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Gao J, Sterling E, Hankin R, Sikal A, Yao Y. Therapeutics Targeting Skeletal Muscle in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Biomolecules 2024; 14:878. [PMID: 39062592 PMCID: PMC11275039 DOI: 10.3390/biom14070878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a complex neuromuscular disease characterized by progressive motor neuron degeneration, neuromuscular junction dismantling, and muscle wasting. The pathological and therapeutic studies of ALS have long been neurocentric. However, recent insights have highlighted the significance of peripheral tissue, particularly skeletal muscle, in disease pathology and treatment. This is evidenced by restricted ALS-like muscle atrophy, which can retrogradely induce neuromuscular junction and motor neuron degeneration. Moreover, therapeutics targeting skeletal muscles can effectively decelerate disease progression by modulating muscle satellite cells for muscle repair, suppressing inflammation, and promoting the recovery or regeneration of the neuromuscular junction. This review summarizes and discusses therapeutic strategies targeting skeletal muscles for ALS treatment. It aims to provide a comprehensive reference for the development of novel therapeutics targeting skeletal muscles, potentially ameliorating the progression of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Yao Yao
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, Department of Animal and Dairy Science, College of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA (E.S.)
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2
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Dashtmian AR, Darvishi FB, Arnold WD. Chronological and Biological Aging in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and the Potential of Senolytic Therapies. Cells 2024; 13:928. [PMID: 38891059 PMCID: PMC11171952 DOI: 10.3390/cells13110928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a group of sporadic and genetic neurodegenerative disorders that result in losses of upper and lower motor neurons. Treatment of ALS is limited, and survival is 2-5 years after disease onset. While ALS can occur in younger individuals, the risk significantly increases with advancing age. Notably, both sporadic and genetic forms of ALS share pathophysiological features overlapping hallmarks of aging including genome instability/DNA damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, proteostasis, and cellular senescence. This review explores chronological and biological aging in the context of ALS onset and progression. Age-related muscle weakness and motor unit loss mirror aspects of ALS pathology and coincide with peak ALS incidence, suggesting a potential link between aging and disease development. Hallmarks of biological aging, including DNA damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cellular senescence, are implicated in both aging and ALS, offering insights into shared mechanisms underlying disease pathogenesis. Furthermore, senescence-associated secretory phenotype and senolytic treatments emerge as promising avenues for ALS intervention, with the potential to mitigate neuroinflammation and modify disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Roshani Dashtmian
- NextGen Precision Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; (A.R.D.); (F.B.D.)
- NextGen Precision Health, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Fereshteh B. Darvishi
- NextGen Precision Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; (A.R.D.); (F.B.D.)
- NextGen Precision Health, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - William David Arnold
- NextGen Precision Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; (A.R.D.); (F.B.D.)
- NextGen Precision Health, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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3
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Milioto C, Carcolé M, Giblin A, Coneys R, Attrebi O, Ahmed M, Harris SS, Lee BI, Yang M, Ellingford RA, Nirujogi RS, Biggs D, Salomonsson S, Zanovello M, de Oliveira P, Katona E, Glaria I, Mikheenko A, Geary B, Udine E, Vaizoglu D, Anoar S, Jotangiya K, Crowley G, Smeeth DM, Adams ML, Niccoli T, Rademakers R, van Blitterswijk M, Devoy A, Hong S, Partridge L, Coyne AN, Fratta P, Alessi DR, Davies B, Busche MA, Greensmith L, Fisher EMC, Isaacs AM. PolyGR and polyPR knock-in mice reveal a conserved neuroprotective extracellular matrix signature in C9orf72 ALS/FTD neurons. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:643-655. [PMID: 38424324 PMCID: PMC11001582 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01589-4] [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: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Dipeptide repeat proteins are a major pathogenic feature of C9orf72 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (C9ALS)/frontotemporal dementia (FTD) pathology, but their physiological impact has yet to be fully determined. Here we generated C9orf72 dipeptide repeat knock-in mouse models characterized by expression of 400 codon-optimized polyGR or polyPR repeats, and heterozygous C9orf72 reduction. (GR)400 and (PR)400 knock-in mice recapitulate key features of C9ALS/FTD, including cortical neuronal hyperexcitability, age-dependent spinal motor neuron loss and progressive motor dysfunction. Quantitative proteomics revealed an increase in extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in (GR)400 and (PR)400 spinal cord, with the collagen COL6A1 the most increased protein. TGF-β1 was one of the top predicted regulators of this ECM signature and polyGR expression in human induced pluripotent stem cell neurons was sufficient to induce TGF-β1 followed by COL6A1. Knockdown of TGF-β1 or COL6A1 orthologues in polyGR model Drosophila exacerbated neurodegeneration, while expression of TGF-β1 or COL6A1 in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons of patients with C9ALS/FTD protected against glutamate-induced cell death. Altogether, our findings reveal a neuroprotective and conserved ECM signature in C9ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmelo Milioto
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Mireia Carcolé
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Ashling Giblin
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rachel Coneys
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Olivia Attrebi
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Mhoriam Ahmed
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Samuel S Harris
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Byung Il Lee
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mengke Yang
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Raja S Nirujogi
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Daniel Biggs
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sally Salomonsson
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Matteo Zanovello
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Paula de Oliveira
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Eszter Katona
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Idoia Glaria
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Research Support Service, Institute of Agrobiotechnology, CSIC-Government of Navarra, Mutilva, Spain
| | - Alla Mikheenko
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Bethany Geary
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Evan Udine
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Deniz Vaizoglu
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Sharifah Anoar
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Khrisha Jotangiya
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Gerard Crowley
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Demelza M Smeeth
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Mirjam L Adams
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Teresa Niccoli
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rosa Rademakers
- VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Anny Devoy
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Soyon Hong
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Linda Partridge
- UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alyssa N Coyne
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Pietro Fratta
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Dario R Alessi
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Ben Davies
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Marc Aurel Busche
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Linda Greensmith
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth M C Fisher
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
- UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
| | - Adrian M Isaacs
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK.
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
- UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
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4
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Jagaraj CJ, Shadfar S, Kashani SA, Saravanabavan S, Farzana F, Atkin JD. Molecular hallmarks of ageing in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:111. [PMID: 38430277 PMCID: PMC10908642 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05164-9] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal, severely debilitating and rapidly progressing disorder affecting motor neurons in the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord. Unfortunately, there are few effective treatments, thus there remains a critical need to find novel interventions that can mitigate against its effects. Whilst the aetiology of ALS remains unclear, ageing is the major risk factor. Ageing is a slowly progressive process marked by functional decline of an organism over its lifespan. However, it remains unclear how ageing promotes the risk of ALS. At the molecular and cellular level there are specific hallmarks characteristic of normal ageing. These hallmarks are highly inter-related and overlap significantly with each other. Moreover, whilst ageing is a normal process, there are striking similarities at the molecular level between these factors and neurodegeneration in ALS. Nine ageing hallmarks were originally proposed: genomic instability, loss of telomeres, senescence, epigenetic modifications, dysregulated nutrient sensing, loss of proteostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction, stem cell exhaustion, and altered inter-cellular communication. However, these were recently (2023) expanded to include dysregulation of autophagy, inflammation and dysbiosis. Hence, given the latest updates to these hallmarks, and their close association to disease processes in ALS, a new examination of their relationship to pathophysiology is warranted. In this review, we describe possible mechanisms by which normal ageing impacts on neurodegenerative mechanisms implicated in ALS, and new therapeutic interventions that may arise from this.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Jones Jagaraj
- MND Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Sina Shadfar
- MND Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Sara Assar Kashani
- MND Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Sayanthooran Saravanabavan
- MND Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Fabiha Farzana
- MND Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Julie D Atkin
- MND Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 75 Talavera Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia.
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5
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Urban MW, Charsar BA, Heinsinger NM, Markandaiah SS, Sprimont L, Zhou W, Brown EV, Henderson NT, Thomas SJ, Ghosh B, Cain RE, Trotti D, Pasinelli P, Wright MC, Dalva MB, Lepore AC. EphrinB2 knockdown in cervical spinal cord preserves diaphragm innervation in a mutant SOD1 mouse model of ALS. eLife 2024; 12:RP89298. [PMID: 38224498 PMCID: PMC10945582 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89298] [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: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron loss. Importantly, non-neuronal cell types such as astrocytes also play significant roles in disease pathogenesis. However, mechanisms of astrocyte contribution to ALS remain incompletely understood. Astrocyte involvement suggests that transcellular signaling may play a role in disease. We examined contribution of transmembrane signaling molecule ephrinB2 to ALS pathogenesis, in particular its role in driving motor neuron damage by spinal cord astrocytes. In symptomatic SOD1G93A mice (a well-established ALS model), ephrinB2 expression was dramatically increased in ventral horn astrocytes. Reducing ephrinB2 in the cervical spinal cord ventral horn via viral-mediated shRNA delivery reduced motor neuron loss and preserved respiratory function by maintaining phrenic motor neuron innervation of diaphragm. EphrinB2 expression was also elevated in human ALS spinal cord. These findings implicate ephrinB2 upregulation as both a transcellular signaling mechanism in mutant SOD1-associated ALS and a promising therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark W Urban
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Brittany A Charsar
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Nicolette M Heinsinger
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Shashirekha S Markandaiah
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Lindsay Sprimont
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Wei Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Eric V Brown
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Nathan T Henderson
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Samantha J Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Biswarup Ghosh
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Rachel E Cain
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Davide Trotti
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Piera Pasinelli
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Megan C Wright
- Department of Biology, Arcadia UniversityGlensideUnited States
| | - Matthew B Dalva
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane UniversityNew OrleansUnited States
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
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6
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Urban MW, Charsar BA, Heinsinger NM, Markandaiah SS, Sprimont L, Zhou W, Brown EV, Henderson NT, Thomas SJ, Ghosh B, Cain RE, Trotti D, Pasinelli P, Wright MC, Dalva MB, Lepore AC. EphrinB2 knockdown in cervical spinal cord preserves diaphragm innervation in a mutant SOD1 mouse model of ALS. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.10.538887. [PMID: 37215009 PMCID: PMC10197713 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.10.538887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron loss. Importantly, non-neuronal cell types such as astrocytes also play significant roles in disease pathogenesis. However, mechanisms of astrocyte contribution to ALS remain incompletely understood. Astrocyte involvement suggests that transcellular signaling may play a role in disease. We examined contribution of transmembrane signaling molecule ephrinB2 to ALS pathogenesis, in particular its role in driving motor neuron damage by spinal cord astrocytes. In symptomatic SOD1-G93A mice (a well-established ALS model), ephrinB2 expression was dramatically increased in ventral horn astrocytes. Reducing ephrinB2 in the cervical spinal cord ventral horn via viral-mediated shRNA delivery reduced motor neuron loss and preserved respiratory function by maintaining phrenic motor neuron innervation of diaphragm. EphrinB2 expression was also elevated in human ALS spinal cord. These findings implicate ephrinB2 upregulation as both a transcellular signaling mechanism in mutant SOD1-associated ALS and a promising therapeutic target.
