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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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Dwivedi D, Meraldi P. Balancing Plk1 activity levels: The secret of synchrony between the cell and the centrosome cycle. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2400048. [PMID: 39128131 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202400048] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
The accuracy of cell division requires precise regulation of the cellular machinery governing DNA/genome duplication, ensuring its equal distribution among the daughter cells. The control of the centrosome cycle is crucial for the formation of a bipolar spindle, ensuring error-free segregation of the genome. The cell and centrosome cycles operate in close synchrony along similar principles. Both require a single duplication round in every cell cycle, and both are controlled by the activity of key protein kinases. Nevertheless, our comprehension of the precise cellular mechanisms and critical regulators synchronizing these two cycles remains poorly defined. Here, we present our hypothesis that the spatiotemporal regulation of a dynamic equilibrium of mitotic kinases activities forms a molecular clock that governs the synchronous progression of both the cell and the centrosome cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devashish Dwivedi
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Translational Research Centre in Onco-haematology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Meraldi
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Translational Research Centre in Onco-haematology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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3
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Hayakawa-Yano Y, Furukawa T, Matsuo T, Ogasawara T, Nogami M, Yokoyama K, Yugami M, Shinozaki M, Nakamoto C, Sakimura K, Koyama A, Ogi K, Onodera O, Takebayashi H, Okano H, Yano M. Qki5 safeguards spinal motor neuron function by defining the motor neuron-specific transcriptome via pre-mRNA processing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2401531121. [PMID: 39226364 PMCID: PMC11406248 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2401531121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Many RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are linked to the dysregulation of RNA metabolism in motor neuron diseases (MNDs). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying MN vulnerability have yet to be elucidated. Here, we found that such an RBP, Quaking5 (Qki5), contributes to formation of the MN-specific transcriptome profile, termed "MN-ness," through the posttranscriptional network and maintenance of the mature MNs. Immunohistochemical analysis and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) revealed that Qki5 is predominantly expressed in MNs, but not in other neuronal populations of the spinal cord. Furthermore, comprehensive RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses revealed that Qki5-dependent RNA regulation plays a pivotal role in generating the MN-specific transcriptome through pre-messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) splicing for the synapse-related molecules and c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK) signaling pathways. Indeed, MN-specific ablation of the Qki5 caused neurodegeneration in postnatal mice and loss of Qki5 function resulted in the aberrant activation of stress-responsive JNK/SAPK pathway both in vitro and in vivo. These data suggested that Qki5 plays a crucial biological role in RNA regulation and safeguarding of MNs and might be associated with pathogenesis of MNDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshika Hayakawa-Yano
- Division of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
- Keio University Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-0821, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Takako Furukawa
- Division of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Matsuo
- The Shonan Incubation Laboratory, Shonan Research Center, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Takahisa Ogasawara
- The Shonan Incubation Laboratory, Shonan Research Center, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Masahiro Nogami
- The Shonan Incubation Laboratory, Shonan Research Center, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Yokoyama
- The Shonan Incubation Laboratory, Shonan Research Center, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Masato Yugami
- The Shonan Incubation Laboratory, Shonan Research Center, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Munehisa Shinozaki
- Keio University Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-0821, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Chihiro Nakamoto
- Department of Animal Model Development, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Kenji Sakimura
- Department of Animal Model Development, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Akihide Koyama
- Division of Legal Medicine, Department of Community Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Ogi
- The Shonan Incubation Laboratory, Shonan Research Center, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Osamu Onodera
- Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Hirohide Takebayashi
- Division of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Keio University Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-0821, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Masato Yano
- Division of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
- Keio University Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-0821, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
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Zelina P, de Ruiter AA, Kolsteeg C, van Ginneken I, Vos HR, Supiot LF, Burgering BMT, Meye FJ, Veldink JH, van den Berg LH, Pasterkamp RJ. ALS-associated C21ORF2 variant disrupts DNA damage repair, mitochondrial metabolism, neuronal excitability and NEK1 levels in human motor neurons. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:144. [PMID: 39227882 PMCID: PMC11373222 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01852-6] [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: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease leading to motor neuron loss. Currently mutations in > 40 genes have been linked to ALS, but the contribution of many genes and genetic mutations to the ALS pathogenic process remains poorly understood. Therefore, we first performed comparative interactome analyses of five recently discovered ALS-associated proteins (C21ORF2, KIF5A, NEK1, TBK1, and TUBA4A) which highlighted many novel binding partners, and both unique and shared interactors. The analysis further identified C21ORF2 as a strongly connected protein. The role of C21ORF2 in neurons and in the nervous system, and of ALS-associated C21ORF2 variants is largely unknown. Therefore, we combined human iPSC-derived motor neurons with other models and different molecular cell biological approaches to characterize the potential pathogenic effects of C21ORF2 mutations in ALS. First, our data show C21ORF2 expression in ALS-relevant mouse and human neurons, such as spinal and cortical motor neurons. Further, the prominent ALS-associated variant C21ORF2-V58L caused increased apoptosis in mouse neurons and movement defects in zebrafish embryos. iPSC-derived motor neurons from C21ORF2-V58L-ALS patients, but not isogenic controls, show increased apoptosis, and changes in DNA damage response, mitochondria and neuronal excitability. In addition, C21ORF2-V58L induced post-transcriptional downregulation of NEK1, an ALS-associated protein implicated in apoptosis and DDR. In all, our study defines the pathogenic molecular and cellular effects of ALS-associated C21ORF2 mutations and implicates impaired post-transcriptional regulation of NEK1 downstream of mutant C21ORF72 in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavol Zelina
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Aster de Ruiter
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christy Kolsteeg
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ilona van Ginneken
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Harmjan R Vos
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Oncode Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Laura F Supiot
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Boudewijn M T Burgering
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Oncode Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Frank J Meye
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Leonard H van den Berg
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - R Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Santangelo S, Invernizzi S, Sorce MN, Casiraghi V, Peverelli S, Brusati A, Colombrita C, Ticozzi N, Silani V, Bossolasco P, Ratti A. NEK1 haploinsufficiency worsens DNA damage, but not defective ciliogenesis, in C9ORF72 patient-derived iPSC-motoneurons. Hum Mol Genet 2024:ddae121. [PMID: 39222049 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddae121] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The hexanucleotide G4C2 repeat expansion (HRE) in C9ORF72 gene is the major cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), leading to both loss- and gain-of-function pathomechanisms. The wide clinical heterogeneity among C9ORF72 patients suggests potential modifying genetic and epigenetic factors. Notably, C9ORF72 HRE often co-occurs with other rare variants in ALS/FTD-associated genes, such as NEK1, which encodes for a kinase involved in multiple cell pathways, including DNA damage response and ciliogenesis. In this study, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and differentiated motoneurons (iPSC-MNs) from an ALS patient carrying both C9ORF72 HRE and a NEK1 loss-of-function mutation to investigate the biological effect of NEK1 haploinsufficiency on C9ORF72 pathology in a condition of oligogenicity. Double mutant C9ORF72/NEK1 cells showed increased pathological C9ORF72 RNA foci in iPSCs and higher DNA damage levels in iPSC-MNs compared to single mutant C9ORF72 cells, but no effect on DNA damage response. When we analysed the primary cilium, we observed a defective ciliogenesis in C9ORF72 iPSC-MNs which was not worsened by NEK1 haploinsufficiency in the double mutant iPSC-MNs. Altogether, our study shows that NEK1 haploinsufficiency influences differently DNA damage and cilia length, potentially acting as a modifier at biological level in an in vitro ALS patient-derived disease model of C9ORF72 pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Santangelo
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, Segrate, Milan 20054, Italy
| | - Sabrina Invernizzi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, Segrate, Milan 20054, Italy
| | - Marta Nice Sorce
- Department of Neuroscience - Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Zucchi 18, Cusano Milanino, Milan 20095, Italy
| | - Valeria Casiraghi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, Segrate, Milan 20054, Italy
| | - Silvia Peverelli
- Department of Neuroscience - Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Zucchi 18, Cusano Milanino, Milan 20095, Italy
| | - Alberto Brusati
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Claudia Colombrita
- Department of Neuroscience - Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Zucchi 18, Cusano Milanino, Milan 20095, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neuroscience - Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Zucchi 18, Cusano Milanino, Milan 20095, Italy
- "Dino Ferrari" Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Francesco Sforza 35, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neuroscience - Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Zucchi 18, Cusano Milanino, Milan 20095, Italy
- "Dino Ferrari" Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Francesco Sforza 35, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Patrizia Bossolasco
- Department of Neuroscience - Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Zucchi 18, Cusano Milanino, Milan 20095, Italy
| | - Antonia Ratti
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, Segrate, Milan 20054, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience - Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Via Zucchi 18, Cusano Milanino, Milan 20095, Italy
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6
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He Q, Zhou Y, Jin J, Tian Q, Li H, Hou B, Xie A. Association between NEK1 gene polymorphisms and the potential risk of sporadic Parkinson's disease in the Chinese Northern Han population: A case-control study. Neurosci Lett 2024; 837:137913. [PMID: 39032803 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137913] [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: 06/06/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Parkinson's disease (PD) has been identified as a genetically influenced disease linked to various genetic loci. Previous studies have suggested that neurodegenerative illnesses, including PD, Alzheimer's disease, and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), may share certain genetic loci. Recently, the NEK1 gene was identified as overlapping between PD and ALS. We therefore wanted to explore the potential association between the NEK1 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the clinical features and pathophysiology of sporadic PD in a northern Chinese population. METHODS A total of 510 sporadic PD patients and 510 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. Two SNPs (rs4563461 and rs66509122) of the NEK1 gene were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). And we analyzed the association between NEK1 gene polymorphisms and clinical manifestations. RESULTS Allele T (C vs. T, P = 0.018) and genotype TT (CC vs. TT: P = 0.021) of rs66509122 among PD group and HCs were significantly different. In addition, we discovered that the rs66509122 genotype TT was associated with depression in early-onset PD (EOPD) (P = 0.031) and diabetes in female PD (P = 0.032). Unfortunately, no distinct correlation of rs4563461 polymorphisms with sporadic PD susceptibility was found in either the overall group (C vs. T, P = 0.086) or other subgroups. However, the T allele of rs4563461 was significantly correlated with sleep disorders in the PD group, especially in the late-onset PD (LOPD) group and male PD group. CONCLUSION This study found that the NEK1 rs66509122 polymorphism was associated with a lower risk of sporadic PD, while T allele of rs66509122 may be a protective factor for PD. The NEK1 rs4563461 and rs66509122 polymorphisms both showed correlations with some non-motor symptoms in sporadic PD patients. Further research with a larger sample and varied ethnic groups is needed to investigate the role of NEK1 gene polymorphisms in the pathophysiology of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqing He
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China; Cerebral Vascular Disease Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yuting Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China; Cerebral Vascular Disease Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jianing Jin
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Qing Tian
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China; Cerebral Vascular Disease Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Han Li
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Binghui Hou
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
| | - Anmu Xie
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China; Cerebral Vascular Disease Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
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Leighton DJ, Ansari M, Newton J, Cleary E, Stephenson L, Beswick E, Carod Artal J, Davenport R, Duncan C, Gorrie GH, Morrison I, Swingler R, Deary IJ, Porteous M, Chandran S, Pal S. Genotypes and phenotypes of motor neuron disease: an update of the genetic landscape in Scotland. J Neurol 2024; 271:5256-5266. [PMID: 38852112 PMCID: PMC11319561 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12450-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Using the Clinical Audit Research and Evaluation of Motor Neuron Disease (CARE-MND) database and the Scottish Regenerative Neurology Tissue Bank, we aimed to outline the genetic epidemiology and phenotypes of an incident cohort of people with MND (pwMND) to gain a realistic impression of the genetic landscape and genotype-phenotype associations. METHODS Phenotypic markers were identified from the CARE-MND platform. Sequence analysis of 48 genes was undertaken. Variants were classified using a structured evidence-based approach. Samples were also tested for C9orf72 hexanucleotide expansions using repeat-prime PCR methodology. RESULTS 339 pwMND donated a DNA sample: 44 (13.0%) fulfilled criteria for having a pathogenic variant/repeat expansion, 53.5% of those with a family history of MND and 9.3% of those without. The majority (30 (8.8%)) had a pathogenic C9orf72 repeat expansion, including two with intermediate expansions. Having a C9orf72 expansion was associated with a significantly lower Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen ALS-Specific score (p = 0.0005). The known pathogenic SOD1 variant p.(Ile114Thr), frequently observed in the Scottish population, was detected in 9 (2.7%) of total cases but in 17.9% of familial cases. Rare variants were detected in FUS and NEK1. One individual carried both a C9orf72 expansion and SOD1 variant. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide an accurate summary of MND demographics and genetic epidemiology. We recommend early genetic testing of people with cognitive impairment to ensure that C9orf72 carriers are given the best opportunity for informed treatment planning. Scotland is enriched for the SOD1 p.(Ile114Thr) variant and this has significant implications with regards to future genetically-targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle J Leighton
- School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
- The Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK.
