1
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Paryani F, Kwon JS, Ng CW, Jakubiak K, Madden N, Ofori K, Tang A, Lu H, Xia S, Li J, Mahajan A, Davidson SM, Basile AO, McHugh C, Vonsattel JP, Hickman R, Zody MC, Housman DE, Goldman JE, Yoo AS, Menon V, Al-Dalahmah O. Multi-omic analysis of Huntington's disease reveals a compensatory astrocyte state. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6742. [PMID: 39112488 PMCID: PMC11306246 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50626-0] [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: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying the selective regional vulnerability to neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease (HD) have not been fully defined. To explore the role of astrocytes in this phenomenon, we used single-nucleus and bulk RNAseq, lipidomics, HTT gene CAG repeat-length measurements, and multiplexed immunofluorescence on HD and control post-mortem brains. We identified genes that correlated with CAG repeat length, which were enriched in astrocyte genes, and lipidomic signatures that implicated poly-unsaturated fatty acids in sensitizing neurons to cell death. Because astrocytes play essential roles in lipid metabolism, we explored the heterogeneity of astrocytic states in both protoplasmic and fibrous-like (CD44+) astrocytes. Significantly, one protoplasmic astrocyte state showed high levels of metallothioneins and was correlated with the selective vulnerability of distinct striatal neuronal populations. When modeled in vitro, this state improved the viability of HD-patient-derived spiny projection neurons. Our findings uncover key roles of astrocytic states in protecting against neurodegeneration in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahad Paryani
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ji-Sun Kwon
- Department of Developmental Biology Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Christopher W Ng
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kelly Jakubiak
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nacoya Madden
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kenneth Ofori
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alice Tang
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hong Lu
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shengnan Xia
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Juncheng Li
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aayushi Mahajan
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shawn M Davidson
- Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | | | | | - Jean Paul Vonsattel
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard Hickman
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - David E Housman
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - James E Goldman
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew S Yoo
- Department of Developmental Biology Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Vilas Menon
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Osama Al-Dalahmah
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, New York, NY, USA.
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2
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Grantham EK, Tiwari GR, Ponomareva O, Harris RA, Lopez MF, Becker HC, Mayfield RD. Transcriptome changes in the nucleus of the solitary tract induced by repeated stress, alcohol dependence, or stress-induced drinking in dependent mice. Neuropharmacology 2024; 242:109768. [PMID: 37865137 PMCID: PMC10688594 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Stress increases alcohol consumption in dependent animals and contributes to the development of alcohol use disorder. The nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) is a critical brainstem region for integrating and relaying central and peripheral signals to regulate stress responses, but it is not known if it plays a role in alcohol dependence- or in stress-induced escalations in alcohol drinking in dependent mice. Here, we used RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics analyses to study molecular adaptations in the NTS of C57BL/6J male mice that underwent an ethanol drinking procedure that uses exposure to chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor, forced swim stress (FSS), or both conditions (CIE + FSS). Transcriptome profiling was performed at three different times after the last vapor cycle (0-hr, 72-hr, and 168-hr) to identify changes in gene expression associated with different stages of ethanol intoxication and withdrawal. In the CIE and CIE + FSS groups at 0-hr, there was upregulation of genes enriched for cellular response to type I interferon (IFN) and type I IFN- and cytokine-mediated signaling pathways, while the FSS group showed upregulation of neuronal genes. IFN signaling was the top gene network positively correlated with ethanol consumption levels in the CIE and CIE + FSS groups. Results from different analyses (differential gene expression, weighted gene coexpression network analysis, and rank-rank hypergeometric overlap) indicated that activation of type I IFN signaling would be expected to increase ethanol consumption. The CIE and CIE + FSS groups also shared an immune signature in the NTS as has been demonstrated in other brain regions after chronic ethanol exposure. A temporal-based clustering analysis revealed a unique expression pattern in the CIE + FSS group that suggests the interaction of these two stressors produces adaptations in synaptic and glial functions that may drive stress-induced drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Grantham
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Gayatri R Tiwari
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Olga Ponomareva
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - R Adron Harris
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Marcello F Lopez
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Howard C Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 28425, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA; Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC, 20401, USA
| | - R Dayne Mayfield
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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3
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Paryani F, Kwon JS, Ng CW, Madden N, Ofori K, Tang A, Lu H, Li J, Mahajan A, Davidson SM, Basile A, McHugh C, Vonsattel JP, Hickman R, Zody M, Houseman DE, Goldman JE, Yoo AS, Menon V, Al-Dalahmah O. Multi-OMIC analysis of Huntington disease reveals a neuroprotective astrocyte state. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.08.556867. [PMID: 37745577 PMCID: PMC10515780 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.08.556867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease characterized by neuronal loss and astrogliosis. One hallmark of HD is the selective neuronal vulnerability of striatal medium spiny neurons. To date, the underlying mechanisms of this selective vulnerability have not been fully defined. Here, we employed a multi-omic approach including single nucleus RNAseq (snRNAseq), bulk RNAseq, lipidomics, HTT gene CAG repeat length measurements, and multiplexed immunofluorescence on post-mortem brain tissue from multiple brain regions of HD and control donors. We defined a signature of genes that is driven by CAG repeat length and found it enriched in astrocytic and microglial genes. Moreover, weighted gene correlation network analysis showed loss of connectivity of astrocytic and microglial modules in HD and identified modules that correlated with CAG-repeat length which further implicated inflammatory pathways and metabolism. We performed lipidomic analysis of HD and control brains and identified several lipid species that correlate with HD grade, including ceramides and very long chain fatty acids. Integration of lipidomics and bulk transcriptomics identified a consensus gene signature that correlates with HD grade and HD lipidomic abnormalities and implicated the unfolded protein response pathway. Because astrocytes are critical for brain lipid metabolism and play important roles in regulating inflammation, we analyzed our snRNAseq dataset with an emphasis on astrocyte pathology. We found two main astrocyte types that spanned multiple brain regions; these types correspond to protoplasmic astrocytes, and fibrous-like - CD44-positive, astrocytes. HD pathology was differentially associated with these cell types in a region-specific manner. One protoplasmic astrocyte cluster showed high expression of metallothionein genes, the depletion of this cluster positively correlated with the depletion of vulnerable medium spiny neurons in the caudate nucleus. We confirmed that metallothioneins were increased in cingulate HD astrocytes but were unchanged or even decreased in caudate astrocytes. We combined existing genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with a GWA study conducted on HD patients from the original Venezuelan cohort and identified a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the metallothionein gene locus associated with delayed age of onset. Functional studies found that metallothionein overexpressing astrocytes are better able to buffer glutamate and were neuroprotective of patient-derived directly reprogrammed HD MSNs as well as against rotenone-induced neuronal death in vitro. Finally, we found that metallothionein-overexpressing astrocytes increased the phagocytic activity of microglia in vitro and increased the expression of genes involved in fatty acid binding. Together, we identified an astrocytic phenotype that is regionally-enriched in less vulnerable brain regions that can be leveraged to protect neurons in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahad Paryani
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - Ji-Sun Kwon
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
| | - Chris W Ng
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Engineering
| | - Nacoya Madden
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - Kenneth Ofori
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - Alice Tang
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - Hong Lu
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - Juncheng Li
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - Aayushi Mahajan
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - Shawn M. Davidson
- Princeton University, Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics
| | | | | | - Jean Paul Vonsattel
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - Richard Hickman
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | | | - David E. Houseman
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Engineering
| | - James E. Goldman
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - Andrew S. Yoo
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
| | - Vilas Menon
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - Osama Al-Dalahmah
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
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4
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Jamrozik D, Dutczak R, Machowicz J, Wojtyniak A, Smędowski A, Pietrucha-Dutczak M. Metallothioneins, a Part of the Retinal Endogenous Protective System in Various Ocular Diseases. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1251. [PMID: 37371981 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12061251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Metallothioneins are the metal-rich proteins that play important roles in metal homeostasis and detoxification. Moreover, these proteins protect cells against oxidative stress, inhibit proapoptotic mechanisms and enhance cell differentiation and survival. Furthermore, MTs, mainly MT-1/2 and MT-3, play a vital role in protecting the neuronal retinal cells in the eye. Expression disorders of these proteins may be responsible for the development of various age-related eye diseases, including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinitis pigmentosa. In this review, we focused on the literature reports suggesting that these proteins may be a key component of the endogenous protection system of the retinal neurons, and, when the expression of MTs is disrupted, this system becomes inefficient. Moreover, we described the location of different MT isoforms in ocular tissues. Then we discussed the changes in MT subtypes' expression in the context of the common eye diseases. Finally, we highlighted the possibility of the use of MTs as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Jamrozik
