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Ogura Y, Sahashi K, Hirunagi T, Iida M, Miyata T, Katsuno M. Mid1 is associated with androgen-dependent axonal vulnerability of motor neurons in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:601. [PMID: 35821212 PMCID: PMC9276699 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05001-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is an adult-onset hereditary neurodegenerative disease caused by the expansions of CAG repeats in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. Androgen-dependent nuclear accumulation of pathogenic AR protein causes degeneration of lower motor neurons, leading to progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. While the successful induction of SBMA-like pathology has been achieved in mouse models, mechanisms underlying motor neuron vulnerability remain unclear. In the present study, we performed a transcriptome-based screening for genes expressed exclusively in motor neurons and dysregulated in the spinal cord of SBMA mice. We found upregulation of Mid1 encoding a microtubule-associated RNA binding protein which facilitates the translation of CAG-expanded mRNAs. Based on the finding that lower motor neurons begin expressing Mid1 during embryonic stages, we developed an organotypic slice culture system of the spinal cord obtained from SBMA mouse fetuses to study the pathogenic role of Mid1 in SBMA motor neurons. Impairment of axonal regeneration arose in the spinal cord culture in SBMA mice in an androgen-dependent manner, but not in mice with non-CAG-expanded AR, and was either exacerbated or ameliorated by Mid1 overexpression or knockdown, respectively. Hence, an early Mid1 expression confers vulnerability to motor neurons, at least by inducing axonogenesis defects, in SBMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Ogura
- grid.27476.300000 0001 0943 978XDepartment of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kentaro Sahashi
- grid.27476.300000 0001 0943 978XDepartment of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Tomoki Hirunagi
- grid.27476.300000 0001 0943 978XDepartment of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Madoka Iida
- grid.27476.300000 0001 0943 978XDepartment of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Takaki Miyata
- grid.27476.300000 0001 0943 978XDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masahisa Katsuno
- grid.27476.300000 0001 0943 978XDepartment of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan ,grid.27476.300000 0001 0943 978XDepartment of Clinical Research Education, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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2
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Feng B, Meng L, Luan L, Fang Z, Zhao P, Zhao G. Upregulation of Extracellular Vesicles-Encapsulated miR-132 Released From Mesenchymal Stem Cells Attenuates Ischemic Neuronal Injury by Inhibiting Smad2/c-jun Pathway via Acvr2b Suppression. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 8:568304. [PMID: 33763412 PMCID: PMC7982537 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.568304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ischemic cerebrovascular disease is a significant and common public health issue worldwide. The emerging roles of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in ischemic neuronal injury continue to be investigated. The current study aimed to investigate the role of EV-derived miR-132 from MSCs in ischemic neuronal injury. EVs were initially isolated from bone MSCs (BMSCs) and subsequently evaluated. A middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse model was constructed with the neurological function evaluated through a series of neurological scores, a pole test, and a foot fault test. Histopathological changes, neuron viability, and apoptosis, as well as cerebral infarction, were detected by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium hydrochloride (TTC) staining. The targeting relationship between microRNA (miR)-132 and Activin receptor type IIB (Acvr2b) was further confirmed based on dual-luciferase reporter gene assay results. Loss- and gain-of-function assays were conducted to elucidate the role of miR-132, EV-derived miR-132, Acvr2b, and Smad2 in oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-treated neurons, and in mice models. Neuronal cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated via Cell Counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry. Our results indicated that Acvr2b was highly expressed, while miR-132 was poorly expressed in the MCAO mice and OGD-treated neurons. Acvr2b silencing or upregulation of miR-132 led to an elevation in neuronal activity, decreased neuronal apoptosis, reduced expression of Bax, and cleaved-caspase 3, as well as increased Bcl-2 expression. Acvr2b expression was targeted and inhibited by miR-132. EV-derived Acvr2b promoted activation of phosphorylated-Smad2 (p-Smad2)/c-jun signaling pathway, ultimately inducing neuronal injury. Our study provides evidence demonstrating that the overexpression of c-jun inhibits the protective role of MSCs-derived EV-miR-132 in neuronal injury. Upregulation of EV-derived miR-132 released from MSCs attenuates ischemic neuronal injury by inhibiting Smad2/c-jun pathways via the suppression of Acvr2b.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Feng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Lei Meng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Liming Luan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Zhihao Fang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Peng Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Guangyu Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
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3
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CGRP-Mediated Prolactin Upregulation: a Possible Pathomechanism in IgG4-Related Disease. Inflammation 2020; 44:536-548. [PMID: 33067662 DOI: 10.1007/s10753-020-01350-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Similar to other immune-mediated diseases, IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is the disease that develops in genetically susceptible individuals exposed to external or endogenous antigens. In the present study, it was confirmed that MAG (myelin-associated glycoprotein) antibodies (IgG, IgG4, and IgM) were detected by immunofluorescence (IFA) in serum of the patients with IgG4-RD. In vivo, the levels of prolactin and Th2 cytokines in CGRP+/- rats were higher than those in wild-type. Our findings indicate that the presence of CGRP-deficiency-mediated MAG antibodies is a probable molecular basis for the initial events which were triggered in IgG4-RD immune responses via prolactin upregulation.
