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Shafie A, Ashour AA, Anwar S, Anjum F, Hassan MI. Exploring molecular mechanisms, therapeutic strategies, and clinical manifestations of Huntington's disease. Arch Pharm Res 2024; 47:571-595. [PMID: 38764004 DOI: 10.1007/s12272-024-01499-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a paradigm of a genetic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the expansion of CAG repeats in the HTT gene. This extensive review investigates the molecular complexities of HD by highlighting the pathogenic mechanisms initiated by the mutant huntingtin protein. Adverse outcomes of HD include mitochondrial dysfunction, compromised protein clearance, and disruption of intracellular signaling, consequently contributing to the gradual deterioration of neurons. Numerous therapeutic strategies, particularly precision medicine, are currently used for HD management. Antisense oligonucleotides, such as Tominersen, play a leading role in targeting and modulating the expression of mutant huntingtin. Despite the promise of these therapies, challenges persist, particularly in improving delivery systems and the necessity for long-term safety assessments. Considering the future landscape, the review delineates promising directions for HD research and treatment. Innovations such as Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats associated system therapies (CRISPR)-based genome editing and emerging neuroprotective approaches present unprecedented opportunities for intervention. Collaborative interdisciplinary endeavors and a more insightful understanding of HD pathogenesis are on the verge of reshaping the therapeutic landscape. As we navigate the intricate landscape of HD, this review serves as a guide for unraveling the intricacies of this disease and progressing toward transformative treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaa Shafie
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, PO Box 11099, 21944, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amal Adnan Ashour
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Taif University, PO Box 11099, 21944, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleha Anwar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Farah Anjum
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, PO Box 11099, 21944, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India.
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Chahla C, Kovacic H, Ferhat L, Leloup L. Pathological Impact of Redox Post-Translational Modifications. Antioxid Redox Signal 2024. [PMID: 38504589 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2023.0252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Oxidative stress is involved in the development of several pathologies. The different reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during oxidative stress are at the origin of redox post-translational modifications (PTMs) on proteins and impact nucleic acids and lipids. This review provides an overview of recent data on cysteine and methionine oxidation and protein carbonylation following oxidative stress in a pathological context. Oxidation, like nitration, is a selective process and not all proteins are impacted. It depends on multiple factors, including amino acid environment, accessibility, and physical and chemical properties, as well as protein structures. Thiols can undergo reversible oxidations and others that are irreversible. On the contrary, carbonylation represents irreversible PTM. To date, hundreds of proteins were shown to be modified by ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). We reviewed recent advances in the impact of redox-induced PTMs on protein functions and activity, as well as its involvement in disease development or treatment. These data show a complex situation of the involvement of redox PTM on the function of targeted proteins. Many proteins can have their activity decreased by the oxidation of cysteine thiols or methionine S-methyl thioethers, while for other proteins, this oxidation will be activating. This complexity of redox PTM regulation suggests that a global antioxidant therapeutic approach, as often proposed, is unlikely to be effective. However, the specificity of the effect obtained by targeting a cysteine or methionine residue to be able to inactivate or activate a particular protein represents a major interest if it is possible to consider this targeting from a therapeutic point of view with our current pharmacological tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charbel Chahla
- Faculté de Médecine, INP, Institut de neurophysiopathologie, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Hervé Kovacic
- Faculté de Médecine, INP, Institut de neurophysiopathologie, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Lotfi Ferhat
- Faculté de Médecine, INP, Institut de neurophysiopathologie, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Ludovic Leloup
- Faculté de Médecine, INP, Institut de neurophysiopathologie, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Marseille, France
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3
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Lui A, Do T, Alzayat O, Yu N, Phyu S, Santuya HJ, Liang B, Kailash V, Liu D, Inslicht SS, Shahlaie K, Liu D. Tumor Suppressor MicroRNAs in Clinical and Preclinical Trials for Neurological Disorders. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:426. [PMID: 38675388 PMCID: PMC11054060 DOI: 10.3390/ph17040426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancers and neurological disorders are two major types of diseases in humans. We developed the concept called the "Aberrant Cell Cycle Disease (ACCD)" due to the accumulating evidence that shows that two different diseases share the common mechanism of aberrant cell cycle re-entry. The aberrant cell cycle re-entry is manifested as kinase/oncoprotein activation and tumor suppressor (TS) inactivation, which are associated with both tumor growth in cancers and neuronal death in neurological disorders. Therefore, some cancer therapies (e.g., kinase/oncogene inhibition and TS elevation) can be leveraged for neurological treatments. MicroRNA (miR/miRNA) provides a new style of drug-target binding. For example, a single tumor suppressor miRNA (TS-miR/miRNA) can bind to and decrease tens of target kinases/oncogenes, producing much more robust efficacy to block cell cycle re-entry than inhibiting a single kinase/oncogene. In this review, we summarize the miRNAs that are altered in both cancers and neurological disorders, with an emphasis on miRNA drugs that have entered into clinical trials for neurological treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Lui
- Department of Neurology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (A.L.); (V.K.)
| | - Timothy Do
- Department of Neurology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (A.L.); (V.K.)
| | - Omar Alzayat
- Department of Neurology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (A.L.); (V.K.)
| | - Nina Yu
- Department of Neurology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (A.L.); (V.K.)
| | - Su Phyu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Hillary Joy Santuya
- Department of Neurology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (A.L.); (V.K.)
| | - Benjamin Liang
- Department of Neurology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (A.L.); (V.K.)
| | - Vidur Kailash
- Department of Neurology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (A.L.); (V.K.)
| | - Dewey Liu
- Department of Neurology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (A.L.); (V.K.)
| | - Sabra S. Inslicht
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
| | - Kiarash Shahlaie
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - DaZhi Liu
- Department of Neurology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (A.L.); (V.K.)
- Mirnova Therapeutics Inc., Davis, CA 95618, USA
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Sun X, Liu L, Wu C, Li X, Guo J, Zhang J, Guan J, Wang N, Gu L, Yang XW, Li GM. Mutant huntingtin protein induces MLH1 degradation, DNA hyperexcision, and cGAS-STING-dependent apoptosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313652121. [PMID: 38498709 PMCID: PMC10990133 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313652121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The repeat-expanded HTT encodes a mutated HTT (mHTT), which is known to induce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), activation of the cGAS-STING pathway, and apoptosis in HD. However, the mechanism by which mHTT triggers these events is unknown. Here, we show that HTT interacts with both exonuclease 1 (Exo1) and MutLα (MLH1-PMS2), a negative regulator of Exo1. While the HTT-Exo1 interaction suppresses the Exo1-catalyzed DNA end resection during DSB repair, the HTT-MutLα interaction functions to stabilize MLH1. However, mHTT displays a significantly reduced interaction with Exo1 or MutLα, thereby losing the ability to regulate Exo1. Thus, cells expressing mHTT exhibit rapid MLH1 degradation and hyperactive DNA excision, which causes severe DNA damage and cytosolic DNA accumulation. This activates the cGAS-STING pathway to mediate apoptosis. Therefore, we have identified unique functions for both HTT and mHTT in modulating DNA repair and the cGAS-STING pathway-mediated apoptosis by interacting with MLH1. Our work elucidates the mechanism by which mHTT causes HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Sun
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou310006, China
| | - Lu Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Chao Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Xueying Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Jinzhen Guo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Junqiu Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Junhong Guan
- Cui-ying Experimental Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou730030, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Liya Gu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - X. Willian Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Guo-Min Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
- Institute for Cancer Research, Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Beijing100069, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, China
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Bahat A, Itzhaki E, Weiss B, Tolmasov M, Tsoory M, Kuperman Y, Brandis A, Shurrush KA, Dikstein R. Lowering mutant huntingtin by small molecules relieves Huntington's disease symptoms and progression. EMBO Mol Med 2024; 16:523-546. [PMID: 38374466 PMCID: PMC10940305 DOI: 10.1038/s44321-023-00020-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an incurable inherited disorder caused by a repeated expansion of glutamines in the huntingtin gene (Htt). The mutant protein causes neuronal degeneration leading to severe motor and psychological symptoms. Selective downregulation of the mutant Htt gene expression is considered the most promising therapeutic approach for HD. We report the identification of small molecule inhibitors of Spt5-Pol II, SPI-24 and SPI-77, which selectively lower mutant Htt mRNA and protein levels in HD cells. In the BACHD mouse model, their direct delivery to the striatum diminished mutant Htt levels, ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction, restored BDNF expression, and improved motor and anxiety-like phenotypes. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that these SPIs pass the blood-brain-barrier. Prolonged subcutaneous injection or oral administration to early-stage mice significantly delayed disease deterioration. SPI-24 long-term treatment had no side effects or global changes in gene expression. Thus, lowering mutant Htt levels by small molecules can be an effective therapeutic strategy for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anat Bahat
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
| | - Elad Itzhaki
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Benjamin Weiss
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Michael Tolmasov
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life-Sciences and The Leslie & Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Michael Tsoory
- Department of Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Yael Kuperman
- Department of Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Alexander Brandis
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Khriesto A Shurrush
- The Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Rivka Dikstein
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
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Wu J, Ren J, Cui H, Xie Y, Tang Y. Rapid and high-purity differentiation of human medium spiny neurons reveals LMNB1 hypofunction and subtype necessity in modeling Huntington's disease. Inflamm Regen 2024; 44:7. [PMID: 38360694 PMCID: PMC10870681 DOI: 10.1186/s41232-024-00320-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Different neural subtypes are selectively lost in diverse neurodegenerative diseases. Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor abnormalities that primarily affect the striatum. The Huntingtin (HTT) mutation involves an expanded CAG repeat, leading to insoluble polyQ, which renders GABA+ medium spiny neurons (MSN) more venerable to cell death. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) technology allows for the construction of disease-specific models, providing valuable cellular models for studying pathogenesis, drug screening, and high-throughput analysis. METHODS In this study, we established a method that allows for rapid and efficient generation of MSNs (> 90%) within 21 days from hPSC-derived neural progenitor cells, by introducing a specific combination of transcription factors. RESULTS We efficiently induced several neural subtypes, in parallel, based on the same cell source, and revealed that, compared to other neural subtypes, MSNs exhibited higher polyQ aggregation propensity and overexpression toxicity, more severe dysfunction in BDNF/TrkB signaling, greater susceptibility to BDNF withdrawal, and more severe disturbances in nucleocytoplasmic transport (NCT). We further found that the nuclear lamina protein LMNB1 was greatly reduced in HD neurons and mislocalized to the cytoplasm and axons. Knockdown of HTT or treatment with KPT335, an orally selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE), effectively attenuated the pathological phenotypes and alleviated neuronal death caused by BDNF withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS This study thus establishes an effective method for obtaining MSNs and underscores the necessity of using high-purity MSNs to study HD pathogenesis, especially the MSN-selective vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjiao Wu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- Provincial Clinical Research Center for Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Jie Ren
- Department of Geriatrics, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Hongfei Cui
- Department of Geriatrics, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Yali Xie
- Department of Geriatrics, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Yu Tang
