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Thumbadoo KM, Dieriks BV, Murray HC, Swanson MEV, Yoo JH, Mehrabi NF, Turner C, Dragunow M, Faull RLM, Curtis MA, Siddique T, Shaw CE, Newell KL, Henden L, Williams KL, Nicholson GA, Scotter EL. Hippocampal aggregation signatures of pathogenic UBQLN2 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Brain 2024; 147:3547-3561. [PMID: 38703371 PMCID: PMC11449146 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic variants in the UBQLN2 gene cause X-linked dominant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and/or frontotemporal dementia characterized by ubiquilin 2 aggregates in neurons of the motor cortex, hippocampus and spinal cord. However, ubiquilin 2 neuropathology is also seen in sporadic and familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and/or frontotemporal dementia cases not caused by UBQLN2 pathogenic variants, particularly C9orf72-linked cases. This makes the mechanistic role of mutant ubiquilin 2 protein and the value of ubiquilin 2 pathology for predicting genotype unclear. Here we examine a cohort of 44 genotypically diverse amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases with or without frontotemporal dementia, including eight cases with UBQLN2 variants [resulting in p.S222G, p.P497H, p.P506S, p.T487I (two cases) and p.P497L (three cases)]. Using multiplexed (five-label) fluorescent immunohistochemistry, we mapped the co-localization of ubiquilin 2 with phosphorylated TDP-43, dipeptide repeat aggregates and p62 in the hippocampus of controls (n = 6), or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with or without frontotemporal dementia in sporadic (n = 20), unknown familial (n = 3), SOD1-linked (n = 1), FUS-linked (n = 1), C9orf72-linked (n = 5) and UBQLN2-linked (n = 8) cases. We differentiate between (i) ubiquilin 2 aggregation together with phosphorylated TDP-43 or dipeptide repeat proteins; and (ii) ubiquilin 2 self-aggregation promoted by UBQLN2 pathogenic variants that cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and/or frontotemporal dementia. Overall, we describe a hippocampal protein aggregation signature that fully distinguishes mutant from wild-type ubiquilin 2 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with or without frontotemporal dementia, whereby mutant ubiquilin 2 is more prone than wild-type to aggregate independently of driving factors. This neuropathological signature can be used to assess the pathogenicity of UBQLN2 gene variants and to understand the mechanisms of UBQLN2-linked disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyrah M Thumbadoo
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Birger V Dieriks
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Helen C Murray
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Molly E V Swanson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Ji Hun Yoo
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Nasim F Mehrabi
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Clinton Turner
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, LabPlus, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Michael Dragunow
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Richard L M Faull
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Maurice A Curtis
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Teepu Siddique
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Christopher E Shaw
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Kathy L Newell
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Lyndal Henden
- Macquarie University Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Kelly L Williams
- Macquarie University Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Garth A Nicholson
- Macquarie University Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) Research Institute, Concord, New South Wales 2139, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2050, Australia
- Molecular Medicine Laboratory, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, New South Wales 2139, Australia
| | - Emma L Scotter
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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2
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Horio T, Ishikura Y, Ohashi R, Shiina N. Regulation of RNG105/caprin1 dynamics by pathogenic cytoplasmic FUS and TDP-43 in neuronal RNA granules modulates synaptic loss. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17065. [PMID: 37484309 PMCID: PMC10361247 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In neurodegenerative diseases, the condensation of FUS and TDP-43 with RNA granules in neurons is linked to pathology, including synaptic disorders. However, the effects of FUS and TDP-43 on RNA granule factors remain unclear. Here, using primary cultured neurons from the mouse cerebral cortex, we show that excess cytoplasmic FUS and TDP-43 accumulated in dendritic RNA granules, where they increased the dynamics of a scaffold protein RNG105/caprin1 and dissociated it from the granules. This coincided with reduced levels of mRNA and translation around the granules and synaptic loss in dendrites. These defects were suppressed by non-dissociable RNG105, suggesting that RNG105 dissociation mediated the defects. In contrast to the model where FUS and TDP-43 co-aggregate with RNA granule factors to repress their activity, our findings provide a novel pathogenic mechanism whereby FUS and TDP-43 dissociate RNA scaffold proteins from RNA granules which are required for local translation that regulates synapse formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoyo Horio
- Laboratory of Neuronal Cell Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Yui Ishikura
- Laboratory of Neuronal Cell Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Rie Ohashi
- Laboratory of Neuronal Cell Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- Life Science Research Center, University of Toyama, Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Shiina
- Laboratory of Neuronal Cell Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
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3
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Kim SH, Nichols KD, Anderson EN, Liu Y, Ramesh N, Jia W, Kuerbis CJ, Scalf M, Smith LM, Pandey UB, Tibbetts RS. Axon guidance genes modulate neurotoxicity of ALS-associated UBQLN2. eLife 2023; 12:e84382. [PMID: 37039476 PMCID: PMC10147378 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the ubiquitin (Ub) chaperone Ubiquilin 2 (UBQLN2) cause X-linked forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) through unknown mechanisms. Here, we show that aggregation-prone, ALS-associated mutants of UBQLN2 (UBQLN2ALS) trigger heat stress-dependent neurodegeneration in Drosophila. A genetic modifier screen implicated endolysosomal and axon guidance genes, including the netrin receptor, Unc-5, as key modulators of UBQLN2 toxicity. Reduced gene dosage of Unc-5 or its coreceptor Dcc/frazzled diminished neurodegenerative phenotypes, including motor dysfunction, neuromuscular junction defects, and shortened lifespan, in flies expressing UBQLN2ALS alleles. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) harboring UBQLN2ALS knockin mutations exhibited lysosomal defects while inducible motor neurons (iMNs) expressing UBQLN2ALS alleles exhibited cytosolic UBQLN2 inclusions, reduced neurite complexity, and growth cone defects that were partially reversed by silencing of UNC5B and DCC. The combined findings suggest that altered growth cone dynamics are a conserved pathomechanism in UBQLN2-associated ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Hwa Kim
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonUnited States
| | - Kye D Nichols
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonUnited States
| | - Eric N Anderson
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical CenterPittsburghUnited States
| | - Yining Liu
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonUnited States
| | - Nandini Ramesh
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical CenterPittsburghUnited States
| | - Weiyan Jia
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonUnited States
| | - Connor J Kuerbis
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonUnited States
| | - Mark Scalf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
| | - Lloyd M Smith
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
| | - Udai Bhan Pandey
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical CenterPittsburghUnited States
| | - Randal S Tibbetts
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonUnited States
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4
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Black HH, Hanson JL, Roberts JE, Leslie SN, Campodonico W, Ebmeier CC, Holling GA, Tay JW, Matthews AM, Ung E, Lau CI, Whiteley AM. UBQLN2 restrains the domesticated retrotransposon PEG10 to maintain neuronal health in ALS. eLife 2023; 12:e79452. [PMID: 36951542 PMCID: PMC10076021 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive motor neuron dysfunction and loss. A portion of ALS cases are caused by mutation of the proteasome shuttle factor Ubiquilin 2 (UBQLN2), but the molecular pathway leading from UBQLN2 dysfunction to disease remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that UBQLN2 regulates the domesticated gag-pol retrotransposon 'paternally expressed gene 10 (PEG10)' in human cells and tissues. In cells, the PEG10 gag-pol protein cleaves itself in a mechanism reminiscent of retrotransposon self-processing to generate a liberated 'nucleocapsid' fragment, which uniquely localizes to the nucleus and changes the expression of genes involved in axon remodeling. In spinal cord tissue from ALS patients, PEG10 gag-pol is elevated compared to healthy controls. These findings implicate the retrotransposon-like activity of PEG10 as a contributing mechanism in ALS through the regulation of gene expression, and restraint of PEG10 as a primary function of UBQLN2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly H Black
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Jessica L Hanson
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Julia E Roberts
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Shannon N Leslie
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Will Campodonico
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | | | - G Aaron Holling
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Jian Wei Tay
- Biofrontiers Institute, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Autumn M Matthews
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Elizabeth Ung
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Cristina I Lau
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
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5
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Phung TH, Tatman M, Monteiro MJ. UBQLN2 undergoes a reversible temperature-induced conformational switch that regulates binding with HSPA1B: ALS/FTD mutations cripple the switch but do not destroy HSPA1B binding. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2023; 1867:130284. [PMID: 36423739 PMCID: PMC9792439 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2022.130284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Here we present evidence, based on alterations of its intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, that UBQLN2 protein undergoes a conformational switch when the temperature is raised from 37 °C to 42 °C. The switch is reset on restoration of the temperature. We speculate that the switch regulates UBQLN2 function in the heat shock response because elevation of the temperature from 37 °C to 42 °C dramatically increased in vitro binding between UBQLN2 and HSPA1B. Furthermore, restoration of the temperature to 37 °C decreased HSPA1B binding. By comparison to wild type (WT) UBQLN2, we found that all five ALS/FTD mutant UBQLN2 proteins we examined had attenuated alterations in tryptophan fluorescence when shifted to 42 °C, suggesting that the conformational switch is crippled in the mutants. Paradoxically, all five mutants bound similar amounts of HSPA1B compared to WT UBQLN2 protein at 42 °C, suggesting that either the conformational switch is not instrumental for HSPA1B binding, or that, although damaged, it is still functional. Comparison of the poly-ubiquitin chain binding revealed that WT UBQLN2 binds more avidly with K63 than with K48 chains. The avidity may explain the involvement of UBQLN2 in autophagy and cell signaling. Consistent with its function in autophagy, we found UBQLN2 binds directly with LC3, the autophagosomal-specific membrane-tethered protein. Finally, we provide evidence that WT UBQLN2 can homodimerize, and heterodimerize with WT UBQLN1. We show that ALS mutant P497S-UBQLN2 protein can oligomerize with either WT UBQLN1 or 2, providing a possible mechanism for how mutant UBQLN2 proteins could bind and inactivate UBQLN proteins, causing loss of function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trong H Phung
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Micaela Tatman
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mervyn J Monteiro
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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6
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Gelon PA, Dutchak PA, Sephton CF. Synaptic dysfunction in ALS and FTD: anatomical and molecular changes provide insights into mechanisms of disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1000183. [PMID: 36263379 PMCID: PMC9575515 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1000183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic loss is a pathological feature of all neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). ALS is a disease of the cortical and spinal motor neurons resulting in fatal paralysis due to denervation of muscles. FTD is a form of dementia that primarily affects brain regions controlling cognition, language and behavior. Once classified as two distinct diseases, ALS and FTD are now considered as part of a common disease spectrum based on overlapping clinical, pathological and genetic evidence. At the cellular level, aggregation of common proteins and overlapping gene susceptibilities are shared in both ALS and FTD. Despite the convergence of these two fields of research, the underlying disease mechanisms remain elusive. However, recent discovers from ALS and FTD patient studies and models of ALS/FTD strongly suggests that synaptic dysfunction is an early event in the disease process and a unifying hallmark of these diseases. This review provides a summary of the reported anatomical and cellular changes that occur in cortical and spinal motor neurons in ALS and FTD tissues and models of disease. We also highlight studies that identify changes in the proteome and transcriptome of ALS and FTD models and provide a conceptual overview of the processes that contribute to synaptic dysfunction in these diseases. Due to space limitations and the vast number of publications in the ALS and FTD fields, many articles have not been discussed in this review. As such, this review focuses on the three most common shared mutations in ALS and FTD, the hexanucleuotide repeat expansion within intron 1 of chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9ORF72), transactive response DNA binding protein 43 (TARDBP or TDP-43) and fused in sarcoma (FUS), with the intention of highlighting common pathways that promote synaptic dysfunction in the ALS-FTD disease spectrum.
