1
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Wu R, Ye Y, Dong D, Zhang Z, Wang S, Li Y, Wright N, Redding-Ochoa J, Chang K, Xu S, Tu X, Zhu C, Ostrow LW, Roca X, Troncoso JC, Wu B, Sun S. Disruption of nuclear speckle integrity dysregulates RNA splicing in C9ORF72-FTD/ALS. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00570-1. [PMID: 39181135 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Expansion of an intronic (GGGGCC)n repeat within the C9ORF72 gene is the most common genetic cause of both frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (C9-FTD/ALS), characterized with aberrant repeat RNA foci and noncanonical translation-produced dipeptide repeat (DPR) protein inclusions. Here, we elucidate that the (GGGGCC)n repeat RNA co-localizes with nuclear speckles and alters their phase separation properties and granule dynamics. Moreover, the essential nuclear speckle scaffold protein SRRM2 is sequestered into the poly-GR cytoplasmic inclusions in the C9-FTD/ALS mouse model and patient postmortem tissues, exacerbating the nuclear speckle dysfunction. Impaired nuclear speckle integrity induces global exon skipping and intron retention in human iPSC-derived neurons and causes neuronal toxicity. Similar alternative splicing changes can be found in C9-FTD/ALS patient postmortem tissues. This work identified novel molecular mechanisms of global RNA splicing defects caused by impaired nuclear speckle function in C9-FTD/ALS and revealed novel potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Wu
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Yingzhi Ye
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular and Molecular Physiology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Daoyuan Dong
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Yini Li
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Noelle Wright
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Javier Redding-Ochoa
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Koping Chang
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Shaohai Xu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551 Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xueting Tu
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Chengzhang Zhu
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular and Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Lyle W Ostrow
- Department of Neurology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Xavier Roca
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551 Singapore, Singapore
| | - Juan C Troncoso
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Bin Wu
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Shuying Sun
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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2
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Celona B, Salomonsson SE, Wu H, Dang B, Kratochvil HT, Clelland CD, DeGrado WF, Black BL. Zfp106 binds to G-quadruplex RNAs and inhibits RAN translation and formation of RNA foci caused by G4C2 repeats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2220020121. [PMID: 39042693 PMCID: PMC11295049 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220020121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Expansion of intronic GGGGCC repeats in the C9orf72 gene causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia. Transcription of the expanded repeats results in the formation of RNA-containing nuclear foci and altered RNA metabolism. In addition, repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation of the expanded GGGGCC-repeat sequence results in the production of highly toxic dipeptide-repeat (DPR) proteins. GGGGCC repeat-containing transcripts form G-quadruplexes, which are associated with formation of RNA foci and RAN translation. Zfp106, an RNA-binding protein essential for motor neuron survival in mice, suppresses neurotoxicity in a Drosophila model of C9orf72 ALS. Here, we show that Zfp106 inhibits formation of RNA foci and significantly reduces RAN translation caused by GGGGCC repeats in cultured mammalian cells, and we demonstrate that Zfp106 coexpression reduces the levels of DPRs in C9orf72 patient-derived cells. Further, we show that Zfp106 binds to RNA G-quadruplexes and causes a conformational change in the G-quadruplex structure formed by GGGGCC repeats. Together, these data demonstrate that Zfp106 suppresses the formation of RNA foci and DPRs caused by GGGGCC repeats and suggest that the G-quadruplex RNA-binding function of Zfp106 contributes to its suppression of GGGGCC repeat-mediated cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Celona
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Sally E. Salomonsson
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
- Memory & Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Haifan Wu
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Bobo Dang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Huong T. Kratochvil
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Claire D. Clelland
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
- Memory & Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - William F. DeGrado
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Brian L. Black
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
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3
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Sellier C, Corcia P, Vourc'h P, Dupuis L. C9ORF72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion: From ALS and FTD to a broader pathogenic role? Rev Neurol (Paris) 2024; 180:417-428. [PMID: 38609750 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2024.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The major gene underlying monogenic forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) is C9ORF72. The causative mutation in C9ORF72 is an abnormal hexanucleotide (G4C2) repeat expansion (HRE) located in the first intron of the gene. The aim of this review is to propose a comprehensive update on recent developments on clinical, biological and therapeutics aspects related to C9ORF72 in order to highlight the current understanding of genotype-phenotype correlations, and also on biological machinery leading to neuronal death. We will particularly focus on the broad phenotypic presentation of C9ORF72-related diseases, that goes well beyond the classical phenotypes observed in ALS and FTD patients. Last, we will comment the possible therapeutical hopes for patients carrying a C9ORF72 HRE.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Sellier
- Centre de recherches en biomédecine de Strasbourg, UMR-S1329, Inserm, université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - P Corcia
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Inserm, université de Tours, Tours, France; Centre constitutif de coordination SLA, CHU de Bretonneau, 2, boulevard Tonnelle, 37044 Tours cedex 1, France
| | - P Vourc'h
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Inserm, université de Tours, Tours, France; Service de biochimie et biologie moléculaire, CHU de Tours, Tours, France
| | - L Dupuis
- Centre de recherches en biomédecine de Strasbourg, UMR-S1329, Inserm, université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
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4
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Proske M, Janowski R, Bacher S, Kang HS, Monecke T, Koehler T, Hutten S, Tretter J, Crois A, Molitor L, Varela-Rial A, Fino R, Donati E, De Fabritiis G, Dormann D, Sattler M, Niessing D. PURA syndrome-causing mutations impair PUR-domain integrity and affect P-body association. eLife 2024; 13:RP93561. [PMID: 38655849 PMCID: PMC11042805 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the human PURA gene cause the neurodevelopmental PURA syndrome. In contrast to several other monogenetic disorders, almost all reported mutations in this nucleic acid-binding protein result in the full disease penetrance. In this study, we observed that patient mutations across PURA impair its previously reported co-localization with processing bodies. These mutations either destroyed the folding integrity, RNA binding, or dimerization of PURA. We also solved the crystal structures of the N- and C-terminal PUR domains of human PURA and combined them with molecular dynamics simulations and nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. The observed unusually high dynamics and structural promiscuity of PURA indicated that this protein is particularly susceptible to mutations impairing its structural integrity. It offers an explanation why even conservative mutations across PURA result in the full penetrance of symptoms in patients with PURA syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Proske
- Institute of Structural Biology, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz MunichNeuherbergGermany
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Robert Janowski
- Institute of Structural Biology, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz MunichNeuherbergGermany
| | - Sabrina Bacher
- Institute of Structural Biology, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz MunichNeuherbergGermany
| | - Hyun-Seo Kang
- Institute of Structural Biology, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz MunichNeuherbergGermany
- Chemistry Department, Biomolecular NMR and Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich, Technical University of MunichMainzGermany
| | - Thomas Monecke
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Tony Koehler
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Saskia Hutten
- Biocenter, Institute of Molecular Physiology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität (JGU)MainzGermany
| | - Jana Tretter
- Institute of Structural Biology, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz MunichNeuherbergGermany
| | - Anna Crois
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Lena Molitor
- Institute of Structural Biology, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz MunichNeuherbergGermany
| | | | | | | | | | - Dorothee Dormann
- Biocenter, Institute of Molecular Physiology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität (JGU)MainzGermany
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB)MainzGermany
| | - Michael Sattler
- Institute of Structural Biology, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz MunichNeuherbergGermany
- Chemistry Department, Biomolecular NMR and Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich, Technical University of MunichMainzGermany
| | - Dierk Niessing
- Institute of Structural Biology, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz MunichNeuherbergGermany
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm UniversityUlmGermany
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5
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Geng Y, Cai Q. Role of C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansions in ALS/FTD pathogenesis. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1322720. [PMID: 38318532 PMCID: PMC10838790 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1322720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are progressive neurological disorders that share neurodegenerative pathways and features. The most prevalent genetic causes of ALS/FTD is the GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansions in the first intron region of the chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) gene. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the accumulating evidences elucidating the pathogenic mechanism associated with hexanucleotide repeat expansions in ALS/FTD. These mechanisms encompass the structural polymorphism of DNA and transcribed RNA, the formation of RNA foci via phase separation, and the cytoplasmic accumulation and toxicities of dipeptide-repeat proteins. Additionally, the formation of G-quadruplex structures significantly impairs the expression and normal function of the C9orf72 protein. We also discuss the sequestration of specific RNA binding proteins by GGGGCC RNA, which further contributes to the toxicity of C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansions. The deeper understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of hexanucleotide repeat expansions in ALS/FTD provides multiple potential drug targets for these devastating diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Geng
- Clinical Research Institute of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Fujian Key Laboratory of Brain Tumors Diagnosis and Precision Treatment, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Brain Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Qixu Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
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6
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Lee D, Jeong HC, Kim SY, Chung JY, Cho SH, Kim KA, Cho JH, Ko BS, Cha IJ, Chung CG, Kim ES, Lee SB. A comparison study of pathological features and drug efficacy between Drosophila models of C9orf72 ALS/FTD. Mol Cells 2024; 47:100005. [PMID: 38376483 PMCID: PMC10880080 DOI: 10.1016/j.mocell.2023.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a devastating neurodegenerative disease with a complex genetic basis, presenting both in familial and sporadic forms. The hexanucleotide (G4C2) repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene, which triggers distinct pathogenic mechanisms, has been identified as a major contributor to familial and sporadic Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases. Animal models have proven pivotal in understanding these mechanisms; however, discrepancies between models due to variable transgene sequence, expression levels, and toxicity profiles complicate the translation of findings. Herein, we provide a systematic comparison of 7 publicly available Drosophila transgenes modeling the G4C2 expansion under uniform conditions, evaluating variations in their toxicity profiles. Further, we tested 3 previously characterized disease-modifying drugs in selected lines to uncover discrepancies among the tested strains. Our study not only deepens our understanding of the C9orf72 G4C2 mutations but also presents a framework for comparing constructs with minute structural differences. This work may be used to inform experimental designs to better model disease mechanisms and help guide the development of targeted interventions for neurodegenerative diseases, thus bridging the gap between model-based research and therapeutic application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davin Lee
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae Chan Jeong
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Yeol Kim
- SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Seongnam 13494, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Yong Chung
- SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Seongnam 13494, Republic of Korea
| | - Seok Hwan Cho
- SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Seongnam 13494, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoung Ah Kim
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Ho Cho
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung Su Ko
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - In Jun Cha
- Brain Research Policy Center, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41068, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Geon Chung
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Eun Seon Kim
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Bae Lee
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
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7
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McCallister TX, Lim CKW, Terpstra WM, Alejandra Zeballos C M, Zhang S, Powell JE, Gaj T. A high-fidelity CRISPR-Cas13 system improves abnormalities associated with C9ORF72-linked ALS/FTD. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.12.571328. [PMID: 38168370 PMCID: PMC10760048 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.12.571328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
An abnormal expansion of a GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat in the C9ORF72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), two debilitating neurodegenerative disorders driven in part by gain-of-function mechanisms involving transcribed forms of the repeat expansion. By utilizing a Cas13 variant with reduced collateral effects, we developed a high-fidelity RNA-targeting CRISPR-based system for C9ORF72-linked ALS/FTD. When delivered to the brain of a transgenic rodent model, this Cas13-based platform effectively curbed the expression of the GGGGCC repeat-containing RNA without affecting normal C9ORF72 levels, which in turn decreased the formation of RNA foci and reversed transcriptional deficits. This high-fidelity Cas13 variant possessed improved transcriptome-wide specificity compared to its native form and mediated efficient targeting in motor neuron-like cells derived from a patient with ALS. Our results lay the foundation for the implementation of RNA-targeting CRISPR technologies for C9ORF72-linked ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan X. McCallister
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Colin K. W. Lim