- Department of Geriatrics, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
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Nittari G, Roy P, Martinelli I, Bellitto V, Tomassoni D, Traini E, Tayebati SK, Amenta F. Rodent Models of Huntington's Disease: An Overview. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3331. [PMID: 38137552 PMCID: PMC10741199 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11123331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant inherited neurological disorder caused by a genetic mutation in the IT15 gene. This neurodegenerative disorder is caused by a polyglutamine repeat expansion mutation in the widely expressed huntingtin (HTT) protein. HD is characterized by the degeneration of basal ganglia neurons and progressive cell death in intrinsic neurons of the striatum, accompanied by dementia and involuntary abnormal choreiform movements. Animal models have been extensively studied and have proven to be extremely valuable for therapeutic target evaluations. They reveal the hallmark of the age-dependent formation of aggregates or inclusions consisting of misfolded proteins. Animal models of HD have provided a therapeutic strategy to treat HD by suppressing mutant HTT (mHTT). Transgenic animal models have significantly increased our understanding of the molecular processes and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the HD behavioral phenotype. Since effective therapies to cure or interrupt the course of the disease are not yet available, clinical research will have to make use of reliable animal models. This paper reviews the main studies of rodents as HD animal models, highlighting the neurological and behavioral differences between them. The choice of an animal model depends on the specific aspect of the disease to be investigated. Toxin-based models can still be useful, but most experimental hypotheses depend on success in a genetic model, whose choice is determined by the experimental question. There are many animal models showing similar HD symptoms or pathologies. They include chemical-induced HDs and genetic HDs, where cell-free and cell culture, lower organisms (such as yeast, Drosophila, C. elegans, zebrafish), rodents (mice, rats), and non-human primates are involved. These models provide accessible systems to study molecular pathogenesis and test potential treatments. For developing more effective pharmacological treatments, better animal models must be available and used to evaluate the efficacy of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Nittari
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Proshanta Roy
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Ilenia Martinelli
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Vincenzo Bellitto
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Daniele Tomassoni
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032 Camerino, Italy;
| | - Enea Traini
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Seyed Khosrow Tayebati
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
| | - Francesco Amenta
- School of Medicinal and Health Products Sciences, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri, 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (G.N.); (P.R.); (I.M.); (V.B.); (E.T.); (S.K.T.)
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8
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Stonebraker AR, Hankin R, Kapp KL, Li P, Valentine SJ, Legleiter J. Charge within Nt17 peptides modulates huntingtin aggregation and initial lipid binding events. Biophys Chem 2023; 303:107123. [PMID: 37852163 PMCID: PMC10843285 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2023.107123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Toxic aggregation of pathogenic huntingtin protein (htt) is implicated in Huntington's disease and influenced by various factors, including the first seventeen amino acids at the N-terminus (Nt17) and the presence of lipid membranes. Nt17 has a propensity to form an amphipathic α-helix in the presence of binding partners, which promotes α-helix rich oligomer formation and facilitates htt/lipid interactions. Within Nt17 are multiple sites that are subject to post-translational modification, including acetylation and phosphorylation. Acetylation can occur at lysine 6, 9, and/or 15 while phosphorylation can occur at threonine 3, serine 13, and/or serine 16. Such modifications impact aggregation and lipid binding through the alteration of various intra- and intermolecular interactions. When incubated with htt-exon1(46Q), free Nt17 peptides containing point mutations mimicking acetylation or phosphorylation reduced fibril formation and altered oligomer morphologies. Upon exposure to lipid vesicles, changes to peptide/lipid complexation were observed and peptide-containing oligomers demonstrated reduced lipid interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa R Stonebraker
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Rachel Hankin
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Kathryn L Kapp
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Peng Li
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Stephen J Valentine
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Justin Legleiter
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Rockefeller Neurosciences Institutes, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr., P.O. Box 9303, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA; Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr., P.O. Box 9303, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
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9
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Van Raamsdonk JM, Al-Shekaili HH, Wagner L, Bredy TW, Chan L, Pearson J, Schwab C, Murphy Z, Devon RS, Lu G, Kobor MS, Hayden MR, Leavitt BR. Huntingtin Decreases Susceptibility to a Spontaneous Seizure Disorder in FVN/B Mice. Aging Dis 2023; 14:2249-2266. [PMID: 37199581 PMCID: PMC10676795 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.0423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by a trinucleotide CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene that codes for the protein huntingtin (HTT in humans or Htt in mice). HTT is a multi-functional, ubiquitously expressed protein that is essential for embryonic survival, normal neurodevelopment, and adult brain function. The ability of wild-type HTT to protect neurons against various forms of death raises the possibility that loss of normal HTT function may worsen disease progression in HD. Huntingtin-lowering therapeutics are being evaluated in clinical trials for HD, but concerns have been raised that decreasing wild-type HTT levels may have adverse effects. Here we show that Htt levels modulate the occurrence of an idiopathic seizure disorder that spontaneously occurs in approximately 28% of FVB/N mice, which we have called FVB/N Seizure Disorder with SUDEP (FSDS). These abnormal FVB/N mice demonstrate the cardinal features of mouse models of epilepsy including spontaneous seizures, astrocytosis, neuronal hypertrophy, upregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and sudden seizure-related death. Interestingly, mice heterozygous for the targeted inactivation of Htt (Htt+/- mice) exhibit an increased frequency of this disorder (71% FSDS phenotype), while over-expression of either full length wild-type HTT in YAC18 mice or full length mutant HTT in YAC128 mice completely prevents it (0% FSDS phenotype). Examination of the mechanism underlying huntingtin's ability to modulate the frequency of this seizure disorder indicated that over-expression of full length HTT can promote neuronal survival following seizures. Overall, our results demonstrate a protective role for huntingtin in this form of epilepsy and provide a plausible explanation for the observation of seizures in the juvenile form of HD, Lopes-Maciel-Rodan syndrome, and Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. Adverse effects caused by decreasing huntingtin levels have ramifications for huntingtin-lowering therapies that are being developed to treat HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M. Van Raamsdonk
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Metabolic Disorders and Complications (MeDiC) and Brain Repair and Integrated Neuroscience (BRaIN) Programs, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
| | - Hilal H. Al-Shekaili
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Laura Wagner
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Tim W Bredy
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia..
| | - Laura Chan
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Jacqueline Pearson
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Claudia Schwab
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Zoe Murphy
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Rebecca S. Devon
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Ge Lu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Michael S. Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Michael R. Hayden
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Blair R. Leavitt
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
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10
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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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11
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Llamas E, Koyuncu S, Lee HJ, Wehrmann M, Gutierrez-Garcia R, Dunken N, Charura N, Torres-Montilla S, Schlimgen E, Mandel AM, Theile EB, Grossbach J, Wagle P, Lackmann JW, Schermer B, Benzing T, Beyer A, Pulido P, Rodriguez-Concepcion M, Zuccaro A, Vilchez D. In planta expression of human polyQ-expanded huntingtin fragment reveals mechanisms to prevent disease-related protein aggregation. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:1345-1357. [PMID: 37783816 PMCID: PMC10645592 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00502-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
In humans, aggregation of polyglutamine repeat (polyQ) proteins causes disorders such as Huntington's disease. Although plants express hundreds of polyQ-containing proteins, no pathologies arising from polyQ aggregation have been reported. To investigate this phenomenon, we expressed an aggregation-prone fragment of human huntingtin (HTT) with an expanded polyQ stretch (Q69) in Arabidopsis thaliana plants. In contrast to animal models, we find that Arabidopsis sp. suppresses Q69 aggregation through chloroplast proteostasis. Inhibition of chloroplast proteostasis diminishes the capacity of plants to prevent cytosolic Q69 aggregation. Moreover, endogenous polyQ-containing proteins also aggregate on chloroplast dysfunction. We find that Q69 interacts with the chloroplast stromal processing peptidase (SPP). Synthetic Arabidopsis SPP prevents polyQ-expanded HTT aggregation in human cells. Likewise, ectopic SPP expression in Caenorhabditis elegans reduces neuronal Q67 aggregation and subsequent neurotoxicity. Our findings suggest that synthetic plant proteins, such as SPP, hold therapeutic potential for polyQ disorders and other age-related diseases involving protein aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto Llamas
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Seda Koyuncu
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hyun Ju Lee
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Markus Wehrmann
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ricardo Gutierrez-Garcia
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nick Dunken
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nyasha Charura
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Elena Schlimgen
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Amrei M Mandel
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department II of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Erik Boelen Theile
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jan Grossbach
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Prerana Wagle
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jan-Wilm Lackmann
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schermer
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department II of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Benzing
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department II of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Andreas Beyer
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Pablo Pulido
- Department of Plant Molecular Genetics, Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Alga Zuccaro
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - David Vilchez
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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12
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Ferrari C, Capacci E, Bagnoli S, Ingannato A, Sorbi S, Nacmias B. The Huntington's Disease Gene in an Italian Cohort of Patients with Bipolar Disorder. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1681. [PMID: 37761821 PMCID: PMC10531383 DOI: 10.3390/genes14091681] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by motor, cognitive and psychiatric manifestations and caused by an expansion of CAG repeats over 35 triplets on the huntingtin (HTT) gene. However, expansions in the range 27-35 repeats (intermediate allele) can be associated with pathological phenotypes. The onset of HD is conventionally defined by the onset of motor symptoms, but psychiatric disturbances can precede the motor phase by up to twenty years. The aims of the present study are to identify HD patients in the pre-motor phase of the disease among patients diagnosed with bipolar disorders and evaluate any differences between bipolar patients carrying the normal HTT allele and patients with the expanded HTT gene. METHODS We assessed the HTT genotype in an Italian cohort of 69 patients who were affected by either type 1 or type 2 bipolar disorder. RESULTS No patient was found to be a carrier of the pathological HTT allele, but 10% of bipolar subjects carried an intermediate allele. Carriers of the intermediate allele were older at the onset of psychiatric symptoms than non-carriers. CONCLUSION The pathological HTT gene was not associated with bipolar disorder, while we found a higher frequency of the intermediate allele among the bipolar population with respect to healthy controls. The identification of this subset of bipolar subjects has implications for the clinical management of patients and their family members and promotes further investigation into possible pathological mechanisms common to both HD and bipolar disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Ferrari
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (E.C.); (S.B.); (A.I.); (S.S.); (B.N.)
| | - Elena Capacci
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (E.C.); (S.B.); (A.I.); (S.S.); (B.N.)
| | - Silvia Bagnoli
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (E.C.); (S.B.); (A.I.); (S.S.); (B.N.)
| | - Assunta Ingannato
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (E.C.); (S.B.); (A.I.); (S.S.); (B.N.)
| | - Sandro Sorbi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (E.C.); (S.B.); (A.I.); (S.S.); (B.N.)