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Radosław Dutczak
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Joanna Machowicz
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Alicja Wojtyniak
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Adrian Smędowski
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
- GlaucoTech Co., Gen., Władysława Sikorskiego 45/177, 40-282 Katowice, Poland
| | - Marita Pietrucha-Dutczak
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
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Miyazaki I, Asanuma M. Multifunctional Metallothioneins as a Target for Neuroprotection in Parkinson's Disease. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12040894. [PMID: 37107269 PMCID: PMC10135286 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12040894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by motor symptoms based on a loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons and by non-motor symptoms which precede motor symptoms. Neurodegeneration accompanied by an accumulation of α-synuclein is thought to propagate from the enteric nervous system to the central nervous system. The pathogenesis in sporadic PD remains unknown. However, many reports indicate various etiological factors, such as oxidative stress, inflammation, α-synuclein toxicity and mitochondrial impairment, drive neurodegeneration. Exposure to heavy metals contributes to these etiopathogenesis and increases the risk of developing PD. Metallothioneins (MTs) are cysteine-rich metal-binding proteins; MTs chelate metals and inhibit metal-induced oxidative stress, inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, MTs possess antioxidative properties by scavenging free radicals and exert anti-inflammatory effects by suppression of microglial activation. Furthermore, MTs recently received attention as a potential target for attenuating metal-induced α-synuclein aggregation. In this article, we summarize MTs expression in the central and enteric nervous system, and review protective functions of MTs against etiopathogenesis in PD. We also discuss neuroprotective strategies for the prevention of central dopaminergic and enteric neurodegeneration by targeting MTs. This review highlights multifunctional MTs as a target for the development of disease-modifying drugs for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikuko Miyazaki
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Masato Asanuma
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
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6
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Toomey CE, Heywood WE, Evans JR, Lachica J, Pressey SN, Foti SC, Al Shahrani M, D’Sa K, Hargreaves IP, Heales S, Orford M, Troakes C, Attems J, Gelpi E, Palkovits M, Lashley T, Gentleman SM, Revesz T, Mills K, Gandhi S. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key pathological driver of early stage Parkinson's. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:134. [PMID: 36076304 PMCID: PMC9461181 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01424-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The molecular drivers of early sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD) remain unclear, and the presence of widespread end stage pathology in late disease masks the distinction between primary or causal disease-specific events and late secondary consequences in stressed or dying cells. However, early and mid-stage Parkinson's brains (Braak stages 3 and 4) exhibit alpha-synuclein inclusions and neuronal loss along a regional gradient of severity, from unaffected-mild-moderate-severe. Here, we exploited this spatial pathological gradient to investigate the molecular drivers of sporadic PD. METHODS We combined high precision tissue sampling with unbiased large-scale profiling of protein expression across 9 brain regions in Braak stage 3 and 4 PD brains, and controls, and verified these results using targeted proteomic and functional analyses. RESULTS We demonstrate that the spatio-temporal pathology gradient in early-mid PD brains is mirrored by a biochemical gradient of a changing proteome. Importantly, we identify two key events that occur early in the disease, prior to the occurrence of alpha-synuclein inclusions and neuronal loss: (i) a metabolic switch in the utilisation of energy substrates and energy production in the brain, and (ii) perturbation of the mitochondrial redox state. These changes may contribute to the regional vulnerability of developing alpha-synuclein pathology. Later in the disease, mitochondrial function is affected more severely, whilst mitochondrial metabolism, fatty acid oxidation, and mitochondrial respiration are affected across all brain regions. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides an in-depth regional profile of the proteome at different stages of PD, and highlights that mitochondrial dysfunction is detectable prior to neuronal loss, and alpha-synuclein fibril deposition, suggesting that mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the key drivers of early disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina E. Toomey
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Wendy E. Heywood
- Translational Mass Spectrometry Research Group, Genetic & Genomic Medicine, Institute of Child Health, UCL, London, UK
| | - James R. Evans
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Joanne Lachica
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Sarah N. Pressey
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Sandrine C. Foti
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Mesfer Al Shahrani
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery & Neurometabolic Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
- College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Karishma D’Sa
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Iain P. Hargreaves
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery & Neurometabolic Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Simon Heales
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery & Neurometabolic Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Michael Orford
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery & Neurometabolic Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Claire Troakes
- London Neurodegenerative Diseases Brain Bank, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Johannes Attems
- Newcastle Brain Tissue Resource, Institute of Neuroscience and Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Ellen Gelpi
- Neurological Tissue Bank, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Miklos Palkovits
- Human Brain Tissue Bank, Budapest, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tammaryn Lashley
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | | | - Tamas Revesz
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Kevin Mills
- Translational Mass Spectrometry Research Group, Genetic & Genomic Medicine, Institute of Child Health, UCL, London, UK
| | - Sonia Gandhi
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
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7
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Mehlenbacher MR, Elsiesy R, Lakha R, Villones RLE, Orman M, Vizcarra CL, Meloni G, Wilcox DE, Austin RN. Metal binding and interdomain thermodynamics of mammalian metallothionein-3: enthalpically favoured Cu + supplants entropically favoured Zn 2+ to form Cu 4 + clusters under physiological conditions. Chem Sci 2022; 13:5289-5304. [PMID: 35655557 PMCID: PMC9093145 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc00676f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Metallothioneins (MTs) are a ubiquitous class of small metal-binding proteins involved in metal homeostasis and detoxification. While known for their high affinity for d10 metal ions, there is a surprising dearth of thermodynamic data on metals binding to MTs. In this study, Zn2+ and Cu+ binding to mammalian metallothionein-3 (MT-3) were quantified at pH 7.4 by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Zn2+ binding was measured by chelation titrations of Zn7MT-3, while Cu+ binding was measured by Zn2+ displacement from Zn7MT-3 with competition from glutathione (GSH). Titrations in multiple buffers enabled a detailed analysis that yielded condition-independent values for the association constant (K) and the change in enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) for these metal ions binding to MT-3. Zn2+ was also chelated from the individual α and β domains of MT-3 to quantify the thermodynamics of inter-domain interactions in metal binding. Comparative titrations of Zn7MT-2 with Cu+ revealed that both MT isoforms have similar Cu+ affinities and binding thermodynamics, indicating that ΔH and ΔS are determined primarily by the conserved Cys residues. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis and low temperature luminescence measurements of Cu-replete samples showed that both proteins form two Cu4 +-thiolate clusters when Cu+ displaces Zn2+ under physiological conditions. Comparison of the Zn2+ and Cu+ binding thermodynamics reveal that enthalpically-favoured Cu+, which forms Cu4 +-thiolate clusters, displaces the entropically-favoured Zn2+. These results provide a detailed thermodynamic analysis of d10 metal binding to these thiolate-rich proteins and quantitative support for, as well as molecular insight into, the role that MT-3 plays in the neuronal chemistry of copper.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rahma Elsiesy
- Department of Chemistry, Barnard College of Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
| | - Rabina Lakha
- Department of Chemistry, Barnard College of Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
| | - Rhiza Lyne E Villones
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
| | - Marina Orman
- Department of Chemistry, Barnard College of Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
| | - Christina L Vizcarra
- Department of Chemistry, Barnard College of Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
| | - Gabriele Meloni
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
| | - Dean E Wilcox
- Department of Chemistry, Dartmouth College Hanover NH 03755 USA
| | - Rachel N Austin
- Department of Chemistry, Barnard College of Columbia University New York NY 10027 USA
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8
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Abstract
Zn2+ ions are essential in many physiological processes, including enzyme catalysis, protein structural stabilization, and the regulation of many proteins. The affinities of proteins for Zn2+ ions span several orders of magnitude, with catalytic Zn2+ ions generally held more tightly than structural or regulatory ones. Metal carrier proteins, most of which are not specific for Zn2+, bind these ions with a broad range of affinities that overlap those of catalytic, structural, and regulatory Zn2+ ions and are thought to be responsible for distributing the metal through most cells, tissues, and fluid compartments. While little is known about how many proteins obtain or release these ions, there is now considerable experimental evidence suggesting that metal carrier proteins may be responsible for transferring metals to and from some Zn2+-dependent proteins, thus serving as a major regulatory factor for them. In this review, the biological roles of Zn2+ and structures of Zn2+ binding sites are examined, and experimental evidence demonstrating the direct participation of metal carrier proteins in enzyme regulation is discussed. Mechanisms of metal ion transfer are also offered, and the potential physiological significance of this phenomenon is explored.
