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Wu J, Möhle L, Brüning T, Eiriz I, Rafehi M, Stefan K, Stefan SM, Pahnke J. A Novel Huntington's Disease Assessment Platform to Support Future Drug Discovery and Development. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314763. [PMID: 36499090 PMCID: PMC9740291 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a lethal neurodegenerative disorder without efficient therapeutic options. The inefficient translation from preclinical and clinical research into clinical use is mainly attributed to the lack of (i) understanding of disease initiation, progression, and involved molecular mechanisms; (ii) knowledge of the possible HD target space and general data awareness; (iii) detailed characterizations of available disease models; (iv) better suitable models; and (v) reliable and sensitive biomarkers. To generate robust HD-like symptoms in a mouse model, the neomycin resistance cassette was excised from zQ175 mice, generating a new line: zQ175Δneo. We entirely describe the dynamics of behavioral, neuropathological, and immunohistological changes from 15-57 weeks of age. Specifically, zQ175Δneo mice showed early astrogliosis from 15 weeks; growth retardation, body weight loss, and anxiety-like behaviors from 29 weeks; motor deficits and reduced muscular strength from 36 weeks; and finally slight microgliosis at 57 weeks of age. Additionally, we collected the entire bioactivity network of small-molecule HD modulators in a multitarget dataset (HD_MDS). Hereby, we uncovered 358 unique compounds addressing over 80 different pharmacological targets and pathways. Our data will support future drug discovery approaches and may serve as useful assessment platform for drug discovery and development against HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyun Wu
- Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway; www.pahnkelab.eu
| | - Luisa Möhle
- Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway; www.pahnkelab.eu
| | - Thomas Brüning
- Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway; www.pahnkelab.eu
| | - Iván Eiriz
- Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway; www.pahnkelab.eu
| | - Muhammad Rafehi
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Katja Stefan
- Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway; www.pahnkelab.eu
| | - Sven Marcel Stefan
- Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway; www.pahnkelab.eu
- Pahnke Lab (Drug Development and Chemical Biology), Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology (LIED), University of Lübeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
- Correspondence: (J.P.); (S.M.S.); Tel.: +47-23-071-466 (J.P.)
| | - Jens Pahnke
- Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway; www.pahnkelab.eu
- Pahnke Lab (Drug Development and Chemical Biology), Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology (LIED), University of Lübeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Latvia, Jelgavas iela 4, 1004 Rīga, Latvia
- Department of Neurobiology, The Georg S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Correspondence: (J.P.); (S.M.S.); Tel.: +47-23-071-466 (J.P.)
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2
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Wang C, Zheng C. Using Caenorhabditis elegans to Model Therapeutic Interventions of Neurodegenerative Diseases Targeting Microbe-Host Interactions. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:875349. [PMID: 35571084 PMCID: PMC9096141 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.875349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence from both clinical studies and animal models indicates the importance of the interaction between the gut microbiome and the brain in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Although how microbes modulate neurodegeneration is still mostly unclear, recent studies have started to probe into the mechanisms for the communication between microbes and hosts in NDs. In this review, we highlight the advantages of using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) to disentangle the microbe-host interaction that regulates neurodegeneration. We summarize the microbial pro- and anti-neurodegenerative factors identified using the C. elegans ND models and the effects of many are confirmed in mouse models. Specifically, we focused on the role of bacterial amyloid proteins, such as curli, in promoting proteotoxicity and neurodegeneration by cross-seeding the aggregation of endogenous ND-related proteins, such as α-synuclein. Targeting bacterial amyloid production may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy for treating NDs, and several compounds, such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), were shown to suppress neurodegeneration at least partly by inhibiting curli production. Because bacterial amyloid fibrils contribute to biofilm formation, inhibition of amyloid production often leads to the disruption of biofilms. Interestingly, from a list of 59 compounds that showed neuroprotective effects in C. elegans and mouse ND models, we found that about half of them are known to inhibit bacterial growth or biofilm formation, suggesting a strong correlation between the neuroprotective and antibiofilm activities. Whether these potential therapeutics indeed protect neurons from proteotoxicity by inhibiting the cross-seeding between bacterial and human amyloid proteins awaits further investigations. Finally, we propose to screen the long list of antibiofilm agents, both FDA-approved drugs and novel compounds, for their neuroprotective effects and develop new pharmaceuticals that target the gut microbiome for the treatment of NDs. To this end, the C. elegans ND models can serve as a platform for fast, high-throughput, and low-cost drug screens that target the microbe-host interaction in NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chaogu Zheng
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Genetic Screen in Adult Drosophila Reveals That dCBP Depletion in Glial Cells Mitigates Huntington Disease Pathology through a Foxo-Dependent Pathway. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22083884. [PMID: 33918672 PMCID: PMC8069648 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22083884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive and fatal autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the first exon of the huntingtin gene (HTT). In spite of considerable efforts, there is currently no treatment to stop or delay the disease. Although HTT is expressed ubiquitously, most of our knowledge has been obtained on neurons. More recently, the impact of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) on other cell types, including glial cells, has received growing interest. It is currently unclear whether new pathological pathways could be identified in these cells compared to neurons. To address this question, we performed an in vivo screen for modifiers of mutant huntingtin (HTT-548-128Q) induced pathology in Drosophila adult glial cells and identified several putative therapeutic targets. Among them, we discovered that partial nej/dCBP depletion in these cells was protective, as revealed by strongly increased lifespan and restored locomotor activity. Thus, dCBP promotes the HD pathology in glial cells, in contrast to previous opposite findings in neurons. Further investigations implicated the transcriptional activator Foxo as a critical downstream player in this glial protective pathway. Our data suggest that combinatorial approaches combined to specific tissue targeting may be required to uncover efficient therapies in HD.
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4
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Guo X, Yuan J, Song X, Wang X, Sun Q, Tian J, Li X, Ding M, Liu Y. Bacteria metabolites from Peganum harmala L. polysaccharides inhibits polyQ aggregation through proteasome-mediated protein degradation in C. elegans. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 161:681-691. [PMID: 32544588 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.06.091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a relentlessly progressive neurodegenerative disease featured by the over-expanded polyglutamine (polyQ)-induced protein aggregation. Using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a model system, we show that water soluble polysaccharide extracted from the herb Peganum harmala L. (PS1) not only reduces polyQ aggregation but also alleviates the associated neurotoxicity. Genetic and pharmacologic analysis suggested that PS1 treatment acts though proteasome-mediated protein degradation pathway to inhibit polyQ aggregation. Notably, the efficacy of PS1 is aroused specifically by co-incubation with live Escherichia coli OP50, which is the sole food source for worms. Further UPLC-Q-TOF/MS analysis determined the bioactivity of polyQ inhibition, which is composed of several oligosaccharides, including stachyoses, verbascoses, trisaccharides and tetrasaccharides composed of galacturonic acids. Together, our study revealed a potential drug target for further HD treatment and pinpointed the possibility that the secreted metabolites produced from bacteria treated with various compounds may provide direct beneficial effect to human bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Guo
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Jiang Yuan
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Xingzhuo Song
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Xirui Wang
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Qianqian Sun
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Jingyun Tian
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Xia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Mei Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Yonggang Liu
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China.