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7
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Lin BC, Higgins NR, Phung TH, Monteiro MJ. UBQLN proteins in health and disease with a focus on UBQLN2 in ALS/FTD. FEBS J 2022; 289:6132-6153. [PMID: 34273246 PMCID: PMC8761781 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Ubiquilin (UBQLN) proteins are a dynamic and versatile family of proteins found in all eukaryotes that function in the regulation of proteostasis. Besides their canonical function as shuttle factors in delivering misfolded proteins to the proteasome and autophagy systems for degradation, there is emerging evidence that UBQLN proteins play broader roles in proteostasis. New information suggests the proteins function as chaperones in protein folding, protecting proteins prior to membrane insertion, and as guardians for mitochondrial protein import. In this review, we describe the evidence for these different roles, highlighting how different domains of the proteins impart these functions. We also describe how changes in the structure and phase separation properties of UBQLNs may regulate their activity and function. Finally, we discuss the pathogenic mechanisms by which mutations in UBQLN2 cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. We describe the animal model systems made for different UBQLN2 mutations and how lessons learnt from these systems provide fundamental insight into the molecular mechanisms by which UBQLN2 mutations drive disease pathogenesis through disturbances in proteostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C. Lin
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nicole R. Higgins
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Trong H. Phung
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mervyn J. Monteiro
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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8
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Tang Y, Liu P, Li W, Liu Z, Zhou M, Li J, Yuan Y, Fang L, Wang M, Shen L, Huang Y, Tang B, Wang J, Hu S. Detection of changes in synaptic density in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients using 18 F-SynVesT-1 positron-emission tomography. Eur J Neurol 2022; 29:2934-2943. [PMID: 35708508 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Synaptic loss is well established as the major correlate of characteristic and consistent pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We aimed to assess the possible discriminant diagnostic value of 18 F-SynVesT-1 positron-emission tomography (PET) as a marker of ALS pathology and investigate whether specific synaptic density signatures are present in ALS with different subtypes. METHODS Twenty-one patients with ALS and 25 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. All participants underwent 18 F-SynVesT-1-PET. Synaptic density between ALS and HCs and between different ALS subgroups were compared. Correlation between synaptic density and clinical features in ALS was also performed. RESULTS Low uptake distribution was found in the group comprising 21 ALS patients as compared with HCs in the right temporal lobe and the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate, and hippocampus-insula region. We also found a low uptake in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, hippocampus-insula, anterior cingulate and left inferior frontal gyrus in ALS patients with cognitive impairment compared to HCs. Furthermore, compared to spinal-onset ALS, bulbar-onset ALS showed low uptake in the bilateral cingulate gyrus and high uptake in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus and left occipital lobe. No significant result was found in correlation analysis. CONCLUSION This approach may provide a direct measure of synaptic density, and it therefore might represent a potentially useful biomarker for ALS diagnosis, as well as for estimating the cognitive decline and site of onset in ALS. 18 F-SynVesT-1-PET is presently not justified as a routine investigation to detect evidence of brain dysfunction justifying progression in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongxiang Tang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Pan Liu
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Wanzhen Li
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Zhen Liu
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Ming Zhou
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Yanchun Yuan
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Liangjuan Fang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Mengli Wang
- Department of Neurology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Lu Shen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.,Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University
| | - Yiyun Huang
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Beisha Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.,Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University
| | - Junling Wang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.,Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University.,Engineering Research Center of Hunan Province in Cognitive Impairment Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Neurodegenerative and Neurogenetic Diseases, Changsha, China
| | - Shuo Hu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.,Key Laboratory of Biological Nanotechnology of National Health Commission, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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9
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Cozzi M, Ferrari V. Autophagy Dysfunction in ALS: from Transport to Protein Degradation. J Mol Neurosci 2022; 72:1456-1481. [PMID: 35708843 PMCID: PMC9293831 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-022-02029-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting upper and lower motor neurons (MNs). Since the identification of the first ALS mutation in 1993, more than 40 genes have been associated with the disorder. The most frequent genetic causes of ALS are represented by mutated genes whose products challenge proteostasis, becoming unable to properly fold and consequently aggregating into inclusions that impose proteotoxic stress on affected cells. In this context, increasing evidence supports the central role played by autophagy dysfunctions in the pathogenesis of ALS. Indeed, in early stages of disease, high levels of proteins involved in autophagy are present in ALS MNs; but at the same time, with neurodegeneration progression, autophagy-mediated degradation decreases, often as a result of the accumulation of toxic protein aggregates in affected cells. Autophagy is a complex multistep pathway that has a central role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Several proteins are involved in its tight regulation, and importantly a relevant fraction of ALS-related genes encodes products that directly take part in autophagy, further underlining the relevance of this key protein degradation system in disease onset and progression. In this review, we report the most relevant findings concerning ALS genes whose products are involved in the several steps of the autophagic pathway, from phagophore formation to autophagosome maturation and transport and finally to substrate degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Cozzi
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Farmacologiche E Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi Di Milano, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Veronica Ferrari
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Farmacologiche E Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi Di Milano, 20133, Milan, Italy.
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10
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Weerasinghe-Mudiyanselage PDE, Ang MJ, Kang S, Kim JS, Moon C. Structural Plasticity of the Hippocampus in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:3349. [PMID: 35328770 PMCID: PMC8955928 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroplasticity is the capacity of neural networks in the brain to alter through development and rearrangement. It can be classified as structural and functional plasticity. The hippocampus is more susceptible to neuroplasticity as compared to other brain regions. Structural modifications in the hippocampus underpin several neurodegenerative diseases that exhibit cognitive and emotional dysregulation. This article reviews the findings of several preclinical and clinical studies about the role of structural plasticity in the hippocampus in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and multiple sclerosis. In this study, literature was surveyed using Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, to review the mechanisms that underlie the alterations in the structural plasticity of the hippocampus in neurodegenerative diseases. This review summarizes the role of structural plasticity in the hippocampus for the etiopathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and identifies the current focus and gaps in knowledge about hippocampal dysfunctions. Ultimately, this information will be useful to propel future mechanistic and therapeutic research in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poornima D. E. Weerasinghe-Mudiyanselage
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Animal Behavior, College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 FOUR Program, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (P.D.E.W.-M.); (M.J.A.); (S.K.); (J.-S.K.)
| | - Mary Jasmin Ang
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Animal Behavior, College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 FOUR Program, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (P.D.E.W.-M.); (M.J.A.); (S.K.); (J.-S.K.)
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños 4031, Philippines
| | - Sohi Kang
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Animal Behavior, College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 FOUR Program, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (P.D.E.W.-M.); (M.J.A.); (S.K.); (J.-S.K.)
| | - Joong-Sun Kim
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Animal Behavior, College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 FOUR Program, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (P.D.E.W.-M.); (M.J.A.); (S.K.); (J.-S.K.)
| | - Changjong Moon
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Animal Behavior, College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 FOUR Program, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; (P.D.E.W.-M.); (M.J.A.); (S.K.); (J.-S.K.)
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11
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Todd TW, Petrucelli L. Modelling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in rodents. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:231-251. [PMID: 35260846 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00564-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The efficient study of human disease requires the proper tools, one of the most crucial of which is an accurate animal model that faithfully recapitulates the human condition. The study of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is no exception. Although the majority of ALS cases are considered sporadic, most animal models of this disease rely on genetic mutations identified in familial cases. Over the past decade, the number of genes associated with ALS has risen dramatically and, with each new genetic variant, there is a drive to develop associated animal models. Rodent models are of particular importance as they allow for the study of ALS in the context of a living mammal with a comparable CNS. Such models not only help to verify the pathogenicity of novel mutations but also provide critical insight into disease mechanisms and are crucial for the testing of new therapeutics. In this Review, we aim to summarize the full spectrum of ALS rodent models developed to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany W Todd
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
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12
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Handley EE, Reale LA, Chuckowree JA, Dyer MS, Barnett GL, Clark CM, Bennett W, Dickson TC, Blizzard CA. Estrogen Enhances Dendrite Spine Function and Recovers Deficits in Neuroplasticity in the prpTDP-43A315T Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:2962-2976. [PMID: 35249200 PMCID: PMC9016039 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02742-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) attacks the corticomotor system, with motor cortex function affected early in disease. Younger females have a lower relative risk of succumbing to ALS than males and older females, implicating a role for female sex hormones in disease progression. However, the mechanisms driving this dimorphic incidence are still largely unknown. We endeavoured to determine if estrogen mitigates disease progression and pathogenesis, focussing upon the dendritic spine as a site of action. Using two-photon live imaging we identify, in the prpTDP-43A315T mouse model of ALS, that dendritic spines in the male motor cortex have a reduced capacity for remodelling than their wild-type controls. In contrast, females show higher capacity for remodelling, with peak plasticity corresponding to highest estrogen levels during the estrous cycle. Estrogen manipulation through ovariectomies and estrogen replacement with 17β estradiol in vivo was found to significantly alter spine density and mitigate disease severity. Collectively, these findings reveal that synpatic plasticity is reduced in ALS, which can be amelioriated with estrogen, in conjuction with improved disease outcomes.