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9
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Abstract
The functions, purposes, and roles of metallothioneins have been the subject of speculations since the discovery of the protein over 60 years ago. This article guides through the history of investigations and resolves multiple contentions by providing new interpretations of the structure-stability-function relationship. It challenges the dogma that the biologically relevant structure of the mammalian proteins is only the one determined by X-ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopy. The terms metallothionein and thionein are ambiguous and insufficient to understand biological function. The proteins need to be seen in their biological context, which limits and defines the chemistry possible. They exist in multiple forms with different degrees of metalation and types of metal ions. The homoleptic thiolate coordination of mammalian metallothioneins is important for their molecular mechanism. It endows the proteins with redox activity and a specific pH dependence of their metal affinities. The proteins, therefore, also exist in different redox states of the sulfur donor ligands. Their coordination dynamics allows a vast conformational landscape for interactions with other proteins and ligands. Many fundamental signal transduction pathways regulate the expression of the dozen of human metallothionein genes. Recent advances in understanding the control of cellular zinc and copper homeostasis are the foundation for suggesting that mammalian metallothioneins provide a highly dynamic, regulated, and uniquely biological metal buffer to control the availability, fluctuations, and signaling transients of the most competitive Zn(II) and Cu(I) ions in cellular space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artur Krężel
- Department of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław 50-383, Poland
| | - Wolfgang Maret
- Departments of Biochemistry and Nutritional Sciences, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, U.K
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10
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Dai H, Wang L, Li L, Huang Z, Ye L. Metallothionein 1: A New Spotlight on Inflammatory Diseases. Front Immunol 2021; 12:739918. [PMID: 34804020 PMCID: PMC8602684 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.739918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
MT1 has been demonstrated to be an essential stress protein in maintaining physiological balance and regulating immune homeostasis. While the immunological involvement of MT1 in central nervous system disorders and cancer has been extensively investigated, mounting evidence suggests that MT1 has a broader role in inflammatory diseases and can shape innate and adaptive immunity. In this review, we will first summarize the biological features of MT1 and the regulators that influence MT1 expression, emphasizing metal, inflammation, and immunosuppressive factors. We will then focus on the immunoregulatory function of MT1 on diverse immune cells and the signaling pathways regulated by MT1. Finally, we will discuss recent advances in our knowledge of the biological role of MT1 in several inflammatory diseases to develop novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanying Dai
- Department of Immunology, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Respiratory Medicine Department, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lingyun Li
- Department of Immunology, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhong Huang
- Department of Immunology, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Liang Ye
- Department of Immunology, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
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11
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Domowicz MS, Chan WC, Claudio-Vázquez P, Gonzalez T, Schwartz NB. Brain transcriptome analysis of a CLN2 mouse model as a function of disease progression. J Neuroinflammation 2021; 18:262. [PMID: 34749772 PMCID: PMC8576919 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-021-02302-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses, (NCLs or Batten disease) are a group of inherited, early onset, fatal neurodegenerative diseases associated with mutations in 13 genes. All forms of the disease are characterized by lysosomal accumulation of fluorescent storage material, as well as profound neurodegeneration, but the relationship of the various genes’ function to a single biological process is not obvious. In this study, we used a well-characterized mouse model of classical late infantile NCL (cLINCL) in which the tripeptidyl peptidase 1 (Tpp1) gene is disrupted by gene targeting, resulting in loss of detectable TPP1 activity and leading to progressive neurological phenotypes including ataxia, increased motor deficiency, and early death. Methods In order to identify genes and pathways that may contribute to progression of the neurodegenerative process, we analyzed forebrain/midbrain and cerebellar transcriptional differences at 1, 2, 3 and 4 months of age in control and TPP1-deficient mice by global RNA-sequencing. Results Progressive neurodegenerative inflammatory responses involving microglia, astrocytes and endothelial cells were observed, accompanied by activation of leukocyte extravasation signals and upregulation of nitric oxide production and reactive oxygen species. Several astrocytic (i.e., Gfap, C4b, Osmr, Serpina3n) and microglial (i.e., Ctss, Itgb2, Itgax, Lyz2) genes were identified as strong markers for assessing disease progression as they showed increased levels of expression in vivo over time. Furthermore, transient increased expression of choroid plexus genes was observed at 2 months in the lateral and fourth ventricle, highlighting an early role for the choroid plexus and cerebrospinal fluid in the disease pathology. Based on these gene expression changes, we concluded that neuroinflammation starts, for the most part, after 2 months in the Tpp1−/− brain and that activation of microglia and astrocytes occur more rapidly in cerebellum than in the rest of the brain; confirming increased severity of inflammation in this region. Conclusions These findings have led to a better understanding of cLINCL pathological onset and progression, which may aid in development of future therapeutic treatments for this disease. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12974-021-02302-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam S Domowicz
- Department of Pediatrics, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago Medical Center, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 5058, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Wen-Ching Chan
- Center for Research Informatics, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Patricia Claudio-Vázquez
- Department of Pediatrics, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago Medical Center, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 5058, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Tatiana Gonzalez
- Department of Pediatrics, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago Medical Center, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 5058, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Nancy B Schwartz
- Department of Pediatrics, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago Medical Center, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 5058, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
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12
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Zulijani A, Dekanić A, Ćabov T, Jakovac H. Metallothioneins and Megalin Expression Profiling in Premalignant and Malignant Oral Squamous Epithelial Lesions. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4530. [PMID: 34572758 PMCID: PMC8464971 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13184530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the relationship and possible interactions between metallothioneins (MTs) and megalin (LRP-2) in different grades of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and premalignant lesions of the oral mucosa (oral leukoplakia and oral lichen planus). The study included archived samples of 114 patients and control subjects. Protein expression was examined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence, and staining quantification was performed by ImageJ software. Protein interaction in cancer tissue was tested and visualized by proximity ligation assay. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine the significance of differences between each group, whereas Pearson correlation coefficient was performed to test correlation. Expression of both proteins differed significantly between each group showing the same pattern of gradual increasing from oral lichen planus to poorly differentiated OSCC. Moreover, MTs and megalin were found to co-express and interact in cancer tissue, and their expression positively correlated within the overall study group. Findings of prominent nuclear and chromosomal megalin expression suggest that it undergoes regulated intramembrane proteolysis upon MTs binding, indicating its ability to directly affect gene expression and cellular division in cancer tissue. The data obtained point to the onco-driving potential of MTs-megalin interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Zulijani
- Department of Oral Surgery, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Krešimirova ul. 40, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia;
| | - Andrea Dekanić
- Department of Pathology, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Krešimirova ul. 42, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia;
| | - Tomislav Ćabov
- Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Rijeka, Krešimirova ul. 40, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Hrvoje Jakovac
- Department of Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Ul. Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
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13
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Miyazaki I, Asanuma M. [Therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease: targeting zinc-binding protein in astrocytes]. Nihon Yakurigaku Zasshi 2021; 156:76-80. [PMID: 33642534 DOI: 10.1254/fpj.20082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with motor symptoms, such as tremor, akinesia/bradykinesia, rigidity and postural instability due to a loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons; PD patients also exhibit non-motor symptoms, such as hyposmia, orthostatic hypotension and constipation, which precede motor symptoms. Pathologically, Lewy bodies and neurites, which contains α-synuclein, are observed in the central and peripheral nervous system. To date, it is hypothesized that PD pathology appears first in the olfactory bulb and the enteric nervous system, and propagates progressively through the substantia nigra to finally reach the cerebral cortex. Major medications at present are nosotropic treatments to improve motor dysfunction in PD. Therefore, development of disease-modifying drug is required to slow or prevent PD progression. Astrocytes are known to play an important role in the maintenance of the neuronal environment and exert neuroprotective effects by production of antioxidants and neurotrophic factors and clearing toxic molecules. In the previous study, we demonstrated that astrocytes produced antioxidative molecules metallothionein (MT)-1/2 in response to oxidative stress and protected dopaminergic neurons against oxidative stress. MTs are cysteine-rich proteins possessing antioxidative properties. MTs bind to metals such as zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) and function in metal homeostasis and detoxification; MTs regulate Zn-mediated transcriptional activation of various genes. Recently, it is reported that MTs prevent Cu-induced aggregation of α-synuclein. In this article, we review a new therapeutic strategy of neuroprotection in PD by targeting MTs in astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikuko Miyazaki
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences
| | - Masato Asanuma
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences
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14
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Emerging Roles of Metallothioneins in Beta Cell Pathophysiology: Beyond and Above Metal Homeostasis and Antioxidant Response. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10030176. [PMID: 33652748 PMCID: PMC7996892 DOI: 10.3390/biology10030176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Defective insulin secretion by pancreatic beta cells is key for the development of type 2 diabetes but the precise mechanisms involved are poorly understood. Metallothioneins are metal binding proteins whose precise biological roles have not been fully characterized. Available evidence indicated that Metallothioneins are protective cellular effectors involved in heavy metal detoxification, metal ion homeostasis and antioxidant defense. This concept has however been challenged by emerging evidence in different medical research fields revealing novel negative roles of Metallothioneins, including in the context of diabetes. In this review, we gather and analyze the available knowledge regarding the complex roles of Metallothioneins in pancreatic beta cell biology and insulin secretion. We comprehensively analyze the evidence showing positive effects of Metallothioneins on beta cell function and survival as well as the emerging evidence revealing negative effects and discuss the possible underlying mechanisms. We expose in parallel findings from other medical research fields and underscore unsettled questions. Then, we propose some future research directions to improve knowledge in the field. Abstract Metallothioneins (MTs) are low molecular weight, cysteine-rich, metal-binding proteins whose precise biological roles have not been fully characterized. Existing evidence implicated MTs in heavy metal detoxification, metal ion homeostasis and antioxidant defense. MTs were thus categorized as protective effectors that contribute to cellular homeostasis and survival. This view has, however, been challenged by emerging evidence in different medical fields revealing novel pathophysiological roles of MTs, including inflammatory bowel disease, neurodegenerative disorders, carcinogenesis and diabetes. In the present focused review, we discuss the evidence for the role of MTs in pancreatic beta-cell biology and insulin secretion. We highlight the pattern of specific isoforms of MT gene expression in rodents and human beta-cells. We then discuss the mechanisms involved in the regulation of MTs in islets under physiological and pathological conditions, particularly type 2 diabetes, and analyze the evidence revealing adaptive and negative roles of MTs in beta-cells and the potential mechanisms involved. Finally, we underscore the unsettled questions in the field and propose some future research directions.
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15
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Ekram B, Abd El-Hady BM, El-Kady AM, Fouad MT, Sadek ZI, Amr SM, Gabr H, Waly AI, Guirguis OW. Enhanced mesenchymal stem cells growth on antibacterial microgrooved electrospun zinc chloride/polycaprolactone conduits for peripheral nerve regeneration. J BIOACT COMPAT POL 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/0883911520988305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we have investigated the effect of adding zinc chloride (ZnCl2) on polycaprolactone (PCL) before and after electrospinning. The rheological properties and conductivity of ZnCl2/PCL solutions were measured prior to the electrospinning process. The resultant electrospun mats were characterized by SEM, contact angle, FTIR, XRD, mechanical properties, as well as its antibacterial and stem cell proliferation assessment were tested. It was found that the fibers became finer by increasing the zinc salt content. Moreover, stability increased slightly up to 5% Zn-PCL and also the hydrophilicity has been enhanced by 52%. By adding ZnCl2, the degradation rate and mechanical properties were significantly increased. Also, the resultant mats have shown antibacterial properties against S. aureus than E. coli. From the stem cells proliferation study, it can be observed that by increasing ZnCl2, the stem cells proliferation was significantly increased. Grooved multichannel nerve conduits were successfully fabricated by rolling the electrospun mats produced on corn husks which has shown better cell alignment and attachment. Hence, adding zinc chloride is a facile biocompatible enhancement to polycaprolactone nanofibers to be used in nerve regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basma Ekram
- Polymers and Pigments Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Abeer M El-Kady
- Glass Research Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed T Fouad
- Dairy Science Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Zeinab I Sadek
- Dairy Science Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Sherif M Amr
- Orthopaedics and Traumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Manial, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hala Gabr
- Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Manial, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed I Waly
- Textile Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Osiris W Guirguis
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Cairo, Egypt
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16
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Álvarez-Barrios A, Álvarez L, García M, Artime E, Pereiro R, González-Iglesias H. Antioxidant Defenses in the Human Eye: A Focus on Metallothioneins. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:89. [PMID: 33440661 PMCID: PMC7826537 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10010089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human eye, the highly specialized organ of vision, is greatly influenced by oxidants of endogenous and exogenous origin. Oxidative stress affects all structures of the human eye with special emphasis on the ocular surface, the lens, the retina and its retinal pigment epithelium, which are considered natural barriers of antioxidant protection, contributing to the onset and/or progression of eye diseases. These ocular structures contain a complex antioxidant defense system slightly different along the eye depending on cell tissue. In addition to widely studied enzymatic antioxidants, including superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, peroxiredoxins and selenoproteins, inter alia, metallothioneins (MTs) are considered antioxidant proteins of growing interest with further cell-mediated functions. This family of cysteine rich and low molecular mass proteins captures and neutralizes free radicals in a redox-dependent mechanism involving zinc binding and release. The state of the art of MTs, including the isoforms classification, the main functions described to date, the Zn-MT redox cycle as antioxidant defense system, and the antioxidant activity of Zn-MTs in the ocular surface, lens, retina and its retinal pigment epithelium, dependent on the number of occupied zinc-binding sites, will be comprehensively reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Álvarez-Barrios
- Instituto Universitario Fernández-Vega (Fundación de Investigación Oftalmológica, Universidad de Oviedo), 33012 Oviedo, Spain; (A.Á.-B.); (L.Á.); (M.G.); (E.A.); (R.P.)
- Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Oviedo, Julián Clavería, 8, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Lydia Álvarez
- Instituto Universitario Fernández-Vega (Fundación de Investigación Oftalmológica, Universidad de Oviedo), 33012 Oviedo, Spain; (A.Á.-B.); (L.Á.); (M.G.); (E.A.); (R.P.)
| | - Montserrat García
- Instituto Universitario Fernández-Vega (Fundación de Investigación Oftalmológica, Universidad de Oviedo), 33012 Oviedo, Spain; (A.Á.-B.); (L.Á.); (M.G.); (E.A.); (R.P.)
- Instituto Oftalmológico Fernández-Vega, Avda. Dres. Fernández-Vega, 34, 33012 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Enol Artime
- Instituto Universitario Fernández-Vega (Fundación de Investigación Oftalmológica, Universidad de Oviedo), 33012 Oviedo, Spain; (A.Á.-B.); (L.Á.); (M.G.); (E.A.); (R.P.)
| | - Rosario Pereiro
- Instituto Universitario Fernández-Vega (Fundación de Investigación Oftalmológica, Universidad de Oviedo), 33012 Oviedo, Spain; (A.Á.-B.); (L.Á.); (M.G.); (E.A.); (R.P.)
- Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Oviedo, Julián Clavería, 8, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Héctor González-Iglesias
- Instituto Universitario Fernández-Vega (Fundación de Investigación Oftalmológica, Universidad de Oviedo), 33012 Oviedo, Spain; (A.Á.-B.); (L.Á.); (M.G.); (E.A.); (R.P.)
- Instituto Oftalmológico Fernández-Vega, Avda. Dres. Fernández-Vega, 34, 33012 Oviedo, Spain
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17
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Miyazaki I, Asanuma M. Neuron-Astrocyte Interactions in Parkinson's Disease. Cells 2020; 9:cells9122623. [PMID: 33297340 PMCID: PMC7762285 DOI: 10.3390/cells9122623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. PD patients exhibit motor symptoms such as akinesia/bradykinesia, tremor, rigidity, and postural instability due to a loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. Although the pathogenesis in sporadic PD remains unknown, there is a consensus on the involvement of non-neuronal cells in the progression of PD pathology. Astrocytes are the most numerous glial cells in the central nervous system. Normally, astrocytes protect neurons by releasing neurotrophic factors, producing antioxidants, and disposing of neuronal waste products. However, in pathological situations, astrocytes are known to produce inflammatory cytokines. In addition, various studies have reported that astrocyte dysfunction also leads to neurodegeneration in PD. In this article, we summarize the interaction of astrocytes and dopaminergic neurons, review the pathogenic role of astrocytes in PD, and discuss therapeutic strategies for the prevention of dopaminergic neurodegeneration. This review highlights neuron-astrocyte interaction as a target for the development of disease-modifying drugs for PD in the future.
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18
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Jakovac H, Stašić N, Krašević M, Jonjić N, Radošević-Stašić B. Expression profiles of metallothionein-I/II and megalin/LRP-2 in uterine cervical squamous lesions. Virchows Arch 2020; 478:735-746. [PMID: 33084977 PMCID: PMC7990851 DOI: 10.1007/s00428-020-02947-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Metallothioneins (MTs) are phylogenetically old cysteine-rich proteins, which are implicated in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Their growth-regulating, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory functions have been attributed not only to intracellular free radical scavenging and to zinc and copper regulation but also to the ability of secreted MT to bind on surface lipoprotein receptor-megalin/LRP2, which enables the endocytosis of MT-I/II and a wide range of other functionally distinct ligands. In the present study, we analysed the expression pattern of both proteins in 55 cases of premalignant transformation of cervical squamous cells, i.e. in low- and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL and HSIL). The data showed that in LSIL (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia CIN1; N = 25) MTs were present only in basal and parabasal cells and that megalin was only weakly expressed. In HSIL (CIN2; N = 15 and CIN 3/carcinoma in situ; N = 15), however, overexpression and co-localization of MT with megalin were found in the entire hyperplastic epithelium. Moreover, megalin immunoreactivity appeared on the glandular epithelium and vascular endothelium, as well as on lymphatic cells in stroma. Besides, multiple megalin-positive cells expressed phosphorylated Akt1, implying that MT- and/or megalin-dependent prosurvival signal transduction pathways might contribute to the development of severe cervical dysplasia. The data emphasize the diagnostic power of combined MT/megalin analysis in pre-cancer screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hrvoje Jakovac
- Department of Physiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Rijeka, B. Branchetta 20, 51 000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Nikola Stašić
- Teaching Institute of Public Health, Primorsko-goranska County, Medical Faculty, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Maja Krašević
- Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Nives Jonjić
- Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Biserka Radošević-Stašić
- Department of Physiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Rijeka, B. Branchetta 20, 51 000 Rijeka, Croatia
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Comes G, Fernandez-Gayol O, Molinero A, Giralt M, Capdevila M, Atrian S, Hidalgo J. Mouse metallothionein-1 and metallothionein-2 are not biologically interchangeable in an animal model of multiple sclerosis, EAE. Metallomics 2020; 11:327-337. [PMID: 30543238 DOI: 10.1039/c8mt00285a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Mouse metallothionein-1 and 2 (MT1 and MT2) are often considered physiologically equivalent, because they are normally regulated coordinately by a wide range of stimuli, and it is assumed that in vivo they will be normally fully loaded with zinc(ii) (Zn7-MT1/2), although other metal ions, such as copper(i), may be eventually found as well. However, mouse MT2, in contrast to MT1, exhibits a preference for Zn(ii) coordination in comparison to that for Cu(i), which might underlie putatively different biological functions for these two mammalian isoforms. We have characterized the effects of exogenously administered mouse MT1 and MT2, and of transgenic Mt1 overexpression, in an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), by active immunization with MOG35-55 peptide. Mice treated daily with MT2 showed a significant amelioration of the clinical course, with decreased peak and cumulative scores and delayed onset of EAE. In contrast, treatment with MT1 or its transgenic overexpression only caused a non-significant trend. MT2 treatment preserved better the myelin of the spinal cord, and the pattern of leukocyte infiltrates and gene expression are compatible with an inhibitory effect on neuroinflammation. Splenocytes from these animals in culture responded adequately to MOG35-55 peptide, but a bias for a Th2 profile seemed to be present in the MT2-treated mice. Interestingly, MT1 but not MT2 decreased the number of cytokines in the serum. The present results indicate that mouse MT1 and MT2 are not biologically interchangeable in the EAE model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Comes
- Animal Physiology Unit, C/Vall Moronta s/n, Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biosciences, and Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
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20
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Balzano S, Sardo A, Blasio M, Chahine TB, Dell’Anno F, Sansone C, Brunet C. Microalgal Metallothioneins and Phytochelatins and Their Potential Use in Bioremediation. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:517. [PMID: 32431671 PMCID: PMC7216689 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The persistence of heavy metals (HMs) in the environment causes adverse effects to all living organisms; HMs accumulate along the food chain affecting different levels of biological organizations, from cells to tissues. HMs enter cells through transporter proteins and can bind to enzymes and nucleic acids interfering with their functioning. Strategies used by microalgae to minimize HM toxicity include the biosynthesis of metal-binding peptides that chelate metal cations inhibiting their activity. Metal-binding peptides include genetically encoded metallothioneins (MTs) and enzymatically produced phytochelatins (PCs). A number of techniques, including genetic engineering, focus on increasing the biosynthesis of MTs and PCs in microalgae. The present review reports the current knowledge on microalgal MTs and PCs and describes the state of art of their use for HM bioremediation and other putative biotechnological applications, also emphasizing on techniques aimed at increasing the cellular concentrations of MTs and PCs. In spite of the broad metabolic and chemical diversity of microalgae that are currently receiving increasing attention by biotechnological research, knowledge on MTs and PCs from these organisms is still limited to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Balzano
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli (SZN), Naples, Italy
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, Netherlands
| | - Angela Sardo
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli (SZN), Naples, Italy
| | - Martina Blasio
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli (SZN), Naples, Italy
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21
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Lewis KEA, Bennett W, Blizzard CL, West AK, Chung RS, Chuah MI. The influence of metallothionein treatment and treadmill running exercise on disease onset and survival in SOD1 G93A amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mice. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:3223-3241. [PMID: 31954073 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease, characterised by the degeneration of motor neurons innervating skeletal muscle. The mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in ALS are not yet fully elucidated, and with current therapeutics only able to extend lifespan by a matter of months there is a clear need for novel therapies to increase lifespan and patient quality of life. Here, we evaluated whether moderate-intensity treadmill exercise and/or treatment with metallothionein-2 (MT2), a neuroprotective protein, could improve survival, behavioural or neuropathological outcomes in SOD1G93A familial ALS mice. Six-week-old female SOD1G93A mice were allocated to one of four treatment groups: MT2 injection, i.m.; moderate treadmill exercise; neither MT2 nor exercise; or both MT2 and exercise. MT2-treated mice survived around 3% longer than vehicle-treated mice, with this mild effect reaching statistical significance in Cox proportional hazards analysis once adjusted for potential confounders. Mixed model body weight trajectories over time indicated that MT2-treated mice, with or without exercise, reached maximum body weight at a later age, suggesting a delay in disease onset of around 4% compared to saline-treated mice. Exercise alone did not significantly increase survival or delay disease onset, and neither exercise nor MT2 substantially ameliorated gait abnormalities or muscle strength loss. We conclude that neither exercise nor MT2 treatment was detrimental in female SOD1G93A mice, and further study could determine whether the mild effect of peripheral MT2 administration on disease onset and survival could be improved via direct administration of MT2 to the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E A Lewis
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.,Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - William Bennett
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.,Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | | | - Adrian K West
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.,Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Roger S Chung
- Australian School of Advanced Medicine, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Meng Inn Chuah
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.,Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
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Sanchis P, Fernández‐Gayol O, Vizueta J, Comes G, Canal C, Escrig A, Molinero A, Giralt M, Hidalgo J. Microglial cell‐derived interleukin‐6 influences behavior and inflammatory response in the brain following traumatic brain injury. Glia 2019; 68:999-1016. [DOI: 10.1002/glia.23758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paula Sanchis
- Institute of Neurosciences and Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of BiosciencesUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Olaya Fernández‐Gayol
- Institute of Neurosciences and Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of BiosciencesUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Joel Vizueta
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Facultat de BiologiaUniversitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Gemma Comes
- Institute of Neurosciences and Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of BiosciencesUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Carla Canal