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4
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Onodera K, Shimojo D, Ishihara Y, Yano M, Miya F, Banno H, Kuzumaki N, Ito T, Okada R, de Araújo Herculano B, Ohyama M, Yoshida M, Tsunoda T, Katsuno M, Doyu M, Sobue G, Okano H, Okada Y. Unveiling synapse pathology in spinal bulbar muscular atrophy by genome-wide transcriptome analysis of purified motor neurons derived from disease specific iPSCs. Mol Brain 2020; 13:18. [PMID: 32070397 PMCID: PMC7029484 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-0561-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is an adult-onset, slowly progressive motor neuron disease caused by abnormal CAG repeat expansion in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. Although ligand (testosterone)-dependent mutant AR aggregation has been shown to play important roles in motor neuronal degeneration by the analyses of transgenic mice models and in vitro cell culture models, the underlying disease mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated because of the discrepancy between model mice and SBMA patients. Thus, novel human disease models that recapitulate SBMA patients’ pathology more accurately are required for more precise pathophysiological analysis and the development of novel therapeutics. Here, we established disease specific iPSCs from four SBMA patients, and differentiated them into spinal motor neurons. To investigate motor neuron specific pathology, we purified iPSC-derived motor neurons using flow cytometry and cell sorting based on the motor neuron specific reporter, HB9e438::Venus, and proceeded to the genome-wide transcriptome analysis by RNA sequences. The results revealed the involvement of the pathology associated with synapses, epigenetics, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in SBMA. Notably, we demonstrated the involvement of the neuromuscular synapse via significant upregulation of Synaptotagmin, R-Spondin2 (RSPO2), and WNT ligands in motor neurons derived from SBMA patients, which are known to be associated with neuromuscular junction (NMJ) formation and acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clustering. These aberrant gene expression in neuromuscular synapses might represent a novel therapeutic target for SBMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazunari Onodera
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Yazakokarimata, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan.,Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Daisuke Shimojo
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Yazakokarimata, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan.,Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yasuharu Ishihara
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Masato Yano
- Division of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, 951-8510, Japan
| | - Fuyuki Miya
- Department of Medical Science Mathematics, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.,Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,Laboratory for Medical Science Mathematics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Banno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Naoko Kuzumaki
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.,Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo, 142-8501, Japan
| | - Takuji Ito
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Yazakokarimata, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan
| | - Rina Okada
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Yazakokarimata, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan
| | - Bruno de Araújo Herculano
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Yazakokarimata, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan
| | - Manabu Ohyama
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Mari Yoshida
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan
| | - Tatsuhiko Tsunoda
- Department of Medical Science Mathematics, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.,Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,Laboratory for Medical Science Mathematics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Manabu Doyu
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Yazakokarimata, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan
| | - Gen Sobue
- Research Division of Dementia and Neurodegenerative Disease, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yohei Okada
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, 1-1 Yazakokarimata, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan.
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5
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Iida M, Sahashi K, Kondo N, Nakatsuji H, Tohnai G, Tsutsumi Y, Noda S, Murakami A, Onodera K, Okada Y, Nakatochi M, Tsukagoshi Okabe Y, Shimizu S, Mizuno M, Adachi H, Okano H, Sobue G, Katsuno M. Src inhibition attenuates polyglutamine-mediated neuromuscular degeneration in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4262. [PMID: 31537808 PMCID: PMC6753158 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12282-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is a neuromuscular disease caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. Here, we perform a comprehensive analysis of signaling pathways in a mouse model of SBMA (AR-97Q mice) utilizing a phosphoprotein assay. We measure the levels of 17 phosphorylated proteins in spinal cord and skeletal muscle of AR-97Q mice at three stages. The level of phosphorylated Src (p-Src) is markedly increased in the spinal cords and skeletal muscles of AR-97Q mice prior to the onset. Intraperitoneal administration of a Src kinase inhibitor improves the behavioral and histopathological phenotypes of the transgenic mice. We identify p130Cas as an effector molecule of Src and show that the phosphorylated p130Cas is elevated in murine and cellular models of SBMA. These results suggest that Src kinase inhibition is a potential therapy for SBMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madoka Iida
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 5-3-1, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan
| | - Kentaro Sahashi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Naohide Kondo
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Hideaki Nakatsuji
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Genki Tohnai
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Yutaka Tsutsumi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Seiya Noda
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Suzuka National Hospital, 3-2-1, Kasado, Suzuka city, Mie, 513-8501, Japan
| | - Ayuka Murakami
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Suzuka National Hospital, 3-2-1, Kasado, Suzuka city, Mie, 513-8501, Japan
| | - Kazunari Onodera
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, 1, Karimata, Yazako, Nagakute-city, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan
| | - Yohei Okada
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, 1, Karimata, Yazako, Nagakute-city, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35, Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Masahiro Nakatochi
- Department of Nursing, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-20 Daiko-Minami, Higashi-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 461-8673, Japan
| | - Yuka Tsukagoshi Okabe
- Department of Advanced Medicine, Nagoya University Hospital, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8560, Japan
| | - Shinobu Shimizu
- Department of Advanced Medicine, Nagoya University Hospital, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8560, Japan
| | - Masaaki Mizuno
- Department of Advanced Medicine, Nagoya University Hospital, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8560, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Adachi
- Department of Neurology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health School of Medicine, 1-1, Iseigaoka, Yahatanichi-ku, Kitakyushu-city, Fukuoka, 807-0804, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35, Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Gen Sobue
- Brain and Mind Research Center, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya city, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.