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Institute of Neurological Sciences, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 4TF, UK.
| | - Morad Ansari
- South East Scotland Genetics Service, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Judith Newton
- The Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Elaine Cleary
- South East Scotland Genetics Service, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Laura Stephenson
- The Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Emily Beswick
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Richard Davenport
- The Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Callum Duncan
- Department of Neurology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen, UK
| | - George H Gorrie
- The Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Institute of Neurological Sciences, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 4TF, UK
| | - Ian Morrison
- Department of Neurology, NHS Tayside, Dundee, UK
| | - Robert Swingler
- The Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mary Porteous
- South East Scotland Genetics Service, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- The Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Suvankar Pal
- The Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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8
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Rifai OM, Waldron FM, Sleibi D, O'Shaughnessy J, Leighton DJ, Gregory JM. Clinicopathological analysis of NEK1 variants in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain Pathol 2024:e13287. [PMID: 38986433 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13287] [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: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Many genes have been linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), including never in mitosis A (NIMA)-related kinase 1 (NEK1), a serine/threonine kinase that plays a key role in several cellular functions, such as DNA damage response and cell cycle regulation. Whole-exome sequencing studies have shown that NEK1 mutations are associated with an increased risk for ALS, where a significant enrichment of NEK1 loss-of-function (LOF) variants were found in individuals with ALS compared to controls. In particular, the p.Arg261His missense variant was associated with significantly increased disease susceptibility. This case series aims to understand the neuropathological phenotypes resulting from NEK1 mutations in ALS. We examined a cohort of three Scottish patients with a mutation in the NEK1 gene and evaluated the distribution and cellular expression of NEK1, as well as the abundance of phosphorylated TDP-43 (pTDP-43) aggregates, in the motor cortex compared to age- and sex-matched control tissue. We show pathological, cytoplasmic TDP-43 aggregates in all three NEK1-ALS cases. NEK1 protein staining revealed no immunoreactivity in two of the NEK1-ALS cases, indicating a LOF and corresponding to a reduction in NEK1 mRNA as detected by in situ hybridisation. However, the p.Arg261His missense mutation resulted in an increase in NEK1 mRNA molecules and abundant NEK1-positive cytoplasmic aggregates, with the same morphologic appearance, and within the same cells as co-occurring TDP-43 aggregates. Here we show the first neuropathological assessment of a series of ALS cases carrying mutations in the NEK1 gene. Specifically, we show that TDP-43 pathology is present in these cases and that potential NEK1 LOF can either be mediated through loss of NEK1 translation or through aggregation of NEK1 protein as in the case with p.Arg261His mutation, a potential novel pathological feature of NEK1-ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia M Rifai
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Fergal M Waldron
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Danah Sleibi
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | | | - Danielle J Leighton
- Department of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Neurology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jenna M Gregory
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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9
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Hop PJ, Lai D, Keagle PJ, Baron DM, Kenna BJ, Kooyman M, Shankaracharya, Halter C, Straniero L, Asselta R, Bonvegna S, Soto-Beasley AI, Wszolek ZK, Uitti RJ, Isaias IU, Pezzoli G, Ticozzi N, Ross OA, Veldink JH, Foroud TM, Kenna KP, Landers JE. Systematic rare variant analyses identify RAB32 as a susceptibility gene for familial Parkinson's disease. Nat Genet 2024; 56:1371-1376. [PMID: 38858457 PMCID: PMC11250361 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01787-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Despite substantial progress, causal variants are identified only for a minority of familial Parkinson's disease (PD) cases, leaving high-risk pathogenic variants unidentified1,2. To identify such variants, we uniformly processed exome sequencing data of 2,184 index familial PD cases and 69,775 controls. Exome-wide analyses converged on RAB32 as a novel PD gene identifying c.213C > G/p.S71R as a high-risk variant presenting in ~0.7% of familial PD cases while observed in only 0.004% of controls (odds ratio of 65.5). This variant was confirmed in all cases via Sanger sequencing and segregated with PD in three families. RAB32 encodes a small GTPase known to interact with LRRK2 (refs. 3,4). Functional analyses showed that RAB32 S71R increases LRRK2 kinase activity, as indicated by increased autophosphorylation of LRRK2 S1292. Here our results implicate mutant RAB32 in a key pathological mechanism in PD-LRRK2 kinase activity5-7-and thus provide novel insights into the mechanistic connections between RAB family biology, LRRK2 and PD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Hop
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Dongbing Lai
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Pamela J Keagle
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Desiree M Baron
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Brendan J Kenna
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten Kooyman
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Shankaracharya
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Cheryl Halter
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Letizia Straniero
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Rosanna Asselta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Ryan J Uitti
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Ioannis Ugo Isaias
- Parkinson Institute, ASST Gaetano Pini-CTO, Milan, Italy
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Würzburg and Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Gianni Pezzoli
- Parkinson Institute, ASST Gaetano Pini-CTO, Milan, Italy
- Fondazione Grigioni per il Morbo di Parkinson, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology-Stroke Unit and Laboratory of Neuroscience, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, 'Dino Ferrari' Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Owen A Ross
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Tatiana M Foroud
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Kevin P Kenna
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - John E Landers
- Department of Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
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10
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Riva N, Domi T, Pozzi L, Lunetta C, Schito P, Spinelli EG, Cabras S, Matteoni E, Consonni M, Bella ED, Agosta F, Filippi M, Calvo A, Quattrini A. Update on recent advances in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol 2024; 271:4693-4723. [PMID: 38802624 PMCID: PMC11233360 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12435-9] [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: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
In the last few years, our understanding of disease molecular mechanisms underpinning ALS has advanced greatly, allowing the first steps in translating into clinical practice novel research findings, including gene therapy approaches. Similarly, the recent advent of assistive technologies has greatly improved the possibility of a more personalized approach to supportive and symptomatic care, in the context of an increasingly complex multidisciplinary line of actions, which remains the cornerstone of ALS management. Against this rapidly growing background, here we provide an comprehensive update on the most recent studies that have contributed towards our understanding of ALS pathogenesis, the latest results from clinical trials as well as the future directions for improving the clinical management of ALS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilo Riva
- 3Rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Fondazione IRCCS "Carlo Besta" Neurological Insitute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Teuta Domi
- Experimental Neuropathology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Pozzi
- Experimental Neuropathology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Christian Lunetta
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Neurorehabilitation Unit of Milan Institute, 20138, Milan, Italy
| | - Paride Schito
- Experimental Neuropathology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Edoardo Gioele Spinelli
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Cabras
- ALS Centre, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin; SC Neurologia 1U, AOU città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Enrico Matteoni
- ALS Centre, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin; SC Neurologia 1U, AOU città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Monica Consonni
- 3Rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Fondazione IRCCS "Carlo Besta" Neurological Insitute, Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Dalla Bella
- 3Rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Fondazione IRCCS "Carlo Besta" Neurological Insitute, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Agosta
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute Huniversity, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Filippi
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute Huniversity, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Calvo
- ALS Centre, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin; SC Neurologia 1U, AOU città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Angelo Quattrini
- Experimental Neuropathology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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11
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Pottinger TD, Motelow JE, Povysil G, Moreno CAM, Ren Z, Phatnani H, Aitman TJ, Santoyo-Lopez J, Mitsumoto H, Goldstein DB, Harms MB. Rare variant analyses validate known ALS genes in a multi-ethnic population and identifies ANTXR2 as a candidate in PLS. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:651. [PMID: 38951798 PMCID: PMC11218304 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10538-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting over 300,000 people worldwide. It is characterized by the progressive decline of the nervous system that leads to the weakening of muscles which impacts physical function. Approximately, 15% of individuals diagnosed with ALS have a known genetic variant that contributes to their disease. As therapies that slow or prevent symptoms continue to develop, such as antisense oligonucleotides, it is important to discover novel genes that could be targets for treatment. Additionally, as cohorts continue to grow, performing analyses in ALS subtypes, such as primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), becomes possible due to an increase in power. These analyses could highlight novel pathways in disease manifestation. METHODS Building on our previous discoveries using rare variant association analyses, we conducted rare variant burden testing on a substantially larger multi-ethnic cohort of 6,970 ALS patients, 166 PLS patients, and 22,524 controls. We used intolerant domain percentiles based on sub-region Residual Variation Intolerance Score (subRVIS) that have been described previously in conjunction with gene based collapsing approaches to conduct burden testing to identify genes that associate with ALS and PLS. RESULTS A gene based collapsing model showed significant associations with SOD1, TARDBP, and TBK1 (OR = 19.18, p = 3.67 × 10-39; OR = 4.73, p = 2 × 10-10; OR = 2.3, p = 7.49 × 10-9, respectively). These genes have been previously associated with ALS. Additionally, a significant novel control enriched gene, ALKBH3 (p = 4.88 × 10-7), was protective for ALS in this model. An intolerant domain-based collapsing model showed a significant improvement in identifying regions in TARDBP that associated with ALS (OR = 10.08, p = 3.62 × 10-16). Our PLS protein truncating variant collapsing analysis demonstrated significant case enrichment in ANTXR2 (p = 8.38 × 10-6). CONCLUSIONS In a large multi-ethnic cohort of 6,970 ALS patients, collapsing analyses validated known ALS genes and identified a novel potentially protective gene, ALKBH3. A first-ever analysis in 166 patients with PLS found a candidate association with loss-of-function mutations in ANTXR2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tess D Pottinger
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Internal Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, 622 West 168 , New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Joshua E Motelow
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gundula Povysil
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Zhong Ren
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hemali Phatnani
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Timothy J Aitman
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Hiroshi Mitsumoto
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - David B Goldstein
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew B Harms
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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12
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Caldi Gomes L, Hänzelmann S, Hausmann F, Khatri R, Oller S, Parvaz M, Tzeplaeff L, Pasetto L, Gebelin M, Ebbing M, Holzapfel C, Columbro SF, Scozzari S, Knöferle J, Cordts I, Demleitner AF, Deschauer M, Dufke C, Sturm M, Zhou Q, Zelina P, Sudria-Lopez E, Haack TB, Streb S, Kuzma-Kozakiewicz M, Edbauer D, Pasterkamp RJ, Laczko E, Rehrauer H, Schlapbach R, Carapito C, Bonetto V, Bonn S, Lingor P. Multiomic ALS signatures highlight subclusters and sex differences suggesting the MAPK pathway as therapeutic target. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4893. [PMID: 38849340 PMCID: PMC11161513 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49196-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a debilitating motor neuron disease and lacks effective disease-modifying treatments. This study utilizes a comprehensive multiomic approach to investigate the early and sex-specific molecular mechanisms underlying ALS. By analyzing the prefrontal cortex of 51 patients with sporadic ALS and 50 control subjects, alongside four transgenic mouse models (C9orf72-, SOD1-, TDP-43-, and FUS-ALS), we have uncovered significant molecular alterations associated with the disease. Here, we show that males exhibit more pronounced changes in molecular pathways compared to females. Our integrated analysis of transcriptomes, (phospho)proteomes, and miRNAomes also identified distinct ALS subclusters in humans, characterized by variations in immune response, extracellular matrix composition, mitochondrial function, and RNA processing. The molecular signatures of human subclusters were reflected in specific mouse models. Our study highlighted the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway as an early disease mechanism. We further demonstrate that trametinib, a MAPK inhibitor, has potential therapeutic benefits in vitro and in vivo, particularly in females, suggesting a direction for developing targeted ALS treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Caldi Gomes
- Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, rechts der Isar Hospital, Clinical Department of Neurology, Munich, Germany
| | - Sonja Hänzelmann
- III. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Center for Biomedical AI, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Hausmann
- Center for Biomedical AI, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Robin Khatri
- Center for Biomedical AI, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sergio Oller
- Center for Biomedical AI, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mojan Parvaz
- Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, rechts der Isar Hospital, Clinical Department of Neurology, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Tzeplaeff
- Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, rechts der Isar Hospital, Clinical Department of Neurology, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Pasetto
- Research Center for ALS, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Marie Gebelin
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Bio-Organique, Université de Strasbourg, Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique, Strasbourg, France
| | - Melanie Ebbing
- Center for Biomedical AI, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Constantin Holzapfel
- Center for Biomedical AI, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Serena Scozzari
- Research Center for ALS, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Johanna Knöferle
- Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, rechts der Isar Hospital, Clinical Department of Neurology, Munich, Germany
| | - Isabell Cordts
- Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, rechts der Isar Hospital, Clinical Department of Neurology, Munich, Germany
| | - Antonia F Demleitner
- Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, rechts der Isar Hospital, Clinical Department of Neurology, Munich, Germany
| | - Marcus Deschauer
- Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, rechts der Isar Hospital, Clinical Department of Neurology, Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Dufke
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marc Sturm
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Qihui Zhou
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), München, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Pavol Zelina
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Emma Sudria-Lopez
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tobias B Haack
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Center for Rare Diseases, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Streb
- Functional Genomics Center Zürich, ETH Zürich and University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Dieter Edbauer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), München, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - R Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Endre Laczko
- Functional Genomics Center Zürich, ETH Zürich and University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hubert Rehrauer
- Functional Genomics Center Zürich, ETH Zürich and University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ralph Schlapbach
- Functional Genomics Center Zürich, ETH Zürich and University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christine Carapito
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Bio-Organique, Université de Strasbourg, Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valentina Bonetto
- Research Center for ALS, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefan Bonn
- Center for Biomedical AI, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Paul Lingor
- Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, rechts der Isar Hospital, Clinical Department of Neurology, Munich, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), München, Germany.