- Institute of Neurosciences and Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of BiosciencesUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Anna Escrig
- Institute of Neurosciences and Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of BiosciencesUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Amalia Molinero
- Institute of Neurosciences and Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of BiosciencesUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Mercedes Giralt
- Institute of Neurosciences and Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of BiosciencesUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Juan Hidalgo
- Institute of Neurosciences and Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of BiosciencesUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
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23
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Lighthouse JK, Burke RM, Velasquez LS, Dirkx RA, Aiezza A, Moravec CS, Alexis JD, Rosenberg A, Small EM. Exercise promotes a cardioprotective gene program in resident cardiac fibroblasts. JCI Insight 2019; 4:92098. [PMID: 30626739 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.92098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Exercise and heart disease both induce cardiac remodeling, but only disease causes fibrosis and compromises heart function. The cardioprotective benefits of exercise have been attributed to changes in cardiomyocyte physiology, but the impact of exercise on cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) is unknown. Here, RNA-sequencing reveals rapid divergence of CF transcriptional programs during exercise and disease. Among the differentially expressed programs, NRF2-dependent antioxidant genes - including metallothioneins (Mt1 and Mt2) - are induced in CFs during exercise and suppressed by TGF-β/p38 signaling in disease. In vivo, mice lacking Mt1/2 exhibit signs of cardiac dysfunction in exercise, including cardiac fibrosis, vascular rarefaction, and functional decline. Mechanistically, exogenous MTs derived from fibroblasts are taken up by cultured cardiomyocytes, reducing oxidative damage-dependent cell death. Importantly, suppression of MT expression is conserved in human heart failure. Taken together, this study defines the acute transcriptional response of CFs to exercise and disease and reveals a cardioprotective mechanism that is lost in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet K Lighthouse
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Ryan M Burke
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Lissette S Velasquez
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Ronald A Dirkx
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Alessandro Aiezza
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Alex Rosenberg
- Department of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology Research, and
| | - Eric M Small
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA.,Department of Medicine.,Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
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24
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Waller R, Murphy M, Garwood CJ, Jennings L, Heath PR, Chambers A, Matthews FE, Brayne C, Ince PG, Wharton SB, Simpson JE. Metallothionein‐I/II expression associates with the astrocyte DNA damage response and not Alzheimer‐type pathology in the aging brain. Glia 2018; 66:2316-2323. [DOI: 10.1002/glia.23465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Waller
- Sheffield Institute for Translational NeuroscienceUniversity of Sheffield Sheffield United Kingdom
| | - Mark Murphy
- Sheffield Institute for Translational NeuroscienceUniversity of Sheffield Sheffield United Kingdom
| | - Claire J Garwood
- Sheffield Institute for Translational NeuroscienceUniversity of Sheffield Sheffield United Kingdom
| | - Luke Jennings
- Sheffield Institute for Translational NeuroscienceUniversity of Sheffield Sheffield United Kingdom
| | - Paul R Heath
- Sheffield Institute for Translational NeuroscienceUniversity of Sheffield Sheffield United Kingdom
| | - Annabelle Chambers
- Sheffield Institute for Translational NeuroscienceUniversity of Sheffield Sheffield United Kingdom
| | - Fiona E Matthews
- MRC Biostatistics UnitUniversity of Cambridge Cambridge United Kingdom
- Institute of Health and SocietyUniversity of Newcastle Newcastle United Kingdom
| | - Carol Brayne
- Institute of Public HealthUniversity of Cambridge Cambridge United Kingdom
| | - Paul G Ince
- Sheffield Institute for Translational NeuroscienceUniversity of Sheffield Sheffield United Kingdom
| | - Stephen B Wharton
- Sheffield Institute for Translational NeuroscienceUniversity of Sheffield Sheffield United Kingdom
| | - Julie E Simpson
- Sheffield Institute for Translational NeuroscienceUniversity of Sheffield Sheffield United Kingdom
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25
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Jakovac H, Grubić Kezele T, Radošević-Stašić B. Expression Profiles of Metallothionein I/II and Megalin in Cuprizone Model of De- and Remyelination. Neuroscience 2018; 388:69-86. [PMID: 30025861 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Copper chelator cuprizone (CPZ) is neurotoxicant, which selectively disrupts oligodendroglial respiratory chain, leading to oxidative stress and subsequent apoptosis. Demyelination is, however, followed by spontaneous remyelination owing to the activation of intrinsic CNS repair mechanisms. To explore the participation of metallothioneins (MTs) in these processes, in this study we analyzed the expression profiles of MT-I/II and their receptor megalin (low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein-2) in the brain of mice subjected to different protocols of CPZ feeding. Experiments were performed in female C57BL/6 mice fed with 0.25% CPZ during 1, 3 and 5 weeks. They were sacrificed immediately after feeding with CPZ or 2 weeks after the withdrawal of CPZ. The data showed that CPZ-induced demyelination was followed by high astrogliosis and enhanced expression of MTs and megalin in white (corpus callosum and internal capsule) and gray matter of the brain (cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum). Moreover, in numerous cortical neurons and progenitor cells the signs of MT/megalin interactions and Akt1 phosphorylation was found supporting the hypothesis that MTs secreted from the astrocytes might directly affect the neuronal differentiation and survival. Furthermore, in mice treated with CPZ for 5 weeks the prominent MTs and megalin immunoreactivities were found on several neural stem cells and oligodendrocyte progenitors in subgranular zone of dentate gyrus and subventricular zone of lateral ventricles pointing to high modulatory effect of MTs on adult neuro- and oligodendrogenesis. The data show that MT I/II perform important cytoprotective and growth-regulating functions in remyelinating processes activated after toxic demyelinating insults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hrvoje Jakovac
- Department of Physiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Rijeka, B. Branchetta 20, 51 000 RIJEKA, Croatia
| | - Tanja Grubić Kezele
- Department of Physiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Rijeka, B. Branchetta 20, 51 000 RIJEKA, Croatia
| | - Biserka Radošević-Stašić
- Department of Physiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Rijeka, B. Branchetta 20, 51 000 RIJEKA, Croatia.
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26
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Iacono G, Mereu E, Guillaumet-Adkins A, Corominas R, Cuscó I, Rodríguez-Esteban G, Gut M, Pérez-Jurado LA, Gut I, Heyn H. bigSCale: an analytical framework for big-scale single-cell data. Genome Res 2018; 28:878-890. [PMID: 29724792 PMCID: PMC5991513 DOI: 10.1101/gr.230771.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has significantly deepened our insights into complex tissues, with the latest techniques capable of processing tens of thousands of cells simultaneously. Analyzing increasing numbers of cells, however, generates extremely large data sets, extending processing time and challenging computing resources. Current scRNA-seq analysis tools are not designed to interrogate large data sets and often lack sensitivity to identify marker genes. With bigSCale, we provide a scalable analytical framework to analyze millions of cells, which addresses the challenges associated with large data sets. To handle the noise and sparsity of scRNA-seq data, bigSCale uses large sample sizes to estimate an accurate numerical model of noise. The framework further includes modules for differential expression analysis, cell clustering, and marker identification. A directed convolution strategy allows processing of extremely large data sets, while preserving transcript information from individual cells. We evaluated the performance of bigSCale using both a biological model of aberrant gene expression in patient-derived neuronal progenitor cells and simulated data sets, which underlines the speed and accuracy in differential expression analysis. To test its applicability for large data sets, we applied bigSCale to assess 1.3 million cells from the mouse developing forebrain. Its directed down-sampling strategy accumulates information from single cells into index cell transcriptomes, thereby defining cellular clusters with improved resolution. Accordingly, index cell clusters identified rare populations, such as reelin (Reln)-positive Cajal-Retzius neurons, for which we report previously unrecognized heterogeneity associated with distinct differentiation stages, spatial organization, and cellular function. Together, bigSCale presents a solution to address future challenges of large single-cell data sets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Iacono
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisabetta Mereu
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Amy Guillaumet-Adkins
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roser Corominas
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28029 Madrid, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ivon Cuscó
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28029 Madrid, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gustavo Rodríguez-Esteban
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Gut
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis Alberto Pérez-Jurado
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28029 Madrid, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ivo Gut
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Holger Heyn
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
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27
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The impact of metallothionein-II on microglial response to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) and downstream effects on neuronal regeneration. J Neuroinflammation 2018; 15:56. [PMID: 29471847 PMCID: PMC5822550 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-018-1070-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The extracellular environment plays an important role in supporting the regeneration of axons after injury. Metallothionein-II (MTII) is a metal-binding protein known for its neuroprotective effect by directly stimulating the growth of axons after injury. Previous studies have shown that MTII also modulates the response of astrocytes and microglia after injury. However, a detailed analysis describing how MTII modulates the interaction between microglia and neurons is lacking. Methods We introduced fluorescently labelled MTII into the cortex at the time of needlestick injury to investigate the cellular uptake of MTII using immunohistochemistry with antibodies against cell-type-specific markers. The role of MTII in modulating the effect of microglia on axon outgrowth following an inflammatory response is further investigated using a co-culture model involving primary rodent microglia pre-treated with TNFα and primary rodent cortical neurons. The axon lengths were assessed 24 h after the plating of the neurons onto treated microglia. We also utilised siRNA to knockdown the expression of LRP1, which allows us to investigate the role of LRP1 receptors in the MTII-mediated effect of microglia on axon outgrowth. Results Fluorescently labelled MTII was found to be associated with neurons, astrocytes and microglia following injury in vivo. Microglia-neuron co-culture experiments demonstrated that exogenous MTII altered the response of microglia to TNFα. The neurons plated onto the TNFα-stimulated microglia pre-treated with MTII have shown a significantly longer axonal length compare to the TNFα-stimulated microglia without the MTII treatment. This suggested that MTII reduce cytokine-stimulated activation of microglia, which would ordinarily impair neurite outgrowth. This inhibitory effect of MTII on activated microglia was blocked by siRNA-mediated downregulation of LRP1 receptor expression in microglia, suggesting that MTII acts via the LRP1 receptor on microglia. Conclusions This study demonstrates that exogenous MTII acts via the LRP1 receptor to alter the inflammatory response of microglia following TNFα stimulation, providing a more supportive environment for axon growth.
