian studies (0/11). FTD was not found in CCNF carriers in previous Asian studies and our cohort, but it has been reported in a FALS cohort (1/75) of Caucasian individuals. There were some differences in the clinical characteristics among different ethnic ALS populations. More basic scientific studies are needed to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms and genotype-phenotype associations of CCNF variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bi Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Qirui Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Junyu Lin
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Qianqian Wei
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Chunyu Li
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yanbing Hou
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Bei Cao
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Lingyu Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Ruwei Ou
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Kuncheng Liu
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Tianmi Yang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yi Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Rui Huang
- Department of Neurology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Huifang Shang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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22
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van Hummel A, Sabale M, Przybyla M, van der Hoven J, Chan G, Feiten AF, Chung RS, Ittner LM, Ke YD. TDP-43 pathology and functional deficits in wild-type and ALS/FTD mutant cyclin F mouse models. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2023; 49:e12902. [PMID: 36951214 PMCID: PMC10946706 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterised by a progressive loss of upper and lower motor neurons leading to muscle weakness and eventually death. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) presents clinically with significant behavioural decline. Approximately 10% of cases have a known family history, and disease-linked mutations in multiple genes have been identified in FTD and ALS. More recently, ALS and FTD-linked variants have been identified in the CCNF gene, which accounts for an estimated 0.6% to over 3% of familial ALS cases. METHODS In this study, we developed the first mouse models expressing either wild-type (WT) human CCNF or its mutant pathogenic variant S621G to recapitulate key clinical and neuropathological features of ALS and FTD linked to CCNF disease variants. We expressed human CCNF WT or CCNFS621G throughout the murine brain by intracranial delivery of adeno-associated virus (AAV) to achieve widespread delivery via somatic brain transgenesis. RESULTS These mice developed behavioural abnormalities, similar to the clinical symptoms of FTD patients, as early as 3 months of age, including hyperactivity and disinhibition, which progressively deteriorated to include memory deficits by 8 months of age. Brains of mutant CCNF_S621G mice displayed an accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins with elevated levels of phosphorylated TDP-43 present in both CCNF_WT and mutant CCNF_S621G mice. We also investigated the effects of CCNF expression on interaction targets of CCNF and found elevated levels of insoluble splicing factor proline and glutamine-rich (SFPQ). Furthermore, cytoplasmic TDP-43 inclusions were found in both CCNF_WT and mutant CCNF_S621G mice, recapitulating the key hallmark of FTD/ALS pathology. CONCLUSIONS In summary, CCNF expression in mice reproduces clinical presentations of ALS, including functional deficits and TDP-43 neuropathology with altered CCNF-mediated pathways contributing to the pathology observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika van Hummel
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Miheer Sabale
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Magdalena Przybyla
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Julia van der Hoven
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Gabriella Chan
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Astrid F. Feiten
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Division of Metabolic Biochemistry, Faculty of MedicineLudwig‐Maximilians‐Universität MünchenMunich81377Germany
| | - Roger S. Chung
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Lars M. Ittner
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Yazi D. Ke
- Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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23
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Suzuki N, Nishiyama A, Warita H, Aoki M. Genetics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: seeking therapeutic targets in the era of gene therapy. J Hum Genet 2023; 68:131-152. [PMID: 35691950 PMCID: PMC9968660 DOI: 10.1038/s10038-022-01055-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an intractable disease that causes respiratory failure leading to mortality. The main locus of ALS is motor neurons. The success of antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a motor neuron disease, has triggered a paradigm shift in developing ALS therapies. The causative genes of ALS and disease-modifying genes, including those of sporadic ALS, have been identified one after another. Thus, the freedom of target choice for gene therapy has expanded by ASO strategy, leading to new avenues for therapeutic development. Tofersen for superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) was a pioneer in developing ASO for ALS. Improving protocols and devising early interventions for the disease are vital. In this review, we updated the knowledge of causative genes in ALS. We summarized the genetic mutations identified in familial ALS and their clinical features, focusing on SOD1, fused in sarcoma (FUS), and transacting response DNA-binding protein. The frequency of the C9ORF72 mutation is low in Japan, unlike in Europe and the United States, while SOD1 and FUS are more common, indicating that the target mutations for gene therapy vary by ethnicity. A genome-wide association study has revealed disease-modifying genes, which could be the novel target of gene therapy. The current status and prospects of gene therapy development were discussed, including ethical issues. Furthermore, we discussed the potential of axonal pathology as new therapeutic targets of ALS from the perspective of early intervention, including intra-axonal transcription factors, neuromuscular junction disconnection, dysregulated local translation, abnormal protein degradation, mitochondrial pathology, impaired axonal transport, aberrant cytoskeleton, and axon branching. We simultaneously discuss important pathological states of cell bodies: persistent stress granules, disrupted nucleocytoplasmic transport, and cryptic splicing. The development of gene therapy based on the elucidation of disease-modifying genes and early intervention in molecular pathology is expected to become an important therapeutic strategy in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Suzuki
- Department of Neurology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Ayumi Nishiyama
- Department of Neurology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Warita
- Department of Neurology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan
| | - Masashi Aoki
- Department of Neurology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan.