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Perks KL, Ferreira N, Ermer JA, Rudler DL, Richman TR, Rossetti G, Matthews VB, Ward NC, Rackham O, Filipovska A. Reduced mitochondrial translation prevents diet-induced metabolic dysfunction but not inflammation. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:19677-19700. [PMID: 33024056 PMCID: PMC7732297 DOI: 10.18632/aging.104010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The contribution of dysregulated mitochondrial gene expression and consequent imbalance in biogenesis is not well understood in metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and obesity. The ribosomal RNA maturation protein PTCD1 is essential for mitochondrial protein synthesis and its reduction causes adult-onset obesity and liver steatosis. We used haploinsufficient Ptcd1 mice fed normal or high fat diets to understand how changes in mitochondrial biogenesis can lead to metabolic dysfunction. We show that Akt-stimulated reduction in lipid content and upregulation of mitochondrial biogenesis effectively protected mice with reduced mitochondrial protein synthesis from excessive weight gain on a high fat diet, resulting in improved glucose and insulin tolerance and reduced lipid accumulation in the liver. However, inflammation of the white adipose tissue and early signs of fibrosis in skeletal muscle, as a consequence of reduced protein synthesis, were exacerbated with the high fat diet. We identify that reduced mitochondrial protein synthesis and OXPHOS biogenesis can be recovered in a tissue-specific manner via Akt-mediated increase in insulin sensitivity and transcriptional activation of the mitochondrial stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara L. Perks
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia,School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nicola Ferreira
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Judith A. Ermer
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Danielle L. Rudler
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Tara R. Richman
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Giulia Rossetti
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Vance B. Matthews
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Natalie C. Ward
- Medical School, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia,School of Public Health and Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Oliver Rackham
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia,School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia,Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Aleksandra Filipovska
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia,School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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6
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Van Pelt KM, Truttmann MC. Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system for studying aging-associated neurodegenerative diseases. TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE OF AGING 2020; 4:60-72. [PMID: 34327290 PMCID: PMC8317484 DOI: 10.1016/j.tma.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a heterogeneous group of aging-associated disorders characterized by the disruption of cellular proteostasis machinery and the misfolding of distinct protein species to form toxic aggregates in neurons. The increasing prevalence of NDs represents a growing healthcare burden worldwide, a concern compounded by the fact that few, if any, treatments exist to target the underlying cause of these diseases. Consequently, the application of a high-throughput, physiologically relevant model system to studies dissecting the molecular mechanisms governing ND pathology is crucial for identifying novel avenues for the development of targeted therapeutics. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has emerged as a powerful tool for the study of disease mechanisms due to its ease of genetic manipulation and swift cultivation, while providing a whole-animal system amendable to numerous molecular and biochemical techniques. To date, numerous C. elegans models have been generated for a variety of NDs, allowing for the large-scale in vivo study of protein-conformation disorders. Furthermore, the comparatively low barriers to entry in the development of transgenic worm models have facilitated the modeling of rare or "orphan" NDs, thereby providing unparalleled insight into the shared mechanisms underlying these pathologies. In this review, we summarize findings from a comprehensive collection of C. elegans neurodegenerative disease models of varying prevalence to emphasize shared mechanisms of proteotoxicity, and highlight the utility of these models in elucidating the molecular basis of ND pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M. Van Pelt
- Cellular & Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Matthias C. Truttmann
- Cellular & Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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7
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Tang BL. Glucose, glycolysis, and neurodegenerative diseases. J Cell Physiol 2020; 235:7653-7662. [PMID: 32239718 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Prolonged survival of a typical postmitotic neuron hinges on a balance between multiple processes, among these are a sustenance of ATP production and protection against reactive oxygen species. In neuropathological conditions, mitochondrial defects often lead to both a drop in ATP levels, as well as increase reactive oxygen species production from inefficient electron transport processes and NADPH-oxidases activities. The former often resulted in the phenomenon of compensatory aerobic glycolysis. The latter stretches the capacity of the cell's redox buffering capacity, and may lead to damages of key enzymes involved in energy metabolism. Several recent reports have indicated that enhancing glucose availability and uptake, as well as increasing glycolytic flux via pharmacological or genetic manipulation of glycolytic enzymes, could be protective in animal models of several major neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Activation of canonical Wnt signaling, which improves disease symptoms in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease also appears to work via an elevation of glycolytic enzymes and enhance glucose metabolism. Here, I discuss these findings and the possible underlying mechanisms of how an increase in glucose uptake and glycolysis could be neuroprotective. Increased glycolytic production of ATP would help alleviate energy deficiency, and ATP's hydrotropic effect may enhance solubility and clearance of toxic aggregates prevalent in many neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, channeling of glucose into the Pentose Phosphate Pathway would increase the redox buffering capacity of the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bor Luen Tang
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,NUS Graduate School of Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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8
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Jen WP, Chen HM, Lin YS, Chern Y, Lee YC. Twist1 Plays an Anti-apoptotic Role in Mutant Huntingtin Expression Striatal Progenitor Cells. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 57:1688-1703. [PMID: 31813126 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-01836-x] [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: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The Twist basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor 1 (Twist1) has been implicated in embryogenesis and carcinogenesis, due to its effects on cell proliferation and anti-apoptosis signaling. Interestingly, a connection between Twist1 and neurotoxicity was recently made in mutant huntingtin (mHtt)-expressing primary cortical neurons; however, the role of Twist1 in Huntington's disease (HD)-affected striatal neurons remains undescribed. In this study, we evaluated the expression and function of Twist1 in the R6/2 HD mouse model, which expresses the polyQ-expanded N-terminal portion of human HTT protein, and a pair of striatal progenitor cell lines (STHdhQ109 and STHdhQ7), which express polyQ-expanded or non-expanded full-length mouse Htt. We further probed upstream signaling events and Twist1 anti-apoptotic function in the striatal progenitor cell lines. Twist1 was increased in mHtt-expressing striatal progenitor cells (STHdhQ109) and was correlated with disease progression in striatum and cortex brain regions of R6/2 mice. In the cell model, downregulation of Twist1 induced death of STHdhQ109 cells but had no effect on wild-type striatal progenitor cells (STHdhQ7). Twist1 knockdown stimulated caspase-3 activation and apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were increased in HD striatal progenitor cells and acted as an upstream regulator of Twist1. As such, inhibition of STAT3 induced apoptosis in HD striatal progenitor cells. Our results suggest that mHtt upregulates STAT3 to induce Twist1 expression. Upregulated Twist1 inhibits apoptosis, which may protect striatal cells from death during disease progression. Thus, we propose that Twist1 might play a protective role against striatal degeneration in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Ping Jen
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, 11490, Taiwan.,Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Mei Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yow-Sien Lin
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yijuang Chern
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, 11490, Taiwan.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ching Lee
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, 11490, Taiwan. .,Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.