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, 50143 Florence, Italy
| | - Benedetta Nacmias
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (E.C.); (S.B.); (A.I.); (S.S.); (B.N.)
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, 50143 Florence, Italy
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13
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Madabushi S, Chow KM, Song ES, Goswami A, Hersh LB, Rodgers DW. Structure of puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase and polyglutamine binding. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287086. [PMID: 37440518 PMCID: PMC10343166 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287086] [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: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase (E.C. 3.4.11.14, UniProt P55786), a zinc metallopeptidase belonging to the M1 family, degrades a number of bioactive peptides as well as peptides released from the proteasome, including polyglutamine. We report the crystal structure of PSA at 2.3 Ǻ. Overall, the enzyme adopts a V-shaped architecture with four domains characteristic of the M1 family aminopeptidases, but it is in a less compact conformation compared to most M1 enzymes of known structure. A microtubule binding sequence is present in a C-terminal HEAT repeat domain of the enzyme in a position where it might serve to mediate interaction with tubulin. In the catalytic metallopeptidase domain, an elongated active site groove lined with aromatic and hydrophobic residues and a large S1 subsite may play a role in broad substrate recognition. The structure with bound polyglutamine shows a possible interacting mode of this peptide, which is supported by mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sowmya Madabushi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - K. Martin Chow
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Eun Suk Song
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Anwesha Goswami
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Louis B. Hersh
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - David W. Rodgers
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America
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14
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Thomson SB, Stam A, Brouwers C, Fodale V, Bresciani A, Vermeulen M, Mostafavi S, Petkau TL, Hill A, Yung A, Russell-Schulz B, Kozlowski P, MacKay A, Ma D, Beg MF, Evers MM, Vallès A, Leavitt BR. AAV5-miHTT-mediated huntingtin lowering improves brain health in a Huntington's disease mouse model. Brain 2023; 146:2298-2315. [PMID: 36508327 PMCID: PMC10232253 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntingtin (HTT)-lowering therapies show great promise in treating Huntington's disease. We have developed a microRNA targeting human HTT that is delivered in an adeno-associated serotype 5 viral vector (AAV5-miHTT), and here use animal behaviour, MRI, non-invasive proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and striatal RNA sequencing as outcome measures in preclinical mouse studies of AAV5-miHTT. The effects of AAV5-miHTT treatment were evaluated in homozygous Q175FDN mice, a mouse model of Huntington's disease with severe neuropathological and behavioural phenotypes. Homozygous mice were used instead of the more commonly used heterozygous strain, which exhibit milder phenotypes. Three-month-old homozygous Q175FDN mice, which had developed acute phenotypes by the time of treatment, were injected bilaterally into the striatum with either formulation buffer (phosphate-buffered saline + 5% sucrose), low dose (5.2 × 109 genome copies/mouse) or high dose (1.3 × 1011 genome copies/mouse) AAV5-miHTT. Wild-type mice injected with formulation buffer served as controls. Behavioural assessments of cognition, T1-weighted structural MRI and striatal proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy were performed 3 months after injection, and shortly afterwards the animals were sacrificed to collect brain tissue for protein and RNA analysis. Motor coordination was assessed at 1-month intervals beginning at 2 months of age until sacrifice. Dose-dependent changes in AAV5 vector DNA level, miHTT expression and mutant HTT were observed in striatum and cortex of AAV5-miHTT-treated Huntington's disease model mice. This pattern of microRNA expression and mutant HTT lowering rescued weight loss in homozygous Q175FDN mice but did not affect motor or cognitive phenotypes. MRI volumetric analysis detected atrophy in four brain regions in homozygous Q175FDN mice, and treatment with high dose AAV5-miHTT rescued this effect in the hippocampus. Like previous magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies in Huntington's disease patients, decreased total N-acetyl aspartate and increased myo-inositol levels were found in the striatum of homozygous Q175FDN mice. These neurochemical findings were partially reversed with AAV5-miHTT treatment. Striatal transcriptional analysis using RNA sequencing revealed mutant HTT-induced changes that were partially reversed by HTT lowering with AAV5-miHTT. Striatal proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis suggests a restoration of neuronal function, and striatal RNA sequencing analysis shows a reversal of transcriptional dysregulation following AAV5-miHTT in a homozygous Huntington's disease mouse model with severe pathology. The results of this study support the use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in HTT-lowering clinical trials and strengthen the therapeutic potential of AAV5-miHTT in reversing severe striatal dysfunction in Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Thomson
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Anouk Stam
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cynthia Brouwers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Valentina Fodale
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia 00071, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia 00071, Italy
| | - Michael Vermeulen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Sara Mostafavi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Terri L Petkau
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Austin Hill
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Andrew Yung
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Bretta Russell-Schulz
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Piotr Kozlowski
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Alex MacKay
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Da Ma
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Mirza Faisal Beg
- School of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A0A7, Canada
| | - Melvin M Evers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid Vallès
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
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15
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Hart M, Diener C, Lunkes L, Rheinheimer S, Krammes L, Keller A, Meese E. miR-34a-5p as molecular hub of pathomechanisms in Huntington's disease. Mol Med 2023; 29:43. [PMID: 37013480 PMCID: PMC10295337 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-023-00640-7] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although a pivotal role of microRNA (miRNA, miR) in the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD) is increasingly recognized, the molecular functions of miRNAs in the pathomechanisms of HD await further elucidation. One of the miRNAs that have been associated with HD is miR-34a-5p, which was deregulated in the mouse R6/2 model and in human HD brain tissues. METHODS The aim of our study was to demonstrate interactions between miR-34a-5p and HD associated genes. By computational means we predicted 12 801 potential target genes of miR-34a-5p. An in-silico pathway analysis revealed 22 potential miR-34a-5p target genes in the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway "Huntington's disease". RESULTS Using our high-throughput miRNA interaction reporter assay (HiTmIR) we identified NDUFA9, TAF4B, NRF1, POLR2J2, DNALI1, HIP1, TGM2 and POLR2G as direct miR-34a-5p target genes. Direct binding of miR-34a-5p to target sites in the 3'UTRs of TAF4B, NDUFA9, HIP1 and NRF1 was verified by a mutagenesis HiTmIR assay and by determining endogenous protein levels for HIP1 and NDUFA9. STRING (Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins) analysis identified protein-protein interaction networks associated with HD like "Glutamine Receptor Signaling Pathway" and "Calcium Ion Transmembrane Import Into Cytosol". CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates multiple interactions between miR-34a-5p and HD associated target genes and thereby lays the ground for future therapeutic interventions using this miRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Hart
- Institute of Human Genetics, Saarland University, Building 60, 66421, Homburg, Germany.
| | - Caroline Diener
- Institute of Human Genetics, Saarland University, Building 60, 66421, Homburg, Germany
| | - Laetitia Lunkes
- Institute of Human Genetics, Saarland University, Building 60, 66421, Homburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Rheinheimer
- Institute of Human Genetics, Saarland University, Building 60, 66421, Homburg, Germany
| | - Lena Krammes
- Institute of Human Genetics, Saarland University, Building 60, 66421, Homburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Keller
- Chair for Clinical Bioinformatics, Saarland University, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Eckart Meese
- Institute of Human Genetics, Saarland University, Building 60, 66421, Homburg, Germany
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16
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Khakh BS, Goldman SA. Astrocytic contributions to Huntington's disease pathophysiology. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1522:42-59. [PMID: 36864567 PMCID: PMC10145027 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal, monogenic, autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine-encoding CAG expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene that results in mutant huntingtin proteins (mHTT) in cells throughout the body. Although large parts of the central nervous system (CNS) are affected, the striatum is especially vulnerable and undergoes marked atrophy. Astrocytes are abundant within the striatum and contain mHTT in HD, as well as in mouse models of the disease. We focus on striatal astrocytes and summarize how they participate in, and contribute to, molecular pathophysiology and disease-related phenotypes in HD model mice. Where possible, reference is made to pertinent astrocyte alterations in human HD. Astrocytic dysfunctions related to cellular morphology, extracellular ion and neurotransmitter homeostasis, and metabolic support all accompany the development and progression of HD, in both transgenic mouse and human cellular and chimeric models of HD. These findings reveal the potential for the therapeutic targeting of astrocytes so as to restore synaptic as well as tissue homeostasis in HD. Elucidation of the mechanisms by which astrocytes contribute to HD pathogenesis may inform a broader understanding of the role of glial pathology in neurodegenerative disorders and, by so doing, enable new strategies of glial-directed therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baljit S. Khakh
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Steven A. Goldman
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
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17
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Sharma V, Singh TG, Kaur A, Mannan A, Dhiman S. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor: A Novel Dynamically Regulated Therapeutic Modulator in Neurological Disorders. Neurochem Res 2023; 48:317-339. [PMID: 36308619 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-022-03755-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The growth factor brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and its receptor tropomyosin-related kinase receptor type B (TrkB) play an active role in numerous areas of the adult brain, where they regulate the neuronal activity, function, and survival. Upregulation and downregulation of BDNF expression are critical for the physiology of neuronal circuits and functioning in the brain. Loss of BDNF function has been reported in the brains of patients with neurodegenerative or psychiatric disorders. This article reviews the BDNF gene structure, transport, secretion, expression and functions in the brain. This article also implicates BDNF in several brain-related disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, epilepsy and bipolar disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veerta Sharma
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, 140401, Rajpura, Punjab, India
| | - Thakur Gurjeet Singh
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, 140401, Rajpura, Punjab, India.