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13
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Pasniceanu IS, Atwal MS, Souza CDS, Ferraiuolo L, Livesey MR. Emerging Mechanisms Underpinning Neurophysiological Impairments in C9ORF72 Repeat Expansion-Mediated Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Frontotemporal Dementia. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 15:784833. [PMID: 34975412 PMCID: PMC8715728 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.784833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are characterized by degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons and neurons of the prefrontal cortex. The emergence of the C9ORF72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion mutation as the leading genetic cause of ALS and FTD has led to a progressive understanding of the multiple cellular pathways leading to neuronal degeneration. Disturbances in neuronal function represent a major subset of these mechanisms and because such functional perturbations precede degeneration, it is likely that impaired neuronal function in ALS/FTD plays an active role in pathogenesis. This is supported by the fact that ALS/FTD patients consistently present with neurophysiological impairments prior to any apparent degeneration. In this review we summarize how the discovery of the C9ORF72 repeat expansion mutation has contributed to the current understanding of neuronal dysfunction in ALS/FTD. Here, we discuss the impact of the repeat expansion on neuronal function in relation to intrinsic excitability, synaptic, network and ion channel properties, highlighting evidence of conserved and divergent pathophysiological impacts between cortical and motor neurons and the influence of non-neuronal cells. We further highlight the emerging association between these dysfunctional properties with molecular mechanisms of the C9ORF72 mutation that appear to include roles for both, haploinsufficiency of the C9ORF72 protein and aberrantly generated dipeptide repeat protein species. Finally, we suggest that relating key pathological observations in C9ORF72 repeat expansion ALS/FTD patients to the mechanistic impact of the C9ORF72 repeat expansion on neuronal function will lead to an improved understanding of how neurophysiological dysfunction impacts upon pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris-Stefania Pasniceanu
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Manpreet Singh Atwal
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Cleide Dos Santos Souza
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Ferraiuolo
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew R Livesey
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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14
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TDP-43 pathology: from noxious assembly to therapeutic removal. Prog Neurobiol 2022; 211:102229. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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15
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Bonifacino T, Zerbo RA, Balbi M, Torazza C, Frumento G, Fedele E, Bonanno G, Milanese M. Nearly 30 Years of Animal Models to Study Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Historical Overview and Future Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212236. [PMID: 34830115 PMCID: PMC8619465 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal, multigenic, multifactorial, and non-cell autonomous neurodegenerative disease characterized by upper and lower motor neuron loss. Several genetic mutations lead to ALS development and many emerging gene mutations have been discovered in recent years. Over the decades since 1990, several animal models have been generated to study ALS pathology including both vertebrates and invertebrates such as yeast, worms, flies, zebrafish, mice, rats, guinea pigs, dogs, and non-human primates. Although these models show different peculiarities, they are all useful and complementary to dissect the pathological mechanisms at the basis of motor neuron degeneration and ALS progression, thus contributing to the development of new promising therapeutics. In this review, we describe the up to date and available ALS genetic animal models, classified by the different genetic mutations and divided per species, pointing out their features in modeling, the onset and progression of the pathology, as well as their specific pathological hallmarks. Moreover, we highlight similarities, differences, advantages, and limitations, aimed at helping the researcher to select the most appropriate experimental animal model, when designing a preclinical ALS study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Bonifacino
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
- Inter-University Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching & Research (Centro 3R), 56122 Genoa, Italy
| | - Roberta Arianna Zerbo
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Matilde Balbi
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Carola Torazza
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Giulia Frumento
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Ernesto Fedele
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Giambattista Bonanno
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Marco Milanese
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy; (T.B.); (R.A.Z.); (M.B.); (C.T.); (G.F.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
- Inter-University Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching & Research (Centro 3R), 56122 Genoa, Italy
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16
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Peng G, Gu A, Niu H, Chen L, Chen Y, Zhou M, Zhang Y, Liu J, Cai L, Liang D, Liu X, Liu M. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) linked mutation in Ubiquilin 2 affects stress granule assembly via TIA-1. CNS Neurosci Ther 2021; 28:105-115. [PMID: 34750982 PMCID: PMC8673703 DOI: 10.1111/cns.13757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims The ubiquilin‐like protein ubiquilin 2 (UBQLN2) is associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal degeneration (ALS/FTD). The biological function of UBQLN2 has previously been shown to be related to stress granules (SGs). In this study, we aimed to clarify the regulatory relationship between UBQLN2 and SGs. Methods In this study, we transfected UBQLN2‐WT or UBQLN2‐P497H plasmids into cell lines (HEK293T, HeLa), and observed the process of SG dynamics by immunofluorescence. Meanwhile, immunoblot analyses the protein changes of stress granules related components. Results We observed that ubiquilin 2 colocalizes with the SG component proteins G3BP1, TIA‐1, ATXN2, and PABPC1. In cells expressing WT UBQLN2 or P497H mutants, in the early stages of SG formation under oxidative stress, the percentage of cells with SGs and the number of SGs per cell decreased to varying degrees. Between WT and mutant, there was no significant difference in eIF2α activity after stress treatment. Interestingly, the UBQLN2 P497H mutant downregulates the level of TIA‐1. In addition, the overexpression of the UBQLN2 P497H mutant inhibited the phosphorylation of 4E‐BP1 and affected the nucleoplasmic distribution of TDP‐43. Conclusions Ubiquilin 2 colocalizes with the SG component proteins G3BP1, TIA‐1, ATXN2, and PABPC1. It participates in regulating SG dynamics. And UBQLN2 mutation affects the assembly of stress granules by regulating TIA‐1. In addition, the overexpression of the UBQLN2 P497H mutant inhibited the phosphorylation of 4E‐BP1 and affected the nuclear and cytoplasmic distribution of TDP‐43. These provide new insights into the role of UBQLN2 in oxidative stress and the pathogenesis of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangnan Peng
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Hunan, China
| | - Ao Gu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Hunan, China
| | - Hongyan Niu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Hunan, China
| | - Linlin Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Hunan, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Hunan, China
| | - Miaojin Zhou
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Hunan, China
| | - Yiti Zhang
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Hunan, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Licong Cai
- School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Hunan, China
| | - Desheng Liang
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Hunan, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Hematology, Central South University, Hunan, China
| | - Xionghao Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Hunan, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Hematology, Central South University, Hunan, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Hunan, China
| | - Mujun Liu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Hematology, Central South University, Hunan, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Hunan, China.,Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Hunan, China
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17
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Safren N, Tank EM, Malik AM, Chua JP, Santoro N, Barmada SJ. Development of a specific live-cell assay for native autophagic flux. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101003. [PMID: 34303705 PMCID: PMC8368035 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved pathway mediating the breakdown of cellular proteins and organelles. Emphasizing its pivotal nature, autophagy dysfunction contributes to many diseases; nevertheless, development of effective autophagy modulating drugs is hampered by fundamental deficiencies in available methods for measuring autophagic activity or flux. To overcome these limitations, we introduced the photoconvertible protein Dendra2 into the MAP1LC3B locus of human cells via CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, enabling accurate and sensitive assessments of autophagy in living cells by optical pulse labeling. We used this assay to perform high-throughput drug screens of four chemical libraries comprising over 30,000 diverse compounds, identifying several clinically relevant drugs and novel autophagy modulators. A select series of candidate compounds also modulated autophagy flux in human motor neurons modified by CRISPR/Cas9 to express GFP-labeled LC3. Using automated microscopy, we tested the therapeutic potential of autophagy induction in several distinct neuronal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In doing so, we found that autophagy induction exhibited discordant effects, improving survival in disease models involving the RNA binding protein TDP-43, while exacerbating toxicity in neurons expressing mutant forms of UBQLN2 and C9ORF72 associated with familial ALS/FTD. These studies confirm the utility of the Dendra2-LC3 assay, while illustrating the contradictory effects of autophagy induction in different ALS/FTD subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel Safren
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Michigan, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Tank
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Michigan, USA
| | - Ahmed M Malik
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Michigan, USA
| | - Jason P Chua
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Michigan, USA
| | - Nicholas Santoro
- Center for Chemical Genomics, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Michigan, USA
| | - Sami J Barmada
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Michigan, USA.
