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Koopman M, Güngördü L, Janssen L, Seinstra RI, Richmond JE, Okerlund N, Wardenaar R, Islam P, Hogewerf W, Brown AEX, Jorgensen EM, Nollen EAA. Rebalancing the motor circuit restores movement in a Caenorhabditis elegans model for TDP-43 toxicity. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114204. [PMID: 38748878 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis can be caused by abnormal accumulation of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) in the cytoplasm of neurons. Here, we use a C. elegans model for TDP-43-induced toxicity to identify the biological mechanisms that lead to disease-related phenotypes. By applying deep behavioral phenotyping and subsequent dissection of the neuromuscular circuit, we show that TDP-43 worms have profound defects in GABA neurons. Moreover, acetylcholine neurons appear functionally silenced. Enhancing functional output of repressed acetylcholine neurons at the level of, among others, G-protein-coupled receptors restores neurotransmission, but inefficiently rescues locomotion. Rebalancing the excitatory-to-inhibitory ratio in the neuromuscular system by simultaneous stimulation of the affected GABA- and acetylcholine neurons, however, not only synergizes the effects of boosting individual neurotransmitter systems, but instantaneously improves movement. Our results suggest that interventions accounting for the altered connectome may be more efficient in restoring motor function than those solely focusing on diseased neuron populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Koopman
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Lale Güngördü
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Leen Janssen
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Renée I Seinstra
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Janet E Richmond
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Nathan Okerlund
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and School of Biological Science, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - René Wardenaar
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Priota Islam
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK; Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Wytse Hogewerf
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Andre E X Brown
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK; Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Erik M Jorgensen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and School of Biological Science, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Ellen A A Nollen
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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Buckley M, Jacob WP, Bortey L, McClain M, Ritter AL, Godfrey A, Munneke AS, Ramachandran S, Kenis S, Kolnik JC, Olofsson S, Adkins R, Kutoloski T, Rademacher L, Heinecke O, Alva A, Beets I, Francis MM, Kowalski JR. Cell non-autonomous signaling through the conserved C. elegans glycopeptide hormone receptor FSHR-1 regulates cholinergic neurotransmission. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.10.578699. [PMID: 38405708 PMCID: PMC10888917 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.10.578699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Modulation of neurotransmission is key for organismal responses to varying physiological contexts such as during infection, injury, or other stresses, as well as in learning and memory and for sensory adaptation. Roles for cell autonomous neuromodulatory mechanisms in these processes have been well described. The importance of cell non-autonomous pathways for inter-tissue signaling, such as gut-to-brain or glia-to-neuron, has emerged more recently, but the cellular mechanisms mediating such regulation remain comparatively unexplored. Glycoproteins and their G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are well-established orchestrators of multi-tissue signaling events that govern diverse physiological processes through both cell-autonomous and cell non-autonomous regulation. Here, we show that follicle stimulating hormone receptor, FSHR-1, the sole Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of mammalian glycoprotein hormone GPCRs, is important for cell non-autonomous modulation of synaptic transmission. Inhibition of fshr-1 expression reduces muscle contraction and leads to synaptic vesicle accumulation in cholinergic motor neurons. The neuromuscular and locomotor defects in fshr-1 loss-of-function mutants are associated with an underlying accumulation of synaptic vesicles, build-up of the synaptic vesicle priming factor UNC-10/RIM, and decreased synaptic vesicle release from cholinergic motor neurons. Restoration of FSHR-1 to the intestine is sufficient to restore neuromuscular activity and synaptic vesicle localization to fshr-1- deficient animals. Intestine-specific knockdown of FSHR-1 reduces neuromuscular function, indicating FSHR-1 is both necessary and sufficient in the intestine for its neuromuscular effects. Re-expression of FSHR-1 in other sites of endogenous expression, including glial cells and neurons, also restored some neuromuscular deficits, indicating potential cross-tissue regulation from these tissues as well. Genetic interaction studies provide evidence that downstream effectors gsa-1 / Gα S , acy-1 /adenylyl cyclase and sphk-1/ sphingosine kinase and glycoprotein hormone subunit orthologs, GPLA-1/GPA2 and GPLB-1/GPB5, are important for FSHR-1 modulation of the NMJ. Together, our results demonstrate that FSHR-1 modulation directs inter-tissue signaling systems, which promote synaptic vesicle release at neuromuscular synapses.