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
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13
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Libonati L, Cambieri C, Colavito D, Moret F, D'Andrea E, Del Giudice E, Leon A, Inghilleri M, Ceccanti M. Genetics screening in an Italian cohort of patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: the importance of early testing and its implication. J Neurol 2024; 271:1921-1936. [PMID: 38112783 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-12142-x] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with an elusive etiology. While environmental factors have been considered, familial ALS cases have raised the possibility of genetic involvement. This genetic connection is increasingly evident, even in patients with sporadic ALS. We allowed access to the genetic test to all patients attending our clinic to identify the prevalence and the role of genetic variants in the development of the disease and to identify patients with potentially treatable forms of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS 194 patients with probable or definite ALS, were enrolled. A comprehensive genetic testing was performed, including sequencing all exons of the SOD1 gene and testing for hexanucleotide intronic repeat expansions (G4C2) in the C9orf72 gene using fluorescent repeat-primed PCR (RP-PCR). Whole Exome NGS Sequencing (WES) was performed, followed by an in silico multigene panel targeting neuromuscular diseases, spastic paraplegia, and motor distal neuropathies. We conducted statistical analyses to compare different patient groups. RESULTS Clinically significant pathogenetic variants were detected in 14.43% of cases. The highest prevalence of pathogenetic variants was observed in fALS patients, but a substantial proportion of sALS patients also displayed at least one variant, either pathogenetic or of uncertain significance (VUS). The most observed pathogenetic variant was the expansion of the C9orf72 gene, which was associated with a shorter survival. SOD1 variants were found in 1.6% of fALS and 2.5% of sALS patients. DISCUSSION The study reveals a significant number of ALS patients carrying pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants, with a higher prevalence in familial ALS cases. The expansion of the C9orf72 gene emerges as the most common genetic cause of ALS, affecting familial and sporadic cases. Additionally, SOD1 variants are detected at an unexpectedly higher rate, even in patients without a familial history of ALS, underscoring the crucial role of genetic testing in treatment decisions and potential participation in clinical trials. We also investigated variants in genes such as TARDBP, FUS, NEK1, TBK1, and DNAJC7, shedding light on their potential involvement in ALS. These findings underscore the complexity of interpreting variants of uncertain significance (VUS) and their ethical implications in patient communication and genetic counseling for patients' relatives. CONCLUSION This study emphasizes the diverse genetic basis of ALS and advocates for integrating comprehensive genetic testing into diagnostic protocols. The evolving landscape of genetic therapies requires identifying all eligible patients transcending traditional familial boundaries. The presence of VUS highlights the multifaceted nature of ALS genetics, prompting further exploration of complex interactions among genetic variants, environmental factors, and disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Libonati
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Rare Neuromuscular Diseases Centre, Sapienza University, Viale Dell'Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Chiara Cambieri
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Rare Neuromuscular Diseases Centre, Sapienza University, Viale Dell'Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Colavito
- R & I Genetics, C.So Stati Uniti 4int.F, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Federica Moret
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Rare Neuromuscular Diseases Centre, Sapienza University, Viale Dell'Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo D'Andrea
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Rare Neuromuscular Diseases Centre, Sapienza University, Viale Dell'Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alberta Leon
- R & I Genetics, C.So Stati Uniti 4int.F, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Maurizio Inghilleri
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Rare Neuromuscular Diseases Centre, Sapienza University, Viale Dell'Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Ceccanti
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Rare Neuromuscular Diseases Centre, Sapienza University, Viale Dell'Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy
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14
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Yu M, Xu J, Dutta R, Trapp B, Pieper AA, Cheng F. Network medicine informed multi-omics integration identifies drug targets and repurposable medicines for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.27.586949. [PMID: 38585774 PMCID: PMC10996626 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.27.586949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating, immensely complex neurodegenerative disease by lack of effective treatments. To date, the challenge to establishing effective treatment for ALS remains formidable, partly due to inadequate translation of existing human genetic findings into actionable ALS-specific pathobiology for subsequent therapeutic development. This study evaluates the feasibility of network medicine methodology via integrating human brain-specific multi-omics data to prioritize drug targets and repurposable treatments for ALS. Using human brain-specific genome-wide quantitative trait loci (x-QTLs) under a network-based deep learning framework, we identified 105 putative ALS-associated genes enriched in various known ALS pathobiological pathways, including regulation of T cell activation, monocyte differentiation, and lymphocyte proliferation. Specifically, we leveraged non-coding ALS loci effects from genome-wide associated studies (GWAS) on brain-specific expression quantitative trait loci (QTL) (eQTL), protein QTLs (pQTL), splicing QTL (sQTL), methylation QTL (meQTL), and histone acetylation QTL (haQTL). Applying network proximity analysis of predicted ALS-associated gene-coding targets and existing drug-target networks under the human protein-protein interactome (PPI) model, we identified a set of potential repurposable drugs (including Diazoxide, Gefitinib, Paliperidone, and Dimethyltryptamine) for ALS. Subsequent validation established preclinical and clinical evidence for top-prioritized repurposable drugs. In summary, we presented a network-based multi-omics framework to identify potential drug targets and repurposable treatments for ALS and other neurodegenerative disease if broadly applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mucen Yu
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Jielin Xu
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Ranjan Dutta
- Department of Neuroscience, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Bruce Trapp
- Department of Neuroscience, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Andrew A. Pieper
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Geriatric Psychiatry, GRECC, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center; Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland 44106, OH, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Feixiong Cheng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
- Cleveland Clinic Genome Center, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
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15
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Flax RG, Rosston P, Rocha C, Anderson B, Capener JL, Durcan TM, Drewry DH, Prinos P, Axtman AD. Illumination of understudied ciliary kinases. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1352781. [PMID: 38523660 PMCID: PMC10958382 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1352781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Cilia are cellular signaling hubs. Given that human kinases are central regulators of signaling, it is not surprising that kinases are key players in cilia biology. In fact, many kinases modulate ciliogenesis, which is the generation of cilia, and distinct ciliary pathways. Several of these kinases are understudied with few publications dedicated to the interrogation of their function. Recent efforts to develop chemical probes for members of the cyclin-dependent kinase like (CDKL), never in mitosis gene A (NIMA) related kinase (NEK), and tau tubulin kinase (TTBK) families either have delivered or are working toward delivery of high-quality chemical tools to characterize the roles that specific kinases play in ciliary processes. A better understanding of ciliary kinases may shed light on whether modulation of these targets will slow or halt disease onset or progression. For example, both understudied human kinases and some that are more well-studied play important ciliary roles in neurons and have been implicated in neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and other neurological diseases. Similarly, subsets of human ciliary kinases are associated with cancer and oncological pathways. Finally, a group of genetic disorders characterized by defects in cilia called ciliopathies have associated gene mutations that impact kinase activity and function. This review highlights both progress related to the understanding of ciliary kinases as well as in chemical inhibitor development for a subset of these kinases. We emphasize known roles of ciliary kinases in diseases of the brain and malignancies and focus on a subset of poorly characterized kinases that regulate ciliary biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond G. Flax
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Peter Rosston
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Cecilia Rocha
- The Neuro’s Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Brian Anderson
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jacob L. Capener
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Thomas M. Durcan
- The Neuro’s Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - David H. Drewry
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Panagiotis Prinos
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alison D. Axtman
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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16
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Basei FL, E Silva IR, Dias PRF, Ferezin CC, Peres de Oliveira A, Issayama LK, Moura LAR, da Silva FR, Kobarg J. The Mitochondrial Connection: The Nek Kinases' New Functional Axis in Mitochondrial Homeostasis. Cells 2024; 13:473. [PMID: 38534317 DOI: 10.3390/cells13060473] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria provide energy for all cellular processes, including reactions associated with cell cycle progression, DNA damage repair, and cilia formation. Moreover, mitochondria participate in cell fate decisions between death and survival. Nek family members have already been implicated in DNA damage response, cilia formation, cell death, and cell cycle control. Here, we discuss the role of several Nek family members, namely Nek1, Nek4, Nek5, Nek6, and Nek10, which are not exclusively dedicated to cell cycle-related functions, in controlling mitochondrial functions. Specifically, we review the function of these Neks in mitochondrial respiration and dynamics, mtDNA maintenance, stress response, and cell death. Finally, we discuss the interplay of other cell cycle kinases in mitochondrial function and vice versa. Nek1, Nek5, and Nek6 are connected to the stress response, including ROS control, mtDNA repair, autophagy, and apoptosis. Nek4, in turn, seems to be related to mitochondrial dynamics, while Nek10 is involved with mitochondrial metabolism. Here, we propose that the participation of Neks in mitochondrial roles is a new functional axis for the Nek family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda L Basei
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-871, Brazil
| | - Ivan Rosa E Silva
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-871, Brazil
| | - Pedro R Firmino Dias
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-871, Brazil
| | - Camila C Ferezin
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-871, Brazil
| | | | - Luidy K Issayama
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-871, Brazil
| | - Livia A R Moura
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-871, Brazil
| | | | - Jörg Kobarg
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-871, Brazil
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17