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7
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Lemos JP, Tenório LPG, Mouly V, Butler-Browne G, Mendes-da-Cruz DA, Savino W, Smeriglio P. T cell biology in neuromuscular disorders: a focus on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1202834. [PMID: 37920473 PMCID: PMC10619758 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1202834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence demonstrates a continuous interaction between the immune system, the nerve and the muscle in neuromuscular disorders of different pathogenetic origins, such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the focus of this review. Herein we highlight the complexity of the cellular and molecular interactions involving the immune system in neuromuscular disorders, as exemplified by DMD and ALS. We describe the distinct types of cell-mediated interactions, such as cytokine/chemokine production as well as cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions between T lymphocytes and other immune cells, which target cells of the muscular or nervous tissues. Most of these interactions occur independently of exogenous pathogens, through ligand-receptor binding and subsequent signal transduction cascades, at distinct levels of specificity. Although this issue reveals the complexity of the system, it can also be envisioned as a window of opportunity to design therapeutic strategies (including synthetic moieties, cell and gene therapy, as well as immunotherapy) by acting upon one or more targets. In this respect, we discuss ongoing clinical trials using VLA-4 inhibition in DMD, and in ALS, with a focus on regulatory T cells, both revealing promising results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Pereira Lemos
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Liliane Patrícia Gonçalves Tenório
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Vincent Mouly
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Gillian Butler-Browne
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Daniella Arêas Mendes-da-Cruz
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation (RENEURIN), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- INOVA-IOC Network on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Wilson Savino
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation (RENEURIN), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- INOVA-IOC Network on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Piera Smeriglio
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France
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8
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Li J, Jaiswal MK, Chien JF, Kozlenkov A, Jung J, Zhou P, Gardashli M, Pregent LJ, Engelberg-Cook E, Dickson DW, Belzil VV, Mukamel EA, Dracheva S. Divergent single cell transcriptome and epigenome alterations in ALS and FTD patients with C9orf72 mutation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5714. [PMID: 37714849 PMCID: PMC10504300 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41033-y] [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: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
A repeat expansion in the C9orf72 (C9) gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here we investigate single nucleus transcriptomics (snRNA-seq) and epigenomics (snATAC-seq) in postmortem motor and frontal cortices from C9-ALS, C9-FTD, and control donors. C9-ALS donors present pervasive alterations of gene expression with concordant changes in chromatin accessibility and histone modifications. The greatest alterations occur in upper and deep layer excitatory neurons, as well as in astrocytes. In neurons, the changes imply an increase in proteostasis, metabolism, and protein expression pathways, alongside a decrease in neuronal function. In astrocytes, the alterations suggest activation and structural remodeling. Conversely, C9-FTD donors have fewer high-quality neuronal nuclei in the frontal cortex and numerous gene expression changes in glial cells. These findings highlight a context-dependent molecular disruption in C9-ALS and C9-FTD, indicating unique effects across cell types, brain regions, and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhao Li
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, US
| | - Manoj K Jaiswal
- Friedman Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, US
| | - Jo-Fan Chien
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, US
| | - Alexey Kozlenkov
- Friedman Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, US
| | - Jinyoung Jung
- Friedman Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, US
| | - Ping Zhou
- Friedman Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, US
| | | | - Luc J Pregent
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, US
| | | | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, US
| | | | - Eran A Mukamel
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, US.
| | - Stella Dracheva
- Friedman Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, US.
- Research & Development and VISN2 MIREC, James J, Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10468, US.
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9
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Rojas F, Aguilar R, Almeida S, Fritz E, Corvalán D, Ampuero E, Abarzúa S, Garcés P, Amaro A, Diaz I, Arredondo C, Cortes N, Sanchez M, Mercado C, Varela-Nallar L, Gao FB, Montecino M, van Zundert B. Mature iPSC-derived astrocytes of an ALS/FTD patient carrying the TDP43 A90V mutation display a mild reactive state and release polyP toxic to motoneurons. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1226604. [PMID: 37645251 PMCID: PMC10461635 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1226604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes play a critical role in the maintenance of a healthy central nervous system and astrocyte dysfunction has been implicated in various neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). There is compelling evidence that mouse and human ALS and ALS/FTD astrocytes can reduce the number of healthy wild-type motoneurons (MNs) in co-cultures or after treatment with astrocyte conditioned media (ACM), independently of their genotype. A growing number of studies have shown that soluble toxic factor(s) in the ACM cause non-cell autonomous MN death, including our recent identification of inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) that is excessively released from mouse primary astrocytes (SOD1, TARDBP, and C9ORF72) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived astrocytes (TARDBP) to kill MNs. However, others have reported that astrocytes carrying mutant TDP43 do not produce detectable MN toxicity. This controversy is likely to arise from the findings that human iPSC-derived astrocytes exhibit a rather immature and/or reactive phenotype in a number of studies. Here, we have succeeded in generating a highly homogenous population of functional quiescent mature astrocytes from control subject iPSCs. Using identical conditions, we also generated mature astrocytes from an ALS/FTD patient carrying the TDP43A90V mutation. These mutant TDP43 patient-derived astrocytes exhibit key pathological hallmarks, including enhanced cytoplasmic TDP-43 and polyP levels. Additionally, mutant TDP43 astrocytes displayed a mild reactive signature and an aberrant function as they were unable to promote synaptogenesis of hippocampal neurons. The polyP-dependent neurotoxic nature of the TDP43A90V mutation was further confirmed as neutralization of polyP in ACM derived from mutant TDP43 astrocytes prevented MN death. Our results establish that human astrocytes carrying the TDP43A90V mutation exhibit a cell-autonomous pathological signature, hence providing an experimental model to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of the neurotoxic phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola Rojas
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Aguilar
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sandra Almeida
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMMS), Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Elsa Fritz
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniela Corvalán
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Estibaliz Ampuero
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, Universidad de Santiago, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastián Abarzúa
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Polett Garcés
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Armando Amaro
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Iván Diaz
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cristian Arredondo
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nicole Cortes
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mario Sanchez
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Constanza Mercado
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Lorena Varela-Nallar
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fen-Biao Gao
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMMS), Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Martin Montecino
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation CRG, Santiago, Chile
| | - Brigitte van Zundert
- Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMMS), Worcester, MA, United States
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10
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Valori CF, Sulmona C, Brambilla L, Rossi D. Astrocytes: Dissecting Their Diverse Roles in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Cells 2023; 12:1450. [PMID: 37296571 PMCID: PMC10252425 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are fatal neurodegenerative disorders often co-occurring in the same patient, a feature that suggests a common origin of the two diseases. Consistently, pathological inclusions of the same proteins as well as mutations in the same genes can be identified in both ALS/FTD. Although many studies have described several disrupted pathways within neurons, glial cells are also regarded as crucial pathogenetic contributors in ALS/FTD. Here, we focus our attention on astrocytes, a heterogenous population of glial cells that perform several functions for optimal central nervous system homeostasis. Firstly, we discuss how post-mortem material from ALS/FTD patients supports astrocyte dysfunction around three pillars: neuroinflammation, abnormal protein aggregation, and atrophy/degeneration. Furthermore, we summarize current attempts at monitoring astrocyte functions in living patients using either novel imaging strategies or soluble biomarkers. We then address how astrocyte pathology is recapitulated in animal and cellular models of ALS/FTD and how we used these models both to understand the molecular mechanisms driving glial dysfunction and as platforms for pre-clinical testing of therapeutics. Finally, we present the current clinical trials for ALS/FTD, restricting our discussion to treatments that modulate astrocyte functions, directly or indirectly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara F. Valori
- Molecular Neuropathology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 72072 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Neuropathology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Sulmona
- Laboratory for Research on Neurodegenerative Disorders, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Liliana Brambilla
- Laboratory for Research on Neurodegenerative Disorders, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Daniela Rossi
- Laboratory for Research on Neurodegenerative Disorders, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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11
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Filipi T, Matusova Z, Abaffy P, Vanatko O, Tureckova J, Benesova S, Kubiskova M, Kirdajova D, Zahumensky J, Valihrach L, Anderova M. Cortical glia in SOD1(G93A) mice are subtly affected by ALS-like pathology. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6538. [PMID: 37085528 PMCID: PMC10121704 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33608-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of glia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is undeniable. Their disease-related activity has been extensively studied in the spinal cord, but only partly in the brain. We present herein a comprehensive study of glia in the cortex of SOD1(G93A) mice-a widely used model of ALS. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and immunohistochemistry, we inspected astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes, in four stages of the disease, respecting the factor of sex. We report minimal changes of glia throughout the disease progression and regardless of sex. Pseudobulk and single-cell analyses revealed subtle disease-related transcriptional alterations at the end-stage in microglia and oligodendrocytes, which were supported by immunohistochemistry. Therefore, our data support the hypothesis that the SOD1(G93A) mouse cortex does not recapitulate the disease in patients, and we recommend the use of a different model for future studies of the cortical ALS pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Filipi
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic
- Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, V Uvalu 84, 15006, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Matusova
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, BIOCEV, Prumyslova 595, 25250, Vestec, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Abaffy
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, BIOCEV, Prumyslova 595, 25250, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Vanatko
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic
- Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, V Uvalu 84, 15006, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Tureckova
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Sarka Benesova
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, BIOCEV, Prumyslova 595, 25250, Vestec, Czech Republic
- Department of Informatics and Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technicka 5, 16628, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Kubiskova
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Denisa Kirdajova
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Zahumensky
- Department of Functional Organization of Biomembranes, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lukas Valihrach
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, BIOCEV, Prumyslova 595, 25250, Vestec, Czech Republic.
| | - Miroslava Anderova
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic.
