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Iwamoto N, Liu Y, Frank-Kamenetsky M, Maguire A, Tseng WC, Taborn K, Kothari N, Akhtar A, Bowman K, Shelke JD, Lamattina A, Hu XS, Jang HG, Kandasamy P, Liu F, Longo K, Looby R, Meena, Metterville J, Pan Q, Purcell-Estabrook E, Shimizu M, Prakasha PS, Standley S, Upadhyay H, Yang H, Yin Y, Zhao A, Francis C, Byrne M, Dale E, Verdine GL, Vargeese C. Preclinical evaluation of stereopure antisense oligonucleotides for allele-selective lowering of mutant HTT. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102246. [PMID: 39027419 PMCID: PMC11255113 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by the expansion of cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats in one copy of the HTT gene (mutant HTT, mHTT). The unaffected HTT gene encodes wild-type HTT (wtHTT) protein, which supports processes important for the health and function of the central nervous system. Selective lowering of mHTT for the treatment of HD may provide a benefit over nonselective HTT-lowering approaches, as it aims to preserve the beneficial activities of wtHTT. Targeting a heterozygous single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) where the targeted variant is on the mHTT gene is one strategy for achieving allele-selective activity. Herein, we investigated whether stereopure phosphorothioate (PS)- and phosphoryl guanidine (PN)-containing oligonucleotides can direct allele-selective mHTT lowering by targeting rs362273 (SNP3). We demonstrate that our SNP3-targeting molecules are potent, durable, and selective for mHTT in vitro and in vivo in mouse models. Through comparisons with a surrogate for the nonselective investigational compound tominersen, we also demonstrate that allele-selective molecules display equivalent potency toward mHTT with improved durability while sparing wtHTT. Our preclinical findings support the advancement of WVE-003, an investigational allele-selective compound currently in clinical testing (NCT05032196) for the treatment of patients with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ali Akhtar
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Fangjun Liu
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Ken Longo
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | - Meena
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | - Qianli Pan
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Hailin Yang
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yuan Yin
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | | | - Mike Byrne
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Elena Dale
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Gregory L. Verdine
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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Gulumkar VN, Dowdy SF. Stereopure ASOs: An unanticipated increase in selectivity for targeting mutant HTT. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102312. [PMID: 39281704 PMCID: PMC11399643 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Vijay N Gulumkar
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Steven F Dowdy
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
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3
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Dublin-Ryan LB, Bhadra AK, True HL. Disruption of the nascent polypeptide-associated complex leads to reduced polyglutamine aggregation and toxicity. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303008. [PMID: 39146256 PMCID: PMC11326622 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The nascent polypeptide-associate complex (NAC) is a heterodimeric chaperone complex that binds near the ribosome exit tunnel and is the first point of chaperone contact for newly synthesized proteins. Deletion of the NAC induces embryonic lethality in many multi-cellular organisms. Previous work has shown that the deletion of the NAC rescues cells from prion-induced cytotoxicity. This counterintuitive result led us to hypothesize that NAC disruption would improve viability in cells expressing human misfolding proteins. Here, we show that NAC disruption improves viability in cells expressing expanded polyglutamine and also leads to delayed and reduced aggregation of expanded polyglutamine and changes in polyglutamine aggregate morphology. Moreover, we show that NAC disruption leads to changes in de novo yeast prion induction. These results indicate that the NAC plays a critical role in aggregate organization as a potential therapeutic target in neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leeran B Dublin-Ryan
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Ankan K Bhadra
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Heather L True
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
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4
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Esmaealzadeh N, Miri MS, Mavaddat H, Peyrovinasab A, Ghasemi Zargar S, Sirous Kabiri S, Razavi SM, Abdolghaffari AH. The regulating effect of curcumin on NF-κB pathway in neurodegenerative diseases: a review of the underlying mechanisms. Inflammopharmacology 2024; 32:2125-2151. [PMID: 38769198 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-024-01492-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are part of the central nervous system (CNS) disorders that indicate their presence with neuronal loss, neuroinflammation, and increased oxidative stress. Several pathophysiological factors and biomarkers are involved in this inflammatory process causing these neurological disorders. The nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) is an inflammation element, which induced transcription and appears to be one of the important players in physiological procedures, especially nervous disorders. NF-κB can impact upon series of intracellular actions and induce or inhibit many inflammation-related pathways. Multiple reports have focused on the modification of NF-κB activity, controlling its expression, translocation, and signaling pathway in neurodegenerative disorders and injuries like Alzheimer's disease (AD), spinal cord injuries (SCI), and Parkinson's disease (PD). Curcumin has been noted to be a popular anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory substance and is the foremost natural compound produced by turmeric. According to various studies, when playing an anti-inflammatory role, it interacts with several modulating proteins of long-standing disease signaling pathways and has an unprovocative consequence on pro-inflammatory cytokines. This review article determined to figure out curcumin's role in limiting the promotion of neurodegenerative disease via influencing the NF-κB signaling route. Preclinical studies were gathered from plenty of scientific platforms including PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Google Scholar to evaluate this hypothesis. Extracted findings from the literature review explained the repressing impact of Curcumin on the NF-κB signaling pathway and, occasionally down-regulating the cytokine expression. Yet, there is an essential need for further analysis and specific clinical experiments to fully understand this subject.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niusha Esmaealzadeh
- Department of Traditional Pharmacy, School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Traditional Persian Medicine and Complementary Medicine (PerCoMed) Student Association, Students' Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- GI Pharmacology Interest Group (GPIG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdis Sadat Miri
- GI Pharmacology Interest Group (GPIG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Department of Toxicology & Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, No. 99, Yakhchal, Gholhak, Shariati St., P. O. Box: 19419-33111, Tehran, Iran
| | - Helia Mavaddat
- GI Pharmacology Interest Group (GPIG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Department of Toxicology & Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, No. 99, Yakhchal, Gholhak, Shariati St., P. O. Box: 19419-33111, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amirreza Peyrovinasab
- GI Pharmacology Interest Group (GPIG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Department of Toxicology & Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, No. 99, Yakhchal, Gholhak, Shariati St., P. O. Box: 19419-33111, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Ghasemi Zargar
- GI Pharmacology Interest Group (GPIG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Department of Toxicology & Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, No. 99, Yakhchal, Gholhak, Shariati St., P. O. Box: 19419-33111, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shirin Sirous Kabiri
- GI Pharmacology Interest Group (GPIG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Department of Toxicology & Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, No. 99, Yakhchal, Gholhak, Shariati St., P. O. Box: 19419-33111, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mehrad Razavi
- GI Pharmacology Interest Group (GPIG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Toxicology & Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, No. 99, Yakhchal, Gholhak, Shariati St., P. O. Box: 19419-33111, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Amir Hossein Abdolghaffari
- GI Pharmacology Interest Group (GPIG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Toxicology & Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, No. 99, Yakhchal, Gholhak, Shariati St., P. O. Box: 19419-33111, Tehran, Iran.
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Belgrad J, Tang Q, Hildebrand S, Summers A, Sapp E, Echeverria D, O’Reilly D, Luu E, Bramato B, Allen S, Cooper D, Alterman J, Yamada K, Aronin N, DiFiglia M, Khvorova A. A programmable dual-targeting siRNA scaffold supports potent two-gene modulation in the central nervous system. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:6099-6113. [PMID: 38726879 PMCID: PMC11194107 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Divalent short-interfering RNA (siRNA) holds promise as a therapeutic approach allowing for the sequence-specific modulation of a target gene within the central nervous system (CNS). However, an siRNA modality capable of simultaneously modulating gene pairs would be invaluable for treating complex neurodegenerative disorders, where more than one pathway contributes to pathogenesis. Currently, the parameters and scaffold considerations for multi-targeting nucleic acid modalities in the CNS are undefined. Here, we propose a framework for designing unimolecular 'dual-targeting' divalent siRNAs capable of co-silencing two genes in the CNS. We systematically adjusted the original CNS-active divalent siRNA and identified that connecting two sense strands 3' and 5' through an intra-strand linker enabled a functional dual-targeting scaffold, greatly simplifying the synthetic process. Our findings demonstrate that the dual-targeting siRNA supports at least two months of maximal distribution and target silencing in the mouse CNS. The dual-targeting divalent siRNA is highly programmable, enabling simultaneous modulation of two different disease-relevant gene pairs (e.g. Huntington's disease: MSH3 and HTT; Alzheimer's disease: APOE and JAK1) with similar potency to a mixture of single-targeting divalent siRNAs against each gene. This work enhances the potential for CNS modulation of disease-related gene pairs using a unimolecular siRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian Belgrad
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Qi Tang
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Sam Hildebrand
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Ashley Summers
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Dimas Echeverria
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Dan O’Reilly
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Eric Luu
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Brianna Bramato
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Allen
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
| | - David Cooper
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Julia Alterman
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Ken Yamada
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Neil Aronin
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Anastasia Khvorova
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, MA, USA
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Pengo M, Squitieri F. Beyond CAG Repeats: The Multifaceted Role of Genetics in Huntington Disease. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:807. [PMID: 38927742 PMCID: PMC11203031 DOI: 10.3390/genes15060807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG expansion on the huntingtin (HTT) gene and is characterized by progressive motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric decline. Recently, new genetic factors besides CAG repeats have been implicated in the disease pathogenesis. Most genetic modifiers are involved in DNA repair pathways and, as the cause of the loss of CAA interruption in the HTT gene, they exert their main influence through somatic expansion. However, this mechanism might not be the only driver of HD pathogenesis, and future studies are warranted in this field. The aim of the present review is to dissect the many faces of genetics in HD pathogenesis, from cis- and trans-acting genetic modifiers to RNA toxicity, mitochondrial DNA mutations, and epigenetics factors. Exploring genetic modifiers of HD onset and progression appears crucial to elucidate not only disease pathogenesis, but also to improve disease prediction and prevention, develop biomarkers of disease progression and response to therapies, and recognize new therapeutic opportunities. Since the same genetic mechanisms are also described in other repeat expansion diseases, their implications might encompass the whole spectrum of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Pengo
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25121 Brescia, Italy;
| | - Ferdinando Squitieri
- Centre for Neurological Rare Diseases (CMNR), Fondazione Lega Italiana Ricerca Huntington (LIRH), 00161 Rome, Italy
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
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Waldo JJ, Halmai JANM, Fink KD. Epigenetic editing for autosomal dominant neurological disorders. Front Genome Ed 2024; 6:1304110. [PMID: 38510848 PMCID: PMC10950933 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2024.1304110] [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: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics refers to the molecules and mechanisms that modify gene expression states without changing the nucleotide context. These modifications are what encode the cell state during differentiation or epigenetic memory in mitosis. Epigenetic modifications can alter gene expression by changing the chromatin architecture by altering the affinity for DNA to wrap around histone octamers, forming nucleosomes. The higher affinity the DNA has for the histones, the tighter it will wrap and therefore induce a heterochromatin state, silencing gene expression. Several groups have shown the ability to harness the cell's natural epigenetic modification pathways to engineer proteins that can induce changes in epigenetics and consequently regulate gene expression. Therefore, epigenetic modification can be used to target and treat disorders through the modification of endogenous gene expression. The use of epigenetic modifications may prove an effective path towards regulating gene expression to potentially correct or cure genetic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kyle D. Fink
- Neurology Department, Stem Cell Program and Gene Therapy Center, MIND Institute, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, United States
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Rani N, Sahu M, Ambasta RK, Kumar P. Triaging between post-translational modification of cell cycle regulators and their therapeutics in neurodegenerative diseases. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 94:102174. [PMID: 38135008 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease, present challenges in healthcare because of their complicated etiologies and absence of healing remedies. Lately, the emerging role of post-translational modifications (PTMs), in the context of cell cycle regulators, has garnered big interest as a potential avenue for therapeutic intervention. The review explores the problematic panorama of PTMs on cell cycle regulators and their implications in neurodegenerative diseases. We delve into the dynamic phosphorylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation, Glycation, and Neddylation that modulate the key cell cycle regulators, consisting of cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), and their inhibitors. The dysregulation of these PTMs is related to aberrant cell cycle in neurons, which is one of the factors involved in neurodegenerative pathologies. Moreover, the effect of exogenous activation of CDKs and CDK inhibitors through PTMs on the signaling cascade was studied in postmitotic conditions of NDDs. Furthermore, the therapeutic implications of CDK inhibitors and associated alteration in PTMs were discussed. Lastly, we explored the putative mechanism of PTMs to restore normal neuronal function that might reverse NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neetu Rani
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly DCE), Delhi 110042
| | - Mehar Sahu
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly DCE), Delhi 110042
| | - Rashmi K Ambasta
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly DCE), Delhi 110042; Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, SRM University, Sonepat, Haryana, India.
