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Indrigo M, Morella I, Orellana D, d'Isa R, Papale A, Parra R, Gurgone A, Lecca D, Cavaccini A, Tigaret CM, Cagnotto A, Jones K, Brooks S, Ratto GM, Allen ND, Lelos MJ, Middei S, Giustetto M, Carta AR, Tonini R, Salmona M, Hall J, Thomas K, Brambilla R, Fasano S. Nuclear ERK1/2 signaling potentiation enhances neuroprotection and cognition via Importinα1/KPNA2. EMBO Mol Med 2023; 15:e15984. [PMID: 37792911 PMCID: PMC10630888 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202215984] [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: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell signaling is central to neuronal activity and its dysregulation may lead to neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. Here, we show that selective genetic potentiation of neuronal ERK signaling prevents cell death in vitro and in vivo in the mouse brain, while attenuation of ERK signaling does the opposite. This neuroprotective effect mediated by an enhanced nuclear ERK activity can also be induced by the novel cell penetrating peptide RB5. In vitro administration of RB5 disrupts the preferential interaction of ERK1 MAP kinase with importinα1/KPNA2 over ERK2, facilitates ERK1/2 nuclear translocation, and enhances global ERK activity. Importantly, RB5 treatment in vivo promotes neuroprotection in mouse models of Huntington's (HD), Alzheimer's (AD), and Parkinson's (PD) disease, and enhances ERK signaling in a human cellular model of HD. Additionally, RB5-mediated potentiation of ERK nuclear signaling facilitates synaptic plasticity, enhances cognition in healthy rodents, and rescues cognitive impairments in AD and HD models. The reported molecular mechanism shared across multiple neurodegenerative disorders reveals a potential new therapeutic target approach based on the modulation of KPNA2-ERK1/2 interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzia Indrigo
- Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific InstituteMilanoItaly
| | - Ilaria Morella
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Daniel Orellana
- Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific InstituteMilanoItaly
| | - Raffaele d'Isa
- Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific InstituteMilanoItaly
| | - Alessandro Papale
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Riccardo Parra
- NEST, Istituto Nanoscienze CNR, and Scuola Normale SuperiorePisaItaly
| | | | - Daniela Lecca
- Department of Biomedical SciencesUniversity of CagliariCagliariItaly
| | - Anna Cavaccini
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits LaboratoryFondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenovaItaly
| | - Cezar M Tigaret
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of MedicineCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Alfredo Cagnotto
- Dipartimento di Biochimica e Farmacologia MolecolareIstituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri‐IRCCSMilanoItaly
| | | | - Simon Brooks
- School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | | | | | | | - Silvia Middei
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology CNRRomaItaly
| | - Maurizio Giustetto
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of TorinoTorinoItaly
- National Institute of NeuroscienceTorinoItaly
| | - Anna R Carta
- Department of Biomedical SciencesUniversity of CagliariCagliariItaly
| | - Raffaella Tonini
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits LaboratoryFondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenovaItaly
| | - Mario Salmona
- Dipartimento di Biochimica e Farmacologia MolecolareIstituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri‐IRCCSMilanoItaly
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of MedicineCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Kerrie Thomas
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of MedicineCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Riccardo Brambilla
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Lazzaro Spallanzani”Università degli Studi di PaviaPaviaItaly
| | - Stefania Fasano
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
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Pérez-Arancibia R, Cisternas-Olmedo M, Sepúlveda D, Troncoso-Escudero P, Vidal RL. Small molecules to perform big roles: The search for Parkinson's and Huntington's disease therapeutics. Front Neurosci 2023; 16:1084493. [PMID: 36699535 PMCID: PMC9868863 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1084493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurological motor disorders (NMDs) such as Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease are characterized by the accumulation and aggregation of misfolded proteins that trigger cell death of specific neuronal populations in the central nervous system. Differential neuronal loss initiates the impaired motor control and cognitive function in the affected patients. Although major advances have been carried out to understand the molecular basis of these diseases, to date there are no treatments that can prevent, cure, or significantly delay the progression of the disease. In this context, strategies such as gene editing, cellular therapy, among others, have gained attention as they effectively reduce the load of toxic protein aggregates in different models of neurodegeneration. Nevertheless, these strategies are expensive and difficult to deliver into the patients' nervous system. Thus, small molecules and natural products that reduce protein aggregation levels are highly sought after. Numerous drug discovery efforts have analyzed large libraries of synthetic compounds for the treatment of different NMDs, with a few candidates reaching clinical trials. Moreover, the recognition of new druggable targets for NMDs has allowed the discovery of new small molecules that have demonstrated their efficacy in pre-clinical studies. It is also important to recognize the contribution of natural products to the discovery of new candidates that can prevent or cure NMDs. Additionally, the repurposing of drugs for the treatment of NMDs has gained huge attention as they have already been through clinical trials confirming their safety in humans, which can accelerate the development of new treatment. In this review, we will focus on the new advances in the discovery of small molecules for the treatment of Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. We will begin by discussing the available pharmacological treatments to modulate the progression of neurodegeneration and to alleviate the motor symptoms in these diseases. Then, we will analyze those small molecules that have reached or are currently under clinical trials, including natural products and repurposed drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Pérez-Arancibia
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile,Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Faculty of Medicine and Science, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Marisol Cisternas-Olmedo
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile,Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile,Center for Geroscience, Brain Health and Metabolism, Santiago, Chile
| | - Denisse Sepúlveda
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile,Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile,Center for Geroscience, Brain Health and Metabolism, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulina Troncoso-Escudero
- Molecular Diagnostic and Biomarkers Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rene L. Vidal
- Center for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile,Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile,Center for Geroscience, Brain Health and Metabolism, Santiago, Chile,*Correspondence: Rene L. Vidal ✉
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3
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Rabie MA, Ibrahim HI, Nassar NN, Atef RM. Adenosine A 1 receptor agonist, N6-cyclohexyladenosine, attenuates Huntington's disease via stimulation of TrKB/PI3K/Akt/CREB/BDNF pathway in 3-nitropropionic acid rat model. Chem Biol Interact 2023; 369:110288. [PMID: 36509115 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110288] [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: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive motor, behavioral, and cognitive impairments. Intrastriatal injection of 3- nitropropionic acid (3NP) was used to induce HD-like symptoms by inhibiting succinate dehydrogenase enzyme (SDH) in the mitochondrial complex II. The adenosine A1 receptor has long been known to have a crucial role in neuroprotection, mainly by blocking Ca2+ influx, which causes inhibition of glutamate (Glu) and a decline in its excitatory effects at the postsynaptic level. To this end, this study investigated the possible involvement of TrKB/PI3K/Akt/CREB/BDNF pathway in mediating protection afforded by the central N6-cyclohexyladenosine (CHA), an adenosine A1 receptor agonist. A single intrastriatal CHA injection (6.25 nM/1 μL); 45min after 3-NP injection, attenuated neuronal death, and improved cognitive and motor deficits caused by 3-NP neurotoxin. This effect was shown to parallel an enhanced activation of PI3K/Akt/CREB/BDNF axis as well as boosting pERK1/2 levels. Moreover, CHA attenuated neuroinflammatory and oxidative stress status via reducing NFκB p65, TNFα and iNOS contents and increasing SOD. Furthermore, immunohistochemical data showed a reduction in the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity to a marker for astrocyte and microglia activation following CHA treatment. The results of this study suggest that CHA may have protective effect against HD via modulating oxidative stress, excitotoxic and inflammatory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa A Rabie
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Κasr El-Aini Str., 11562, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Heba I Ibrahim
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Κasr El-Aini Str., 11562, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Noha N Nassar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Κasr El-Aini Str., 11562, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Reham M Atef
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Κasr El-Aini Str., 11562, Cairo, Egypt.