| | - Amarjot Kaur
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, 140401, Rajpura, Punjab, India
| | - Ashi Mannan
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, 140401, Rajpura, Punjab, India
| | - Sonia Dhiman
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, 140401, Rajpura, Punjab, India
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18
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Salivary Huntingtin protein is uniquely associated with clinical features of Huntington's disease. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1034. [PMID: 36658243 PMCID: PMC9852574 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28019-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Measuring Huntingtin (HTT) protein in peripheral cells represents an essential step in biomarker discovery for Huntington's Disease (HD), however to date, investigations into the salivary expression of HTT has been lacking. In the current study, we quantified total HTT (tHTT) and mutant HTT (mHTT) protein in matched blood and saliva samples using single molecule counting (SMC) immunoassays: 2B7-D7F7 (tHTT) and 2B7-MW1 (mHTT). Matched samples, and clinical data, were collected from 95 subjects: n = 19 manifest HD, n = 34 premanifest HD (PM), and n = 42 normal controls (NC). Total HTT and mHTT levels were not correlated in blood and saliva. Plasma tHTT was significantly associated with age, and participant sex; whereas salivary mHTT was significantly correlated with age, CAG repeat length and CAP score. Plasma and salivary tHTT did not differ across cohorts. Salivary and plasma mHTT were significantly increased in PM compared to NC; salivary mHTT was also significantly increased in HD compared to NC. Only salivary tHTT and mHTT were significantly correlated with clinical measures. Salivary HTT is uniquely associated with clinical measures of HD and offers significant promise as a relevant, non-invasive HD biomarker. Its use could be immediately implemented into both translational and clinical research applications.
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19
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Cilleros-Holgado P, Gómez-Fernández D, Piñero-Pérez R, Reche-López D, Álvarez-Córdoba M, Munuera-Cabeza M, Talaverón-Rey M, Povea-Cabello S, Suárez-Carrillo A, Romero-González A, Suárez-Rivero JM, Romero-Domínguez JM, Sánchez-Alcázar JA. mtUPR Modulation as a Therapeutic Target for Primary and Secondary Mitochondrial Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021482. [PMID: 36674998 PMCID: PMC9865803 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key pathological event in many diseases. Its role in energy production, calcium homeostasis, apoptosis regulation, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance render mitochondria essential for cell survival and fitness. However, there are no effective treatments for most primary and secondary mitochondrial diseases to this day. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches, such as the modulation of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (mtUPR), are being explored. mtUPRs englobe several compensatory processes related to proteostasis and antioxidant system mechanisms. mtUPR activation, through an overcompensation for mild intracellular stress, promotes cell homeostasis and improves lifespan and disease alterations in biological models of mitochondrial dysfunction in age-related diseases, cardiopathies, metabolic disorders, and primary mitochondrial diseases. Although mtUPR activation is a promising therapeutic option for many pathological conditions, its activation could promote tumor progression in cancer patients, and its overactivation could lead to non-desired side effects, such as the increased heteroplasmy of mitochondrial DNA mutations. In this review, we present the most recent data about mtUPR modulation as a therapeutic approach, its role in diseases, and its potential negative consequences in specific pathological situations.
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20
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Clabough EBD, Aspili C, Fussy WS, Ingersoll JD, Kislyakov A, Li ES, Su MJ, Wiles DB, Watson TE, Willy AJ, Thomas Vinyard H, Mollica Iii PJ, Taylor JV, Smith CW, Roark DA, Tabrani ZP, Thomas HL, Shin M, Venton BJ, Hayes D, Sipe CW. Huntingtin Plays a Role in the Physiological Response to Ethanol in Drosophila. J Huntingtons Dis 2023; 12:241-252. [PMID: 37661891 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-230581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntingtin (htt) protein is an essential regulator of nervous system function through its various neuroprotective and pro-survival functions, and loss of wild-type htt function is implicated in the etiology of Huntington's disease. While its pathological role is typically understood as a toxic gain-of-function, some neuronal phenotypes also result from htt loss. Therefore, it is important to understand possible roles for htt in other physiological circumstances. OBJECTIVE To elucidate the role of htt in the context of ethanol exposure, we investigated how loss of htt impacts behavioral and physiological responses to ethanol in Drosophila. METHODS We tested flies lacking htt for ethanol sensitivity and tolerance, preference for ethanol using capillary feeder assays, and recovery of mobility after intoxication. Levels of dopamine neurotransmitter and numbers of dopaminergic cells in brains lacking dhtt were also measured. RESULTS We found that dhtt-null flies are both less sensitive and more tolerant to ethanol exposure in adulthood. Moreover, flies lacking dhtt are more averse to alcohol than controls, and they recover mobility faster following acute ethanol intoxication. We showed that dhtt mediates these effects at least in part through the dopaminergic system, as dhtt is required to maintain normal levels of dopamine in the brain and normal numbers of dopaminergic cells in the adult protocerebrum. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that htt regulates the physiological response to ethanol and indicate a novel neuroprotective role for htt in the dopaminergic system, raising the possibility that it may be involved more generally in the response to toxic stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin B D Clabough
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Program in Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Christia Aspili
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - William S Fussy
- Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA, USA
| | - James D Ingersoll
- Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA, USA
| | - Amy Kislyakov
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Elizabeth S Li
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Meng-Jiuan Su
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Dustin B Wiles
- Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA, USA
| | - Thomas E Watson
- Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA, USA
| | - Aaron J Willy
- Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA, USA
| | - H Thomas Vinyard
- Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA, USA
| | | | - James V Taylor
- Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA, USA
| | - Cody W Smith
- Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA, USA
| | - Dallas A Roark
- Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA, USA
| | - Zachary P Tabrani
- Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA, USA
| | - Harris L Thomas
- Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA, USA
| | - Mimi Shin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - B Jill Venton
- Program in Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - David Hayes
- Department of Biology, Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV, USA
- Department of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Conor W Sipe
- Department of Biology, Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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21
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Integrative Meta-Analysis of Huntington's Disease Transcriptome Landscape. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13122385. [PMID: 36553652 PMCID: PMC9777612 DOI: 10.3390/genes13122385] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with autosomal dominant inheritance caused by glutamine expansion in the Huntingtin gene (HTT). Striatal projection neurons (SPNs) in HD are more vulnerable to cell death. The executive striatal population is directly connected with the Brodmann Area (BA9), which is mainly involved in motor functions. Analyzing the disease samples from BA9 from the SRA database provides insights related to neuron degeneration, which helps to identify a promising therapeutic strategy. Most gene expression studies examine the changes in expression and associated biological functions. In this study, we elucidate the relationship between variants and their effect on gene/downstream transcript expression. We computed gene and transcript abundance and identified variants from RNA-seq data using various pipelines. We predicted the effect of genome-wide association studies (GWAS)/novel variants on regulatory functions. We found that many variants affect the histone acetylation pattern in HD, thereby perturbing the transcription factor networks. Interestingly, some variants affect miRNA binding as well as their downstream gene expression. Tissue-specific network analysis showed that mitochondrial, neuroinflammation, vasculature, and angiogenesis-related genes are disrupted in HD. From this integrative omics analysis, we propose that abnormal neuroinflammation acts as a two-edged sword that indirectly affects the vasculature and associated energy metabolism. Rehabilitation of blood-brain barrier functionality and energy metabolism may secure the neuron from cell death.
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22
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Chivet M, McCluskey M, Nicot AS, Brocard J, Beaufils M, Giovannini D, Giannesini B, Poreau B, Brocard J, Humbert S, Saudou F, Fauré J, Marty I. Huntingtin regulates calcium fluxes in skeletal muscle. J Gen Physiol 2022; 155:213700. [PMID: 36409218 PMCID: PMC9682417 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The expression of the Huntingtin protein, well known for its involvement in the neurodegenerative Huntington's disease, has been confirmed in skeletal muscle. The impact of HTT deficiency was studied in human skeletal muscle cell lines and in a mouse model with inducible and muscle-specific HTT deletion. Characterization of calcium fluxes in the knock-out cell lines demonstrated a reduction in excitation-contraction (EC) coupling, related to an alteration in the coupling between the dihydropyridine receptor and the ryanodine receptor, and an increase in the amount of calcium stored within the sarcoplasmic reticulum, linked to the hyperactivity of store-operated calcium entry (SOCE). Immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated an association of HTT with junctophilin 1 (JPH1) and stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), both providing clues on the functional effects of HTT deletion on calcium fluxes. Characterization of muscle strength and muscle anatomy of the muscle-specific HTT-KO mice demonstrated that HTT deletion induced moderate muscle weakness and mild muscle atrophy associated with histological abnormalities, similar to the phenotype observed in tubular aggregate myopathy. Altogether, this study points toward the hypotheses of the involvement of HTT in EC coupling via its interaction with JPH1, and on SOCE via its interaction with JPH1 and/or STIM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Chivet
- CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, INSERM, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Maximilian McCluskey
- CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, INSERM, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Anne Sophie Nicot
- CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, INSERM, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Julie Brocard
- CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, INSERM, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Mathilde Beaufils
- CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, INSERM, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Diane Giovannini
- CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, INSERM, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Benoit Giannesini
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale, Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Brice Poreau
- CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, INSERM, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Jacques Brocard
- CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, INSERM, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Sandrine Humbert
- CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, INSERM, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, INSERM, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Julien Fauré
- CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, INSERM, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Isabelle Marty
- CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, INSERM, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France,Correspondence to Isabelle Marty:
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23
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Zhao X, Sun Y, Wang Z, Chen L, Li S, Li XJ. Huntingtin exon 1 deletion does not alter the subcellular distribution of huntingtin and gene transcription in mice. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:1021592. [DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1021592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is caused by the expansion of CAG triplet repeats in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene, which also encodes the first 17 amino acids (N-17) that can modulate the toxicity of the expanded polyQ repeat. N-17 are conserved in a wide range of species and are found to influence the subcellular distribution of mutant Htt. Moreover, N-17 is subject to many posttranslational modifications that may regulate the function, stability, and distribution of HTT. However, the function of Htt exon 1 and its influence on the normal Htt remains to be fully investigated. By investigating a knock-in mouse model that lacks Htt exon1, we found that deletion of Htt exon1 does not affect the survival of mice and differentiation of cultured mouse neurons. Furthermore, the lack of Htt exon 1 does not alter the subcellular distribution of Htt, autophagy protein expression, and global gene transcription in the mouse brain. These results suggest that removing the entire exon 1 of Htt could be a therapeutic approach to eliminate expanded polyQ toxicity.