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9
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Oliveira-Giacomelli Á, Naaldijk Y, Sardá-Arroyo L, Gonçalves MCB, Corrêa-Velloso J, Pillat MM, de Souza HDN, Ulrich H. Purinergic Receptors in Neurological Diseases With Motor Symptoms: Targets for Therapy. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:325. [PMID: 29692728 PMCID: PMC5902708 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Since proving adenosine triphosphate (ATP) functions as a neurotransmitter in neuron/glia interactions, the purinergic system has been more intensely studied within the scope of the central nervous system. In neurological disorders with associated motor symptoms, including Parkinson's disease (PD), motor neuron diseases (MND), multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington's Disease (HD), restless leg syndrome (RLS), and ataxias, alterations in purinergic receptor expression and activity have been noted, indicating a potential role for this system in disease etiology and progression. In neurodegenerative conditions, neural cell death provokes extensive ATP release and alters calcium signaling through purinergic receptor modulation. Consequently, neuroinflammatory responses, excitotoxicity and apoptosis are directly or indirectly induced. This review analyzes currently available data, which suggests involvement of the purinergic system in neuro-associated motor dysfunctions and underlying mechanisms. Possible targets for pharmacological interventions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yahaira Naaldijk
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Laura Sardá-Arroyo
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria C. B. Gonçalves
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Medical School, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Corrêa-Velloso
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Micheli M. Pillat
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Héllio D. N. de Souza
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Henning Ulrich
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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10
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Necroptosis in neurodegenerative diseases: a potential therapeutic target. Cell Death Dis 2017; 8:e2905. [PMID: 28661482 PMCID: PMC5520937 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2017.286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 05/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of chronic progressive disorders characterized by neuronal loss. Necroptosis, a recently discovered form of programmed cell death, is a cell death mechanism that has necrosis-like morphological characteristics. Necroptosis activation relies on the receptor-interacting protein (RIP) homology interaction motif (RHIM). A variety of RHIM-containing proteins transduce necroptotic signals from the cell trigger to the cell death mediators RIP3 and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL). RIP1 plays a particularly important and complex role in necroptotic cell death regulation ranging from cell death activation to inhibition, and these functions are often cell type and context dependent. Increasing evidence suggests that necroptosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, small molecules such as necrostatin-1 are thought inhibit necroptotic signaling pathway. Understanding the precise mechanisms underlying necroptosis and its interactions with other cell death pathways in neurodegenerative diseases could provide significant therapeutic insights. The present review is aimed at summarizing the molecular mechanisms of necroptosis and highlighting the emerging evidence on necroptosis as a major driver of neuron cell death in neurodegenerative diseases.
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11
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Sun J, Nan G. The extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 pathway in neurological diseases: A potential therapeutic target (Review). Int J Mol Med 2017; 39:1338-1346. [PMID: 28440493 PMCID: PMC5428947 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2017.2962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Signaling pathways are critical modulators of a variety of physiological and pathological processes, and the abnormal activation of some signaling pathways can contribute to disease progression in various conditions. As a result, signaling pathways have emerged as an important tool through which the occurrence and development of diseases can be studied, which may then lead to the development of novel drugs. Accumulating evidence supports a key role for extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling in the embryonic development of the central nervous system (CNS) and in the regulation of adult brain function. ERK1/2, one of the most well characterized members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family, regulates a range of processes, from metabolism, motility and inflammation, to cell death and survival. In the nervous system, ERK1/2 regulates synaptic plasticity, brain development and repair as well as memory formation. ERK1/2 is also a potent effector of neuronal death and neuroinflammation in many CNS diseases. This review summarizes recent findings in neurobiological ERK1/2 research, with a special emphasis on findings that clarify our understanding of the processes that regulate the plethora of isoform-specific ERK functions under physiological and pathological conditions. Finally, we suggest some potential therapeutic strategies associated with agents acting on the ERK1/2 signaling to prevent or treat neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Sun
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130000, P.R. China
| | - Guangxian Nan
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130000, P.R. China
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12
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Quinti L, Casale M, Moniot S, Pais TF, Van Kanegan MJ, Kaltenbach LS, Pallos J, Lim RG, Naidu SD, Runne H, Meisel L, Rauf NA, Leyfer D, Maxwell MM, Saiah E, Landers JE, Luthi-Carter R, Abagyan R, Dinkova-Kostova AT, Steegborn C, Marsh JL, Lo DC, Thompson LM, Kazantsev AG. SIRT2- and NRF2-Targeting Thiazole-Containing Compound with Therapeutic Activity in Huntington's Disease Models. Cell Chem Biol 2016; 23:849-861. [PMID: 27427231 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2016.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There are currently no disease-modifying therapies for the neurodegenerative disorder Huntington's disease (HD). This study identified novel thiazole-containing inhibitors of the deacetylase sirtuin-2 (SIRT2) with neuroprotective activity in ex vivo brain slice and Drosophila models of HD. A systems biology approach revealed an additional SIRT2-independent property of the lead-compound, MIND4, as an inducer of cytoprotective NRF2 (nuclear factor-erythroid 2 p45-derived factor 2) activity. Structure-activity relationship studies further identified a potent NRF2 activator (MIND4-17) lacking SIRT2 inhibitory activity. MIND compounds induced NRF2 activation responses in neuronal and non-neuronal cells and reduced production of reactive oxygen species and nitrogen intermediates. These drug-like thiazole-containing compounds represent an exciting opportunity for development of multi-targeted agents with potentially synergistic therapeutic benefits in HD and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Quinti
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Malcolm Casale
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Sébastien Moniot
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Teresa F Pais
- Cell and Molecular Neuroscience Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Avenida Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Michael J Van Kanegan
- Department of Neurobiology, Center for Drug Discovery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Linda S Kaltenbach
- Department of Neurobiology, Center for Drug Discovery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Judit Pallos
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Ryan G Lim
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Sharadha Dayalan Naidu
- Division of Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
| | - Heike Runne
- Functional Neurogenomics, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lisa Meisel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Nazifa Abdul Rauf
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Dmitriy Leyfer
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Michele M Maxwell
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Eddine Saiah
- BioTherapeutics Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry, 200 Cambridge Park Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA
| | - John E Landers
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Ruth Luthi-Carter
- Functional Neurogenomics, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ruben Abagyan
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093-0747, USA
| | - Albena T Dinkova-Kostova
- Division of Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK; Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Clemens Steegborn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - J Lawrence Marsh
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Donald C Lo
- Department of Neurobiology, Center for Drug Discovery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Aleksey G Kazantsev
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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Sarantos MR, Papanikolaou T, Ellerby LM, Hughes RE. Pizotifen Activates ERK and Provides Neuroprotection in vitro and in vivo in Models of Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2016; 1:195-210. [PMID: 23393546 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-120033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative condition characterized by dysfunction in striatal and cortical neurons. There are currently no approved drugs known to slow the progression of HD. OBJECTIVE To facilitate the development of therapies for HD, we identified approved drugs that can ameliorate mutant huntingtin-induced toxicity in experimental models of HD. METHODS A chemical screen was performed in a mouse Hdh(Q111/Q111) striatal cell model of HD. This screen identified a set of structurally related approved drugs (pizotifen, cyproheptadine, and loxapine) that rescued cell death in this model. Pizotifen was subsequently evaluated in the R6/2 HD mouse model. RESULTS We found that in striatal Hdh(Q111/Q111) cells, pizotifen treatment caused transient ERK activation and inhibition of ERK activation prevented rescue of cell death in this model. In the R6/2 HD mouse model, treatment with pizotifen activated ERK in the striatum, reduced neurodegeneration and significantly enhanced motor performance. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that pizotifen and related approved drugs may provide a basis for developing disease modifying therapeutic interventions for HD.