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Mees I, Li S, Tran H, Ang CS, Williamson NA, Hannan AJ, Renoir T. Phosphoproteomic dysregulation in Huntington's disease mice is rescued by environmental enrichment. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac305. [PMID: 36523271 PMCID: PMC9746689 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a fatal autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by neuronal cell dysfunction and loss, primarily in the striatum, cortex and hippocampus, causing motor, cognitive and psychiatric impairments. Unfortunately, no treatments are yet available to modify the progression of the disease. Recent evidence from Huntington's disease mouse models suggests that protein phosphorylation (catalysed by kinases and hydrolysed by phosphatases) might be dysregulated, making this major post-translational modification a potential area of interest to find novel therapeutic targets. Furthermore, environmental enrichment, used to model an active lifestyle in preclinical models, has been shown to alleviate Huntington's disease-related motor and cognitive symptoms. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to these therapeutic effects are still largely unknown. In this study, we applied a phosphoproteomics approach combined with proteomic analyses on brain samples from pre-motor symptomatic R6/1 Huntington's disease male mice and their wild-type littermates, after being housed either in environmental enrichment conditions, or in standard housing conditions from 4 to 8 weeks of age (n = 6 per group). We hypothesized that protein phosphorylation dysregulations occur prior to motor onset in this mouse model, in two highly affected brain regions, the striatum and hippocampus. Furthermore, we hypothesized that these phosphoproteome alterations are rescued by environmental enrichment. When comparing 8-week-old Huntington's disease mice and wild-type mice in standard housing conditions, our analysis revealed 229 differentially phosphorylated peptides in the striatum, compared with only 15 differentially phosphorylated peptides in the hippocampus (statistical thresholds fold discovery rate 0.05, fold change 1.5). At the same disease stage, minor differences were found in protein levels, with 24 and 22 proteins dysregulated in the striatum and hippocampus, respectively. Notably, we found no differences in striatal protein phosphorylation and protein expression when comparing Huntington's disease mice and their wild-type littermates in environmentally enriched conditions. In the hippocampus, only four peptides were differentially phosphorylated between the two genotypes under environmentally enriched conditions, and 22 proteins were differentially expressed. Together, our data indicates that protein phosphorylation dysregulations occur in the striatum of Huntington's disease mice, prior to motor symptoms, and that the kinases and phosphatases leading to these changes in protein phosphorylation might be viable drug targets to consider for this disorder. Furthermore, we show that an early environmental intervention was able to rescue the changes observed in protein expression and phosphorylation in the striatum of Huntington's disease mice and might underlie the beneficial effects of environmental enrichment, thus identifying novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaline Mees
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Shanshan Li
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Harvey Tran
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Ching-Seng Ang
- Bio21 Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Nicholas A Williamson
- Bio21 Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Thibault Renoir
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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5
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Lenoir S, Lahaye RA, Vitet H, Scaramuzzino C, Virlogeux A, Capellano L, Genoux A, Gershoni-Emek N, Geva M, Hayden MR, Saudou F. Pridopidine rescues BDNF/TrkB trafficking dynamics and synapse homeostasis in a Huntington disease brain-on-a-chip model. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 173:105857. [PMID: 36075537 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105857] [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: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by polyglutamine-encoding CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. HTT is involved in the axonal transport of vesicles containing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In HD, diminished BDNF transport leads to reduced BDNF delivery to the striatum, contributing to striatal and cortical neuronal death. Pridopidine is a selective and potent sigma-1 receptor (S1R) agonist currently in clinical development for HD. The S1R is located at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria interface, where it regulates key cellular pathways commonly impaired in neurodegenerative diseases. We used a microfluidic device that reconstitutes the corticostriatal network, allowing the investigation of presynaptic dynamics, synaptic morphology and transmission, and postsynaptic signaling. Culturing primary neurons from the HD mouse model HdhCAG140/+ provides a "disease-on-a-chip" platform ideal for investigating pathogenic mechanisms and drug activity. Pridopidine rescued the trafficking of BDNF and TrkB resulting in an increased neurotrophin signaling at the synapse. This increased the capacity of HD neurons to release glutamate and restored homeostasis at the corticostriatal synapse. These data suggest that pridopidine enhances the availability of corticostriatal BDNF via S1R activation, leading to neuroprotective effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Lenoir
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Romane A Lahaye
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Hélène Vitet
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Chiara Scaramuzzino
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Amandine Virlogeux
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Laetitia Capellano
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Aurélie Genoux
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | | | | | - Michael R Hayden
- Prilenia Therapeutics, Herzliya, Israel; The Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France..