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Olsen CG, Busk ØL, Holla ØL, Tveten K, Holmøy T, Tysnes OB, Høyer H. Genetic overlap between ALS and other neurodegenerative or neuromuscular disorders. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2024; 25:177-187. [PMID: 37849306 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2023.2270705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In Norway, 89% of patients with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) lacks a genetic diagnose. ALS genes and genes that cause other neuromuscular or neurodegenerative disorders extensively overlap. This population-based study examined whether patients with ALS have a family history of neurological disorders and explored the occurrence of rare genetic variants associated with other neurodegenerative or neuromuscular disorders. METHODS During a two-year period, blood samples and clinical data from patients with ALS were collected from all 17 neurological departments in Norway. Our genetic analysis involved exome sequencing and bioinformatics filtering of 510 genes associated with neurodegenerative and neuromuscular disorders. The variants were interpreted using genotype-phenotype correlations and bioinformatics tools. RESULTS A total of 279 patients from a Norwegian population-based ALS cohort participated in this study. Thirty-one percent of the patients had first- or second-degree relatives with other neurodegenerative disorders, most commonly dementia and Parkinson's disease. The genetic analysis identified 20 possible pathogenic variants, in ATL3, AFG3L2, ATP7A, BICD2, HARS1, KIF1A, LRRK2, MSTO1, NEK1, NEFH, and SORL1, in 25 patients. NEK1 risk variants were present in 2.5% of this ALS cohort. Only four of the 25 patients reported relatives with other neurodegenerative or neuromuscular disorders. CONCLUSION Gene variants known to cause other neurodegenerative or neuromuscular disorders, most frequently in NEK1, were identified in 9% of the patients with ALS. Most of these patients had no family history of other neurodegenerative or neuromuscular disorders. Our findings indicated that AFG3L2, ATP7A, BICD2, KIF1A, and MSTO1 should be further explored as potential ALS-causing genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathrine Goberg Olsen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Telemark Hospital Trust, Skien, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Nordbyhagen, Norway
| | | | | | - Kristian Tveten
- Department of Medical Genetics, Telemark Hospital Trust, Skien, Norway
| | - Trygve Holmøy
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Nordbyhagen, Norway
- Department of Neurology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway, and
| | - Ole-Bjørn Tysnes
- Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Helle Høyer
- Department of Medical Genetics, Telemark Hospital Trust, Skien, Norway
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18
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Yuan Y, Bailey JM, Rivera-Lopez GM, Atchison WD. Preferential potentiation of AMPA-mediated currents in brainstem hypoglossal motoneurons by subchronic exposure of mice expressing the human superoxide dismutase 1 G93A gene mutation to neurotoxicant methylmercury in vivo. Neurotoxicology 2024; 100:72-84. [PMID: 38065418 PMCID: PMC10877233 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
The exact causes of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive and fatal neurological disorder due to loss of upper and/or lower motoneurons, remain elusive. Gene-environment interactions are believed to be an important factor in the development of ALS. We previously showed that in vivo exposure of mice overexpressing the human superoxide dismutase 1 (hSOD1) gene mutation (hSOD1G93A; G93A), a mouse model for ALS, to environmental neurotoxicant methylmercury (MeHg) accelerated the onset of ALS-like phenotype. Here we examined the time-course of effects of MeHg on AMPA receptor (AMPAR)-mediated currents in hypoglossal motoneurons in brainstem slices prepared from G93A, hSOD1wild-type (hWT) and non-carrier WT mice following in vivo exposure to MeHg. Mice were exposed daily to 3 ppm (approximately 0.7 mg/kg/day) MeHg via drinking water beginning at postnatal day 28 (P28) and continued until P47, 64 or 84, then acute brainstem slices were prepared, and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) or AMPA-evoked currents were examined using whole cell patch-clamp recording technique. Brainstem slices of untreated littermates were prepared at the same time points to serve as control. MeHg exposure had no significant effect on either sEPSCs or AMPA-evoked currents in slices from hWT or WT mice during any of those exposure time periods under our experimental conditions. MeHg also did not cause any significant effect on sEPSCs or AMPA-currents in G93A hypoglossal motoneurons at P47 and P64. However, at P84, MeHg significantly increased amplitudes of both sEPSCs and AMPA-evoked currents in hypoglossal motineurons from G93A mice (p < 0.05), but not the sEPSC frequency, suggesting a postsynaptic action on AMPARs. MeHg exposure did not cause any significant effect on GABAergic spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs). Therefore, MeHg exposure in vivo caused differential effects on AMPARs in hypoglossal motoneurons from mice with different genetic backgrounds. MeHg appears to preferentially stimulate the AMPAR-mediated currents in G93A hypoglossal motoneurons in an exposure time-dependent manner, which may contribute to the AMPAR-mediated motoneuron excitotoxicity, thereby facilitating development of ALS-like phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukun Yuan
- Department of Pharmacology/Toxicology, Michigan State University, Life Sciences Building, 1355 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824-1317, USA.
| | - Jordan M Bailey
- Department of Pharmacology/Toxicology, Michigan State University, Life Sciences Building, 1355 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824-1317, USA
| | - Gretchen M Rivera-Lopez
- Department of Pharmacology/Toxicology, Michigan State University, Life Sciences Building, 1355 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824-1317, USA
| | - William D Atchison
- Department of Pharmacology/Toxicology, Michigan State University, Life Sciences Building, 1355 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824-1317, USA
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19
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Pottinger TD, Motelow JE, Povysil G, Moreno CAM, Ren Z, Phatnani H, Aitman TJ, Santoyo-Lopez J, Mitsumoto H, Goldstein DB, Harms MB. Rare variant analyses validate known ALS genes in a multi-ethnic population and identifies ANTXR2 as a candidate in PLS. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3721598. [PMID: 38196621 PMCID: PMC10775375 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3721598/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting over 30,000 people in the United States. It is characterized by the progressive decline of the nervous system that leads to the weakening of muscles which impacts physical function. Approximately, 15% of individuals diagnosed with ALS have a known genetic variant that contributes to their disease. As therapies that slow or prevent symptoms, such as antisense oligonucleotides, continue to develop, it is important to discover novel genes that could be targets for treatment. Additionally, as cohorts continue to grow, performing analyses in ALS subtypes, such as primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), becomes possible due to an increase in power. These analyses could highlight novel pathways in disease manifestation. Methods Building on our previous discoveries using rare variant association analyses, we conducted rare variant burden testing on a substantially larger cohort of 6,970 ALS patients from a large multi-ethnic cohort as well as 166 PLS patients, and 22,524 controls. We used intolerant domain percentiles based on sub-region Residual Variation Intolerance Score (subRVIS) that have been described previously in conjunction with gene based collapsing approaches to conduct burden testing to identify genes that associate with ALS and PLS. Results A gene based collapsing model showed significant associations with SOD1, TARDBP, and TBK1 (OR=19.18, p = 3.67 × 10-39; OR=4.73, p = 2 × 10-10; OR=2.3, p = 7.49 × 10-9, respectively). These genes have been previously associated with ALS. Additionally, a significant novel control enriched gene, ALKBH3 (p = 4.88 × 10-7), was protective for ALS in this model. An intolerant domain based collapsing model showed a significant improvement in identifying regions in TARDBP that associated with ALS (OR=10.08, p = 3.62 × 10-16). Our PLS protein truncating variant collapsing analysis demonstrated significant case enrichment in ANTXR2 (p=8.38 × 10-6). Conclusions In a large multi-ethnic cohort of 6,970 ALS patients, rare variant burden testing validated known ALS genes and identified a novel potentially protective gene, ALKBH3. A first-ever analysis in 166 patients with PLS found a candidate association with loss-of-function mutations in ANTXR2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tess D. Pottinger
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Internal Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Joshua E. Motelow
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Gundula Povysil
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Zhong Ren
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Hemali Phatnani
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- New York Genome Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Timothy J. Aitman
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | | | | | - Hiroshi Mitsumoto
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | | | - David B. Goldstein
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Matthew B. Harms
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
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20
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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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21
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Elmansy MF, Reidl CT, Rahaman M, Özdinler PH, Silverman RB. Small molecules targeting different cellular pathologies for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Med Res Rev 2023; 43:2260-2302. [PMID: 37243319 PMCID: PMC10592673 DOI: 10.1002/med.21974] [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: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease in which the motor neuron circuitry displays progressive degeneration, affecting mostly the motor neurons in the brain and in the spinal cord. There are no effective cures, albeit three drugs, riluzole, edaravone, and AMX0035 (a combination of sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol), have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, with limited improvement in patients. There is an urgent need to build better and more effective treatment strategies for ALS. Since the disease is very heterogenous, numerous approaches have been explored, such as targeting genetic mutations, decreasing oxidative stress and excitotoxicity, enhancing mitochondrial function and protein degradation mechanisms, and inhibiting neuroinflammation. In addition, various chemical libraries or previously identified drugs have been screened for potential repurposing in the treatment of ALS. Here, we review previous drug discovery efforts targeting a variety of cellular pathologies that occur from genetic mutations that cause ALS, such as mutations in SOD1, C9orf72, FUS, and TARDP-43 genes. These mutations result in protein aggregation, which causes neuronal degeneration. Compounds used to target cellular pathologies that stem from these mutations are discussed and comparisons among different preclinical models are presented. Because the drug discovery landscape for ALS and other motor neuron diseases is changing rapidly, we also offer recommendations for a novel, more effective, direction in ALS drug discovery that could accelerate translation of effective compounds from animals to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed F. Elmansy
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Department of Organometallic and Organometalloid Chemistry, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Cory T. Reidl
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Mizzanoor Rahaman
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - P. Hande Özdinler
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Richard B. Silverman
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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22
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Corcia P, Vourc'h P, Bernard E, Cassereau J, Codron P, Fleury MC, Guy N, Mouzat K, Pradat PF, Soriani MH, Couratier P. French National Protocol for genetic of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2023; 179:1020-1029. [PMID: 37735015 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2023.05.005] [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: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Relationships between genes and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have been widely accepted since the first studies highlighting pathogenic mutations in the SOD1 gene 30years ago. Over the last three decades, scientific literature has clearly highlighted the central role played by genetic factors in the disease, in both clinics and pathophysiology, as well as in therapeutics. This implies that health professionals who care for patients with ALS are increasingly faced with patients and relatives eager to have answers to questions related to the role of genetic factors in the occurrence of the disease and the risk for their relatives to develop ALS. In order to address these public health issues, the French ALS network FILSLAN proposed to the Haute Autorité de santé (HAS) the drafting of a French National Protocol (PNDS) on ALS genetics. This PNDS was developed according to the "method for developing a national diagnosis and care protocol for rare diseases" published by the HAS in 2012 (methodological guide for PNDS available on the HAS website: http://www.has-sante.fr/). This document aims to provide the most recent data on the role of genes in ALS and to detail the implications for diagnosis and care.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Corcia
- CRMR SLA, CHRU Bretonneau, Tours, France; UMR 1253 iBrain, Tours, France.