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Chen X, Barclay JW, Burgoyne RD, Morgan A. Using C. elegans to discover therapeutic compounds for ageing-associated neurodegenerative diseases. Chem Cent J 2015; 9:65. [PMID: 26617668 PMCID: PMC4661952 DOI: 10.1186/s13065-015-0143-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-associated neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease are a major public health challenge, due to the demographic increase in the proportion of older individuals in society. However, the relatively few currently approved drugs for these conditions provide only symptomatic relief. A major goal of neurodegeneration research is therefore to identify potential new therapeutic compounds that can slow or even reverse disease progression, either by impacting directly on the neurodegenerative process or by activating endogenous physiological neuroprotective mechanisms that decline with ageing. This requires model systems that can recapitulate key features of human neurodegenerative diseases that are also amenable to compound screening approaches. Mammalian models are very powerful, but are prohibitively expensive for high-throughput drug screens. Given the highly conserved neurological pathways between mammals and invertebrates, Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a powerful tool for neuroprotective compound screening. Here we describe how C. elegans has been used to model various human ageing-associated neurodegenerative diseases and provide an extensive list of compounds that have therapeutic activity in these worm models and so may have translational potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 3BX UK ; Centre for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, 333 Bostwick Avenue NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, MI 49503 USA
| | - Jeff W Barclay
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 3BX UK
| | - Robert D Burgoyne
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 3BX UK
| | - Alan Morgan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 3BX UK
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15
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Rosiglitazone activation of PPARγ-dependent signaling is neuroprotective in mutant huntingtin expressing cells. Exp Cell Res 2015; 338:183-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2015.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2015] [Revised: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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16
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Smalley JL, Breda C, Mason RP, Kooner G, Luthi-Carter R, Gant TW, Giorgini F. Connectivity mapping uncovers small molecules that modulate neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease models. J Mol Med (Berl) 2015; 94:235-45. [PMID: 26428929 PMCID: PMC4762922 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-015-1344-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic disease caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion encoding a polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin (HTT) protein, ultimately leading to neuronal loss and consequent cognitive decline and death. As no treatments for HD currently exist, several chemical screens have been performed using cell-based models of mutant HTT toxicity. These screens measured single disease-related endpoints, such as cell death, but had low 'hit rates' and limited dimensionality for therapeutic detection. Here, we have employed gene expression microarray analysis of HD samples--a snapshot of the expression of 25,000 genes--to define a gene expression signature for HD from publically available data. We used this information to mine a database for chemicals positively and negatively correlated to the HD gene expression signature using the Connectivity Map, a tool for comparing large sets of gene expression patterns. Chemicals with negatively correlated expression profiles were highly enriched for protective characteristics against mutant HTT fragment toxicity in in vitro and in vivo models. This study demonstrates the potential of using gene expression to mine chemical activity, guide chemical screening, and detect potential novel therapeutic compounds. KEY MESSAGES Single-endpoint chemical screens have low therapeutic discovery hit-rates. In the context of HD, we guided a chemical screen using gene expression data. The resulting chemicals were highly enriched for suppressors of mutant HTT fragment toxicity. This study provides a proof of concept for wider usage in all chemical screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua L Smalley
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK.,MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7HB, UK
| | - Carlo Breda
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Robert P Mason
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Gurdeep Kooner
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Ruth Luthi-Carter
- Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Timothy W Gant
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7HB, UK.,Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Flaviano Giorgini
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK.
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17
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Besson MT, Alegría K, Garrido-Gerter P, Barros LF, Liévens JC. Enhanced neuronal glucose transporter expression reveals metabolic choice in a HD Drosophila model. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118765. [PMID: 25761110 PMCID: PMC4356621 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by toxic insertions of polyglutamine residues in the Huntingtin protein and characterized by progressive deterioration of cognitive and motor functions. Altered brain glucose metabolism has long been suggested and a possible link has been proposed in HD. However, the precise function of glucose transporters was not yet determined. Here, we report the effects of the specifically-neuronal human glucose transporter expression in neurons of a Drosophila model carrying the exon 1 of the human huntingtin gene with 93 glutamine repeats (HQ93). We demonstrated that overexpression of the human glucose transporter in neurons ameliorated significantly the status of HD flies by increasing their lifespan, reducing their locomotor deficits and rescuing eye neurodegeneration. Then, we investigated whether increasing the major pathways of glucose catabolism, glycolysis and pentose-phosphate pathway (PPP) impacts HD. To mimic increased glycolytic flux, we overexpressed phosphofructokinase (PFK) which catalyzes an irreversible step in glycolysis. Overexpression of PFK did not affect HQ93 fly survival, but protected from photoreceptor loss. Overexpression of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), the key enzyme of the PPP, extended significantly the lifespan of HD flies and rescued eye neurodegeneration. Since G6PD is able to synthesize NADPH involved in cell survival by maintenance of the redox state, we showed that tolerance to experimental oxidative stress was enhanced in flies co-expressing HQ93 and G6PD. Additionally overexpressions of hGluT3, G6PD or PFK were able to circumvent mitochondrial deficits induced by specific silencing of genes necessary for mitochondrial homeostasis. Our study confirms the involvement of bioenergetic deficits in HD course; they can be rescued by specific expression of a glucose transporter in neurons. Finally, the PPP and, to a lesser extent, the glycolysis seem to mediate the hGluT3 protective effects, whereas, in addition, the PPP provides increased protection to oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Thérèse Besson
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, CRN2M-UMR7286, 13344 Marseille cedex 15, Marseille, France
| | - Karin Alegría
- Centro de Estudios Científicos, Arturo Prat 514, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Pamela Garrido-Gerter
- Centro de Estudios Científicos, Arturo Prat 514, Valdivia, Chile; Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | | | - Jean-Charles Liévens
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, CRN2M-UMR7286, 13344 Marseille cedex 15, Marseille, France
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18
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Li-Byarlay H, Rittschof CC, Massey JH, Pittendrigh BR, Robinson GE. Socially responsive effects of brain oxidative metabolism on aggression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:12533-7. [PMID: 25092297 PMCID: PMC4151721 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1412306111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite ongoing high energetic demands, brains do not always use glucose and oxygen in a ratio that produces maximal ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. In some cases glucose consumption exceeds oxygen use despite adequate oxygen availability, a phenomenon known as aerobic glycolysis. Although metabolic plasticity seems essential for normal cognition, studying its functional significance has been challenging because few experimental systems link brain metabolic patterns to distinct behavioral states. Our recent transcriptomic analysis established a correlation between aggression and decreased whole-brain oxidative phosphorylation activity in the honey bee (Apis mellifera), suggesting that brain metabolic plasticity may modulate this naturally occurring behavior. Here we demonstrate that the relationship between brain metabolism and aggression is causal, conserved over evolutionary time, cell type-specific, and modulated by the social environment. Pharmacologically treating honey bees to inhibit complexes I or V in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway resulted in increased aggression. In addition, transgenic RNAi lines and genetic manipulation to knock down gene expression in complex I in fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) neurons resulted in increased aggression, but knockdown in glia had no effect. Finally, honey bee colony-level social manipulations that decrease individual aggression attenuated the effects of oxidative phosphorylation inhibition on aggression, demonstrating a specific effect of the social environment on brain function. Because decreased neuronal oxidative phosphorylation is usually associated with brain disease, these findings provide a powerful context for understanding brain metabolic plasticity and naturally occurring behavioral plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Li-Byarlay
- Department of Entomology, Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607
| | - Clare C Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, Institute for Genomic Biology, and Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801; and
| | | | | | - Gene E Robinson
- Department of Entomology, Institute for Genomic Biology, and Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801; and
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Ethyl pyruvate ameliorates 3-nitropropionic acid-induced striatal toxicity through anti-neuronal cell death and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Brain Behav Immun 2014; 38:151-65. [PMID: 24576481 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2014.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Revised: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential neuroprotective value of ethyl pyruvate (EP) for the treatment of the striatal toxicity is largely unknown. We investigated whether EP promotes the survival of striatal neurons in a 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP)-induced mouse model of Huntington's disease (HD). EP (5, 10, 20, and 40mg/kg/day, i.p.) was daily injected from 30min before 3-NP intoxication (pretreatment) and from onset/progression/peak point of neurological impairment by 3-NP intoxication. EP produced a neuroprotective effect in dose- and time-dependant manners. EP pretreatment of 40mg/kg/day produced the best neuroprotective effect among other conditions. Pretreatment of EP significantly attenuated neurological impairment and lethality and prevented formation of lesion area and neuronal loss in the striatum after 3-NP intoxication. This neuroprotection afforded by EP was associated with the suppression of succinate dehydrogenase activity, apoptosis, and microglial activation. The suppressive effect of EP corresponded to the down-regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signal pathways, and mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators including tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 in the striatum after 3-NP intoxication. Interestingly, the intrathecal introduction of inhibitors MAPKs and NF-κB into control mice decreased the lethality after 3-NP intoxication. Our findings indicate that EP may effectively alleviate 3-NP-induced striatal toxicity by inhibition of the MAPKs and NF-κB pathways in the striatum, and that EP has a wide therapeutic window, suggesting that EP may have therapeutic value in the treatment of aspects of HD's disease related to inflammation.