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Florin F, Bonneau B, Briseño-Roa L, Bessereau JL, Jospin M. Calcineurin-Dependent Homeostatic Response of C. elegans Muscle Cells upon Prolonged Activation of Acetylcholine Receptors. Cells 2023; 12:2201. [PMID: 37681933 PMCID: PMC10486475 DOI: 10.3390/cells12172201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pharmacological adaptation is a common phenomenon observed during prolonged drug exposure and often leads to drug resistance. Understanding the cellular events involved in adaptation could provide new strategies to circumvent this resistance issue. We used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to analyze the adaptation to levamisole, an ionotropic acetylcholine receptor agonist, used for decades to treat nematode parasitic infections. Genetic screens in C. elegans identified "adapting mutants" that initially paralyze upon exposure to levamisole as the wild type (WT), but recover locomotion after a few hours whereas WT remain paralyzed. Here, we show that levamisole induces a sustained increase in cytosolic calcium concentration in the muscle cells of adapting mutants, lasting several hours and preceding a decrease in levamisole-sensitive acetylcholine receptors (L-AChR) at the muscle plasma membrane. This decrease correlated with a drop in calcium concentration, a relaxation of the animal's body and a resumption of locomotion. The decrease in calcium and L-AChR content depends on calcineurin activation in muscle cells. We also showed that levamisole adaptation triggers homeostatic mechanisms in muscle cells including mitochondria remodeling, lysosomal tubulation and an increase in autophagic activity. Levamisole adaptation thus provides a new experimental paradigm for studying how cells cope with calcium stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franklin Florin
- Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR-5284, INSERM U-1314, MeLiS, Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, F-69008 Lyon, France (B.B.); (J.-L.B.)
| | - Benjamin Bonneau
- Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR-5284, INSERM U-1314, MeLiS, Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, F-69008 Lyon, France (B.B.); (J.-L.B.)
- Institut Curie, CNRS UMR3347, INSERM U1021, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay, France
| | - Luis Briseño-Roa
- Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR-5284, INSERM U-1314, MeLiS, Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, F-69008 Lyon, France (B.B.); (J.-L.B.)
- Medetia Pharmaceuticals, Institut Imagine, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Louis Bessereau
- Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR-5284, INSERM U-1314, MeLiS, Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, F-69008 Lyon, France (B.B.); (J.-L.B.)
| | - Maëlle Jospin
- Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR-5284, INSERM U-1314, MeLiS, Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, F-69008 Lyon, France (B.B.); (J.-L.B.)
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Schorr AL, Mejia AF, Miranda MY, Mangone M. An updated C. elegans nuclear body muscle transcriptome for studies in muscle formation and function. Skelet Muscle 2023; 13:4. [PMID: 36859305 PMCID: PMC9979539 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-023-00314-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The body muscle is an important tissue used in organisms for proper viability and locomotion. Although this tissue is generally well studied and characterized, and many pathways have been elucidated throughout the years, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of its transcriptome and how it controls muscle development and function. Here, we have updated a nuclear FACS sorting-based methodology to isolate and sequence a high-quality muscle transcriptome from Caenorhabditis elegans mixed-stage animals. We have identified 2848 muscle-specific protein-coding genes, including 78 transcription factors and 206 protein-coding genes containing an RNA binding domain. We studied their interaction network, performed a detailed promoter analysis, and identified novel muscle-specific cis-acting elements. We have also identified 16 high-quality muscle-specific miRNAs, studied their function in vivo using fluorochrome-based analyses, and developed a high-quality C. elegans miRNA interactome incorporating other muscle-specific datasets produced by our lab and others.Our study expands our understanding of how muscle tissue functions in C. elegans andin turn provides results that can in the future be applied to humans to study muscular-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L. Schorr
- grid.215654.10000 0001 2151 2636Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA ,grid.215654.10000 0001 2151 2636Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, 1001 S McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ USA ,grid.215654.10000 0001 2151 2636School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 751 E Lemon Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA
| | - Alejandro Felix Mejia
- grid.215654.10000 0001 2151 2636School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 751 E Lemon Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA
| | - Martina Y. Miranda
- grid.250942.80000 0004 0507 3225Helios Scholars at the Translational Genomics Research Institute, 445 N 5th St 4th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
| | - Marco Mangone
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. .,Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, 1001 S McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ, USA. .,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 751 E Lemon Mall, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