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28
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Cavalca E, Cesani M, Gifford JC, Sena-Esteves M, Terreni MR, Leoncini G, Peviani M, Biffi A. Metallothioneins are neuroprotective agents in lysosomal storage disorders. Ann Neurol 2018; 83:418-432. [DOI: 10.1002/ana.25161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Cavalca
- Gene Therapy Program, Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center; Boston MA
- Vita Salute San Raffaele University; Milan Italy
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy; San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Milan Italy
| | - Martina Cesani
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy; San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Milan Italy
| | - Jennifer C. Gifford
- Department of Neurology and Horae Gene Therapy Center; University of Massachusetts Medical School; Worcester MA
| | - Miguel Sena-Esteves
- Department of Neurology and Horae Gene Therapy Center; University of Massachusetts Medical School; Worcester MA
| | | | - Giuseppe Leoncini
- Pathology Department; San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Milan Italy
| | - Marco Peviani
- Gene Therapy Program, Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center; Boston MA
| | - Alessandra Biffi
- Gene Therapy Program, Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center; Boston MA
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy; San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Milan Italy
- Harvard Medical School; Boston MA
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29
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Song J, Kim OY. Perspectives in Lipocalin-2: Emerging Biomarker for Medical Diagnosis and Prognosis for Alzheimer's Disease. Clin Nutr Res 2018; 7:1-10. [PMID: 29423384 PMCID: PMC5796918 DOI: 10.7762/cnr.2018.7.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipocalin-2 (LCN2), a secreted glycoprotein belonging to the lipocalin superfamily was reported to participate in various biological processes including cell migration, cell survival, inflammatory responses, and insulin sensitivity. LCN2 is expressed in the multiple tissues such as kidney, liver, uterus, and bone marrow. The receptors for LCN2 were additionally found in microglia, astrocytes, epithelial cells, and neurons, but the role of LCN2 in the central nervous system (CNS) has not been fully understood yet. Recently, in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies reported the association between LCN2 and the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we reviewed the significant evidences showing that LCN2 contributes to the onset and progression of AD. It may suggest that the manipulation of LCN2 in the CNS would be a crucial target for regulation of the pathogenesis and risk of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhyun Song
- Department of Anatomy, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 61469, Korea.,Human Life Research Center, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Korea
| | - Oh Yoen Kim
- Human Life Research Center, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Korea.,Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Brain Busan 21 Project, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Korea
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30
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Smith HK, Omura S, Vital SA, Becker F, Senchenkova EY, Kaur G, Tsunoda I, Peirce SM, Gavins FNE. Metallothionein I as a direct link between therapeutic hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and cerebral protection in stroke. FASEB J 2017; 32:2381-2394. [PMID: 29269399 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201700746r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Stroke continues to be a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, yet effective treatments are lacking. Previous studies have indicated that stem-cell transplantation could be an effective treatment. However, little is known about the direct impact of transplanted cells on injured brain tissue. We wanted to help fill this knowledge gap and investigated effects of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) on the cerebral microcirculation after ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/RI). Treatment of HSPCs in I/RI for up to 2 wk after cerebral I/RI led to decreased mortality rate, decreased infarct volume, improved functional outcome, reduced microglial activation, and reduced cerebral leukocyte adhesion. Confocal microscopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analyses showed transplanted HSPCs emigrate preferentially into ischemic cortex brain parenchyma. We isolated migrated HSPCs from the brain; using RNA sequencing to investigate the transcriptome, we found metallothionein (MT, particularly MT-I) transcripts were dramatically up-regulated. Finally, to confirm the significance of MT, we exogenously administered MT-I after cerebral I/RI and found that it produced neuroprotection in a manner similar to HSPC treatment. These findings provide novel evidence that the mechanism through which HSPCs promote repair after stroke maybe via direct action of HSPC-derived MT-I and could therefore be exploited as a useful therapeutic strategy for stroke.-Smith, H. K., Omura, S., Vital, S. A., Becker, F., Senchenkova, E. Y., Kaur, G., Tsunoda, I., Peirce, S. M., Gavins, F. N. E. Metallothionein I as a direct link between therapeutic hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and cerebral protection in stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen K Smith
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.,Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Seiichi Omura
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shantel A Vital
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
| | - Felix Becker
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.,Department for General and Visceral Surgery, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Elena Y Senchenkova
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
| | - Gaganpreet Kaur
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
| | - Ikuo Tsunoda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
| | - Shayn M Peirce
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Felicity N E Gavins
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.,Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
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31
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Dexamethasone Inhibits Copper-Induced Alpha-Synuclein Aggregation by a Metallothionein-Dependent Mechanism. Neurotox Res 2017; 33:229-238. [DOI: 10.1007/s12640-017-9825-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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32
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Metallothionein in Brain Disorders. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2017; 2017:5828056. [PMID: 29085556 PMCID: PMC5632493 DOI: 10.1155/2017/5828056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Metallothioneins are a family of proteins which are able to bind metals intracellularly, so their main function is to regulate the cellular metabolism of essential metals. There are 4 major isoforms of MTs (I-IV), three of which have been localized in the central nervous system. MT-I and MT-II have been localized in the spinal cord and brain, mainly in astrocytes, whereas MT-III has been found mainly in neurons. MT-I and MT-II have been considered polyvalent proteins whose main function is to maintain cellular homeostasis of essential metals such as zinc and copper, but other functions have also been considered: detoxification of heavy metals, regulation of gene expression, processes of inflammation, and protection against free radicals generated by oxidative stress. On the other hand, the MT-III has been related in events of pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson and Alzheimer. Likewise, the participation of MTs in other neurological disorders has also been reported. This review shows recent evidence about the role of MT in the central nervous system and its possible role in neurodegenerative diseases as well as in brain disorders.