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6
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Kondo N, Tohnai G, Sahashi K, Iida M, Kataoka M, Nakatsuji H, Tsutsumi Y, Hashizume A, Adachi H, Koike H, Shinjo K, Kondo Y, Sobue G, Katsuno M. DNA methylation inhibitor attenuates polyglutamine-induced neurodegeneration by regulating Hes5. EMBO Mol Med 2019; 11:e8547. [PMID: 30940675 PMCID: PMC6505579 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201708547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2017] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is a polyglutamine-mediated neuromuscular disease caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. While transcriptional dysregulation is known to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of SBMA, the underlying molecular pathomechanisms remain unclear. DNA methylation is a fundamental epigenetic modification that silences the transcription of various genes that have a CpG-rich promoter. Here, we showed that DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) is highly expressed in the spinal motor neurons of an SBMA mouse model and in patients with SBMA. Both genetic Dnmt1 depletion and treatment with RG108, a DNA methylation inhibitor, ameliorated the viability of SBMA model cells. Furthermore, a continuous intracerebroventricular injection of RG108 mitigated the phenotype of SBMA mice. DNA methylation array analysis identified hairy and enhancer of split 5 (Hes5) as having a CpG island with hyper-methylation in the promoter region, and the Hes5 expression was strongly silenced in SBMA. Moreover, Hes5 over-expression rescued the SBMA cells possibly by inducing Smad2 phosphorylation. Our findings suggest DNA hyper-methylation underlies the neurodegeneration in SBMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naohide Kondo
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Genki Tohnai
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kentaro Sahashi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Madoka Iida
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Mayumi Kataoka
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hideaki Nakatsuji
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yutaka Tsutsumi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hashizume
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Adachi
- Department of Neurology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health School of Medicine, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Haruki Koike
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Keiko Shinjo
- Division of Cancer Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yutaka Kondo
- Division of Cancer Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Gen Sobue
- Research Division of Dementia and Neurodegenerative Disease, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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7
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Gene expression analysis reveals early dysregulation of disease pathways and links Chmp7 to pathogenesis of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3539. [PMID: 30837566 PMCID: PMC6401132 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40118-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) results from a CAG repeat expansion within the androgen receptor gene (AR). It is unclear why motor neurons selectively degenerate and there are currently no treatments for this debilitating disease. To uncover the causative genes and pathways involved in motor neuron dysfunction, we undertook transcriptomic profiling of primary embryonic motor neurons from SBMA mice. We show that transcriptional dysregulation occurs early during development in SBMA motor neurons. One gene found to be dysregulated, Chmp7, was also altered in vivo in spinal cord before symptom onset in SBMA mice, and crucially in motor neuron precursor cells derived from SBMA patient stem cells, suggesting that Chmp7 may play a causal role in disease pathogenesis by disrupting the endosome-lysosome system. Furthermore, genes were enriched in SBMA motor neurons in several key pathways including p53, DNA repair, WNT and mitochondrial function. SBMA embryonic motor neurons also displayed dysfunctional mitochondria along with DNA damage, possibly resulting from DNA repair gene dysregulation and/or mitochondrial dysfunction. This indicates that a coordinated dysregulation of multiple pathways leads to development of SBMA. Importantly, our findings suggest that the identified pathways and genes, in particular Chmp7, may serve as potential therapeutic targets in SBMA.
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8
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Hu SH, Guang Y, Wang WX. Protective Effects of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide-Mediated p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway on Severe Acute Pancreatitis in Rats. Dig Dis Sci 2019; 64:447-455. [PMID: 30370491 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-018-5345-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities on the pathological damage of acute pancreatitis. However, its molecular mechanism on severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) remains unknown. AIMS To evaluate the influence of CGRP-mediated p38MAPK signaling pathway in rats with SAP. METHODS SD rats were randomly divided into Sham group, SAP group, CGRP group (SAP rats injected with CGRP), SB203580 group (rats injected with p38MAPK pathway inhibitor SB203580), and CGRP8-37 group (SAP rats injected with CGRP8-37). Serum amylase and lipase activities were determined. Histopathological observations were evaluated, and the expression of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress-related indexes were measured. RESULTS Compared with Sham group, SAP rats were increased in the activities of serum amylase and lipase, the pathologic assessment of pancreatic tissue, the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8, the content of MDA and MPO, and the expressions of CGRP, and p-p38MAPK protein, but they were decreased in SOD activity and GSH content. The above alterations were aggravated in the CGRP8-37 group when compared with SAP group. Besides, in comparison with SAP group, rats in the CGRP and SB203580 groups presented a reduction in the activities of serum amylase and lipase, the levels of inflammatory cytokines, the content of MDA and MPO, and the expressions of p-p38MAPK protein, while showed an elevation in SOD activity and GSH content. CONCLUSION Pretreatment with CGRP alleviated oxidative stress and inflammatory response of SAP rats possibly by suppressing the activity of p38MAPK pathway, and thereby postponing the disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Hui Hu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Laparoscopic Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 238, Jiefang Road, No. 99, Zhang Zhidong Road (Formerly Ziyang Road), Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430060, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Guang
- Department of Gynecology, Xiaogan Central Hospital, Xiaogan, 432000, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei-Xing Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Laparoscopic Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 238, Jiefang Road, No. 99, Zhang Zhidong Road (Formerly Ziyang Road), Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430060, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China.