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24
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Dickson E, Dwijesha AS, Andersson N, Lundh S, Björkqvist M, Petersén Å, Soylu-Kucharz R. Microarray profiling of hypothalamic gene expression changes in Huntington’s disease mouse models. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1027269. [DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1027269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural changes and neuropathology in the hypothalamus have been suggested to contribute to the non-motor manifestations of Huntington’s disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. In this study, we investigated whether hypothalamic HTT expression causes transcriptional changes. Hypothalamic RNA was isolated from two different HD mouse models and their littermate controls; BACHD mice with ubiquitous expression of full-length mutant HTT (mHTT) and wild-type mice with targeted hypothalamic overexpression of either wild-type HTT (wtHTT) or mHTT fragments. The mHTT and wtHTT groups showed the highest number of differentially expressed genes compared to the BACHD mouse model. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) with leading-edge analysis showed that suppressed sterol- and cholesterol metabolism were shared between hypothalamic wtHTT and mHTT overexpression. Most distinctive for mHTT overexpression was the suppression of neuroendocrine networks, in which qRT-PCR validation confirmed significant downregulation of neuropeptides with roles in feeding behavior; hypocretin neuropeptide precursor (Hcrt), tachykinin receptor 3 (Tacr3), cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (Cart) and catecholamine-related biological processes; dopa decarboxylase (Ddc), histidine decarboxylase (Hdc), tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (Vip). In BACHD mice, few hypothalamic genes were differentially expressed compared to age-matched WT controls. However, GSEA indicated an enrichment of inflammatory- and gonadotropin-related processes at 10 months. In conclusion, we show that both wtHTT and mHTT overexpression change hypothalamic transcriptome profile, specifically mHTT, altering neuroendocrine circuits. In contrast, the ubiquitous expression of full-length mHTT in the BACHD hypothalamus moderately affects the transcriptomic profile.
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25
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Chia K, Klingseisen A, Sieger D, Priller J. Zebrafish as a model organism for neurodegenerative disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:940484. [PMID: 36311026 PMCID: PMC9606821 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.940484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish is increasingly recognized as a model organism for translational research into human neuropathology. The zebrafish brain exhibits fundamental resemblance with human neuroanatomical and neurochemical pathways, and hallmarks of human brain pathology such as protein aggregation, neuronal degeneration and activation of glial cells, for example, can be modeled and recapitulated in the fish central nervous system. Genetic manipulation, imaging, and drug screening are areas where zebrafish excel with the ease of introducing mutations and transgenes, the expression of fluorescent markers that can be detected in vivo in the transparent larval stages overtime, and simple treatment of large numbers of fish larvae at once followed by automated screening and imaging. In this review, we summarize how zebrafish have successfully been employed to model human neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of choosing zebrafish as a model for these neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelda Chia
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Klingseisen
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Dirk Sieger
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Dirk Sieger,
| | - Josef Priller
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Neuropsychiatry and Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, DZNE, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Josef Priller,
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26
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Conroy F, Miller R, Alterman JF, Hassler MR, Echeverria D, Godinho BMDC, Knox EG, Sapp E, Sousa J, Yamada K, Mahmood F, Boudi A, Kegel-Gleason K, DiFiglia M, Aronin N, Khvorova A, Pfister EL. Chemical engineering of therapeutic siRNAs for allele-specific gene silencing in Huntington's disease models. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5802. [PMID: 36192390 PMCID: PMC9530163 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33061-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Small interfering RNAs are a new class of drugs, exhibiting sequence-driven, potent, and sustained silencing of gene expression in vivo. We recently demonstrated that siRNA chemical architectures can be optimized to provide efficient delivery to the CNS, enabling development of CNS-targeted therapeutics. Many genetically-defined neurodegenerative disorders are dominant, favoring selective silencing of the mutant allele. In some cases, successfully targeting the mutant allele requires targeting single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) heterozygosities. Here, we use Huntington’s disease (HD) as a model. The optimized compound exhibits selective silencing of mutant huntingtin protein in patient-derived cells and throughout the HD mouse brain, demonstrating SNP-based allele-specific RNAi silencing of gene expression in vivo in the CNS. Targeting a disease-causing allele using RNAi-based therapies could be helpful in a range of dominant CNS disorders where maintaining wild-type expression is essential. Chemically modified siRNAs distinguish between mutant and normal huntingtin based on a single nucleotide difference and lower mutant huntingtin specifically in patient derived cells and in a mouse model of Huntington’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faith Conroy
- Department of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Rachael Miller
- Department of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Julia F Alterman
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Matthew R Hassler
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Dimas Echeverria
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Bruno M D C Godinho
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Emily G Knox
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Jaquelyn Sousa
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Ken Yamada
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Farah Mahmood
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Adel Boudi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Kimberly Kegel-Gleason
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Neil Aronin
- Department of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.,RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Anastasia Khvorova
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
| | - Edith L Pfister
- Department of Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
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27
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Singh S, Sharma N, Sachdeva M, Behl T, Zahoor I, Fuloria NK, Sekar M, Fuloria S, Subramaniyan V, Alsubayiel AM, Dailah HG, Naved T, Bhatia S, Al-Harrasi A, Aleya L. Focusing the pivotal role of nanotechnology in Huntington's disease: an insight into the recent advancements. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:73809-73827. [PMID: 36100788 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22830-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegeneration is the loss of neuronal capacity and structure over time which causes neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson, and Huntington's disease (HD). This review is primarily concerned with HD, which was fully described by George Huntington in 1872. In developed countries, HD has become another common single-gene neurological disorder. Because of its autosomal dominant inheritance, the sickness affects both individuals and their families. Huntington disease has been recognized as a disorder that affects the complete body and brain in which the mutant huntingtin polyglutamine (polyQ) sequence is extensively increased and gets correlated to CAG trinucleotide which codes for glutamine (Q). These proteins have characteristics that produce apoptosis and dysfunction. HD is a lethal condition which needs an immediate diagnosis and treatment, and therefore, nanoparticle has come into sight out as opportunistic strategies for treatment of HD. Nanostructures have great potential to cross the blood brain barrier and also prevent breakdown of active molecule and reduces the drug toxicity. This review explains the distinguishing symptoms, genetics, and stages during the development of Huntington's disease, and also provides an overview of HD with an emphasis on its epidemiology, pathogenesis, and management. This review focuses on the latest studies on nanotechnology-related technologies, i.e., magnetic nanoparticle, solid lipid nanoparticle, and polymeric nanoparticle for Huntington's disease treatment. The pioneering patents and in-progress clinical trials related to Huntington's disease has also been summarized in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukhbir Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutics, MM College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana-Ambala, Haryana, 133207, India
| | - Neelam Sharma
- Department of Pharmaceutics, MM College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana-Ambala, Haryana, 133207, India.
| | - Monika Sachdeva
- Fatimah College of Health Sciences, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Tapan Behl
- School of Health Sciences, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Bidholi, 248007, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.
| | - Ishrat Zahoor
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Rajpura, Punjab, India
| | - Neeraj Kumar Fuloria
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Centre of Excellence for Biomaterials Engineering, AIMST University, Bedong, Kedah, Malaysia
| | - Mahendran Sekar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak, Ipoh, Malaysia
| | - Shivkanya Fuloria
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Centre of Excellence for Biomaterials Engineering, AIMST University, Bedong, Kedah, Malaysia
| | | | - Amal M Alsubayiel
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraydah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hamed Ghaleb Dailah
- Research and Scientific Studies Unit, College of Nursing, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tanveer Naved
- Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Noida, India
| | - Saurabh Bhatia
- School of Health Sciences, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Bidholi, 248007, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Centre, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Ahmed Al-Harrasi
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Centre, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Lotfi Aleya
- Chrono-Environment Laboratory, UMR CNRS 6249, Bourgogne Franche-Comté University, Besançon, France
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Neueder A, Kojer K, Hering T, Lavery DJ, Chen J, Birth N, Hallitsch J, Trautmann S, Parker J, Flower M, Sethi H, Haider S, Lee JM, Tabrizi SJ, Orth M. Abnormal molecular signatures of inflammation, energy metabolism, and vesicle biology in human Huntington disease peripheral tissues. Genome Biol 2022; 23:189. [PMID: 36071529 PMCID: PMC9450392 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02752-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A major challenge in neurodegenerative diseases concerns identifying biological disease signatures that track with disease progression or respond to an intervention. Several clinical trials in Huntington disease (HD), an inherited, progressive neurodegenerative disease, are currently ongoing. Therefore, we examine whether peripheral tissues can serve as a source of readily accessible biological signatures at the RNA and protein level in HD patients. RESULTS We generate large, high-quality human datasets from skeletal muscle, skin and adipose tissue to probe molecular changes in human premanifest and early manifest HD patients-those most likely involved in clinical trials. The analysis of the transcriptomics and proteomics data shows robust, stage-dependent dysregulation. Gene ontology analysis confirms the involvement of inflammation and energy metabolism in peripheral HD pathogenesis. Furthermore, we observe changes in the homeostasis of extracellular vesicles, where we find consistent changes of genes and proteins involved in this process. In-depth single nucleotide polymorphism data across the HTT gene are derived from the generated primary cell lines. CONCLUSIONS Our 'omics data document the involvement of inflammation, energy metabolism, and extracellular vesicle homeostasis. This demonstrates the potential to identify biological signatures from peripheral tissues in HD suitable as biomarkers in clinical trials. The generated data, complemented by the primary cell lines established from peripheral tissues, and a large panel of iPSC lines that can serve as human models of HD are a valuable and unique resource to advance the current understanding of molecular mechanisms driving HD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Neueder
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Kerstin Kojer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tanja Hering
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Daniel J Lavery
- CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA
- Loulou Foundation, Orphan Disease Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Jian Chen
- CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA
| | - Nathalie Birth
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Sonja Trautmann
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jennifer Parker
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Michael Flower
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Huma Sethi
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Salman Haider
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jong-Min Lee
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Michael Orth
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
- Swiss Huntington Centre, Neurozentrum, Siloah AG, Worbstr. 312, 3073, Gümligen, Switzerland.