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18
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Lin BC, Phung TH, Higgins NR, Greenslade JE, Prado MA, Finley D, Karbowski M, Polster BM, Monteiro MJ. ALS/FTD mutations in UBQLN2 are linked to mitochondrial dysfunction through loss-of-function in mitochondrial protein import. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:1230-1246. [PMID: 33891006 PMCID: PMC8212775 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
UBQLN2 mutations cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), but the pathogenic mechanisms by which they cause disease remain unclear. Proteomic profiling identified 'mitochondrial proteins' as comprising the largest category of protein changes in the spinal cord (SC) of the P497S UBQLN2 mouse model of ALS/FTD. Immunoblots confirmed P497S animals have global changes in proteins predictive of a severe decline in mitochondrial health, including oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), mitochondrial protein import and network dynamics. Functional studies confirmed mitochondria purified from the SC of P497S animals have age-dependent decline in nearly all steps of OXPHOS. Mitochondria cristae deformities were evident in spinal motor neurons of aged P497S animals. Knockout (KO) of UBQLN2 in HeLa cells resulted in changes in mitochondrial proteins and OXPHOS activity similar to those seen in the SC. KO of UBQLN2 also compromised targeting and processing of the mitochondrial import factor, TIMM44, resulting in accumulation in abnormal foci. The functional OXPHOS deficits and TIMM44-targeting defects were rescued by reexpression of WT UBQLN2 but not by ALS/FTD mutant UBQLN2 proteins. In vitro binding assays revealed ALS/FTD mutant UBQLN2 proteins bind weaker with TIMM44 than WT UBQLN2 protein, suggesting that the loss of UBQLN2 binding may underlie the import and/or delivery defect of TIMM44 to mitochondria. Our studies indicate a potential key pathogenic disturbance in mitochondrial health caused by UBQLN2 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C Lin
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Trong H Phung
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Nicole R Higgins
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Jessie E Greenslade
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Miguel A Prado
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Daniel Finley
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mariusz Karbowski
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Brian M Polster
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Mervyn J Monteiro
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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19
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Li H, Wang F, Guo X, Jiang Y. Decreased MEF2A Expression Regulated by Its Enhancer Methylation Inhibits Autophagy and May Play an Important Role in the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:682247. [PMID: 34220439 PMCID: PMC8242211 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.682247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles which significantly affects people's life quality. Recently, AD has been found to be closely related to autophagy. The aim of this study was to identify autophagy-related genes associated with the pathogenesis of AD from multiple types of microarray and sequencing datasets using bioinformatics methods and to investigate their role in the pathogenesis of AD in order to identify novel strategies to prevent and treat AD. Our results showed that the autophagy-related genes were significantly downregulated in AD and correlated with the pathological progression. Furthermore, enrichment analysis showed that these autophagy-related genes were regulated by the transcription factor myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A), which had been confirmed using si-MEF2A. Moreover, the single-cell sequencing data suggested that MEF2A was highly expressed in microglia. Methylation microarray analysis showed that the methylation level of the enhancer region of MEF2A in AD was significantly increased. In conclusion, our results suggest that AD related to the increased methylation level of MEF2A enhancer reduces the expression of MEF2A and downregulates the expression of autophagy-related genes which are closely associated with AD pathogenesis, thereby inhibiting autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuqi Guo
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yugang Jiang
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, China
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20
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UBQLN2-HSP70 axis reduces poly-Gly-Ala aggregates and alleviates behavioral defects in the C9ORF72 animal model. Neuron 2021; 109:1949-1962.e6. [PMID: 33991504 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Expansion of a hexanucleotide repeat GGGGCC (G4C2) in the intron of the C9ORF72 gene is the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) (C9-ALS/FTD). Transcripts carrying G4C2 repeat expansions generate neurotoxic dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins, including poly-Gly-Ala (poly-GA), which tends to form protein aggregates. Here, we demonstrate that UBQLN2, another ALS/FTD risk factor, is recruited to reduce poly-GA aggregates and alleviate poly-GA-induced neurotoxicity. UBQLN2 could recognize HSP70 ubiquitination, which facilitates the UBQLN2-HSP70-GA complex formation and promotes poly-GA degradation. ALS/FTD-related UBQLN2 mutants fail to bind HSP70 and clear poly-GA aggregates. Disruption of the interaction between UBQLN2 and HSP70 inhibits poly-GA aggregation in C9-ALS/FTD iPSC-derived neurons. Finally, enhancing HSP70 by the chemical compound 17AAG at the adult stage mitigates behavioral defects in poly-GA animals. Our findings suggest a critical role of the UBQLN2-HSP70 axis in protein aggregate clearance in C9-ALS/FTD.
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21
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Saxton AD, Kraemer BC. Human Ubiquilin 2 and TDP-43 co-pathology drives neurodegeneration in transgenic C. elegans. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6272515. [PMID: 33963840 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a debilitating, fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes rapid muscle wasting. It shares a spectrum of symptoms and pathology with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). These diseases are caused by aberrant activity of a set of proteins including TDP-43 and UBIQUILIN-2 (UBQLN2). UBQLN2 encodes an ubiquitin-like adaptor protein involved in the ubiquitin-proteasome protein degradation pathway. Mutations in the PXX domain of UBQLN2 cause familial ALS. UBQLN2 aggregates in skein-like inclusions with other ALS and FTLD associated proteins including TDP-43 and ubiquitin. To facilitate further investigation of UBQLN2-mediated mechanisms of neurodegeneration, we made Caenorhabditis elegans transgenic lines pan-neuronally expressing human UBQLN2 cDNAs carrying either the wild-type UBQLN2 sequence or UBQLN2 with ALS causing mutations. Transgenic animals exhibit motor dysfunction accompanied by neurodegeneration of GABAergic motor neurons. At low levels of UBQLN2 expression, wild-type UBQLN2 causes significant motor impairment and neurodegeneration that is exacerbated by ALS associated mutations in UBQLN2. At higher levels of UBQLN2 expression, both wild-type and ALS mutated versions of UBQLN2 cause severe impairment. Molecular genetic investigation revealed that UBQLN2 dependent locomotor defects do not require the involvement of the endogenous homolog of TDP-43 in C. elegans (tdp-1). However, co-expression of wild-type human TDP-43 exacerbates UBQLN2 deficits. This model of UBQLN2-mediated neurodegeneration may be useful for further mechanistic investigation into the molecular cascades driving neurodegeneration in ALS and ALS-FTLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleen D Saxton
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, 98108, United States of America
| | - Brian C Kraemer
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, 98108, United States of America; Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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22
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Impaired 26S Proteasome Assembly Precedes Neuronal Loss in Mutant UBQLN2 Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094319. [PMID: 33919255 PMCID: PMC8122323 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteasomal dysfunction is known to be associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal degeneration (ALS/FTD). Our previous reports have shown that a mutant form of ubiquilin-2 (UBQLN2) linked to ALS/FTD leads to neurodegeneration accompanied by accumulations of the proteasome subunit Rpt1 in transgenic rats, but the precise pathogenic mechanisms of how this mutation impairs the proteasome remains to be elucidated. Here, we reveal that this UBQLN2 mutation in rats disrupted the proteasome integrity prior to neurodegeneration, that it dissociated the 26S proteasome in vitro, and that its depletion did not affect 26S proteasome assembly. During both disease progression and in an age-dependent manner, we found that proteasome subunits were translocated to the nucleus, including both of the 20S core particles (PSMA1 and PSMB7) and the 19S regulatory particles (Rpt1 and Rpn1), suggesting that defective proteasome function may result from the proteasome-subunit mislocalization. Taken together, the present data demonstrate that impaired proteasome assembly is an early event in the pathogenesis of UBQLN2-associated neurodegeneration in mutant UBQLN2 rats.
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23
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Han MH, Kwon MJ, Ko BS, Hyeon DY, Lee D, Kim HJ, Hwang D, Lee SB. NF-κB disinhibition contributes to dendrite defects in fly models of neurodegenerative diseases. J Cell Biol 2021; 219:211484. [PMID: 33090185 PMCID: PMC7588142 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202004107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendrite pathology is frequently observed in various neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Although previous studies identified several pathogenic mediators of dendrite defects that act through loss of function in NDs, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, our search for additional pathogenic contributors to dendrite defects in NDs identifies Relish/NF-κB as a novel gain-of-toxicity–based mediator of dendrite defects in animal models for polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In a Drosophila model for polyQ diseases, polyQ-induced dendrite defects require Dredd/Caspase-8–mediated endoproteolytic cleavage of Relish to generate the N-terminal fragment, Rel68, and subsequent Charon-mediated nuclear localization of Rel68. Rel68 alone induced neuronal toxicity causing dendrite and behavioral defects, and we identify two novel transcriptional targets, Tup and Pros, that mediate Rel68-induced neuronal toxicity. Finally, we show that Rel68-induced toxicity also contributes to dendrite and behavioral defects in a Drosophila model for ALS. Collectively, our data propose disinhibition of latent toxicity of Relish/NF-κB as a novel pathogenic mechanism underlying dendrite pathology in NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myeong Hoon Han
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Jee Kwon
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung Su Ko
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Do Young Hyeon
- School of Biological Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Davin Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Jun Kim
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Daehee Hwang
- School of Biological Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Bae Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea.,Protein Dynamics-Based Proteotoxicity Control Laboratory, Basic Research Lab, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Korea.,Well Aging Research Center, Division of Biotechnology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Korea
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24
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Perkins EM, Burr K, Banerjee P, Mehta AR, Dando O, Selvaraj BT, Suminaite D, Nanda J, Henstridge CM, Gillingwater TH, Hardingham GE, Wyllie DJA, Chandran S, Livesey MR. Altered network properties in C9ORF72 repeat expansion cortical neurons are due to synaptic dysfunction. Mol Neurodegener 2021; 16:13. [PMID: 33663561 PMCID: PMC7931347 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-021-00433-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physiological disturbances in cortical network excitability and plasticity are established and widespread in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients, including those harbouring the C9ORF72 repeat expansion (C9ORF72RE) mutation - the most common genetic impairment causal to ALS and FTD. Noting that perturbations in cortical function are evidenced pre-symptomatically, and that the cortex is associated with widespread pathology, cortical dysfunction is thought to be an early driver of neurodegenerative disease progression. However, our understanding of how altered network function manifests at the cellular and molecular level is not clear. METHODS To address this we have generated cortical neurons from patient-derived iPSCs harbouring C9ORF72RE mutations, as well as from their isogenic expansion-corrected controls. We have established a model of network activity in these neurons using multi-electrode array electrophysiology. We have then mechanistically examined the physiological processes underpinning network dysfunction using a combination of patch-clamp electrophysiology, immunocytochemistry, pharmacology and transcriptomic profiling. RESULTS We find that C9ORF72RE causes elevated network burst activity, associated with enhanced synaptic input, yet lower burst duration, attributable to impaired pre-synaptic vesicle dynamics. We also show that the C9ORF72RE is associated with impaired synaptic plasticity. Moreover, RNA-seq analysis revealed dysregulated molecular pathways impacting on synaptic function. All molecular, cellular and network deficits are rescued by CRISPR/Cas9 correction of C9ORF72RE. Our study provides a mechanistic view of the early dysregulated processes that underpin cortical network dysfunction in ALS-FTD. CONCLUSION These findings suggest synaptic pathophysiology is widespread in ALS-FTD and has an early and fundamental role in driving altered network function that is thought to contribute to neurodegenerative processes in these patients. The overall importance is the identification of previously unidentified defects in pre and postsynaptic compartments affecting synaptic plasticity, synaptic vesicle stores, and network propagation, which directly impact upon cortical function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M. Perkins
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Karen Burr
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
| | - Poulomi Banerjee
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
| | - Arpan R. Mehta
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
| | - Owen Dando
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Bhuvaneish T. Selvaraj
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
| | - Daumante Suminaite
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Jyoti Nanda
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
| | - Christopher M. Henstridge
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 9SY UK
| | - Thomas H. Gillingwater
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Giles E. Hardingham
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - David J. A. Wyllie
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
- Centre for Brain Development and Repair, inStem, Bangalore, 560065 India
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
- Centre for Brain Development and Repair, inStem, Bangalore, 560065 India
| | - Matthew R. Livesey
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ UK
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25
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Wang S, Tatman M, Monteiro MJ. Overexpression of UBQLN1 reduces neuropathology in the P497S UBQLN2 mouse model of ALS/FTD. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:164. [PMID: 33028421 PMCID: PMC7539388 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-01039-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Missense mutations in UBQLN2 cause X-linked dominant inheritance of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD). UBQLN2 belongs to a family of four highly homologous proteins expressed in humans that play diverse roles in maintaining proteostasis, but whether one isoform can substitute for another is not known. Here, we tested whether overexpression of UBQLN1 can alleviate disease in the P497S UBQLN2 mouse model of ALS/FTD by crossing transgenic (Tg) mouse lines expressing the two proteins and characterizing the resulting genotypes using a battery of pathologic and behavioral tests. The pathologic findings revealed UBQLN1 overexpression dramatically reduced the burden of UBQLN2 inclusions, neuronal loss and disturbances in proteostasis in double Tg mice compared to single P497S Tg mice. The beneficial effects of UBQLN1 overexpression were primarily confirmed by behavioral improvements seen in rotarod performance and grip strength in male, but not female mice. Paradoxically, although UBQLN1 overexpression reduced pathologic signatures of disease in P497S Tg mice, female mice had larger percentage of body weight loss than males, and this correlated with a corresponding lack of behavioral improvements in the females. These findings lead us to speculate that methods to upregulate UBQLN1 expression may reduce pathogenicity caused by UBQLN2 mutations, but may also lead to gender-specific outcomes that will have to be carefully weighed with the therapeutic benefits of UBQLN1 upregulation.