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9
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Murmann AE, Yu J, Opal P, Peter ME. Trinucleotide Repeat Expansion Diseases, RNAi, and Cancer. Trends Cancer 2018; 4:684-700. [PMID: 30292352 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Many neurodegenerative diseases are caused by unstable trinucleotide repeat (TNR) expansions located in disease-associated genes. siRNAs based on CAG repeat expansions effectively kill cancer cell lines in vitro through RNAi. They also cause significant reduction in tumor growth in a human ovarian cancer mouse model with no toxicity to the treated mice. This suggests that cancer cells are particularly sensitive to CAG TNR-derived siRNAs, and explains a reported inverse correlation between the length of CAG TNRs and reduced global cancer incidences in some CAG TNR diseases. This review discusses both mutant proteins and mutant RNAs as a cause of TNR diseases, with a focus on RNAi and its role in contributing to disease pathology and in suppressing cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea E Murmann
- Department of Medicine, Division Hematology/Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Jindan Yu
- Department of Medicine, Division Hematology/Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Puneet Opal
- Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Marcus E Peter
- Department of Medicine, Division Hematology/Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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10
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Preclinical Evidence Supporting Early Initiation of Citalopram Treatment in Machado-Joseph Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:3626-3637. [PMID: 30173407 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1332-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias are dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders with no disease-modifying treatment. We previously identified the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram as a safe and effective drug to be repurposed for Machado-Joseph disease. Pre-symptomatic treatment of transgenic (CMVMJD135) mice strikingly ameliorated mutant ataxin-3 (ATXN3) pathogenesis. Here, we asked whether citalopram treatment initiated at a post-symptomatic age would still show efficacy. We used a cohort of CMVMJD135 mice that shows increased phenotypic severity and faster disease progression (CMVMJD135hi) compared to the mice used in the first trial. Groups of hemizygous CMVMJD135hi mice were orally treated with citalopram. Behavior, protein analysis, and pathology assessment were performed blindly to treatment. Our results show that even when initiated after symptom onset, treatment of CMVMJD135hi mice with citalopram ameliorated motor coordination and balance, attenuating disease progression, albeit to a lesser extent than that seen with pre-symptomatic treatment initiation. There was no impact on ATXN3 aggregation, which contrasts with the robust reduction in ATXN3-positive inclusions observed in CMVMJD135 mice, when treated pre-symptomatically. Post-symptomatic treatment of CMVMJD135hi mice revealed, however, a limited neuroprotective effect by showing a tendency to repair cerebellar calbindin staining, and to increase the number of motor neurons and of NeuN-positive cells in certain brain regions. While supporting that early initiation of treatment with citalopram leads to a marked increase in efficacy, these results strengthen our previous observation that modulation of serotonergic signaling by citalopram is a promising therapeutic approach for Machado-Joseph disease even after symptom onset.