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6
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Varela L, Garcia-Rendueles MER. Oncogenic Pathways in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23063223. [PMID: 35328644 PMCID: PMC8952192 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer and neurodegenerative diseases are two of the leading causes of premature death in modern societies. Their incidence continues to increase, and in the near future, it is believed that cancer will kill more than 20 million people per year, and neurodegenerative diseases, due to the aging of the world population, will double their prevalence. The onset and the progression of both diseases are defined by dysregulation of the same molecular signaling pathways. However, whereas in cancer, these alterations lead to cell survival and proliferation, neurodegenerative diseases trigger cell death and apoptosis. The study of the mechanisms underlying these opposite final responses to the same molecular trigger is key to providing a better understanding of the diseases and finding more accurate treatments. Here, we review the ten most common signaling pathways altered in cancer and analyze them in the context of different neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's (AD), Parkinson's (PD), and Huntington's (HD) diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Varela
- Yale Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism, Department of Comparative Medicine, School of Medicine, Yale University, 310 Cedar St. BML 330, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Correspondence: (L.V.); (M.E.R.G.-R.)
| | - Maria E. R. Garcia-Rendueles
- Precision Nutrition and Cancer Program, IMDEA Food Institute, Campus Excelencia Internacional UAM+CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (L.V.); (M.E.R.G.-R.)
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7
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Utepova IA, Serebrennikova PO, Chupakhin ON, Guzhova IV, Mikhaylova ER, Antonchick AP. Synthesis and Biological Investigation of 1,2,4-Triazolo[4,3-a]azines as Potential HSF1 Inductors. SYNTHESIS-STUTTGART 2022. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1719907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDerivatives of fused 1,2,4-triazines containing heterocyclic and metallocene fragments were obtained by one-pot oxidative cyclization of heterocyclic hydrazones in the presence of hypervalent iodine(III) reagents. For 1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]azines, the ability to activate HSF1 was investigated. The obtained compounds were shown to increase the degree of HSF1 activation. It was shown that the 1,2,4-triazines can be used to induce Hsp70 expression and decrease the extent of mutant HTT aggregate formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina A. Utepova
- Department of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, Ural Federal University
- Postovsky Institute of Organic Synthesis, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - Polina O. Serebrennikova
- Department of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, Ural Federal University
- Postovsky Institute of Organic Synthesis, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - Oleg N. Chupakhin
- Department of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, Ural Federal University
- Postovsky Institute of Organic Synthesis, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
| | | | | | - Andrey P. Antonchick
- Department of Chemistry and Forensics, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University
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8
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Solés-Tarrés I, Cabezas-Llobet N, Lefranc B, Leprince J, Alberch J, Vaudry D, Xifró X. Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide (PACAP) Protects Striatal Cells and Improves Motor Function in Huntington’s Disease Models: Role of PAC1 Receptor. Front Pharmacol 2022; 12:797541. [PMID: 35153755 PMCID: PMC8832515 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.797541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expression of mutant huntingtin (mHtt). One of the main features of HD is the degeneration of the striatum that leads to motor discoordination. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide that acts through three receptors named PAC1R, VPAC1R, and VPAC2R. In the present study, we first investigated the effect of PACAP on STHdhQ7/Q7 and STHdhQ111/Q111 cells that express wild-type Htt with 7 and mHtt with 111 glutamines, respectively. Then we explored the capacity of PACAP to rescue motor symptoms in the R6/1, a murine model of HD. We found that PACAP treatment (10–7 M) for 24 h protects STHdhQ111/Q111 cells from mHtt-induced apoptosis. This effect is associated with an increase in PAC1R transcription, phosphorylation of ERK and Akt, and an increase of intracellular c-fos, egr1, CBP, and BDNF protein content. Moreover, the use of pharmacological inhibitors revealed that activation of ERK and Akt mediates these antiapoptotic and neurotrophic effects of PACAP. To find out PAC1R implication, we treated STHdh cells with vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), which exhibits equal affinity for VPAC1R and VPAC2R, but lower affinity for PAC1R, in contrast to PACAP which has same affinity for the three receptors. VIP reduced cleaved caspase-3 protein level, without promoting the expression of c-fos, egr1, CBP, and the neurotrophin BDNF. We next measured the protein level of PACAP receptors in the striatum and cortex of R6/1 mice. We observed a specific reduction of PAC1R at the onset of motor symptoms. Importantly, the intranasal administration of PACAP to R6/1 animals restored the motor function and increased the striatal levels of PAC1R, CBP, and BDNF. In conclusion, PACAP exerts antiapoptotic and neurotrophic effects in striatal neurons mainly through PAC1R. This effect in HD striatum allows the recovery of motor function and point out PAC1R as a therapeutic target for treatment of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Solés-Tarrés
- New Therapeutic Targets Group, Department of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Núria Cabezas-Llobet
- New Therapeutic Targets Group, Department of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Benjamin Lefranc
- Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Communication and Differentiation, Neuropeptides, Neuronal Death and Cell Plasticity Team, UNIROUEN, Inserm, Normandie University, Rouen, France
- Regional Cell Imaging Platform of Normandy (PRIMACEN), UNIROUEN, Normandie University, Rouen, France
| | - Jérôme Leprince
- Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Communication and Differentiation, Neuropeptides, Neuronal Death and Cell Plasticity Team, UNIROUEN, Inserm, Normandie University, Rouen, France
- Regional Cell Imaging Platform of Normandy (PRIMACEN), UNIROUEN, Normandie University, Rouen, France
| | - Jordi Alberch
- Departament de Biomedicina, Institut de Neurociències, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut D’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - David Vaudry
- Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Communication and Differentiation, Neuropeptides, Neuronal Death and Cell Plasticity Team, UNIROUEN, Inserm, Normandie University, Rouen, France
- Regional Cell Imaging Platform of Normandy (PRIMACEN), UNIROUEN, Normandie University, Rouen, France
| | - Xavier Xifró
- New Therapeutic Targets Group, Department of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
- *Correspondence: Xavier Xifró,
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circRNA Regulates Dopaminergic Synapse, MAPK, and Long-term Depression Pathways in Huntington Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:6222-6231. [PMID: 34476673 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02536-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is the most common neurogenetic disorder caused by expansion of the CAG repeat in the HTT gene; nevertheless, the molecular bases of the disease are not fully understood. Non-coding RNAs have demonstrated to be involved in the physiopathology of HD. However, the role of circRNAs has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to identify the circRNAs with differential expression in a murine cell line model of HD and to identify the biological pathways regulated by the differentially expressed circRNAs. CircRNA expression was analyzed through a microarray, which specifically detects circular species of RNA. The expression patterns between a murine cell line expressing mutant Huntingtin and cells expressing wild-type Huntingtin were compared. We predicted the miRNAs with binding sites for the differentially expressed circRNAs and the corresponding target genes for those miRNAs. Using the target genes, we performed a function enrichment analysis. We identified 23 circRNAs differentially expressed, 19 downregulated and four upregulated. Most of the downregulated circRNAs derive from the Rere gene. The dopaminergic synapse, MAPK, and long-term depression pathways were significantly enriched. The three identified pathways have been previously associated with the physiopathology of HD. The understanding of the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network involved in the molecular mechanisms driving HD can lead us to identify novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study analyzing circRNAs in a model of Huntington disease.