- University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bern University, Bern, Switzerland.
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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: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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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Sen T, Thummer RP. CRISPR and iPSCs: Recent Developments and Future Perspectives in Neurodegenerative Disease Modelling, Research, and Therapeutics. Neurotox Res 2022; 40:1597-1623. [PMID: 36044181 PMCID: PMC9428373 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-022-00564-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are prominent causes of pain, suffering, and death worldwide. Traditional approaches modelling neurodegenerative diseases are deficient, and therefore, improved strategies that effectively recapitulate the pathophysiological conditions of neurodegenerative diseases are the need of the hour. The generation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has transformed our ability to model neurodegenerative diseases in vitro and provide an unlimited source of cells (including desired neuronal cell types) for cell replacement therapy. Recently, CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing has also been gaining popularity because of the flexibility they provide to generate and ablate disease phenotypes. In addition, the recent advancements in CRISPR/Cas9 technology enables researchers to seamlessly target and introduce precise modifications in the genomic DNA of different human cell lines, including iPSCs. CRISPR-iPSC-based disease modelling, therefore, allows scientists to recapitulate the pathological aspects of most neurodegenerative processes and investigate the role of pathological gene variants in healthy non-patient cell lines. This review outlines how iPSCs, CRISPR/Cas9, and CRISPR-iPSC-based approaches accelerate research on neurodegenerative diseases and take us closer to a cure for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and so forth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tirthankar Sen
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati - 781039, Assam, India
| | - Rajkumar P Thummer
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati - 781039, Assam, India.
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31
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Zhang L, Kang H, Perez-Aguilar JM, Zhou R. Possible Co-Evolution of Polyglutamine and Polyproline in Huntingtin Protein: Proline-Rich Domain as Transient Folding Chaperone. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:6331-6341. [PMID: 35796410 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by the overduplication of CAG repeats in the Huntingtin gene. Recent findings revealed that among the orthologs, the expansion of CAG repeats (polyQ) in the Huntingtin gene occurs in tandem with the duplication of CCG repeats (polyP). However, the molecular mechanism of this possible co-evolution remains unknown. We examined the structures of Huntingtin exon 1 (HttEx1) from six species along with five designed mutants. We found that the polyP segments "chaperone" the rest of the HttEx1 by forming ad hoc polyP binding grooves. Such a process elongates the otherwise poorly solvated polyQ domain, while modulating its secondary structure propensity from β-strands to α-helices. This chaperoning effect is achieved mostly through transient hydrogen bond interactions between polyP and the rest of HttEx1, resulting in a striking golden ratio of ∼2:1 between the chain lengths of polyQ and polyP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leili Zhang
- Computational Biology Center, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, United States
| | - Hongsuk Kang
- Computational Biology Center, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, United States
| | - Jose Manuel Perez-Aguilar
- School of Chemical Sciences, Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP), University City, Puebla 72570, Mexico
| | - Ruhong Zhou
- Computational Biology Center, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, United States
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
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32
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Drobny A, Prieto Huarcaya S, Dobert J, Kluge A, Bunk J, Schlothauer T, Zunke F. The role of lysosomal cathepsins in neurodegeneration: Mechanistic insights, diagnostic potential and therapeutic approaches. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2022; 1869:119243. [PMID: 35217144 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2022.119243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Lysosomes are ubiquitous organelles with a fundamental role in maintaining cellular homeostasis by mediating degradation and recycling processes. Cathepsins are the most abundant lysosomal hydrolyses and are responsible for the bulk degradation of various substrates. A correct autophagic function is essential for neuronal survival, as most neurons are post-mitotic and thus susceptible to accumulate cellular components. Increasing evidence suggests a crucial role of the lysosome in neurodegeneration as a key regulator of aggregation-prone and disease-associated proteins, such as α-synuclein, β-amyloid and huntingtin. Particularly, alterations in lysosomal cathepsins CTSD, CTSB and CTSL can contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases as seen for neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, synucleinopathies (Parkinson's disease, Dementia with Lewy Body and Multiple System Atrophy) as well as Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease. In this review, we provide an overview of recent evidence implicating CTSD, CTSB and CTSL in neurodegeneration, with a special focus on the role of these enzymes in α-synuclein metabolism. In addition, we summarize the potential role of lysosomal cathepsins as clinical biomarkers in neurodegenerative diseases and discuss potential therapeutic approaches by targeting lysosomal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Drobny
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Jan Dobert
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Annika Kluge
- Department of Neurology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Josina Bunk
- Institute of Biochemistry, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Friederike Zunke
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
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33
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Xu S, Li G, Ye X, Chen D, Chen Z, Xu Z, Daniele M, Tambone S, Ceccacci A, Tomei L, Ye L, Yu Y, Solbach A, Farmer SM, Stimming EF, McAllister G, Marchionini DM, Zhang S. HAP40 is a conserved central regulator of Huntingtin and a potential modulator of Huntington's disease pathogenesis. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010302. [PMID: 35853002 PMCID: PMC9295956 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Perturbation of huntingtin (HTT)'s physiological function is one postulated pathogenic factor in Huntington's disease (HD). However, little is known how HTT is regulated in vivo. In a proteomic study, we isolated a novel ~40kDa protein as a strong binding partner of Drosophila HTT and demonstrated it was the functional ortholog of HAP40, an HTT associated protein shown recently to modulate HTT's conformation but with unclear physiological and pathologic roles. We showed that in both flies and human cells, HAP40 maintained conserved physical and functional interactions with HTT. Additionally, loss of HAP40 resulted in similar phenotypes as HTT knockout. More strikingly, HAP40 strongly affected HTT's stability, as depletion of HAP40 significantly reduced the levels of endogenous HTT protein while HAP40 overexpression markedly extended its half-life. Conversely, in the absence of HTT, the majority of HAP40 protein were degraded, likely through the proteasome. Further, the affinity between HTT and HAP40 was not significantly affected by polyglutamine expansion in HTT, and contrary to an early report, there were no abnormal accumulations of endogenous HAP40 protein in HD cells from mouse HD models or human patients. Lastly, when tested in Drosophila models of HD, HAP40 partially modulated the neurodegeneration induced by full-length mutant HTT while showed no apparent effect on the toxicity of mutant HTT exon 1 fragment. Together, our study uncovers a conserved mechanism governing the stability and in vivo functions of HTT and demonstrates that HAP40 is a central and positive regulator of endogenous HTT. Further, our results support that mutant HTT is toxic regardless of the presence of its partner HAP40, and implicate HAP40 as a potential modulator of HD pathogenesis through its multiplex effect on HTT's function, stability and the potency of mutant HTT's toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Xu
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Gang Li
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Xin Ye
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Dongsheng Chen
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Zhihua Chen
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Zhen Xu
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Moretti Daniele
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM SpA, Pomezia (RM), Italy
| | - Sara Tambone
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM SpA, Pomezia (RM), Italy
| | - Alessandra Ceccacci
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM SpA, Pomezia (RM), Italy
| | - Licia Tomei
- Department of Translational and Discovery Research, IRBM SpA, Pomezia (RM), Italy
| | - Lili Ye
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Yue Yu
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Programs in Genetics and Epigenetics and Neuroscience, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (MD Anderson UTHealth GSBS), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Amanda Solbach
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Programs in Genetics and Epigenetics and Neuroscience, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (MD Anderson UTHealth GSBS), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Stephen M. Farmer
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Program in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (MD Anderson UTHealth GSBS), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Erin Furr Stimming
- Department of Neurology, HDSA Center of Excellence, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - George McAllister
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 350 Seventh Ave, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Deanna M. Marchionini
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 350 Seventh Ave, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sheng Zhang
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Programs in Genetics and Epigenetics and Neuroscience, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (MD Anderson UTHealth GSBS), Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
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Molecular Pathophysiological Mechanisms in Huntington's Disease. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10061432. [PMID: 35740453 PMCID: PMC9219859 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disease described 150 years ago by George Huntington. The genetic defect was identified in 1993 to be an expanded CAG repeat on exon 1 of the huntingtin gene located on chromosome 4. In the following almost 30 years, a considerable amount of research, using mainly animal models or in vitro experiments, has tried to unravel the complex molecular cascades through which the transcription of the mutant protein leads to neuronal loss, especially in the medium spiny neurons of the striatum, and identified excitotoxicity, transcriptional dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, impaired proteostasis, altered axonal trafficking and reduced availability of trophic factors to be crucial contributors. This review discusses the pathogenic cascades described in the literature through which mutant huntingtin leads to neuronal demise. However, due to the ubiquitous presence of huntingtin, astrocytes are also dysfunctional, and neuroinflammation may additionally contribute to Huntington’s disease pathology. The quest for therapies to delay the onset and reduce the rate of Huntington’s disease progression is ongoing, but is based on findings from basic research.