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12
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Tommasini D, Fox R, Ngo KJ, Hinman JD, Fogel BL. Alterations in oligodendrocyte transcriptional networks reveal region-specific vulnerabilities to neurological disease. iScience 2023; 26:106358. [PMID: 36994077 PMCID: PMC10040735 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurological disease is characterized the by dysfunction of specific neuroanatomical regions. To determine whether region-specific vulnerabilities have a transcriptional basis at cell-type-specific resolution, we analyzed gene expression in mouse oligodendrocytes across various brain regions. Oligodendrocyte transcriptomes cluster in an anatomical arrangement along the rostrocaudal axis. Moreover, regional oligodendrocyte populations preferentially regulate genes implicated in diseases that target their region of origin. Systems-level analyses identify five region-specific co-expression networks representing distinct molecular pathways in oligodendrocytes. The cortical network exhibits alterations in mouse models of intellectual disability and epilepsy, the cerebellar network in ataxia, and the spinal network in multiple sclerosis. Bioinformatic analyses reveal potential molecular regulators of these networks, which were confirmed to modulate network expression in vitro in human oligodendroglioma cells, including reversal of the disease-associated transcriptional effects of a pathogenic Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 allele. These findings identify targetable region-specific vulnerabilities to neurological disease mediated by oligodendrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Tommasini
- Department of Neurology, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rachel Fox
- Department of Human Genetics, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kathie J. Ngo
- Department of Neurology, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jason D. Hinman
- Department of Neurology, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Brent L. Fogel
- Department of Neurology, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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13
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Stoklund Dittlau K, Van Den Bosch L. Why should we care about astrocytes in a motor neuron disease? FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR MEDICINE 2023; 3:1047540. [PMID: 39086676 PMCID: PMC11285655 DOI: 10.3389/fmmed.2023.1047540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neuron disease in adults, causing progressive degeneration of motor neurons, which results in muscle atrophy, respiratory failure and ultimately death of the patients. The pathogenesis of ALS is complex, and extensive efforts have focused on unravelling the underlying molecular mechanisms with a large emphasis on the dying motor neurons. However, a recent shift in focus towards the supporting glial population has revealed a large contribution and influence in ALS, which stresses the need to explore this area in more detail. Especially studies into astrocytes, the residential homeostatic supporter cells of neurons, have revealed a remarkable astrocytic dysfunction in ALS, and therefore could present a target for new and promising therapeutic entry points. In this review, we provide an overview of general astrocyte function and summarize the current literature on the role of astrocytes in ALS by categorizing the potentially underlying molecular mechanisms. We discuss the current efforts in astrocyte-targeted therapy, and highlight the potential and shortcomings of available models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Stoklund Dittlau
- KU Leuven—University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, and Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB Center for Brain and 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, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium
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14
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Humphrey J, Venkatesh S, Hasan R, Herb JT, de Paiva Lopes K, Küçükali F, Byrska-Bishop M, Evani US, Narzisi G, Fagegaltier D, Sleegers K, Phatnani H, Knowles DA, Fratta P, Raj T. Integrative transcriptomic analysis of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis spinal cord implicates glial activation and suggests new risk genes. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:150-162. [PMID: 36482247 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01205-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressively fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. In this study, we investigated gene expression changes in ALS via RNA sequencing in 380 postmortem samples from cervical, thoracic and lumbar spinal cord segments from 154 individuals with ALS and 49 control individuals. We observed an increase in microglia and astrocyte gene expression, accompanied by a decrease in oligodendrocyte gene expression. By creating a gene co-expression network in the ALS samples, we identified several activated microglia modules that negatively correlate with retrospective disease duration. We mapped molecular quantitative trait loci and found several potential ALS risk loci that may act through gene expression or splicing in the spinal cord and assign putative cell types for FNBP1, ACSL5, SH3RF1 and NFASC. Finally, we outline how common genetic variants associated with splicing of C9orf72 act as proxies for the well-known repeat expansion, and we use the same mechanism to suggest ATXN3 as a putative risk gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Humphrey
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences & Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Estelle and Daniel Maggin Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Sanan Venkatesh
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences & Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rahat Hasan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences & Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Estelle and Daniel Maggin Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jake T Herb
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katia de Paiva Lopes
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences & Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Estelle and Daniel Maggin Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fahri Küçükali
- Complex Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease Group, Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Delphine Fagegaltier
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kristel Sleegers
- Complex Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease Group, Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Hemali Phatnani
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - David A Knowles
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pietro Fratta
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Towfique Raj
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences & Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Estelle and Daniel Maggin Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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15
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Torres P, Anerillas C, Ramírez-Núñez O, Fernàndez A, Encinas M, Povedano M, Andrés-Benito P, Ferrer I, Ayala V, Pamplona R, Portero-Otín M. The motor neuron disease mouse model hSOD1-G93A shows a non-canonical profile of senescence biomarkers. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:276182. [PMID: 35916061 PMCID: PMC9459393 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To evaluate senescence mechanisms, including senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), in the motor-neuron disease model hSOD1-G93A, we quantified the expression of p16 and p21 and the senescence-associated β galactosidase (SA-β-gal) in nervous tissue. As SASP markers, we measured the mRNA levels of Il1a, Il6, Ifna, and Ifnb. Furthermore, we explored if an alteration of alternative splicing is associated with senescence by measuring the Adipor2 cryptic exon inclusion levels, a specific splicing variant repressed by TAR-DNA binding of 43 kDa (Tdp-43). Transgenic mice show an atypical senescence profile with high p16 and p21 mRNA and protein in glia, without the canonical increase in SA-β-gal activity. Consistent with SASP, there is an increase in Il1a and Il6 expression, associated with increased TNFR and M-CSF protein levels, with females being partially protected. TDP-43 splicing activity is compromised in this model. Senolytic drug Navitoclax does not alter the present 'model's disease progression. This lack of effect is reproduced in vitro, in contrast with Dasatinib and quercetin, which diminish p16 and p21. Our findings show a non-canonical profile of senescence biomarkers in the model hSOD1-G93A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascual Torres
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRBLleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Carlos Anerillas
- Oncogenic Signalling and Development, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRBLleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Omar Ramírez-Núñez
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRBLleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Anna Fernàndez
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRBLleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Mario Encinas
- Oncogenic Signalling and Development, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRBLleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Mònica Povedano
- Functional Unit of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (UFELA), Service of Neurology, Bellvitge University Hospital, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Pol Andrés-Benito
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Isidre Ferrer
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,Biomedical Network Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Institute Carlos III, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Victòria Ayala
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRBLleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Reinald Pamplona
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRBLleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Manuel Portero-Otín
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRBLleida, Lleida, Spain
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16
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Jensen BK, McAvoy KJ, Heinsinger NM, Lepore AC, Ilieva H, Haeusler AR, Trotti D, Pasinelli P. Targeting TNFα produced by astrocytes expressing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-linked mutant fused in sarcoma prevents neurodegeneration and motor dysfunction in mice. Glia 2022; 70:1426-1449. [PMID: 35474517 PMCID: PMC9540310 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Genetic mutations that cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressively lethal motor neuron disease, are commonly found in ubiquitously expressed genes. In addition to direct defects within motor neurons, growing evidence suggests that dysfunction of non-neuronal cells is also an important driver of disease. Previously, we demonstrated that mutations in DNA/RNA binding protein fused in sarcoma (FUS) induce neurotoxic phenotypes in astrocytes in vitro, via activation of the NF-κB pathway and release of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFα. Here, we developed an intraspinal cord injection model to test whether astrocyte-specific expression of ALS-causative FUSR521G variant (mtFUS) causes neuronal damage in vivo. We show that restricted expression of mtFUS in astrocytes is sufficient to induce death of spinal motor neurons leading to motor deficits through upregulation of TNFα. We further demonstrate that TNFα is a key toxic molecule as expression of mtFUS in TNFα knockout animals does not induce pathogenic changes. Accordingly, in mtFUS-transduced animals, administration of TNFα neutralizing antibodies prevents neurodegeneration and motor dysfunction. Together, these studies strengthen evidence that astrocytes contribute to disease in ALS and establish, for the first time, that FUS-ALS astrocytes induce pathogenic changes to motor neurons in vivo. Our work identifies TNFα as the critical driver of mtFUS-astrocytic toxicity and demonstrates therapeutic success of targeting TNFα to attenuate motor neuron dysfunction and death. Ultimately, through defining and subsequently targeting this toxic mechanism, we provide a viable FUS-ALS specific therapeutic strategy, which may also be applicable to sporadic ALS where FUS activity and cellular localization are frequently perturbed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigid K. Jensen
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Kevin J. McAvoy
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Present address:
Manfredi LaboratoryWeill Cornell Medicine, Cornell UniversityNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Nicolette M. Heinsinger
- Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Angelo C. Lepore
- Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Hristelina Ilieva
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Aaron R. Haeusler
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Davide Trotti
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Piera Pasinelli
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
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17
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Nelson RS, Dammer EB, Santiago JV, Seyfried NT, Rangaraju S. Brain Cell Type-Specific Nuclear Proteomics Is Imperative to Resolve Neurodegenerative Disease Mechanisms. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:902146. [PMID: 35784845 PMCID: PMC9243337 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.902146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) involve complex cellular mechanisms that are incompletely understood. Emerging findings have revealed that disruption of nuclear processes play key roles in ND pathogenesis. The nucleus is a nexus for gene regulation and cellular processes that together, may underlie pathomechanisms of NDs. Furthermore, many genetic risk factors for NDs encode proteins that are either present in the nucleus or are involved in nuclear processes (for example, RNA binding proteins, epigenetic regulators, or nuclear-cytoplasmic transport proteins). While recent advances in nuclear transcriptomics have been significant, studies of the nuclear proteome in brain have been relatively limited. We propose that a comprehensive analysis of nuclear proteomic alterations of various brain cell types in NDs may provide novel biological and therapeutic insights. This may be feasible because emerging technical advances allow isolation and investigation of intact nuclei from post-mortem frozen human brain tissue with cell type-specific and single-cell resolution. Accordingly, nuclei of various brain cell types harbor unique protein markers which can be used to isolate cell-type specific nuclei followed by down-stream proteomics by mass spectrometry. Here we review the literature providing a rationale for investigating proteomic changes occurring in nuclei in NDs and then highlight the potential for brain cell type-specific nuclear proteomics to enhance our understanding of distinct cellular mechanisms that drive ND pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth S. Nelson
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Eric B. Dammer
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | | | - Srikant Rangaraju
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States,*Correspondence: Srikant Rangaraju
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18
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Multiple roles for the cytoskeleton in ALS. Exp Neurol 2022; 355:114143. [PMID: 35714755 PMCID: PMC10163623 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by more than sixty genes identified through classic linkage analysis and new sequencing methods. Yet no clear mechanism of onset, cure, or effective treatment is known. Popular discourse classifies the proteins encoded from ALS-related genes into four disrupted processes: proteostasis, mitochondrial function and ROS, nucleic acid regulation, and cytoskeletal dynamics. Surprisingly, the mechanisms detailing the contribution of the neuronal cytoskeletal in ALS are the least explored, despite involvement in these cell processes. Eight genes directly regulate properties of cytoskeleton function and are essential for the health and survival of motor neurons, including: TUBA4A, SPAST, KIF5A, DCTN1, NF, PRPH, ALS2, and PFN1. Here we review the properties and studies exploring the contribution of each of these genes to ALS.