| | - Pravir Kumar
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly DCE), Delhi 110042.
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9
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Louessard M, Cailleret M, Jarrige M, Bigarreau J, Lenoir S, Dufour N, Rey M, Saudou F, Deglon N, Perrier AL. Mono- and Biallelic Inactivation of Huntingtin Gene in Patient-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Reveal HTT Roles in Striatal Development and Neuronal Functions. J Huntingtons Dis 2024; 13:41-53. [PMID: 38427495 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-231509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Background Mutations in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene cause Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder. As a scaffold protein, HTT is involved in numerous cellular functions, but its normal and pathogenic functions during human forebrain development are poorly understood. Objective To investigate the developmental component of HD, with a specific emphasis on understanding the functions of wild-type and mutant HTT alleles during forebrain neuron development in individuals carrying HD mutations. Methods We used CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology to disrupt the ATG region of the HTT gene via non-homologous end joining to produce mono- or biallelic HTT knock-out human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) clones. Results We showed that the loss of wild-type, mutant, or both HTT isoforms does not affect the pluripotency of iPSCs or their transition into neural cells. However, we observed that HTT loss causes division impairments in forebrain neuro-epithelial cells and alters maturation of striatal projection neurons (SPNs) particularly in the acquisition of DARPP32 expression, a key functional marker of SPNs. Finally, young post-mitotic neurons derived from HTT-/- human iPSCs display cellular dysfunctions observed in adult HD neurons. Conclusions We described a novel collection of isogenic clones with mono- and biallelic HTT inactivation that complement existing HD-hiPSC isogenic series to explore HTT functions and test therapeutic strategies in particular HTT-lowering drugs. Characterizing neural and neuronal derivatives from human iPSCs of this collection, we show evidence that HTT loss or mutation has impacts on neuro-epithelial and striatal neurons maturation, and on basal DNA damage and BDNF axonal transport in post-mitotic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Louessard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Michel Cailleret
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Margot Jarrige
- CECS/AFM, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Julie Bigarreau
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Sophie Lenoir
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Noëlle Dufour
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Maria Rey
- Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC), and Neuroscience Research Center (CRN), Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Nicole Deglon
- Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC), and Neuroscience Research Center (CRN), Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anselme L Perrier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
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Belgrad J, Tang Q, Hildebrand S, Summers A, Sapp E, Echeverria D, O’Reilly D, Luu E, Bramato B, Allen S, Cooper D, Alterman J, Yamada K, Aronin N, DiFiglia M, Khvorova A. A programmable dual-targeting di-valent siRNA scaffold supports potent multi-gene modulation in the central nervous system. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.19.572404. [PMID: 38187561 PMCID: PMC10769306 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.19.572404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Di-valent short interfering RNA (siRNA) is a promising therapeutic modality that enables sequence-specific modulation of a single target gene in the central nervous system (CNS). To treat complex neurodegenerative disorders, where pathogenesis is driven by multiple genes or pathways, di-valent siRNA must be able to silence multiple target genes simultaneously. Here we present a framework for designing unimolecular "dual-targeting" di-valent siRNAs capable of co-silencing two genes in the CNS. We reconfigured di-valent siRNA - in which two identical, linked siRNAs are made concurrently - to create linear di-valent siRNA - where two siRNAs are made sequentially attached by a covalent linker. This linear configuration, synthesized using commercially available reagents, enables incorporation of two different siRNAs to silence two different targets. We demonstrate that this dual-targeting di-valent siRNA is fully functional in the CNS of mice, supporting at least two months of maximal target silencing. Dual-targeting di-valent siRNA is highly programmable, enabling simultaneous modulation of two different disease-relevant gene pairs (e.g., Huntington's disease: MSH3 and HTT; Alzheimer's disease: APOE and JAK1) with similar potency to a mixture of single-targeting di-valent siRNAs against each gene. This work potentiates CNS modulation of virtually any pair of disease-related targets using a simple unimolecular siRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian Belgrad
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Qi Tang
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sam Hildebrand
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ashley Summers
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dimas Echeverria
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dan O’Reilly
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eric Luu
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brianna Bramato
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sarah Allen
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David Cooper
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Julia Alterman
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ken Yamada
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Neil Aronin
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anastasia Khvorova
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
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11
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Rizzo F, Bono S, Ruepp MD, Salani S, Ottoboni L, Abati E, Melzi V, Cordiglieri C, Pagliarani S, De Gioia R, Anastasia A, Taiana M, Garbellini M, Lodato S, Kunderfranco P, Cazzato D, Cartelli D, Lonati C, Bresolin N, Comi G, Nizzardo M, Corti S. Combined RNA interference and gene replacement therapy targeting MFN2 as proof of principle for the treatment of Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2A. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:373. [PMID: 38007410 PMCID: PMC10676309 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-05018-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: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Mitofusin-2 (MFN2) is an outer mitochondrial membrane protein essential for mitochondrial networking in most cells. Autosomal dominant mutations in the MFN2 gene cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2A disease (CMT2A), a severe and disabling sensory-motor neuropathy that impacts the entire nervous system. Here, we propose a novel therapeutic strategy tailored to correcting the root genetic defect of CMT2A. Though mutant and wild-type MFN2 mRNA are inhibited by RNA interference (RNAi), the wild-type protein is restored by overexpressing cDNA encoding functional MFN2 modified to be resistant to RNAi. We tested this strategy in CMT2A patient-specific human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-differentiated motor neurons (MNs), demonstrating the correct silencing of endogenous MFN2 and replacement with an exogenous copy of the functional wild-type gene. This approach significantly rescues the CMT2A MN phenotype in vitro, stabilizing the altered axonal mitochondrial distribution and correcting abnormal mitophagic processes. The MFN2 molecular correction was also properly confirmed in vivo in the MitoCharc1 CMT2A transgenic mouse model after cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) delivery of the constructs into newborn mice using adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9). Altogether, our data support the feasibility of a combined RNAi and gene therapy strategy for treating the broad spectrum of human diseases associated with MFN2 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Rizzo
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Bono
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Marc David Ruepp
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
| | - Sabrina Salani
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Linda Ottoboni
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Abati
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Melzi
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Cordiglieri
- Istituto Di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo Ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Serena Pagliarani
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta De Gioia
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Anastasia
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Taiana
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Simona Lodato
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, 20072, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, 20089, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Kunderfranco
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, 20072, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, 20089, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Cazzato
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Caterina Lonati
- Center for Preclinical Research, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Pace 9, 20100, Milan, Italy
| | - Nereo Bresolin
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo Comi
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Nizzardo
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Corti
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neuromuscular and Rare Diseases Unit, Milan, Italy.
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12
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Estevez-Fraga C, Altmann A, Parker CS, Scahill RI, Costa B, Chen Z, Manzoni C, Zarkali A, Durr A, Roos RAC, Landwehrmeyer B, Leavitt BR, Rees G, Tabrizi SJ, McColgan P. Genetic topography and cortical cell loss in Huntington's disease link development and neurodegeneration. Brain 2023; 146:4532-4546. [PMID: 37587097 PMCID: PMC10629790 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical cell loss is a core feature of Huntington's disease (HD), beginning many years before clinical motor diagnosis, during the premanifest stage. However, it is unclear how genetic topography relates to cortical cell loss. Here, we explore the biological processes and cell types underlying this relationship and validate these using cell-specific post-mortem data. Eighty premanifest participants on average 15 years from disease onset and 71 controls were included. Using volumetric and diffusion MRI we extracted HD-specific whole brain maps where lower grey matter volume and higher grey matter mean diffusivity, relative to controls, were used as proxies of cortical cell loss. These maps were combined with gene expression data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA) to investigate the biological processes relating genetic topography and cortical cell loss. Cortical cell loss was positively correlated with the expression of developmental genes (i.e. higher expression correlated with greater atrophy and increased diffusivity) and negatively correlated with the expression of synaptic and metabolic genes that have been implicated in neurodegeneration. These findings were consistent for diffusion MRI and volumetric HD-specific brain maps. As wild-type huntingtin is known to play a role in neurodevelopment, we explored the association between wild-type huntingtin (HTT) expression and developmental gene expression across the AHBA. Co-expression network analyses in 134 human brains free of neurodegenerative disorders were also performed. HTT expression was correlated with the expression of genes involved in neurodevelopment while co-expression network analyses also revealed that HTT expression was associated with developmental biological processes. Expression weighted cell-type enrichment (EWCE) analyses were used to explore which specific cell types were associated with HD cortical cell loss and these associations were validated using cell specific single nucleus RNAseq (snRNAseq) data from post-mortem HD brains. The developmental transcriptomic profile of cortical cell loss in preHD was enriched in astrocytes and endothelial cells, while the neurodegenerative transcriptomic profile was enriched for neuronal and microglial cells. Astrocyte-specific genes differentially expressed in HD post-mortem brains relative to controls using snRNAseq were enriched in the developmental transcriptomic profile, while neuronal and microglial-specific genes were enriched in the neurodegenerative transcriptomic profile. Our findings suggest that cortical cell loss in preHD may arise from dual pathological processes, emerging as a consequence of neurodevelopmental changes, at the beginning of life, followed by neurodegeneration in adulthood, targeting areas with reduced expression of synaptic and metabolic genes. These events result in age-related cell death across multiple brain cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Estevez-Fraga
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Andre Altmann
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London WC1V 6LJ, UK
| | - Christopher S Parker
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London WC1V 6LJ, UK
| | - Rachael I Scahill
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Beatrice Costa
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Zhongbo Chen
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Claudia Manzoni
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Angeliki Zarkali
- Dementia Research Centre, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Alexandra Durr
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), AP-HP, Inserm, CNRS, Paris 75013, France
| | - Raymund A C Roos
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden 2333, The Netherlands
| | | | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V5Z 4H4Canada
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia Hospital, Vancouver BC V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Geraint Rees
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Peter McColgan
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
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13
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Pan Y, Lu J, Feng X, Lu S, Yang Y, Yang G, Tan S, Wang L, Li P, Luo S, Lu B. Gelation of cytoplasmic expanded CAG RNA repeats suppresses global protein synthesis. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:1372-1383. [PMID: 37592155 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01384-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
RNA molecules with the expanded CAG repeat (eCAGr) may undergo sol-gel phase transitions, but the functional impact of RNA gelation is completely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the eCAGr RNA may form cytoplasmic gel-like foci that are rapidly degraded by lysosomes. These RNA foci may significantly reduce the global protein synthesis rate, possibly by sequestering the translation elongation factor eEF2. Disrupting the eCAGr RNA gelation restored the global protein synthesis rate, whereas enhanced gelation exacerbated this phenotype. eEF2 puncta were significantly enhanced in brain slices from a knock-in mouse model and from patients with Huntington's disease, which is a CAG expansion disorder expressing eCAGr RNA. Finally, neuronal expression of the eCAGr RNA by adeno-associated virus injection caused significant behavioral deficits in mice. Our study demonstrates the existence of RNA gelation inside the cells and reveals its functional impact, providing insights into repeat expansion diseases and functional impacts of RNA phase transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyin Pan
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junmei Lu
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinran Feng
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengyi Lu
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Peninsula Medical School, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Guang Yang
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shudan Tan
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology & Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Pilong Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology & Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Shouqing Luo
- Peninsula Medical School, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.