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24
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Merjane J, Chung R, Patani R, Lisowski L. Molecular mechanisms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as broad therapeutic targets for gene therapy applications utilizing adeno-associated viral vectors. Med Res Rev 2023. [PMID: 36786126 DOI: 10.1002/med.21937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite the devastating clinical outcome of the neurodegenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), its etiology remains mysterious. Approximately 90% of ALS is characterized as sporadic, signifying that the patient has no family history of the disease. The development of an impactful disease modifying therapy across the ALS spectrum has remained out of grasp, largely due to the poorly understood mechanisms of disease onset and progression. Currently, ALS is invariably fatal and rapidly progressive. It is hypothesized that multiple factors can lead to the development of ALS, however, treatments are often focused on targeting specific familial forms of the disease (10% of total cases). There is a strong need to develop disease modifying treatments for ALS that can be effective across the full ALS spectrum of familial and sporadic cases. Although the onset of disease varies significantly between patients, there are general disease mechanisms and progressions that can be seen broadly across ALS patients. Therefore, this review explores the targeting of these widespread disease mechanisms as possible areas for therapeutic intervention to treat ALS broadly. In particular, this review will focus on targeting mechanisms of defective protein homeostasis and RNA processing, which are both increasingly recognized as design principles of ALS pathogenesis. Additionally, this review will explore the benefits of gene therapy as an approach to treating ALS, specifically focusing on the use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) as a vector for gene delivery to the CNS and recent advances in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Merjane
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Roger Chung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rickie Patani
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK.,The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
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25
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Zagórska A, Czopek A, Fryc M, Jaromin A, Boyd BJ. Drug Discovery and Development Targeting Dementia. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:151. [PMID: 37259302 PMCID: PMC9965722 DOI: 10.3390/ph16020151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Dementia, most often associated with neurodegenerative diseases, affects millions of people worldwide, predominantly the elderly. Unfortunately, no treatment is still available. Therefore, there is an urgent need to address this situation. This review presents the state of the art of drug discovery and developments in targeting dementia. Several approaches are discussed, such as drug repurposing, the use of small molecules, and phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Furthermore, the review also provides insights into clinical trials of these molecules. Emphasis has been placed on small molecules and multi-target-directed ligands, as well as disease-modifying therapies. Finally, attention is drawn to the possibilities of applications of nanotechnology in managing dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Zagórska
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Czopek
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | - Monika Fryc
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Jaromin
- Department of Lipids and Liposomes, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Joliot-Curie 14a, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Ben J. Boyd
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Drug Delivery Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University (Parkville Campus), 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
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Haouari S, Andres CR, Lanznaster D, Marouillat S, Brulard C, Dangoumau A, Ung D, Veyrat-Durebex C, Laumonnier F, Blasco H, Couratier P, Corcia P, Vourc’h P. Study of Ubiquitin Pathway Genes in a French Population with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Focus on HECW1 Encoding the E3 Ligase NEDL1. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021268. [PMID: 36674783 PMCID: PMC9867363 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitin pathway, one of the main actors regulating cell signaling processes and cellular protein homeostasis, is directly involved in the pathophysiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We first analyzed, by a next-generation sequencing (NGS) strategy, a series of genes of the ubiquitin pathway in two cohorts of familial and sporadic ALS patients comprising 176 ALS patients. We identified several pathogenic variants in different genes of this ubiquitin pathway already described in ALS, such as FUS, CCNF and UBQLN2. Other variants of interest were discovered in new genes studied in this disease, in particular in the HECW1 gene. We have shown that the HECT E3 ligase called NEDL1, encoded by the HECW1 gene, is expressed in neurons, mainly in their somas. Its overexpression is associated with increased cell death in vitro and, very interestingly, with the cytoplasmic mislocalization of TDP-43, a major protein involved in ALS. These results give new support for the role of the ubiquitin pathway in ALS, and suggest further studies of the HECW1 gene and its protein NEDL1 in the pathophysiology of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanez Haouari
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 10 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Christian Robert Andres
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 10 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37032 Tours, France
- Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, CHU de Tours, 2 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours, France
| | - Debora Lanznaster
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 10 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Sylviane Marouillat
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 10 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Céline Brulard
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 10 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Audrey Dangoumau
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 10 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Devina Ung
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 10 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Charlotte Veyrat-Durebex
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 10 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37032 Tours, France
- Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, CHU de Tours, 2 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours, France
| | - Frédéric Laumonnier
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 10 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37032 Tours, France
| | - Hélène Blasco
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 10 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37032 Tours, France
- Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, CHU de Tours, 2 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours, France
| | - Philippe Couratier
- Centre SLA, CHU Limoges, 2 Avenue Martin Luther King, 87000 Limoges, France
| | - Philippe Corcia
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 10 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37032 Tours, France
- Centre SLA, CHU Tours, 2 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours, France
| | - Patrick Vourc’h
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 10 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37032 Tours, France
- Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, CHU de Tours, 2 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-234378910