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RACK1 modulates polyglutamine-induced neurodegeneration by promoting ERK degradation in Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009558. [PMID: 33983927 PMCID: PMC8118270 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine diseases are neurodegenerative diseases caused by the expansion of polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts within different proteins. Although multiple pathways have been found to modulate aggregation of the expanded polyQ proteins, the mechanisms by which polyQ tracts induced neuronal cell death remain unknown. We conducted a genome-wide genetic screen to identify genes that suppress polyQ-induced neurodegeneration when mutated. Loss of the scaffold protein RACK1 alleviated cell death associated with the expression of polyQ tracts alone, as well as in models of Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) and Huntington's disease (HD), without affecting proteostasis of polyQ proteins. A genome-wide RNAi screen for modifiers of this rack1 suppression phenotype revealed that knockdown of the E3 ubiquitin ligase, POE (Purity of essence), further suppressed polyQ-induced cell death, resulting in nearly wild-type looking eyes. Biochemical analyses demonstrated that RACK1 interacts with POE and ERK to promote ERK degradation. These results suggest that RACK1 plays a key role in polyQ pathogenesis by promoting POE-dependent degradation of ERK, and implicate RACK1/POE/ERK as potent drug targets for treatment of polyQ diseases.
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Zhou Z, Zhong S, Zhang R, Kang K, Zhang X, Xu Y, Zhao C, Zhao M. Functional analysis of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in Huntington's disease. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:6103-6114. [PMID: 33631722 PMCID: PMC7950280 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202603] [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: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to determine the molecular functions of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in Huntington's disease (HD). A total of 1,675 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were overlapped from HD versus control and BDNF-low versus high groups. Five co-expression modules were constructed using weight gene correlation network analysis, among which the blue and turquoise modules were most strongly correlated with HD and low BDNF. Functional enrichment analyses revealed DEGs in these modules significantly enriched in GABAergic synapse, phagosome, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), renin-angiotensin system (Ras), Ras-associated protein-1 and retrograde endocannabinoid signaling pathways. The intersection pathways of BDNF, such as cAMP, MAPK and Ras signaling pathways, were identified in global regulatory network. Further performance evaluation of low BDNF accurately predicted HD occurrence according to the area under the curve of 82.4%. In aggregate, our findings highlighted the involvement of low BDNF expression in HD pathogenesis, potentially mediated by cAMP, MAPK and Ras signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhike Zhou
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Shanshan Zhong
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Rongwei Zhang
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Kexin Kang
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Xiaoqian Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Ying Xu
- Computational Systems Biology Lab, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Institute of Bioinformatics, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.,Cancer Systems Biology Center, The China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, PR China
| | - Chuansheng Zhao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning, PR China
| | - Mei Zhao
- Department of Cardiology, The Shengjing Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning, PR China
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12
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Manickam N, Radhakrishnan RK, Vergil Andrews JF, Selvaraj DB, Kandasamy M. Cell cycle re-entry of neurons and reactive neuroblastosis in Huntington's disease: Possibilities for neural-glial transition in the brain. Life Sci 2020; 263:118569. [PMID: 33049278 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant pathogenic condition that causes progressive degeneration of GABAergic neurons in the brain. The abnormal expansion of the CAG repeats in the exon 1 of the Huntingtin gene (HTT gene) has been associated with the onset and progression of movement disorders, psychiatric disturbance and cognitive decline in HD. Microglial activation and reactive astrogliosis have been recognized as the key pathogenic cellular events in the brains of HD subjects. Besides, HD has been characterized by induced quiescence of neural stem cells (NSCs), reactive neuroblastosis and reduced survival of newborn neurons in the brain. Strikingly, the expression of the mutant HTT gene has been reported to induce the cell cycle re-entry of neurons in HD brains. However, the underlying basis for the induction of cell cycle in neurons and the fate of dedifferentiating neurons in the pathological brain remain largely unknown. Thus, this review article revisits the reports on the regulation of key signaling pathways responsible for altered cell cycle events in diseased brains, with special reference to HD and postulates the occurrence of reactive neuroblastosis as a consequential cellular event of dedifferentiation of neurons. Meanwhile, a substantial number of studies indicate that many neuropathogenic events are associated with the expression of potential glial cell markers by neuroblasts. Taken together, this article represents a hypothesis that transdifferentiation of neurons into glial cells might be highly possible through the transient generation of reactive neuroblasts in the brain upon certain pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nivethitha Manickam
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Risna Kanjirassery Radhakrishnan
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jemi Feiona Vergil Andrews
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Divya Bharathi Selvaraj
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Mahesh Kandasamy
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India; Faculty Recharge Programme, University Grants Commission (UGC-FRP), New Delhi 110002, India.