| | - Boxun Lu
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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14
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Cariulo C, Martufi P, Verani M, Toledo-Sherman L, Lee R, Dominguez C, Petricca L, Caricasole A. IKBKB reduces huntingtin aggregation by phosphorylating serine 13 via a non-canonical IKK pathway. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202302006. [PMID: 37553253 PMCID: PMC10410066 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
N-terminal phosphorylation at residues T3 and S13 is believed to have important beneficial implications for the biological and pathological properties of mutant huntingtin, where inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B kinase subunit beta (IKBKB) was identified as a candidate regulator of huntingtin N-terminal phosphorylation. The paucity of mechanistic information on IKK pathways, together with the lack of sensitive methods to quantify endogenous huntingtin phosphorylation, prevented detailed study of the role of IKBKB in Huntington's disease. Using novel ultrasensitive assays, we demonstrate that IKBKB can regulate endogenous S13 huntingtin phosphorylation in a manner, dependent on its kinase activity and known regulators. We found that the ability of IKBKB to phosphorylate endogenous huntingtin S13 is mediated through a non-canonical interferon regulatory factor3-mediated IKK pathway, distinct from the established involvement of IKBKB in mutant huntingtin's pathological mechanisms mediated via the canonical pathway. Furthermore, increased huntingtin S13 phosphorylation by IKBKB resulted in decreased aggregation of mutant huntingtin in cells, again dependent on its kinase activity. These findings point to a non-canonical IKK pathway linking S13 huntingtin phosphorylation to the pathological properties of mutant huntingtin aggregation, thought to be significant to Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Cariulo
- Neuroscience Unit, Translational and Discovery Research Department, IRBM S.p.A., Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Martufi
- Neuroscience Unit, Translational and Discovery Research Department, IRBM S.p.A., Rome, Italy
| | - Margherita Verani
- Neuroscience Unit, Translational and Discovery Research Department, IRBM S.p.A., Rome, Italy
| | - Leticia Toledo-Sherman
- Rainwatercf.org Tau Consortium, Rainwater Charitable Foundation, Fort Worth, TX, USA
- UCLA, Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ramee Lee
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Lara Petricca
- Neuroscience Unit, Translational and Discovery Research Department, IRBM S.p.A., Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Caricasole
- Neuroscience Unit, Translational and Discovery Research Department, IRBM S.p.A., Rome, Italy
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15
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Laundos TL, Li S, Cheang E, De Santis R, Piccolo FM, Brivanlou AH. Huntingtin CAG-expansion mutation results in a dominant negative effect. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1252521. [PMID: 37727506 PMCID: PMC10505792 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1252521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Huntington's disease (HD) remains an incurable and fatal neurodegenerative disease long after CAG-expansion mutation in the huntingtin gene (HTT) was identified as the cause. The underlying pathological mechanism, whether HTT loss of function or gain of toxicity results from mutation, remains a matter of debate. Methods: In this study, we genetically modulated wild-type or mutant HTT expression levels in isogenic human embryonic stem cells to systematically investigate their contribution to HD-specific phenotypes. Results: Using highly reproducible and quantifiable in vitro micropattern-based assays, we observed comparable phenotypes with HD mutation and HTT depletion. However, halving endogenous wild-type HTT levels did not strongly recapitulate the HD phenotypes, arguing against a classical loss of function mechanism. Remarkably, expression of CAG-expanded HTT in non-HD cells induced HD like phenotypes akin to HTT depletion. Discussion: By corollary, these results indicate a dominant negative effect of mutated HTT on its wild-type counterpart. Complementation with additional copies of wild-type HTT ameliorated the HD-associated phenotypes, strongly supporting a classical dominant negative mechanism. Understanding the molecular basis of this dominant negative effect will guide the development of efficient clinical strategies to counteract the deleterious impact of mutant HTT on the wild-type HTT function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago L. Laundos
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
- ICBAS—Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- INEB—Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Shu Li
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Eric Cheang
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Riccardo De Santis
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Francesco M. Piccolo
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Ali H. Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
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16
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Bao YF, Li XY, Dong Y, Wu ZY. Loss of CAA interruption and intergenerational CAG instability in Chinese patients with Huntington's disease. J Mol Med (Berl) 2023; 101:869-876. [PMID: 37231148 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-023-02329-0] [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: 08/27/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by CAG expansions in huntingtin (HTT) gene, involving motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. However, genetic modifiers and CAG repeat instability may lead to variations of clinical manifestations, making diagnosis of HD difficult. In this study, we recruited 229 HD individuals from 164 families carrying expanded CAG repeats of HTT, and analyzed loss of CAA interruption (LOI) on the expanded allele and CAG instability during germline transmission. Sanger sequencing and TA cloning were used to determine CAG repeat length and identify LOI variants. Detailed clinical features and genetic testing results were collected. We identified 6 individuals with LOI variants from 3 families, and all probands presented with earlier motor onset age than predicted onset age. In addition, we also presented 2 families with extreme CAG instability during germline transmission. One family showed an expansion from 35 to 66 CAG repeats, while the other family showed both CAG expansion and contraction in lineal three generations. In conclusion, we present the first document of Asian HD population with LOI variant, and we suggest that for symptomatic individuals with intermediate or reduced penetrance allele or negative family history, HTT gene sequencing should be considered in the clinical practice. KEY MESSAGES : We screened the loss of CAA interruption (LOI) variant in a Chinese HD cohort and presented the first document of Asian patients with Huntington's disease carrying LOI variant. We identified 6 individuals with LOI variants from 3 families, and all probands presented with earlier motor onset age than predicted onset age. We presented 2 families with extreme CAG instability during germline transmission. One family showed an expansion from 35 to 66 CAG repeats, while the other family showed both CAG expansion and contraction in lineal three generations. We suggest that for symptomatic individuals with intermediate or reduced penetrance allele or negative family history, HTT gene sequencing should be considered in the clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Feng Bao
- Department of Medical Genetics and Center for Rare Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Department of Neurology and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Li
- Department of Medical Genetics and Center for Rare Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Department of Neurology and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, China
| | - Yi Dong
- Department of Medical Genetics and Center for Rare Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Department of Neurology and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, China
| | - Zhi-Ying Wu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Center for Rare Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, China.
- Department of Neurology and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, China.
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17
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Agyenim-Boateng KG, Zhang S, Gu R, Zhang S, Qi J, Azam M, Ma C, Li Y, Feng Y, Liu Y, Li J, Li B, Qiu L, Sun J. Identification of quantitative trait loci and candidate genes for seed folate content in soybean. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2023; 136:149. [PMID: 37294438 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-023-04396-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE From 61 QTL mapped, a stable QTL cluster of 992 kb was discovered on chromosome 5 for folate content and a putative candidate gene, Glyma.05G237500, was identified. Folate (vitamin B9) is one of the most essential micronutrients whose deficiencies lead to various health defects in humans. Herein, we mapped the quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying seed folate content in soybean using recombinant inbred lines developed from cultivars, ZH35 and ZH13, across four environments. We identified 61 QTL on 12 chromosomes through composite interval mapping, with phenotypic variance values ranging from 1.68 to 24.68%. A major-effect QTL cluster (qFo-05) was found on chromosome 5, spanning 992 kb and containing 134 genes. Through gene annotation and single-locus haplotyping analysis of qFo-05 in a natural soybean population, we identified seven candidate genes significantly associated with 5MTHF and total folate content in multiple environments. RNA-seq analysis showed a unique expression pattern of a hemerythrin RING zinc finger gene, Glyma.05G237500, between both parental cultivars during seed development, which suggest the gene might regulate folate content in soybean. This is the first study to investigate QTL underlying folate content in soybean and provides new insight for molecular breeding to improve folate content in soybean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwadwo Gyapong Agyenim-Boateng
- The National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Molecular Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Shengrui Zhang
- The National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Molecular Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Rongzhe Gu
- The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI)/ Key Laboratory of Germplasm and Biotechnology (MARA), Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Shibi Zhang
- The National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Molecular Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jie Qi
- The National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Molecular Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Muhammad Azam
- The National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Molecular Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Caiyou Ma
- The National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Molecular Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yecheng Li
- The National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Molecular Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yue Feng
- The National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Molecular Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yitian Liu
- The National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Molecular Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jing Li
- The National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Molecular Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Bin Li
- MARA Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology (Beijing), Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Lijuan Qiu
- The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI)/ Key Laboratory of Germplasm and Biotechnology (MARA), Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Junming Sun
- The National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Molecular Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
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18
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Shadfar S, Parakh S, Jamali MS, Atkin JD. Redox dysregulation as a driver for DNA damage and its relationship to neurodegenerative diseases. Transl Neurodegener 2023; 12:18. [PMID: 37055865 PMCID: PMC10103468 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-023-00350-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Redox homeostasis refers to the balance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as reactive nitrogen species (RNS), and their elimination by antioxidants. It is linked to all important cellular activities and oxidative stress is a result of imbalance between pro-oxidants and antioxidant species. Oxidative stress perturbs many cellular activities, including processes that maintain the integrity of DNA. Nucleic acids are highly reactive and therefore particularly susceptible to damage. The DNA damage response detects and repairs these DNA lesions. Efficient DNA repair processes are therefore essential for maintaining cellular viability, but they decline considerably during aging. DNA damage and deficiencies in DNA repair are increasingly described in age-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntington's disease. Furthermore, oxidative stress has long been associated with these conditions. Moreover, both redox dysregulation and DNA damage increase significantly during aging, which is the biggest risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. However, the links between redox dysfunction and DNA damage, and their joint contributions to pathophysiology in these conditions, are only just emerging. This review will discuss these associations and address the increasing evidence for redox dysregulation as an important and major source of DNA damage in neurodegenerative disorders. Understanding these connections may facilitate a better understanding of disease mechanisms, and ultimately lead to the design of better therapeutic strategies based on preventing both redox dysregulation and DNA damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Shadfar
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
| | - Sonam Parakh
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Md Shafi Jamali
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Julie D Atkin
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia.