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19
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Garcia G, Fernandes A, Stein F, Brites D. Protective Signature of IFNγ-Stimulated Microglia Relies on miR-124-3p Regulation From the Secretome Released by Mutant APP Swedish Neuronal Cells. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:833066. [PMID: 35620289 PMCID: PMC9127204 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.833066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia-associated inflammation and miRNA dysregulation are key players in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathophysiology. Previously, we showed miR-124 upregulation in APP Swedish SH-SY5Y (SWE) and PSEN1 iPSC-derived neurons and its propagation by the secretome (soluble and exosomal fractions). After modulation with miR-124 mimic/inhibitor, we identified common responsive mechanisms between such models. We also reported miR-124 colocalization with microglia in AD patient hippocampi. Herein, we determined how miR-124 modulation in SWE cells influences microglia polarized subtypes in the context of inflammation. We used a coculture system without cell-to-cell contact formed by miR-124 modulated SWE cells and human CHME3 microglia stimulated with interferon-gamma (IFNγ-MG), in which we assessed their adopted gene/miRNA profile and proteomic signature. The increase of miR-124 in SWE cells/secretome (soluble and exosomal) was mimicked in IFNγ-MG. Treatment of SWE cells with the miR-124 inhibitor led to RAGE overexpression and loss of neuronal viability, while the mimic caused RAGE/HMGB1 downregulation and prevented mitochondria membrane potential loss. When accessing the paracrine effects on microglia, SWE miR-124 inhibitor favored their IFNγ-induced inflammatory signature (upregulated RAGE/HMGB1/iNOS/IL-1β; downregulated IL-10/ARG-1), while the mimic reduced microglia activation (downregulated TNF-α/iNOS) and deactivated extracellular MMP-2/MMP-9 levels. Microglia proteomics identified 113 responsive proteins to SWE miR-124 levels, including a subgroup of 17 proteins involved in immune function/inflammation and/or miR-124 targets. A total of 72 proteins were downregulated (e.g., MAP2K6) and 21 upregulated (e.g., PAWR) by the mimic, while the inhibitor also upregulated 21 proteins and downregulated 17 (e.g., TGFB1, PAWR, and EFEMP1). Other targets were associated with neurodevelopmental mechanisms, synaptic function, and vesicular trafficking. To examine the source of miR-124 variations in microglia, we silenced the RNase III endonuclease Dicer1 to block miRNA canonical biogenesis. Despite this suppression, the coculture with SWE cells/exosomes still raised microglial miR-124 levels, evidencing miR-124 transfer from neurons to microglia. This study is pioneer in elucidating that neuronal miR-124 reshapes microglia plasticity and in revealing the relevance of neuronal survival in mechanisms underlying inflammation in AD-associated neurodegeneration. These novel insights pave the way for the application of miRNA-based neuropharmacological strategies in AD whenever miRNA dysregulated levels are identified during patient stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonçalo Garcia
- Neuroinflammation, Signaling and Neuroregeneration Laboratory, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Adelaide Fernandes
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Central Nervous System, Blood and Peripheral Inflammation, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Frank Stein
- Proteomics Core Facility, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dora Brites
- Neuroinflammation, Signaling and Neuroregeneration Laboratory, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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20
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Kannan A, Cuartas J, Gangwani P, Branzei D, Gangwani L. Mutation in senataxin alters the mechanism of R-loop resolution in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 4. Brain 2022; 145:3072-3094. [PMID: 35045161 PMCID: PMC9536298 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutation in the senataxin (SETX) gene causes an autosomal dominant neuromuscular disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 4 (ALS4), characterized by degeneration of motor neurons, muscle weakness and atrophy. SETX is an RNA-DNA helicase that mediates resolution of co-transcriptional RNA:DNA hybrids (R-loops). The process of R-loop resolution is essential for the normal functioning of cells, including neurons. The molecular basis of ALS4 pathogenesis and the mechanism of R-loop resolution are unclear. We report that the zinc finger protein ZPR1 binds to RNA:DNA hybrids, recruits SETX onto R-loops and is critical for R-loop resolution. ZPR1 deficiency disrupts the integrity of R-loop resolution complexes containing SETX and causes increased R-loop accumulation throughout gene transcription. We uncover that SETX is a downstream target of ZPR1 and that overexpression of ZPR1 can rescue R-loop resolution complexe assembly in SETX-deficient cells but not vice versa. To uncover the mechanism of R-loop resolution, we examined the function of SETX-ZPR1 complexes using two genetic motor neuron disease models with altered R-loop resolution. Notably, chronic low levels of SETX-ZPR1 complexes onto R-loops result in a decrease of R-loop resolution activity causing an increase in R-loop levels in spinal muscular atrophy. ZPR1 overexpression increases recruitment of SETX onto R-loops, decreases R-loops and rescues the spinal muscular atrophy phenotype in motor neurons and patient cells. Strikingly, interaction of SETX with ZPR1 is disrupted in ALS4 patients that have heterozygous SETX (L389S) mutation. ZPR1 fails to recruit the mutant SETX homodimer but recruits the heterodimer with partially disrupted interaction between SETX and ZPR1. Interestingly, disruption of SETX-ZPR1 complexes causes increase in R-loop resolution activity leading to fewer R-loops in ALS4. Modulation of ZPR1 levels regulates R-loop accumulation and rescues the pathogenic R-loop phenotype in ALS4 patient cells. These findings originate a new concept, ‘opposite alterations in a cell biological activity (R-loop resolution) result in similar pathogenesis (neurodegeneration) in different genetic motor neuron disorders’. We propose that ZPR1 collaborates with SETX and may function as a molecular brake to regulate SETX-dependent R-loop resolution activity critical for the normal functioning of motor neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annapoorna Kannan
- Center of Emphasis in Neurosciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79905, USA
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79905, USA
| | - Juliana Cuartas
- Center of Emphasis in Neurosciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79905, USA
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79905, USA
| | - Pratik Gangwani
- Automated Driving Compute System Architecture, GM Global Technical Center - Sloan Engineering Center, Warren, Michigan 48092, USA
| | - Dana Branzei
- The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology Foundation, IFOM Foundation, Via Adamello 16, Milan 20139, Italy
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IGM-CNR), Via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Laxman Gangwani
- Center of Emphasis in Neurosciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79905, USA
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79905, USA
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21
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Kieran NW, Suresh R, Dorion MF, MacDonald A, Blain M, Wen D, Fuh SC, Ryan F, Diaz RJ, Stratton JA, Ludwin SK, Sonnen JA, Antel J, Healy LM. MicroRNA-210 regulates the metabolic and inflammatory status of primary human astrocytes. J Neuroinflammation 2022; 19:10. [PMID: 34991629 PMCID: PMC8740343 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-021-02373-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Astrocytes are the most numerous glial cell type with important roles in maintaining homeostasis and responding to diseases in the brain. Astrocyte function is subject to modulation by microRNAs (miRs), which are short nucleotide strands that regulate protein expression in a post-transcriptional manner. Understanding the miR expression profile of astrocytes in disease settings provides insight into the cellular stresses present in the microenvironment and may uncover pathways of therapeutic interest.