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20
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Role of P2X7 purinoceptors in neuroprotective mechanism of ischemic postconditioning in mice. Mol Cell Biochem 2014; 390:161-73. [DOI: 10.1007/s11010-014-1967-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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21
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MAP kinase phosphatase 1 (MKP-1/DUSP1) is neuroprotective in Huntington's disease via additive effects of JNK and p38 inhibition. J Neurosci 2013; 33:2313-25. [PMID: 23392662 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4965-11.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that sodium butyrate is neuroprotective in Huntington's disease (HD) mice and that this therapeutic effect is associated with increased expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase/dual-specificity phosphatase 1 (MKP-1/DUSP1). Here we show that enhancing MKP-1 expression is sufficient to achieve neuroprotection in lentiviral models of HD. Wild-type MKP-1 overexpression inhibited apoptosis in primary striatal neurons exposed to an N-terminal fragment of polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin (Htt171-82Q), blocking caspase-3 activation and significantly reducing neuronal cell death. This neuroprotective effect of MKP-1 was demonstrated to be dependent on its enzymatic activity, being ablated by mutation of its phosphatase domain and being attributed to inhibition of specific MAP kinases (MAPKs). Overexpression of MKP-1 prevented the polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin-induced activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) and p38 MAPKs, whereas extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 activation was not altered by either polyglutamine-expanded Htt or MKP-1. Moreover, mutants of MKP-1 that selectively prevented p38 or JNK binding confirmed the important dual contributions of p38 and JNK regulation to MKP-1-mediated neuroprotection. These results demonstrate additive effects of p38 and JNK MAPK inhibition by MKP-1 without consequence to ERK activation in this striatal neuron-based paradigm. MKP-1 also provided neuroprotection in vivo in a lentiviral model of HD neuropathology in rat striatum. Together, these data extend previous evidence that JNK- and p38-mediated pathways contribute to HD pathogenesis and, importantly, show that therapies simultaneously inhibiting both JNK and p38 signaling pathways may lead to improved neuroprotective outcomes.
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22
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Jaiswal M, Sandoval H, Zhang K, Bayat V, Bellen HJ. Probing mechanisms that underlie human neurodegenerative diseases in Drosophila. Annu Rev Genet 2012; 46:371-96. [PMID: 22974305 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-110711-155456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is an excellent organism for the study of the genetic and molecular basis of metazoan development. Drosophila provides numerous tools and reagents to unravel the molecular and cellular functions of genes that cause human disease, and the past decade has witnessed a significant expansion of the study of neurodegenerative disease mechanisms in flies. Here we review the interplay between oxidative stress and neuronal toxicity. We cover some of the studies that show how proteasome degradation of protein aggregates, autophagy, mitophagy, and lysosomal function affect the quality control mechanisms required for neuronal survival. We discuss how forward genetic screens in flies have led to the isolation of a few loci that cause neurodegeneration, paving the way for large-scale systematic screens to identify such loci in flies as well as promoting gene discovery in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Jaiswal
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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23
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Synthesis of deguelin–biotin conjugates and investigation into deguelin’s interactions. Bioorg Med Chem 2012; 20:672-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2011.09.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Revised: 09/19/2011] [Accepted: 09/30/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Inhibition of polyglutamine-mediated proteotoxicity by Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharide through the DAF-16/FOXO transcription factor in Caenorhabditis elegans. Biochem J 2011; 441:417-24. [DOI: 10.1042/bj20110621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Late-onset neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by progressive accumulation of aggregation-prone proteins and global disruption of the proteostasis network, e.g. abnormal polyQ (polyglutamine) aggregation in Huntington's disease. Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharide (astragalan) has recently been shown to modulate aging and proteotoxic stress pathways. Using Caenorhabditis elegans models, we now show that astragalan not only reduces polyQ aggregation, but also alleviates the associated neurotoxicity. We also reveal that astragalan can extend the adult lifespan of wild-type and polyQ nematodes, indicating a connection of its anti-aging benefit with the toxicity-suppressing effect. Further examination demonstrates that astragalan can extend the lifespan of daf-2 and age-1, but not daf-16, mutant nematodes of the insulin-like aging and stress pathway, suggesting a lifespan-regulation signalling independent of DAF (abnormal dauer formation)-2/IGF-1R (insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor), but dependent on the DAF-16/FOXO (forkhead box O) transcription factor, a pivotal integrator of divergent signalling pathways related to both lifespan regulation and stress resistance. We also show that a subset of DAF-16 downstream genes are regulated by astragalan, including the DAF-16 transcriptional target gene scl-20, which is itself constitutively up-regulated in transgenic polyQ nematodes. These findings, together with our previous work on LEA (late embryogenesis abundant) proteins and trehalose, provide a revealing insight into the potential of stress and lifespan regulators in the prevention of proteotoxic disorders.