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13
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Xu D, Zhao H, Jin M, Zhu H, Shan B, Geng J, Dziedzic SA, Amin P, Mifflin L, Naito MG, Najafov A, Xing J, Yan L, Liu J, Qin Y, Hu X, Wang H, Zhang M, Manuel VJ, Tan L, He Z, Sun ZJ, Lee VMY, Wagner G, Yuan J. Modulating TRADD to restore cellular homeostasis and inhibit apoptosis. Nature 2020; 587:133-138. [PMID: 32968279 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2757-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Cell death in human diseases is often a consequence of disrupted cellular homeostasis. If cell death is prevented without restoring cellular homeostasis, it may lead to a persistent dysfunctional and pathological state. Although mechanisms of cell death have been thoroughly investigated1-3, it remains unclear how homeostasis can be restored after inhibition of cell death. Here we identify TRADD4-6, an adaptor protein, as a direct regulator of both cellular homeostasis and apoptosis. TRADD modulates cellular homeostasis by inhibiting K63-linked ubiquitination of beclin 1 mediated by TRAF2, cIAP1 and cIAP2, thereby reducing autophagy. TRADD deficiency inhibits RIPK1-dependent extrinsic apoptosis and proteasomal stress-induced intrinsic apoptosis. We also show that the small molecules ICCB-19 and Apt-1 bind to a pocket on the N-terminal TRAF2-binding domain of TRADD (TRADD-N), which interacts with the C-terminal domain (TRADD-C) and TRAF2 to modulate the ubiquitination of RIPK1 and beclin 1. Inhibition of TRADD by ICCB-19 or Apt-1 blocks apoptosis and restores cellular homeostasis by activating autophagy in cells with accumulated mutant tau, α-synuclein, or huntingtin. Treatment with Apt-1 restored proteostasis and inhibited cell death in a mouse model of proteinopathy induced by mutant tau(P301S). We conclude that pharmacological targeting of TRADD may represent a promising strategy for inhibiting cell death and restoring homeostasis to treat human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daichao Xu
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Heng Zhao
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Minzhi Jin
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hong Zhu
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bing Shan
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiefei Geng
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Palak Amin
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lauren Mifflin
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Ayaz Najafov
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jing Xing
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Lingjie Yan
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianping Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bio-organic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Qin
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinqian Hu
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Huibing Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mengmeng Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Vica Jean Manuel
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Li Tan
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhuohao He
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Institute on Aging, Department of Pathology and Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zhenyu J Sun
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Virginia M Y Lee
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Institute on Aging, Department of Pathology and Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gerhard Wagner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Junying Yuan
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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14
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Asih PR, Prikas E, Stefanoska K, Tan ARP, Ahel HI, Ittner A. Functions of p38 MAP Kinases in the Central Nervous System. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:570586. [PMID: 33013322 PMCID: PMC7509416 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.570586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases are a central component in signaling networks in a multitude of mammalian cell types. This review covers recent advances on specific functions of p38 MAP kinases in cells of the central nervous system. Unique and specific functions of the four mammalian p38 kinases are found in all major cell types in the brain. Mechanisms of p38 activation and downstream phosphorylation substrates in these different contexts are outlined and how they contribute to functions of p38 in physiological and under disease conditions. Results in different model organisms demonstrated that p38 kinases are involved in cognitive functions, including functions related to anxiety, addiction behavior, neurotoxicity, neurodegeneration, and decision making. Finally, the role of p38 kinases in psychiatric and neurological conditions and the current progress on therapeutic inhibitors targeting p38 kinases are covered and implicate p38 kinases in a multitude of CNS-related physiological and disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prita R Asih
- Dementia Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Emmanuel Prikas
- Dementia Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kristie Stefanoska
- Dementia Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Amanda R P Tan
- Dementia Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Holly I Ahel
- Dementia Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Arne Ittner
- Dementia Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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15
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Chung D, Shum A, Caraveo G. GAP-43 and BASP1 in Axon Regeneration: Implications for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:567537. [PMID: 33015061 PMCID: PMC7494789 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.567537] [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: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) and brain acid-soluble protein 1 (BASP1) regulate actin dynamics and presynaptic vesicle cycling at axon terminals, thereby facilitating axonal growth, regeneration, and plasticity. These functions highly depend on changes in GAP-43 and BASP1 expression levels and post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation. Interestingly, examinations of GAP-43 and BASP1 in neurodegenerative diseases reveal alterations in their expression and phosphorylation profiles. This review provides an overview of the structural properties, regulations, and functions of GAP-43 and BASP1, highlighting their involvement in neural injury response and regeneration. By discussing GAP-43 and BASP1 in the context of neurodegenerative diseases, we also explore the therapeutic potential of modulating their activities to compensate for neuron loss in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daayun Chung
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Andrew Shum
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Gabriela Caraveo
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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16
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Pérez-Rodríguez MJ, Ibarra-Sánchez A, Román-Figueroa A, Pérez-Severiano F, González-Espinosa C. Mutant Huntingtin affects toll-like receptor 4 intracellular trafficking and cytokine production in mast cells. J Neuroinflammation 2020; 17:95. [PMID: 32220257 PMCID: PMC7102443 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-020-01758-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by the expression of a mutated variant of Huntingtin (mHtt), which results in the complex pathology characterized by a defective function of the nervous system and altered inflammatory responses. While the neuronal effects of mHtt expression have been extensively studied, its effects on the physiology of immune cells have not been fully described. Mast cells (MCs) are unique tissue-resident immune cells whose activation has been linked to protective responses against parasites and bacteria, but also to deleterious inflammatory allergic reactions and, recently, to neurodegenerative diseases. METHODS Bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) were obtained from wild-type (WT-) and mHtt-expressing (R6/1) mice to evaluate the main activation parameters triggered by the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) and the Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4. Degranulation was assessed by measuring the secretion of β-hexosaminidase, MAP kinase activation was detected by Western blot, and cytokine production was determined by RT-PCR and ELISA. TLR-4 receptor and Htt vesicular trafficking was analyzed by confocal microscopy. In vivo, MC-deficient mice (c-KitWsh/Wsh) were intraperitonally reconstituted with WT or R6/1 BMMCs and the TLR4-induced production of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was determined by ELISA. A survival curve of mice treated with a sub-lethal dose of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was constructed. RESULTS R6/1 BMMCs showed normal β-hexosaminidase release levels in response to FcεRI, but lower cytokine production upon LPS stimulus. Impaired TLR4-induced TNF production was associated to the lack of intracellular dynamin-dependent TLR-4 receptor trafficking to perinuclear regions in BMMCs, a diminished ERK1/2 and ELK-1 phosphorylation, and a decrease in c-fos and TNF mRNA accumulation. R6/1 BMMCs also failed to produce TLR4-induced anti-inflammatory cytokines (like IL-10 and TGF-β). The detected defects were also observed in vivo, in a MCs-dependent model of endotoxemia. R6/1 and c-KitWsh/Wsh mice reconstituted with R6/1 BMMCs showed a decreased TLR4-induced TNF production and lower survival rates to LPS challenge than WT mice. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that mHtt expression causes an impaired production of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators triggered by TLR-4 receptor in MCs in vitro and in vivo, which could contribute to the aberrant immunophenotype observed in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian Jesabel Pérez-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Calzada de los Tenorios 235, Granjas Coapa, Tlalpan, 14330, Mexico City, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Molecular y Nanotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía "Manuel Velasco Suárez", Insurgentes Sur 3877, La Fama, Tlalpan, 14269, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alfredo Ibarra-Sánchez
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Calzada de los Tenorios 235, Granjas Coapa, Tlalpan, 14330, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Abraham Román-Figueroa
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Calzada de los Tenorios 235, Granjas Coapa, Tlalpan, 14330, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Francisca Pérez-Severiano
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Molecular y Nanotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía "Manuel Velasco Suárez", Insurgentes Sur 3877, La Fama, Tlalpan, 14269, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Claudia González-Espinosa
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Calzada de los Tenorios 235, Granjas Coapa, Tlalpan, 14330, Mexico City, Mexico.