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You FL, Xia GF, Cai J. Behavioural Variant Frontotemporal Dementia due to CCNF Gene Mutation: A Case Report. Curr Alzheimer Res 2023; 20:371-378. [PMID: 37872794 DOI: 10.2174/1567205020666230811092906] [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: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Frontal, temporal lobe dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are fatal neurodegenerative diseases. Studies have found that CCNF mutations have been found in patients with familial and sporadic ALS and FTD. Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is a clinical syndrome characterized by progressive deterioration of personality, social behaviour, and cognitive function, which is most closely related to genetic factors. As the early symptoms of bvFTD are highly heterogeneous, the condition is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease or psychiatric disorders. In this study, a bvFTD patient had a CCNF gene mutation, which led to ubiquitinated protein accumulation and ultimately caused neurodegenerative disease. Genetic detection should be improved urgently for bvFTD patients and family members to provide a clinical reference for early diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia. CASE PRESENTATION In this case, the patient was 65 years old with an insidious onset, early-onset memory loss, a significant decline in the episodic memory, an early AD diagnosis, and oral treatment with donepezil hydrochloride for 3 years with poor efficacy, followed by a change to oral memantine hydrochloride tablets, which controlled the condition for several months. His medication was switched to sodium oligomannate capsules, and his condition was gradually controlled, but no significant improvement was observed. After spontaneous drug withdrawal, the patient's condition progressed rapidly; therefore, he visited our hospital and underwent neuropsychological tests for moderate to severe cognitive impairment. AD cerebrospinal fluid markers showed no significant abnormalities, and cranial MRI revealed frontotemporal lobe atrophy and decreased hippocampal volume. Genetic testing for the presence of the CCNF gene revealed a c.1532C > A (p. T511N) heterozygous variant, which might be a diagnostic criterion for bvFTD. Therefore, the patient's symptoms recurred after transient improvement with the combination of donepezil, oral memantine hydrochloride tablets, and sodium oligomannate, but his overall condition was improved compared to that before, and this treatment regimen was continued to observe changes during the follow-up. CONCLUSION The early clinical manifestations of bvFTD are complex and variable, and the condition is easily misdiagnosed, thus delaying treatment. Therefore, for patients with a high clinical suspicion of FTD, in addition to a detailed understanding of their medical history and family history and improvement of relevant examinations, genetic testing should be performed as early as possible to help confirm the diagnosis. For diseases closely related to genes, genetic testing of other family members should be optimised as much as possible to allow early diagnosis and intervention and guide fertility in the next generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Ling You
- Department of Neurology, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, 550002, China
| | - Gao-Fu Xia
- Department of Neurology, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, 550002, China
| | - Jing Cai
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, 550001, China
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McCann EP, Grima N, Fifita JA, Chan Moi Fat S, Lehnert K, Henden L, Blair IP, Williams KL. Characterising the Genetic Landscape of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Catalogue and Assessment of Over 1,000 Published Genetic Variants. J Neuromuscul Dis 2023; 10:1127-1141. [PMID: 37638449 PMCID: PMC10657717 DOI: 10.3233/jnd-230148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity. Pathogenic genetic variants remain the only validated cause of disease, the majority of which were discovered in familial ALS patients. While causal gene variants are a lesser contributor to sporadic ALS, an increasing number of risk alleles (low penetrance genetic variants associated with a small increase in disease risk) and variants of uncertain significance have been reported. OBJECTIVE To examine the pathogenic potential of genetic variation in ALS, we sought to characterise variant- and gene-level attributes of previously reported ALS-implicated variants. METHODS A list of 1,087 genetic variants reported in ALS to March 2021 was compiled through comprehensive literature review. Individual variants were annotated using in silico tools and databases across variant features including pathogenicity scores, localisation to protein domains, evolutionary conservation, and minor allele frequencies. Gene level attributes of genic tolerance, gene expression in ALS-relevant tissues and gene ontology terms were assessed for 33 ALS genes. Statistical analysis was performed for each characteristic, and we compared the most penetrant variants found in familial cases with risk alleles exclusive to sporadic cases, to explore genetic variant features that associate with disease penetrance. RESULTS We provide spreadsheet (hg19 and GRCh38) and variant call format (GRCh38) resources for all 1,087 reported ALS-implicated variants, including detailed summaries for each attribute. We demonstrate that the characteristics of variants found exclusively in sporadic ALS cases are less severe than those observed in familial ALS. CONCLUSIONS We provide a comprehensive, literature-derived catalogue of genetic variation in ALS thus far and reveal crucial attributes that contribute to ALS pathogenicity. Our variant- and gene-level observations highlight the complexity of genetic variation in ALS, and we discuss important implications and considerations for novel variant interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily P. McCann
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Natalie Grima
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jennifer A. Fifita
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sandrine Chan Moi Fat
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Klaus Lehnert
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Lyndal Henden
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ian P. Blair
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kelly L. Williams
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Marzoughi S, Pfeffer G, Cashman N. Primary lateral sclerosis. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 196:89-99. [PMID: 37620095 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-98817-9.00021-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Like motor neuron diseases (MNDs) refer to a constellation of primarily sporadic neurodegenerative diseases characterized by a progressive loss of upper and/or lower motor neurons. Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) is considered a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by a gradually progressive course affecting the central motor systems, designated by the phrase "upper motor neurons." Despite significant development in neuroimaging, neurophysiology, and molecular biology, there is a growing consensus that PLS is of unknown etiology. Currently there is no disease-modifying treatment for PLS, or prospective randomized trials being carried out, partly due to the rarity of the disease and lack of significant understanding of the underlying pathophysiology. Consequently, the approach to treatment remains largely symptomatic. In this chapter we provide an overview of primary lateral sclerosis including clinical and electrodiagnostic considerations, differential diagnosis, updates in genetics and pathophysiology, and future directions for research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Marzoughi
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Gerald Pfeffer
- Department of Neurosciences, Division of Neurology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Neil Cashman
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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Kumar R, Malik Z, Singh M, Rachana R, Mani S, Ponnusamy K, Haider S. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Risk Genes and Suppressor. Curr Gene Ther 2023; 23:148-162. [PMID: 36366843 DOI: 10.2174/1566523223666221108113330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that leads to death by progressive paralysis and respiratory failure within 2-4 years of onset. About 90-95% of ALS cases are sporadic (sALS), and 5-10% are inherited through family (fALS). Though the mechanisms of the disease are still poorly understood, so far, approximately 40 genes have been reported as ALS causative genes. The mutations in some crucial genes, like SOD1, C9ORF72, FUS, and TDP-43, are majorly associated with ALS, resulting in ROS-associated oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, protein aggregation, altered RNA processing, axonal and vesicular trafficking dysregulation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Recent studies show that dysfunctional cellular pathways get restored as a result of the repair of a single pathway in ALS. In this review article, our aim is to identify putative targets for therapeutic development and the importance of a single suppressor to reduce multiple symptoms by focusing on important mutations and the phenotypic suppressors of dysfunctional cellular pathways in crucial genes as reported by other studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupesh Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Sec-62, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Zubbair Malik