Methods Laser-capture microdissection was used to isolate human astrocytes surrounding stroke lesions and those from neurological control tissue. Astrocytic miR expression profiles were examined using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Primary human fetal astrocytes were cultured under in vitro stress conditions and transfection of a miR mimic was used to better understand how altered levels of miR-210 affect astrocyte function. The astrocytic response to stress was studied using qPCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), measurement of released lactate, and Seahorse. Results Here, we measured miR expression levels in astrocytes around human ischemic stroke lesions and observed differential expression of miR-210 in chronic stroke astrocytes compared to astrocytes from neurological control tissue. We also identified increased expression of miR-210 in mouse white matter tissue around middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) brain lesions. We aimed to understand the role of miR-210 in primary human fetal astrocytes by developing an in vitro assay of hypoxic, metabolic, and inflammatory stresses. A combination of hypoxic and inflammatory stresses was observed to upregulate miR-210 expression. Transfection with miR-210-mimic (210M) increased glycolysis, enhanced lactate export, and promoted an anti-inflammatory transcriptional and translational signature in astrocytes. Additionally, 210M transfection resulted in decreased expression of complement 3 (C3) and semaphorin 5b (Sema5b). Conclusions We conclude that miR-210 expression in human astrocytes is modulated in response to ischemic stroke disease and under in vitro stress conditions, supporting a role for miR-210 in the astrocytic response to disease conditions. Further, the anti-inflammatory and pro-glycolytic impact of miR-210 on astrocytes makes it a potential candidate for further research as a neuroprotective agent. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12974-021-02373-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas W Kieran
- Neuroimmunology Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Rahul Suresh
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-France Dorion
- Neuroimmunology Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Adam MacDonald
- Neuroimmunology Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Manon Blain
- Neuroimmunology Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Dingke Wen
- Neuroimmunology Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Shih-Chieh Fuh
- Neuroimmunology Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Fari Ryan
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Roberto J Diaz
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jo Anne Stratton
- Neuroimmunology Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Samuel K Ludwin
- Department of Pathology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Joshua A Sonnen
- Departments of Pathology, Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jack Antel
- Neuroimmunology Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Luke M Healy
- Neuroimmunology Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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22
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Lotti F, Przedborski S. Motoneuron Diseases. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 28:323-352. [PMID: 36066831 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-07167-6_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Motoneuron diseases (MNDs) represent a heterogeneous group of progressive paralytic disorders, mainly characterized by the loss of upper (corticospinal) motoneurons, lower (spinal) motoneurons or, often both. MNDs can occur from birth to adulthood and have a highly variable clinical presentation, even within gene-positive forms, suggesting the existence of environmental and genetic modifiers. A combination of cell autonomous and non-cell autonomous mechanisms contributes to motoneuron degeneration in MNDs, suggesting multifactorial pathogenic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Lotti
- Departments of Neurology, Pathology & Cell Biology, and Neuroscience, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Serge Przedborski
- Departments of Neurology, Pathology & Cell Biology, and Neuroscience, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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23
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Valdebenito-Maturana B, Guatimosim C, Carrasco MA, Tapia JC. Spatially Resolved Expression of Transposable Elements in Disease and Somatic Tissue with SpatialTE. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413623. [PMID: 34948421 PMCID: PMC8708317 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial transcriptomics (ST) is transforming the way we can study gene expression and its regulation through position-specific resolution within tissues. However, as in bulk RNA-Seq, transposable elements (TEs) are not being studied due to their highly repetitive nature. In recent years, TEs have been recognized as important regulators of gene expression, and thus, TE expression analysis in a spatially resolved manner could further help to understand their role in gene regulation within tissues. We present SpatialTE, a tool to analyze TE expression from ST datasets and show its application in somatic and diseased tissues. The results indicate that TEs have spatially regulated expression patterns and that their expression profiles are spatially altered in ALS disease, indicating that TEs might perform differential regulatory functions within tissue organs. We have made SpatialTE publicly available as open-source software under an MIT license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braulio Valdebenito-Maturana
- Núcleo Científico Multidisciplinario, School of Medicine, Universidad de Talca, Campus Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile;
| | - Cristina Guatimosim
- Departamento de Morfologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil;
| | - Mónica Alejandra Carrasco
- School of Medicine, Universidad de Talca, Campus Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile
- Correspondence: (M.A.C.); (J.C.T.)
| | - Juan Carlos Tapia
- School of Medicine, Universidad de Talca, Campus Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile
- Correspondence: (M.A.C.); (J.C.T.)
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24
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Valdebenito-Maturana B, Arancibia E, Riadi G, Tapia JC, Carrasco M. Locus-specific analysis of Transposable Elements during the progression of ALS in the SOD1G93A mouse model. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258291. [PMID: 34614020 PMCID: PMC8494334 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable Elements (TEs) are ubiquitous genetic elements with the ability to move within a genome. TEs contribute to a large fraction of the repetitive elements of a genome, and because of their nature, they are not routinely analyzed in RNA-Seq gene expression studies. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a lethal neurodegenerative disease, and a well-accepted model for its study is the mouse harboring the human SOD1G93A mutant. In this model, landmark stages of the disease can be recapitulated at specific time points, making possible to understand changes in gene expression across time. While there are several works reporting TE activity in ALS models, they have not explored their activity through the disease progression. Moreover, they have done it at the expense of losing their locus of expression. Depending on their genomic location, TEs can regulate genes in cis and in trans, making locus-specific analysis of TEs of importance in order to understand their role in modulating gene expression. Particularly, the locus-specific role of TEs in ALS has not been fully elucidated. In this work, we analyzed publicly available RNA-Seq datasets of the SOD1G93A mouse model, to understand the locus-specific role of TEs. We show that TEs become up-regulated at the early stages of the disease, and via statistical associations, we speculate that they can regulate several genes, which in turn might be contributing to the genetic dysfunction observed in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Esteban Arancibia
- Centre for Bioinformatics, Simulation and Modelling, CBSM, Department of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Engineering, University of Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Gonzalo Riadi
- ANID – Millennium Science Initiative Program Millennium Nucleus of Ion Channels-Associated Diseases (MiNICAD), Centre for Bioinformatics, Simulation and Modelling, CBSM, Department of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Engineering, University of Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Juan Carlos Tapia
- School of Medicine, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
- * E-mail: (JCT); (MC)
| | - Mónica Carrasco
- School of Medicine, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
- * E-mail: (JCT); (MC)
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25
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Monterey MD, Wei H, Wu X, Wu JQ. The Many Faces of Astrocytes in Alzheimer's Disease. Front Neurol 2021; 12:619626. [PMID: 34531807 PMCID: PMC8438135 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.619626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and is the most common cause of dementia in an aging population. The majority of research effort has focused on the role of neurons in neurodegeneration and current therapies have limited ability to slow disease progression. Recently more attention has been given to the role of astrocytes in the process of neurodegeneration. Specifically, reactive astrocytes have both advantageous and adverse effects during neurodegeneration. The ability to isolate and depict astrocyte phenotype has been challenging. However, with the recent development of single-cell sequencing technologies researchers are provided with the resource to delineate specific biomarkers associated with reactive astrocytes in AD. In this review, we will focus on the role of astrocytes in normal conditions and the pathological development of AD. We will further review recent developments in the understanding of astrocyte heterogeneity and associated biomarkers. A better understanding of astrocyte contributions and phenotypic changes in AD can ultimately lead to more effective therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Monterey
- The Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Haichao Wei
- The Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, UT Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Xizi Wu
- The Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, UT Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jia Qian Wu
- The Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, UT Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, United States
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26
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Non-neuronal cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - from pathogenesis to biomarkers. Nat Rev Neurol 2021; 17:333-348. [PMID: 33927394 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-021-00487-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The prevailing motor neuron-centric view of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathogenesis could be an important factor in the failure to identify disease-modifying therapy for this neurodegenerative disorder. Non-neuronal cells have crucial homeostatic functions within the CNS and evidence of involvement of these cells in the pathophysiology of several neurodegenerative disorders, including ALS, is accumulating. Microglia and astrocytes, in crosstalk with peripheral immune cells, can exert both neuroprotective and adverse effects, resulting in a highly nuanced range of neuronal and non-neuronal cell interactions. This Review provides an overview of the diverse roles of non-neuronal cells in relation to the pathogenesis of ALS and the emerging potential of non-neuronal cell biomarkers to advance therapeutic development.
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27
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Kasatkina LA, Rittchen S, Sturm EM. Neuroprotective and Immunomodulatory Action of the Endocannabinoid System under Neuroinflammation. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22115431. [PMID: 34063947 PMCID: PMC8196612 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are lipid-based retrograde messengers with a relatively short half-life that are produced endogenously and, upon binding to the primary cannabinoid receptors CB1/2, mediate multiple mechanisms of intercellular communication within the body. Endocannabinoid signaling is implicated in brain development, memory formation, learning, mood, anxiety, depression, feeding behavior, analgesia, and drug addiction. It is now recognized that the endocannabinoid system mediates not only neuronal communications but also governs the crosstalk between neurons, glia, and immune cells, and thus represents an important player within the neuroimmune interface. Generation of primary endocannabinoids is accompanied by the production of their congeners, the N-acylethanolamines (NAEs), which together with N-acylneurotransmitters, lipoamino acids and primary fatty acid amides comprise expanded endocannabinoid/endovanilloid signaling systems. Most of these compounds do not bind CB1/2, but signal via several other pathways involving the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α and non-cannabinoid G-protein coupled receptors (GPRs) to mediate anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and neuroprotective activities. In vivo generation of the cannabinoid compounds is triggered by physiological and pathological stimuli and, specifically in the brain, mediates fine regulation of synaptic strength, neuroprotection, and resolution of neuroinflammation. Here, we review the role of the endocannabinoid system in intrinsic neuroprotective mechanisms and its therapeutic potential for the treatment of neuroinflammation and associated synaptopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludmila A. Kasatkina
- Otto Loewi Research Center, Division of Pharmacology, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria; (L.A.K.); (S.R.)
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Sonja Rittchen
- Otto Loewi Research Center, Division of Pharmacology, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria; (L.A.K.); (S.R.)
| | - Eva M. Sturm
- Otto Loewi Research Center, Division of Pharmacology, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria; (L.A.K.); (S.R.)