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - William M. Terpstra
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - M. Alejandra Zeballos C
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Sijia Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jackson E. Powell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Thomas Gaj
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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8
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Zhu L, Li S, Li XJ, Yin P. Pathological insights from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis animal models: comparisons, limitations, and challenges. Transl Neurodegener 2023; 12:46. [PMID: 37730668 PMCID: PMC10510301 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-023-00377-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to dissect amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a multigenic, multifactorial, and progressive neurodegenerative disease with heterogeneous clinical presentations, researchers have generated numerous animal models to mimic the genetic defects. Concurrent and comparative analysis of these various models allows identification of the causes and mechanisms of ALS in order to finally obtain effective therapeutics. However, most genetically modified rodent models lack overt pathological features, imposing challenges and limitations in utilizing them to rigorously test the potential mechanisms. Recent studies using large animals, including pigs and non-human primates, have uncovered important events that resemble neurodegeneration in patients' brains but could not be produced in small animals. Here we describe common features as well as discrepancies among these models, highlighting new insights from these models. Furthermore, we will discuss how to make rodent models more capable of recapitulating important pathological features based on the important pathogenic insights from large animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longhong Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Shihua Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
| | - Peng Yin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
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9
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Malnar Črnigoj M, Čerček U, Yin X, Ho MT, Repic Lampret B, Neumann M, Hermann A, Rouleau G, Suter B, Mayr M, Rogelj B. Phenylalanine-tRNA aminoacylation is compromised by ALS/FTD-associated C9orf72 C4G2 repeat RNA. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5764. [PMID: 37717009 PMCID: PMC10505166 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41511-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The expanded hexanucleotide GGGGCC repeat mutation in the C9orf72 gene is the main genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Under one disease mechanism, sense and antisense transcripts of the repeat are predicted to bind various RNA-binding proteins, compromise their function and cause cytotoxicity. Here we identify phenylalanine-tRNA synthetase (FARS) subunit alpha (FARSA) as the main interactor of the CCCCGG antisense repeat RNA in cytosol. The aminoacylation of tRNAPhe by FARS is inhibited by antisense RNA, leading to decreased levels of charged tRNAPhe. Remarkably, this is associated with global reduction of phenylalanine incorporation in the proteome and decrease in expression of phenylalanine-rich proteins in cellular models and patient tissues. In conclusion, this study reveals functional inhibition of FARSA in the presence of antisense RNA repeats. Compromised aminoacylation of tRNA could lead to impairments in protein synthesis and further contribute to C9orf72 mutation-associated pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjana Malnar Črnigoj
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
- Graduate School of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
| | - Urša Čerček
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
- Graduate School of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
| | - Xiaoke Yin
- King's BHF Centre, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Manh Tin Ho
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
| | - Barbka Repic Lampret
- Clinical Institute of Special Laboratory Diagnostics, University Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
| | - Manuela Neumann
- Molecular Neuropathology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
- Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section "Albrecht-Kossel", Department of Neurology and Center for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, 18147, Rostock, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Rostock/Greifswald, 18147, Rostock, Germany
| | - Guy Rouleau
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 0G4, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Beat Suter
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Mayr
- King's BHF Centre, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Boris Rogelj
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia.
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia.
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10
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Foote AT, Kelm RJ. Aromatic Residues Dictate the Transcriptional Repressor and Single-Stranded DNA Binding Activities of Purine-Rich Element Binding Protein B. Biochemistry 2023; 62:2597-2610. [PMID: 37556352 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Purine-rich element binding protein B (Purβ) is a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and RNA-binding protein that functions as a transcriptional repressor of genes encoding certain muscle-restricted contractile proteins in the setting of cellular stress or tissue injury. A prior report from our laboratory implicated specific basic amino acid residues in the physical and functional interaction of Purβ with the smooth muscle-α actin gene (Acta2) promoter. Independent structural analysis of fruit fly Purα uncovered a role for several aromatic residues in the binding of this related protein to ssDNA. Herein, we examine the functional importance of a comparable set of hydrophobic residues that are positionally conserved in the repeat I (Y59), II (F155), and III (F256) domains of murine Purβ. Site-directed Y/F to alanine substitutions were engineered, and the resultant Purβ point mutants were tested in various biochemical and cell-based assays. None of the mutations affected the cellular expression, structural stability, or dimerization capacity of Purβ. However, the Y59A and F155A mutants demonstrated weaker Acta2 repressor activity in transfected fibroblasts and reduced binding affinity for the purine-rich strand of an Acta2 cis-regulatory element in vitro. Mutation of Y59 and F155 also altered the multisite binding properties of Purβ for ssDNA and diminished the interaction of Purβ with Y-box binding protein 1, a co-repressor of Acta2. Collectively, these findings suggest that some of the same aromatic residues, which govern the specific and high-affinity binding of Purβ to ssDNA, also mediate certain heterotypic protein interactions underlying the Acta2 repressor function of Purβ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea T Foote
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont 05405, United States
| | - Robert J Kelm
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont 05405, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont 05405, United States
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11
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Chen F, Zhang W, Xu S, Zhang H, Chen L, Chen C, Zhu Z, Zhao Y. Discovery and validation of PURA as a transcription target of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol: Implications for the treatment of cognitive dysfunction. J Ginseng Res 2023; 47:662-671. [PMID: 37720572 PMCID: PMC10499581 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgr.2023.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD), a ginsenoside metabolite, has prominent benefits for the central nervous system, especially in improving learning and memory. However, its transcriptional targets in brain tissue remain unknown. Methods In this study, we first used mass spectrometry-based drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) to identify the potential proteins of ginsenosides and intersected them with the transcription factor library. Second, the transcription factor PURA was confirmed as a target of PPD by biolayer interferometry (BLI) and molecular docking. Next, the effect of PPD on the transcriptional levels of target genes of PURA in brain tissues was determined by qRT-PCR. Finally, bioinformatics analysis was used to analyze the potential biological features of these target proteins. Results The results showed three overlapping transcription factors between the proteomics of DARTS and transcription factor library. BLI analysis further showed that PPD had a higher direct interaction with PURA than parent ginsenosides. Subsequently, BLI kinetic analysis, molecular docking, and mutations in key amino acids of PURA indicated that PPD specifically bound to PURA. The results of qRT-PCR showed that PPD could increase the transcription levels of PURA target genes in brain. Finally, bioinformatics analysis showed that these target proteins were involved in learning and memory function. Conclusion The above-mentioned findings indicate that PURA is a transcription target of PPD in brain, and PPD upregulate the transcription levels of target genes related to cognitive dysfunction by binding PURA, which could provide a chemical and biological basis for the study of treating cognitive impairment by targeting PURA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feiyan Chen
- Research and Innovation Center, College of Traditional Chinese Medicine·Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuyi Xu
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Hantao Zhang
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Cuihua Chen
- Research and Innovation Center, College of Traditional Chinese Medicine·Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhu Zhu
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yunan Zhao
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
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12
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Akçimen F, Lopez ER, Landers JE, Nath A, Chiò A, Chia R, Traynor BJ. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: translating genetic discoveries into therapies. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:642-658. [PMID: 37024676 PMCID: PMC10611979 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00592-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in sequencing technologies and collaborative efforts have led to substantial progress in identifying the genetic causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This momentum has, in turn, fostered the development of putative molecular therapies. In this Review, we outline the current genetic knowledge, emphasizing recent discoveries and emerging concepts such as the implication of distinct types of mutation, variability in mutated genes in diverse genetic ancestries and gene-environment interactions. We also propose a high-level model to synthesize the interdependent effects of genetics, environmental and lifestyle factors, and ageing into a unified theory of ALS. Furthermore, we summarize the current status of therapies developed on the basis of genetic knowledge established for ALS over the past 30 years, and we discuss how developing treatments for ALS will advance our understanding of targeting other neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulya Akçimen
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Elia R Lopez
- Therapeutic Development Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - John E Landers
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Avindra Nath
- Section of Infections of the Nervous System, National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Adriano Chiò
- Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, C.N.R, Rome, Italy
- Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Citta' della Salute e della Scienza, Turin, Italy
| | - Ruth Chia
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bryan J Traynor
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Therapeutic Development Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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13
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Giménez-Bejarano A, Alegre-Cortés E, Yakhine-Diop SMS, Gómez-Suaga P, Fuentes JM. Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Repeat Expansion Diseases. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1593. [PMID: 37627588 PMCID: PMC10451345 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12081593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Repeat expansion diseases are a group of neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders characterized by expansions of several successive repeated DNA sequences. Currently, more than 50 repeat expansion diseases have been described. These disorders involve diverse pathogenic mechanisms, including loss-of-function mechanisms, toxicity associated with repeat RNA, or repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) products, resulting in impairments of cellular processes and damaged organelles. Mitochondria, double membrane organelles, play a crucial role in cell energy production, metabolic processes, calcium regulation, redox balance, and apoptosis regulation. Its dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of repeat expansion diseases. In this review, we provide an overview of the signaling pathways or proteins involved in mitochondrial functioning described in these disorders. The focus of this review will be on the analysis of published data related to three representative repeat expansion diseases: Huntington's disease, C9orf72-frontotemporal dementia/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and myotonic dystrophy type 1. We will discuss the common effects observed in all three repeat expansion disorders and their differences. Additionally, we will address the current gaps in knowledge and propose possible new lines of research. Importantly, this group of disorders exhibit alterations in mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis, with specific proteins involved in these processes having been identified. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of mitochondrial alterations in these disorders can potentially lead to the development of neuroprotective strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Giménez-Bejarano
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (A.G.-B.); (E.A.-C.); (S.M.S.Y.-D.); (P.G.-S.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativa, Instituto de Salus Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), 10003 Cáceres, Spain
| | - Eva Alegre-Cortés
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (A.G.-B.); (E.A.-C.); (S.M.S.Y.-D.); (P.G.-S.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativa, Instituto de Salus Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), 10003 Cáceres, Spain
| | - Sokhna M. S. Yakhine-Diop
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (A.G.-B.); (E.A.-C.); (S.M.S.Y.-D.); (P.G.-S.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativa, Instituto de Salus Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), 10003 Cáceres, Spain
| | - Patricia Gómez-Suaga
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (A.G.-B.); (E.A.-C.); (S.M.S.Y.-D.); (P.G.-S.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativa, Instituto de Salus Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), 10003 Cáceres, Spain
| | - José M. Fuentes
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Genética, Facultad de Enfermería y Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (A.G.-B.); (E.A.-C.); (S.M.S.Y.-D.); (P.G.-S.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativa, Instituto de Salus Carlos III (CIBER-CIBERNED-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), 10003 Cáceres, Spain
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14
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Bhattacharya MRC. A nerve-wracking buzz: lessons from Drosophila models of peripheral neuropathy and axon degeneration. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1166146. [PMID: 37614471 PMCID: PMC10442544 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1166146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The degeneration of axons and their terminals occurs following traumatic, toxic, or genetically-induced insults. Common molecular mechanisms unite these disparate triggers to execute a conserved nerve degeneration cascade. In this review, we will discuss how models of peripheral nerve injury and neuropathy in Drosophila have led the way in advancing molecular understanding of axon degeneration and nerve injury pathways. Both neuron-intrinsic as well as glial responses to injury will be highlighted. Finally, we will offer perspective on what additional questions should be answered to advance these discoveries toward clinical interventions for patients with neuropathy.