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19
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Luo Y, Xu Q, Xue M, Wang Y, Yang X, Chan S, Tang Q, Wang F, Sun R, Chao Z, Fang M. Novel Haplotype in the HHEX Gene Promoter Associated with Body Length in Pigs. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:511. [PMID: 36833438 PMCID: PMC9956144 DOI: 10.3390/genes14020511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The screening of important candidate genes and the identification of genetic markers are important for molecular selection in the pig industry. The hematopoietically expressed homeobox (HHEX) gene plays an important role in embryonic development and organogenesis; however, the genetic variation and expression pattern of the porcine HHEX gene remains to be clarified. In this study, semiquantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry results showed the specific expression of the HHEX gene in porcine cartilage tissues. A novel haplotype consisting of two SNPs rs80901185 (T > C) and rs80934526 (A > G) was detected in the promoter region of the HHEX gene. The expression of the HHEX gene was significantly higher in Yorkshire pigs (TA haplotype) than in Wuzhishan pigs (CG haplotype), and a population analysis showed that this haplotype was significantly associated with body length. An analysis subsequently revealed that the -586 to -1 bp region of the HHEX gene promoter showed the highest activity. Furthermore, we found that the activity of the TA haplotype was significantly higher than that of the CG haplotype by changing the potential binding of transcription factors YY1 and HDAC2. In summary, we conclude that the porcine HHEX gene may contribute to the breeding of pigs for body length traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yabiao Luo
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Qiao Xu
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Jiang Xi Province Key Lab of Genetic Improvement of Indigenous Chicken Breeds, Institution of Biological Technology, Nanchang Normal University, Nanchang 330029, China
| | - Mingming Xue
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yubei Wang
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xiaoyang Yang
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shuheng Chan
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Qiguo Tang
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Hainan Academy of Agricultural Science, Haikou 571100, China
| | - Ruiping Sun
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Hainan Academy of Agricultural Science, Haikou 571100, China
| | - Zhe Chao
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Hainan Academy of Agricultural Science, Haikou 571100, China
| | - Meiying Fang
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, MOA Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China
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20
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Joachimiak P, Ciesiołka A, Kozłowska E, Świtoński PM, Figura G, Ciołak A, Adamek G, Surdyka M, Kalinowska-Pośka Ż, Figiel M, Caron NS, Hayden MR, Fiszer A. Allele-specific quantitation of ATXN3 and HTT transcripts in polyQ disease models. BMC Biol 2023; 21:17. [PMID: 36726088 PMCID: PMC9893648 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01515-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The majority of genes in the human genome is present in two copies but the expression levels of both alleles is not equal. Allelic imbalance is an aspect of gene expression relevant not only in the context of genetic variation, but also to understand the pathophysiology of genes implicated in genetic disorders, in particular, dominant genetic diseases where patients possess one normal and one mutant allele. Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are caused by the expansion of CAG trinucleotide tracts within specific genes. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) and Huntington's disease (HD) patients harbor one normal and one mutant allele that differ in the length of CAG tracts. However, assessing the expression level of individual alleles is challenging due to the presence of abundant CAG repeats in the human transcriptome, which make difficult the design of allele-specific methods, as well as of therapeutic strategies to selectively engage CAG sequences in mutant transcripts. RESULTS To precisely quantify expression in an allele-specific manner, we used SNP variants that are linked to either normal or CAG expanded alleles of the ataxin-3 (ATXN3) and huntingtin (HTT) genes in selected patient-derived cell lines. We applied a SNP-based quantitative droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) protocol for precise determination of the levels of transcripts in cellular and mouse models. For HD, we showed that the process of cell differentiation can affect the ratio between endogenous alleles of HTT mRNA. Additionally, we reported changes in the absolute number of the ATXN3 and HTT transcripts per cell during neuronal differentiation. We also implemented our assay to reliably monitor, in an allele-specific manner, the silencing efficiency of mRNA-targeting therapeutic approaches for HD. Finally, using the humanized Hu128/21 HD mouse model, we showed that the ratio of normal and mutant HTT transgene expression in brain slightly changes with the age of mice. CONCLUSIONS Using allele-specific ddPCR assays, we observed differences in allele expression levels in the context of SCA3 and HD. Our allele-selective approach is a reliable and quantitative method to analyze low abundant transcripts and is performed with high accuracy and reproducibility. Therefore, the use of this approach can significantly improve understanding of allele-related mechanisms, e.g., related with mRNA processing that may be affected in polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Joachimiak
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Adam Ciesiołka
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Emilia Kozłowska
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Paweł M. Świtoński
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Figura
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Agata Ciołak
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Grażyna Adamek
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Magdalena Surdyka
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Żaneta Kalinowska-Pośka
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Maciej Figiel
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Nicholas S. Caron
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada
| | - Michael R. Hayden
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada
| | - Agnieszka Fiszer
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
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21
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Fienko S, Landles C, Sathasivam K, McAteer SJ, Milton RE, Osborne GF, Smith EJ, Jones ST, Bondulich MK, Danby ECE, Phillips J, Taxy BA, Kordasiewicz HB, Bates GP. Alternative processing of human HTT mRNA with implications for Huntington's disease therapeutics. Brain 2022; 145:4409-4424. [PMID: 35793238 PMCID: PMC9762945 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene (HTT) that is translated into a polyglutamine stretch in the huntingtin protein (HTT). We previously showed that HTT mRNA carrying an expanded CAG repeat was incompletely spliced to generate HTT1a, an exon 1 only transcript, which was translated to produce the highly aggregation-prone and pathogenic exon 1 HTT protein. This occurred in all knock-in mouse models of Huntington's disease and could be detected in patient cell lines and post-mortem brains. To extend these findings to a model system expressing human HTT, we took advantage of YAC128 mice that are transgenic for a yeast artificial chromosome carrying human HTT with an expanded CAG repeat. We discovered that the HTT1a transcript could be detected throughout the brains of YAC128 mice. We implemented RNAscope to visualize HTT transcripts at the single molecule level and found that full-length HTT and HTT1a were retained together in large nuclear RNA clusters, as well as being present as single transcripts in the cytoplasm. Homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence analysis demonstrated that the HTT1a transcript had been translated to produce the exon 1 HTT protein. The levels of exon 1 HTT in YAC128 mice, correlated with HTT aggregation, supportive of the hypothesis that exon 1 HTT initiates the aggregation process. Huntingtin-lowering strategies are a major focus of therapeutic development for Huntington's disease. These approaches often target full-length HTT alone and would not be expected to reduce pathogenic exon 1 HTT levels. We have established YAC128 mouse embryonic fibroblast lines and shown that, together with our QuantiGene multiplex assay, these provide an effective screening tool for agents that target HTT transcripts. The effects of current targeting strategies on nuclear RNA clusters are unknown, structures that may have a pathogenic role or alternatively could be protective by retaining HTT1a in the nucleus and preventing it from being translated. In light of recently halted antisense oligonucleotide trials, it is vital that agents targeting HTT1a are developed, and that the effects of HTT-lowering strategies on the subcellular levels of all HTT transcripts and their various HTT protein isoforms are understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Fienko
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Christian Landles
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Kirupa Sathasivam
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sean J McAteer
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Rebecca E Milton
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Georgina F Osborne
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Edward J Smith
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Samuel T Jones
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Marie K Bondulich
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Emily C E Danby
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jemima Phillips
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Bridget A Taxy
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | | | - Gillian P Bates
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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22
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Grekhnev DA, Kruchinina AA, Vigont VA, Kaznacheyeva EV. The Mystery of EVP4593: Perspectives of the Quinazoline-Derived Compound in the Treatment of Huntington's Disease and Other Human Pathologies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415724. [PMID: 36555369 PMCID: PMC9778905 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Quinazoline derivatives have various pharmacological activities and are widely used in clinical practice. Here, we reviewed the proposed mechanisms of the physiological activity of the quinazoline derivative EVP4593 and perspectives for its clinical implication. We summarized the accumulated data about EVP4593 and focused on its activities in different models of Huntington's disease (HD), including patient-specific iPSCs-based neurons. To make a deeper insight into its neuroprotective role in HD treatment, we discussed the ability of EVP4593 to modulate calcium signaling and reduce the level of the huntingtin protein. Moreover, we described possible protective effects of EVP4593 in other pathologies, such as oncology, cardiovascular diseases and parasite invasion. We hope that comprehensive analyses of the molecular mechanisms of EVP4593 activity will allow for the expansion of the scope of the EVP4593 application.