- School of Computational and Integrative Science, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi-110067, India
| | - Manisha Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Sec-62, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - R Rachana
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Sec-62, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Shalini Mani
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Sec-62, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | | | - Shazia Haider
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Sec-62, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
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31
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Siebert A, Gattringer V, Weishaupt JH, Behrends C. ALS-linked loss of Cyclin-F function affects HSP90. Life Sci Alliance 2022; 5:5/12/e202101359. [PMID: 36114006 PMCID: PMC9481933 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of ALS patient cell lines and cyclin-F overexpression and knockout cells identified HSP90AB1 as novel SCFcyclin-F substrate pointing to a loss-of-function mechanism for ALS CCNF mutations. The founding member of the F-box protein family, Cyclin-F, serves as a substrate adaptor for the E3 ligase Skp1-Cul1-F-box (SCF)Cyclin-F which is responsible for ubiquitination of proteins involved in cell cycle progression, DNA damage and mitotic fidelity. Missense mutations in CCNF encoding for Cyclin-F are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, it remains elusive whether CCNF mutations affect the substrate adaptor function of Cyclin-F and whether altered SCFCyclin-F–mediated ubiquitination contributes to pathogenesis in CCNF mutation carriers. To address these questions, we set out to identify new SCFCyclin-F targets in neuronal and ALS patient–derived cells. Mass spectrometry–based ubiquitinome profiling of CCNF knockout and mutant cell lines as well as Cyclin-F proximity and interaction proteomics converged on the HSP90 chaperone machinery as new substrate candidate. Biochemical analyses provided evidence for a Cyclin-F–dependent association and ubiquitination of HSP90AB1 and implied a regulatory role that could affect the binding of a number of HSP90 clients and co-factors. Together, our results point to a possible Cyclin-F loss-of-function–mediated chaperone dysregulation that might be relevant for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Siebert
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, Munich, Germany
| | - Vanessa Gattringer
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christian Behrends
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, Munich, Germany
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32
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Sung W, Nahm M, Lim SM, Noh MY, Lee S, Hwang SM, Kim YH, Park J, Oh KW, Ki CS, Kim YE, Kim SH. Clinical and genetic characteristics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with ANXA11 variants. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac299. [PMID: 36458208 PMCID: PMC9707645 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing genetic evidence supports the hypothesis that variants in the annexin A11 gene (ANXA11 ) contribute to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathogenesis. Therefore, we studied the clinical aspects of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients carrying ANXA11 variants. We also implemented functional experiments to verify the pathogenicity of the hotspot variants associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia. Korean patients diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (n = 882) underwent genetic evaluations through next-generation sequencing, which identified 16 ANXA11 variants in 26 patients. We analysed their clinical features, such as the age of onset, progression rate, initial symptoms and cognitive status. To evaluate the functional significance of the ANXA11 variants in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia pathology, we additionally utilized patient fibroblasts carrying frontotemporal dementia-linked ANXA11 variants (p.P36R and p.D40G ) to perform a series of in vitro studies, including calcium imaging, stress granule dynamics and protein translation. The frequency of the pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants of ANXA11 was 0.3% and the frequency of variants classified as variants of unknown significance was 2.6%. The patients with variants in the low-complexity domain presented unique clinical features, including late-onset, a high prevalence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia, a fast initial progression rate and a high tendency for bulbar-onset compared with patients carrying variants in the C-terminal repeated annexin homology domains. In addition, functional studies using amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia patient fibroblasts revealed that the ANXA11 variants p.P36R and p.D40G impaired intracellular calcium homeostasis, stress granule disassembly and protein translation. This study suggests that the clinical manifestations of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia spectrum patients with ANXA11 variants could be distinctively characterized depending upon the location of the variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonjae Sung
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Minyeop Nahm
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Su Min Lim
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Young Noh
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanggon Lee
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Min Hwang
- Gachon Pain Center and Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Ho Kim
- Gachon Pain Center and Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinseok Park
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki-Wook Oh
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Young-Eun Kim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Hyun Kim
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Yang X, Sun X, Liu Q, Liu L, Li J, Cai Z, Zhang K, Liu S, He D, Shen D, Liu M, Cui L, Zhang X. Mutation spectrum of chinese amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with frontotemporal dementia. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2022; 17:404. [DOI: 10.1186/s13023-022-02531-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Studies have reported that a noncoding hexanucleotide repeat in C9ORF72, is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) among Caucasian population, nevertheless it is rare in Chinese population. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the mutation spectrum of Chinese ALS patients with FTD (ALS-FTD).
Methods
ALS patients with and without cognitive impairments were enrolled. Clinical features were collected including age, sex, disease duration, ALSFRS-r, family history and cognitive evaluation. Thirty-six ALS genes were screened by whole exome sequencing (WES) and repeat-primed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used for detection of and abnormal repeat expansions of C9ORF72.
Results
A total of 1208 patients, including 66 familial ALS (FALS) and 1142 sporadic ALS (SALS) patients were included. Twenty-three patients with sporadic ALS and one familial ALS index had concomitant FTD, which accounts for 1.99% (24/1208) of patients with ALS. In sporadic ALS-FTD, one case harboring C9ORF72 expansion variant, two cases harboring ANXA11 variants and one individual carrying CCNF variant were identified. A recurrent UBQLN2 variant was detected in a familial ALS-FTD patient. All of the ALS-FTD patients carrying variants in known causative genes manifested motor symptom onset (two bulbar onset and three limb onset) and developed cognitive impairment thereafter. It is not easy to draw a conclusion of the genotype-phenotype association in ALS-FTD with certain variants, limited by the small number of patients.
Conclusion
Our findings provide an overview of spectrum of genetic variants in Chinese ALS-FTD patients. Variants of uncertain significance in UBQLN2, ANXA11 and CCNF were identified and further studies are required for causal relations of these variants with ALS-FTD.