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15
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Liu X, Zhao X, He J, Wang S, Shen X, Liu Q, Wang S. Advances in the Structure of GGGGCC Repeat RNA Sequence and Its Interaction with Small Molecules and Protein Partners. Molecules 2023; 28:5801. [PMID: 37570771 PMCID: PMC10420822 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28155801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The aberrant expansion of GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeats within the first intron of the C9orf72 gene represent the predominant genetic etiology underlying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontal temporal dementia (FTD). The transcribed r(GGGGCC)n RNA repeats form RNA foci, which recruit RNA binding proteins and impede their normal cellular functions, ultimately resulting in fatal neurodegenerative disorders. Furthermore, the non-canonical translation of the r(GGGGCC)n sequence can generate dipeptide repeats, which have been postulated as pathological causes. Comprehensive structural analyses of r(GGGGCC)n have unveiled its polymorphic nature, exhibiting the propensity to adopt dimeric, hairpin, or G-quadruplex conformations, all of which possess the capacity to interact with RNA binding proteins. Small molecules capable of binding to r(GGGGCC)n have been discovered and proposed as potential lead compounds for the treatment of ALS and FTD. Some of these molecules function in preventing RNA-protein interactions or impeding the phase transition of r(GGGGCC)n. In this review, we present a comprehensive summary of the recent advancements in the structural characterization of r(GGGGCC)n, its propensity to form RNA foci, and its interactions with small molecules and proteins. Specifically, we emphasize the structural diversity of r(GGGGCC)n and its influence on partner binding. Given the crucial role of r(GGGGCC)n in the pathogenesis of ALS and FTD, the primary objective of this review is to facilitate the development of therapeutic interventions targeting r(GGGGCC)n RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaole Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; (X.L.); (X.Z.); (J.H.); (S.W.); (X.S.); (Q.L.)
| | - Xinyue Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; (X.L.); (X.Z.); (J.H.); (S.W.); (X.S.); (Q.L.)
| | - Jinhan He
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; (X.L.); (X.Z.); (J.H.); (S.W.); (X.S.); (Q.L.)
| | - Sishi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; (X.L.); (X.Z.); (J.H.); (S.W.); (X.S.); (Q.L.)
| | - Xinfei Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; (X.L.); (X.Z.); (J.H.); (S.W.); (X.S.); (Q.L.)
| | - Qingfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; (X.L.); (X.Z.); (J.H.); (S.W.); (X.S.); (Q.L.)
| | - Shenlin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; (X.L.); (X.Z.); (J.H.); (S.W.); (X.S.); (Q.L.)
- Beijing NMR Center, Peking University, Beijing 100087, China
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16
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Li Y, Dou X, Liu J, Xiao Y, Zhang Z, Hayes L, Wu R, Fu X, Ye Y, Yang B, Ostrow LW, He C, Sun S. Globally reduced N 6-methyladenosine (m 6A) in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD dysregulates RNA metabolism and contributes to neurodegeneration. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1328-1338. [PMID: 37365312 PMCID: PMC11361766 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01374-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Repeat expansion in C9ORF72 is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here we show that N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most prevalent internal mRNA modification, is downregulated in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-differentiated neurons and postmortem brain tissues. The global m6A hypomethylation leads to transcriptome-wide mRNA stabilization and upregulated gene expression, particularly for genes involved in synaptic activity and neuronal function. Moreover, the m6A modification in the C9ORF72 intron sequence upstream of the expanded repeats enhances RNA decay via the nuclear reader YTHDC1, and the antisense RNA repeats can also be regulated through m6A modification. The m6A reduction increases the accumulation of repeat RNAs and the encoded poly-dipeptides, contributing to disease pathogenesis. We further demonstrate that, by elevating m6A methylation, we could significantly reduce repeat RNA levels from both strands and the derived poly-dipeptides, rescue global mRNA homeostasis and improve survival of C9ORF72-ALS/FTD patient iPSC-derived neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yini Li
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xiaoyang Dou
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chicago, IL, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Xiao
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lindsey Hayes
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rong Wu
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xiujuan Fu
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yingzhi Ye
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bing Yang
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, NIDDK Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lyle W Ostrow
- Department of Neurology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Shuying Sun
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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17
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Fujino Y, Ueyama M, Ishiguro T, Ozawa D, Ito H, Sugiki T, Murata A, Ishiguro A, Gendron T, Mori K, Tokuda E, Taminato T, Konno T, Koyama A, Kawabe Y, Takeuchi T, Furukawa Y, Fujiwara T, Ikeda M, Mizuno T, Mochizuki H, Mizusawa H, Wada K, Ishikawa K, Onodera O, Nakatani K, Petrucelli L, Taguchi H, Nagai Y. FUS regulates RAN translation through modulating the G-quadruplex structure of GGGGCC repeat RNA in C9orf72-linked ALS/FTD. eLife 2023; 12:RP84338. [PMID: 37461319 PMCID: PMC10393046 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal expansions of GGGGCC repeat sequence in the noncoding region of the C9orf72 gene is the most common cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (C9-ALS/FTD). The expanded repeat sequence is translated into dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs) by noncanonical repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. Since DPRs play central roles in the pathogenesis of C9-ALS/FTD, we here investigate the regulatory mechanisms of RAN translation, focusing on the effects of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) targeting GGGGCC repeat RNAs. Using C9-ALS/FTD model flies, we demonstrated that the ALS/FTD-linked RBP FUS suppresses RAN translation and neurodegeneration in an RNA-binding activity-dependent manner. Moreover, we found that FUS directly binds to and modulates the G-quadruplex structure of GGGGCC repeat RNA as an RNA chaperone, resulting in the suppression of RAN translation in vitro. These results reveal a previously unrecognized regulatory mechanism of RAN translation by G-quadruplex-targeting RBPs, providing therapeutic insights for C9-ALS/FTD and other repeat expansion diseases.
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Grants
- Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Brain Protein Aging and Dementia Control) 17H05699 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Brain Protein Aging and Dementia Control) 17H05705 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Transformative Research Areas (A) (Multifaceted Proteins) 20H05927 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Strategic Research Program for Brain Sciences 11013026 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Scientific Research (B) 21H02840 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- Scientific Research (B) 20H03602 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- Scientific Research (C) 15K09331 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- Scientific Research (C) 19K07823 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- Scientific Research (C) 17K07291 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- Young Scientists (A) 17H05091 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- Young Scientists (B) 25860733 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- Challenging Exploratory Research 24659438 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- Challenging Exploratory Research 18K19515 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
- Health Labor Sciences Research Grant for Research on Development of New Drugs H24-Soyaku-Sogo-002 Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan
- Strategic Research Program for Brain Sciences JP15dm0107026 Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
- Strategic Research Program for Brain Sciences JP20dm0107061 Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
- Practical Research Projects for Rare/Intractable Diseases JP16ek0109018 Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
- Practical Research Projects for Rare/Intractable Diseases JP19ek0109222 Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
- Practical Research Projects for Rare/Intractable Diseases JP20ek0109316 Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
- Platform Project for Supporting Drug Discovery and Life Science Research JP19am0101072 Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
- Intramural Research Grants for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders 27-7 National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry
- Intramural Research Grants for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders 27-9 National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry
- Intramural Research Grants for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders 30-3 National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry
- Intramural Research Grants for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders 30-9 National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry
- Intramural Research Grants for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders 3-9 National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry
- IBC Grant H28 Japan Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association
- 2017 Takeda Science Foundation
- 2016 Takeda Science Foundation
- 2018 SENSHIN Medical Research Foundation
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzo Fujino
- Department of Neurology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Morio Ueyama
- Department of Neurology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
- Department of Neurotherapeutics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
- Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taro Ishiguro
- Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisaku Ozawa
- Department of Neurology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
- Department of Neurotherapeutics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Hayato Ito
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Sugiki
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Asako Murata
- Department of Regulatory Bioorganic Chemistry, The Institute of Scientific and28 Industrial Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akira Ishiguro
- Research Center for Micro-nano Technology, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tania Gendron
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, United States
| | - Kohji Mori
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Eiichi Tokuda
- Department of Chemistry, Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tomoya Taminato
- Department of Neurology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
- Department of Neurotherapeutics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Takuya Konno
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Neuroscience Branch, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Akihide Koyama
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Neuroscience Branch, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yuya Kawabe
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Toshihide Takeuchi
- Department of Neurotherapeutics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
- Life Science Research Institute, Kindai University, Osaka, Japan
| | | | - Toshimichi Fujiwara
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Manabu Ikeda
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Toshiki Mizuno
- Department of Neurology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hideki Mochizuki
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hidehiro Mizusawa
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keiji Wada
- Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kinya Ishikawa
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Osamu Onodera
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Neuroscience Branch, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Nakatani
- Department of Regulatory Bioorganic Chemistry, The Institute of Scientific and28 Industrial Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | | | - Hideki Taguchi
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