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23
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Lim CKW, McCallister TX, Saporito-Magriña C, McPheron GD, Krishnan R, Zeballos C MA, Powell JE, Clark LV, Perez-Pinera P, Gaj T. CRISPR base editing of cis-regulatory elements enables the perturbation of neurodegeneration-linked genes. Mol Ther 2022; 30:3619-3631. [PMID: 35965414 PMCID: PMC9734028 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR technology has demonstrated broad utility for controlling target gene expression; however, there remains a need for strategies capable of modulating expression via the precise editing of non-coding regulatory elements. Here, we demonstrate that CRISPR base editors, a class of gene-modifying proteins capable of creating single-base substitutions in DNA, can be used to perturb gene expression via their targeted mutagenesis of cis-acting sequences. Using the promoter region of the human huntingtin (HTT) gene as an initial target, we show that editing of the binding site for the transcription factor NF-κB led to a marked reduction in HTT gene expression in base-edited cell populations. We found that these gene perturbations were persistent and specific, as a transcriptome-wide RNA analysis revealed minimal off-target effects resulting from the action of the base editor protein. We further demonstrate that this base-editing platform could influence gene expression in vivo as its delivery to a mouse model of Huntington's disease led to a potent decrease in HTT mRNA in striatal neurons. Finally, to illustrate the applicability of this concept, we target the amyloid precursor protein, showing that multiplex editing of its promoter region significantly perturbed its expression. These findings demonstrate the potential for base editors to regulate target gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin K W Lim
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | | | | | - Garrett D McPheron
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Ramya Krishnan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | | | - Jackson E Powell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Lindsay V Clark
- Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Pablo Perez-Pinera
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Thomas Gaj
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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24
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Nazarenko MS, Sleptcov AA, Puzyrev VP. “Mendelian Code” in the Genetic Structure of Common Multifactorial Diseases. RUSS J GENET+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795422100052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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25
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Dawson J, Baine-Savanhu FK, Ciosi M, Maxwell A, Monckton DG, Krause A. A probable cis-acting genetic modifier of Huntington disease frequent in individuals with African ancestry. HGG ADVANCES 2022; 3:100130. [PMID: 35935919 PMCID: PMC9352962 DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2022.100130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD)is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine encoding CAG repeat in the huntingtin gene. Recently, it has been established that disease severity in HD is best predicted by the number of pure CAG repeats rather than total glutamines encoded. Along with uncovering DNA repair gene variants as trans-acting modifiers of HD severity, these data reveal somatic expansion of the CAG repeat as a key driver of HD onset. Using high-throughput DNA sequencing, we have determined the precise sequence and somatic expansion profiles of the HTT repeat tract of 68 HD-affected and 158 HD-unaffected African ancestry individuals. A high level of HTT repeat sequence diversity was observed, with three likely African-specific alleles identified. In the most common disease allele (30 out of 68), the typical proline-encoding CCGCCA sequence was absent. This CCGCCA-loss disease allele was associated with an earlier age of diagnosis of approximately 7.1 years and occurred exclusively on haplotype B2. Although somatic expansion was associated with an earlier age of diagnosis in the study overall, the CCGCCA-loss disease allele displayed reduced somatic expansion relative to the typical HTT expansions in blood DNA. We propose that the CCGCCA loss occurring on haplotype B2 is an African cis-acting modifier that appears to alter disease diagnosis of HD through a mechanism that is not driven by somatic expansion. The assessment of a group of individuals from an understudied population has highlighted population-specific differences that emphasize the importance of studying genetically diverse populations in the context of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Dawson
- Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
| | - Fiona K. Baine-Savanhu
- Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
| | - Marc Ciosi
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Alastair Maxwell
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Darren G. Monckton
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Amanda Krause
- Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
- Corresponding author
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26
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Shin JW, Hong EP, Park SS, Choi DE, Zeng S, Chen RZ, Lee JM. PAM-altering SNP-based allele-specific CRISPR-Cas9 therapeutic strategies for Huntington’s disease. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 26:547-561. [PMID: 36092363 PMCID: PMC9450073 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wan Shin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Eun Pyo Hong
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Seri S. Park
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Doo Eun Choi
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sophia Zeng
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Jong-Min Lee
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, the Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Corresponding author Jong-Min Lee, Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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27
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Helm J, Schöls L, Hauser S. Towards Personalized Allele-Specific Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapies for Toxic Gain-of-Function Neurodegenerative Diseases. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14081708. [PMID: 36015334 PMCID: PMC9416334 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14081708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are single-stranded nucleic acid strings that can be used to selectively modify protein synthesis by binding complementary (pre-)mRNA sequences. By specific arrangements of DNA and RNA into a chain of nucleic acids and additional modifications of the backbone, sugar, and base, the specificity and functionality of the designed ASOs can be adjusted. Thereby cellular uptake, toxicity, and nuclease resistance, as well as binding affinity and specificity to its target (pre-)mRNA, can be modified. Several neurodegenerative diseases are caused by autosomal dominant toxic gain-of-function mutations, which lead to toxic protein products driving disease progression. ASOs targeting such mutations—or even more comprehensively, associated variants, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)—promise a selective degradation of the mutant (pre-)mRNA while sparing the wild type allele. By this approach, protein expression from the wild type strand is preserved, and side effects from an unselective knockdown of both alleles can be prevented. This makes allele-specific targeting strategies a focus for future personalized therapies. Here, we provide an overview of current strategies to develop personalized, allele-specific ASO therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such Huntington’s disease (HD) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3/MJD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Helm
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate School of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ludger Schöls
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Hauser
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Correspondence:
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28
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Kim H, Lenoir S, Helfricht A, Jung T, Karneva ZK, Lee Y, Beumer W, van der Horst GB, Anthonijsz H, Buil LC, van der Ham F, Platenburg GJ, Purhonen P, Hebert H, Humbert S, Saudou F, Klein P, Song JJ. A pathogenic proteolysis-resistant huntingtin isoform induced by an antisense oligonucleotide maintains huntingtin function. JCI Insight 2022; 7:154108. [PMID: 35943803 PMCID: PMC9536263 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.154108] [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: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a late-onset neurological disorder for which therapeutics are not available. Its key pathological mechanism involves the proteolysis of polyglutamine-expanded (polyQ-expanded) mutant huntingtin (mHTT), which generates N-terminal fragments containing polyQ, a key contributor to HD pathogenesis. Interestingly, a naturally occurring spliced form of HTT mRNA with truncated exon 12 encodes an HTT (HTTΔ12) with a deletion near the caspase-6 cleavage site. In this study, we used a multidisciplinary approach to characterize the therapeutic potential of targeting HTT exon 12. We show that HTTΔ12 was resistant to caspase-6 cleavage in both cell-free and tissue lysate assays. However, HTTΔ12 retained overall biochemical and structural properties similar to those of wt-HTT. We generated mice in which HTT exon 12 was truncated and found that the canonical exon 12 was dispensable for the main physiological functions of HTT, including embryonic development and intracellular trafficking. Finally, we pharmacologically induced HTTΔ12 using the antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) QRX-704. QRX-704 showed predictable pharmacology and efficient biodistribution. In addition, it was stable for several months and inhibited pathogenic proteolysis. Furthermore, QRX-704 treatments resulted in a reduction of HTT aggregation and an increase in dendritic spine count. Thus, ASO-induced HTT exon 12 splice switching from HTT may provide an alternative therapeutic strategy for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeongju Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Daejeon, Korea, Republic of
| | - Sophie Lenoir
- Grenoble Institute Neurosciences, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Taeyang Jung
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Daejeon, Korea, Republic of
| | | | - Yejin Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Daejeon, Korea, Republic of
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Pasi Purhonen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, The Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Hans Hebert
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, The Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Sandrine Humbert
- Grenoble Institute Neurosciences, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- Grenoble Institute Neurosciences, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Ji-Joon Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Daejeon, Korea, Republic of
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29
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Tabrizi SJ, Estevez-Fraga C, van Roon-Mom WMC, Flower MD, Scahill RI, Wild EJ, Muñoz-Sanjuan I, Sampaio C, Rosser AE, Leavitt BR. Potential disease-modifying therapies for Huntington's disease: lessons learned and future opportunities. Lancet Neurol 2022; 21:645-658. [PMID: 35716694 PMCID: PMC7613206 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(22)00121-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is the most frequent autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder; however, no disease-modifying interventions are available for patients with this disease. The molecular pathogenesis of Huntington's disease is complex, with toxicity that arises from full-length expanded huntingtin and N-terminal fragments of huntingtin, which are both prone to misfolding due to proteolysis; aberrant intron-1 splicing of the HTT gene; and somatic expansion of the CAG repeat in the HTT gene. Potential interventions for Huntington's disease include therapies targeting huntingtin DNA and RNA, clearance of huntingtin protein, DNA repair pathways, and other treatment strategies targeting inflammation and cell replacement. The early termination of trials of the antisense oligonucleotide tominersen suggest that it is time to reflect on lessons learned, where the field stands now, and the challenges and opportunities for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Carlos Estevez-Fraga
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Michael D Flower
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rachael I Scahill
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Edward J Wild
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Cristina Sampaio
- CHDI Management, CHDI Foundation Los Angeles, CA, USA; Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Anne E Rosser
- BRAIN unit, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Huntington's disease, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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30
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Wang H, Bi Z, Dai K, Li P, Huang R, Wu S, Bao W. A Functional Variant in the Aquaporin-3 Promoter Modulates Its Expression and Correlates With Resistance to Porcine Epidemic Virus Infection in Porcine Intestinal Epithelial Cells. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:877644. [PMID: 35770166 PMCID: PMC9234456 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.877644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) causes a highly contagious intestinal disease in neonatal pigs. Aquaporin-3 (AQP3) plays important roles in maintenance of intestinal barrier function and regulation of immune responses. However, the roles of AQP3 in mediating PEDV infection to host cells and the regulatory mechanisms of AQP3 expression remain poorly understood. Here, we identified one 16 bp (GGGCGGGGTTGCGGGC) insertion mutation in the AQP3 gene promoter in Large White pigs, with the frequencies of 49.3% of heterozygotes and 31.3% of mutant homozygotes. Functional analysis by luciferase activity assay indicated that the insertion mutation results in significant enhancement in AQP3 transcriptional activity (P < 0.01). Mechanistic analysis showed that the inserted sequence adds binding sites for transcription factor CEBPA, which promotes the expression of AQP3. Downregulation of AQP3 by shRNA silencing in porcine intestinal epithelial cells revealed obvious increases in genome copies and viral titers of PEDV. Expression of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, and IL-18) and interferons (IFN-α and IFN-β) were significantly reduced (P < 0.01) in AQP3 knockdown cells upon PEDV infection. Furthermore, decreased level of ZO-1 protein was also detected in AQP3 knockdown cells in response to PEDV infection. Our findings suggested a previously unknown mechanism linking the effects of promoter genetic variants on the expression of AQP3, revealed the roles of AQP3 in response to PEDV pathogenesis, and indicated the potential associations of the 16 bp insertion mutation with resistance to PEDV infection in porcine intestinal epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifei Wang
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Zhenbin Bi
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Kaiyu Dai
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Pinghua Li
- Institute of Swine Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ruihua Huang
- Institute of Swine Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shenglong Wu
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Shenglong Wu,
| | - Wenbin Bao
- Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wenbin Bao,
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31
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Shin JW, Shin A, Park SS, Lee JM. Haplotype-specific insertion-deletion variations for allele-specific targeting in Huntington's disease. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 25:84-95. [PMID: 35356757 PMCID: PMC8933729 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by an expanded CAG repeat in huntingtin (HTT). Given an important role for HTT in development and significant neurodegeneration at the time of clinical manifestation in HD, early treatment of allele-specific drugs represents a promising strategy. The feasibility of an allele-specific antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) has been demonstrated in models of HD. Here, we constructed a map of haplotype-specific insertion-deletion variations (indels) to develop alternative mutant-HTT-specific strategies. We mapped indels annotated in the 1000 Genomes Project data on common HTT haplotypes, revealing candidate indels for mutant-specific HTT targeting. Subsequent sequencing of an HD family confirmed candidate sites and revealed additional allele-specific indels. Interestingly, the most common normal HTT haplotype carries indels of big allele length differences at many sites, further uncovering promising haplotype-specific targets. When patient-derived cells carrying the most common HTT diplotype were treated with ASOs targeting the mutant alleles of candidate indels (rs772629195 or rs72239206), complete mutant specificity was observed. In summary, our map of haplotype-specific indels permits the identification of allele-specific targets in HD subjects, potentially contributing to the development of safe HTT-lowering therapeutics that are suitable for early treatment in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wan Shin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Aram Shin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Seri S Park
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jong-Min Lee
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Medical and Population Genetics Program, Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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32
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Rook ME, Southwell AL. Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy: From Design to the Huntington Disease Clinic. BioDrugs 2022; 36:105-119. [PMID: 35254632 PMCID: PMC8899000 DOI: 10.1007/s40259-022-00519-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by an inherited mutation in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, which encodes mutant HTT protein. Though HD remains incurable, various preclinical studies have reported a favorable response to HTT suppression, emphasizing HTT lowering strategies as prospective disease-modifying treatments. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) lower HTT by targeting transcripts and are well suited for treating neurodegenerative disorders as they distribute broadly throughout the central nervous system (CNS) and are freely taken up by neurons, glia, and ependymal cells. With the FDA approval of an ASO therapy for another disease of the CNS, spinal muscular atrophy, ASOs have become a particularly attractive therapeutic option for HD. However, two types of ASOs were recently assessed in human clinical trials for the treatment of HD, and both were halted early. In this review, we will explore the differences in chemistry, targeting, and specificity of these HTT ASOs as well as preliminary clinical findings and potential reasons for and implications of these halted trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan E Rook
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32827, USA.