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Sharma SS, Pledger J, Kondaiah P. The deubiquitylase USP7 is a novel cyclin F-interacting protein and regulates cyclin F protein stability. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:8645-8660. [DOI: 10.18632/aging.204372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Savitha S. Sharma
- , Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India
- , Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Bengaluru, 560004, India
| | - Jack Pledger
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah Health, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Paturu Kondaiah
- , Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India
- , Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Bengaluru, 560004, India
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35
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Tedesco B, Ferrari V, Cozzi M, Chierichetti M, Casarotto E, Pramaggiore P, Mina F, Piccolella M, Cristofani R, Crippa V, Rusmini P, Galbiati M, Poletti A. The role of autophagy-lysosomal pathway in motor neuron diseases. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:1489-1503. [PMID: 36111809 PMCID: PMC9704526 DOI: 10.1042/bst20220778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Motor neuron diseases (MNDs) include a broad group of diseases in which neurodegeneration mainly affects upper and/or lower motor neurons (MNs). Although the involvement of specific MNs, symptoms, age of onset, and progression differ in MNDs, the main pathogenic mechanism common to most MNDs is represented by proteostasis alteration and proteotoxicity. This pathomechanism may be directly related to mutations in genes encoding proteins involved in the protein quality control system, particularly the autophagy-lysosomal pathway (ALP). Alternatively, proteostasis alteration can be caused by aberrant proteins that tend to misfold and to aggregate, two related processes that, over time, cannot be properly handled by the ALP. Here, we summarize the main ALP features, focusing on different routes utilized to deliver substrates to the lysosome and how the various ALP pathways intersect with the intracellular trafficking of membranes and vesicles. Next, we provide an overview of the mutated genes that have been found associated with MNDs, how these gene products are involved in different steps of ALP and related processes. Finally, we discuss how autophagy can be considered a valid therapeutic target for MNDs treatment focusing on traditional autophagy modulators and on emerging approaches to overcome their limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Tedesco
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Veronica Ferrari
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Marta Cozzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Marta Chierichetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Elena Casarotto
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Pramaggiore
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Francesco Mina
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Margherita Piccolella
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Riccardo Cristofani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Valeria Crippa
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Rusmini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Mariarita Galbiati
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Angelo Poletti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
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Liu N, Lin MM, Wang Y. The Emerging Roles of E3 Ligases and DUBs in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 60:247-263. [PMID: 36260224 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-03063-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Despite annual increases in the incidence and prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, there is a lack of effective treatment strategies. An increasing number of E3 ubiquitin ligases (E3s) and deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) have been observed to participate in the pathogenesis mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, on the basis of which we conducted a systematic literature review of the studies. This review will help to explore promising therapeutic targets from highly dynamic ubiquitination modification processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Liu
- Department of Pharmacology College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Aging and Nervous Diseases, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Miao-Miao Lin
- Department of Pharmacology College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Aging and Nervous Diseases, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Aging and Nervous Diseases, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
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Gelon PA, Dutchak PA, Sephton CF. Synaptic dysfunction in ALS and FTD: anatomical and molecular changes provide insights into mechanisms of disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1000183. [PMID: 36263379 PMCID: PMC9575515 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1000183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic loss is a pathological feature of all neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). ALS is a disease of the cortical and spinal motor neurons resulting in fatal paralysis due to denervation of muscles. FTD is a form of dementia that primarily affects brain regions controlling cognition, language and behavior. Once classified as two distinct diseases, ALS and FTD are now considered as part of a common disease spectrum based on overlapping clinical, pathological and genetic evidence. At the cellular level, aggregation of common proteins and overlapping gene susceptibilities are shared in both ALS and FTD. Despite the convergence of these two fields of research, the underlying disease mechanisms remain elusive. However, recent discovers from ALS and FTD patient studies and models of ALS/FTD strongly suggests that synaptic dysfunction is an early event in the disease process and a unifying hallmark of these diseases. This review provides a summary of the reported anatomical and cellular changes that occur in cortical and spinal motor neurons in ALS and FTD tissues and models of disease. We also highlight studies that identify changes in the proteome and transcriptome of ALS and FTD models and provide a conceptual overview of the processes that contribute to synaptic dysfunction in these diseases. Due to space limitations and the vast number of publications in the ALS and FTD fields, many articles have not been discussed in this review. As such, this review focuses on the three most common shared mutations in ALS and FTD, the hexanucleuotide repeat expansion within intron 1 of chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9ORF72), transactive response DNA binding protein 43 (TARDBP or TDP-43) and fused in sarcoma (FUS), with the intention of highlighting common pathways that promote synaptic dysfunction in the ALS-FTD disease spectrum.
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Tábuas-Pereira M, Santana I, Gibbons E, Paquette K, Almeida MR, Baldeiras I, Bras J, Guerreiro R. Exome Sequencing of a Portuguese Cohort of Frontotemporal Dementia Patients: Looking Into the ALS-FTD Continuum. Front Neurol 2022; 13:886379. [PMID: 35873773 PMCID: PMC9300853 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.886379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is considered to be part of a continuum with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Many genes are associated with both ALS and FTD. Yet, many genes associated with ALS have not been shown to cause FTD. We aimed to study a Portuguese cohort of FTD patients, searching for variants in genes associated with both FTD and/or ALS. Methods We included 57 thoroughly characterized index FTD patients from our memory clinic, who were not carriers of pathogenic variants in GRN, MAPT or C9orf72. We performed exome sequencing and 1) prioritized potential FTD and ALS causing variants by using Exomiser to annotate and filter results; and 2) looked specifically at rare variability in genes associated with FTD (excluding GRN, MAPT and C9ORF72) and/or ALS. Results We identified 13 rare missense variants in 10 patients (three patients had two variants) in the following genes: FUS, OPTN, CCNF, DCTN1, TREM2, ERBB4, ANG, CHRNA4, CHRNB4 and SETX. We found an additional frameshift variant on GLT8D1 in one patient. One variant (ERBB4 p.Arg1112His) gathered enough evidence to be classified as likely pathogenic by the ACMG criteria. Discussion We report, for the first time, an expanded study of genes known to cause FTD-ALS, in the Portuguese population. Potentially pathogenic variants in ERBB4, FUS, SETX, ANG, CHRNA4 and CHRNB4 were identified in FTD patients. These findings provide additional evidence for the potential role of rare variability in ALS-associated genes in FTD, expanding the genetic spectrum between the two diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Tábuas-Pereira
- Neurology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Miguel Tábuas-Pereira
| | - Isabel Santana
- Neurology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Elizabeth Gibbons
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
| | - Kimberly Paquette
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
| | - Maria Rosário Almeida
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Inês Baldeiras
- Neurology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jose Bras
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
- Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
| | - Rita Guerreiro
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
- Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
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Kirola L, Mukherjee A, Mutsuddi M. Recent Updates on the Genetics of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:5673-5694. [PMID: 35768750 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02934-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) primarily affect the motor and frontotemporal areas of the brain, respectively. These disorders share clinical, genetic, and pathological similarities, and approximately 10-15% of ALS-FTD cases are considered to be multisystemic. ALS-FTD overlaps have been linked to families carrying an expansion in the intron of C9orf72 along with inclusions of TDP-43 in the brain. Other overlapping genes (VCP, FUS, SQSTM1, TBK1, CHCHD10) are also involved in similar functions that include RNA processing, autophagy, proteasome response, protein aggregation, and intracellular trafficking. Recent advances in genome sequencing have identified new genes that are involved in these disorders (TBK1, CCNF, GLT8D1, KIF5A, NEK1, C21orf2, TBP, CTSF, MFSD8, DNAJC7). Additional risk factors and modifiers have been also identified in genome-wide association studies and array-based studies. However, the newly identified genes show higher disease frequencies in combination with known genes that are implicated in pathogenesis, thus indicating probable digenetic/polygenic inheritance models, along with epistatic interactions. Studies suggest that these genes play a pleiotropic effect on ALS-FTD and other diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Ataxia, and Parkinsonism. Besides, there have been numerous improvements in the genotype-phenotype correlations as well as clinical trials on stem cell and gene-based therapies. This review discusses the possible genetic models of ALS and FTD, the latest therapeutics, and signaling pathways involved in ALS-FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laxmi Kirola
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ashim Mukherjee
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Mousumi Mutsuddi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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Su WM, Gu XJ, Duan QQ, Jiang Z, Gao X, Shang HF, Chen YP. Genetic factors for survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: an integrated approach combining a systematic review, pairwise and network meta-analysis. BMC Med 2022; 20:209. [PMID: 35754054 PMCID: PMC9235235 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02411-3] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The time of survival in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) varies greatly, and the genetic factors that contribute to the survival of ALS are not well studied. There is a lack of a comprehensive study to elucidate the role of genetic factors in the survival of ALS. METHODS The published studies were systematically searched and obtained from PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library without any language restrictions from inception to Oct 27, 2021. A network meta-analysis for ALS causative/risk genes and a systematic review and pairwise meta-analysis for other genetic modifiers were conducted. The PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022311646. RESULTS A total of 29,764 potentially relevant references were identified, and 71 papers were eligible for analysis based on pre-decided criteria, including 35 articles in network meta-analysis for 9 ALS causative/risk genes, 17 articles in pairwise meta-analysis for four genetic modifiers, and 19 articles described in the systematic review. Variants in three genes, including ATXN2 (HR: 3.6), C9orf72 (HR: 1.6), and FUS (HR:1.8), were associated with short survival of ALS, but such association was not identified in SOD1, TARDBP, TBK1, NEK1, UBQLN2, and CCNF. In addition, UNC13A rs12608932 CC genotype and ZNF521B rs2275294 C allele also caused a shorter survival of ALS; however, APOE ε4 allele and KIFAP3 rs1541160 did not be found to have any effect on the survival of ALS. CONCLUSIONS Our study summarized and contrasted evidence for prognostic genetic factors in ALS and would help to understand ALS pathogenesis and guide clinical trials and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Ming Su
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
- Lab of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Institute of Inflammation and Immunology (III), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
- Centre for Rare Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Gu
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
- Lab of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Institute of Inflammation and Immunology (III), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
- Centre for Rare Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Qing-Qing Duan
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
- Lab of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Institute of Inflammation and Immunology (III), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
- Centre for Rare Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Zheng Jiang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
- Lab of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Institute of Inflammation and Immunology (III), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
- Centre for Rare Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Xia Gao
- Department of Geriatrics, Dazhou Central Hospital, Dazhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Hui-Fang Shang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
- Lab of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Institute of Inflammation and Immunology (III), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
- Centre for Rare Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yong-Ping Chen
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
- Lab of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Institute of Inflammation and Immunology (III), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
- Centre for Rare Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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Lambert-Smith IA, Saunders DN, Yerbury JJ. Progress in biophysics and molecular biology proteostasis impairment and ALS. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 174:3-27. [PMID: 35716729 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that results from the loss of both upper and lower motor neurons. It is the most common motor neuron disease and currently has no effective treatment. There is mounting evidence to suggest that disturbances in proteostasis play a significant role in ALS pathogenesis. Proteostasis is the maintenance of the proteome at the right level, conformation and location to allow a cell to perform its intended function. In this review, we present a thorough synthesis of the literature that provides evidence that genetic mutations associated with ALS cause imbalance to a proteome that is vulnerable to such pressure due to its metastable nature. We propose that the mechanism underlying motor neuron death caused by defects in mRNA metabolism and protein degradation pathways converges on proteostasis dysfunction. We propose that the proteostasis network may provide an effective target for therapeutic development in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella A Lambert-Smith
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Darren N Saunders
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Justin J Yerbury
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
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Calabrese G, Molzahn C, Mayor T. Protein interaction networks in neurodegenerative diseases: from physiological function to aggregation. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102062. [PMID: 35623389 PMCID: PMC9234719 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of protein inclusions is linked to many neurodegenerative diseases that typically develop in older individuals, due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. In rare familial neurodegenerative disorders, genes encoding for aggregation-prone proteins are often mutated. While the underlying mechanism leading to these diseases still remains to be fully elucidated, efforts in the past 20 years revealed a vast network of protein–protein interactions that play a major role in regulating the aggregation of key proteins associated with neurodegeneration. Misfolded proteins that can oligomerize and form insoluble aggregates associate with molecular chaperones and other elements of the proteolytic machineries that are the frontline workers attempting to protect the cells by promoting clearance and preventing aggregation. Proteins that are normally bound to aggregation-prone proteins can become sequestered and mislocalized in protein inclusions, leading to their loss of function. In contrast, mutations, posttranslational modifications, or misfolding of aggregation-prone proteins can lead to gain of function by inducing novel or altered protein interactions, which in turn can impact numerous essential cellular processes and organelles, such as vesicle trafficking and the mitochondria. This review examines our current knowledge of protein–protein interactions involving several key aggregation-prone proteins that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We aim to provide an overview of the protein interaction networks that play a central role in driving or mitigating inclusion formation, while highlighting some of the key proteomic studies that helped to uncover the extent of these networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetano Calabrese
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4 Vancouver BC, Canada.