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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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Phospholipid Profiles Are Selectively Altered in the Putamen and White Frontal Cortex of Huntington's Disease. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14102086. [PMID: 35631226 PMCID: PMC9143248 DOI: 10.3390/nu14102086] [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: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a genetic, neurodegenerative illness that onsets in late adulthood as a series of progressive and terminal cognitive, motor, and psychiatric deficits. The disease is caused by a polyQ mutation in the Huntingtin gene (HTT), producing a polyglutamine expansion in the Huntingtin protein (HTT). HTT interacts with phospholipids in vitro; however, its interactions are changed when the protein is mutated in HD. Emerging evidence suggests that the susceptibility of brain regions to pathological stimuli is influenced by lipid composition. This study aimed to identify where and how phospholipids are changed in human HD brain tissue. Phospholipids were extracted using a modified MTBE method from the post-mortem brain of 13 advanced-stage HD patients and 13 age- and sex-matched controls. Targeted precursor ion scanning mass spectrometry was used to detect phospholipid species. In the white cortex of HD patients, there was a significantly lower abundance of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylserine (PS), but no difference in phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). In HD putamen, ester-linked 22:6 was lower in all phospholipid classes promoting a decrease in the relative abundance of ester polyunsaturated fatty acids in PE. No differences in phospholipid composition were identified in the caudate, grey cortex or cerebellum. Ether-linked PE fatty acids appear protected in the HD brain, as no changes were identified. The nature of phospholipid alterations in the HD brain is dependent on the lipid (subclass, species, and bond type) and the location.
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Effects of Exercise on Skeletal Muscle Pathophysiology in Huntington's Disease. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol 2022; 7:jfmk7020040. [PMID: 35645302 PMCID: PMC9149967 DOI: 10.3390/jfmk7020040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare, hereditary, and progressive neurodegenerative disease, characterized by involuntary choreatic movements with cognitive and behavioral disturbances. In order to mitigate impairments in motor function, physical exercise was integrated in HD rehabilitative interventions, showing to be a powerful tool to ameliorate the quality of life of HD-affected patients. This review aims to describe the effects of physical exercise on HD-related skeletal muscle disorders in both murine and human models. We performed a literature search using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases on the role of physical activity in mouse models of HD and human patients. Fifteen publications fulfilled the criteria and were included in the review. Studies performed on mouse models showed a controversial role played by exercise, whereas in HD-affected patients, physical activity appeared to have positive effects on gait, motor function, UHDMRS scale, cognitive function, quality of life, postural stability, total body mass, fatty acid oxidative capacity, and VO2 max. Physical activity seems to be feasible, safe, and effective for HD patients. However, further studies with longer follow-up and larger cohorts of patients will be needed to draw firm conclusions on the positive effects of exercise for HD patients.
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38
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Intermediate alleles of HTT: A new pathway in longevity. J Neurol Sci 2022; 438:120274. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2022.120274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Alfonso Perez G, Caballero Villarraso J. Neural Network Aided Detection of Huntington Disease. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11082110. [PMID: 35456203 PMCID: PMC9032851 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11082110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington Disease (HD) is a degenerative neurological disease that causes a significant impact on the quality of life of the patient and eventually death. In this paper we present an approach to create a biomarker using as an input DNA CpG methylation data to identify HD patients. DNA CpG methylation is a well-known epigenetic marker for disease state. Technological advances have made it possible to quickly analyze hundreds of thousands of CpGs. This large amount of information might introduce noise as potentially not all DNA CpG methylation levels will be related to the presence of the illness. In this paper, we were able to reduce the number of CpGs considered from hundreds of thousands to 237 using a non-linear approach. It will be shown that using only these 237 CpGs and non-linear techniques such as artificial neural networks makes it possible to accurately differentiate between control and HD patients. An underlying assumption in this paper is that there are no indications suggesting that the process is linear and therefore non-linear techniques, such as artificial neural networks, are a valid tool to analyze this complex disease. The proposed approach is able to accurately distinguish between control and HD patients using DNA CpG methylation data as an input and non-linear forecasting techniques. It should be noted that the dataset analyzed is relatively small. However, the results seem relatively consistent and the analysis can be repeated with larger data-sets as they become available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo Alfonso Perez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain;
- Correspondence:
| | - Javier Caballero Villarraso
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain;
- Biochemical Laboratory, Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Cordoba, Spain
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Environmental stimulation in Huntington disease patients and animal models. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 171:105725. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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Structural Plasticity of the Hippocampus in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23063349. [PMID: 35328770 PMCID: PMC8955928 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroplasticity is the capacity of neural networks in the brain to alter through development and rearrangement. It can be classified as structural and functional plasticity. The hippocampus is more susceptible to neuroplasticity as compared to other brain regions. Structural modifications in the hippocampus underpin several neurodegenerative diseases that exhibit cognitive and emotional dysregulation. This article reviews the findings of several preclinical and clinical studies about the role of structural plasticity in the hippocampus in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. In this study, literature was surveyed using Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, to review the mechanisms that underlie the alterations in the structural plasticity of the hippocampus in neurodegenerative diseases. This review summarizes the role of structural plasticity in the hippocampus for the etiopathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and identifies the current focus and gaps in knowledge about hippocampal dysfunctions. Ultimately, this information will be useful to propel future mechanistic and therapeutic research in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Wankhede NL, Kale MB, Upaganlawar AB, Taksande BG, Umekar MJ, Behl T, Abdellatif AAH, Bhaskaran PM, Dachani SR, Sehgal A, Singh S, Sharma N, Makeen HA, Albratty M, Dailah HG, Bhatia S, Al-Harrasi A, Bungau S. Involvement of molecular chaperone in protein-misfolding brain diseases. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 147:112647. [PMID: 35149361 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding causes aggregation and build-up in a variety of brain diseases. There are numeral molecules that are linked with the protein homeostasis mechanism. Molecular chaperones are one of such molecules that are responsible for protection against protein misfolded and aggregation-induced neurotoxicity. Many studies have explored the participation of molecular chaperones in Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington's diseases. In this review, we highlighted the constructive role of molecular chaperones in neurological diseases characterized by protein misfolding and aggregation and their capability to control aberrant protein interactions at an early stage thus successfully suppressing pathogenic cascades. A comprehensive understanding of the protein misfolding associated with brain diseases and the molecular basis of involvement of chaperone against aggregation-induced cellular stress might lead to the progress of new therapeutic intrusion-related to protein misfolding and aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitu L Wankhede
- Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
| | - Mayur B Kale
- Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
| | - Aman B Upaganlawar
- SNJB's Shriman Sureshdada Jain College of Pharmacy, Neminagar, Chandwad, Nasik, Maharashta, India
| | - Brijesh G Taksande
- Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
| | - Milind J Umekar
- Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
| | - Tapan Behl
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India.
| | - Ahmed A H Abdellatif
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia; Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt
| | | | - Sudarshan Reddy Dachani
- Department of Pharmacy Practice & Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Shaqra University (Al-Dawadmi Campus), Al-Dawadmi, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aayush Sehgal
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Sukhbir Singh
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Neelam Sharma
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Hafiz A Makeen
- Pharmacy Practice Research Unit, Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, Jazan university, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Albratty
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hamed Ghaleb Dailah
- Research and Scientific Studies Unit, College of Nursing, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saurabh Bhatia
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman; School of Health Science, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Ahmed Al-Harrasi
- School of Health Science, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Simona Bungau
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania.
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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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Mazzeo S, Emiliani F, Bagnoli S, Padiglioni S, Conti V, Ingannato A, Giacomucci G, Balestrini J, Ferrari C, Sorbi S, Nacmias B, Bessi V. Huntingtin gene intermediate alleles influence the progression from Subjective Cognitive Decline to Mild Cognitive Impairment: a 14-year follow-up study. Eur J Neurol 2022; 29:1600-1609. [PMID: 35181957 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntingtin (HTT) is a gene containing a key region of CAG repeats. HTT alleles containing from 27 to 35 CAG repeats are termed as intermediate alleles (IAs). We aim to assess the effect of IAs on progression of cognitive impairment in patients with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). METHODS We included 106 patients with SCD. All the patients underwent neuropsychological assessments and blood sample collections at baseline. Patients were followed-up for a median time of 13.75 (IQR=8.17) years. We genotyped APOE and HTT at the end of the follow-up. RESULTS Eleven out of 106 patients (10.38% [95%C.I.=4.57-16.18]) were carriers of IA (IA+ ). During the follow-up, 44 patients (41.51% [95%C.I.=32.13-50.89]) progressed to MCI (p-SCD), while 62 patients (58.49% [95% C.I.=49.11-67.87]) did not (np-SCD). Rate of progression to MCI was associated with IAs, age at baseline, and APOE ɛ4. We dichotomized age at baseline (<60 = younger patients [YP], >60 = older patients [OP]) and classified patients into four groups: YP/IAs- , YP/IAs+ , OP/IAs- and OP/IAs+ . OP/IAs+ had a higher proportion of progression from SCD to MCI (85.71% [95%C.I.=59.79-100]) as compared to YP/IAs- (28.57% [95%C.I.=13.60-43.54], χ2 =15.25, p<0.001) and OP/IAs- (45.00% [95%C.I.=32.41-57.59], χ2 =7.903, p=0.005). We classified patients according to APOE and IA as: ɛ4- /IA- , ɛ4- /IA+ , ɛ4+ /IA- , ɛ4+ /IA+ . Proportion of progression in ɛ4+ /IA+ group (100%) was higher as compared to ɛ4- /IA- (33.33% [95%C.I.=21.96-44.71], χ2 =14.43, p <0.001) and ɛ4+ /IA- (55.56% [95%C.I.=36.81-74.30], χ2 =4.60, p=0.032). CONCLUSIONS IAs interact with age and APOE ɛ4 increasing the risk of progression to MCI in SCD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Mazzeo
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - Filippo Emiliani
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Bagnoli
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Sonia Padiglioni
- Unit Clinic of Organizations Careggi University Hospital, 50139, Florence, Italy.,Regional Referral Centre for Relational Criticalities - Tuscany Region, Italy
| | | | - Assunta Ingannato
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Giulia Giacomucci
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Juri Balestrini
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Camilla Ferrari
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Sandro Sorbi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - Benedetta Nacmias
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - Valentina Bessi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
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Vodičková A, Koren SA, Wojtovich AP. Site-specific mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegeneration. Mitochondrion 2022; 64:1-18. [PMID: 35182728 PMCID: PMC9035127 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2022.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondria are essential for neuronal survival and mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of neurodegeneration. The loss in mitochondrial energy production, oxidative stress, and changes in calcium handling are associated with neurodegenerative diseases; however, different sites and types of mitochondrial dysfunction are linked to distinct neuropathologies. Understanding the causal or correlative relationship between changes in mitochondria and neuropathology will lead to new therapeutic strategies. Here, we summarize the evidence of site-specific mitochondrial dysfunction and mitochondrial-related clinical trials for neurodegenerative diseases. We further discuss potential therapeutic approaches, such as mitochondrial transplantation, restoration of mitochondrial function, and pharmacological alleviation of mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anežka Vodičková
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Shon A Koren
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Andrew P Wojtovich
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
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46
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Devadiga SJ, Bharate SS. Recent developments in the management of Huntington's disease. Bioorg Chem 2022; 120:105642. [PMID: 35121553 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.105642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare, incurable, inheritedneurodegenerative disorder manifested by chorea, hyperkinetic, and hypokinetic movements. The FDA has approved only two drugs, viz. tetrabenazine, and deutetrabenazine, to manage the chorea associated with HD. However, several other drugs are used as an off-label to manage chorea and other symptoms such as depression, anxiety, muscle tremors, and cognitive dysfunction associated with HD. So far, there is no disease-modifying treatment available. Drug repurposing has been a primary drive to search for new anti-HD drugs. Numerous molecular targets along with a wide range of small molecules and gene therapies are currently under clinical investigation. More than 200 clinical studies are underway for HD, 75% are interventional, and 25% are observational studies. The present review discusses the small molecule clinical pipeline and molecular targets for HD. Furthermore, the biomarkers, diagnostic tests, gene therapies, behavioral and observational studies for HD were also deliberated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanaika J Devadiga
- Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM's NMIMS, V.L. Mehta Road, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai 400056, India
| | - Sonali S Bharate
- Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM's NMIMS, V.L. Mehta Road, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai 400056, India.