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17
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Di Pardo A, Castaldo S, Amico E, Pepe G, Marracino F, Capocci L, Giovannelli A, Madonna M, van Bergeijk J, Buttari F, van der Kam E, Maglione V. Stimulation of S1PR5 with A-971432, a selective agonist, preserves blood-brain barrier integrity and exerts therapeutic effect in an animal model of Huntington's disease. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 27:2490-2501. [PMID: 29688337 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder for which no effective cure is yet available. Although several agents have been identified to provide benefits so far, the number of therapeutic options remains limited with only symptomatic treatment available. Over the past few years, we have demonstrated that sphingolipid-based approaches may open the door to new and more targeted treatments for the disease. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of stimulating sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor 5 by the new selective agonist A-971432 (provided by AbbVie) in R6/2 mice, a widely used HD animal model. Chronic administration of low-dose (0.1 mg/kg) A-971432 slowed down the progression of the disease and significantly prolonged lifespan in symptomatic R6/2 mice. Such beneficial effects were associated with activation of pro-survival pathways (BDNF, AKT and ERK) and with reduction of mutant huntingtin aggregation. A-971432 also protected blood-brain barrier (BBB) homeostasis in the same mice. Interestingly, when administered early in the disease, before any overt symptoms, A-971432 completely protected HD mice from the classic progressive motor deficit and preserved BBB integrity. Beside representing a promising strategy to take into consideration for the development of alternative therapeutic options for HD, selective stimulation of S1P receptor 5 may be also seen as an effective approach to target brain vasculature defects in the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Di Pardo
- IRCCS Neuromed, Localitá Camerelle, Pozzilli (IS), Italy
| | | | - Enrico Amico
- IRCCS Neuromed, Localitá Camerelle, Pozzilli (IS), Italy
| | - Giuseppe Pepe
- IRCCS Neuromed, Localitá Camerelle, Pozzilli (IS), Italy
| | | | - Luca Capocci
- IRCCS Neuromed, Localitá Camerelle, Pozzilli (IS), Italy
| | | | | | | | - Fabio Buttari
- IRCCS Neuromed, Localitá Camerelle, Pozzilli (IS), Italy
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18
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Rai SN, Dilnashin H, Birla H, Singh SS, Zahra W, Rathore AS, Singh BK, Singh SP. The Role of PI3K/Akt and ERK in Neurodegenerative Disorders. Neurotox Res 2019; 35:775-795. [PMID: 30707354 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-019-0003-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 247] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Disruption of Akt and Erk-mediated signal transduction significantly contributes in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's diseases, Huntington's disease, and many others. These regulatory proteins serve as the regulator of cell survival, motility, transcription, metabolism, and progression of the cell cycle. Therefore, targeting Akt and Erk pathway has been proposed as a reasonable approach to suppress ND progression. This review has emphasized on involvement of Akt/Erk cascade in the neurodegeneration. Akt has been reported to regulate neuronal toxicity through its various substrates like FOXos, GSK3β, and caspase-9 etc. Akt is also involved with PI3K in signaling pathway to mediate neuronal survival. ERK is another kinase which also regulates proliferation, differentiation, and survival of the neural cell. There has also been much progress in developing a therapeutic molecule targeting Akt and Erk signaling. Therefore, improved understanding of the molecular mechanism behind the regulatory aspect of Akt and Erk networks can make strong impact on exploration of the neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis.
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Key Words
- 6-OHDA, 6-hydroxydopamine
- BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor
- HD, Huntington disease
- MAPK, mitogen-activated protein-extracellular kinase
- MPTP, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine
- NDs, neurodegenerative disorders
- Nrf2, nuclear factor erythroid 2 p45-related factor 2
- PD, Parkinson’s disease
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachchida Nand Rai
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Hagera Dilnashin
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Hareram Birla
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Saumitra Sen Singh
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Walia Zahra
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Aaina Singh Rathore
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Brijesh Kumar Singh
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Centre, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Surya Pratap Singh
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
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19
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Abstract
Fluorescence-based nanoscopy methods (also known as "superresolution" microscopy) have substantially expanded our options to examine the distributions of molecules inside cells with nanometer-scale resolution and molecular specificity. In the biophysical analysis of aggregation-prone misfolded proteins and peptides, this has enabled the visualization of distinct populations of aggregated species such as fibrillar assemblies within intact neuronal cells, well below previous limits of sensitivity and resolution. With the Huntington's disease protein, polyglutamine-expanded mutant huntingtin, as an example, we provide sample preparation and imaging protocols for superresolution microscopy down to the ~30 nm-level.