| | - Cristen Molzahn
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4 Vancouver BC, Canada
| | - Thibault Mayor
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4 Vancouver BC, Canada.
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Houghton OH, Mizielinska S, Gomez-Suaga P. The Interplay Between Autophagy and RNA Homeostasis: Implications for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:838402. [PMID: 35573690 PMCID: PMC9096704 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.838402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia are neurodegenerative disorders that lie on a disease spectrum, sharing genetic causes and pathology, and both without effective therapeutics. Two pathways that have been shown to play major roles in disease pathogenesis are autophagy and RNA homeostasis. Intriguingly, there is an increasing body of evidence suggesting a critical interplay between these pathways. Autophagy is a multi-stage process for bulk and selective clearance of malfunctional cellular components, with many layers of regulation. Although the majority of autophagy research focuses on protein degradation, it can also mediate RNA catabolism. ALS/FTD-associated proteins are involved in many stages of autophagy and autophagy-mediated RNA degradation, particularly converging on the clearance of persistent pathological stress granules. In this review, we will summarise the progress in understanding the autophagy-RNA homeostasis interplay and how that knowledge contributes to our understanding of the pathobiology of ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- O H Houghton
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom.,UK Dementia Research Institute at King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - S Mizielinska
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom.,UK Dementia Research Institute at King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - P Gomez-Suaga
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom.,Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), Cáceres, Spain
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Koçoğlu C, Van Broeckhoven C, van der Zee J. How network-based approaches can complement gene identification studies in frontotemporal dementia. Trends Genet 2022; 38:944-955. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Konopka A, Atkin JD. DNA Damage, Defective DNA Repair, and Neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:786420. [PMID: 35572138 PMCID: PMC9093740 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.786420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA is under constant attack from both endogenous and exogenous sources, and when damaged, specific cellular signalling pathways respond, collectively termed the “DNA damage response.” Efficient DNA repair processes are essential for cellular viability, although they decline significantly during aging. Not surprisingly, DNA damage and defective DNA repair are now increasingly implicated in age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS affects both upper and lower motor neurons in the brain, brainstem and spinal cord, leading to muscle wasting due to denervation. DNA damage is increasingly implicated in the pathophysiology of ALS, and interestingly, the number of DNA damage or repair proteins linked to ALS is steadily growing. This includes TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43), a DNA/RNA binding protein that is present in a pathological form in almost all (97%) cases of ALS. Hence TDP-43 pathology is central to neurodegeneration in this condition. Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) bears structural and functional similarities to TDP-43 and it also functions in DNA repair. Chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) is also fundamental to ALS because mutations in C9orf72 are the most frequent genetic cause of both ALS and related condition frontotemporal dementia, in European and North American populations. Genetic variants encoding other proteins involved in the DNA damage response (DDR) have also been described in ALS, including FUS, SOD1, SETX, VCP, CCNF, and NEK1. Here we review recent evidence highlighting DNA damage and defective DNA repair as an important mechanism linked to neurodegeneration in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Konopka
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Macquarie Medical School, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Anna Konopka,
| | - Julie D. Atkin
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, Macquarie Medical School, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Julie D. Atkin,
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Davidson JM, Chung RS, Lee A. The converging roles of sequestosome-1/p62 in the molecular pathways of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Neurobiol Dis 2022; 166:105653. [PMID: 35143965 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigations into the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) have provided significant insight into the disease. At the cellular level, ALS and FTD are classified as proteinopathies, which is motor neuron degeneration and death characterized by pathological protein aggregates or dysregulated proteostasis. At both the clinical and molecular level there are common signaling pathways dysregulated across the ALS and FTD spectrum (ALS/FTD). Sequestosome-1/p62 is a multifunctional scaffold protein with roles in several signaling pathways including proteostasis, protein degradation via the ubiquitin proteasome system and autophagy, the antioxidant response, inflammatory response, and apoptosis. Notably these pathways are dysregulated in ALS and FTD. Mutations in the functional domains of p62 provide links to the pathogenetic mechanisms of p62 and dyshomeostasis of p62 levels is noted in several types of ALS and FTD. We present here that the dysregulated ALS and FTD signaling pathways are linked, with p62 converging the molecular mechanisms. This review summarizes the current literature on the complex role of p62 in the pathogenesis across the ALS/FTD spectrum. The focus is on the underlying convergent molecular mechanisms of ALS and FTD-associated proteins and pathways that dysregulate p62 levels or are dysregulated by p62, with emphasis on how p62 is implicated across the ALS/FTD spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennilee M Davidson
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 2 Technology Place, NSW 2109, Australia..
| | - Roger S Chung
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 2 Technology Place, NSW 2109, Australia..
| | - Albert Lee
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 2 Technology Place, NSW 2109, Australia..