- Cell Biology Center, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Nagai
- Department of Neurology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
- Department of Neurotherapeutics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
- Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
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18
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Santarelli S, Londero C, Soldano A, Candelaresi C, Todeschini L, Vernizzi L, Bellosta P. Drosophila melanogaster as a model to study autophagy in neurodegenerative diseases induced by proteinopathies. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1082047. [PMID: 37274187 PMCID: PMC10232775 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1082047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteinopathies are a large group of neurodegenerative diseases caused by both genetic and sporadic mutations in particular genes which can lead to alterations of the protein structure and to the formation of aggregates, especially toxic for neurons. Autophagy is a key mechanism for clearing those aggregates and its function has been strongly associated with the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), hence mutations in both pathways have been associated with the onset of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly those induced by protein misfolding and accumulation of aggregates. Many crucial discoveries regarding the molecular and cellular events underlying the role of autophagy in these diseases have come from studies using Drosophila models. Indeed, despite the physiological and morphological differences between the fly and the human brain, most of the biochemical and molecular aspects regulating protein homeostasis, including autophagy, are conserved between the two species.In this review, we will provide an overview of the most common neurodegenerative proteinopathies, which include PolyQ diseases (Huntington's disease, Spinocerebellar ataxia 1, 2, and 3), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (C9orf72, SOD1, TDP-43, FUS), Alzheimer's disease (APP, Tau) Parkinson's disease (a-syn, parkin and PINK1, LRRK2) and prion diseases, highlighting the studies using Drosophila that have contributed to understanding the conserved mechanisms and elucidating the role of autophagy in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Santarelli
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Chiara Londero
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Alessia Soldano
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Carlotta Candelaresi
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Leonardo Todeschini
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Luisa Vernizzi
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Paola Bellosta
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CiBiO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Department of Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
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19
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Sahana TG, Chase KJ, Liu F, Lloyd TE, Rossoll W, Zhang K. c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Promotes Stress Granule Assembly and Neurodegeneration in C9orf72-Mediated ALS and FTD. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3186-3197. [PMID: 37015810 PMCID: PMC10146492 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1799-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress granules are the RNA/protein condensates assembled in the cells under stress. They play a critical role in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). However, how stress granule assembly is regulated and related to ALS/FTD pathomechanism is incompletely understood. Mutation in the C9orf72 gene is the most common cause of familial ALS and FTD. C9orf72 mutation causes the formation of toxic dipeptide repeats. Here we show that the two most toxic dipeptide repeats [i.e., poly(GR) and poly(PR)] activate c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) via the ER-stress response protein IRE1 using fly and cellular models. Further, we show that activated JNK promotes stress granule assembly in cells by promoting the transcription of one of the key stress granule proteins (i.e., G3BP1) by inducing histone 3 phosphorylation. Consistent with these findings, JNK or IRE1 inhibition reduced stress granule formation, histone 3 phosphorylation, G3BP1 mRNA and protein levels, and neurotoxicity in cells overexpressing poly(GR) and poly(PR) or neurons derived from male and female C9ALS/FTD patient-induced pluripotent stem cells. Our findings connect ER stress, JNK activation, and stress granule assembly in a unified pathway contributing to C9ALS/FTD neurodegeneration.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is a part of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, which is the central node for the integration of multiple stress signals. Cells are under constant stress in neurodegenerative diseases, and how these cells respond to stress signals is a critical factor in determining their survival or death. Previous studies have shown JNK as a major contributor to cellular apoptosis. Here, we show the role of JNK in stress granule assembly. We identify that toxic dipeptide repeats produced in ALS/FTD conditions activate JNK. The activated JNK in the nucleus can induce histone modifications which increase G3BP1 expression, thus promoting stress granule assembly and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Feilin Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
| | - Thomas E Lloyd
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Wilfried Rossoll
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
| | - Ke Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Gaoke Innovation Centre A16, Guangqiao Rd, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China, P.R
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20
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Parameswaran J, Zhang N, Braems E, Tilahun K, Pant DC, Yin K, Asress S, Heeren K, Banerjee A, Davis E, Schwartz SL, Conn GL, Bassell GJ, Van Den Bosch L, Jiang J. Antisense, but not sense, repeat expanded RNAs activate PKR/eIF2α-dependent ISR in C9ORF72 FTD/ALS. eLife 2023; 12:e85902. [PMID: 37073950 PMCID: PMC10188109 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
GGGGCC (G4C2) hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene is the most common genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The repeat is bidirectionally transcribed and confers gain of toxicity. However, the underlying toxic species is debated, and it is not clear whether antisense CCCCGG (C4G2) repeat expanded RNAs contribute to disease pathogenesis. Our study shows that C9ORF72 antisense C4G2 repeat expanded RNAs trigger the activation of the PKR/eIF2α-dependent integrated stress response independent of dipeptide repeat proteins that are produced through repeat-associated non-AUG-initiated translation, leading to global translation inhibition and stress granule formation. Reducing PKR levels with either siRNA or morpholinos mitigates integrated stress response and toxicity caused by the antisense C4G2 RNAs in cell lines, primary neurons, and zebrafish. Increased phosphorylation of PKR/eIF2α is also observed in the frontal cortex of C9ORF72 FTD/ALS patients. Finally, only antisense C4G2, but not sense G4C2, repeat expanded RNAs robustly activate the PKR/eIF2α pathway and induce aberrant stress granule formation. These results provide a mechanism by which antisense C4G2 repeat expanded RNAs elicit neuronal toxicity in FTD/ALS caused by C9ORF72 repeat expansions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nancy Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Elke Braems
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus GasthuisbergLeuvenBelgium
| | | | - Devesh C Pant
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Keena Yin
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Seneshaw Asress
- Department of Neurology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Kara Heeren
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus GasthuisbergLeuvenBelgium
| | - Anwesha Banerjee
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Emma Davis
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | | | - Graeme L Conn
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Gary J Bassell
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus GasthuisbergLeuvenBelgium
| | - Jie Jiang
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
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21
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de Oliveira LMG, Carreira RB, de Oliveira JVR, do Nascimento RP, Dos Santos Souza C, Trias E, da Silva VDA, Costa SL. Impact of Plant-Derived Compounds on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Neurotox Res 2023; 41:288-309. [PMID: 36800114 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-022-00632-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal illness characterized by progressive motor neuron degeneration. Conventional therapies for ALS are based on treatment of symptoms, and the disease remains incurable. Molecular mechanisms are unclear, but studies have been pointing to involvement of glia, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and glutamate excitotoxicity as a key factor. Nowadays, we have few treatments for this disease that only delays death, but also does not stop the neurodegenerative process. These treatments are based on glutamate blockage (riluzole), tyrosine kinase inhibition (masitinib), and antioxidant activity (edaravone). In the past few years, plant-derived compounds have been studied for neurodegenerative disorder therapies based on neuroprotection and glial cell response. In this review, we describe mechanisms of action of natural compounds associated with neuroprotective effects, and the possibilities for new therapeutic strategies in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Matheus Gonçalves de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, 40110-100, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Barreto Carreira
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, 40110-100, Brazil
| | - Juciele Valeria Ribeiro de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, 40110-100, Brazil
| | - Ravena Pereira do Nascimento
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, 40110-100, Brazil
| | - Cleide Dos Santos Souza
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Victor Diogenes Amaral da Silva
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, 40110-100, Brazil.
| | - Silvia Lima Costa
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, 40110-100, Brazil.
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22
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Li Y, Geng J, Rimal S, Wang H, Liu X, Lu B, Li S. The mTORC2/AKT/VCP axis is associated with quality control of the stalled translation of poly(GR) dipeptide repeats in C9-ALS/FTD. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:102995. [PMID: 36764521 PMCID: PMC10011831 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.102995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Expansion of G4C2 hexanucleotide repeats in the chromosome 9 ORF 72 (C9ORF72) gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with frontotemporal dementia (C9-ALS/FTD). Dipeptide repeats generated by unconventional translation, especially the R-containing poly(GR), have been implicated in C9-ALS/FTD pathogenesis. Mutations in other genes, including TAR DNA-binding protein 43 KD (TDP-43), fused in sarcoma (FUS), and valosin-containing protein, have also been linked to ALS/FTD, and upregulation of amyloid precursor protein (APP) is observed at the early stage of ALS and FTD. Fundamental questions remain as to the relationships between these ALS/FTD genes and whether they converge on similar cellular pathways. Here, using biochemical, cell biological, and genetic analyses in Drosophila disease models, patient-derived fibroblasts, and mammalian cell culture, we show that mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2)/AKT signaling is activated by APP, TDP-43, and FUS and that mTORC2/AKT and its downstream target valosin-containing protein mediate the effect of APP, TDP-43, and FUS on the quality control of C9-ALS/FTD-associated poly(GR) translation. We also find that poly(GR) expression results in reduction of global translation and that the coexpression of APP, TDP-43, and FUS results in further reduction of global translation, presumably through the GCN2/eIF2α-integrated stress response pathway. Together, our results implicate mTORC2/AKT signaling and GCN2/eIF2α-integrated stress response as common signaling pathways underlying ALS/FTD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ji Geng
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China; Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Suman Rimal
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Haochuan Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiangguo Liu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Bingwei Lu
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
| | - Shuangxi Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.