| | - P Vourc'h
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Tours, France; Laboratoire de biochimie et biologie moléculaire, CHRU Bretonneau, Tours, France
| | | | | | - P Codron
- CRMR SLA, CHU d'Angers, Angers, France
| | - M-C Fleury
- CRC SLA, CHU de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - N Guy
- CRC SLA, CHU de Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - K Mouzat
- Laboratoire de biochimie et biologie moléculaire, CHU de Nîmes, Nîmes, France
| | - P-F Pradat
- CRMR SLA, CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
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23
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Theme 02 - Genetics and Genomics. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2023; 24:99-114. [PMID: 37966317 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2023.2260192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
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24
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Abstract
Although the past two decades have produced exciting discoveries in the genetics and pathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), progress in developing an effective therapy remains slow. This review summarizes the critical discoveries and outlines the advances in disease characterization, diagnosis, imaging, and biomarkers, along with the current status of approaches to ALS care and treatment. Additional knowledge of the factors driving disease progression and heterogeneity will hopefully soon transform the care for patients with ALS into an individualized, multi-prong approach able to prevent disease progression sufficiently to allow for a dignified life with limited disability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hristelina Ilieva
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Justin Kwan
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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25
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Chen L, Ballout F, Lu H, Hu T, Zhu S, Chen Z, Peng D. Differential Expression of NEK Kinase Family Members in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma and Barrett's Esophagus. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4821. [PMID: 37835513 PMCID: PMC10571661 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194821] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has risen rapidly during the past four decades, making it the most common type of esophageal cancer in the USA and Western countries. The NEK (Never in mitosis A (NIMA) related kinase) gene family is a group of serine/threonine kinases with 11 members. Aberrant expression of NEKs has been recently found in a variety of human cancers and plays important roles in tumorigenesis, progression, and drug-resistance. However, the expression of the NEKs in EAC and its precancerous condition (Barrett's esophagus, BE) has not been investigated. In the present study, we first analyzed the TCGA and 9 GEO databases (a total of 10 databases in which 8 contain EAC and 6 contain BE) using bioinformatic approaches for NEKs expression in EAC and BE. We identified that several NEK members, such as NEK2 (7/8), NEK3 (6/8), and NEK6 (6/8), were significantly upregulated in EAC as compared to normal esophagus samples. Alternatively, NEK1 was downregulated in EAC as compared to the normal esophagus. On the contrary, genomic alterations of these NEKs are not frequent in EAC. We validated the above findings using qRT-PCR and the protein expression of NEKs in EAC cell lines using Western blotting and in primary EAC tissues using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Our data suggest that frequent upregulation of NEK2, NEK3, and NEK7 may be important in EAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chen
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Farah Ballout
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Heng Lu
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Tianling Hu
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Shoumin Zhu
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Zheng Chen
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Dunfa Peng
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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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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27
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Mann JR, McKenna ED, Mawrie D, Papakis V, Alessandrini F, Anderson EN, Mayers R, Ball HE, Kaspi E, Lubinski K, Baron DM, Tellez L, Landers JE, Pandey UB, Kiskinis E. Loss of function of the ALS-associated NEK1 kinase disrupts microtubule homeostasis and nuclear import. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi5548. [PMID: 37585529 PMCID: PMC10431718 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi5548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Loss-of-function variants in NIMA-related kinase 1 (NEK1) constitute a major genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), accounting for 2 to 3% of all cases. However, how NEK1 mutations cause motor neuron (MN) dysfunction is unknown. Using mass spectrometry analyses for NEK1 interactors and NEK1-dependent expression changes, we find functional enrichment for proteins involved in the microtubule cytoskeleton and nucleocytoplasmic transport. We show that α-tubulin and importin-β1, two key proteins involved in these processes, are phosphorylated by NEK1 in vitro. NEK1 is essential for motor control and survival in Drosophila models in vivo, while using several induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-MN models, including NEK1 knockdown, kinase inhibition, and a patient mutation, we find evidence for disruptions in microtubule homeostasis and nuclear import. Notably, stabilizing microtubules with two distinct classes of drugs restored NEK1-dependent deficits in both pathways. The capacity of NEK1 to modulate these processes that are critically involved in ALS pathophysiology renders this kinase a formidable therapeutic candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob R. Mann
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Elizabeth D. McKenna
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Darilang Mawrie
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Vasileios Papakis
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Francesco Alessandrini
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Eric N. Anderson
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Ryan Mayers
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Hannah E. Ball
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Evan Kaspi
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Katherine Lubinski
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Desiree M. Baron
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Liana Tellez
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - John E. Landers
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Udai B. Pandey
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Evangelos Kiskinis
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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28
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Dilliott AA, Nasser AA, Elnageeb M, Fifita J, Henden L, Keseler IM, Lenz S, Marriott H, McCann E, Mesaros M, Opie-Martin S, Owens E, Palus B, Ross J, Wang Z, White H, Al-Chalabi A, Andersen PM, Benatar M, Blair I, Cooper-Knock J, Harrington E, Heckmann J, Landers J, Moreno C, Nel M, Rampersaud E, Roggenbuck J, Rouleau G, Traynor B, van Blitterswijk M, van Rheenen W, Veldink J, Weishaupt J, Drury L, Harms MB, Farhan SM. Clinical testing panels for ALS: global distribution, consistency, and challenges. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2023; 24:420-435. [PMID: 36896705 PMCID: PMC10359019 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2023.2173015] [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: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Objective: In 2021, the Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen) amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) spectrum disorders Gene Curation Expert Panel (GCEP) was established to evaluate the strength of evidence for genes previously reported to be associated with ALS. Through this endeavor, we will provide standardized guidance to laboratories on which genes should be included in clinical genetic testing panels for ALS. In this manuscript, we aimed to assess the heterogeneity in the current global landscape of clinical genetic testing for ALS. Methods: We reviewed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) and members of the ALS GCEP to source frequently used testing panels and compare the genes included on the tests. Results: 14 clinical panels specific to ALS from 14 laboratories covered 4 to 54 genes. All panels report on ANG, SOD1, TARDBP, and VAPB; 50% included or offered the option of including C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) analysis. Of the 91 genes included in at least one of the panels, 40 (44.0%) were included on only a single panel. We could not find a direct link to ALS in the literature for 14 (15.4%) included genes. Conclusions: The variability across the surveyed clinical genetic panels is concerning due to the possibility of reduced diagnostic yields in clinical practice and risk of a missed diagnoses for patients. Our results highlight the necessity for consensus regarding the appropriateness of gene inclusions in clinical genetic ALS tests to improve its application for patients living with ALS and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison A. Dilliott
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ahmad Al Nasser
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Marwa Elnageeb
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jennifer Fifita
- Centre for MND Research, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Lyndal Henden
- Centre for MND Research, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Steven Lenz
- PreventionGenetics, Marshfield, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Heather Marriott
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Emily McCann
- Centre for MND Research, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Maysen Mesaros
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Sarah Opie-Martin
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Emma Owens
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Brooke Palus
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Justyne Ross
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Zhanjun Wang
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Peter M. Andersen
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Neurosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Ian Blair
- Centre for MND Research, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Johnathan Cooper-Knock
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Elizabeth Harrington
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City, New York, USA
| | | | - John Landers
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Melissa Nel
- University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | | | - Guy Rouleau
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Genetics, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Bryan Traynor
- Neuromuscular Diseases Research Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Wouter van Rheenen
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Veldink
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Luke Drury
- PreventionGenetics, Marshfield, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Matthew B. Harms
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Sali M.K. Farhan
- Department of Genetics, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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29
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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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30
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Monnakgotla NR, Mahungu AC, Heckmann JM, Botha G, Mulder NJ, Wu G, Rampersaud E, Myers J, Van Blitterswijk M, Rademakers R, Taylor JP, Wuu J, Benatar M, Nel M. Analysis of Structural Variants Previously Associated With ALS in Europeans Highlights Genomic Architectural Differences in Africans. Neurol Genet 2023; 9:e200077. [PMID: 37346932 PMCID: PMC10281237 DOI: 10.1212/nxg.0000000000200077] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Background and Objectives Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative condition of the brain and spinal cord in which protein-coding variants in known ALS disease genes explain a minority of sporadic cases. There is a growing interest in the role of noncoding structural variants (SVs) as ALS risk variants or genetic modifiers of ALS phenotype. In small European samples, specific short SV alleles in noncoding regulatory regions of SCAF4, SQSTM1, and STMN2 have been reported to be associated with ALS, and several groups have investigated the possible role of SMN1/SMN2 gene copy numbers in ALS susceptibility and clinical severity. Methods Using short-read whole genome sequencing (WGS) data, we investigated putative ALS-susceptibility SCAF4 (3'UTR poly-T repeat), SQSTM1 (intron 5 AAAC insertion), and STMN2 (intron 3 CA repeat) alleles in African ancestry patients with ALS and described the architecture of the SMN1/SMN2 gene region. South African cases with ALS (n = 114) were compared with ancestry-matched controls (n = 150), 1000 Genomes Project samples (n = 2,336), and H3Africa Genotyping Chip Project samples (n = 347). Results There was no association with previously reported SCAF4 poly-T repeat, SQSTM1 AAAC insertion, and long STMN2 CA alleles with ALS risk in South Africans (p > 0.2). Similarly, SMN1 and SMN2 gene copy numbers did not differ between South Africans with ALS and matched population controls (p > 0.9). Notably, 20% of the African samples in this study had no SMN2 gene copies, which is a higher frequency than that reported in Europeans (approximately 7%). Discussion We did not replicate the reported association of SCAF4, SQSTM1, and STMN2 short SVs with ALS in a small South African sample. In addition, we found no link between SMN1 and SMN2 copy numbers and susceptibility to ALS in this South African sample, which is similar to the conclusion of a recent meta-analysis of European studies. However, the SMN gene region findings in Africans replicate previous results from East and West Africa and highlight the importance of including diverse population groups in disease gene discovery efforts. The clinically relevant differences in the SMN gene architecture between African and non-African populations may affect the effectiveness of targeted SMN2 gene therapy for related diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nomakhosazana R Monnakgotla
- From the Neurology Research Group (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.), Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine; Neuroscience Institute (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.); Computational Biology Division (G.B., N.J.M.), Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Center for Applied Bioinformatics (G.W., E.R., J.M.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; Department of Neuroscience (M.V.B.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Center for Molecular Neurology (R.R.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (J.P.T.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; and Department of Neurology (J.W., M.B.), University of Miami, FL
| | - Amokelani C Mahungu
- From the Neurology Research Group (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.), Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine; Neuroscience Institute (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.); Computational Biology Division (G.B., N.J.M.), Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Center for Applied Bioinformatics (G.W., E.R., J.M.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; Department of Neuroscience (M.V.B.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Center for Molecular Neurology (R.R.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (J.P.T.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; and Department of Neurology (J.W., M.B.), University of Miami, FL
| | - Jeannine M Heckmann
- From the Neurology Research Group (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.), Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine; Neuroscience Institute (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.); Computational Biology Division (G.B., N.J.M.), Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Center for Applied Bioinformatics (G.W., E.R., J.M.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; Department of Neuroscience (M.V.B.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Center for Molecular Neurology (R.R.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (J.P.T.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; and Department of Neurology (J.W., M.B.), University of Miami, FL
| | - Gerrit Botha
- From the Neurology Research Group (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.), Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine; Neuroscience Institute (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.); Computational Biology Division (G.B., N.J.M.), Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Center for Applied Bioinformatics (G.W., E.R., J.M.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; Department of Neuroscience (M.V.B.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Center for Molecular Neurology (R.R.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (J.P.T.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; and Department of Neurology (J.W., M.B.), University of Miami, FL
| | - Nicola J Mulder