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25
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Bodai L, Marsh JL. A novel target for Huntington's disease: ERK at the crossroads of signaling. Bioessays 2011; 34:142-8. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201100116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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26
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Zhu S, Zhang Y, Bai G, Li H. Necrostatin-1 ameliorates symptoms in R6/2 transgenic mouse model of Huntington's disease. Cell Death Dis 2011; 2:e115. [PMID: 21359116 PMCID: PMC3043604 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2010.94] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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27
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Dallérac GM, Vatsavayai SC, Cummings DM, Milnerwood AJ, Peddie CJ, Evans KA, Walters SW, Rezaie P, Hirst MC, Murphy KPSJ. Impaired long-term potentiation in the prefrontal cortex of Huntington's disease mouse models: rescue by D1 dopamine receptor activation. NEURODEGENER DIS 2011; 8:230-9. [PMID: 21282937 DOI: 10.1159/000322540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2010] [Accepted: 11/04/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The introduction of gene testing for Huntington's disease (HD) has enabled the neuropsychiatric and cognitive profiling of human gene carriers prior to the onset of overt motor and cognitive symptoms. Such studies reveal an early decline in working memory and executive function, altered EEG and a loss of striatal dopamine receptors. Working memory is processed in the prefrontal cortex and modulated by extrinsic dopaminergic inputs. OBJECTIVE We sought to study excitatory synaptic function and plasticity in the medial prefrontal cortex of mouse models of HD. METHODS We have used 2 mouse models of HD, carrying 89 and 116 CAG repeats (corresponding to a preclinical and symptomatic state, respectively) and performed electrophysiological field recording in coronal slices of the medial prefrontal cortex. RESULTS We report that short-term synaptic plasticity and long-term potentiation (LTP) are impaired and that the severity of impairment is correlated with the size of the CAG repeat. Remarkably, the deficits in LTP and short-term plasticity are reversed in the presence of a D(1) dopamine receptor agonist (SKF38393). CONCLUSION In a previous study, we demonstrated that a deficit in long-term depression (LTD) in the perirhinal cortex could also be reversed by a dopamine agonist. These and our current data indicate that inadequate dopaminergic modulation of cortical synaptic function is an early event in HD and may provide a route for the alleviation of cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- G M Dallérac
- Huntington's Disease Research Forum, Department of Life Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
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28
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Hoffstrom BG, Kaplan A, Letso R, Schmid RS, Turmel GJ, Lo DC, Stockwell BR. Inhibitors of protein disulfide isomerase suppress apoptosis induced by misfolded proteins. Nat Chem Biol 2010; 6:900-6. [PMID: 21079601 PMCID: PMC3018711 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2010] [Accepted: 10/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases is accumulation of misfolded proteins within neurons, leading to cellular dysfunction and cell death. Although several mechanisms have been proposed to link protein misfolding to cellular toxicity, the connection remains enigmatic. Here, we report a cell death pathway involving protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), a protein chaperone that catalyzes isomerization, reduction and oxidation of disulfides. Through a small molecule screening approach, we discovered five structurally distinct compounds that prevent apoptosis induced by mutant huntingtin protein. Using modified Huisgen cycloaddition chemistry, we then identified PDI as the molecular target of these small molecules. Expression of polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin exon 1 in PC12 cells caused PDI to accumulate at mitochondrial-associated ER membranes and trigger apoptotic cell death via mitochondrial outer-membrane permeabilization. Inhibiting PDI in rat brain cells suppressed the toxicity of mutant huntingtin exon 1 and Aβ peptides processed from the amyloid precursor protein. This pro-apoptotic function of PDI represents a new mechanism linking protein misfolding and apoptotic cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin G Hoffstrom
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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29
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Kikis EA, Gidalevitz T, Morimoto RI. Protein homeostasis in models of aging and age-related conformational disease. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2010; 694:138-59. [PMID: 20886762 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-7002-2_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The stability of the proteome is crucial to the health of the cell, and contributes significantly to the lifespan of the organism. Aging and many age-related diseases have in common the expression of misfolded and damaged proteins. The chronic expression of damaged proteins during disease can have devastating consequences on protein homeostasis (proteostasis), resulting in disruption ofnumerous biological processes. This chapter discusses our current understanding of the various contributors to protein misfolding, and the mechanisms by which misfolding, and accompanied aggregation/toxicity, is accelerated by stress and aging. Invertebrate models have been instrumental in studying the processes related to aggregation and toxicity of disease-associated proteins and how dysregulation ofproteostasis leads to neurodegenerative diseases of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise A Kikis
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology, Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, 2205 Tech Drive, Hogan 2-100, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
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Gohil VM, Offner N, Walker JA, Sheth SA, Fossale E, Gusella JF, MacDonald ME, Neri C, Mootha VK. Meclizine is neuroprotective in models of Huntington's disease. Hum Mol Genet 2010; 20:294-300. [PMID: 20977989 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddq464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Defects in cellular energy metabolism represent an early feature in a variety of human neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies have shown that targeting energy metabolism can protect against neuronal cell death in such diseases. Here, we show that meclizine, a clinically used drug that we have recently shown to silence oxidative metabolism, suppresses apoptotic cell death in a murine cellular model of polyglutamine (polyQ) toxicity. We further show that this protective effect extends to neuronal dystrophy and cell death in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster models of polyQ toxicity. Meclizine's mechanism of action is not attributable to its anti-histaminergic or anti-muscarinic activity, but rather, strongly correlates with its ability to suppress mitochondrial respiration. Since meclizine is an approved drug that crosses the blood-brain barrier, it may hold therapeutic potential in the treatment of polyQ toxicity disorders, such as Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal M Gohil
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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31
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Maher P, Dargusch R, Bodai L, Gerard PE, Purcell JM, Marsh JL. ERK activation by the polyphenols fisetin and resveratrol provides neuroprotection in multiple models of Huntington's disease. Hum Mol Genet 2010; 20:261-70. [PMID: 20952447 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddq460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited, progressive and ultimately fatal neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by psychiatric, cognitive and motor symptoms. Among the pathways implicated in HD are those involving mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling and particularly the Ras-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) cascade. Studies in both cells and animal models suggest that ERK activation might provide a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of HD but compounds that specifically activate ERK are few. To test the hypothesis that pharmaceutical activation of ERK might be protective for HD, a polyphenol, fisetin, which was previously shown to activate the Ras-ERK cascade, was tested in three different models of HD: PC12 cells expressing mutant Httex1 under the control of an inducible promoter, Drosophila expressing mutant Httex1 and the R6/2 mouse model of HD. The results indicate that fisetin can reduce the impact of mutant huntingtin in each of these disease models. Prompted by this observation, we determined that the related polyphenol, resveratrol, also activates ERK and is protective in HD models. Notably, although more than a dozen small molecule inhibitors of ERK activation are in clinical trials, very few small molecule activators of ERK signaling are reported. Thus, fisetin, resveratrol and related compounds might be useful for the treatment of HD by virtue of their unique ability to activate ERK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Maher
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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Varma H, Yamamoto A, Sarantos MR, Hughes RE, Stockwell BR. Mutant huntingtin alters cell fate in response to microtubule depolymerization via the GEF-H1-RhoA-ERK pathway. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:37445-57. [PMID: 20858895 PMCID: PMC2988350 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.125542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular responses to drug treatment show tremendous variations. Elucidating mechanisms underlying these variations is critical for predicting therapeutic responses and developing personalized therapeutics. Using a small molecule screening approach, we discovered how a disease causing allele leads to opposing cell fates upon pharmacological perturbation. Diverse microtubule-depolymerizing agents protected mutant huntingtin-expressing cells from cell death, while being toxic to cells lacking mutant huntingtin or those expressing wild-type huntingtin. Additional neuronal cell lines and primary neurons from Huntington disease mice also showed altered survival upon microtubule depolymerization. Transcription profiling revealed that microtubule depolymerization induced the autocrine growth factor connective tissue growth factor and activated ERK survival signaling. The genotype-selective rescue was dependent upon increased RhoA protein levels in mutant huntingtin-expressing cells, because inhibition of RhoA, its downstream effector, Rho-associated kinase (ROCK), or a microtubule-associated RhoA activator, guanine nucleotide exchange factor-H1 (GEF-H1), all attenuated the rescue. Conversely, RhoA overexpression in cells lacking mutant huntingtin conferred resistance to microtubule-depolymerizer toxicity. This study elucidates a novel pathway linking microtubule stability to cell survival and provides insight into how genetic context can dramatically alter cellular responses to pharmacological interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hemant Varma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, New York 10027, USA