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23
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Mroczek M, Iyadurai S. Neuromuscular and Neuromuscular Junction Manifestations of the PURA-NDD: A Systematic Review of the Reported Symptoms and Potential Treatment Options. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:2260. [PMID: 36768582 PMCID: PMC9917016 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
PURA-related neurodevelopmental disorders (PURA-NDDs) are a rare genetic disease caused by pathogenic autosomal dominant variants in the PURA gene or a deletion encompassing the PURA gene. PURA-NDD is clinically characterized by neurodevelopmental delay, learning disability, neonatal hypotonia, feeding difficulties, abnormal movements, and epilepsy. It is generally considered to be central nervous system disorders, with generalized weakness, associated hypotonia, cognitive and development deficits in early development, and seizures in late stages. Although it is classified predominantly as a central nervous syndrome disorder, some phenotypic features, such as myopathic facies, respiratory insufficiency of muscle origin, and myopathic features on muscle biopsy and electrodiagnostic evaluation, point to a peripheral (neuromuscular) source of weakness. Patients with PURA-NDD have been increasingly identified in exome-sequenced cohorts of patients with neuromuscular- and congenital myasthenic syndrome-like phenotypes. Recently, fluctuating weakness noted in a PURA-NDD patient, accompanied by repetitive nerve stimulation abnormalities, suggested the disease to be a channelopathy and, more specifically, a neuromuscular junction disorder. Treatment with pyridostigmine or salbutamol led to clinical improvement of neuromuscular function in two reported cases. The goal of this systematic retrospective review is to highlight the motor symptoms of PURA-NDD, to further describe the neuromuscular phenotype, and to emphasize the role of potential treatment opportunities of the neuromuscular phenotype in the setting of the potential role of PURA protein in the neuromuscular junction and the muscles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Mroczek
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics & Gene Diagnostics, Foundation for People with Rare Diseases, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Stanley Iyadurai
- Division of Neurology, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, 501 6th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
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24
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Li X, Lu S, Lu B, Sun X. Optogenetic control of GGGGCC repeat-containing RNA phase transition. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 2:843-850. [PMID: 38933387 PMCID: PMC11197711 DOI: 10.1016/j.fmre.2022.09.001] [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: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The GGGGCC (G4C2) hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene is a major cause of both hereditary amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and familial frontotemporal dementia. Recent studies have shown that G4C2 hexanucleotide repeat-containing RNA transcripts ((G4C2)n RNA) could go through liquid-liquid phase separation to form RNA foci, which may elicit neurodegeneration. However, the direct causality between these abnormal RNA foci and neuronal toxicity remains to be demonstrated. Here we introduce an optogenetic control system that can induce the assembly and phase separation of (G4C2)n RNA foci with blue light illumination in human cells, by fusing a specific (G4C2)n RNA binding protein as the linker domain to Cry2, a protein that oligomerizes in response to blue light. Our results demonstrate that a higher number of G4C2 repeats have the potential to be induced into more RNA foci in the cells. Both spontaneous and induced RNA foci display liquid-like properties according to FRAP measurements. Computational simulation shows strong consistency with the experimental results and supports the effect of our system to promote the propensity of (G4C2)n RNA towards phase separation. This system can thus be used to investigate whether (G4C2)n RNA foci would disrupt normal cellular processes and lead to pathological phenotypes relevant to repeat expansion disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Shengyi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Boxun Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xiaoli Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
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25
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Dubey SK, Maulding K, Sung H, Lloyd TE. Nucleoporins are degraded via upregulation of ESCRT-III/Vps4 complex in Drosophila models of C9-ALS/FTD. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111379. [PMID: 36130523 PMCID: PMC10099287 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Disruption of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) and nucleocytoplasmic transport (NCT) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. A GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) in an intron of the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, but the mechanism by which the HRE disrupts NCT is incompletely understood. We find that expression of GGGGCC repeats in Drosophila neurons induces proteasome-mediated degradation of select nucleoporins of the NPC. This process requires the Vps4 ATPase and the endosomal-sorting complex required for transport complex-III (ESCRT-III), as knockdown of ESCRT-III/Vps4 genes rescues nucleoporin levels, normalizes NCT, and suppresses GGGGCC-mediated neurodegeneration. GGGGCC expression upregulates nuclear ESCRT-III/Vps4 expression, and expansion microscopy demonstrates that the nucleoporins are translocated into the cytoplasm before undergoing proteasome-mediated degradation. These findings demonstrate a mechanism for nucleoporin degradation and NPC dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Kumar Dubey
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Kirstin Maulding
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular and Molecular Medicine Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Hyun Sung
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Thomas E Lloyd
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular and Molecular Medicine Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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26
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Drosophila melanogaster as a Tool for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research. J Dev Biol 2022; 10:jdb10030036. [PMID: 36135369 PMCID: PMC9505035 DOI: 10.3390/jdb10030036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Reliable animal model systems are an integral part of biological research. Ever since Thomas Hunt Morgan won a Nobel Prize for genetic work done using the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) as a model organism, it has played a larger and more important role in genetic research. Drosophila models have long been used to study neurodegenerative diseases and have aided in identifying key disease progression biological pathways. Due to the availability of a vast array of genetic manipulation tools, its relatively short lifespan, and its ability to produce many progenies, D. melanogaster has provided the ability to conduct large-scale genetic screens to elucidate possible genetic and molecular interactions in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s Disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). With regards to ALS, many of the gene mutations that have been discovered to be linked to the disease have been modeled in Drosophila to provide a look into a detailed model of pathogenesis. The aim of this review is to summarize key and newer developments in ALS research that have utilized Drosophila and to provide insight into the profound use of Drosophila as a tool for modeling this disease.
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27
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Braun M, Shoshani S, Tabach Y. Transcriptome changes in DM1 patients’ tissues are governed by the RNA interference pathway. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:955753. [PMID: 36060259 PMCID: PMC9437208 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.955753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystemic disease caused by pathogenic expansions of CTG repeats. The expanded repeats are transcribed to long RNA and induce cellular toxicity. Recent studies suggest that the CUG repeats are processed by the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway to generate small interfering repeated RNA (siRNA). However, the effects of the CTG repeat-derived siRNAs remain unclear. We hypothesize that the RNAi machinery in DM1 patients generates distinct gene expression patterns that determine the disease phenotype in the individual patient. The abundance of genes with complementary repeats that are targeted by siRNAs in each tissue determines the way that the tissue is affected in DM1. We integrated and analyzed published transcriptome data from muscle, heart, and brain biopsies of DM1 patients, and revealed shared, characteristic changes that correlated with disease phenotype. These signatures are overrepresented by genes and transcription factors bearing endogenous CTG/CAG repeats and are governed by aberrant activity of the RNAi machinery, miRNAs, and a specific gain-of-function of the CTG repeats. Computational analysis of the DM1 transcriptome enhances our understanding of the complex pathophysiology of the disease and may reveal a path for cure.
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28
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Sung H, Lloyd TE. Defective axonal transport of endo-lysosomes and dense core vesicles in a Drosophila model of C9-ALS/FTD. Traffic 2022; 23:430-441. [PMID: 35908282 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12861] [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: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
A GGGGCC (G4 C2 ) repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Although disruptions in axonal transport are implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, the underlying mechanisms causing these defects remain unclear. Here, we performed live imaging of Drosophila motor neurons expressing expanded G4 C2 repeats in third-instar larvae and investigated the axonal transport of multiple organelles in vivo. Expression of expanded G4 C2 repeats causes an increase in static axonal lysosomes, while it impairs trafficking of late endosomes (LEs) and dense core vesicles (DCVs). Surprisingly, however, axonal transport of mitochondria is unaffected in motor axons expressing expanded G4 C2 repeats. Thus, our data indicate that expanded G4 C2 repeat expression differentially impacts axonal transport of vesicular organelles and mitochondria in Drosophila models of C9orf72-associated ALS/FTD. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Sung
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.,Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Thomas E Lloyd
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.,Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
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29
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Regulating Phase Transition in Neurodegenerative Diseases by Nuclear Import Receptors. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11071009. [PMID: 36101390 PMCID: PMC9311884 DOI: 10.3390/biology11071009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) with a low-complexity prion-like domain (PLD) can undergo aberrant phase transitions and have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and FTD. Several nuclear RBPs mislocalize to cytoplasmic inclusions in disease conditions. Impairment in nucleocytoplasmic transport is another major event observed in ageing and in neurodegenerative disorders. Nuclear import receptors (NIRs) regulate the nucleocytoplasmic transport of different RBPs bearing a nuclear localization signal by restoring their nuclear localization. NIRs can also specifically dissolve or prevent the aggregation and liquid–liquid phase separation of wild-type or disease-linked mutant RBPs, due to their chaperoning activity. This review focuses on the LLPS of intrinsically disordered proteins and the role of NIRs in regulating LLPS in neurodegeneration. This review also discusses the implication of NIRs as therapeutic agents in neurogenerative diseases.
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30
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Baud A, Derbis M, Tutak K, Sobczak K. Partners in crime: Proteins implicated in
RNA
repeat expansion diseases. WIRES RNA 2022; 13:e1709. [PMID: 35229468 PMCID: PMC9539487 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Baud
- Department of Gene Expression Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan Poland
| | - Magdalena Derbis
- Department of Gene Expression Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan Poland
| | - Katarzyna Tutak
- Department of Gene Expression Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan Poland
| | - Krzysztof Sobczak
- Department of Gene Expression Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan Poland
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31
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Pun FW, Liu BHM, Long X, Leung HW, Leung GHD, Mewborne QT, Gao J, Shneyderman A, Ozerov IV, Wang J, Ren F, Aliper A, Bischof E, Izumchenko E, Guan X, Zhang K, Lu B, Rothstein JD, Cudkowicz ME, Zhavoronkov A. Identification of Therapeutic Targets for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Using PandaOmics – An AI-Enabled Biological Target Discovery Platform. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:914017. [PMID: 35837482 PMCID: PMC9273868 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.914017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe neurodegenerative disease with ill-defined pathogenesis, calling for urgent developments of new therapeutic regimens. Herein, we applied PandaOmics, an AI-driven target discovery platform, to analyze the expression profiles of central nervous system (CNS) samples (237 cases; 91 controls) from public datasets, and direct iPSC-derived motor neurons (diMNs) (135 cases; 31 controls) from Answer ALS. Seventeen high-confidence and eleven novel therapeutic targets were identified and will be released onto ALS.AI (http://als.ai/). Among the proposed targets screened in the c9ALS Drosophila model, we verified 8 unreported genes (KCNB2, KCNS3, ADRA2B, NR3C1, P2RY14, PPP3CB, PTPRC, and RARA) whose suppression strongly rescues eye neurodegeneration. Dysregulated pathways identified from CNS and diMN data characterize different stages of disease development. Altogether, our study provides new insights into ALS pathophysiology and demonstrates how AI speeds up the target discovery process, and opens up new opportunities for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank W. Pun
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Bonnie Hei Man Liu
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xi Long
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hoi Wing Leung
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Geoffrey Ho Duen Leung
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Quinlan T. Mewborne
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Junli Gao
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Anastasia Shneyderman
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ivan V. Ozerov
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ju Wang
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Feng Ren
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alexander Aliper
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Evelyne Bischof
- College of Clinical Medicine, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- International Center for Multimorbidity and Complexity in Medicine (ICMC), Universität Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Evgeny Izumchenko
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology and Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Xiaoming Guan
- 4B Technologies Limited, Suzhou BioBay, Suzhou, China
| | - Ke Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL, United States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Bai Lu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jeffrey D. Rothstein
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Merit E. Cudkowicz
- Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Merit E. Cudkowicz,
| | - Alex Zhavoronkov
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, United States
- Alex Zhavoronkov,
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32
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Gleixner AM, Verdone BM, Otte CG, Anderson EN, Ramesh N, Shapiro OR, Gale JR, Mauna JC, Mann JR, Copley KE, Daley EL, Ortega JA, Cicardi ME, Kiskinis E, Kofler J, Pandey UB, Trotti D, Donnelly CJ. NUP62 localizes to ALS/FTLD pathological assemblies and contributes to TDP-43 insolubility. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3380. [PMID: 35697676 PMCID: PMC9192689 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31098-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
A G4C2 hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic cause of ALS and FTLD (C9-ALS/FTLD) with cytoplasmic TDP-43 inclusions observed in regions of neurodegeneration. The accumulation of repetitive RNAs and dipeptide repeat protein (DPR) are two proposed mechanisms of toxicity in C9-ALS/FTLD and linked to impaired nucleocytoplasmic transport. Nucleocytoplasmic transport is regulated by the phenylalanine-glycine nucleoporins (FG nups) that comprise the nuclear pore complex (NPC) permeability barrier. However, the relationship between FG nups and TDP-43 pathology remains elusive. Our studies show that nuclear depletion and cytoplasmic mislocalization of one FG nup, NUP62, is linked to TDP-43 mislocalization in C9-ALS/FTLD iPSC neurons. Poly-glycine arginine (GR) DPR accumulation initiates the formation of cytoplasmic RNA granules that recruit NUP62 and TDP-43. Cytoplasmic NUP62 and TDP-43 interactions promotes their insolubility and NUP62:TDP-43 inclusions are frequently found in C9orf72 ALS/FTLD as well as sporadic ALS/FTLD postmortem CNS tissue. Our findings indicate NUP62 cytoplasmic mislocalization contributes to TDP-43 proteinopathy in ALS/FTLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Gleixner