- Correspondence:
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28
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Van Harten ACM, Phatnani H, Przedborski S. Non-cell-autonomous pathogenic mechanisms in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Trends Neurosci 2021; 44:658-668. [PMID: 34006386 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common adult-onset paralytic disorder, characterized mainly by a loss of motor neurons (MNs) in the CNS. Over the past decades, thanks to intense investigations performed in both in vivo and in vitro models of ALS, major progress has been made toward gaining insights into the pathobiology of this incurable, fatal disorder. Among these advances is the growing recognition that non-neuronal cells participate in the degeneration of MNs in ALS, which could transform our understanding of the neurobiology of disease and the ability to devise effective disease-modifying therapies. In this review, we examine the contribution of non-cell-autonomous processes to the pathogenesis of ALS, with a focus on glial cells and in particular on astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra C M Van Harten
- Graduate School of Life and Earth Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hemali Phatnani
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Serge Przedborski
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Diseases, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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29
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Wang JC, Ramaswami G, Geschwind DH. Gene co-expression network analysis in human spinal cord highlights mechanisms underlying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis susceptibility. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5748. [PMID: 33707641 PMCID: PMC7970949 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85061-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease defined by motor neuron (MN) loss. Multiple genetic risk factors have been identified, implicating RNA and protein metabolism and intracellular transport, among other biological mechanisms. To achieve a systems-level understanding of the mechanisms governing ALS pathophysiology, we built gene co-expression networks using RNA-sequencing data from control human spinal cord samples, identifying 13 gene co-expression modules, each of which represents a distinct biological process or cell type. Analysis of four RNA-seq datasets from a range of ALS disease-associated contexts reveal dysregulation in numerous modules related to ribosomal function, wound response, and leukocyte activation, implicating astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, endothelia, and microglia in ALS pathophysiology. To identify potentially causal processes, we partitioned heritability across the genome, finding that ALS common genetic risk is enriched within two specific modules, SC.M4, representing genes related to RNA processing and gene regulation, and SC.M2, representing genes related to intracellular transport and autophagy and enriched in oligodendrocyte markers. Top hub genes of this latter module include ALS-implicated risk genes such as KPNA3, TMED2, and NCOA4, the latter of which regulates ferritin autophagy, implicating this process in ALS pathophysiology. These unbiased, genome-wide analyses confirm the utility of a systems approach to understanding the causes and drivers of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry C Wang
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gokul Ramaswami
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. .,Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. .,Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. .,Institute for Precision Health, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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30
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Jørgensen HS, Jensen DB, Dimintiyanova KP, Bonnevie VS, Hedegaard A, Lehnhoff J, Moldovan M, Grondahl L, Meehan CF. Increased Axon Initial Segment Length Results in Increased Na + Currents in Spinal Motoneurones at Symptom Onset in the G127X SOD1 Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Neuroscience 2020; 468:247-264. [PMID: 33246068 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease preferentially affecting motoneurones. Transgenic mouse models have been used to investigate the role of abnormal motoneurone excitability in this disease. Whilst an increased excitability has repeatedly been demonstrated in vitro in neonatal and embryonic preparations from SOD1 mouse models, the results from the only studies to record in vivo from spinal motoneurones in adult SOD1 models have produced conflicting findings. Deficits in repetitive firing have been reported in G93A SOD1(high copy number) mice but not in presymptomatic G127X SOD1 mice despite shorter motoneurone axon initial segments (AISs) in these mice. These discrepancies may be due to the earlier disease onset and prolonged disease progression in G93A SOD1 mice with recordings potentially performed at a later sub-clinical stage of the disease in this mouse. To test this, and to explore how the evolution of excitability changes with symptom onset we performed in vivo intracellular recording and AIS labelling in G127X SOD1 mice immediately after symptom onset. No reductions in repetitive firing were observed showing that this is not a common feature across all ALS models. Immunohistochemistry for the Na+ channel Nav1.6 showed that motoneurone AISs increase in length in G127X SOD1 mice at symptom onset. Consistent with this, the rate of rise of AIS components of antidromic action potentials were significantly faster confirming that this increase in length represents an increase in AIS Na+ channels occurring at symptom onset in this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- H S Jørgensen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - D B Jensen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - V S Bonnevie
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - A Hedegaard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - J Lehnhoff
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - M Moldovan
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - L Grondahl
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - C F Meehan
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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31
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Gomes C, Sequeira C, Barbosa M, Cunha C, Vaz AR, Brites D. Astrocyte regional diversity in ALS includes distinct aberrant phenotypes with common and causal pathological processes. Exp Cell Res 2020; 395:112209. [PMID: 32739211 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.112209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are major contributors of motor neuron (MN) degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We investigated whether regional and cell maturation differences influence ALS astrocyte malfunction. Spinal and cortical astrocytes from SOD1G93A (mSOD1) 7-day-old mice were cultured for 5 and 13 days in vitro (DIV). Astrocyte aberrancies predominated in 13DIV cells with region specificity. 13DIV cortical mSOD1 astrocytes showed early morphological changes and a predominant reactive and inflammatory phenotype, while repressed proteins and genes were found in spinal cells. Inflammatory-associated miRNAs, e.g. miR-155/miR-21/miR-146a, were downregulated in the first and upregulated in the later ones. Interestingly, depleted miR-155/miR-21/miR-146a in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs/exosomes) was a common pathological feature. Cortical mSOD1 astrocytes induced late apoptosis and kinesin-1 downregulation in mSOD1 NSC-34 MNs, whereas spinal cells upregulated dynein, while decreased nNOS and synaptic-related genes. Both regional-distinct mSOD1 astrocytes enhanced iNOS gene expression in mSOD1 MNs. We provide information on the potential contribution of astrocytes to ALS bulbar-vs. spinal-onset pathology, local influence on neuronal dysfunction and their shared miRNA-depleted exosome trafficking. These causal and common features may have potential therapeutic implications in ALS. Future studies should clarify if astrocyte-derived sEVs are active players in ALS-related neuroinflammation and glial activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cátia Gomes
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Catarina Sequeira
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Marta Barbosa
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carolina Cunha
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Rita Vaz
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal; Department of Biochemistry and Human Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Dora Brites
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal; Department of Biochemistry and Human Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
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32
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Bernaus A, Blanco S, Sevilla A. Glia Crosstalk in Neuroinflammatory Diseases. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:209. [PMID: 32848613 PMCID: PMC7403442 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation constitutes a fundamental cellular process to signal the loss of brain homeostasis. Glial cells play a central role in orchestrating these neuroinflammation processes in both deleterious and beneficial ways. These cellular responses depend on their intercellular interactions with neurons, astrocytes, the blood–brain barrier (BBB), and infiltrated T cells in the central nervous system (CNS). However, this intercellular crosstalk seems to be activated by specific stimuli for each different neurological scenario. This review summarizes key studies linking neuroinflammation with certain neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and for the development of better therapeutic strategies based on immunomodulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada Bernaus
- Departament de Biologia Cellular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sandra Blanco
- Molecular Mechanisms Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ana Sevilla
- Departament de Biologia Cellular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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33
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Izrael M, Slutsky SG, Revel M. Rising Stars: Astrocytes as a Therapeutic Target for ALS Disease. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:824. [PMID: 32848579 PMCID: PMC7399224 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multifactorial disease, characterized by a progressive loss of motor neurons that eventually leads to paralysis and death. The current ALS-approved drugs modestly change the clinical course of the disease. The mechanism by which motor neurons progressively degenerate remains unclear but entails a non-cell autonomous process. Astrocytes impaired biological functionality were implicated in multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Alzheimer disease (AD). In ALS disease patients, A1 reactive astrocytes were found to play a key role in the pathology of ALS disease and death of motor neurons, via loss or gain of function or acquired toxicity. The contribution of astrocytes to the maintenance of motor neurons by diverse mechanisms makes them a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of ALS. Therapeutic approaches targeting at modulating the function of endogenous astrocytes or replacing lost functionality by transplantation of healthy astrocytes, may contribute to the development of therapies which might slow down or even halt the progression ALS diseases. The proposed mechanisms by which astrocytes can potentially ameliorate ALS progression and the status of ALS clinical studies involving astrocytes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Izrael
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd., Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Shalom Guy Slutsky
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd., Nes-Ziona, Israel
| | - Michel Revel
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Department at Kadimastem Ltd., Nes-Ziona, Israel.,Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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34
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Karagiannis P, Inoue H. ALS, a cellular whodunit on motor neuron degeneration. Mol Cell Neurosci 2020; 107:103524. [PMID: 32629110 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2020.103524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that primarily targets motor neurons. Motor neurons from ALS patients show cytoplasmic inclusions that are reflective of an altered RNA metabolism and protein degradation. Causal gene mutations are found in all cell types even though patient motor neurons are by far the most susceptible to the degeneration. Using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, researchers have generated motor neurons with the same genotype as the patient including sporadic ones. They have also generated other cell types associated with the disease such as astrocytes, microglia and oligodendrocytes. These cells provide not only new insights on the mechanisms of the disease from the early stage, but also a platform for drug screening that has led to several clinical trials. This review examines the knowledge gained from iPSC studies using patient cells on the gene mutations and cellular networks in ALS and relevant experimental therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Karagiannis
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
| | - Haruhisa Inoue
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; iPSC-based Drug Discovery and Development Team, RIKEN BioResource Research Center (BRC), Kyoto, Japan; Medical-risk Avoidance based on iPS Cells Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP), Kyoto, Japan.
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35
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Liu Z, Cheng X, Zhong S, Zhang X, Liu C, Liu F, Zhao C. Peripheral and Central Nervous System Immune Response Crosstalk in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:575. [PMID: 32612503 PMCID: PMC7308438 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by muscle weakness due to the degeneration of the upper and lower motor neurons. Neuroinflammation is known as a prominent pathological feature of ALS. Although neuroinflammation cannot trigger ALS, activated central nervous system (CNS) microglia and astrocytes, proinflammatory periphery monocytes/macrophages and T lymphocytes, and infiltrated monocytes/macrophages and T lymphocytes, as well as the immunoreactive molecules they release, are closely related to disease progression. The crosstalk between the peripheral and CNS immune components mentioned above significantly correlates with survival in patients with ALS. This review provides an update on the role of this crosstalk between the CNS and peripheral immune responses in ALS. Additionally, we discuss changes in the composition of gut microbiota because these can directly or indirectly influence this crosstalk. These recent advances may well provide innovative ways for targeting the molecules associated with this crosstalk and breaking the current treatment impasse in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhouyang Liu
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xi Cheng
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Shanshan Zhong
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiuchun Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Fangxi Liu
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Chuansheng Zhao
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Stroke Center, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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36
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Galbiati M, Crippa V, Rusmini P, Cristofani R, Messi E, Piccolella M, Tedesco B, Ferrari V, Casarotto E, Chierichetti M, Poletti A. Multiple Roles of Transforming Growth Factor Beta in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21124291. [PMID: 32560258 PMCID: PMC7352289 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) is a pleiotropic cytokine known to be dysregulated in many neurodegenerative disorders and particularly in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This motor neuronal disease is non-cell autonomous, as it affects not only motor neurons but also the surrounding glial cells, and the target skeletal muscle fibers. Here, we analyze the multiple roles of TGFB in these cell types, and how TGFB signaling is altered in ALS tissues. Data reported support a crucial involvement of TGFB in the etiology and progression of ALS, leading us to hypothesize that an imbalance of TGFB signaling, diminished at the pre-symptomatic stage and then increased with time, could be linked to ALS progression. A reduced stimulation of the TGFB pathway at the beginning of disease blocks its neuroprotective effects and promotes glutamate excitotoxicity. At later disease stages, the persistent activation of the TGFB pathway promotes an excessive microglial activation and strengthens muscular dysfunction. The therapeutic potential of TGFB is discussed, in order to foster new approaches to treat ALS.