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Dowie MJ, Scotter EL, Molinari E, Glass M. The therapeutic potential of G-protein coupled receptors in Huntington's disease. Pharmacol Ther 2010; 128:305-23. [PMID: 20708032 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2010.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2010] [Accepted: 07/14/2010] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a late-onset autosomal dominant inherited neurodegenerative disease characterised by increased symptom severity over time and ultimately premature death. An expanded CAG repeat sequence in the huntingtin gene leads to a polyglutamine expansion in the expressed protein, resulting in complex dysfunctions including cellular excitotoxicity and transcriptional dysregulation. Symptoms include cognitive deficits, psychiatric changes and a movement disorder often referred to as Huntington's chorea, which involves characteristic involuntary dance-like writhing movements. Neuropathologically Huntington's disease is characterised by neuronal dysfunction and death in the striatum and cortex with an overall decrease in cerebral volume (Ho et al., 2001). Neuronal dysfunction begins prior to symptom presentation, and cells of particular vulnerability include the striatal medium spiny neurons. Huntington's is a devastating disease for patients and their families and there is currently no cure, or even an effective therapy for disease symptoms. G-protein coupled receptors are the most abundant receptor type in the central nervous system and are linked to complex downstream pathways, manipulation of which may have therapeutic application in many neurological diseases. This review will highlight the potential of G-protein coupled receptor drug targets as emerging therapies for Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan J Dowie
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019 Auckland, New Zealand
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Masino SA, Kawamura M, Wasser CD, Wasser CA, Pomeroy LT, Ruskin DN. Adenosine, ketogenic diet and epilepsy: the emerging therapeutic relationship between metabolism and brain activity. Curr Neuropharmacol 2010; 7:257-68. [PMID: 20190967 PMCID: PMC2769009 DOI: 10.2174/157015909789152164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2009] [Revised: 05/01/2009] [Accepted: 05/06/2009] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
For many years the neuromodulator adenosine has been recognized as an endogenous anticonvulsant molecule and termed a “retaliatory metabolite.” As the core molecule of ATP, adenosine forms a unique link between cell energy and neuronal excitability. In parallel, a ketogenic (high-fat, low-carbohydrate) diet is a metabolic therapy that influences neuronal activity significantly, and ketogenic diets have been used successfully to treat medically-refractory epilepsy, particularly in children, for decades. To date the key neural mechanisms underlying the success of dietary therapy are unclear, hindering development of analogous pharmacological solutions. Similarly, adenosine receptor–based therapies for epilepsy and myriad other disorders remain elusive. In this review we explore the physiological regulation of adenosine as an anticonvulsant strategy and suggest a critical role for adenosine in the success of ketogenic diet therapy for epilepsy. While the current focus is on the regulation of adenosine, ketogenic metabolism and epilepsy, the therapeutic implications extend to acute and chronic neurological disorders as diverse as brain injury, inflammatory and neuropathic pain, autism and hyperdopaminergic disorders. Emerging evidence for broad clinical relevance of the metabolic regulation of adenosine will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Masino
- Psychology Department, Trinity College, 300 Summit St., Hartford, CT, USA.
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Crittenden JR, Dunn DE, Merali FI, Woodman B, Yim M, Borkowska AE, Frosch MP, Bates GP, Housman DE, Lo DC, Graybiel AM. CalDAG-GEFI down-regulation in the striatum as a neuroprotective change in Huntington's disease. Hum Mol Genet 2010; 19:1756-65. [PMID: 20147317 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddq055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntingtin protein (Htt) is ubiquitously expressed, yet Huntington's disease (HD), a fatal neurologic disorder produced by expansion of an Htt polyglutamine tract, is characterized by neurodegeneration that occurs primarily in the striatum and cerebral cortex. Such discrepancies between sites of expression and pathology occur in multiple neurodegenerative disorders associated with expanded polyglutamine tracts. One possible reason is that disease-modifying factors are tissue-specific. Here, we show that the striatum-enriched protein, CalDAG-GEFI, is severely down-regulated in the striatum of mouse HD models and is down-regulated in HD individuals. In the R6/2 transgenic mouse model of HD, striatal neurons with the largest aggregates of mutant Htt have the lowest levels of CalDAG-GEFI. In a brain-slice explant model of HD, knock-down of CalDAG-GEFI expression rescues striatal neurons from pathology induced by transfection of polyglutamine-expanded Htt exon 1. These findings suggest that the striking down-regulation of CalDAG-GEFI in HD could be a protective mechanism that mitigates Htt-induced degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill R Crittenden
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, 43 Vassar Street, Building 46-6133, Cambridge, MA, USA
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P2X7 Receptor Signaling Pathway as a Therapeutic Target for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2010; 58:91-6. [DOI: 10.1007/s00005-010-0069-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2009] [Accepted: 11/12/2009] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Butterfield DA, Lange MLB. Multifunctional roles of enolase in Alzheimer's disease brain: beyond altered glucose metabolism. J Neurochem 2009; 111:915-33. [PMID: 19780894 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2009.06397.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Enolase enzymes are abundantly expressed, cytosolic carbon-oxygen lyases known for their role in glucose metabolism. Recently, enolase has been shown to possess a variety of different regulatory functions, beyond glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, associated with hypoxia, ischemia, and Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is an age-associated neurodegenerative disorder characterized pathologically by elevated oxidative stress and subsequent damage to proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, appearance of neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques, and loss of synapse and neuronal cells. It is unclear if development of a hypometabolic environment is a consequence of or contributes to AD pathology, as there is not only a significant decline in brain glucose levels in AD, but also there is an increase in proteomics identified oxidatively modified glycolytic enzymes that are rendered inactive, including enolase. Previously, our laboratory identified alpha-enolase as one the most frequently up-regulated and oxidatively modified proteins in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), early-onset AD, and AD. However, the glycolytic conversion of 2-phosphoglycerate to phosphoenolpyruvate catalyzed by enolase does not directly produce ATP or NADH; therefore it is surprising that, among all glycolytic enzymes, alpha-enolase was one of only two glycolytic enzymes consistently up-regulated from MCI to AD. These findings suggest enolase is involved with more than glucose metabolism in AD brain, but may possess other functions, normally necessary to preserve brain function. This review examines potential altered function(s) of brain enolase in MCI, early-onset AD, and AD, alterations that may contribute to the biochemical, pathological, clinical characteristics, and progression of this dementing disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Allan Butterfield
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0055, USA.
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38
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Dixon SJ, Stockwell BR. Identifying druggable disease-modifying gene products. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2009; 13:549-55. [PMID: 19740696 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2009.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2009] [Revised: 08/06/2009] [Accepted: 08/07/2009] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Many disease genes encode proteins that are difficult to target directly using small molecule drugs. Improvements in libraries based on synthetic compounds, natural products, and other types of molecules may ultimately allow some challenging proteins to be successfully targeted; however, these developments alone are unlikely to be sufficient. A complementary strategy exploits the functional interconnectivity of intracellular networks to find druggable targets lying upstream, downstream, or in parallel to a disease-causing gene, where modulation can influence the disease process indirectly. These targets can be selected using prior knowledge of disease-associated pathways or identified using phenotypic chemical and genetic screens in model organisms and cells. These approaches should facilitate the identification of effective drug targets for many genetic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott J Dixon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, 614 Fairchild Center, MC2406, 1212 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
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Yamamoto T, Horiguchi A, Ito M, Nagata H, Ichii H, Ricordi C, Miyakawa S. Quality control for clinical islet transplantation: organ procurement and preservation, the islet processing facility, isolation, and potency tests. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 16:131-6. [PMID: 19242650 DOI: 10.1007/s00534-009-0064-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2008] [Accepted: 07/15/2008] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic islet transplantation has become one of the ideal treatments for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus due to improvements in isolation techniques and immunosuppression regimens. In order to ensure the safety and rights of patients, isolated islets need to meet the criteria for regulation as both a biological product and a drug product. For the constant success of transplantation, therefore, all investigators involved in clinical islet transplantation must strive to ensure the safety, purity, and potency of islets in all the phases of clinical islet isolation and transplantation. In this review, we summarize the quality control for clinical islet isolation and transplantation, and the latest topics of pre-transplant islet assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiyuki Yamamoto
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Aichi, Japan.