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11
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Henriques A, Croixmarie V, Bouscary A, Mosbach A, Keime C, Boursier-Neyret C, Walter B, Spedding M, Loeffler JP. Sphingolipid Metabolism Is Dysregulated at Transcriptomic and Metabolic Levels in the Spinal Cord of an Animal Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 10:433. [PMID: 29354030 PMCID: PMC5758557 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipid metabolism is drastically dysregulated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and impacts prognosis of patients. Animal models recapitulate alterations in the energy metabolism, including hypermetabolism and severe loss of adipose tissue. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, we have performed RNA-sequencing and lipidomic profiling in spinal cord of symptomatic SOD1G86R mice. Spinal transcriptome of SOD1G86R mice was characterized by differential expression of genes related to immune system, extracellular exosome, and lysosome. Hypothesis-driven identification of metabolites showed that lipids, including sphingomyelin(d18:0/26:1), ceramide(d18:1/22:0), and phosphatidylcholine(o-22:1/20:4) showed profound altered levels. A correlation between disease severity and gene expression or metabolite levels was found for sphingosine, ceramide(d18:1/26:0), Sgpp2, Sphk1, and Ugt8a. Joint-analysis revealed a significant enrichment of glycosphingolipid metabolism in SOD1G86R mice, due to the down-regulation of ceramide, glucosylceramide, and lactosylceramide and the overexpression of genes involved in their recycling in the lysosome. A drug-gene interaction database was interrogated to identify potential drugs able to modulate the dysregulated genes from the signaling pathway. Our results suggest that complex lipids are pivotally changed during the first phase of motor symptoms in an animal model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Henriques
- Université de Strasbourg, UMR_S 1118, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France.,INSERM, U1118, Mécanismes Centraux et Périphériques de la Neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, France.,Spedding Research Solutions SAS, Le Vesinet, France
| | | | - Alexandra Bouscary
- Université de Strasbourg, UMR_S 1118, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France.,INSERM, U1118, Mécanismes Centraux et Périphériques de la Neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, France
| | - Althéa Mosbach
- Université de Strasbourg, UMR_S 1118, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France.,INSERM, U1118, Mécanismes Centraux et Périphériques de la Neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, France
| | - Céline Keime
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM, U964, CNRS, UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | | | | | | | - Jean-Philippe Loeffler
- Université de Strasbourg, UMR_S 1118, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Strasbourg, France.,INSERM, U1118, Mécanismes Centraux et Périphériques de la Neurodégénérescence, Strasbourg, France
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12
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Sahashi K, Hashizume A, Sobue G, Katsuno M. Progress toward the development of treatment of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Expert Opin Orphan Drugs 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/21678707.2017.1329088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Sahashi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hashizume
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Gen Sobue
- Research Division of Dementia and Neurodegenerative Disease, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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13
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Querin G, Sorarù G, Pradat PF. Kennedy disease (X-linked recessive bulbospinal neuronopathy): A comprehensive review from pathophysiology to therapy. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2017; 173:326-337. [PMID: 28473226 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2017.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Kennedy's disease, also known as spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), is a rare, adult-onset, X-linked recessive neuromuscular disease caused by expansion of a CAG repeat sequence in exon 1 of the androgen receptor gene (AR) encoding a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract. The polyQ-expanded AR accumulates in nuclei, and initiates degeneration and loss of motor neurons and dorsal root ganglia. While the disease has long been considered a pure lower motor neuron disease, recently, the presence of major hyper-creatine-kinase (CK)-emia and myopathic alterations on muscle biopsy has suggested the presence of a primary myopathy underlying a wide range of clinical manifestations. The disease, which affects male adults, is characterized by muscle weakness and atrophy localized proximally in the limbs, and bulbar involvement. Sensory disturbances are associated with the motor phenotype, but may be subclinical. The most frequent systemic symptom is gynecomastia related to androgen insensitivity, but other abnormalities, such as heart rhythm and urinary disturbances, have also been reported. The course of the disease is slowly progressive with normal life expectancy. The diagnosis of SBMA is based on genetic testing, with 38 CAG repeats taken as pathogenic. Despite several therapeutic attempts made in mouse models, no effective disease-modifying therapy is yet available, although symptomatic therapy is beneficial for the management of the weakness, fatigue and bulbar symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Querin
- Laboratoire d'imagerie biomédicale, Sorbonne universités, UPMC University Paris 06, CNRS, Inserm, 75013 Paris, France; Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, 35100 Padova, Italy
| | - G Sorarù
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, 35100 Padova, Italy
| | - P-F Pradat
- Laboratoire d'imagerie biomédicale, Sorbonne universités, UPMC University Paris 06, CNRS, Inserm, 75013 Paris, France; Département des maladies du système nerveux, hôpital Pitié-Salpêtriere, centre référent-SLA, AP-HP, 47-83, boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France.
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14
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Nakatsuji H, Araki A, Hashizume A, Hijikata Y, Yamada S, Inagaki T, Suzuki K, Banno H, Suga N, Okada Y, Ohyama M, Nakagawa T, Kishida K, Funahashi T, Shimomura I, Okano H, Katsuno M, Sobue G. Correlation of insulin resistance and motor function in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. J Neurol 2017; 264:839-847. [PMID: 28229243 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-017-8405-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate various metabolic parameters in patients with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), to investigate the association between those indices and disease severity, and to explore the underlying molecular pathogenesis. We compared the degree of obesity, metabolic parameters, and blood pressure in 55 genetically confirmed SBMA patients against those in 483 age- and sex-matched healthy control. In SBMA patients, we investigated the correlation between these factors and motor functional indices. SBMA patients had lower body mass index, blood glucose, and Hemoglobin A1c, but higher blood pressure, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR, a marker of insulin resistance), total cholesterol, and adiponectin levels than the control subjects. There were no differences in visceral fat areas, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), or triglyceride levels in two groups. Revised amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R) correlated positively with HDL-C, but negatively with HOMA-IR. Through stepwise multiple regression analysis, we identified HOMA-IR as a significant metabolic determinant of ALSFRS-R. In biochemical analysis, we found that decreased expressions of insulin receptors, insulin receptor substrate-1 and insulin receptor-β, in autopsied muscles and fibroblasts of SBMA patients. This study demonstrates that SBMA patients have insulin resistance, which is associated with the disease severity. The expressions of insulin receptors are attenuated in the skeletal muscle of SBMA, providing a possible pathomechanism of metabolic alterations. These findings suggested that insulin resistance is a metabolic index reflecting disease severity and pathogenesis as well as a potential therapeutic target for SBMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideaki Nakatsuji
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Amane Araki
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.,Department of Neurology, Kasugai Municipal Hospital, Kasugai, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hashizume
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Hijikata
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Yamada
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Tomonori Inagaki
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Keisuke Suzuki
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.,Department of Clinical Research, Innovation Center for Clinical Research, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Banno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Noriaki Suga
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.,Department of Neurology, Sarashina Rehabilitation Clinic, Ichihara, Japan
| | - Yohei Okada
- Department of Neurology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Aichi, Japan.,Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Manabu Ohyama
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tohru Nakagawa
- Hitachi, Ltd. Hitachi Health Care Center, Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Ken Kishida
- Department of Metabolic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.,Kishida Clinic, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tohru Funahashi
- Department of Metabolic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Metabolism and Atherosclerosis, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Iichiro Shimomura
- Department of Metabolic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.