| | - Amber L Southwell
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32827, USA
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33
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Soylu-Kucharz R, Khoshnan A, Petersén Å. IKKβ signaling mediates metabolic changes in the hypothalamus of a Huntington disease mouse model. iScience 2022; 25:103771. [PMID: 35146388 PMCID: PMC8819015 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103771] [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: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Metabolic changes are associated with HD progression, but underlying mechanisms are not fully known. As the IKKβ/NF-κB pathway is an essential regulator of metabolism, we investigated the involvement of IKKβ, the upstream activator of NF-κB in hypothalamus-specific HD metabolic changes. We expressed amyloidogenic N-terminal fragments of mutant HTT (mHTT) in the hypothalamus of mice with brain-specific ablation of IKKβ (Nestin/IKKβlox/lox) and control mice (IKKβlox/lox). We assessed effects on body weight, metabolic hormones, and hypothalamic neuropathology. Hypothalamic expression of mHTT led to an obese phenotype only in female mice. CNS-specific inactivation of IKKβ prohibited weight gain in females, which was independent of neuroprotection and microglial activation. Our study suggests that mHTT in the hypothalamus causes metabolic imbalance in a sex-specific fashion, and central inhibition of the IKKβ pathway attenuates the obese phenotype. Mutant huntingtin in the hypothalamus causes sex-specific metabolic imbalance CNS-specific inactivation of the IKKβ pathway prevents the obese phenotype IKKβ inactivation leads to an increased number of mutant huntingtin inclusions IKKβ inactivation does not prevent orexin or A13 TH neuron loss
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Soylu-Kucharz
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC D11, 22184 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ali Khoshnan
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Åsa Petersén
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC D11, 22184 Lund, Sweden
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34
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Kim C, Yousefian-Jazi A, Choi SH, Chang I, Lee J, Ryu H. Non-Cell Autonomous and Epigenetic Mechanisms of Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12499. [PMID: 34830381 PMCID: PMC8617801 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of CAG trinucleotide repeat located in the exon 1 of Huntingtin (HTT) gene in human chromosome 4. The HTT protein is ubiquitously expressed in the brain. Specifically, mutant HTT (mHTT) protein-mediated toxicity leads to a dramatic degeneration of the striatum among many regions of the brain. HD symptoms exhibit a major involuntary movement followed by cognitive and psychiatric dysfunctions. In this review, we address the conventional role of wild type HTT (wtHTT) and how mHTT protein disrupts the function of medium spiny neurons (MSNs). We also discuss how mHTT modulates epigenetic modifications and transcriptional pathways in MSNs. In addition, we define how non-cell autonomous pathways lead to damage and death of MSNs under HD pathological conditions. Lastly, we overview therapeutic approaches for HD. Together, understanding of precise neuropathological mechanisms of HD may improve therapeutic approaches to treat the onset and progression of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaebin Kim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea; (C.K.); (A.Y.-J.); (S.-H.C.)
| | - Ali Yousefian-Jazi
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea; (C.K.); (A.Y.-J.); (S.-H.C.)
| | - Seung-Hye Choi
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea; (C.K.); (A.Y.-J.); (S.-H.C.)
| | - Inyoung Chang
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
| | - Junghee Lee
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, USA
| | - Hoon Ryu
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea; (C.K.); (A.Y.-J.); (S.-H.C.)
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35
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Wright GEB, Caron NS, Ng B, Casal L, Casazza W, Xu X, Ooi J, Pouladi MA, Mostafavi S, Ross CJD, Hayden MR. Gene expression profiles complement the analysis of genomic modifiers of the clinical onset of Huntington disease. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:2788-2802. [PMID: 32898862 PMCID: PMC7530525 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in HTT. The length of this repeat, however, only explains a proportion of the variability in age of onset in patients. Genome-wide association studies have identified modifiers that contribute toward a proportion of the observed variance. By incorporating tissue-specific transcriptomic information with these results, additional modifiers can be identified. We performed a transcriptome-wide association study assessing heritable differences in genetically determined expression in diverse tissues, with genome-wide data from over 4000 patients. Functional validation of prioritized genes was undertaken in isogenic HD stem cells and patient brains. Enrichment analyses were performed with biologically relevant gene sets to identify the core pathways. HD-associated gene coexpression modules were assessed for associations with neurological phenotypes in an independent cohort and to guide drug repurposing analyses. Transcriptomic analyses identified genes that were associated with age of HD onset and displayed colocalization with gene expression signals in brain tissue (FAN1, GPR161, PMS2, SUMF2), with supporting evidence from functional experiments. This included genes involved in DNA repair, as well as novel-candidate modifier genes that have been associated with other neurological conditions. Further, cortical coexpression modules were also associated with cognitive decline and HD-related traits in a longitudinal cohort. In summary, the combination of population-scale gene expression information with HD patient genomic data identified novel modifier genes for the disorder. Further, these analyses expanded the pathways potentially involved in modifying HD onset and prioritized candidate therapeutics for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galen E B Wright
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Bernard Ng
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada.,Department of Statistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Lorenzo Casal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - William Casazza
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada.,Department of Statistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Xiaohong Xu
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Jolene Ooi
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Mahmoud A Pouladi
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138648, Singapore.,Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore.,Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Sara Mostafavi
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada.,Department of Statistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Colin J D Ross
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore.,Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
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36
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Barron JC, Hurley EP, Parsons MP. Huntingtin and the Synapse. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:689332. [PMID: 34211373 PMCID: PMC8239291 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.689332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a monogenic disease that results in a combination of motor, psychiatric and cognitive symptoms. HD is caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, which results in the production of a pathogenic mutant HTT protein (mHTT). Although there is no cure at present for HD, a number of RNA-targeting therapies have recently entered clinical trials which aim to lower mHTT production through the use of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and RNAi. However, many of these treatment strategies are non-selective in that they cannot differentiate between non-pathogenic wild type HTT (wtHTT) and the mHTT variant. As HD patients are already born with decreased levels of wtHTT, these genetic therapies may result in critically low levels of wtHTT. The consequence of wtHTT reduction in the adult brain is currently under debate, and here we argue that wtHTT loss is not well-tolerated at the synaptic level. Synaptic dysfunction is an extremely sensitive measure of subsequent cell death, and is known to precede neurodegeneration in numerous brain diseases including HD. The present review focuses on the prominent role of wtHTT at the synapse and considers the consequences of wtHTT loss on both pre- and postsynaptic function. We discuss how wtHTT is implicated in virtually all major facets of synaptic neurotransmission including anterograde and retrograde transport of proteins to/from terminal buttons and dendrites, neurotransmitter release, endocytic vesicle recycling, and postsynaptic receptor localization and recycling. We conclude that wtHTT presence is essential for proper synaptic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C Barron
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Emily P Hurley
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Matthew P Parsons
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada
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37
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Virlogeux A, Scaramuzzino C, Lenoir S, Carpentier R, Louessard M, Genoux A, Lino P, Hinckelmann MV, Perrier AL, Humbert S, Saudou F. Increasing brain palmitoylation rescues behavior and neuropathology in Huntington disease mice. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/14/eabb0799. [PMID: 33789888 PMCID: PMC8011966 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb0799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) damages the corticostriatal circuitry in large part by impairing transport of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). We hypothesized that improving vesicular transport of BDNF could slow or prevent disease progression. We therefore performed selective proteomic analysis of vesicles transported within corticostriatal projecting neurons followed by in silico screening and identified palmitoylation as a pathway that could restore defective huntingtin-dependent trafficking. Using a synchronized trafficking assay and an HD network-on-a-chip, we found that increasing brain palmitoylation via ML348, which inhibits the palmitate-removing enzyme acyl-protein thioesterase 1 (APT1), restores axonal transport, synapse homeostasis, and survival signaling to wild-type levels without toxicity. In human HD induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical neurons, ML348 increased BDNF trafficking. In HD knock-in mice, it efficiently crossed the blood-brain barrier to restore palmitoylation levels and reverse neuropathology, locomotor deficits, and anxio-depressive behaviors. APT1 and its inhibitor ML348 thus hold therapeutic interest for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Virlogeux
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Chiara Scaramuzzino
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Sophie Lenoir
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Rémi Carpentier
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Aurélie Genoux
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Patricia Lino
- INSERM U861, UEVE, I-STEM, AFM, 91100, Corbeil-Essonnes, France
| | - Maria-Victoria Hinckelmann
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Anselme L Perrier
- INSERM U861, UEVE, I-STEM, AFM, 91100, Corbeil-Essonnes, France
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), Direction de la Recherche Fondamentale, Institut François Jacob, Molecular Imaging Center (MIRCen), CNRS UMR 9199, Université Paris-Saclay, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Sandrine Humbert
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, 38000, Grenoble, France.