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TDP-43 is a ubiquitylation substrate of the SCFcyclin F complex. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 167:105673. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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Identification of Regulatory Factors and Prognostic Markers in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11020303. [PMID: 35204186 PMCID: PMC8868268 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11020303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of motor neurons, leading to muscle atrophy, paralysis and even death. Immune disorder, redox imbalance, autophagy disorder, and iron homeostasis disorder have been shown to play critical roles in the pathogenesis of ALS. However, the exact pathogenic genes and the underlying mechanism of ALS remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to screen for pathogenic regulatory genes and prognostic markers in ALS using bioinformatics methods. We used Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and expression regulation network analysis to investigate the function of differentially expressed genes in the nerve tissue, lymphoid tissue, and whole blood of patients with ALS. Our results showed that the up-regulated genes were mainly involved in immune regulation and inflammation, and the down-regulated genes were mainly involved in energy metabolism and redox processes. Eleven up-regulated transcription factors (CEBPB, CEBPD, STAT5A, STAT6, RUNX1, REL, SMAD3, GABPB2, FOXO1, PAX6, and FOXJ1) and one down-regulated transcription factor (NOG) in the nerve tissue of patients with ALS likely play important regulatory roles in the pathogenesis of ALS. Based on construction and evaluation of the ALS biomarker screening model, cluster analysis of the identified characteristic genes, univariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, and the random survival forest algorithm, we found that MAEA, TPST1, IFNGR2, and ALAS2 may be prognostic markers regarding the survival of ALS patients. High expression of MAEA, TPST1, and IFNGR2 and low expression of ALAS2 in ALS patients may be closely related to short survival of ALS patients. Taken together, our results indicate that immune disorders, inflammation, energy metabolism, and redox imbalance may be the important pathogenic factors of ALS. CEBPB, CEBPD, STAT5A, STAT6, RUNX1, REL, SMAD3, GABPB2, FOXO1, PAX6, FOXJ1, and NOG may be important regulatory factors linked to the pathogenesis of ALS. MAEA, TPST1, IFNGR2, and ALAS2 are potential important ALS prognostic markers. Our findings provide evidence on the pathogenesis of ALS, potential targets for the development of new drugs for ALS, and important markers for predicting ALS prognosis.
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Kumar R, Haider S. Protein network analysis to prioritize key genes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2021; 12:25-44. [PMID: 34918006 PMCID: PMC8669318 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2021.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease, progressive nature characterizes by loss of both upper and lower motor neuron functions. One of the major challenge is to understand the mechanism of ALS multifactorial nature. We aimed to explore some key genes related to ALS through bioinformatics methods for its therapeutic intervention. Here, we applied a systems biology approach involving experimentally validated 148 ALS-associated proteins and construct ALS protein-protein interaction network (ALS-PPIN). The network was further statistically analysed and identified bottleneck-hubs. The network is also subjected to identify modules which could have similar functions. The interaction between the modules and bottleneck-hubs provides the functional regulatory role of the ALS mechanism. The ALS-PPIN demonstrated a hierarchical scale-free nature. We identified 17 bottleneck-hubs, in which CDC5L, SNW1, TP53, SOD1, and VCP were the high degree nodes (hubs) in ALS-PPIN. CDC5L was found to control highly cluster modules and play a vital role in the stability of the overall network followed by SNW1, TP53, SOD1, and VCP. HSPA5 and HSPA8 acting as a common connector for CDC5L and TP53 bottleneck-hubs. The functional and disease association analysis showed ALS has a strong correlation with mRNA processing, protein deubiquitination, and neoplasms, nervous system, immune system disease classes. In the future, biochemical investigation of the observed bottleneck-hubs and their interacting partners could provide a further understanding of their role in the pathophysiology of ALS. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis protein-protein interaction network (ALS-PPIN) followed a hierarchical scale-free nature. We identified 17 bottleneck-hubs in the ALS-PPIN. Among bottleneck-hubs we found CDC5L, SNW1, TP53, SOD1, and VCP were the high degree nodes (hubs) in the ALS-PPIN. CDC5L is the effective communicator with all five modules in the ALS-PPIN and followed by SNW1 and TP53. Modules are highly associated with various disease classes like neoplasms, nervous systems and others.
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Key Words
- ALS
- ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- ALS-PPIN
- ALS-PPIN, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Protein-Protein Interaction Network
- ALSoD, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis online database
- BC, Betweenness centrality
- Bn-H, Bottleneck-hub
- Bottleneck-hubs
- CDC5L
- CDC5L, Cell division cycle5-likeprotein
- FUS, Fused in sarcoma
- MCODE, Molecular Complex Detection
- MND, Motor neuron disease
- SMA, Spinal muscular atrophy
- SMN, Survival of motor neuron
- SNW1
- SNW1, SNW domain-containing protein 1
- SOD1
- SOD1, Superoxide dismutase
- TP53
- TP53, Tumor protein p53
- VCP
- VCP, Valosin containing protein
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupesh Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida, Sec-62, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Shazia Haider
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida, Sec-62, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Anoar S, Woodling NS, Niccoli T. Mitochondria Dysfunction in Frontotemporal Dementia/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Lessons From Drosophila Models. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:786076. [PMID: 34899176 PMCID: PMC8652125 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.786076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by declining motor and cognitive functions. Even though these diseases present with distinct sets of symptoms, FTD and ALS are two extremes of the same disease spectrum, as they show considerable overlap in genetic, clinical and neuropathological features. Among these overlapping features, mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with both FTD and ALS. Recent studies have shown that cells derived from patients' induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)s display mitochondrial abnormalities, and similar abnormalities have been observed in a number of animal disease models. Drosophila models have been widely used to study FTD and ALS because of their rapid generation time and extensive set of genetic tools. A wide array of fly models have been developed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of toxicity for mutations associated with FTD/ALS. Fly models have been often instrumental in understanding the role of disease associated mutations in mitochondria biology. In this review, we discuss how mutations associated with FTD/ALS disrupt mitochondrial function, and we review how the use of Drosophila models has been pivotal to our current knowledge in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharifah Anoar
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nathaniel S Woodling
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Teresa Niccoli
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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