| | - Gen Sobue
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan. .,Research Division of Dementia and Neurodegenerative Disease, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.
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15
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Ariyasu D, Yoshida H, Hasegawa Y. Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Stress and Endocrine Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18020382. [PMID: 28208663 PMCID: PMC5343917 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18020382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the organelle where secretory and membrane proteins are synthesized and folded. Unfolded proteins that are retained within the ER can cause ER stress. Eukaryotic cells have a defense system called the “unfolded protein response” (UPR), which protects cells from ER stress. Cells undergo apoptosis when ER stress exceeds the capacity of the UPR, which has been revealed to cause human diseases. Although neurodegenerative diseases are well-known ER stress-related diseases, it has been discovered that endocrine diseases are also related to ER stress. In this review, we focus on ER stress-related human endocrine disorders. In addition to diabetes mellitus, which is well characterized, several relatively rare genetic disorders such as familial neurohypophyseal diabetes insipidus (FNDI), Wolfram syndrome, and isolated growth hormone deficiency type II (IGHD2) are discussed in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Ariyasu
- Division of Developmental Genetics, Institute of Resource Development and Analysis, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan.
| | - Hiderou Yoshida
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan.
| | - Yukihiro Hasegawa
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Medical Center, Tokyo 183-8561, Japan.
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16
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Abstract
Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy is an X-linked neuromuscular disease caused by an expanded repeat in the androgen receptor gene. The mutant protein is toxic to motor neurons and muscle. The toxicity is ligand-dependent and likely involves aberrant interaction of the mutant androgen receptor with other nuclear factors leading to transcriptional dysregulation. Various therapeutic strategies have been effective in transgenic animal models, and the challenge now is to translate these strategies into safe and effective treatment in patients.
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17
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Trinucleotide repeats and protein folding and disease: the perspective from studies with the androgen receptor. Future Sci OA 2015; 1:FSO47. [PMID: 28031874 PMCID: PMC5137883 DOI: 10.4155/fso.15.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR), a ligand activated transcription factor plays a number of roles in reproduction, homeostasis and pathogenesis of disease. It has two major polymorphic sequences; a polyglutamine and a polyglycine repeat that determine the length of the protein and influence receptor folding, structure and function. Here, we review the role the folding of the AR plays in the pathogenesis of spinal-bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), a neuromuscular degenerative disease arising from expansion of the polyglutamine repeat. We discuss current management for SBMA patients and how research on AR structure function may lead to future drug treatments.