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Storey CL, Williams RSB, Fisher PR, Annesley SJ. Dictyostelium discoideum: A Model System for Neurological Disorders. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030463. [PMID: 35159273 PMCID: PMC8833889 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The incidence of neurological disorders is increasing due to population growth and extended life expectancy. Despite advances in the understanding of these disorders, curative strategies for treatment have not yet eventuated. In part, this is due to the complexities of the disorders and a lack of identification of their specific underlying pathologies. Dictyostelium discoideum has provided a useful, simple model to aid in unraveling the complex pathological characteristics of neurological disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses and lissencephaly. In addition, D. discoideum has proven to be an innovative model for pharmaceutical research in the neurological field. Scope of review: This review describes the contributions of D. discoideum in the field of neurological research. The continued exploration of proteins implicated in neurological disorders in D. discoideum may elucidate their pathological roles and fast-track curative therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Louise Storey
- Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, La Trobe University, Bundoora 3086, Australia; (C.L.S.); (P.R.F.)
| | - Robin Simon Brooke Williams
- Centre for Biomedical Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, UK;
| | - Paul Robert Fisher
- Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, La Trobe University, Bundoora 3086, Australia; (C.L.S.); (P.R.F.)
| | - Sarah Jane Annesley
- Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, La Trobe University, Bundoora 3086, Australia; (C.L.S.); (P.R.F.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-394-791-412
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Hypothalamic expression of huntingtin causes distinct metabolic changes in Huntington's disease mice. Mol Metab 2022; 57:101439. [PMID: 35007790 PMCID: PMC8814380 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective In Huntington's disease (HD), the disease-causing huntingtin (HTT) protein is ubiquitously expressed and causes both central and peripheral pathology. In clinical HD, a higher body mass index has been associated with slower disease progression, indicating the role of metabolic changes in disease pathogenesis. Underlying mechanisms of metabolic changes in HD remain poorly understood, but recent studies suggest the involvement of hypothalamic dysfunction. The present study aimed to investigate whether modulation of hypothalamic HTT levels would affect metabolic phenotype and disease features in HD using mouse models. Methods We used the R6/2 and BACHD mouse models that express different lengths of mutant HTT to develop lean- and obese phenotypes, respectively. We utilized adeno-associated viral vectors to overexpress either mutant or wild-type HTT in the hypothalamus of R6/2, BACHD, and their wild-type littermates. The metabolic phenotype was assessed by body weight measurements over time and body composition analysis using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at the endpoint. R6/2 mice were further characterized using behavioral analyses, including rotarod, nesting-, and hindlimb clasping tests during early- and late-time points of disease progression. Finally, gene expression analysis was performed in R6/2 mice and wild-type littermates in order to assess transcriptional changes in the hypothalamus and adipose tissue. Results Hypothalamic overexpression of mutant HTT induced significant gender-affected body weight gain in all models, including wild-type mice. In R6/2 females, early weight gain shifted to weight loss during the corresponding late stage of disease despite increased fat accumulation. Body weight changes were accompanied by behavioral alterations. During the period of early weight gain, R6/2 mice displayed a comparable locomotor capacity to wild-type mice. When assessing behavior just prior to weight loss onset in R6/2 mice, decreased locomotor performance was observed in R6/2 females with hypothalamic overexpression of mutant HTT. Transcriptional downregulation of beta-3 adrenergic receptor (B3AR), adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) in gonadal white adipose tissue was accompanied by distinct alterations in hypothalamic gene expression profiles in R6/2 females after mutant HTT overexpression. No significant effect on metabolic phenotype in R6/2 was seen in response to wild-type HTT overexpression. Conclusions Taken together, our findings provide further support for the role of HTT in metabolic control via hypothalamic neurocircuits. Understanding the specific central neurocircuits and their peripheral link underlying metabolic imbalance in HD may open up avenues for novel therapeutic interventions. Overexpression of hypothalamic huntingtin affects weight in Huntington's disease mice. Hypothalamic huntingtin expression results in gene expression changes in white fat and the hypothalamus. Hypothalamic huntingtin cannot prevent late-stage weight loss in R6/2 mice.
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Phillips GR, Saville JT, Hancock SE, Brown SHJ, Jenner AM, McLean C, Fuller M, Newell KA, Mitchell TW. The long and the short of Huntington’s disease: how the sphingolipid profile is shifted in the caudate of advanced clinical cases. Brain Commun 2021; 4:fcab303. [PMID: 35169703 PMCID: PMC8833324 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that onsets in late adulthood as progressive and terminal cognitive, psychiatric and motor deficits. The disease is genetic, triggered by a CAG repeat (polyQ) expansion mutation in the Huntingtin gene and resultant huntingtin protein. Although the mutant huntingtin protein is ubiquitously expressed, the striatum degenerates early and consistently in the disease. The polyQ mutation at the N-terminus of the huntingtin protein alters its natural interactions with neural phospholipids in vitro, suggesting that the specific lipid composition of brain regions could influence their vulnerability to interference by mutant huntingtin; however, this has not yet been demonstrated in vivo. Sphingolipids are critical cell signalling molecules, second messengers and membrane components. Despite evidence of sphingolipid disturbance in Huntington’s mouse and cell models, there is limited knowledge of how these lipids are affected in human brain tissue. Using post-mortem brain tissue from five brain regions implicated in Huntington’s disease (control n = 13, Huntington’s n = 13), this study aimed to identify where and how sphingolipid species are affected in the brain of clinically advanced Huntington’s cases. Sphingolipids were extracted from the tissue and analysed using targeted mass spectrometry analysis; proteins were analysed by western blot. The caudate, putamen and cerebellum had distinct sphingolipid changes in Huntington’s brain whilst the white and grey frontal cortex were spared. The caudate of Huntington’s patients had a shifted sphingolipid profile, favouring long (C13–C21) over very-long-chain (C22–C26) ceramides, sphingomyelins and lactosylceramides. Ceramide synthase 1, which synthesizes the long-chain sphingolipids, had a reduced expression in Huntington’s caudate, correlating positively with a younger age at death and a longer CAG repeat length of the Huntington’s patients. The expression of ceramide synthase 2, which synthesizes very-long-chain sphingolipids, was not different in Huntington’s brain. However, there was evidence of possible post-translational modifications in the Huntington’s patients only. Post-translational modifications to ceramide synthase 2 may be driving the distinctive sphingolipid profile shifts of the caudate in advanced Huntington’s disease. This shift in the sphingolipid profile is also found in the most severely affected brain regions of several other neurodegenerative conditions and may be an important feature of region-specific cell dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle R. Phillips
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
- Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Jennifer T. Saville
- Genetics and Molecular Pathology, SA Pathology at Women’s and Children’s Hospital, North Adelaide, SA 5006, Australia
| | - Sarah E. Hancock
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Simon H. J. Brown
- Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Andrew M. Jenner
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Catriona McLean
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Alfred Health and Florey Neuroscience, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Maria Fuller
- Genetics and Molecular Pathology, SA Pathology at Women’s and Children’s Hospital, North Adelaide, SA 5006, Australia
- Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Kelly A. Newell
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
- Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Todd W. Mitchell
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
- Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
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Komatsu H. Innovative Therapeutic Approaches for Huntington's Disease: From Nucleic Acids to GPCR-Targeting Small Molecules. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:785703. [PMID: 34899193 PMCID: PMC8662694 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.785703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder due to an extraordinarily expanded CAG repeat in the huntingtin gene that confers a gain-of-toxic function in the mutant protein. There is currently no effective cure that attenuates progression and severity of the disease. Since HD is an inherited monogenic disorder, lowering the mutant huntingtin (mHTT) represents a promising therapeutic strategy. Huntingtin lowering strategies mostly focus on nucleic acid approaches, such as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). While these approaches seem to be effective, the drug delivery to the brain poses a great challenge and requires direct injection into the central nervous system (CNS) that results in substantial burden for patients. This review discusses the topics on Huntingtin lowering strategies with clinical trials in patients already underway and introduce an innovative approach that has the potential to deter the disease progression through the inhibition of GPR52, a striatal-enriched class A orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that represents a promising therapeutic target for psychiatric disorders. Chemically simple, potent, and selective GPR52 antagonists have been discovered through high-throughput screening and subsequent structure-activity relationship studies. These small molecule antagonists not only diminish both soluble and aggregated mHTT in the striatum, but also ameliorate HD-like defects in HD mice. This therapeutic approach offers great promise as a novel strategy for HD therapy, while nucleic acid delivery still faces considerable challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidetoshi Komatsu
- Business Strategy, Kyowa Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan.,Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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