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37
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Broadhead MJ, Miles GB. Bi-Directional Communication Between Neurons and Astrocytes Modulates Spinal Motor Circuits. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:30. [PMID: 32180706 PMCID: PMC7057799 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests that astrocytes are not merely supportive cells in the nervous system but may actively participate in the control of neural circuits underlying cognition and behavior. In this study, we examined the role of astrocytes within the motor circuitry of the mammalian spinal cord. Pharmacogenetic manipulation of astrocytic activity in isolated spinal cord preparations obtained from neonatal mice revealed astrocyte-derived, adenosinergic modulation of the frequency of rhythmic output generated by the locomotor central pattern generator (CPG) network. Live Ca2+ imaging demonstrated increased activity in astrocytes during locomotor-related output and in response to the direct stimulation of spinal neurons. Finally, astrocytes were found to respond to neuronally-derived glutamate in a metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) dependent manner, which in turn drives astrocytic modulation of the locomotor network. Our work identifies bi-directional signaling mechanisms between neurons and astrocytes underlying modulatory feedback control of motor circuits, which may act to constrain network output within optimal ranges for movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Broadhead
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Gareth B Miles
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
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38
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Westergard T, Rothstein JD. Astrocyte Diversity: Current Insights and Future Directions. Neurochem Res 2020; 45:1298-1305. [PMID: 32006215 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-020-02959-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes make up 20-40% of glial cells within the central nervous system (CNS) and provide several crucial functions, ranging from metabolic and structural support to regulation of synaptogenesis and synaptic transmission. Although these cells are morphologically and functionally complex, astrocytes have been historically regarded as homogenous cell populations and studied as one population of cells. Fortunately, recent evidence in RNA profiling and imaging data has begun to refute this view. These studies suggest heterogeneity of astrocytes across brain regions, differing in many aspects such as morphology, function, physiological properties, developmental origins, and response to disease. Increased understanding of astrocyte heterogeneity is critical for investigations into the function of astrocytes in the brain and neuro-glia interactions. Furthermore, insights into astrocyte heterogeneity can help better understand their role in neurological disorders and potentially produce novel approaches to treating these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Westergard
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Rothstein
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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39
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Zhao C, Devlin AC, Chouhan AK, Selvaraj BT, Stavrou M, Burr K, Brivio V, He X, Mehta AR, Story D, Shaw CE, Dando O, Hardingham GE, Miles GB, Chandran S. Mutant C9orf72 human iPSC-derived astrocytes cause non-cell autonomous motor neuron pathophysiology. Glia 2019; 68:1046-1064. [PMID: 31841614 PMCID: PMC7078830 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 11/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in C9orf72 are the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Accumulating evidence implicates astrocytes as important non‐cell autonomous contributors to ALS pathogenesis, although the potential deleterious effects of astrocytes on the function of motor neurons remains to be determined in a completely humanized model of C9orf72‐mediated ALS. Here, we use a human iPSC‐based model to study the cell autonomous and non‐autonomous consequences of mutant C9orf72 expression by astrocytes. We show that mutant astrocytes both recapitulate key aspects of C9orf72‐related ALS pathology and, upon co‐culture, cause motor neurons to undergo a progressive loss of action potential output due to decreases in the magnitude of voltage‐activated Na+ and K+ currents. Importantly, CRISPR/Cas‐9 mediated excision of the C9orf72 repeat expansion reverses these phenotypes, confirming that the C9orf72 mutation is responsible for both cell‐autonomous astrocyte pathology and non‐cell autonomous motor neuron pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhao
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Anna-Claire Devlin
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Amit K Chouhan
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Bhuvaneish T Selvaraj
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Maria Stavrou
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Karen Burr
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Veronica Brivio
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Xin He
- Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Arpan R Mehta
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David Story
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Christopher E Shaw
- MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK.,Dementia Research Institute at Kings College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
| | - Owen Dando
- Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Giles E Hardingham
- Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gareth B Miles
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore, India
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40
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Abstract
Motor neuron disorders are highly debilitating and mostly fatal conditions for which only limited therapeutic options are available. To overcome this limitation and develop more effective therapeutic strategies, it is critical to discover the pathogenic mechanisms that trigger and sustain motor neuron degeneration with the greatest accuracy and detail. In the case of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), several genes have been associated with familial forms of the disease, whilst the vast majority of cases develop sporadically and no defined cause can be held responsible. On the contrary, the huge majority of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) occurrences are caused by loss-of-function mutations in a single gene, SMN1. Although the typical hallmark of both diseases is the loss of motor neurons, there is increasing awareness that pathological lesions are also present in the neighbouring glia, whose dysfunction clearly contributes to generating a toxic environment in the central nervous system. Here, ALS and SMA are sequentially presented, each disease section having a brief introduction, followed by a focussed discussion on the role of the astrocytes in the disease pathogenesis. Such a dissertation is substantiated by the findings that built awareness on the glial involvement and how the glial-neuronal interplay is perturbed, along with the appraisal of this new cellular site for possible therapeutic intervention.
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41
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Halpern M, Brennand KJ, Gregory J. Examining the relationship between astrocyte dysfunction and neurodegeneration in ALS using hiPSCs. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 132:104562. [PMID: 31381978 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a complex and fatal neurodegenerative disease for which the causes of disease onset and progression remain unclear. Recent advances in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-based models permit the study of the genetic factors associated with ALS in patient-derived neural cell types, including motor neurons and glia. While astrocyte dysfunction has traditionally been thought to exacerbate disease progression, astrocytic dysfunction may play a more direct role in disease initiation and progression. Such non-cell autonomous mechanisms expand the potential targets of therapeutic intervention, but only a handful of ALS risk-associated genes have been examined for their impact on astrocyte dysfunction and neurodegeneration. This review summarizes what is currently known about astrocyte function in ALS and suggests ways in which hiPSC-based models can be used to more effectively study the role of astrocytes in neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline Halpern
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Kristen J Brennand
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Department of Genetics and Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America.
| | - James Gregory
- Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY 10013, United States of America.
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Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase and wild-type like fALS SOD1 mutants produce cytotoxic quantities of H 2O 2 via cysteine-dependent redox short-circuit. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10826. [PMID: 31346243 PMCID: PMC6658568 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47326-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Cu/Zn−superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is a ubiquitous enzyme that catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide radicals to oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. In addition to this principal reaction, the enzyme is known to catalyze, with various efficiencies, several redox side-reactions using alternative substrates, including biological thiols, all involving the catalytic copper in the enzyme’s active-site, which is relatively surface exposed. The accessibility and reactivity of the catalytic copper is known to increase upon SOD1 misfolding, structural alterations caused by a mutation or environmental stresses. These competing side-reactions can lead to the formation of particularly toxic ROS, which have been proposed to contribute to oxidative damage in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons. Here, we demonstrated that metal-saturated SOD1WT (holo-SOD1WT) and a familial ALS (fALS) catalytically active SOD1 mutant, SOD1G93A, are capable, under defined metabolic circumstances, to generate cytotoxic quantities of H2O2 through cysteine (CSH)/glutathione (GSH) redox short-circuit. Such activity may drain GSH stores, therefore discharging cellular antioxidant potential. By analyzing the distribution of thiol compounds throughout the CNS, the location of potential hot-spots of ROS production can be deduced. These hot-spots may constitute the origin of oxidative damage to neurons in ALS.
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Transforming growth factor beta 1 signaling is altered in the spinal cord and muscle of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mice and patients. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 82:48-59. [PMID: 31394426 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Gender differences characterize amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Because ALS patients have increased circulating levels of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1), here we analyzed gender and disease progression-related modification of TGFB1 and its related signaling molecules in the spinal cord and skeletal muscle of ALS mice and in muscle biopsies from sporadic ALS patients. At presymptomatic stage, Tgfb1 mRNA expression is reduced in the mouse spinal cord but is increased selectively in the male skeletal muscle. At symptomatic stage, it is induced both in the mouse spinal cord and muscle, as well as in the muscle of ALS patients. Tgfbr2 levels are induced only in the mouse spinal cord. Smad2 and Smad4 mRNAs are decreased in the mouse spinal cord and muscle, but SMAD2 protein levels are augmented selectively in the male mouse muscle. Smad3 mRNA and SMAD3 protein are increased in the mouse muscle. The expression of genes controlled by TGFB1 in the muscle (Pax7, Collagen1a1, and Fibronectin) are reduced both in male and female ALS mice at symptomatic stage. Thus, TGFB1 modulation may serve as a novel therapeutic target for ALS.