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18
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Zuo Y, Berdeaux R, Frost JA. The RhoGEF Net1 is required for normal mammary gland development. Mol Endocrinol 2015; 28:1948-60. [PMID: 25321414 DOI: 10.1210/me.2014-1128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroepithelial transforming gene 1 (Net1) is a RhoA subfamily-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor that is overexpressed in human breast cancer and is required for breast cancer cell migration and invasion. However, the role of Net1 in normal mammary gland development or function has never been assessed. To understand the role of Net1 in the mammary gland, we have created a conditional Net1 knockout mouse model. Whole-body deletion of Net1 results in delayed mammary gland development during puberty characterized by slowed of ductal extension and reduced ductal branching. Epithelial cells within the developing ducts show reduced proliferation that is accompanied by diminished estrogen receptor-α expression and activity. Net1-deficient mammary glands also exhibit reduced phosphorylation of regulatory subunits of myosin light chain and myosin light-chain phosphatase, indicating that RhoA-dependent actomyosin contraction is compromised. Net1 deficiency also leads to disorganization of myoepithelial and ductal epithelial cells and increased periductal collagen deposition. Mammary epithelial cell transplantation experiments indicate that reduced ductal branching and disorganization are cell autonomous. These data identify for the first time a role for NET1 in vivo and indicate that NET1 expression is essential for the proliferation and differentiation of mammary epithelial cells in the developing mammary gland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zuo
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
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19
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Todd TW, Kokubu H, Miranda HC, Cortes CJ, La Spada AR, Lim J. Nemo-like kinase is a novel regulator of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. eLife 2015; 4:e08493. [PMID: 26308581 PMCID: PMC4577982 DOI: 10.7554/elife.08493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is a progressive neuromuscular disease caused by polyglutamine expansion in the androgen receptor (AR) protein. Despite extensive research, the exact pathogenic mechanisms underlying SBMA remain elusive. In this study, we present evidence that Nemo-like kinase (NLK) promotes disease pathogenesis across multiple SBMA model systems. Most remarkably, loss of one copy of Nlk rescues SBMA phenotypes in mice, including extending lifespan. We also investigated the molecular mechanisms by which NLK exerts its effects in SBMA. Specifically, we have found that NLK can phosphorylate the mutant polyglutamine-expanded AR, enhance its aggregation, and promote AR-dependent gene transcription by regulating AR-cofactor interactions. Furthermore, NLK modulates the toxicity of a mutant AR fragment via a mechanism that is independent of AR-mediated gene transcription. Our findings uncover a crucial role for NLK in controlling SBMA toxicity and reveal a novel avenue for therapy development in SBMA. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08493.001 Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is an inherited disease that eventually leads to degeneration in motor neurons and weakness in muscles. It is caused by a specific genetic mutation in the gene that encodes the androgen receptor protein, which leads to the production of a mutant protein that is larger than normal. Similar mutations in other genes can lead to the development of other so-called ‘polyglutamine’ diseases such as Huntington's disease and spinocerebellar ataxia. However, the precise details of how these mutations lead to disease symptoms are not known, and there are currently no effective ways of treating these conditions. Previous research has shown that an enzyme called Nemo-like kinase (or NLK for short) regulates the normal androgen receptor in cancer cells. NLK has kinase activity, that is, it adds phosphate molecules to other proteins to regulate their activity. Todd et al. used human cells, fruit flies, and mice as model systems to investigate whether NLK is involved in the development of SBMA. The experiments show that NLK promotes the development of features associated with SBMA in all three models. The kinase activity of NLK is required for these features to develop. Todd et al. also found that NLK can bind to and add phosphate molecules to the mutant version of the androgen receptor protein. This causes the mutant androgen receptor proteins to accumulate and increases the ability of the mutant proteins to activate particular genes. Todd et al.'s findings suggest that NLK promotes the development of SBMA by interacting with the mutant androgen receptor. Previous studies have shown that NLK is able to modulate the development of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1, which suggests that NLK may also play an important role in other polyglutamine diseases. The next challenge will be to fully understand the role of NLK in these diseases, which may aid future efforts to develop new treatments. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08493.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany W Todd
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Hiroshi Kokubu
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Helen C Miranda
- Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Neurosciences, and Pediatrics, Division of Biological Sciences, Institute for Genomic Medicine, Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Constanza J Cortes
- Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Neurosciences, and Pediatrics, Division of Biological Sciences, Institute for Genomic Medicine, Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Albert R La Spada
- Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Neurosciences, and Pediatrics, Division of Biological Sciences, Institute for Genomic Medicine, Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Janghoo Lim
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
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20
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Sahashi K, Katsuno M, Hung G, Adachi H, Kondo N, Nakatsuji H, Tohnai G, Iida M, Bennett CF, Sobue G. Silencing neuronal mutant androgen receptor in a mouse model of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Hum Mol Genet 2015; 24:5985-94. [PMID: 26231218 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease that affects males, results from a CAG triplet repeat/polyglutamine expansions in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. Patients develop progressive muscular weakness and atrophy, and no effective therapy is currently available. The tissue-specific pathogenesis, especially relative pathological contributions between degenerative motor neurons and muscles, remains inconclusive. Though peripheral pathology in skeletal muscle caused by toxic AR protein has been recently reported to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of SBMA using mouse models, the role of motor neuron degeneration in SBMA has not been rigorously investigated. Here, we exploited synthetic antisense oligonucleotides to inhibit the RNA levels of mutant AR in the central nervous system (CNS) and explore its therapeutic effects in our SBMA mouse model that harbors a mutant AR gene with 97 CAG expansions and characteristic SBMA-like neurogenic phenotypes. A single intracerebroventricular administration of the antisense oligonucleotides in the presymptomatic phase efficiently suppressed the mutant gene expression in the CNS, and delayed the onset and progression of motor dysfunction, improved body weight gain and survival with the amelioration of neuronal histopathology in motor units such as spinal motor neurons, neuromuscular junctions and skeletal muscle. These findings highlight the importance of the neurotoxicity of mutant AR protein in motor neurons as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Sahashi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan,