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- LiveLikeLou Center for ALS Research, University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Brandie Morris Verdone
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Charlton G Otte
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- LiveLikeLou Center for ALS Research, University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Physician Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Eric N Anderson
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nandini Ramesh
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Olivia R Shapiro
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- LiveLikeLou Center for ALS Research, University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jenna R Gale
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- LiveLikeLou Center for ALS Research, University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jocelyn C Mauna
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- LiveLikeLou Center for ALS Research, University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jacob R Mann
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- LiveLikeLou Center for ALS Research, University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Katie E Copley
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- LiveLikeLou Center for ALS Research, University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Daley
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University of Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Juan A Ortega
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University of Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Maria Elena Cicardi
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Evangelos Kiskinis
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University of Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Julia Kofler
- LiveLikeLou Center for ALS Research, University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Udai B Pandey
- LiveLikeLou Center for ALS Research, University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Davide Trotti
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christopher J Donnelly
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- LiveLikeLou Center for ALS Research, University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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33
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Westerhaus A, Joseph T, Meyers AJ, Jang Y, Na CH, Cave C, Sockanathan S. The distribution and function of GDE2, a regulator of spinal motor neuron survival, are disrupted in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:73. [PMID: 35550203 PMCID: PMC9102353 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01376-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects the viability of upper and lower motor neurons. Current options for treatment are limited, necessitating deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying ALS pathogenesis. Glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase 2 (GDE2 or GDPD5) is a six-transmembrane protein that acts on the cell surface to cleave the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor that tethers some proteins to the membrane. GDE2 is required for the survival of spinal motor neurons but whether GDE2 neuroprotective activity is disrupted in ALS is not known. We utilized a combination of mouse models and patient post-mortem samples to evaluate GDE2 functionality in ALS. Haplogenetic reduction of GDE2 exacerbated motor neuron degeneration and loss in SOD1G93A mice but not in control SOD1WT transgenic animals, indicating that GDE2 neuroprotective function is diminished in the context of SOD1G93A. In tissue samples from patients with ALS, total levels of GDE2 protein were equivalent to healthy controls; however, membrane levels of GDE2 were substantially reduced. Indeed, GDE2 was found to aberrantly accumulate in intracellular compartments of ALS motor cortex, consistent with a disruption of GDE2 function at the cell surface. Supporting the impairment of GDE2 activity in ALS, tandem-mass-tag mass spectrometry revealed a pronounced reduction of GPI-anchored proteins released into the CSF of patients with ALS compared with control patients. Taken together, this study provides cellular and biochemical evidence that GDE2 distribution and activity is disrupted in ALS, supporting the notion that the failure of GDE2-dependent neuroprotective pathways contributes to neurodegeneration and motor neuron loss in disease. These observations highlight the dysregulation of GPI-anchored protein pathways as candidate mediators of disease onset and progression and accordingly, provide new insight into the mechanisms underlying ALS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Westerhaus
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, PCTB1004, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Thea Joseph
- Neuroscience Program, Middlebury College, 276 Bicentennial Way, Middlebury, VT 05753 USA
| | - Alison J. Meyers
- Neuroscience Program, Middlebury College, 276 Bicentennial Way, Middlebury, VT 05753 USA
| | - Yura Jang
- Department of Neurology, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MRB 706, 733 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Chan Hyun Na
- Department of Neurology, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MRB 706, 733 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Clinton Cave
- Neuroscience Program, Middlebury College, 276 Bicentennial Way, Middlebury, VT 05753 USA
| | - Shanthini Sockanathan
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, PCTB1004, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
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34
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Circular RNA Cwc27 contributes to Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis by repressing Pur-α activity. Cell Death Differ 2022; 29:393-406. [PMID: 34504314 PMCID: PMC8817017 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-021-00865-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have gained growing attention in participating in various biological processes and referring to multiply kinds of diseases. Although differentially expressed circRNA profiling in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been established, little is known about the precise characteristic and functions of key circRNAs with direct relevance to AD in gene expression and disease-related cognition. Herein, we screened and identified circCwc27 as a novel circRNA implicated in AD. CircCwc27 was a neuronal-enriched circRNA that abundantly expressed in the brain and significantly upregulated in AD mice and patients. Knockdown of circCwc27 markedly improved AD-related pathological traits and ameliorated cognitive dysfunctions. Mechanistically, we excluded the miRNA decoy mechanism and focused on the important function of circRNA-RNA-binding protein (RBP) interaction in AD. CircCwc27 directly bound to purine-rich element-binding protein A (Pur-α), increased retention of cytoplasmic Pur-α, and suppressed Pur-α recruitment to the promoters of a cluster of AD genes, including amyloid precursor protein (APP), dopamine receptor D1 (Drd1), protein phosphatase 1, regulatory inhibitor subunit1B (Ppp1r1b), neurotrophic tyrosine kinase, receptor, type 1 (Ntrk1), and LIM homeobox 8 (Lhx8). Downregulation of circCwc27 enhanced the affinity of Pur-α binding to these promoters, leading to altered transcription of Pur-α targets. Moreover, Pur-α overexpression largely phenocopied circCwc27 knockdown in preventing Aβ deposition and cognitive decline. Together, our findings suggest significant functional consequences of a circRNA-protein interaction, that circCwc27, by associating with the regulatory protein Pur-α, may act as a crucial player in AD pathogenesis and represent a promising AD therapeutic target with clinical translational potential.
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35
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Licata NV, Cristofani R, Salomonsson S, Wilson KM, Kempthorne L, Vaizoglu D, D’Agostino VG, Pollini D, Loffredo R, Pancher M, Adami V, Bellosta P, Ratti A, Viero G, Quattrone A, Isaacs AM, Poletti A, Provenzani A. C9orf72 ALS/FTD dipeptide repeat protein levels are reduced by small molecules that inhibit PKA or enhance protein degradation. EMBO J 2022; 41:e105026. [PMID: 34791698 PMCID: PMC8724771 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020105026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Intronic GGGGCC (G4C2) hexanucleotide repeat expansion within the human C9orf72 gene represents the most common cause of familial forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) (C9ALS/FTD). Repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation of repeat-containing C9orf72 RNA results in the production of neurotoxic dipeptide-repeat proteins (DPRs). Here, we developed a high-throughput drug screen for the identification of positive and negative modulators of DPR levels. We found that HSP90 inhibitor geldanamycin and aldosterone antagonist spironolactone reduced DPR levels by promoting protein degradation via the proteasome and autophagy pathways respectively. Surprisingly, cAMP-elevating compounds boosting protein kinase A (PKA) activity increased DPR levels. Inhibition of PKA activity, by both pharmacological and genetic approaches, reduced DPR levels in cells and rescued pathological phenotypes in a Drosophila model of C9ALS/FTD. Moreover, knockdown of PKA-catalytic subunits correlated with reduced translation efficiency of DPRs, while the PKA inhibitor H89 reduced endogenous DPR levels in C9ALS/FTD patient-derived iPSC motor neurons. Together, our results suggest new and druggable pathways modulating DPR levels in C9ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nausicaa V Licata
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Riccardo Cristofani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e BiomolecolariUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanItaly
| | - Sally Salomonsson
- Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Katherine M Wilson
- Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Liam Kempthorne
- Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Deniz Vaizoglu
- Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Vito G D’Agostino
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Daniele Pollini
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Rosa Loffredo
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Michael Pancher
- HTS Core Facility, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Valentina Adami
- HTS Core Facility, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Paola Bellosta
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
- Department of MedicineNYU at Grossman School of MedicineNYUSA
| | - Antonia Ratti
- Department of NeurologyStroke Unit and Laboratory of NeuroscienceIstituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCSMilanItaly
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina TraslazionaleUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanItaly
| | | | - Alessandro Quattrone
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Adrian M Isaacs
- Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Angelo Poletti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e BiomolecolariUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanItaly
| | - Alessandro Provenzani
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative BiologyUniversity of TrentoTrentoItaly
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Forming cytoplasmic stress granules PURα suppresses mRNA translation initiation of IGFBP3 to promote esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression. Oncogene 2022; 41:4336-4348. [PMID: 35945453 PMCID: PMC9481463 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02426-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most fatal malignancies worldwide. Recently, our group identified purine-rich element binding protein alpha (PURα), a single-stranded DNA/RNA-binding protein, to be significantly associated with the progression of ESCC. Additional immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that PURα forms cytoplasmic stress granules to suppress mRNA translation initiation. The expression level of cytoplasmic PURα in ESCC tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent epithelia and correlated with a worse patient survival rate by immunohistochemistry. Functionally, PURα strongly preferred to bind to UG-/U-rich motifs and mRNA 3´UTR by CLIP-seq analysis. Moreover, PURα knockout significantly increased the protein level of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3). In addition, it was further demonstrated that PURα-interacting proteins are remarkably associated with translation initiation factors and ribosome-related proteins and that PURα regulates protein expression by interacting with translation initiation factors, such as PABPC1, eIF3B and eIF3F, in an RNA-independent manner, while the interaction with ribosome-related proteins is significantly dependent on RNA. Specifically, PURα was shown to interact with the mRNA 3´UTR of IGFBP3 and inhibit its expression by suppressing mRNA translation initiation. Together, this study identifies cytoplasmic PURα as a modulator of IGFBP3, which could be a promising therapeutic target for ESCC treatment.
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37
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Anoar S, Woodling NS, Niccoli T. Mitochondria Dysfunction in Frontotemporal Dementia/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Lessons From Drosophila Models. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:786076. [PMID: 34899176 PMCID: PMC8652125 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.786076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by declining motor and cognitive functions. Even though these diseases present with distinct sets of symptoms, FTD and ALS are two extremes of the same disease spectrum, as they show considerable overlap in genetic, clinical and neuropathological features. Among these overlapping features, mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with both FTD and ALS. Recent studies have shown that cells derived from patients' induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)s display mitochondrial abnormalities, and similar abnormalities have been observed in a number of animal disease models. Drosophila models have been widely used to study FTD and ALS because of their rapid generation time and extensive set of genetic tools. A wide array of fly models have been developed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of toxicity for mutations associated with FTD/ALS. Fly models have been often instrumental in understanding the role of disease associated mutations in mitochondria biology. In this review, we discuss how mutations associated with FTD/ALS disrupt mitochondrial function, and we review how the use of Drosophila models has been pivotal to our current knowledge in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharifah Anoar
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nathaniel S Woodling
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Teresa Niccoli
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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38
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Lee H, Lee JJ, Park NY, Dubey SK, Kim T, Ruan K, Lim SB, Park SH, Ha S, Kovlyagina I, Kim KT, Kim S, Oh Y, Kim H, Kang SU, Song MR, Lloyd TE, Maragakis NJ, Hong YB, Eoh H, Lee G. Multi-omic analysis of selectively vulnerable motor neuron subtypes implicates altered lipid metabolism in ALS. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:1673-1685. [PMID: 34782793 PMCID: PMC8639773 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00944-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disorder in which motor neurons degenerate, the causes of which remain unclear. In particular, the basis for selective vulnerability of spinal motor neurons (sMNs) and resistance of ocular motor neurons to degeneration in ALS has yet to be elucidated. Here, we applied comparative multi-omics analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived sMNs and ocular motor neurons to identify shared metabolic perturbations in inherited and sporadic ALS sMNs, revealing dysregulation in lipid metabolism and its related genes. Targeted metabolomics studies confirmed such findings in sMNs of 17 ALS (SOD1, C9ORF72, TDP43 (TARDBP) and sporadic) human induced pluripotent stem cell lines, identifying elevated levels of arachidonic acid. Pharmacological reduction of arachidonic acid levels was sufficient to reverse ALS-related phenotypes in both human sMNs and in vivo in Drosophila and SOD1G93A mouse models. Collectively, these findings pinpoint a catalytic step of lipid metabolism as a potential therapeutic target for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hojae Lee
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- The Robert Packard Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jae Jin Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Na Young Park
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, Korea
- Department of Translational Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Dong-A University, Busan, Korea
| | - Sandeep Kumar Dubey
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Taeyong Kim
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Kai Ruan
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Su Bin Lim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
| | - Seong-Hyun Park
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shinwon Ha
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Irina Kovlyagina
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Kyung-Tai Kim
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
- Jeonbuk Branch Institute, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Jeongeup, Republic of Korea
| | - Seongjun Kim
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yohan Oh
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyesoo Kim
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sung-Ung Kang
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mi-Ryoung Song
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Thomas E Lloyd
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine Program, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nicholas J Maragakis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Young Bin Hong
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, Korea.