- From the Neurology Research Group (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.), Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine; Neuroscience Institute (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.); Computational Biology Division (G.B., N.J.M.), Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Center for Applied Bioinformatics (G.W., E.R., J.M.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; Department of Neuroscience (M.V.B.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Center for Molecular Neurology (R.R.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (J.P.T.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; and Department of Neurology (J.W., M.B.), University of Miami, FL
| | - Gang Wu
- From the Neurology Research Group (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.), Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine; Neuroscience Institute (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.); Computational Biology Division (G.B., N.J.M.), Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Center for Applied Bioinformatics (G.W., E.R., J.M.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; Department of Neuroscience (M.V.B.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Center for Molecular Neurology (R.R.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (J.P.T.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; and Department of Neurology (J.W., M.B.), University of Miami, FL
| | - Evadnie Rampersaud
- From the Neurology Research Group (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.), Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine; Neuroscience Institute (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.); Computational Biology Division (G.B., N.J.M.), Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Center for Applied Bioinformatics (G.W., E.R., J.M.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; Department of Neuroscience (M.V.B.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Center for Molecular Neurology (R.R.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (J.P.T.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; and Department of Neurology (J.W., M.B.), University of Miami, FL
| | - Jason Myers
- From the Neurology Research Group (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.), Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine; Neuroscience Institute (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.); Computational Biology Division (G.B., N.J.M.), Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Center for Applied Bioinformatics (G.W., E.R., J.M.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; Department of Neuroscience (M.V.B.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Center for Molecular Neurology (R.R.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (J.P.T.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; and Department of Neurology (J.W., M.B.), University of Miami, FL
| | - Marka Van Blitterswijk
- From the Neurology Research Group (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.), Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine; Neuroscience Institute (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.); Computational Biology Division (G.B., N.J.M.), Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Center for Applied Bioinformatics (G.W., E.R., J.M.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; Department of Neuroscience (M.V.B.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Center for Molecular Neurology (R.R.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (J.P.T.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; and Department of Neurology (J.W., M.B.), University of Miami, FL
| | - Rosa Rademakers
- From the Neurology Research Group (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.), Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine; Neuroscience Institute (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.); Computational Biology Division (G.B., N.J.M.), Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Center for Applied Bioinformatics (G.W., E.R., J.M.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; Department of Neuroscience (M.V.B.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Center for Molecular Neurology (R.R.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (J.P.T.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; and Department of Neurology (J.W., M.B.), University of Miami, FL
| | - J Paul Taylor
- From the Neurology Research Group (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.), Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine; Neuroscience Institute (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.); Computational Biology Division (G.B., N.J.M.), Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Center for Applied Bioinformatics (G.W., E.R., J.M.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; Department of Neuroscience (M.V.B.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Center for Molecular Neurology (R.R.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (J.P.T.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; and Department of Neurology (J.W., M.B.), University of Miami, FL
| | - Joanne Wuu
- From the Neurology Research Group (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.), Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine; Neuroscience Institute (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.); Computational Biology Division (G.B., N.J.M.), Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Center for Applied Bioinformatics (G.W., E.R., J.M.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; Department of Neuroscience (M.V.B.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Center for Molecular Neurology (R.R.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (J.P.T.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; and Department of Neurology (J.W., M.B.), University of Miami, FL
| | - Michael Benatar
- From the Neurology Research Group (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.), Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine; Neuroscience Institute (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.); Computational Biology Division (G.B., N.J.M.), Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Center for Applied Bioinformatics (G.W., E.R., J.M.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; Department of Neuroscience (M.V.B.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Center for Molecular Neurology (R.R.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (J.P.T.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; and Department of Neurology (J.W., M.B.), University of Miami, FL
| | - Melissa Nel
- From the Neurology Research Group (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.), Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine; Neuroscience Institute (N.R.M., A.C.M., J.M.H., M.N.); Computational Biology Division (G.B., N.J.M.), Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Center for Applied Bioinformatics (G.W., E.R., J.M.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; Department of Neuroscience (M.V.B.), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL; Center for Molecular Neurology (R.R.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (J.P.T.), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN; and Department of Neurology (J.W., M.B.), University of Miami, FL
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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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Gregorczyk M, Pastore G, Muñoz I, Carroll T, Streubel J, Munro M, Lis P, Lange S, Lamoliatte F, Macartney T, Toth R, Brown F, Hastie J, Pereira G, Durocher D, Rouse J. Functional characterization of C21ORF2 association with the NEK1 kinase mutated in human in diseases. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201740. [PMID: 37188479 PMCID: PMC10185812 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The NEK1 kinase controls ciliogenesis, mitosis, and DNA repair, and NEK1 mutations cause human diseases including axial spondylometaphyseal dysplasia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. C21ORF2 mutations cause a similar pattern of human diseases, suggesting close functional links with NEK1 Here, we report that endogenous NEK1 and C21ORF2 form a tight complex in human cells. A C21ORF2 interaction domain "CID" at the C-terminus of NEK1 is necessary for its association with C21ORF2 in cells, and pathogenic mutations in this region disrupt the complex. AlphaFold modelling predicts an extended binding interface between a leucine-rich repeat domain in C21ORF2 and the NEK1-CID, and our model may explain why pathogenic mutations perturb the complex. We show that NEK1 mutations that inhibit kinase activity or weaken its association with C21ORF2 severely compromise ciliogenesis, and that C21ORF2, like NEK1 is required for homologous recombination. These data enhance our understanding of how the NEK1 kinase is regulated, and they shed light on NEK1-C21ORF2-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz Gregorczyk
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Graziana Pastore
- The Lunenfeld-Tannenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ivan Muñoz
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Thomas Carroll
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Johanna Streubel
- German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Meagan Munro
- The Lunenfeld-Tannenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Pawel Lis
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Sven Lange
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Frederic Lamoliatte
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Thomas Macartney
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Rachel Toth
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Fiona Brown
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - James Hastie
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Gislene Pereira
- German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daniel Durocher
- The Lunenfeld-Tannenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - John Rouse
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
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Wainberg M, Andrews SJ, Tripathy SJ. Shared genetic risk loci between Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Alzheimers Res Ther 2023; 15:113. [PMID: 37328865 PMCID: PMC10273745 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-023-01244-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have indicated moderate genetic overlap between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), neurodegenerative disorders traditionally considered etiologically distinct. However, the specific genetic variants and loci underlying this overlap remain almost entirely unknown. METHODS We leveraged state-of-the-art GWAS for ADRD, PD, and ALS. For each pair of disorders, we examined each of the GWAS hits for one disorder and tested whether they were also significant for the other disorder, applying Bonferroni correction for the number of variants tested. This approach rigorously controls the family-wise error rate for both disorders, analogously to genome-wide significance. RESULTS Eleven loci with GWAS hits for one disorder were also associated with one or both of the other disorders: one with all three disorders (the MAPT/KANSL1 locus), five with ADRD and PD (near LCORL, CLU, SETD1A/KAT8, WWOX, and GRN), three with ADRD and ALS (near GPX3, HS3ST5/HDAC2/MARCKS, and TSPOAP1), and two with PD and ALS (near GAK/TMEM175 and NEK1). Two of these loci (LCORL and NEK1) were associated with an increased risk of one disorder but decreased risk of another. Colocalization analysis supported a shared causal variant between ADRD and PD at the CLU, WWOX, and LCORL loci, between ADRD and ALS at the TSPOAP1 locus, and between PD and ALS at the NEK1 and GAK/TMEM175 loci. To address the concern that ADRD is an imperfect proxy for AD and that the ADRD and PD GWAS have overlapping participants (nearly all of which are from the UK Biobank), we confirmed that all our ADRD associations had nearly identical odds ratios in an AD GWAS that excluded the UK Biobank, and all but one remained nominally significant (p < 0.05) for AD. CONCLUSIONS In one of the most comprehensive investigations to date of pleiotropy between neurodegenerative disorders, we identify eleven genetic risk loci shared among ADRD, PD, and ALS. These loci support lysosomal/autophagic dysfunction (GAK/TMEM175, GRN, KANSL1), neuroinflammation/immunity (TSPOAP1), oxidative stress (GPX3, KANSL1), and the DNA damage response (NEK1) as transdiagnostic processes underlying multiple neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Wainberg
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street, Toronto, M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Shea J Andrews
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94143, USA
| | - Shreejoy J Tripathy
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street, Toronto, M5T 1R8, Canada.
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 1A8, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5T 1R8, Canada.
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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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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Pardo-Moreno T, Mohamed-Mohamed H, Suleiman-Martos S, Ramos-Rodriguez JJ, Rivas-Dominguez A, Melguizo-Rodríguez L, Gómez-Urquiza JL, Bermudez-Pulgarin B, Garcia-Morales V. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Serum Lipid Level Association: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analytic Study. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108675. [PMID: 37240018 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108675] [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: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with unknown etiology. Many metabolic alterations occur during ALS progress and can be used as a method of pre-diagnostic and early diagnosis. Dyslipidemia is one of the physiological changes observed in numerous ALS patients. The aim of this study is to analyze the possible relationship between the rate of disease progression (functional rating scale (ALS-FRS)) and the plasma lipid levels at the early stage of ALS. A systematic review was carried out in July 2022. The search equation was "Triglycerides AND amyotrophic lateral sclerosis" and its variants. Four meta-analyses were performed. Four studies were included in the meta-analysis. No significant differences were observed between the lipid levels (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol) and the ALS-FRS score at the onset of the disease. Although the number of studies included in this research was low, the results of this meta-analytic study suggest that there is no clear relationship between the symptoms observed in ALS patients and the plasma lipid levels. An increase in research, as well as an expansion of the geographical area, would be of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Pardo-Moreno
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences-Ceuta, University of Granada, 51001 Ceuta, Spain
| | - Himan Mohamed-Mohamed
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences-Ceuta, University of Granada, 51001 Ceuta, Spain
| | | | - Juan José Ramos-Rodriguez
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences-Ceuta, University of Granada, 51001 Ceuta, Spain
| | | | - Lucía Melguizo-Rodríguez
- Department of Nursery, Faculty of Health Sciences-Ceuta, University of Granada, 51001 Ceuta, Spain
| | - José L Gómez-Urquiza
- Department of Nursery, Faculty of Health Sciences-Ceuta, University of Granada, 51001 Ceuta, Spain
| | | | - Victoria Garcia-Morales
- Physiology Area, Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cádiz, 11003 Cádiz, Spain
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Andersen J, Thom N, Shadrach JL, Chen X, Onesto MM, Amin ND, Yoon SJ, Li L, Greenleaf WJ, Müller F, Pașca AM, Kaltschmidt JA, Pașca SP. Single-cell transcriptomic landscape of the developing human spinal cord. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:902-914. [PMID: 37095394 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01311-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Understanding spinal cord assembly is essential to elucidate how motor behavior is controlled and how disorders arise. The human spinal cord is exquisitely organized, and this complex organization contributes to the diversity and intricacy of motor behavior and sensory processing. But how this complexity arises at the cellular level in the human spinal cord remains unknown. Here we transcriptomically profiled the midgestation human spinal cord with single-cell resolution and discovered remarkable heterogeneity across and within cell types. Glia displayed diversity related to positional identity along the dorso-ventral and rostro-caudal axes, while astrocytes with specialized transcriptional programs mapped into white and gray matter subtypes. Motor neurons clustered at this stage into groups suggestive of alpha and gamma neurons. We also integrated our data with multiple existing datasets of the developing human spinal cord spanning 22 weeks of gestation to investigate the cell diversity over time. Together with mapping of disease-related genes, this transcriptomic mapping of the developing human spinal cord opens new avenues for interrogating the cellular basis of motor control in humans and guides human stem cell-based models of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Andersen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nicholas Thom
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Xiaoyu Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Massimo Mario Onesto
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford, CA, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Neal D Amin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Se-Jin Yoon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Li Li
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - William J Greenleaf
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Fabian Müller
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Anca M Pașca
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Sergiu P Pașca
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford, CA, USA.