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26
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Chung CG, Park SS, Park JH, Lee SB. Dysregulated Plasma Membrane Turnover Underlying Dendritic Pathology in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:556461. [PMID: 33192307 PMCID: PMC7580253 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.556461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to their enormous surface area compared to other cell types, neurons face unique challenges in properly handling supply and retrieval of the plasma membrane (PM)-a process termed PM turnover-in their distal areas. Because of the length and extensiveness of dendritic branches in neurons, the transport of materials needed for PM turnover from soma to distal dendrites will be inefficient and quite burdensome for somatic organelles. To meet local demands, PM turnover in dendrites most likely requires local cellular machinery, such as dendritic endocytic and secretory systems, dysregulation of which may result in dendritic pathology observed in various neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Supporting this notion, a growing body of literature provides evidence to suggest the pathogenic contribution of dysregulated PM turnover to dendritic pathology in certain NDs. In this article, we present our perspective view that impaired dendritic endocytic and secretory systems may contribute to dendritic pathology by encumbering PM turnover in NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Geon Chung
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, South Korea
| | - Sung Soon Park
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, South Korea
| | - Jeong Hyang Park
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, South Korea
| | - Sung Bae Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, South Korea
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27
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Solomon DA, Mitchell JC, Salcher-Konrad MT, Vance CA, Mizielinska S. Review: Modelling the pathology and behaviour of frontotemporal dementia. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2020; 45:58-80. [PMID: 30582188 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) encompasses a collection of clinically and pathologically diverse neurological disorders. Clinical features of behavioural and language dysfunction are associated with neurodegeneration, predominantly of frontal and temporal cortices. Over the past decade, there have been significant advances in the understanding of the genetic aetiology and neuropathology of FTD which have led to the creation of various disease models to investigate the molecular pathways that contribute to disease pathogenesis. The generation of in vivo models of FTD involves either targeting genes with known disease-causative mutations such as GRN and C9orf72 or genes encoding proteins that form the inclusions that characterize the disease pathologically, such as TDP-43 and FUS. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the different in vivo model systems used to understand pathomechanisms in FTD, with a focus on disease models which reproduce aspects of the wide-ranging behavioural phenotypes seen in people with FTD. We discuss the emerging disease pathways that have emerged from these in vivo models and how this has shaped our understanding of disease mechanisms underpinning FTD. We also discuss the challenges of modelling the complex clinical symptoms shown by people with FTD, the confounding overlap with features of motor neuron disease, and the drive to make models more disease-relevant. In summary, in vivo models can replicate many pathological and behavioural aspects of clinical FTD, but robust and thorough investigations utilizing shared features and variability between disease models will improve the disease-relevance of findings and thus better inform therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Solomon
- UK Dementia Research Institute, King's College London, London, Camberwell, UK.,Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, Camberwell, UK
| | - J C Mitchell
- Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, Camberwell, UK
| | - M-T Salcher-Konrad
- Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, Camberwell, UK
| | - C A Vance
- Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, Camberwell, UK
| | - S Mizielinska
- UK Dementia Research Institute, King's College London, London, Camberwell, UK.,Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, Camberwell, UK
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28
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Sharkey LM, Sandoval-Pistorius SS, Moore SJ, Gerson JE, Komlo R, Fischer S, Negron-Rios KY, Crowley EV, Padron F, Patel R, Murphy GG, Paulson HL. Modeling UBQLN2-mediated neurodegenerative disease in mice: Shared and divergent properties of wild type and mutant UBQLN2 in phase separation, subcellular localization, altered proteostasis pathways, and selective cytotoxicity. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 143:105016. [PMID: 32653673 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105016] [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: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitin-binding proteasomal shuttle protein UBQLN2 is implicated in common neurodegenerative disorders due to its accumulation in disease-specific aggregates and, when mutated, directly causes familial frontotemporal dementia/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTD/ALS). Like other proteins linked to FTD/ALS, UBQLN2 undergoes phase separation to form condensates. The relationship of UBQLN2 phase separation and accumulation to neurodegeneration, however, remains uncertain. Employing biochemical, neuropathological and behavioral assays, we studied the impact of overexpressing WT or mutant UBQLN2 in the CNS of transgenic mice. Expression of UBQLN2 harboring a pathogenic mutation (P506T) elicited profound and widespread intraneuronal inclusion formation and aggregation without prominent neurodegenerative or behavioral changes. Both WT and mutant UBQLN2 formed ubiquitin- and P62-positive inclusions in neurons, supporting the view that UBQLN2 is intrinsically prone to phase separate, with the size, shape and frequency of inclusions depending on expression level and the presence or absence of a pathogenic mutation. Overexpression of WT or mutant UBQLN2 resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in levels of a key interacting chaperone, HSP70, as well as dose-dependent profound degeneration of the retina. We conclude that, at least in mice, robust aggregation of a pathogenic form of UBQLN2 is insufficient to cause neuronal loss recapitulating that of human FTD/ALS. Our results nevertheless support the view that altering the normal cellular balance of UBQLN2, whether wild type or mutant protein, has deleterious effects on cells of the CNS and retina that likely reflect perturbations in ubiquitin-dependent protein homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Sharkey
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America.
| | - Stephanie S Sandoval-Pistorius
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Shannon J Moore
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute and Department of Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Julia E Gerson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Robert Komlo
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Svetlana Fischer
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Keyshla Y Negron-Rios
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Emily V Crowley
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Francisco Padron
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Ronak Patel
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Geoffrey G Murphy
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute and Department of Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Henry L Paulson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America.
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29
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Wu JJ, Cai A, Greenslade JE, Higgins NR, Fan C, Le NTT, Tatman M, Whiteley AM, Prado MA, Dieriks BV, Curtis MA, Shaw CE, Siddique T, Faull RLM, Scotter EL, Finley D, Monteiro MJ. ALS/FTD mutations in UBQLN2 impede autophagy by reducing autophagosome acidification through loss of function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:15230-15241. [PMID: 32513711 PMCID: PMC7334651 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1917371117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in UBQLN2 cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and other neurodegenerations. However, the mechanism by which the UBQLN2 mutations cause disease remains unclear. Alterations in proteins involved in autophagy are prominent in neuronal tissue of human ALS UBQLN2 patients and in a transgenic P497S UBQLN2 mouse model of ALS/FTD, suggesting a pathogenic link. Here, we show UBQLN2 functions in autophagy and that ALS/FTD mutant proteins compromise this function. Inactivation of UBQLN2 expression in HeLa cells reduced autophagic flux and autophagosome acidification. The defect in acidification was rescued by reexpression of wild type (WT) UBQLN2 but not by any of the five different UBQLN2 ALS/FTD mutants tested. Proteomic analysis and immunoblot studies revealed P497S mutant mice and UBQLN2 knockout HeLa and NSC34 cells have reduced expression of ATP6v1g1, a critical subunit of the vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) pump. Knockout of UBQLN2 expression in HeLa cells decreased turnover of ATP6v1g1, while overexpression of WT UBQLN2 increased biogenesis of ATP6v1g1 compared with P497S mutant UBQLN2 protein. In vitro interaction studies showed that ATP6v1g1 binds more strongly to WT UBQLN2 than to ALS/FTD mutant UBQLN2 proteins. Intriguingly, overexpression of ATP6v1g1 in UBQLN2 knockout HeLa cells increased autophagosome acidification, suggesting a therapeutic approach to overcome the acidification defect. Taken together, our findings suggest that UBQLN2 mutations drive pathogenesis through a dominant-negative loss-of-function mechanism in autophagy and that UBQLN2 functions as an important regulator of the expression and stability of ATP6v1g1. These findings may have important implications for devising therapies to treat UBQLN2-linked ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine J Wu
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Ashley Cai
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Jessie E Greenslade
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Nicole R Higgins
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Cong Fan
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Nhat T T Le
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Micaela Tatman
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | | | - Miguel A Prado
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Birger V Dieriks
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Maurice A Curtis
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Christopher E Shaw
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute, King's College London, WC2R 2LS London, United Kingdom
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College London, SE5 9RT London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, WC2R 2LS London, United Kingdom
| | - Teepu Siddique
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Richard L M Faull
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Emma L Scotter
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Daniel Finley
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Mervyn J Monteiro
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201;
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UBQLN2 Promotes the Production of Type I Interferon via the TBK1-IRF3 Pathway. Cells 2020; 9:cells9051205. [PMID: 32413959 PMCID: PMC7290724 DOI: 10.3390/cells9051205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations of Ubiquilin 2 (UBQLN2) or TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal degeneration (ALS/FTD). However, the mechanisms whereby UBQLN2 or TBK1 mutations lead to ALS and FTD remain unclear. Here, we explored the effect of UBQLN2 on TBK1 in HEK-293T cells or in CRISPR-Cas9-mediated IRF3 and IRF7 knockout (KO) cells. We found an interaction between TBK1 and UBQLN2, which was affected by ALS/FTD-linked mutations in TBK1 or UBQLN2. Co-expression of UBQLN2 with TBK1 elevated the protein level of TBK1 as well as the phosphorylation of TBK1 and IRF3 in a UBQLN2 dose-dependent manner, and this phosphorylation was reduced by mutant UBQLN2. In addition, the cellular production of IFN1 and related pro-inflammatory cytokines was substantially elevated when UBQLN2 and TBK1 were co-expressed, which was also decreased by mutant UBQLN2. Functional assay revealed that mutant UBQLN2 significantly reduced the binding affinity of TBK1 for its partners, including IRF3, (SQSTM1)/p62 and optineurin (OPTN). Moreover, complete loss of IRF3 abolished the induction of IFN1 and related pro-inflammatory cytokines enhanced by UBQLN2 in HEK-293T cells, whereas no significant change in IRF7 knockout cells was observed. Thus, our findings suggest that UBQLN2 promotes IRF3 phosphorylation via TBK1, leading to enhanced IFN1 induction, and also imply that the dysregulated TBK1-IRF3 pathway may play a role in UBQLN2-related neurodegeneration.