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38
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Leavitt BR, Kordasiewicz HB, Schobel SA. Huntingtin-Lowering Therapies for Huntington Disease: A Review of the Evidence of Potential Benefits and Risks. JAMA Neurol 2021; 77:764-772. [PMID: 32202594 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.0299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is caused by a cytosine-adenine-guanine trinucleotide repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene, HTT, that results in expression of variant (mutant) huntingtin protein (HTT). Therapeutic strategies that reduce HTT levels are currently being pursued to slow or stop disease progression in people with HD. These approaches are supported by robust preclinical data indicating that reducing variant huntingtin protein is associated with decreased HD pathology. However, the risk-benefit profile of reducing either variant HTT or both variant and wild-type HTT is currently an open question that is being addressed in ongoing clinical trials. This review aims to examine the current data available regarding altered HTT in humans, normal animals, and animal models of HD. Studies indexed in PubMed were searched using the MeSH term Huntington disease or the text words huntington or huntingtin from August 31, 1999, to August 31, 2019, with no language restrictions. Additional studies were included from the reference lists of relevant studies and the authors' personal files. Articles describing at least 1 aspect of HTT reduction were included, prioritizing those published within the last 10 years. In vivo studies were also prioritized, with a focus on studies that examined the consequences of wild-type HTT reduction in adults. In a recently completed phase 1/2a study of RG6042 in 46 adults with early manifest HD, antisense oligonucleotide-mediated partial reduction of HTT was reported to be generally safe and well tolerated over the course of 4-monthly RG6042 doses. In case studies of people with rare genetic variations in huntingtin alleles, the loss of 1 wild-type allele was not associated with HD. People with homozygous cytosine-adenine-guanine expansions developed normally until the onset of HD, although they may have experienced a more aggressive disease course. In mouse models of HD, partial reduction of HTT was beneficial, with improvements in motor, cognitive, and behavioral phenotypes. The partial reduction of wild-type HTT in normal adult rodents and nonhuman primates was generally safe and well tolerated. The body of evidence reviewed in this article indicates a positive risk-benefit profile for the partial reduction of either variant HTT alone or both variant and wild-type HTT. These strategies target the underlying cause of HD and are currently being tested in several investigational clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blair R Leavitt
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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39
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Vigont VA, Grekhnev DA, Lebedeva OS, Gusev KO, Volovikov EA, Skopin AY, Bogomazova AN, Shuvalova LD, Zubkova OA, Khomyakova EA, Glushankova LN, Klyushnikov SA, Illarioshkin SN, Lagarkova MA, Kaznacheyeva EV. STIM2 Mediates Excessive Store-Operated Calcium Entry in Patient-Specific iPSC-Derived Neurons Modeling a Juvenile Form of Huntington's Disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:625231. [PMID: 33604336 PMCID: PMC7884642 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.625231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a severe autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation within a gene, encoding huntingtin protein. Here we have used the induced pluripotent stem cell technology to produce patient-specific terminally differentiated GABA-ergic medium spiny neurons modeling a juvenile form of HD (HD76). We have shown that calcium signaling is dramatically disturbed in HD76 neurons, specifically demonstrating higher levels of store-operated and voltage-gated calcium uptakes. However, comparing the HD76 neurons with the previously described low-repeat HD models, we have demonstrated that the severity of calcium signaling alterations does not depend on the length of the polyglutamine tract of the mutant huntingtin. Here we have also observed greater expression of huntingtin and an activator of store-operated calcium channels STIM2 in HD76 neurons. Since shRNA-mediated suppression of STIM2 decreased store-operated calcium uptake, we have speculated that high expression of STIM2 underlies the excessive entry through store-operated calcium channels in HD pathology. Moreover, a previously described potential anti-HD drug EVP4593 has been found to attenuate high levels of both huntingtin and STIM2 that may contribute to its neuroprotective effect. Our results are fully supportive in favor of the crucial role of calcium signaling deregulation in the HD pathogenesis and indicate that the cornerstone of excessive calcium uptake in HD-specific neurons is a calcium sensor and store-operated calcium channels activator STIM2, which should become a molecular target for medical treatment and novel neuroprotective drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir A Vigont
- Laboratory of Ionic Channels of Cell Membranes, Department of Molecular Physiology of the Cell, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Dmitriy A Grekhnev
- Laboratory of Ionic Channels of Cell Membranes, Department of Molecular Physiology of the Cell, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Olga S Lebedeva
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia.,Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - Konstantin O Gusev
- Laboratory of Ionic Channels of Cell Membranes, Department of Molecular Physiology of the Cell, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Egor A Volovikov
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anton Yu Skopin
- Laboratory of Ionic Channels of Cell Membranes, Department of Molecular Physiology of the Cell, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexandra N Bogomazova
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia.,Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - Lilia D Shuvalova
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga A Zubkova
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina A Khomyakova
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - Lyubov N Glushankova
- Laboratory of Ionic Channels of Cell Membranes, Department of Molecular Physiology of the Cell, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | | | - Maria A Lagarkova
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia.,Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena V Kaznacheyeva
- Laboratory of Ionic Channels of Cell Membranes, Department of Molecular Physiology of the Cell, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
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40
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Monckton DG. The Contribution of Somatic Expansion of the CAG Repeat to Symptomatic Development in Huntington's Disease: A Historical Perspective. J Huntingtons Dis 2021; 10:7-33. [PMID: 33579863 PMCID: PMC7990401 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-200429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The discovery in the early 1990s of the expansion of unstable simple sequence repeats as the causative mutation for a number of inherited human disorders, including Huntington's disease (HD), opened up a new era of human genetics and provided explanations for some old problems. In particular, an inverse association between the number of repeats inherited and age at onset, and unprecedented levels of germline instability, biased toward further expansion, provided an explanation for the wide symptomatic variability and anticipation observed in HD and many of these disorders. The repeats were also revealed to be somatically unstable in a process that is expansion-biased, age-dependent and tissue-specific, features that are now increasingly recognised as contributory to the age-dependence, progressive nature and tissue specificity of the symptoms of HD, and at least some related disorders. With much of the data deriving from affected individuals, and model systems, somatic expansions have been revealed to arise in a cell division-independent manner in critical target tissues via a mechanism involving key components of the DNA mismatch repair pathway. These insights have opened new approaches to thinking about how the disease could be treated by suppressing somatic expansion and revealed novel protein targets for intervention. Exciting times lie ahead in turning these insights into novel therapies for HD and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren G. Monckton
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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41
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Koriath CAM, Kenny J, Ryan NS, Rohrer JD, Schott JM, Houlden H, Fox NC, Tabrizi SJ, Mead S. Genetic testing in dementia - utility and clinical strategies. Nat Rev Neurol 2021; 17:23-36. [PMID: 33168964 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-020-00416-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Techniques for clinical genetic testing in dementia disorders have advanced rapidly but remain to be more widely implemented in practice. A positive genetic test offers a precise molecular diagnosis, can help members of an affected family to determine personal risk, provides a basis for reproductive choices and can offer options for clinical trials. The likelihood of identifying a specific genetic cause of dementia depends on the clinical condition, the age at onset and family history. Attempts to match phenotypes to single genes are mostly inadvisable owing to clinical overlap between the dementias, genetic heterogeneity, pleiotropy and concurrent mutations. Currently, the appropriate genetic test in most cases of dementia is a next-generation sequencing gene panel, though some conditions necessitate specific types of test such as repeat expansion testing. Whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing are becoming financially feasible but raise or exacerbate complex issues such as variants of uncertain significance, secondary findings and the potential for re-analysis in light of new information. However, the capacity for data analysis and counselling is already restricting the provision of genetic testing. Patients and their relatives need to be given reliable information to enable them to make informed choices about tests, treatments and data sharing; the ability of patients with dementia to make decisions must be considered when providing this information.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joanna Kenny
- South West Thames Regional Genetics Service, London, UK
| | - Natalie S Ryan
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Jonathan M Schott
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Henry Houlden
- Neurogenetics Laboratory, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - Nick C Fox
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK.
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42
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Manickam N, Radhakrishnan RK, Vergil Andrews JF, Selvaraj DB, Kandasamy M. Cell cycle re-entry of neurons and reactive neuroblastosis in Huntington's disease: Possibilities for neural-glial transition in the brain. Life Sci 2020; 263:118569. [PMID: 33049278 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant pathogenic condition that causes progressive degeneration of GABAergic neurons in the brain. The abnormal expansion of the CAG repeats in the exon 1 of the Huntingtin gene (HTT gene) has been associated with the onset and progression of movement disorders, psychiatric disturbance and cognitive decline in HD. Microglial activation and reactive astrogliosis have been recognized as the key pathogenic cellular events in the brains of HD subjects. Besides, HD has been characterized by induced quiescence of neural stem cells (NSCs), reactive neuroblastosis and reduced survival of newborn neurons in the brain. Strikingly, the expression of the mutant HTT gene has been reported to induce the cell cycle re-entry of neurons in HD brains. However, the underlying basis for the induction of cell cycle in neurons and the fate of dedifferentiating neurons in the pathological brain remain largely unknown. Thus, this review article revisits the reports on the regulation of key signaling pathways responsible for altered cell cycle events in diseased brains, with special reference to HD and postulates the occurrence of reactive neuroblastosis as a consequential cellular event of dedifferentiation of neurons. Meanwhile, a substantial number of studies indicate that many neuropathogenic events are associated with the expression of potential glial cell markers by neuroblasts. Taken together, this article represents a hypothesis that transdifferentiation of neurons into glial cells might be highly possible through the transient generation of reactive neuroblasts in the brain upon certain pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nivethitha Manickam
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Risna Kanjirassery Radhakrishnan
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jemi Feiona Vergil Andrews
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Divya Bharathi Selvaraj
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Mahesh Kandasamy
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India; Faculty Recharge Programme, University Grants Commission (UGC-FRP), New Delhi 110002, India.