- Department of Translational Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Dong-A University, Busan, Korea.
| | - Hyungjin Eoh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Gabsang Lee
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- The Robert Packard Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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39
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Li J, Lim RG, Kaye JA, Dardov V, Coyne AN, Wu J, Milani P, Cheng A, Thompson TG, Ornelas L, Frank A, Adam M, Banuelos MG, Casale M, Cox V, Escalante-Chong R, Daigle JG, Gomez E, Hayes L, Holewenski R, Lei S, Lenail A, Lima L, Mandefro B, Matlock A, Panther L, Patel-Murray NL, Pham J, Ramamoorthy D, Sachs K, Shelley B, Stocksdale J, Trost H, Wilhelm M, Venkatraman V, Wassie BT, Wyman S, Yang S, Van Eyk JE, Lloyd TE, Finkbeiner S, Fraenkel E, Rothstein JD, Sareen D, Svendsen CN, Thompson LM. An integrated multi-omic analysis of iPSC-derived motor neurons from C9ORF72 ALS patients. iScience 2021; 24:103221. [PMID: 34746695 PMCID: PMC8554488 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are challenging for systems biology because of the lack of reliable animal models or patient samples at early disease stages. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could address these challenges. We investigated DNA, RNA, epigenetics, and proteins in iPSC-derived motor neurons from patients with ALS carrying hexanucleotide expansions in C9ORF72. Using integrative computational methods combining all omics datasets, we identified novel and known dysregulated pathways. We used a C9ORF72 Drosophila model to distinguish pathways contributing to disease phenotypes from compensatory ones and confirmed alterations in some pathways in postmortem spinal cord tissue of patients with ALS. A different differentiation protocol was used to derive a separate set of C9ORF72 and control motor neurons. Many individual -omics differed by protocol, but some core dysregulated pathways were consistent. This strategy of analyzing patient-specific neurons provides disease-related outcomes with small numbers of heterogeneous lines and reduces variation from single-omics to elucidate network-based signatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Li
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ryan G. Lim
- UCI MIND, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Julia A. Kaye
- Center for Systems and Therapeutics and the Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Victoria Dardov
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, The Barbra Streisand Heart Center, The Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alyssa N. Coyne
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 212056, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 212056, USA
| | - Jie Wu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Pamela Milani
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Andrew Cheng
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 212056, USA
| | | | - Loren Ornelas
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Aaron Frank
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Miriam Adam
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Maria G. Banuelos
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Malcolm Casale
- UCI MIND, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Veerle Cox
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 212056, USA
| | - Renan Escalante-Chong
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - J. Gavin Daigle
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 212056, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 212056, USA
| | - Emilda Gomez
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Lindsey Hayes
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 212056, USA
| | - Ronald Holewenski
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, The Barbra Streisand Heart Center, The Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Susan Lei
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Alex Lenail
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Leandro Lima
- Center for Systems and Therapeutics and the Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Berhan Mandefro
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Andrea Matlock
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, The Barbra Streisand Heart Center, The Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lindsay Panther
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | | | - Jacqueline Pham
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 212056, USA
| | - Divya Ramamoorthy
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Karen Sachs
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Brandon Shelley
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Jennifer Stocksdale
- UCI MIND, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Hannah Trost
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Mark Wilhelm
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 212056, USA
| | - Vidya Venkatraman
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, The Barbra Streisand Heart Center, The Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Brook T. Wassie
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Stacia Wyman
- Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Stephanie Yang
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 212056, USA
| | | | - Jennifer E. Van Eyk
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, The Barbra Streisand Heart Center, The Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Thomas E. Lloyd
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 212056, USA
| | - Steven Finkbeiner
- Center for Systems and Therapeutics and the Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ernest Fraenkel
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Rothstein
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 212056, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 212056, USA
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 212056, USA
| | - Dhruv Sareen
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Clive N. Svendsen
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Leslie M. Thompson
- UCI MIND, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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40
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Bonifacino T, Zerbo RA, Balbi M, Torazza C, Frumento G, Fedele E, Bonanno G, Milanese M. Nearly 30 Years of Animal Models to Study Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Historical Overview and Future Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212236. [PMID: 34830115 PMCID: PMC8619465 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal, multigenic, multifactorial, and non-cell autonomous neurodegenerative disease characterized by upper and lower motor neuron loss. Several genetic mutations lead to ALS development and many emerging gene mutations have been discovered in recent years. Over the decades since 1990, several animal models have been generated to study ALS pathology including both vertebrates and invertebrates such as yeast, worms, flies, zebrafish, mice, rats, guinea pigs, dogs, and non-human primates. Although these models show different peculiarities, they are all useful and complementary to dissect the pathological mechanisms at the basis of motor neuron degeneration and ALS progression, thus contributing to the development of new promising therapeutics. In this review, we describe the up to date and available ALS genetic animal models, classified by the different genetic mutations and divided per species, pointing out their features in modeling, the onset and progression of the pathology, as well as their specific pathological hallmarks. Moreover, we highlight similarities, differences, advantages, and limitations, aimed at helping the researcher to select the most appropriate experimental animal model, when designing a preclinical ALS study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Bonifacino
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
- Inter-University Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching & Research (Centro 3R), 56122 Genoa, Italy
| | - Roberta Arianna Zerbo
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Matilde Balbi
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Carola Torazza
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Giulia Frumento
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Ernesto Fedele
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Giambattista Bonanno
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Marco Milanese
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
- Inter-University Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching & Research (Centro 3R), 56122 Genoa, Italy
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41
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Sharpe JL, Harper NS, Garner DR, West RJH. Modeling C9orf72-Related Frontotemporal Dementia and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Drosophila. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:770937. [PMID: 34744635 PMCID: PMC8566814 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.770937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
An intronic hexanucleotide (GGGGCC) expansion in the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In the decade following its discovery, much progress has been made in enhancing our understanding of how it precipitates disease. Both loss of function caused by reduced C9orf72 transcript levels, and gain of function mechanisms, triggered by the production of repetitive sense and antisense RNA and dipeptide repeat proteins, are thought to contribute to the toxicity. Drosophila models, with their unrivaled genetic tractability and short lifespan, have played a key role in developing our understanding of C9orf72-related FTD/ALS. There is no C9orf72 homolog in fly, and although this precludes investigations into loss of function toxicity, it is useful for elucidating mechanisms underpinning gain of function toxicity. To date there are a range of Drosophila C9orf72 models, encompassing different aspects of gain of function toxicity. In addition to pure repeat transgenes, which produce both repeat RNA and dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs), RNA only models and DPR models have been generated to unpick the individual contributions of RNA and each dipeptide repeat protein to C9orf72 toxicity. In this review, we discuss how Drosophila models have shaped our understanding of C9orf72 gain of function toxicity, and address opportunities to utilize these models for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne L. Sharpe
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Nikki S. Harper
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Duncan R. Garner
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Neuroscience Institute, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan J. H. West
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Neuroscience Institute, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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42
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Liguori F, Amadio S, Volonté C. Fly for ALS: Drosophila modeling on the route to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis modifiers. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:6143-6160. [PMID: 34322715 PMCID: PMC11072332 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03905-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare, devastating disease, causing movement impairment, respiratory failure and ultimate death. A plethora of genetic, cellular and molecular mechanisms are involved in ALS signature, although the initiating causes and progressive pathological events are far from being understood. Drosophila research has produced seminal discoveries for more than a century and has been successfully used in the past 25 years to untangle the process of ALS pathogenesis, and recognize potential markers and novel strategies for therapeutic solutions. This review will provide an updated view of several ALS modifiers validated in C9ORF72, SOD1, FUS, TDP-43 and Ataxin-2 Drosophila models. We will discuss basic and preclinical findings, illustrating recent developments and novel breakthroughs, also depicting unsettled challenges and limitations in the Drosophila-ALS field. We intend to stimulate a renewed debate on Drosophila as a screening route to identify more successful disease modifiers and neuroprotective agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Liguori
- Preclinical Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Susanna Amadio
- Preclinical Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Cinzia Volonté
- Preclinical Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143, Rome, Italy.
- Institute for Systems Analysis and Computer Science "A. Ruberti", National Research Council (IASI-CNR), Via dei Taurini 19, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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43
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Frottin F, Pérez-Berlanga M, Hartl FU, Hipp MS. Multiple pathways of toxicity induced by C9orf72 dipeptide repeat aggregates and G 4C 2 RNA in a cellular model. eLife 2021; 10:62718. [PMID: 34161229 PMCID: PMC8221807 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The most frequent genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia is a G4C2 repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene. This expansion gives rise to translation of aggregating dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins, including poly-GA as the most abundant species. However, gain of toxic function effects have been attributed to either the DPRs or the pathological G4C2 RNA. Here, we analyzed in a cellular model the relative toxicity of DPRs and RNA. Cytoplasmic poly-GA aggregates, generated in the absence of G4C2 RNA, interfered with nucleocytoplasmic protein transport, but had little effect on cell viability. In contrast, nuclear poly-GA was more toxic, impairing nucleolar protein quality control and protein biosynthesis. Production of the G4C2 RNA strongly reduced viability independent of DPR translation and caused pronounced inhibition of nuclear mRNA export and protein biogenesis. Thus, while the toxic effects of G4C2 RNA predominate in the cellular model used, DPRs exert additive effects that may contribute to pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Frottin
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Manuela Pérez-Berlanga
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - F Ulrich Hartl
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Mark S Hipp
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.,School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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44
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Braems E, Tziortzouda P, Van Den Bosch L. Exploring the alternative: Fish, flies and worms as preclinical models for ALS. Neurosci Lett 2021; 759:136041. [PMID: 34118308 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons. In general, patients succumb to respiratory insufficiency due to respiratory muscle weakness. Despite many promising therapeutic strategies primarily identified in rodent models, patient trials remain rather unsuccessful. There is a clear need for alternative approaches, which could provide directions towards the justified use of rodents and which increase the likelihood to identify new promising clinical candidates. In the last decades, the use of fast genetic approaches and the development of high-throughput screening platforms in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and in zebrafish (Danio rerio) have contributed to new insights into ALS pathomechanisms, disease modifiers and therapeutic targets. In this mini-review, we provide an overview of these alternative small animal studies, modeling the most common ALS genes and discuss the most recent preclinical discoveries. We conclude that small animal models will not replace rodent models, yet they clearly represent an important asset for preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Braems
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Paraskevi Tziortzouda
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium.