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Guo W, Wang H, Tharkeshwar AK, Couthouis J, Braems E, Masrori P, Van Schoor E, Fan Y, Ahuja K, Moisse M, Jacquemyn M, da Costa RFM, Gajjar M, Balusu S, Tricot T, Fumagalli L, Hersmus N, Janky R, Impens F, Berghe PV, Ho R, Thal DR, Vandenberghe R, Hegde ML, Chandran S, De Strooper B, Daelemans D, Van Damme P, Van Den Bosch L, Verfaillie C. CRISPR/Cas9 screen in human iPSC-derived cortical neurons identifies NEK6 as a novel disease modifier of C9orf72 poly(PR) toxicity. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:1245-1259. [PMID: 35993441 PMCID: PMC9943798 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The most common genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are hexanucleotide repeats in chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72). These repeats produce dipeptide repeat proteins with poly(PR) being the most toxic one. METHODS We performed a kinome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knock-out screen in human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) -derived cortical neurons to identify modifiers of poly(PR) toxicity, and validated the role of candidate modifiers using in vitro, in vivo, and ex-vivo studies. RESULTS Knock-down of NIMA-related kinase 6 (NEK6) prevented neuronal toxicity caused by poly(PR). Knock-down of nek6 also ameliorated the poly(PR)-induced axonopathy in zebrafish and NEK6 was aberrantly expressed in C9orf72 patients. Suppression of NEK6 expression and NEK6 activity inhibition rescued axonal transport defects in cortical neurons from C9orf72 patient iPSCs, at least partially by reversing p53-related DNA damage. DISCUSSION We identified NEK6, which regulates poly(PR)-mediated p53-related DNA damage, as a novel therapeutic target for C9orf72 FTD/ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Guo
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Haibo Wang
- Division of DNA Repair Research, Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Neuroscience Research at Neurological Surgery, Weill Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Arun Kumar Tharkeshwar
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Julien Couthouis
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Elke Braems
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pegah Masrori
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Evelien Van Schoor
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yannan Fan
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karan Ahuja
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthieu Moisse
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maarten Jacquemyn
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Madhavsai Gajjar
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sriram Balusu
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tine Tricot
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Fumagalli
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicole Hersmus
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Francis Impens
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Proteomics Core, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Vanden Berghe
- Translational Research Centre for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven–University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ritchie Ho
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dietmar Rudolf Thal
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rik Vandenberghe
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven-Laboratory for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Muralidhar L. Hegde
- Division of DNA Repair Research, Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Neuroscience Research at Neurological Surgery, Weill Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- UK-Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Bart De Strooper
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- UK-Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
| | - Dirk Daelemans
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philip Van Damme
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Catherine Verfaillie
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Nguyen K, Boehling J, Tran MN, Cheng T, Rivera A, Collins-Burow BM, Lee SB, Drewry DH, Burow ME. NEK Family Review and Correlations with Patient Survival Outcomes in Various Cancer Types. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2067. [PMID: 37046733 PMCID: PMC10093199 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15072067] [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: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Never in Mitosis Gene A (NIMA)-related kinases (NEKs) are a group of serine/threonine kinases that are involved in a wide array of cellular processes including cell cycle regulation, DNA damage repair response (DDR), apoptosis, and microtubule organization. Recent studies have identified the involvement of NEK family members in various diseases such as autoimmune disorders, malignancies, and developmental defects. Despite the existing literature exemplifying the importance of the NEK family of kinases, this family of protein kinases remains understudied. This report seeks to provide a foundation for investigating the role of different NEKs in malignancies. We do this by evaluating the 11 NEK family kinase gene expression associations with patients' overall survival (OS) from various cancers using the Kaplan-Meier Online Tool (KMPlotter) to correlate the relationship between mRNA expression of NEK1-11 in various cancers and patient survival. Furthermore, we use the Catalog of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) database to identify NEK family mutations in cancers of different tissues. Overall, the data suggest that the NEK family has varying associations with patient survival in different cancers with tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting effects being tissue-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khoa Nguyen
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Julia Boehling
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Minh N. Tran
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Thomas Cheng
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Andrew Rivera
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | | | - Sean B. Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - David H. Drewry
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Matthew E. Burow
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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Mead RJ, Shan N, Reiser HJ, Marshall F, Shaw PJ. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a neurodegenerative disorder poised for successful therapeutic translation. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:185-212. [PMID: 36543887 PMCID: PMC9768794 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-022-00612-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 109.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease caused by degeneration of motor neurons. As with all major neurodegenerative disorders, development of disease-modifying therapies has proven challenging for multiple reasons. Nevertheless, ALS is one of the few neurodegenerative diseases for which disease-modifying therapies are approved. Significant discoveries and advances have been made in ALS preclinical models, genetics, pathology, biomarkers, imaging and clinical readouts over the last 10-15 years. At the same time, novel therapeutic paradigms are being applied in areas of high unmet medical need, including neurodegenerative disorders. These developments have evolved our knowledge base, allowing identification of targeted candidate therapies for ALS with diverse mechanisms of action. In this Review, we discuss how this advanced knowledge, aligned with new approaches, can enable effective translation of therapeutic agents from preclinical studies through to clinical benefit for patients with ALS. We anticipate that this approach in ALS will also positively impact the field of drug discovery for neurodegenerative disorders more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Mead
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Keapstone Therapeutics, The Innovation Centre, Broomhall, Sheffield, UK
| | - Ning Shan
- Aclipse Therapeutics, Radnor, PA, US
| | | | - Fiona Marshall
- MSD UK Discovery Centre, Merck, Sharp and Dohme (UK) Limited, London, UK
| | - Pamela J Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
- Keapstone Therapeutics, The Innovation Centre, Broomhall, Sheffield, UK.
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Jiang Q, Lin J, Wei Q, Li C, Hou Y, Zhang L, Ou R, Liu K, Yang T, Xiao Y, Hadano S, Shang H. Genetic and clinical characteristics of ALS patients with NEK1 gene variants. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 123:191-199. [PMID: 36443167 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.11.001] [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: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
NIMA-related kinase 1(NEK1) gene was related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, genetic spectrum and clinical characteristics of ALS patients with NEK1 variants was largely unknown. We conducted genetic analysis on 1587 Chinese ALS patients and used software to predict the pathogenicity of NEK1 missense variant. We searched the literatures in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. In our ALS cohort, 42 ALS patients (2.6%) carried NEK1 variants, including 10 novel loss-of-function (LoF) variant carriers and 32 missense variant carriers. 90% of the NEK1 LoF variant carriers had upper limbs onset. The median survival time of LoF variant carriers tend to be shorter than that of probably pathogenic variant carriers (23.80 vs. 42.77 months). In 16 related studies, 167 different NEK1 variants, including 62 LoF and 105 missense variants, were found in 237 reported ALS patients. It was found that the survival time of LoF variant carriers was significantly shorter than that of missense variant carriers. Our study expanded the genotype and phenotype spectrum of ALS patients with NEK1 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qirui Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Junyu Lin
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qianqian Wei
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Chunyu Li
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yanbing Hou
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Lingyu Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ruwei Ou
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Kuncheng Liu
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Tianmi Yang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yi Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Shinji Hadano
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Huifang Shang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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Ballinger ML, Pattnaik S, Mundra PA, Zaheed M, Rath E, Priestley P, Baber J, Ray-Coquard I, Isambert N, Causeret S, van der Graaf WTA, Puri A, Duffaud F, Le Cesne A, Seddon B, Chandrasekar C, Schiffman JD, Brohl AS, James PA, Kurtz JE, Penel N, Myklebost O, Meza-Zepeda LA, Pickett H, Kansara M, Waddell N, Kondrashova O, Pearson JV, Barbour AP, Li S, Nguyen TL, Fatkin D, Graham RM, Giannoulatou E, Green MJ, Kaplan W, Ravishankar S, Copty J, Powell JE, Cuppen E, van Eijk K, Veldink J, Ahn JH, Kim JE, Randall RL, Tucker K, Judson I, Sarin R, Ludwig T, Genin E, Deleuze JF, Haber M, Marshall G, Cairns MJ, Blay JY, Thomas DM, Tattersall M, Neuhaus S, Lewis C, Tucker K, Carey-Smith R, Wood D, Porceddu S, Dickinson I, Thorne H, James P, Ray-Coquard I, Blay JY, Cassier P, Le Cesne A, Duffaud F, Penel N, Isambert N, Kurtz JE, Puri A, Sarin R, Ahn JH, Kim JE, Ward I, Judson I, van der Graaf W, Seddon B, Chandrasekar C, Rickar R, Hennig I, Schiffman J, Randall RL, Silvestri A, Zaratzian A, Tayao M, Walwyn K, Niedermayr E, Mang D, Clark R, Thorpe T, MacDonald J, Riddell K, Mar J, Fennelly V, Wicht A, Zielony B, Galligan E, Glavich G, Stoeckert J, Williams L, Djandjgava L, Buettner I, Osinki C, Stephens S, Rogasik M, Bouclier L, Girodet M, Charreton A, Fayet Y, Crasto S, Sandupatla B, Yoon Y, Je N, Thompson L, Fowler T, Johnson B, Petrikova G, Hambridge T, Hutchins A, Bottero D, Scanlon D, Stokes-Denson J, Génin E, Campion D, Dartigues JF, Deleuze JF, Lambert JC, Redon R, Ludwig T, Grenier-Boley B, Letort S, Lindenbaum P, Meyer V, Quenez O, Dina C, Bellenguez C, Le Clézio CC, Giemza J, Chatel S, Férec C, Le Marec H, Letenneur L, Nicolas G, Rouault K. Heritable defects in telomere and mitotic function selectively predispose to sarcomas. Science 2023; 379:253-260. [PMID: 36656928 DOI: 10.1126/science.abj4784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Cancer genetics has to date focused on epithelial malignancies, identifying multiple histotype-specific pathways underlying cancer susceptibility. Sarcomas are rare malignancies predominantly derived from embryonic mesoderm. To identify pathways specific to mesenchymal cancers, we performed whole-genome germline sequencing on 1644 sporadic cases and 3205 matched healthy elderly controls. Using an extreme phenotype design, a combined rare-variant burden and ontologic analysis identified two sarcoma-specific pathways involved in mitotic and telomere functions. Variants in centrosome genes are linked to malignant peripheral nerve sheath and gastrointestinal stromal tumors, whereas heritable defects in the shelterin complex link susceptibility to sarcoma, melanoma, and thyroid cancers. These studies indicate a specific role for heritable defects in mitotic and telomere biology in risk of sarcomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy L Ballinger
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney 2010, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2010, Australia
| | - Swetansu Pattnaik
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney 2010, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2010, Australia
| | - Piyushkumar A Mundra
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney 2010, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2010, Australia
| | - Milita Zaheed
- Hereditary Cancer Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney 2031, Australia
| | - Emma Rath
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney 2010, Australia
| | - Peter Priestley
- Hartwig Medical Foundation, 1098 XH Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Hartwig Medical Foundation Australia, Sydney 2000, Australia
| | - Jonathan Baber
- Hartwig Medical Foundation, 1098 XH Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Hartwig Medical Foundation Australia, Sydney 2000, Australia
| | - Isabelle Ray-Coquard
- Department of Adult Medical Oncology, Centre Leon Berard, University Claude Bernard, 69373 Lyon, France
| | | | | | | | - Ajay Puri
- Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400012, India
| | | | | | - Beatrice Seddon
- Sarcoma Unit, University College Hospital, London NW1 2BU, UK
| | | | - Joshua D Schiffman
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Andrew S Brohl
- Sarcoma Department, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Paul A James
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
- Parkville Familial Cancer Centre, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne 3000, Australia
| | | | | | - Ola Myklebost
- Western Norway Familial Cancer Centre, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5007 Bergen, Norway
- Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, N-0424 Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Hilda Pickett
- Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead 2145, Australia
| | - Maya Kansara
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney 2010, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2010, Australia
| | - Nicola Waddell
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane 4006, Australia
| | - Olga Kondrashova
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane 4006, Australia
| | - John V Pearson
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane 4006, Australia