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43
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Tabrizi SJ, Flower MD, Ross CA, Wild EJ. Huntington disease: new insights into molecular pathogenesis and therapeutic opportunities. Nat Rev Neurol 2020; 16:529-546. [PMID: 32796930 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-020-0389-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene (HTT) and involves a complex web of pathogenic mechanisms. Mutant HTT (mHTT) disrupts transcription, interferes with immune and mitochondrial function, and is aberrantly modified post-translationally. Evidence suggests that the mHTT RNA is toxic, and at the DNA level, somatic CAG repeat expansion in vulnerable cells influences the disease course. Genome-wide association studies have identified DNA repair pathways as modifiers of somatic instability and disease course in HD and other repeat expansion diseases. In animal models of HD, nucleocytoplasmic transport is disrupted and its restoration is neuroprotective. Novel cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma biomarkers are among the earliest detectable changes in individuals with premanifest HD and have the sensitivity to detect therapeutic benefit. Therapeutically, the first human trial of an HTT-lowering antisense oligonucleotide successfully, and safely, reduced the CSF concentration of mHTT in individuals with HD. A larger trial, powered to detect clinical efficacy, is underway, along with trials of other HTT-lowering approaches. In this Review, we discuss new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of HD and future therapeutic strategies, including the modulation of DNA repair and targeting the DNA mutation itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London, London, UK. .,Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK. .,UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Michael D Flower
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Christopher A Ross
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Edward J Wild
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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44
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Jia H, Liu G, Li J, Zhang J, Sun P, Zhao S, Zhou X, Lu M, Hu J. Genome resequencing reveals demographic history and genetic architecture of seed salinity tolerance in Populus euphratica. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:4308-4320. [PMID: 32242238 PMCID: PMC7475257 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Populus euphratica is a dominant tree species in desert riparian forests and possesses extraordinary adaptation to salinity stress. Exploration of its genomic variation and molecular underpinning of salinity tolerance is important for elucidating population evolution and identifying stress-related genes. Here, we identify approximately 3.15 million single nucleotide polymorphisms using whole-genome resequencing. The natural populations of P. euphratica in northwest China are divided into four distinct clades that exhibit strong geographical distribution patterns. Pleistocene climatic fluctuations and tectonic deformation jointly shaped the extant genetic patterns. A seed germination rate-based salinity tolerance index was used to evaluate seed salinity tolerance of P. euphratica and a genome-wide association study was implemented. A total of 38 single nucleotide polymorphisms were associated with seed salinity tolerance and were located within or near 82 genes. Expression profiles showed that most of these genes were regulated under salt stress, revealing the genetic complexity of seed salinity tolerance. Furthermore, DEAD-box ATP-dependent RNA helicase 57 and one undescribed gene (CCG029559) were demonstrated to improve the seed salinity tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. These results provide new insights into the demographic history and genetic architecture of seed salinity tolerance in desert poplar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huixia Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | | | - Jianbo Li
- Experimental Center of Forestry in North China, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Pei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Shutang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Xun Zhou
- Beijing Novogene Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Mengzhu Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- Correspondence: or
| | - Jianjun Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- Correspondence: or
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45
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Mitigation of ALS Pathology by Neuron-Specific Inhibition of Nuclear Factor Kappa B Signaling. J Neurosci 2020; 40:5137-5154. [PMID: 32457070 PMCID: PMC7314413 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0536-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate the role of neuronal NF-κB activity in pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), we generated transgenic mice with neuron-specific expression of a super-repressor form of the NF-κB inhibitor (IκBα-SR), which were then crossed with mice of both sexes, expressing ALS-linked gene mutants for TAR DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). Remarkably, neuronal expression of IκBα-SR transgene in mice expressing TDP-43A315T or TDP-43G348C mice led to a decrease in cytoplasmic to nuclear ratio of human TDP-43. The mitigation of TDP-43 neuropathology by IκBα-SR, which is likely due to an induction of autophagy, was associated with amelioration of cognitive and motor deficits as well as reduction of motor neuron loss and gliosis. Neuronal suppression of NF-κB activity in SOD1G93A mice also resulted in neuroprotection with reduction of misfolded SOD1 levels and significant extension of life span. The results suggest that neuronal NF-κB signaling constitutes a novel therapeutic target for ALS disease and related disorders with TDP-43 proteinopathy. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study reports that neuron-specific expression of IκB super-repressor mitigated behavioral and pathologic changes in transgenic mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis expressing mutant forms of either Tar DNA-binding protein 43 or superoxide dismutase. The results suggest that neuronal NF-κB signaling constitutes a novel therapeutic target for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and related disorders with Tar DNA-binding protein 43 proteinopathy.
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46
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Claussnitzer M, Cho JH, Collins R, Cox NJ, Dermitzakis ET, Hurles ME, Kathiresan S, Kenny EE, Lindgren CM, MacArthur DG, North KN, Plon SE, Rehm HL, Risch N, Rotimi CN, Shendure J, Soranzo N, McCarthy MI. A brief history of human disease genetics. Nature 2020; 577:179-189. [PMID: 31915397 PMCID: PMC7405896 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1879-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 356] [Impact Index Per Article: 89.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
A primary goal of human genetics is to identify DNA sequence variants that influence biomedical traits, particularly those related to the onset and progression of human disease. Over the past 25 years, progress in realizing this objective has been transformed by advances in technology, foundational genomic resources and analytical tools, and by access to vast amounts of genotype and phenotype data. Genetic discoveries have substantially improved our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for many rare and common diseases and driven development of novel preventative and therapeutic strategies. Medical innovation will increasingly focus on delivering care tailored to individual patterns of genetic predisposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Claussnitzer
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute of Nutritional Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Judy H Cho
- Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rory Collins
- Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- UK Biobank, Stockport, UK
| | - Nancy J Cox
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute and Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Emmanouil T Dermitzakis
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland
- Health 2030 Genome Center, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Sekar Kathiresan
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Verve Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eimear E Kenny
- Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Genomic Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cecilia M Lindgren
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Big Data Institute at the Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Daniel G MacArthur
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn N North
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sharon E Plon
- Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Heidi L Rehm
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Neil Risch
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Charles N Rotimi
- Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jay Shendure
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Magnuson Health Sciences Building, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nicole Soranzo
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
- Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mark I McCarthy
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
- Human Genetics, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA.
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47
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Alonso R, Pisa D, Carrasco L. Brain Microbiota in Huntington's Disease Patients. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2622. [PMID: 31798558 PMCID: PMC6861841 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most important challenges facing medical science is to better understand the cause of neuronal pathology in neurodegenerative diseases. Such is the case for Huntington's disease (HD), a genetic disorder primarily caused by a triplet expansion in the Huntingtin gene (HTT). Although aberrant HTT is expressed from embryogenesis, it remains puzzling as to why the onset of disease symptoms manifest only after several decades of life. In the present study, we investigated the possibility of microbial infection in brain tissue from patients with HD, reasoning that perhaps mutated HTT could be deleterious for immune cells and neural tissue, and could facilitate microbial colonization. Using immunohistochemistry approaches, we observed a variety of fungal structures in the striatum and frontal cortex of seven HD patients. Some of these fungi were found in close proximity to the nucleus, or even as intranuclear inclusions. Identification of the fungal species was accomplished by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Interestingly, some genera, such as Ramularia, appeared unique to HD patients, and have not been previously described in other neurodegenerative diseases. Several bacterial species were also identified both by PCR and NGS. Notably, a curved and filamentous structure that immunoreacts with anti-bacterial antibodies was characteristic of HD brains and has not been previously observed in brain tissue from neurodegenerative patients. Prevalent bacterial genera included Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Burkholderia. Collectively, our results represent the first attempt to identify the brain microbiota in HD. Our observations suggest that microbial colonization may be a risk factor for HD and might explain why the onset of the disease appears after several decades of life. Importantly, they may open a new field of investigation and could help in the design of new therapeutic strategies for this devastating disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Alonso
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diana Pisa
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Carrasco
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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48
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Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion in the HTT gene, which encodes for an abnormal polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin protein (HTT). This review examines the known mechanisms of HTT gene regulation. We discuss HTT expression patterns, features of the HTT promoter, regulatory regions of the HTT promoter with functional significance, and HTT regulators located outside of the proximal promoter region. The factors that influence HTT expression in the brain and the mechanisms of HTT transcriptional regulation are currently poorly understood, despite continuing research. Expanding knowledge of HTT regulation will inform future studies investigating HTT function. Improving understanding of HTT expression and control may also uncover novel therapeutic approaches for HD through the development of methods to modulate mHTT levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Thomson
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, and BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, and BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Centre for Brain Health, and Division of Neurology, University of British Columbia Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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49
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A genetic association study of glutamine-encoding DNA sequence structures, somatic CAG expansion, and DNA repair gene variants, with Huntington disease clinical outcomes. EBioMedicine 2019; 48:568-580. [PMID: 31607598 PMCID: PMC6838430 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington disease (HD) is caused by an unstable CAG/CAA repeat expansion encoding a toxic polyglutamine tract. Here, we tested the hypotheses that HD outcomes are impacted by somatic expansion of, and polymorphisms within, the HTT CAG/CAA glutamine-encoding repeat, and DNA repair genes. METHODS The sequence of the glutamine-encoding repeat and the proportion of somatic CAG expansions in blood DNA from participants inheriting 40 to 50 CAG repeats within the TRACK-HD and Enroll-HD cohorts were determined using high-throughput ultra-deep-sequencing. Candidate gene polymorphisms were genotyped using kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP). Genotypic associations were assessed using time-to-event and regression analyses. FINDINGS Using data from 203 TRACK-HD and 531 Enroll-HD participants, we show that individuals with higher blood DNA somatic CAG repeat expansion scores have worse HD outcomes: a one-unit increase in somatic expansion score was associated with a Cox hazard ratio for motor onset of 3·05 (95% CI = 1·94 to 4·80, p = 1·3 × 10-6). We also show that individual-specific somatic expansion scores are associated with variants in FAN1 (pFDR = 4·8 × 10-6), MLH3 (pFDR = 8·0 × 10-4), MLH1 (pFDR = 0·004) and MSH3 (pFDR = 0·009). We also show that HD outcomes are best predicted by the number of pure CAGs rather than total encoded-glutamines. INTERPRETATION These data establish pure CAG length, rather than encoded-glutamine, as the key inherited determinant of downstream pathophysiology. These findings have implications for HD diagnostics, and support somatic expansion as a mechanistic link for genetic modifiers of clinical outcomes, a driver of disease, and potential therapeutic target in HD and related repeat expansion disorders. FUNDING CHDI Foundation.
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Lee JM, Correia K, Loupe J, Kim KH, Barker D, Hong EP, Chao MJ, Long JD, Lucente D, Vonsattel JPG, Pinto RM, Abu Elneel K, Ramos EM, Mysore JS, Gillis T, Wheeler VC, MacDonald ME, Gusella JF, McAllister B, Massey T, Medway C, Stone TC, Hall L, Jones L, Holmans P, Kwak S, Ehrhardt AG, Sampaio C, Ciosi M, Maxwell A, Chatzi A, Monckton DG, Orth M, Landwehrmeyer GB, Paulsen JS, Dorsey ER, Shoulson I, Myers RH. CAG Repeat Not Polyglutamine Length Determines Timing of Huntington's Disease Onset. Cell 2019; 178:887-900.e14. [PMID: 31398342 PMCID: PMC6700281 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.06.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 281] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Variable, glutamine-encoding, CAA interruptions indicate that a property of the uninterrupted HTT CAG repeat sequence, distinct from the length of huntingtin's polyglutamine segment, dictates the rate at which Huntington's disease (HD) develops. The timing of onset shows no significant association with HTT cis-eQTLs but is influenced, sometimes in a sex-specific manner, by polymorphic variation at multiple DNA maintenance genes, suggesting that the special onset-determining property of the uninterrupted CAG repeat is a propensity for length instability that leads to its somatic expansion. Additional naturally occurring genetic modifier loci, defined by GWAS, may influence HD pathogenesis through other mechanisms. These findings have profound implications for the pathogenesis of HD and other repeat diseases and question the fundamental premise that polyglutamine length determines the rate of pathogenesis in the "polyglutamine disorders."
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