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Guo S, Huang Y, Zhang Y, Huang H, Hong S, Liu T. Impacts of exercise interventions on different diseases and organ functions in mice. JOURNAL OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCE 2020; 9:53-73. [PMID: 31921481 PMCID: PMC6943779 DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Background In recent years, much evidence has emerged to indicate that exercise can benefit people when performed properly. This review summarizes the exercise interventions used in studies involving mice as they are related to special diseases or physiological status. To further understand the effects of exercise interventions in treating or preventing diseases, it is important to establish a template for exercise interventions that can be used in future exercise-related studies. Methods PubMed was used as the data resource for articles. To identify studies related to the effectiveness of exercise interventions for treating various diseases and organ functions in mice, we used the following search language: (exercise [Title] OR training [Title] OR physical activity [Title]) AND (mice [title/abstract] OR mouse [title/abstract] OR mus [title/abstract]). To limit the range of search results, we included 2 filters: one that limited publication dates to "in 10 years" and one that sorted the results as "best match". Then we grouped the commonly used exercise methods according to their similarities and differences. We then evaluated the effectiveness of the exercise interventions for their impact on diseases and organ functions in 8 different systems. Results A total of 331 articles were included in the analysis procedure. The articles were then segmented into 8 systems for which the exercise interventions were used in targeting and treating disorders: motor system (60 studies), metabolic system (45 studies), cardio-cerebral vascular system (58 studies), nervous system (74 studies), immune system (32 studies), respiratory system (7 studies), digestive system (1 study), and the system related to the development of cancer (54 studies). The methods of exercise interventions mainly involved the use of treadmills, voluntary wheel-running, forced wheel-running, swimming, and resistance training. It was found that regardless of the specific exercise method used, most of them demonstrated positive effects on various systemic diseases and organ functions. Most diseases were remitted with exercise regardless of the exercise method used, although some diseases showed the best remission effects when a specific method was used. Conclusion Our review strongly suggests that exercise intervention is a cornerstone in disease prevention and treatment in mice. Because exercise interventions in humans typically focus on chronic diseases, national fitness, and body weight loss, and typically have low intervention compliance rates, it is important to use mice models to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the health benefits from exercise interventions in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Guo
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yiru Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - He Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Shangyu Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Tiemin Liu
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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Abstract
In this issue of Structure, Dao et al. (2019) report that ALS-linked mutations in the Pxx domain of Ubiquilin 2 (UBQLN2) differentially influence the protein's phase separation abilities. The affect is by reducing the temperature and UBQLN2 concentration necessary for liquid-liquid phase separation droplet formation and by modulating UBQLN2 oligomerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Higgins
- The Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Brian Lin
- The Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Mervyn J Monteiro
- The Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
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Renaud L, Picher-Martel V, Codron P, Julien JP. Key role of UBQLN2 in pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:103. [PMID: 31319884 PMCID: PMC6889556 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0758-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ubiquilin-2 (UBQLN2) is a member of the ubiquilin family, actively implicated in the degradation of misfolded and redundant proteins through the ubiquitin-proteasome system and macroautophagy. UBQLN2 received much attention after the discovery of gene mutations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD). The abnormal presence of positive UBQLN2 inclusion in the cytosol of degenerating motor neurons of familial and sporadic forms of ALS patients has been newly related to neurodegeneration. Only recently, data have emerged on its role in liquid-liquid phase separation, in stress granule development and in the formation of secondary amyloid structures. Furthermore, several animal models are available to investigate its involvement in TDP-43 pathology and neuroinflammation in ALS. This review addresses the molecular pathogenetic pathways involving UBQLN2 abnormalities which are converging toward defects in clearance mechanisms. UBQLN2.
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Kim SH, Stiles SG, Feichtmeier JM, Ramesh N, Zhan L, Scalf MA, Smith LM, Pandey UB, Tibbetts RS. Mutation-dependent aggregation and toxicity in a Drosophila model for UBQLN2-associated ALS. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 27:322-337. [PMID: 29161404 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the conserved ubiquilin (UBQLN) family of ubiquitin (Ub) chaperones harbor an antipodal UBL (Ub-like)-UBA (Ub-associated) domain arrangement and participate in proteasome and autophagosome-mediated protein degradation. Mutations in a proline-rich-repeat region (PRR) of UBQLN2 cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/frontotemporal dementia (FTD); however, neither the normal functions of the PRR nor impacts of ALS-associated mutations within it are well understood. In this study, we show that ALS mutations perturb UBQLN2 solubility and folding in a mutation-specific manner. Biochemical impacts of ALS mutations were additive, transferable to UBQLN1, and resulted in enhanced Ub association. A Drosophila melanogaster model for UBQLN2-associated ALS revealed that both wild-type and ALS-mutant UBQLN2 alleles disrupted Ub homeostasis; however, UBQLN2ALS mutants exhibited age-dependent aggregation and caused toxicity phenotypes beyond those seen for wild-type UBQLN2. Although UBQLN2 toxicity was not correlated with aggregation in the compound eye, aggregation-prone UBQLN2 mutants elicited climbing defects and neuromuscular junctions (NMJ) abnormalities when expressed in neurons. An UBA domain mutation that abolished Ub binding also diminished UBQLN2 toxicity, implicating Ub binding in the underlying pathomechanism. We propose that ALS-associated mutations in UBQLN2 disrupt folding and that both aggregated species and soluble oligomers instigate neuron autonomous toxicity through interference with Ub homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Hwa Kim
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Shannon G Stiles
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Joseph M Feichtmeier
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Nandini Ramesh
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Lihong Zhan
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Mark A Scalf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Lloyd M Smith
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Udai Bhan Pandey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Randal S Tibbetts
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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De Giorgio F, Maduro C, Fisher EMC, Acevedo-Arozena A. Transgenic and physiological mouse models give insights into different aspects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:dmm037424. [PMID: 30626575 PMCID: PMC6361152 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.037424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A wide range of genetic mouse models is available to help researchers dissect human disease mechanisms. Each type of model has its own distinctive characteristics arising from the nature of the introduced mutation, as well as from the specific changes to the gene of interest. Here, we review the current range of mouse models with mutations in genes causative for the human neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We focus on the two main types of available mutants: transgenic mice and those that express mutant genes at physiological levels from gene targeting or from chemical mutagenesis. We compare the phenotypes for genes in which the two classes of model exist, to illustrate what they can teach us about different aspects of the disease, noting that informative models may not necessarily mimic the full trajectory of the human condition. Transgenic models can greatly overexpress mutant or wild-type proteins, giving us insight into protein deposition mechanisms, whereas models expressing mutant genes at physiological levels may develop slowly progressing phenotypes but illustrate early-stage disease processes. Although no mouse models fully recapitulate the human condition, almost all help researchers to understand normal and abnormal biological processes, providing that the individual characteristics of each model type, and how these may affect the interpretation of the data generated from each model, are considered and appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca De Giorgio
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, and MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Cheryl Maduro
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, and MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Elizabeth M C Fisher
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, and MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Abraham Acevedo-Arozena
- Unidad de Investigación Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Fundación Canaria de Investigación Sanitaria and Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas (ITB), La Laguna, 38320 Tenerife, Spain
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Chen T, Huang B, Shi X, Gao L, Huang C. Mutant UBQLN2 P497H in motor neurons leads to ALS-like phenotypes and defective autophagy in rats. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2018; 6:122. [PMID: 30409191 PMCID: PMC6225656 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-018-0627-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in ubiquilin2 (UBQLN2) have been linked to abnormal protein aggregation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The mechanisms underlying UBQLN2-related neurodegenerative diseases remain unclear. Using a tetracycline-regulated gene expression system, the ALS-linked UBQLN2P497H mutant was selectively expressed in either the spinal motor neurons or astrocytes in rats. We found that selectively expressing mutant UBQLN2P497H in the spinal motor neurons caused several core features of ALS, including the progressive degeneration of motor neurons, the denervation atrophy of skeletal muscles, and the abnormal protein accumulation. Furthermore, mutant UBQLN2P497H accumulation was associated with an age-dependent decrease in several core autophagy-related proteins. ALS-like phenotypes were not observed when mutant UBQLN2P497H was overexpressed in the astrocytes, however, even though the expression of the mutant UBQLN2P497H protein was higher in these rats. Our results suggest that selectively expressing mutant UBQLN2P497H in motor neurons is sufficient to trigger the development of ALS in rats. Our results further indicate that the compromised autophagy-lysosomal pathway plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of UBQLN2-related neurodegenerative diseases.