| | - Andrew P Barbour
- Faculty of Medicine. The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Shuai Li
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
- Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB1 8RN, UK
- Precision Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville 3051, Australia
| | - Tuong L Nguyen
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
| | - Diane Fatkin
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2010, Australia
- Molecular Cardiology Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst 2010, Australia
- Cardiology Department, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney 2010, Australia
| | - Robert M Graham
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2010, Australia
- Molecular Cardiology Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst 2010, Australia
| | - Eleni Giannoulatou
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2010, Australia
- Computational Genomics Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney 2010, Australia
| | - Melissa J Green
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
- Neuorscience Research Australia, Sydney 2031, Australia
| | - Warren Kaplan
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney 2010, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2010, Australia
| | | | - Joseph Copty
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney 2010, Australia
| | - Joseph E Powell
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney 2010, Australia
- UNSW Cellular Genomics Futures Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Edwin Cuppen
- Hartwig Medical Foundation, 1098 XH Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Kristel van Eijk
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jan Veldink
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jin-Hee Ahn
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Centre, Seoul 05505, South Korea
| | - Jeong Eun Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Centre, Seoul 05505, South Korea
| | - R Lor Randall
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, Davis Health, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Kathy Tucker
- Hereditary Cancer Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney 2031, Australia
| | - Ian Judson
- Sarcoma Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Rajiv Sarin
- Cancer Genetics Unit, ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra 410210, India
| | - Thomas Ludwig
- Université de Brest, Inserm, EFS, UMR 1078, GGB, CHU de Brest, 29200 Brest, France
| | - Emmanuelle Genin
- Université de Brest, Inserm, EFS, UMR 1078, GGB, CHU de Brest, 29200 Brest, France
| | - Jean-Francois Deleuze
- Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine, Institut de Génomique, 91057 Evry, France
| | - Michelle Haber
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Kensington 2033, Australia
| | - Glenn Marshall
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Kensington 2033, Australia
- Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick 2031, Australia
| | - Murray J Cairns
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, Australia
- Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, The Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle 2305, Australia
| | - Jean-Yves Blay
- Department of Adult Medical Oncology, Centre Leon Berard, University Claude Bernard, 69373 Lyon, France
| | - David M Thomas
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney 2010, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2010, Australia
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Udine E, Jain A, van Blitterswijk M. Advances in sequencing technologies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:4. [PMID: 36635726 PMCID: PMC9838075 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00593-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is caused by upper and lower motor neuron loss and has a fairly rapid disease progression, leading to fatality in an average of 2-5 years after symptom onset. Numerous genes have been implicated in this disease; however, many cases remain unexplained. Several technologies are being used to identify regions of interest and investigate candidate genes. Initial approaches to detect ALS genes include, among others, linkage analysis, Sanger sequencing, and genome-wide association studies. More recently, next-generation sequencing methods, such as whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing, have been introduced. While those methods have been particularly useful in discovering new ALS-linked genes, methodological advances are becoming increasingly important, especially given the complex genetics of ALS. Novel sequencing technologies, like long-read sequencing, are beginning to be used to uncover the contribution of repeat expansions and other types of structural variation, which may help explain missing heritability in ALS. In this review, we discuss how popular and/or upcoming methods are being used to discover ALS genes, highlighting emerging long-read sequencing platforms and their role in aiding our understanding of this challenging disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Udine
- grid.417467.70000 0004 0443 9942Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road S, Jacksonville, FL 32224 USA ,grid.417467.70000 0004 0443 9942Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 4500 San Pablo Road S, Jacksonville, FL 32224 USA
| | - Angita Jain
- grid.417467.70000 0004 0443 9942Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road S, Jacksonville, FL 32224 USA ,grid.417467.70000 0004 0443 9942Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 4500 San Pablo Road S, Jacksonville, FL 32224 USA ,grid.417467.70000 0004 0443 9942Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road S, Jacksonville, FL 32224 USA
| | - Marka van Blitterswijk
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA.
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Humphrey J, Venkatesh S, Hasan R, Herb JT, de Paiva Lopes K, Küçükali F, Byrska-Bishop M, Evani US, Narzisi G, Fagegaltier D, Sleegers K, Phatnani H, Knowles DA, Fratta P, Raj T. Integrative transcriptomic analysis of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis spinal cord implicates glial activation and suggests new risk genes. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:150-162. [PMID: 36482247 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01205-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressively fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. In this study, we investigated gene expression changes in ALS via RNA sequencing in 380 postmortem samples from cervical, thoracic and lumbar spinal cord segments from 154 individuals with ALS and 49 control individuals. We observed an increase in microglia and astrocyte gene expression, accompanied by a decrease in oligodendrocyte gene expression. By creating a gene co-expression network in the ALS samples, we identified several activated microglia modules that negatively correlate with retrospective disease duration. We mapped molecular quantitative trait loci and found several potential ALS risk loci that may act through gene expression or splicing in the spinal cord and assign putative cell types for FNBP1, ACSL5, SH3RF1 and NFASC. Finally, we outline how common genetic variants associated with splicing of C9orf72 act as proxies for the well-known repeat expansion, and we use the same mechanism to suggest ATXN3 as a putative risk gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Humphrey
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences & Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Estelle and Daniel Maggin Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Sanan Venkatesh
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences & Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rahat Hasan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences & Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Estelle and Daniel Maggin Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jake T Herb
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katia de Paiva Lopes
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences & Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Estelle and Daniel Maggin Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fahri Küçükali
- Complex Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease Group, Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Delphine Fagegaltier
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kristel Sleegers
- Complex Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease Group, Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Hemali Phatnani
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - David A Knowles
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pietro Fratta
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Towfique Raj
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences & Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Estelle and Daniel Maggin Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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44
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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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Theme 05 - Human Cell Biology and Pathology (including iPSC studies). Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2022.2120681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Katsonis P, Wilhelm K, Williams A, Lichtarge O. Genome interpretation using in silico predictors of variant impact. Hum Genet 2022; 141:1549-1577. [PMID: 35488922 PMCID: PMC9055222 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-022-02457-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Estimating the effects of variants found in disease driver genes opens the door to personalized therapeutic opportunities. Clinical associations and laboratory experiments can only characterize a tiny fraction of all the available variants, leaving the majority as variants of unknown significance (VUS). In silico methods bridge this gap by providing instant estimates on a large scale, most often based on the numerous genetic differences between species. Despite concerns that these methods may lack reliability in individual subjects, their numerous practical applications over cohorts suggest they are already helpful and have a role to play in genome interpretation when used at the proper scale and context. In this review, we aim to gain insights into the training and validation of these variant effect predicting methods and illustrate representative types of experimental and clinical applications. Objective performance assessments using various datasets that are not yet published indicate the strengths and limitations of each method. These show that cautious use of in silico variant impact predictors is essential for addressing genome interpretation challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Katsonis
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Kevin Wilhelm
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Amanda Williams
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Olivier Lichtarge
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Computational and Integrative Biomedical Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Glavač D, Mladinić M, Ban J, Mazzone GL, Sámano C, Tomljanović I, Jezernik G, Ravnik-Glavač M. The Potential Connection between Molecular Changes and Biomarkers Related to ALS and the Development and Regeneration of CNS. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911360. [PMID: 36232667 PMCID: PMC9570269 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are one of the greatest medical burdens of the modern age, being mostly incurable and with limited prognostic and diagnostic tools. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of motoneurons, with a complex etiology, combining genetic, epigenetic, and environmental causes. The neuroprotective therapeutic approaches are very limited, while the diagnostics rely on clinical examination and the exclusion of other diseases. The recent advancement in the discovery of molecular pathways and gene mutations involved in ALS has deepened the understanding of the disease pathology and opened the possibility for new treatments and diagnostic procedures. Recently, 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology were identified as linked to ALS through common and rare variant association analyses. Interestingly, the quantity of related proteins to these genes has been found to change during early postnatal development in mammalian spinal cord tissue (opossum Monodelphis domestica) at the particular time when neuroregeneration stops being possible. Here, we discuss the possibility that the ALS-related genes/proteins could be connected to neuroregeneration and development. Moreover, since the regulation of gene expression in developmental checkpoints is frequently regulated by non-coding RNAs, we propose that studying the changes in the composition and quantity of non-coding RNA molecules, both in ALS patients and in the developing central nervous (CNS) system of the opossum at the time when neuroregeneration ceases, could reveal potential biomarkers useful in ALS prognosis and diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damjan Glavač
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljublana, Slovenia
- Center for Human Genetics & Pharmacogenomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Miranda Mladinić
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Jelena Ban
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Graciela L. Mazzone
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional (IIMT), CONICET-Universidad Austral, Buenos Aires B1629AHJ, Argentina
| | - Cynthia Sámano
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Cuajimalpa, Mexico City 05348, Mexico
| | - Ivana Tomljanović
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Gregor Jezernik
- Center for Human Genetics & Pharmacogenomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Metka Ravnik-Glavač
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Correspondence:
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An Atypical Presentation of Upper Motor Neuron Predominant Juvenile Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Associated with TARDBP Gene: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13081483. [PMID: 36011394 PMCID: PMC9407925 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that can rarely affect young individuals. Juvenile ALS (JALS) is defined for individuals with an onset of the disease before the age of 25. The contribution of genetics to ALS pathology is a field of growing interest. One of the differences between adult-onset ALS and JALS is their genetic background, with a higher contribution of genetic causes in JALS. We report a patient with JALS and a pathogenic variant in the TARDBP gene (c.1035C > G; p.Asn345Lys), previously reported only in adult-onset ALS, and with an atypical phenotype of marked upper motor neuron predominance. In addition, the proband presented an additional variant in the NEK1 gene, c.2961C > G (p.Phe987Leu), which is classified as a variant of unknown significance. Segregation studies showed a paternal origin of the TARDBP variant, while the variant in NEK1 was inherited from the mother. We hypothesize that the NEK1 variant acts as a disease modifier and suggests the possibility of a functional interaction between both genes in our case. This hypothesis could explain the peculiarities of the phenotype, penetrance, and the age of onset. This report highlights the heterogeneity of the phenotypic presentation of ALS associated with diverse pathogenic genetic variants.
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Fast Versus Slow Disease Progression in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis – Clinical and Genetic Factors at the Edges of the Survival Spectrum. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 119:117-126. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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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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