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44
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An D, Fujiki R, Iannitelli DE, Smerdon JW, Maity S, Rose MF, Gelber A, Wanaselja EK, Yagudayeva I, Lee JY, Vogel C, Wichterle H, Engle EC, Mazzoni EO. Stem cell-derived cranial and spinal motor neurons reveal proteostatic differences between ALS resistant and sensitive motor neurons. eLife 2019; 8:44423. [PMID: 31157617 PMCID: PMC6594754 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) spinal motor neurons (SpMN) progressively degenerate while a subset of cranial motor neurons (CrMN) are spared until late stages of the disease. Using a rapid and efficient protocol to differentiate mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) to SpMNs and CrMNs, we now report that ESC-derived CrMNs accumulate less human (h)SOD1 and insoluble p62 than SpMNs over time. ESC-derived CrMNs have higher proteasome activity to degrade misfolded proteins and are intrinsically more resistant to chemically-induced proteostatic stress than SpMNs. Chemical and genetic activation of the proteasome rescues SpMN sensitivity to proteostatic stress. In agreement, the hSOD1 G93A mouse model reveals that ALS-resistant CrMNs accumulate less insoluble hSOD1 and p62-containing inclusions than SpMNs. Primary-derived ALS-resistant CrMNs are also more resistant than SpMNs to proteostatic stress. Thus, an ESC-based platform has identified a superior capacity to maintain a healthy proteome as a possible mechanism to resist ALS-induced neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Disi An
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Ryosuke Fujiki
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Medical Genetics Training Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | | | - John W Smerdon
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Shuvadeep Maity
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, United States.,Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Matthew F Rose
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Medical Genetics Training Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, United States
| | - Alon Gelber
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, United States
| | | | - Ilona Yagudayeva
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Joun Y Lee
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Christine Vogel
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, United States.,Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Hynek Wichterle
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Elizabeth C Engle
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Medical Genetics Training Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, United States.,Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States.,Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Esteban Orlando Mazzoni
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, United States.,NYU Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, United States
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45
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Li K, Li J, Zheng J, Qin S. Reactive Astrocytes in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Aging Dis 2019; 10:664-675. [PMID: 31165009 PMCID: PMC6538217 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2018.0720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 234] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes, the largest and most numerous glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS), play a variety of important roles in regulating homeostasis, increasing synaptic plasticity and providing neuroprotection, thus helping to maintain normal brain function. At the same time, astrocytes can participate in the inflammatory response and play a key role in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Reactive astrocytes are strongly induced by numerous pathological conditions in the CNS. Astrocyte reactivity is initially characterized by hypertrophy of soma and processes, triggered by different molecules. Recent studies have demonstrated that neuroinflammation and ischemia can elicit two different types of reactive astrocytes, termed A1s and A2s. However, in the case of astrocyte reactivity in different neurodegenerative diseases, the recently published research issues remain a high level of conflict and controversy. So far, we still know very little about whether and how the function or reactivity of astrocytes changes in the progression of different neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we aimed to briefly discuss recent studies highlighting the complex contribution of astrocytes in the process of various neurodegenerative diseases, which may provide us with new prospects for the development of an excellent therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunyu Li
- 1Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jiatong Li
- 1Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jialin Zheng
- 2Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Song Qin
- 1Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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46
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane A Liddelow
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Michael V Sofroniew
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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47
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Korhonen P, Pollari E, Kanninen KM, Savchenko E, Lehtonen Š, Wojciechowski S, Pomeshchik Y, Van Den Bosch L, Goldsteins G, Koistinaho J, Malm T. Long-term interleukin-33 treatment delays disease onset and alleviates astrocytic activation in a transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. IBRO Rep 2019; 6:74-86. [PMID: 30705990 PMCID: PMC6348738 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibror.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Th2-type cytokine IL-33 delayed the disease onset of female SOD1-G93 A transgenic ALS mice. IL-33 decreased the proportion of T cells in the spleens and lymph nodes of female mice. IL-33 decreased astrocytic activation in the spinal cord of female mice. Male mice were unresponsive to the treatment.
Inflammation is a prominent feature of the neuropathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Emerging evidence suggests that inflammatory cascades contributing to the disease progression are not restricted to the central nervous system (CNS) but also occur peripherally. Indeed, alterations in T cell responses and their secreted cytokines have been detected in ALS patients and in animal models of ALS. One key cytokine responsible for the shift in T cell responses is interleukin-33 (IL-33), which stimulates innate type 2 immune cells to produce a large amount of Th2 cytokines that are possibly beneficial in the recovery processes of CNS injuries. Since the levels of IL-33 have been shown to be decreased in patients affected with ALS, we sought to determine whether a long-term recombinant IL-33 treatment of a transgenic mouse model of ALS expressing G93A-superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1-G93A) alters the disease progression and ameliorates the ALS-like disease pathology. SOD1-G93A mice were treated with intraperitoneal injections of IL-33 and effects on disease onset and inflammatory status were determined. Spinal cord (SC) neurons, astrocytes and T-cells were exposed to IL-33 to evaluate the cell specific responses to IL-33. Treatment of SOD1-G93A mice with IL-33 delayed the disease onset in female mice, decreased the proportion of CD4+ and CD8 + T cell populations in the spleen and lymph nodes, and alleviated astrocytic activation in the ventral horn of the lumbar SC. Male SOD1-G93A mice were unresponsive to the treatment. In vitro studies showed that IL-33 is most likely not acting directly on neurons and astrocytes, but rather conveying its effects through peripheral T-cells. Our results suggest that strategies directed to the peripheral immune system may have therapeutic potential in ALS. The effect of gender dimorphisms to the treatment efficacy needs to be taken into consideration when designing new therapeutic strategies for CNS diseases.
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Key Words
- ALS
- ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- ANOVA, analysis of variance
- Arg-1, arginine-1
- Astrocyte
- CM, conditioned medium
- CNS, central nervous system
- Cytokine
- DMEM, Dulbecco’s minimum essential medium
- EAE, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
- GFAP, glial fibrillary acidic protein
- HO-1, hemeoxygenase-1
- IFN-γ, interferon gamma
- IL-10, interleukin-10
- IL-1RAcP, interleukin-1 receptor accessory protein
- IL-33, interleukin-33
- IL-33R, interleukin-33 receptor
- IL-6, interleukin-6
- Iba-1, ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1
- Inflammation
- Interleukin-33
- MCP-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1
- Microglia
- NFE2L2, the gene encoding Nrf2
- Nrf2, nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2
- PBS, phosphate buffered saline
- RT, room temperature
- SC, spinal cord
- SD, standard deviation
- SOD1, superoxide dismutase 1
- Spinal cord
- T cell
- TG, transgenic
- TNF, tumor necrosis factor
- WT, wildtype
- fALS, familial ALS
- sALS, sporadic ALS
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Korhonen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Biocenter Kuopio, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Eveliina Pollari
- KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Box 912, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katja M Kanninen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Biocenter Kuopio, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ekaterina Savchenko
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Biocenter Kuopio, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Šárka Lehtonen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Biocenter Kuopio, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Sara Wojciechowski
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Biocenter Kuopio, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Yuriy Pomeshchik
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Biocenter Kuopio, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Box 912, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gundars Goldsteins
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Biocenter Kuopio, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jari Koistinaho
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Biocenter Kuopio, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tarja Malm
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Biocenter Kuopio, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
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48
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Miller SJ, Glatzer JC, Hsieh YC, Rothstein JD. Cortical astroglia undergo transcriptomic dysregulation in the G93A SOD1 ALS mouse model. J Neurogenet 2018; 32:322-335. [PMID: 30398075 PMCID: PMC6444185 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2018.1513508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Astroglia are the most abundant glia cell in the central nervous system, playing essential roles in maintaining homeostasis. Key functions of astroglia include, but are not limited to, neurotransmitter recycling, ion buffering, immune modulation, neurotrophin secretion, neuronal synaptogenesis and elimination, and blood-brain barrier maintenance. In neurological diseases, it is well appreciated that astroglia play crucial roles in the disease pathogenesis. In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a motor neuron degenerative disease, astroglia in the spinal cord and cortex downregulate essential transporters, among other proteins, that exacerbate disease progression. Spinal cord astroglia undergo dramatic transcriptome dysregulation. However, in the cortex, it has not been well studied what effects glia, especially astroglia, have on upper motor neurons in the pathology of ALS. To begin to shed light on the involvement and dysregulation that astroglia undergo in ALS, we isolated pure grey-matter cortical astroglia and subjected them to microarray analysis. We uncovered a vast number of genes that show dysregulation at end-stage in the ALS mouse model, G93A SOD1. Many of these genes play essential roles in ion homeostasis and the Wnt-signaling pathway. Several of these dysregulated genes are common in ALS spinal cord astroglia, while many of them are unique. This database serves as an approach for understanding the significance of dysfunctional genes and pathways in cortical astroglia in the context of motor neuron disease, as well as determining regional astroglia heterogeneity, and providing insight into ALS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean J. Miller
- Dept. of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- The Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Jenna C. Glatzer
- Dept. of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- The Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Yi-chun Hsieh
- Dept. of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- The Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Jeffrey D. Rothstein
- Dept. of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- The Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
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49
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Miller SJ. Astrocyte Heterogeneity in the Adult Central Nervous System. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:401. [PMID: 30524236 PMCID: PMC6262303 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are the most abundant cell type in the central nervous system (CNS), providing critical roles in the overall maintenance and homeostasis. Over 100 years ago, Cajal first showed morphological depictions of different astrocyte populations. Surprisingly, to date astrocytes remain classified in two groups based on their morphological and neuroanatomical positioning. However, accumulating evidence over the past few years is showing that astrocytes are highly diverse throughout the CNS. Astrocyte heterogeneity is not surprisingly, as these cells interact with all other cells in the CNS. Like neurons, astrocytes may also have subpopulations that vary in their functionality. In this mini review, we will explore some of the recent evidence in the adult CNS of astrocyte diversity. First, we will review the very little literature on healthy adult astroglia heterogeneity, followed by the identification of different subpopulations in disease states and how this varies between human and mouse. Exploring this new area of neuroscience will hopefully provide researchers with a new perspective on astrocytes and their heterogeneity throughout the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean J Miller
- Laboratory of Tony Wyss-Coray, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
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50
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Massenzio F, Peña-Altamira E, Petralla S, Virgili M, Zuccheri G, Miti A, Polazzi E, Mengoni I, Piffaretti D, Monti B. Microglial overexpression of fALS-linked mutant SOD1 induces SOD1 processing impairment, activation and neurotoxicity and is counteracted by the autophagy inducer trehalose. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2018; 1864:3771-3785. [PMID: 30315929 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2018.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motor neuron disease. Mutations in the gene encoding copper/zinc superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) are responsible for most familiar cases, but the role of mutant SOD1 protein dysfunction in non-cell autonomous neurodegeneration, especially in relation to microglial activation, is still unclear. Here, we focused our study on microglial cells, which release SOD1 also through exosomes. We observed that in rat primary microglia the overexpression of the most-common SOD1 mutations linked to fALS (G93A and A4V) leads to SOD1 intracellular accumulation, which correlates to autophagy dysfunction and microglial activation. In primary contact co-cultures, fALS mutant SOD1 overexpression by microglial cells appears to be neurotoxic by itself. Treatment with the autophagy-inducer trehalose reduced mutant SOD1 accumulation in microglial cells, decreased microglial activation and abrogated neurotoxicity in the co-culture model. These data suggest that i) the alteration of the autophagic pathway due to mutant SOD1 overexpression is involved in microglial activation and neurotoxicity; ii) the induction of autophagy with trehalose reduces microglial SOD1 accumulation through proteasome degradation and activation, leading to neuroprotection. Our results provide a novel contribution towards better understanding key cellular mechanisms in non-cell autonomous ALS neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Massenzio
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Sabrina Petralla
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marco Virgili
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Zuccheri
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research on Life and Health Sciences at the University of Bologna, Italy; S3 Center of the Institute of Nanoscience of the National Research Council (C.N.R.), Italy
| | - Andrea Miti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Polazzi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Ilaria Mengoni
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Deborah Piffaretti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Barbara Monti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
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