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20
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FPR1 gene silencing suppresses cardiomyocyte apoptosis and ventricular remodeling in rats with ischemia/reperfusion injury through the inhibition of MAPK signaling pathway. Exp Cell Res 2018; 370:506-518. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2018.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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21
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Simmons DA. Modulating Neurotrophin Receptor Signaling as a Therapeutic Strategy for Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2018; 6:303-325. [PMID: 29254102 PMCID: PMC5757655 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-170275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by CAG repeat expansions in the IT15 gene which encodes the huntingtin (HTT) protein. Currently, no treatments capable of preventing or slowing disease progression exist. Disease modifying therapeutics for HD would be expected to target a comprehensive set of degenerative processes given the diverse mechanisms contributing to HD pathogenesis including neuroinflammation, excitotoxicity, and transcription dysregulation. A major contributor to HD-related degeneration is mutant HTT-induced loss of neurotrophic support. Thus, neurotrophin (NT) receptors have emerged as therapeutic targets in HD. The considerable overlap between NT signaling networks and those dysregulated by mutant HTT provides strong theoretical support for this approach. This review will focus on the contributions of disrupted NT signaling in HD-related neurodegeneration and how targeting NT receptors to augment pro-survival signaling and/or to inhibit degenerative signaling may combat HD pathologies. Therapeutic strategies involving NT delivery, peptidomimetics, and the targeting of specific NT receptors (e.g., Trks or p75NTR), particularly with small molecule ligands, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle A Simmons
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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22
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Farzaei MH, Tewari D, Momtaz S, Argüelles S, Nabavi SM. Targeting ERK signaling pathway by polyphenols as novel therapeutic strategy for neurodegeneration. Food Chem Toxicol 2018; 120:183-195. [PMID: 29981370 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Revised: 06/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Numerous chemicals, such as phenolic compounds are strong radical scavengers, capable of alleviating oxidative stress induced neurodegeneration. Dietary antioxidants, especially flavonoids, are being considered as a promising approach to prevent or slow the pathological development of neurological illness and aging. One of the major advantage of natural products is that of their anti-amyloid effects over synthetic counterpart, however a healthy diet provides these beneficial natural substances as nutraceuticals. The extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is one of the main pharmacological target of natural phenolic compounds, participating in several therapeutic effects. Mounting evidence revealed that numerous bioflavonoids, obtained from a variety of dietary fruits or plants as well as medicinal herbal sources, exhibit protective or therapeutic functions versus development of neurodegenerative diseases mainly through modulation of different compartments of ERK signaling pathway. Currently, there is remarkable interest in the beneficial effects of natural flavonoids to improve neural performance and prevent the onset and development of major neurodegenerative diseases. Natural products originated from medicinal plants, in particular antioxidants, have gained a great deal of attention due to their safe and non-toxic natures. Here, we summarized the effect of natural bioflavonoids on ERK signaling pathway and their molecular mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hosein Farzaei
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Devesh Tewari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Technology, Bhimtal Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Saeideh Momtaz
- Medicinal Plants Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Karaj, Iran; Toxicology and Diseases Group, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Sandro Argüelles
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Seyed Mohammad Nabavi
- Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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23
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Activation of NPY-Y2 receptors ameliorates disease pathology in the R6/2 mouse and PC12 cell models of Huntington's disease. Exp Neurol 2018; 302:112-128. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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24
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Puigdellívol M, Saavedra A, Pérez-Navarro E. Cognitive dysfunction in Huntington's disease: mechanisms and therapeutic strategies beyond BDNF. Brain Pathol 2018; 26:752-771. [PMID: 27529673 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the main focuses in Huntington's disease (HD) research, as well as in most neurodegenerative diseases, is the development of new therapeutic strategies, as currently there is no treatment to delay or prevent the progression of the disease. Neuronal dysfunction and neuronal death in HD are caused by a combination of interrelated pathogenic processes that lead to motor, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. Understanding how mutant huntingtin impacts on a plethora of cellular functions could help to identify new molecular targets. Although HD has been classically classified as a neurodegenerative disease affecting voluntary movement, lately cognitive dysfunction is receiving increased attention as it is very invalidating for patients. Thus, an ambitious goal in HD research is to find altered molecular mechanisms that contribute to cognitive decline. In this review, we have focused on those findings related to corticostriatal and hippocampal cognitive dysfunction in HD, as well as on the underlying molecular mechanisms, which constitute potential therapeutic targets. These include alterations in synaptic plasticity, transcriptional machinery and neurotrophic and neurotransmitter signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mar Puigdellívol
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain
| | - Ana Saavedra
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Esther Pérez-Navarro
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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25
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Abstract
Huntington disease is a monogenic neurodegenerative disorder that displays an autosomal-dominant pattern of inheritance. It is characterized by motor, psychiatric, and cognitive symptoms that progress over 15-20 years. Since the identification of the causative genetic mutation in 1993 much has been discovered about the underlying pathogenic mechanisms, but as yet there are no disease-modifying therapies available. This chapter reviews the epidemiology, genetic basis, pathogenesis, presentation, and clinical management of Huntington disease. The principles of genetic testing are explained. We also describe recent developments in the ongoing search for therapeutics and for biomarkers to track disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhia Ghosh
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.
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26
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Lazarev VF, Mikhaylova ER, Dutysheva EA, Suezov RV, Guzhova IV, Margulis BA. A hydrocortisone derivative binds to GAPDH and reduces the toxicity of extracellular polyglutamine-containing aggregates. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 487:723-727. [PMID: 28450110 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.04.125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) has been recently shown to have a horizontally transmitted, prion-like pathology. Thus, the migration of polyglutamine-containing aggregates to acceptor cells is important for the progression of HD. These aggregates contain glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), which increases their intracellular transport and their toxicity. Here, we show that RX624, a derivative of hydrocortisone that binds to GAPDH, prevents the formation of aggregates of GAPDH-polyglutamine excreted into the culture medium by PC-12 rat cells expressing mutant huntingtin. RX624 was previously shown to be unable to penetrate cells and, thus, its principal therapeutic action might be the inhibition of polyglutamine-GAPDH complex aggregation in the extracellular matrix. The administration of RX624 to SH-SY5Y acceptor cells that incubated in conditioned medium from PC-12 cells expressing mutant huntingtin caused an approximately 20% increase in survival. This suggests that RX624 might be useful as a drug against polyglutamine pathologies, and that is could be administered exogenously without affecting target cell physiology. This protective effect was validated by the similar effect of an anti-GAPDH specific antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir F Lazarev
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky Pr., 4, St. Petersburg, 194064, Russia.
| | - Elena R Mikhaylova
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky Pr., 4, St. Petersburg, 194064, Russia.
| | - Elizaveta A Dutysheva
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky Pr., 4, St. Petersburg, 194064, Russia.
| | - Roman V Suezov
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky Pr., 4, St. Petersburg, 194064, Russia.
| | - Irina V Guzhova
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky Pr., 4, St. Petersburg, 194064, Russia.
| | - Boris A Margulis
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky Pr., 4, St. Petersburg, 194064, Russia.