| | - Gene Hung
- Isis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA and
| | - Hiroaki Adachi
- Department of Neurology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health School of Medicine, Kitakyushu 807-8555, Japan
| | - Naohide Kondo
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Hideaki Nakatsuji
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Genki Tohnai
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Madoka Iida
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | | | - Gen Sobue
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan,
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21
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Katsuno M, Watanabe H, Yamamoto M, Sobue G. Potential therapeutic targets in polyglutamine-mediated diseases. Expert Rev Neurother 2014; 14:1215-28. [PMID: 25190502 DOI: 10.1586/14737175.2014.956727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Polyglutamine diseases are a group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders that are caused by an abnormal expansion of a trinucleotide CAG repeat, which encodes a polyglutamine tract in the protein-coding region of the respective disease genes. To date, nine polyglutamine diseases are known, including Huntington's disease, spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy and six forms of spinocerebellar ataxia. These diseases share a salient molecular pathophysiology including the aggregation of the mutant protein followed by the disruption of cellular functions such as transcriptional regulation and axonal transport. The intraneuronal accumulation of mutant protein and resulting cellular dysfunction are the essential targets for the development of disease-modifying therapies, some of which have shown beneficial effects in animal models. In this review, the current status of and perspectives on therapy development for polyglutamine diseases will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
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22
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Iida M, Katsuno M, Nakatsuji H, Adachi H, Kondo N, Miyazaki Y, Tohnai G, Ikenaka K, Watanabe H, Yamamoto M, Kishida K, Sobue G. Pioglitazone suppresses neuronal and muscular degeneration caused by polyglutamine-expanded androgen receptors. Hum Mol Genet 2014; 24:314-29. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddu445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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23
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Recent progress in the genetics of motor neuron disease. Eur J Med Genet 2014; 57:103-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2014.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 01/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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24
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Beitel LK, Alvarado C, Mokhtar S, Paliouras M, Trifiro M. Mechanisms mediating spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy: investigations into polyglutamine-expanded androgen receptor function and dysfunction. Front Neurol 2013; 4:53. [PMID: 23720649 PMCID: PMC3654311 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2013.00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA, Kennedy’s disease), a late-onset neuromuscular disorder, is caused by expansion of the polymorphic polyglutamine tract in the androgen receptor (AR). The AR is a ligand-activated transcription factor, but plays roles in other cellular pathways. In SBMA, selective motor neuron degeneration occurs in the brainstem and spinal cord, thus the causes of neuronal dysfunction have been studied. However, pathogenic pathways in muscles may also be involved. Cultured cells, fly and mouse models are used to study the molecular mechanisms leading to SBMA. Both the structure of the polyglutamine-expanded AR (polyQ AR) and its interactions with other proteins are altered relative to the normal AR. The ligand-dependent translocation of the polyQ AR to the nucleus appears to be critical, as are interdomain interactions. The polyQ AR, or fragments thereof, can form nuclear inclusions, but their pathogenic or protective nature is unclear. Other data suggests soluble polyQ AR oligomers can be harmful. Post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination influence AR function and modulate the deleterious effects of the polyQ AR. Transcriptional dysregulation is highly likely to be a factor in SBMA; deregulation of non-genomic AR signaling may also be involved. Studies on polyQ AR-protein degradation suggest inhibition of the ubiquitin proteasome system and changes to autophagic pathways may be relevant. Mitochondrial function and axonal transport may also be affected by the polyQ AR. Androgens, acting through the AR, can be neurotrophic and are important in muscle development; hence both loss of normal AR functions and gain of novel harmful functions by the polyQ AR can contribute to neurodegeneration and muscular atrophy. Thus investigations into polyQ AR function have shown that multiple complex mechanisms lead to the initiation and progression of SBMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenore K Beitel
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital Montreal, QC, Canada ; Department of Medicine, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada ; Department of Human Genetics, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
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Nelson DL, Orr HT, Warren ST. The unstable repeats--three evolving faces of neurological disease. Neuron 2013; 77:825-43. [PMID: 23473314 PMCID: PMC3608403 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Disorders characterized by expansion of an unstable nucleotide repeat account for a number of inherited neurological diseases. Here, we review examples of unstable repeat disorders that nicely illustrate three of the major pathogenic mechanisms associated with these diseases: loss of function typically by disrupting transcription of the mutated gene, RNA toxic gain of function, and protein toxic gain of function. In addition to providing insight into the mechanisms underlying these devastating neurological disorders, the study of these unstable microsatellite repeat disorders has provided insight into very basic aspects of neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L. Nelson
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College
of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Harry T. Orr
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University
of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Stephen T. Warren
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of
Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322
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New routes to therapy for spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. J Mol Neurosci 2013; 50:514-23. [PMID: 23420040 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-013-9978-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 02/06/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), also known as Kennedy's disease, is a genetically inherited neuromuscular disorder characterized by loss of lower motor neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord and skeletal muscle fasciculation, weakness, and atrophy. SBMA is caused by expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the gene coding for the androgen receptor (AR). PolyQ expansions cause at least eight other neurological disorders, which are collectively known as polyQ diseases. SBMA is unique in the family of polyQ diseases in that the disease manifests fully in male individuals only. The sex specificity of SBMA is the result of the interaction between mutant AR and its natural ligand, testosterone. Here, we will discuss emerging therapeutic perspectives for SBMA in light of recent findings regarding disease pathogenesis.
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