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Picher-Martel V, Renaud L, Bareil C, Julien JP. Neuronal Expression of UBQLN2 P497H Exacerbates TDP-43 Pathology in TDP-43 G348C Mice through Interaction with Ubiquitin. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:4680-4696. [PMID: 30377984 PMCID: PMC6647471 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1411-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the gene encoding ubiquilin-2 (UBQLN2) are linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). UBQLN2 plays a central role in ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) and UBQLN2 up-regulation exacerbates TDP-43 cytoplasmic aggregates. To analyze interaction between UBQLN2 and TDP-43 and to produce a relevant ALS animal model, we have generated a new transgenic mouse expressing UBQLN2P497H under the neurofilament heavy (NFH) gene promoter. The UBQLN2P497H mice were then bred with our previously described TDP-43G348C mice to generate double-transgenic UBQLN2P497H; TDP-43G348C mice. With low-expression levels of UBQLN2, the double-transgenic mice developed TDP-43 cytosolic accumulations in motor neurons starting at 5 months of age. These double-transgenic mice exhibited motor neuron loss, muscle atrophy, as well as motor and cognitive deficits during aging. The microglia from double-transgenic mice were hyperresponsive to intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In vivo and in vitro analyses suggested that extra UBQLN2 proteins can exacerbate cytoplasmic TDP-43 accumulations by competing with the UPS for binding to ubiquitin. Thus, increasing the pool of ubiquitin promoted the UPS function with ensuing reduction of TDP-43 cytosolic accumulations. In conclusion, the double-transgenic UBQLN2P497H; TDP-43G348C mice provides a unique mouse model of ALS/FTD with enhanced TDP-43 pathology that can be exploited for drug testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Picher-Martel
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Quebec, Canada.,CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601 Chemin de la Canardière, Québec, QC, G1J 2G3, Canada
| | - Laurence Renaud
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Quebec, Canada.,CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601 Chemin de la Canardière, Québec, QC, G1J 2G3, Canada
| | - Christine Bareil
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601 Chemin de la Canardière, Québec, QC, G1J 2G3, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Julien
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Quebec, Canada. .,CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601 Chemin de la Canardière, Québec, QC, G1J 2G3, Canada.
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Sharkey LM, Safren N, Pithadia AS, Gerson JE, Dulchavsky M, Fischer S, Patel R, Lantis G, Ashraf N, Kim JH, Meliki A, Minakawa EN, Barmada SJ, Ivanova MI, Paulson HL. Mutant UBQLN2 promotes toxicity by modulating intrinsic self-assembly. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E10495-E10504. [PMID: 30333186 PMCID: PMC6217421 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1810522115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
UBQLN2 is one of a family of proteins implicated in ubiquitin-dependent protein quality control and integrally tied to human neurodegenerative disease. Whereas wild-type UBQLN2 accumulates in intraneuronal deposits in several common age-related neurodegenerative diseases, mutations in the gene encoding this protein result in X-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia associated with TDP43 accumulation. Using in vitro protein analysis, longitudinal fluorescence imaging and cellular, neuronal, and transgenic mouse models, we establish that UBQLN2 is intrinsically prone to self-assemble into higher-order complexes, including liquid-like droplets and amyloid aggregates. UBQLN2 self-assembly and solubility are reciprocally modulated by the protein's ubiquitin-like and ubiquitin-associated domains. Moreover, a pathogenic UBQLN2 missense mutation impairs droplet dynamics and favors amyloid-like aggregation associated with neurotoxicity. These data emphasize the critical link between UBQLN2's role in ubiquitin-dependent pathways and its propensity to self-assemble and aggregate in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Sharkey
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
- Protein Folding Disease Initiative, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
| | - Nathaniel Safren
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
| | - Amit S Pithadia
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
| | - Julia E Gerson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
| | - Mark Dulchavsky
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
| | - Svetlana Fischer
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
| | - Ronak Patel
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
| | - Gabrielle Lantis
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
| | - Naila Ashraf
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
| | - John H Kim
- Biophysics Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
| | - Alia Meliki
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
| | - Eiko N Minakawa
- Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Sami J Barmada
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200;
- Protein Folding Disease Initiative, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
| | - Magdalena I Ivanova
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200;
- Protein Folding Disease Initiative, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
- Biophysics Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
| | - Henry L Paulson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200;
- Protein Folding Disease Initiative, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
- Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200
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Suresh SN, Verma V, Sateesh S, Clement JP, Manjithaya R. Neurodegenerative diseases: model organisms, pathology and autophagy. J Genet 2018; 97:679-701. [PMID: 30027903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A proteostasis view of neurodegeneration (ND) identifies protein aggregation as a leading causative reason for damage seen at the cellular and organ levels. While investigative therapies that aim at dissolving aggregates have failed, and the promises of silencing expression of ND associated pathogenic proteins or the deployment of engineered induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are still in the horizon, emerging literature suggests degrading aggregates through autophagy-related mechanisms hold the current potential for a possible cure. Macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy) is an intracellular degradative pathway where superfluous or unwanted cellular cargoes (such as peroxisomes, mitochondria, ribosomes, intracellular bacteria and misfolded protein aggregates) are wrapped in double membrane vesicles called autophagosomes that eventually fuses with lysosomes for their degradation. The selective branch of autophagy that deals with identification, capture and degradation of protein aggregates is called aggrephagy. Here, we cover the workings of aggrephagy detailing its selectivity towards aggregates. The diverse cellular adaptors that bridge the aggregates with the core autophagy machinery in terms of autophagosome formation are discussed. In ND, essential protein quality control mechanisms fail as the constituent components also find themselves trapped in the aggregates. Thus, although cellular aggrephagy has the potential to be upregulated, its dysfunction further aggravates the pathogenesis. This phenomenonwhen combined with the fact that neurons can neither dilute out the aggregates by cell division nor the dead neurons can be replaced due to low neurogenesis, makes a compelling case for aggrephagy pathway as a potential therapeutic option.
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Affiliation(s)
- S N Suresh
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Jakkur, Bengaluru 560 064, India.
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Driven to decay: Excitability and synaptic abnormalities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain Res Bull 2018; 140:318-333. [PMID: 29870780 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2018.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 05/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neuron (MN) disease and is clinically characterised by the death of corticospinal motor neurons (CSMNs), spinal and brainstem MNs and the degeneration of the corticospinal tract. Degeneration of CSMNs and MNs leads inexorably to muscle wastage and weakness, progressing to eventual death within 3-5 years of diagnosis. The CSMNs, located within layer V of the primary motor cortex, project axons constituting the corticospinal tract, forming synaptic connections with brainstem and spinal cord interneurons and MNs. Clinical ALS may be divided into familial (∼10% of cases) or sporadic (∼90% of cases), based on apparent random incidence. The emergence of transgenic murine models, expressing different ALS-associated mutations has accelerated our understanding of ALS pathogenesis, although precise mechanisms remain elusive. Multiple avenues of investigation suggest that cortical electrical abnormalities have pre-eminence in the pathophysiology of ALS. In addition, glutamate-mediated functional and structural alterations in both CSMNs and MNs are present in both sporadic and familial forms of ALS. This review aims to promulgate debate in the field with regard to the common aetiology of sporadic and familial ALS. A specific focus on a nexus point in ALS pathogenesis, namely, the synaptic and intrinsic hyperexcitability of CSMNs and MNs and alterations to their structure are comprehensively detailed. The association of extramotor dysfunction with neuronal structural/functional alterations will be discussed. Finally, the implications of the latest research on the dying-forward and dying-back controversy are considered.
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Lutz C. Mouse models of ALS: Past, present and future. Brain Res 2018; 1693:1-10. [PMID: 29577886 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Genome sequencing of both sporadic and familial patients of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) has led to the identification of new genes that are both contributing and causative in the disease. This gene discovery has come at an unprecedented rate, and much of it in recent years. Knowledge of these genetic mutations provides us with opportunities to uncover new and related mechanisms, increasing our understanding of the disease and bringing us closer to defined therapies for patients. Mouse models have played an important role in our current understanding of the pathophysiology of ALS and have served as important preclinical models in testing new therapeutics. With these new gene discoveries, new mouse models will follow. The information derived from these new models will depend on the careful construction and importantly, an understanding of the capabilities and limitations of each of the models. The genetic discovery in ALS comes at a time when genetic engineering technologies in mice are highly efficient through CRISPR/Cas9 and can be applied to a wide array of genetic backgrounds. New mouse resources in the forms of the Collaborative Cross and Diversity Outbred panels provide us with unique opportunities to study these mutations on diverse genetic backgrounds, and importantly in the context of a population. This review focuses on the mouse models of the past and present, and discusses exciting new opportunities for mouse models of the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathleen Lutz
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609, USA.
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Starr A, Sattler R. Synaptic dysfunction and altered excitability in C9ORF72 ALS/FTD. Brain Res 2018; 1693:98-108. [PMID: 29453960 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by a progressive degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons, resulting in fatal paralysis due to denervation of the muscle. Due to genetic, pathological and symptomatic overlap, ALS is now considered a spectrum disease together with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the second most common cause of dementia in individuals under the age of 65. Interestingly, in both diseases, there is a large prevalence of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) that are mutated and considered disease-causing, or whose dysfunction contribute to disease pathogenesis. The most common shared genetic mutation in ALS/FTD is a hexanucleuotide repeat expansion within intron 1 of C9ORF72 (C9). Three potentially overlapping, putative toxic mechanisms have been proposed: loss of function due to haploinsufficient expression of the C9ORF72 mRNA, gain of function of the repeat RNA aggregates, or RNA foci, and repeat-associated non-ATG-initiated translation (RAN) of the repeat RNA into toxic dipeptide repeats (DPRs). Regardless of the causative mechanism, disease symptoms are ultimately caused by a failure of neurotransmission in three regions: the brain, the spinal cord, and the neuromuscular junction. Here, we review C9 ALS/FTD-associated synaptic dysfunction and aberrant neuronal excitability in these three key regions, focusing on changes in morphology and synapse formation, excitability, and excitotoxicity in patients, animal models, and in vitro models. We compare these deficits to those seen in other forms of ALS and FTD in search of shared pathways, and discuss the potential targeting of synaptic dysfunctions for therapeutic intervention in ALS and FTD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Starr
- Division of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85013, United States
| | - Rita Sattler
- Division of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85013, United States.