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45
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Solomon DA, Smikle R, Reid MJ, Mizielinska S. Altered Phase Separation and Cellular Impact in C9orf72-Linked ALS/FTD. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:664151. [PMID: 33967699 PMCID: PMC8096919 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.664151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of the C9orf72 repeat expansion mutation as causative for chromosome 9-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2011, a multitude of cellular pathways have been implicated. However, evidence has also been accumulating for a key mechanism of cellular compartmentalization—phase separation. Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is fundamental for the formation of membraneless organelles including stress granules, the nucleolus, Cajal bodies, nuclear speckles and the central channel of the nuclear pore. Evidence has now accumulated showing that the formation and function of these membraneless organelles is impaired by both the toxic arginine rich dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs), translated from the C9orf72 repeat RNA transcript, and the repeat RNA itself. Both the arginine rich DPRs and repeat RNA themselves undergo phase separation and disrupt the physiological phase separation of proteins involved in the formation of these liquid-like organelles. Hence abnormal phase separation may explain a number of pathological cellular phenomena associated with C9orf72-ALS/FTD. In this review article, we will discuss the principles of phase separation, phase separation of the DPRs and repeat RNA themselves and how they perturb LLPS associated with membraneless organelles and the functional consequences of this. We will then discuss how phase separation may impact the major pathological feature of C9orf72-ALS/FTD, TDP-43 proteinopathy, and how LLPS may be targeted therapeutically in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Solomon
- UK Dementia Research Institute at King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rebekah Smikle
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Reid
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Mizielinska
- UK Dementia Research Institute at King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
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46
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Liguori F, Amadio S, Volonté C. Where and Why Modeling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22083977. [PMID: 33921446 PMCID: PMC8070525 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22083977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the years, researchers have leveraged a host of different in vivo models in order to dissect amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative/neuroinflammatory disease that is heterogeneous in its clinical presentation and is multigenic, multifactorial and non-cell autonomous. These models include both vertebrates and invertebrates such as yeast, worms, flies, zebrafish, mice, rats, guinea pigs, dogs and, more recently, non-human primates. Despite their obvious differences and peculiarities, only the concurrent and comparative analysis of these various systems will allow the untangling of the causes and mechanisms of ALS for finally obtaining new efficacious therapeutics. However, harnessing these powerful organisms poses numerous challenges. In this context, we present here an updated and comprehensive review of how eukaryotic unicellular and multicellular organisms that reproduce a few of the main clinical features of the disease have helped in ALS research to dissect the pathological pathways of the disease insurgence and progression. We describe common features as well as discrepancies among these models, highlighting new insights and emerging roles for experimental organisms in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Liguori
- Preclinical Neuroscience, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; (F.L.); (S.A.)
| | - Susanna Amadio
- Preclinical Neuroscience, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; (F.L.); (S.A.)
| | - Cinzia Volonté
- Preclinical Neuroscience, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; (F.L.); (S.A.)
- Institute for Systems Analysis and Computer Science “A. Ruberti”, National Research Council (IASI—CNR), 00185 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-06-50170-3084
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47
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Jhan CR, Satange R, Wang SC, Zeng JY, Horng YC, Jin P, Neidle S, Hou MH. Targeting the ALS/FTD-associated A-DNA kink with anthracene-based metal complex causes DNA backbone straightening and groove contraction. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:9526-9538. [PMID: 33836081 PMCID: PMC8450080 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of a small molecule compound to reduce toxic repeat RNA transcripts or their translated aberrant proteins to target repeat-expanded RNA/DNA with a G4C2 motif is a promising strategy to treat C9orf72-linked disorders. In this study, the crystal structures of DNA and RNA–DNA hybrid duplexes with the -GGGCCG- region as a G4C2 repeat motif were solved. Unusual groove widening and sharper bending of the G4C2 DNA duplex A-DNA conformation with B-form characteristics inside was observed. The G4C2 RNA–DNA hybrid duplex adopts a more typical rigid A form structure. Detailed structural analysis revealed that the G4C2 repeat motif of the DNA duplex exhibits a hydration shell and greater flexibility and serves as a ‘hot-spot’ for binding of the anthracene-based nickel complex, NiII(Chro)2 (Chro = Chromomycin A3). In addition to the original GGCC recognition site, NiII(Chro)2 has extended specificity and binds the flanked G:C base pairs of the GGCC core, resulting in minor groove contraction and straightening of the DNA backbone. We have also shown that Chro-metal complexes inhibit neuronal toxicity and suppresses locomotor deficits in a Drosophila model of C9orf72-associated ALS. The approach represents a new direction for drug discovery against ALS and FTD diseases by targeting G4C2 repeat motif DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyong-Ru Jhan
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Roshan Satange
- Ph.D. Program in Medical Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.,Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics; National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Shun-Ching Wang
- Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics; National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Jing-Yi Zeng
- Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics; National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Yih-Chern Horng
- Department of Chemistry, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua 50058, Taiwan
| | - Peng Jin
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Stephen Neidle
- The School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
| | - Ming-Hon Hou
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.,Ph.D. Program in Medical Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.,Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics; National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
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48
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Han MH, Kwon MJ, Ko BS, Hyeon DY, Lee D, Kim HJ, Hwang D, Lee SB. NF-κB disinhibition contributes to dendrite defects in fly models of neurodegenerative diseases. J Cell Biol 2021; 219:211484. [PMID: 33090185 PMCID: PMC7588142 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202004107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendrite pathology is frequently observed in various neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Although previous studies identified several pathogenic mediators of dendrite defects that act through loss of function in NDs, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, our search for additional pathogenic contributors to dendrite defects in NDs identifies Relish/NF-κB as a novel gain-of-toxicity–based mediator of dendrite defects in animal models for polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In a Drosophila model for polyQ diseases, polyQ-induced dendrite defects require Dredd/Caspase-8–mediated endoproteolytic cleavage of Relish to generate the N-terminal fragment, Rel68, and subsequent Charon-mediated nuclear localization of Rel68. Rel68 alone induced neuronal toxicity causing dendrite and behavioral defects, and we identify two novel transcriptional targets, Tup and Pros, that mediate Rel68-induced neuronal toxicity. Finally, we show that Rel68-induced toxicity also contributes to dendrite and behavioral defects in a Drosophila model for ALS. Collectively, our data propose disinhibition of latent toxicity of Relish/NF-κB as a novel pathogenic mechanism underlying dendrite pathology in NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myeong Hoon Han
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Jee Kwon
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung Su Ko
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Do Young Hyeon
- School of Biological Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Davin Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Jun Kim
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Daehee Hwang
- School of Biological Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Bae Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea.,Protein Dynamics-Based Proteotoxicity Control Laboratory, Basic Research Lab, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Korea.,Well Aging Research Center, Division of Biotechnology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Korea
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49
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Zaepfel BL, Zhang Z, Maulding K, Coyne AN, Cheng W, Hayes LR, Lloyd TE, Sun S, Rothstein JD. UPF1 reduces C9orf72 HRE-induced neurotoxicity in the absence of nonsense-mediated decay dysfunction. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108925. [PMID: 33789100 PMCID: PMC8063722 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple cellular pathways have been suggested to be altered by the C9orf72 GGGGCC (G4C2) hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE), including aspects of RNA regulation such as nonsense-mediated decay (NMD). Here, we investigate the role that overexpression of UPF1, a protein involved in NMD, plays in mitigating neurotoxicity in multiple models of C9orf72 ALS/FTD. First, we show that NMD is not altered in our endogenous induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived spinal neuron (iPSN) model of C9orf72 ALS (C9-ALS) or postmortem motor cortex tissue from C9-ALS patients. Unexpectedly, we find that UPF1 overexpression significantly reduces the severity of known neurodegenerative phenotypes without altering NMD function itself. UPF1 overexpression reduces poly(GP) abundance without altering the amount of repeat RNA, providing a potential mechanism by which UPF1 reduces dipeptide repeat (DPR) protein-mediated toxicity. Together, these findings indicate that UPF1 is neuroprotective in the context of C9-ALS, albeit independent of known UPF1-mediated NMD pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Zaepfel
- Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Molecular Biology and Genetics Department, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Kirstin Maulding
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular and Molecular Medicine Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Alyssa N Coyne
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Weiwei Cheng
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Lindsey R Hayes
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Thomas E Lloyd
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Shuying Sun
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Jeffrey D Rothstein
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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50
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Jiao B, Wang M, Feng H, Bao H, Zhang F, Wu H, Wang J, Tang B, Jin P, Shen L. Downregulation of TOP2 modulates neurodegeneration caused by GGGGCC expanded repeats. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:893-901. [PMID: 33749734 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
GGGGCC repeats in a non-coding region of the C9orf72 gene have been identified as a major genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia. We previously showed that the GGGGCC expanded repeats alone were sufficient to cause neurodegeneration in Drosophila. Recent evidence indicates that GGGGCC expanded repeats can modify various gene transcriptomes. To determine the role of these genes in GGGGCC-mediated neurotoxicity, we screened an established Drosophila model expressing GGGGCC expanded repeats in this study. Our results showed that knockdown of the DNA topoisomerase II (Top2) gene can specifically modulate GGGGCC-associated neurodegeneration of the eye. Furthermore, chemical inhibition of Top2 or siRNA-induced Top2 downregulation could alleviate the GGGGCC-mediated neurotoxicity in Drosophila assessed by eye neurodegeneration and locomotion impairment. By contrast, upregulated Top2 levels were detected in Drosophila strains, and moreover, TOP2A level was also upregulated in Neuro-2a cells expressing GGGGCC expanded repeats, as well as in the brains of Sod1G93A model mice. This indicated that elevated levels of TOP2A may be involved in a pathway common to the pathophysiology of distinct ALS forms. Moreover, through RNA-sequencing, a total of 67 genes, involved in the pathways of intracellular signaling cascades, peripheral nervous system development, and others, were identified as potential targets of TOP2A to modulate GGGGCC-mediated neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Jiao
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Mengli Wang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Hao Feng
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Han Bao
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Feiran Zhang
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Junling Wang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Beisha Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Peng Jin
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Lu Shen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
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