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40
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Díaz-Hernández M, Díez-Zaera M, Sánchez-Nogueiro J, Gómez-Villafuertes R, Canals JM, Alberch J, Miras-Portugal MT, Lucas JJ. Altered P2X7‐receptor level and function in mouse models of Huntington's disease and therapeutic efficacy of antagonist administration. FASEB J 2009; 23:1893-906. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.08-122275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Díaz-Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”Consejo Superior de Investigaciònes CientificasUniversidad Autonóma de MadridMadridSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades NeurodegenerativasInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular IVFacultad de VeterinariaUniversidad Complutense de MadridMadridSpain
| | - María Díez-Zaera
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades NeurodegenerativasInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
| | - Jesús Sánchez-Nogueiro
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”Consejo Superior de Investigaciònes CientificasUniversidad Autonóma de MadridMadridSpain
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular IVFacultad de VeterinariaUniversidad Complutense de MadridMadridSpain
| | - Rosa Gómez-Villafuertes
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular IVFacultad de VeterinariaUniversidad Complutense de MadridMadridSpain
| | - Josep M. Canals
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades NeurodegenerativasInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
- Departament de Biologia Cellular i Anatomia PatolôgicaFacultat de MedicinaInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i SunyerUniversitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Jordi Alberch
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades NeurodegenerativasInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
- Departament de Biologia Cellular i Anatomia PatolôgicaFacultat de MedicinaInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i SunyerUniversitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - María Teresa Miras-Portugal
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular IVFacultad de VeterinariaUniversidad Complutense de MadridMadridSpain
| | - José J. Lucas
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”Consejo Superior de Investigaciònes CientificasUniversidad Autonóma de MadridMadridSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades NeurodegenerativasInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
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Roze E, Betuing S, Deyts C, Vidailhet M, Caboche J. Physiopathologie de la maladie de Huntington : état des connaissances. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2008; 164:977-94. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2008.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2007] [Revised: 01/28/2008] [Accepted: 03/26/2008] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Marsh JL, Lukacsovich T, Thompson LM. Animal models of polyglutamine diseases and therapeutic approaches. J Biol Chem 2008; 284:7431-5. [PMID: 18957429 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.r800065200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The dominant gain-of-function polyglutamine repeat diseases, in which the initiating mutation is known, allow development of models that recapitulate many aspects of human disease. To the extent that pathology is a consequence of disrupted fundamental cellular activities, one can effectively study strategies to ameliorate or protect against these cellular insults. Model organisms allow one to identify pathways that affect disease onset and progression, to test and screen for pharmacological agents that affect pathogenic processes, and to validate potential targets genetically as well as pharmacologically. Here, we describe polyglutamine repeat diseases that have been modeled in a variety of organisms, including worms, flies, mice, and non-human primates, and discuss examples of how they have broadened the therapeutic landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Lawrence Marsh
- Developmental Biology Center and the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA.
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Pathophysiology of Huntington's disease: from huntingtin functions to potential treatments. Curr Opin Neurol 2008; 21:497-503. [PMID: 18607213 DOI: 10.1097/wco.0b013e328304b692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Drugs used to treat Huntington's disease act on the symptoms but do not slow the disease process itself. This review focuses on recent pathogenetic findings and on emerging therapeutic approaches. RECENT FINDINGS Basic research is providing novel insights into the complex molecular pathways involved in the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease. Several mechanisms have been identified that mediate neuronal dysfunction and death; these include neuronal aggregation of the mutated protein, transcriptional dysregulation, excitotoxicity, altered energy metabolism, impaired axonal transport, and altered synaptic transmission. Recent experimental works have identified potential new therapeutic targets. In particular, they emphasize the role of altered histone modifications in transcriptional dysregulation, the synergistic action of glutamatergic and dopaminergic pathways in inducing excitotoxicity, the neuroprotective effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression and transport restoration, and the possibility of reducing the expression of the mutant protein huntingtin and its deleterious effects by using short interfering mRNAs. SUMMARY Successful neuroprotective therapy for Huntington's disease patients is likely to involve a combined approach targeting both cellular and molecular mediators that account for the toxicity of mutated huntingtin.
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Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion encoding an abnormally long polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin protein. Much has been learnt since the mutation was identified in 1993. We review the functions of wild-type huntingtin. Mutant huntingtin may cause toxicity via a range of different mechanisms. The primary consequence of the mutation is to confer a toxic gain of function on the mutant protein and this may be modified by certain normal activities that are impaired by the mutation. It is likely that the toxicity of mutant huntingtin is revealed after a series of cleavage events leading to the production of N-terminal huntingtin fragment(s) containing the expanded polyglutamine tract. Although aggregation of the mutant protein is a hallmark of the disease, the role of aggregation is complex and the arguments for protective roles of inclusions are discussed. Mutant huntingtin may mediate some of its toxicity in the nucleus by perturbing specific transcriptional pathways. HD may also inhibit mitochondrial function and proteasome activity. Importantly, not all of the effects of mutant huntingtin may be cell-autonomous, and it is possible that abnormalities in neighbouring neurons and glia may also have an impact on connected cells. It is likely that there is still much to learn about mutant huntingtin toxicity, and important insights have already come and may still come from chemical and genetic screens. Importantly, basic biological studies in HD have led to numerous potential therapeutic strategies.
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Varma H, Lo DC, Stockwell BR. High throughput screening for neurodegeneration and complex disease phenotypes. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2008; 11:238-48. [PMID: 18336216 PMCID: PMC2735222 DOI: 10.2174/138620708783877753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
High throughput screening (HTS) for complex diseases is challenging. This stems from the fact that complex phenotypes are difficult to adapt to rapid, high throughput assays. We describe the recent development of high throughput and high-content screens (HCS) for neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on inherited neurodegenerative disorders, such as Huntington's disease. We describe, among others, HTS assays based on protein aggregation, neuronal death, caspase activation and mutant protein clearance. Furthermore, we describe high-content screens that are being used to prioritize hits identified in such HTS assays. These assays and screening approaches should accelerate drug discovery for neurodegenerative disorders and guide the development of screening approaches for other complex disease phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hemant Varma
- Department of Biological Sciences, 614 Fairchild Center MC2406, 1212 Amsterdam Avenue, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Donald C. Lo
- Duke University, Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, 4321 Medical Park Drive, Suite 200, Durham, NC 27704, USA
| | - Brent R. Stockwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, 614 Fairchild Center MC2406, 1212 Amsterdam Avenue, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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