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Whiteley AM, Prado MA, Peng I, Abbas AR, Haley B, Paulo JA, Reichelt M, Katakam A, Sagolla M, Modrusan Z, Lee DY, Roose-Girma M, Kirkpatrick DS, McKenzie BS, Gygi SP, Finley D, Brown EJ. Ubiquilin1 promotes antigen-receptor mediated proliferation by eliminating mislocalized mitochondrial proteins. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28933694 PMCID: PMC5608509 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ubiquilins (Ubqlns) are a family of ubiquitin receptors that promote the delivery of hydrophobic and aggregated ubiquitinated proteins to the proteasome for degradation. We carried out a proteomic analysis of a B cell lymphoma-derived cell line, BJAB, that requires UBQLN1 for survival to identify UBQLN1 client proteins. When UBQLN1 expression was acutely inhibited, 120 mitochondrial proteins were enriched in the cytoplasm, suggesting that the accumulation of mitochondrial client proteins in the absence of UBQLN1 is cytostatic. Using a Ubqln1−/− mouse strain, we found that B cell receptor (BCR) ligation of Ubqln1−/− B cells led to a defect in cell cycle entry. As in BJAB cells, mitochondrial proteins accumulated in BCR-stimulated cells, leading to protein synthesis inhibition and cell cycle block. Thus, UBQLN1 plays an important role in clearing mislocalized mitochondrial proteins upon cell stimulation, and its absence leads to suppression of protein synthesis and cell cycle arrest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M Whiteley
- Department of Infectious Disease, Genentech, South San Francisco, United States.,Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Miguel A Prado
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Ivan Peng
- Department of Translational Immunology, Genentech, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Alexander R Abbas
- Department of Bioinformatics, Genentech, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Benjamin Haley
- Department of Molecular Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Joao A Paulo
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Mike Reichelt
- Department of Pathology, Genentech, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Anand Katakam
- Department of Pathology, Genentech, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Meredith Sagolla
- Department of Pathology, Genentech, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Zora Modrusan
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomics, and Lipidomics, Genentech, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Dong Yun Lee
- Department of Infectious Disease, Genentech, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Merone Roose-Girma
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomics, and Lipidomics, Genentech, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Donald S Kirkpatrick
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomics, and Lipidomics, Genentech, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Brent S McKenzie
- Department of Translational Immunology, Genentech, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Steven P Gygi
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Daniel Finley
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Eric J Brown
- Department of Infectious Disease, Genentech, South San Francisco, United States
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Teyssou E, Chartier L, Amador MDM, Lam R, Lautrette G, Nicol M, Machat S, Da Barroca S, Moigneu C, Mairey M, Larmonier T, Saker S, Dussert C, Forlani S, Fontaine B, Seilhean D, Bohl D, Boillée S, Meininger V, Couratier P, Salachas F, Stevanin G, Millecamps S. Novel UBQLN2 mutations linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and atypical hereditary spastic paraplegia phenotype through defective HSP70-mediated proteolysis. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 58:239.e11-239.e20. [PMID: 28716533 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in UBQLN2 have been associated with rare cases of X-linked juvenile and adult forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and ALS linked to frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here, we report 1 known (c.1489C>T, p.Pro497Ser, P497S) and 3 novel (c.1481C>T, p.Pro494Leu, P494L; c.1498C>T, p.Pro500Ser, P500S; and c.1516C>G, p.Pro506Ala, P506A) missense mutations in the PXX domain of UBQLN2 in familial motor neuron diseases including ALS and spastic paraplegia (SP). A novel missense mutation (c.1462G>A, p.Ala488Thr, A488T) adjacent to this hotspot UBQLN2 domain was identified in a sporadic case of ALS. These mutations are conserved in mammals, are absent from ExAC and gnomAD browsers, and are predicted to be deleterious by SIFT in silico analysis. Patient lymphoblasts carrying a UBQLN2 mutation showed absence of ubiquilin-2 accumulation, disrupted binding with HSP70, and impaired autophagic pathway. Our results confirm the role of PXX repeat in ALS pathogenesis, show that UBQLN2-linked disease can manifest like a SP phenotype, evidence a highly reduced disease penetrance in females carrying UBQLN2 mutations, which is important information for genetic counseling, and underline the pivotal role of ubiquilin-2 in proteolysis regulation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Teyssou
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
| | - Laura Chartier
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
| | - Maria-Del-Mar Amador
- Département de Neurologie, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Centre de ressources et de compétences SLA Ile de France, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Roselina Lam
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
| | - Géraldine Lautrette
- Service de Neurologie, Centre de ressources et de compétences SLA, CHU Dupuytren, Limoges, France
| | - Marie Nicol
- Service de Neurologie, Centre de ressources et de compétences SLA, CHU Dupuytren, Limoges, France
| | - Selma Machat
- Service de Neurologie, Centre de ressources et de compétences SLA, CHU Dupuytren, Limoges, France
| | - Sandra Da Barroca
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
| | - Carine Moigneu
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
| | - Mathilde Mairey
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France; Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, EPHE, Université de recherche Paris Sciences et Lettres, Paris, France
| | | | - Safaa Saker
- Banque d'ADN et de cellules du Généthon, Evry, France
| | - Christelle Dussert
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Forlani
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
| | - Bertrand Fontaine
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France; Département de Neurologie, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Centre de ressources et de compétences SLA Ile de France, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Danielle Seilhean
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France; Département de Neuropathologie, APHP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Delphine Bohl
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
| | - Séverine Boillée
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Meininger
- Département de Neurologie, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Centre de ressources et de compétences SLA Ile de France, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France; Hôpital des Peupliers, Ramsay Générale de Santé, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Couratier
- Service de Neurologie, Centre de ressources et de compétences SLA, CHU Dupuytren, Limoges, France
| | - François Salachas
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France; Département de Neurologie, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Centre de ressources et de compétences SLA Ile de France, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Giovanni Stevanin
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France; Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, EPHE, Université de recherche Paris Sciences et Lettres, Paris, France; Centre de Référence de Neurogénétique, Fédération de Génétique, APHP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Millecamps
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 6 UMRS1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France.
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Huang B, Wu Q, Zhou H, Huang C, Xia XG. Increased Ubqln2 expression causes neuron death in transgenic rats. J Neurochem 2017; 139:285-293. [PMID: 27456931 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Pathogenic mutation of ubiquilin 2 (UBQLN2) causes neurodegeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. How UBQLN2 mutations cause the diseases is not clear. While over-expression of UBQLN2 with pathogenic mutation causes neuron death in rodent models, deletion of the Ubqln2 in rats has no effect on neuronal function. Previous findings in animal models suggest that UBQLN2 mutations cause the diseases mainly through a gain rather than a loss of functions. To examine whether the toxic gain in UBQLN2 mutation is related to the enhancement of UBQLN2 functions, we created new transgenic rats over-expressing wild-type human UBQLN2. Considering that human UBQLN2 may not function properly in the rat genome, we also created transgenic rats over-expressing rat's own Ubqln2. When over-expressed in rats, both human and rat wild-type Ubqln2 caused neuronal death and spatial learning deficits, the pathologies that were indistinguishable from those observed in mutant UBQLN2 transgenic rats. Over-expressed wild-type UBQLN2 formed protein inclusions attracting the autophagy substrate sequestosome-1 and the proteasome component 26S proteasome regulatory subunit 7. These findings suggest that excess UBQLN2 is toxic rather than protective to neurons and that the enhancement of UBQLN2 functions is involved in UBQLN2 pathogenesis. Pathogenic mutation in ubiquilin 2 (UBQLN2) causes neurodegeneration in ALS and FTLD. Studies in rodent models suggest a gain of toxic function in mutant UBQLN2. We created new transgenic rats as a relevant model and examined whether enhancing wild-type UBQLN2 expression is implicated in the pathogenesis of mutant UBQLN2. We observed that over-expression of human or rat wild-type Ubqln2 caused protein aggregation and neuronal death in transgenic rats. Our findings suggest that excess UBQLN2 is toxic rather than protective to neurons and that uncontrolled enhancement of UBQLN2 function is involved in UBQLN2 pathogenesis. Read the Editorial Highlight for this article on page 159.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Huang
- Department of Pathology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Qinxue Wu
- Department of Pathology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hongxia Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cao Huang
- Department of Pathology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Xu-Gang Xia
- Department of Pathology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
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47
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Stegmüller J, Synofzik M. New transgenic ALS/FTD models on the rat-walk: An Editorial Highlight for 'Increased Ubqln2 expression causes neuron death in transgenic rats'. J Neurochem 2017; 139:159-161. [PMID: 27723099 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
This Editorial highlights a study by Huang and colleagues in the current issue of Journal of Neurochemistry. The authors introduce a novel ALS-FTD (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia) rat model to explore the role of the UBLQN2 gene that has previously been associated with familial ALS-FTD. Over-expression of ubiquilin 2 in the cortex (CTX) and hippocampus of the rat results in ubiquilin 2 aggregates and neurodegeneration together with cognitive deficits. The new rat model not only gives insight into potential molecular underpinnings of ALS-FTD, but also represents an important new tool for future research and therapeutic approaches. Read the highlighted article 'Increased Ubqln2 expression causes neuron death in transgenic rats' on page 285.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Stegmüller
- Department of Neurology, University Clinics, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Matthis Synofzik
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,German Research Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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McCombe PA, Wray NR, Henderson RD. Extra-motor abnormalities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: another layer of heterogeneity. Expert Rev Neurother 2017; 17:561-577. [PMID: 27983884 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2017.1273772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease defined by the presence of muscle weakness. The motor features of disease are heterogeneous in site of onset and progression. There are also extra-motor features in some patients. The genetic basis for extra-motor features is uncertain. The heterogeneity of ALS is an issue for clinical trials. Areas covered: This paper reviews the range and prevalence of extra-motor features associated with ALS, and highlights the current information about genetic associations with extra-motor features. Expert commentary: There are extra-motor features of ALS, but these are not found in all patients. The most common is cognitive abnormality. More data is required to ascertain whether extra-motor features arise with progression of disease. Extra-motor features are reported in patients with a range of causative genetic mutations, but are not found in all patients with these mutations. Further studies are required of the heterogeneity of ALS, and genotype/phenotype correlations are required, taking note of extra-motor features.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A McCombe
- a The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research and Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital , Brisbane , Australia
| | - N R Wray
- b The University of Queensland Institute for Molecular Bioscience , Brisbane , Australia
| | - R D Henderson
- a The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research and Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital , Brisbane , Australia
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Abstract
ALS is a relentless neurodegenerative disease in which motor neurons are the susceptible neuronal population. Their death results in progressive paresis of voluntary and respiratory muscles. The unprecedented rate of discoveries over the last two decades have broadened our knowledge of genetic causes and helped delineate molecular pathways. Here we critically review ALS epidemiology, genetics, pathogenic mechanisms, available animal models, and iPS cell technologies with a focus on their translational therapeutic potential. Despite limited clinical success in treatments to date, the new discoveries detailed here offer new models for uncovering disease mechanisms as well as novel strategies for intervention.
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50
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Positron emission tomography in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Towards targeting of molecular pathological hallmarks. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2016; 44:533-547. [DOI: 10.1007/s00259-016-3587-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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