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Corvitin restores metallothionein and glial fibrillary acidic protein levels in rat brain affected by pituitrin-izadrin. UKRAINIAN BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL 2017. [DOI: 10.15407/ubj89.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Okita Y, Rcom-H'cheo-Gauthier AN, Goulding M, Chung RS, Faller P, Pountney DL. Metallothionein, Copper and Alpha-Synuclein in Alpha-Synucleinopathies. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:114. [PMID: 28420950 PMCID: PMC5380005 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Metallothioneins (MTs) are proteins that function by metal exchange to regulate the bioavailability of metals, such as zinc and copper. Copper functions in the brain to regulate mitochondria, neurotransmitter production, and cell signaling. Inappropriate copper binding can result in loss of protein function and Cu(I)/(II) redox cycling can generate reactive oxygen species. Copper accumulates in the brain with aging and has been shown to bind alpha-synuclein and initiate its aggregation, the primary aetiological factor in Parkinson's disease (PD), and other alpha-synucleinopathies. In PD, total tissue copper is decreased, including neuromelanin-bound copper and there is a reduction in copper transporter CTR-1. Conversely cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) copper is increased. MT-1/2 expression is increased in activated astrocytes in alpha-synucleinopathies, yet expression of the neuronal MT-3 isoform may be reduced. MTs have been implicated in inflammatory states to perform one-way exchange of copper, releasing free zinc and recent studies have found copper bound to alpha-synuclein is transferred to the MT-3 isoform in vitro and MT-3 is found bound to pathological alpha-synuclein aggregates in the alpha-synucleinopathy, multiple systems atrophy. Moreover, both MT and alpha-synuclein can be released and taken up by neural cells via specific receptors and so may interact both intra- and extra-cellularly. Here, we critically review the role of MTs in copper dyshomeostasis and alpha-synuclein aggregation, and their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuho Okita
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith UniversityGold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Michael Goulding
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith UniversityGold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Roger S Chung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie UniversitySydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter Faller
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Chimie UMR 7177, Université de StrasbourgStrasbourg, France.,University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced StudyStrasbourg, France
| | - Dean L Pountney
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith UniversityGold Coast, QLD, Australia
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35
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Kast B, Schori C, Grimm C. Hypoxic preconditioning protects photoreceptors against light damage independently of hypoxia inducible transcription factors in rods. Exp Eye Res 2016; 146:60-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2015.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 12/15/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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36
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Adam P, Křížková S, Heger Z, Babula P, Pekařík V, Vaculovičoá M, Gomes CM, Kizek R, Adam V. Metallothioneins in Prion- and Amyloid-Related Diseases. J Alzheimers Dis 2016; 51:637-56. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-150984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pavlína Adam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Soňa Křížková
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zbyněk Heger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Babula
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Pekařík
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Vaculovičoá
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Cláudio M. Gomes
- Faculdade de Ciências Universidade de Lisboa, Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - René Kizek
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Adam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka, Brno, Czech Republic
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Landowski LM, Pavez M, Brown LS, Gasperini R, Taylor BV, West AK, Foa L. Low-density Lipoprotein Receptor-related Proteins in a Novel Mechanism of Axon Guidance and Peripheral Nerve Regeneration. J Biol Chem 2015; 291:1092-102. [PMID: 26598525 PMCID: PMC4714193 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.668996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein receptors 1 and 2 (LRP1 and LRP2) are emerging as important cell signaling mediators in modulating neuronal growth and repair. We examined whether LRP1 and LRP2 are able to mediate a specific aspect of neuronal growth: axon guidance. We sought to identify LRP1 and LRP2 ligands that could induce axonal chemoattraction, which might have therapeutic potential. Using embryonic sensory neurons (rat dorsal root ganglia) in a growth cone turning assay, we tested a range of LRP1 and LRP2 ligands for the ability to guide growth cone navigation. Three ligands were chemorepulsive: α-2-macroglobulin, tissue plasminogen activator, and metallothionein III. Conversely, only one LRP ligand, metallothionein II, was found to be chemoattractive. Chemoattraction toward a gradient of metallothionein II was calcium-dependent, required the expression of both LRP1 and LRP2, and likely involves further co-receptors such as the tropomyosin-related kinase A (TrkA) receptor. The potential for LRP-mediated chemoattraction to mediate axonal regeneration was examined in vivo in a model of chemical denervation in adult rats. In these in vivo studies, metallothionein II was shown to enhance epidermal nerve fiber regeneration so that it was complete within 7 days compared with 14 days in saline-treated animals. Our data demonstrate that both LRP1 and LRP2 are necessary for metallothionein II-mediated chemotactic signal transduction and that they may form part of a signaling complex. Furthermore, the data suggest that LRP-mediated chemoattraction represents a novel, non-classical signaling system that has therapeutic potential as a disease-modifying agent for the injured peripheral nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lila M Landowski
- From the School of Medicine and Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | | | | | - Robert Gasperini
- From the School of Medicine and Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Bruce V Taylor
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
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Takeda A, Suzuki M, Tempaku M, Ohashi K, Tamano H. Influx of extracellular Zn(2+) into the hippocampal CA1 neurons is required for cognitive performance via long-term potentiation. Neuroscience 2015. [PMID: 26204819 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Physiological significance of synaptic Zn(2+) signaling was examined in the CA1 of young rats. In vivo CA1 long-term potentiation (LTP) was induced using a recording electrode attached to a microdialysis probe and the recording region was locally perfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) via the microdialysis probe. In vivo CA1 LTP was inhibited under perfusion with CaEDTA and ZnAF-2DA, extracellular and intracellular Zn(2+) chelators, respectively, suggesting that the influx of extracellular Zn(2+) is required for in vivo CA1 LTP induction. The increase in intracellular Zn(2+) was chelated with intracellular ZnAF-2 in the CA1 1h after local injection of ZnAF-2DA into the CA1, suggesting that intracellular Zn(2+) signaling induced during learning is blocked with intracellular ZnAF-2 when the learning was performed 1h after ZnAF-2DA injection. Object recognition was affected when training of object recognition test was performed 1h after ZnAF-2DA injection. These data suggest that intracellular Zn(2+) signaling in the CA1 is required for object recognition memory via LTP. Surprisingly, in vivo CA1 LTP was affected under perfusion with 0.1-1μM ZnCl2, unlike the previous data that in vitro CA1 LTP was enhanced in the presence of 1-5μM ZnCl2. The influx of extracellular Zn(2+) into CA1 pyramidal cells has bidirectional action in CA1 LTP. The present study indicates that the degree of extracellular Zn(2+) influx into CA1 neurons is critical for LTP and cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Takeda
- Department of Neurophysiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.
| | - M Suzuki
- Department of Neurophysiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - M Tempaku
- Department of Neurophysiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - K Ohashi
- Department of Neurophysiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - H Tamano
- Department of Neurophysiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
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Abstract
Fungal infections are responsible for millions of human deaths annually. Copper, an essential but toxic trace element, plays an important role at the host-pathogen axis during infection. In this review, we describe how the host uses either Cu compartmentalization within innate immune cells or Cu sequestration in other infected host niches such as in the brain to combat fungal infections. We explore Cu toxicity mechanisms and the Cu homeostasis machinery that fungal pathogens bring into play to succeed in establishing an infection. Finally, we address recent approaches that manipulate Cu-dependent processes at the host-pathogen axis for antifungal drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dennis J Thiele
- From the Departments of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology and Biochemistry, Duke University, School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710
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Siddiq MM, Hannila SS, Carmel JB, Bryson JB, Hou J, Nikulina E, Willis MR, Mellado W, Richman EL, Hilaire M, Hart RP, Filbin MT. Metallothionein-I/II Promotes Axonal Regeneration in the Central Nervous System. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:16343-56. [PMID: 25947372 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.630574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The adult CNS does not spontaneously regenerate after injury, due in large part to myelin-associated inhibitors such as myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), Nogo-A, and oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein. All three inhibitors can interact with either the Nogo receptor complex or paired immunoglobulin-like receptor B. A conditioning lesion of the sciatic nerve allows the central processes of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons to spontaneously regenerate in vivo after a dorsal column lesion. After a conditioning lesion, DRG neurons are no longer inhibited by myelin, and this effect is cyclic AMP (cAMP)- and transcription-dependent. Using a microarray analysis, we identified several genes that are up-regulated both in adult DRGs after a conditioning lesion and in DRG neurons treated with cAMP analogues. One gene that was up-regulated under both conditions is metallothionein (MT)-I. We show here that treatment with two closely related isoforms of MT (MT-I/II) can overcome the inhibitory effects of both myelin and MAG for cortical, hippocampal, and DRG neurons. Intrathecal delivery of MT-I/II to adult DRGs also promotes neurite outgrowth in the presence of MAG. Adult DRGs from MT-I/II-deficient mice extend significantly shorter processes on MAG compared with wild-type DRG neurons, and regeneration of dorsal column axons does not occur after a conditioning lesion in MT-I/II-deficient mice. Furthermore, a single intravitreal injection of MT-I/II after optic nerve crush promotes axonal regeneration. Mechanistically, MT-I/II ability to overcome MAG-mediated inhibition is transcription-dependent, and MT-I/II can block the proteolytic activity of α-secretase and the activation of PKC and Rho in response to soluble MAG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa M Siddiq
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York 10065 and
| | - Sari S Hannila
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York 10065 and
| | - Jason B Carmel
- the W. M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience and Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
| | - John B Bryson
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York 10065 and
| | - Jianwei Hou
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York 10065 and
| | - Elena Nikulina
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York 10065 and
| | - Matthew R Willis
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York 10065 and
| | - Wilfredo Mellado
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York 10065 and
| | - Erica L Richman
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York 10065 and
| | - Melissa Hilaire
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York 10065 and
| | - Ronald P Hart
- the W. M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience and Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
| | - Marie T Filbin
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York 10065 and
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Nishikawa M, Mori H, Hara M. Reduced zinc cytotoxicity following differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells into neurons and glial cells is associated with upregulation of metallothioneins. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2015; 39:1170-1176. [PMID: 25935539 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2015.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We investigated zinc cytotoxicity in mouse neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) and their differentiated progeny (neuronal/glial cells) in correlation with expression of metallothionein (MT) gene. Differentiated cells were less sensitive than NSPCs to ZnCl2 (IC50: 128μM vs. 76μM). Differentiation of immature NSPCs to the differentiated cells led to an increase in expression of MT family genes (Mt1, Mt2, Mt3, and Mt4). Zinc exposure induced a dose-dependent increase in expression level of Mt1 and that of Mt2 in both NSPCs and the differentiated cells. Our results showed that the reduced cytotoxicity of zinc associated with differentiation from NSPCs into their progeny was related to the upregulation of MTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayu Nishikawa
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-2 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8570, Japan
| | - Hideki Mori
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-2 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8570, Japan
| | - Masayuki Hara
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-2 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8570, Japan.
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Collins JM, King AE, Woodhouse A, Kirkcaldie MTK, Vickers JC. The effect of focal brain injury on beta-amyloid plaque deposition, inflammation and synapses in the APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Exp Neurol 2015; 267:219-29. [PMID: 25747037 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2015.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Revised: 01/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), however the effect of such neural damage on the onset and progression of beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaque pathology is not well understood. This study utilized an in vivo model of focal brain injury to examine how localized damage may acutely affect the onset and progression of Aβ plaque deposition as well as inflammatory and synaptic changes, in the APP/PS1 (APPSWE, PSEN1dE9) transgenic model of AD relative to wild-type (Wt) mice. Acute focal brain injury in 3- and 9-month-old APP/PS1 and Wt mice was induced by insertion of a needle into the somatosensory neocortex, as compared to sham surgery, and examined at 24h and 7d post-injury (PI). Focal brain injury did not induce thioflavine-S stained or (pan-Aβ antibody) MOAB-2-labeled plaques at either 24h or 7d PI in 3-month-old APP/PS1 mice or Wt mice. Nine-month-old APP/PS1 mice demonstrate cortical Aβ plaques but focal injury had no statistically significant (p>0.05) effect on thioflavine-S or MOAB-2 plaque load surrounding the injury site at 24h PI or 7d PI. There was a significant (p<0.001) increase in cross-sectional cortical area occupied by Iba-1 positive microglia in injured mice compared to sham animals, however this response did not differ between APP/PS1 and Wt mice (p>0.05). For both Wt and APP/PS1 mice alike, synaptophysin puncta near the injury site were significantly reduced 24h PI (compared to sites distant to the injury and the corresponding area in sham mice; p<0.01), but not after 7d PI (p>0.05). There was no significant effect of genotype on this response (p>0.05). These results indicate that focal brain injury and the associated microglial response do not acutely alter Aβ plaque deposition in the APP/PS1 mouse model. Furthermore the current study demonstrated that the brains of both Wt and APP/PS1 mice are capable of recovering lost synaptophysin immunoreactivity post-injury, the latter in the presence of Aβ plaque pathology that causes synaptic degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Collins
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Australia.