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Kropp PA, Rogers P, Kelly SE, McWhirter R, Goff WD, Levitan IM, Miller DM, Golden A. Patient-specific variants of NFU1/NFU-1 disrupt cholinergic signaling in a model of multiple mitochondrial dysfunctions syndrome 1. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:286662. [PMID: 36645076 PMCID: PMC9922734 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuromuscular dysfunction is a common feature of mitochondrial diseases and frequently presents as ataxia, spasticity and/or dystonia, all of which can severely impact individuals with mitochondrial diseases. Dystonia is one of the most common symptoms of multiple mitochondrial dysfunctions syndrome 1 (MMDS1), a disease associated with mutations in the causative gene (NFU1) that impair iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis. We have generated Caenorhabditis elegans strains that recreated patient-specific point variants in the C. elegans ortholog (nfu-1) that result in allele-specific dysfunction. Each of these mutants, Gly147Arg and Gly166Cys, have altered acetylcholine signaling at neuromuscular junctions, but opposite effects on activity and motility. We found that the Gly147Arg variant was hypersensitive to acetylcholine and that knockdown of acetylcholine release rescued nearly all neuromuscular phenotypes of this variant. In contrast, we found that the Gly166Cys variant caused predominantly postsynaptic acetylcholine hypersensitivity due to an unclear mechanism. These results are important for understanding the neuromuscular conditions of MMDS1 patients and potential avenues for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Kropp
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.,Biology Department, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH 43022, USA
| | - Philippa Rogers
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sydney E Kelly
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rebecca McWhirter
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Willow D Goff
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.,Biology Department, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346, USA
| | - Ian M Levitan
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David M Miller
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Andy Golden
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Davis AN, Tanis JE. Measuring Caenorhabditis elegans Sensitivity to the Acetylcholine Receptor Agonist Levamisole. J Vis Exp 2022:10.3791/64056. [PMID: 35758705 PMCID: PMC10016203 DOI: 10.3791/64056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
At the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), the binding of the excitatory neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) to postsynaptic receptors leads to muscle contraction. As in vertebrate skeletal muscle, cholinergic signaling in the body wall muscles of the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans is required for locomotion. Exposure to levamisole, a pharmacological agonist of one class of ACh receptors on the body wall muscles, causes time-dependent paralysis of wild-type animals. Altered sensitivity to levamisole suggests defects in signaling at the NMJ or muscle function. Here, a protocol for a liquid levamisole assay performed on C. elegans grown in 24-well plates is presented. Vigorous swimming of the animals in liquid allows for the assessment and quantitation of levamisole-induced paralysis in hundreds of worms over a one-hour time period without requiring physical manipulation. This procedure can be used with both wild-type and mutants that have altered sensitivity to levamisole to demonstrate the functional consequences of altered signaling at the NMJ.
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7
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Wang L, Qiu Z, Lee M. Mutations in the cell-binding motif of lam-3/laminin α reveal hypercontraction behavior and defective sensitivity to levamisole in Caenorhabditis elegans. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2021; 2021. [PMID: 34723150 PMCID: PMC8553547 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The amino acid sequence Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) is a cell-binding motif for extracellular matrix proteins. Initially found in fibronectin, the RGD motif is also found in LAM-3/laminin α chain in C. elegans. Laminin, a heterotrimeric glycoprotein, is a significant component of the basement membrane. Mutations in laminin subunits disrupt the extracellular matrix hence inhibit cell adhesion. This study aims to characterize the function of the RGD motif in lam-3/laminin α. Two mutations, lam-3 RGE and lam-3 ΔRGD, were generated. Our analysis of the mutants revealed that the RGD motif is involved in the motility of animals, suggesting that the cell-laminin interaction plays a role in regulating body contraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianzijun Wang
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, U.S.A
| | - Zhongqiang Qiu
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, U.S.A
| | - Myeongwoo Lee
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, U.S.A
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8
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Lam AB, Kervin K, Tanis JE. Vitamin B 12 impacts amyloid beta-induced proteotoxicity by regulating the methionine/S-adenosylmethionine cycle. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109753. [PMID: 34592146 PMCID: PMC8522492 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder with no effective treatment. Diet, as a modifiable risk factor for AD, could potentially be targeted to slow disease onset and progression. However, complexity of the human diet and indirect effects of the microbiome make it challenging to identify protective nutrients. Multiple factors contribute to AD pathogenesis, including amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition, energy crisis, and oxidative stress. Here, we use Caenorhabditis elegans to define the impact of diet on Aβ proteotoxicity. We discover that dietary vitamin B12 alleviates mitochondrial fragmentation, bioenergetic defects, and oxidative stress, delaying Aβ-induced paralysis without affecting Aβ accumulation. Vitamin B12 has this protective effect by acting as a cofactor for methionine synthase, impacting the methionine/S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) cycle. Vitamin B12 supplementation of B12-deficient adult Aβ animals is beneficial, demonstrating potential for vitamin B12 as a therapy to target pathogenic features of AD triggered by proteotoxic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy B Lam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Kirsten Kervin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Jessica E Tanis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
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