| | - Anna E King
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Australia
| | - Adele Woodhouse
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Australia
| | - Matthew T K Kirkcaldie
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Australia; School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Australia
| | - James C Vickers
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Australia; School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Australia
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44
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Diverse functional roles of lipocalin-2 in the central nervous system. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 49:135-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Revised: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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45
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Salles MB, Gehrke SA, Koo S, Allegrini S, Rogero SO, Ikeda TI, Cruz ÁS, Shinohara EH, Yoshimoto M. An alternative to nerve repair using an antioxidant compound: a histological study in rats. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE. MATERIALS IN MEDICINE 2015; 26:5340. [PMID: 25578694 DOI: 10.1007/s10856-014-5340-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The fascicular composition and organisation of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) were determined to confirm the microarchitecture of the IAN bundles into each of the mandibular teeth, including the composition of the mental nerve. The aim of this study was to evaluate peripheral nerve repair after the application of an antioxidant compound to the damaged nerve tissue to elevate the concentration and bioavailability of elements capable of favouring tissue repair. Twenty-five Wistar rats were divided into groups: The Control 1 (Ctl 1) (n = 5) animals had the ischiatic nerve exposed with no suture injury and were sacrificed at 30 days post-operatively. The Control 2 (Ctl 2) (n = 10) animals had the ischiatic nerve exposed, and the nerve was injured using suture in three distinct regions. In the experimental (Exp) animals (n = 10), an antioxidant organic compound was applied to the nerve injury site. The animals with nerve injury (Ctl2 and Exp group) were sacrificed at 15 and 30 days post-operatively. The histological analysis showed less degeneration in the Exp group at 15 and 30 days post-operatively. Nerve neoformation forming a connection between the distal and proximal suture sites was observed in the experimental group. This study presented an alternative to nerve repair using an antioxidant compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos B Salles
- Department of Health Sciences - School of Dentistry, 9 de Julho University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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46
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Gonzalez-Iglesias H, Alvarez L, García M, Petrash C, Sanz-Medel A, Coca-Prados M. Metallothioneins (MTs) in the human eye: a perspective article on the zinc-MT redox cycle. Metallomics 2014; 6:201-8. [PMID: 24419560 DOI: 10.1039/c3mt00298e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Metallothioneins (MTs) are zinc-ion-binding proteins with a wide range of functions, among which are neuroprotection, maintenance of cellular zinc homeostasis, and defense against oxidative damage and inflammation. The human eye is enriched in MTs, and multiple isoforms may contribute to distinct antioxidant defense mechanisms in various ocular tissues. Zinc is a main regulator of MT gene and protein expression, and we recently applied bioanalytical techniques to address key questions on its relationship with MTs, including the stoichiometry of zinc-MT, the fate of zinc tracers ((nat)Zn and (68)Zn) in MTs during activation by exogenous zinc and cytokines, and the concentration of MTs in human ocular cells. We found that exogenously introduced zinc induced a potent de novo synthesis of MTs as well as a strong inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Zinc and cytokines also promote a stoichiometric transition of the MT complex from Zn6Cu1-MT to Zn7-MT, suggesting that MTs may interact more effectively with reactive oxygen species to decrease potential oxidative damage. Levels of MTs decrease with aging and disease, which may result in zinc release that is potentially cytotoxic. This state is also observed with increased oxidative stress and inflammation, suggesting that the antioxidant function of MTs has been impaired. In this review we propose a working model of the "zinc-metallothionein redox cycle" to regenerate and enhance the antioxidant function of MTs with the aim of combating the progression of these disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Gonzalez-Iglesias
- Fundación de Investigación Oftalmológica, Instituto Oftalmológico Fernández-Vega, Avda. Dres. Fernandez-Vega, 34, 33012, Oviedo, Spain.
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47
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De S, Kuwahara S, Saito A. The endocytic receptor megalin and its associated proteins in proximal tubule epithelial cells. MEMBRANES 2014; 4:333-55. [PMID: 25019425 PMCID: PMC4194038 DOI: 10.3390/membranes4030333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Receptor-mediated endocytosis in renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (PTECs) is important for the reabsorption and metabolization of proteins and other substances, including carrier-bound vitamins and trace elements, in glomerular filtrates. Impairment of this endocytic process results in the loss of such substances and development of proteinuria, which is an important clinical indicator of kidney diseases and is also a risk marker for cardiovascular disease. Megalin, a member of the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene family, is a multiligand receptor expressed in the apical membrane of PTECs and plays a central role in the endocytic process. Megalin interacts with various intracellular adaptor proteins for intracellular trafficking and cooperatively functions with other membrane molecules, including the cubilin-amnionless complex. Evidence suggests that megalin and the cubilin-amnionless complex are involved in the uptake of toxic substances into PTECs, which leads to the development of kidney disease. Studies of megalin and its associated molecules will be useful for future development of novel strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shankhajit De
- Division of Clinical Nephrology and Rheumatology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8510, Japan.
| | - Shoji Kuwahara
- Department of Applied Molecular Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8510, Japan.
| | - Akihiko Saito
- Department of Applied Molecular Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8510, Japan.
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48
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Ballestín R, Blasco-Ibáñez JM, Crespo C, Nacher J, López-Hidalgo R, Gilabert-Juan J, Moltó D, Varea E. Astrocytes of the murine model for Down Syndrome Ts65Dn display reduced intracellular ionic zinc. Neurochem Int 2014; 75:48-53. [PMID: 24911951 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2014.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Revised: 05/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Zinc is an essential trace element that is critical for a large number of structural proteins, enzymatic processes and transcription factors. In the brain, zinc ions are involved in synaptic transmission. The homeostasis of zinc is crucial for cell survival and function, and cells have developed a wide variety of systems to control zinc concentration. Alterations in free zinc concentration have been related with brain dysfunction. Down Syndrome individuals present alterations in free zinc concentration and in some of the proteins related with zinc homeostasis. We have analyzed the amount of free zinc and the zinc chelating protein metallothionein 3 in the astrocytes using primary cultures of the murine model Ts65Dn. We have observed a higher number of zinc positive spots in the cytoplasm of trisomic astrocytes but a decrease in the total concentration of total intracellular free zinc concentration (including the spots) respect to control astrocytes. Using FM1-43 staining, we found that the endocytic function remains unaltered. Therefore, a possible explanation for this lower concentration of free zinc could be the higher concentration of metallothionein 3 present in the cytoplasm of trisomic astrocytes. The blockade of metallothionein 3 expression using an specific siRNA induced an increase in the concentration of free zinc in basal conditions but failed to increase the uptake of zinc after incubation with zinc ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl Ballestín
- Neurobiology Unit and Program in Basic and Applied Neurosciences, Cell Biology Department, Universitat de València, Spain
| | - José Miguel Blasco-Ibáñez
- Neurobiology Unit and Program in Basic and Applied Neurosciences, Cell Biology Department, Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Carlos Crespo
- Neurobiology Unit and Program in Basic and Applied Neurosciences, Cell Biology Department, Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Juan Nacher
- Neurobiology Unit and Program in Basic and Applied Neurosciences, Cell Biology Department, Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Rosa López-Hidalgo
- Neurobiology Unit and Program in Basic and Applied Neurosciences, Cell Biology Department, Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Javier Gilabert-Juan
- Neurobiology Unit and Program in Basic and Applied Neurosciences, Cell Biology Department, Universitat de València, Spain; Genetics Department, Universitat de València, INCLIVA, CIBERSAM, Spain
| | - Dolores Moltó
- Genetics Department, Universitat de València, INCLIVA, CIBERSAM, Spain
| | - Emilio Varea
- Neurobiology Unit and Program in Basic and Applied Neurosciences, Cell Biology Department, Universitat de València, Spain.
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49
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Scheiber IF, Mercer JF, Dringen R. Metabolism and functions of copper in brain. Prog Neurobiol 2014; 116:33-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2014.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2013] [Revised: 01/08/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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50
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Cesani M, Cavalca E, Macco R, Leoncini G, Terreni MR, Lorioli L, Furlan R, Comi G, Doglioni C, Zacchetti D, Sessa M, Scherzer CR, Biffi A. Metallothioneins as dynamic markers for brain disease in lysosomal disorders. Ann Neurol 2014; 75:127-37. [PMID: 24242821 PMCID: PMC4237725 DOI: 10.1002/ana.24053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Revised: 10/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To facilitate development of novel disease-modifying therapies for lysosomal storage disorder (LSDs) characterized by nervous system involvement such as metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), molecular markers for monitoring disease progression and therapeutic response are needed. To this end, we sought to identify blood transcripts associated with the progression of MLD. METHODS Genome-wide expression analysis was performed in primary T lymphocytes of 24 patients with MLD compared to 24 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Genes associated with MLD were identified, confirmed on a quantitative polymerase chain reaction platform, and replicated in an independent patient cohort. mRNA and protein expression of the prioritized gene family of metallothioneins was evaluated in postmortem patient brains and in mouse models representing 6 other LSDs. Metallothionein expression during disease progression and in response to specific treatment was evaluated in 1 of the tested LSD mouse models. Finally, a set of in vitro studies was planned to dissect the biological functions exerted by this class of molecules. RESULTS Metallothionein genes were significantly overexpressed in T lymphocytes and brain of patients with MLD and generally marked nervous tissue damage in the LSDs here evaluated. Overexpression of metallothioneins correlated with measures of disease progression in mice and patients, whereas their levels decreased in mice upon therapeutic treatment. In vitro studies indicated that metallothionein expression is regulated in response to oxidative stress and inflammation, which are biochemical hallmarks of lysosomal storage diseases. INTERPRETATION Metallothioneins are potential markers of neurologic disease processes and treatment response in LSDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Cesani
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (HSR-TIGET), Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and Gene Therapy, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Neurogenomics Laboratory, Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women's Hospital, Cambridge, MA, USA
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