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27
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Sun J, Nan G. The extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 pathway in neurological diseases: A potential therapeutic target (Review). Int J Mol Med 2017; 39:1338-1346. [PMID: 28440493 PMCID: PMC5428947 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2017.2962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Signaling pathways are critical modulators of a variety of physiological and pathological processes, and the abnormal activation of some signaling pathways can contribute to disease progression in various conditions. As a result, signaling pathways have emerged as an important tool through which the occurrence and development of diseases can be studied, which may then lead to the development of novel drugs. Accumulating evidence supports a key role for extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling in the embryonic development of the central nervous system (CNS) and in the regulation of adult brain function. ERK1/2, one of the most well characterized members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family, regulates a range of processes, from metabolism, motility and inflammation, to cell death and survival. In the nervous system, ERK1/2 regulates synaptic plasticity, brain development and repair as well as memory formation. ERK1/2 is also a potent effector of neuronal death and neuroinflammation in many CNS diseases. This review summarizes recent findings in neurobiological ERK1/2 research, with a special emphasis on findings that clarify our understanding of the processes that regulate the plethora of isoform-specific ERK functions under physiological and pathological conditions. Finally, we suggest some potential therapeutic strategies associated with agents acting on the ERK1/2 signaling to prevent or treat neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Sun
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130000, P.R. China
| | - Guangxian Nan
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130000, P.R. China
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28
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Moruno-Manchon JF, Uzor NE, Blasco-Conesa MP, Mannuru S, Putluri N, Furr-Stimming EE, Tsvetkov AS. Inhibiting sphingosine kinase 2 mitigates mutant Huntingtin-induced neurodegeneration in neuron models of Huntington disease. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:1305-1317. [PMID: 28175299 PMCID: PMC6251541 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is the most common inherited neurodegenerative disorder. It has no cure. The protein huntingtin causes HD, and mutations to it confer toxic functions to the protein that lead to neurodegeneration. Thus, identifying modifiers of mutant huntingtin-mediated neurotoxicity might be a therapeutic strategy for HD. Sphingosine kinases 1 (SK1) and 2 (SK2) synthesize sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a bioactive lipid messenger critically involved in many vital cellular processes, such as cell survival. In the nucleus, SK2 binds to and inhibits histone deacetylases 1 and 2 (HDAC1/2). Inhibiting both HDACs has been suggested as a potential therapy in HD. Here, we found that SK2 is nuclear in primary neurons and, unexpectedly, overexpressed SK2 is neurotoxic in a dose-dependent manner. SK2 promotes DNA double-strand breaks in cultured primary neurons. We also found that SK2 is hyperphosphorylated in the brain samples from a model of HD, the BACHD mice. These data suggest that the SK2 pathway may be a part of a pathogenic pathway in HD. ABC294640, an inhibitor of SK2, reduces DNA damage in neurons and increases survival in two neuron models of HD. Our results identify a novel regulator of mutant huntingtin-mediated neurotoxicity and provide a new target for developing therapies for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose F. Moruno-Manchon
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ndidi-Ese Uzor
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Maria P. Blasco-Conesa
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sishira Mannuru
- The University of Texas Medical Training Program, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nagireddy Putluri
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Erin E. Furr-Stimming
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Andrey S. Tsvetkov
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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29
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Sontag EM, Lotz GP, Yang G, Sontag CJ, Cummings BJ, Glabe CG, Muchowski PJ, Thompson LM. Detection of Mutant Huntingtin Aggregation Conformers and Modulation of SDS-Soluble Fibrillar Oligomers by Small Molecules. J Huntingtons Dis 2016; 1:119-32. [PMID: 24086178 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-2012-129004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The Huntington's disease (HD) mutation leads to a complex process of Huntingtin (Htt) aggregation into multimeric species that eventually form visible inclusions in cytoplasm, nuclei and neuronal processes. One hypothesis is that smaller, soluble forms of amyloid proteins confer toxic effects and contribute to early cell dysfunction. However, analysis of mutant Htt aggregation intermediates to identify conformers that may represent toxic forms of the protein and represent potential drug targets remains difficult. We performed a detailed analysis of aggregation conformers in multiple in vitro, cell and ex vivo models of HD. Conformation-specific antibodies were used to identify and characterize aggregation species, allowing assessment of multiple conformers present during the aggregation process. Using a series of assays together with these antibodies, several forms could be identified. Fibrillar oligomers, defined as having a β-sheet rich conformation, are observed in vitro using recombinant protein and in protein extracts from cells in culture or mouse brain and shown to be globular, soluble and non-sedimentable structures. Compounds previously described to modulate visible inclusion body formation and reduce toxicity in HD models were also tested and consistently found to alter the formation of fibrillar oligomers. Interestingly, these compounds did not alter the rate of visible inclusion formation, indicating that fibrillar oligomers are not necessarily the rate limiting step of inclusion body formation. Taken together, we provide insights into the structure and formation of mutant Htt fibrillar oligomers that are modulated by small molecules with protective potential in HD models.
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30
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Nguyen KQ, Rymar VV, Sadikot AF. Impaired TrkB Signaling Underlies Reduced BDNF-Mediated Trophic Support of Striatal Neurons in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:37. [PMID: 27013968 PMCID: PMC4783409 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The principal projection neurons of the striatum are critically dependent on an afferent supply of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) for neurotrophic support. These neurons express TrkB, the cognate receptor for BDNF, which activates signaling pathways associated with neuronal survival and phenotypic maintenance. Impairment of the BDNF-TrkB pathway is suspected to underlie the early dysfunction and prominent degeneration of striatal neurons in Huntington disease (HD). Some studies in HD models indicate that BDNF supply is reduced, while others suggest that TrkB signaling is impaired earlier in disease progression. It remains important to determine whether a primary defect in TrkB signaling underlies reduced neurotrophic support and the early vulnerability of striatal neurons in HD. Using the transgenic R6/2 mouse model of HD we found that prior to striatal degeneration there are early deficits in striatal protein levels of activated phospho-TrkB and the downstream-regulated protein DARPP-32. In contrast, total-TrkB and BDNF protein levels remained normal. Primary neurons cultured from R6/2 striatum exhibited reduced survival in response to exogenous BDNF applications. Moreover, BDNF activation of phospho-TrkB and downstream signal transduction was attenuated in R6/2 striatal cultures. These results suggest that neurotrophic support of striatal neurons is attenuated early in disease progression due to defects in TrkB signal transduction in the R6/2 model of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khanh Q Nguyen
- Cone Laboratory, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Vladimir V Rymar
- Cone Laboratory, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Abbas F Sadikot
- Cone Laboratory, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
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31
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Sarantos MR, Papanikolaou T, Ellerby LM, Hughes RE. Pizotifen Activates ERK and Provides Neuroprotection in vitro and in vivo in Models of Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2016; 1:195-210. [PMID: 23393546 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-120033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative condition characterized by dysfunction in striatal and cortical neurons. There are currently no approved drugs known to slow the progression of HD. OBJECTIVE To facilitate the development of therapies for HD, we identified approved drugs that can ameliorate mutant huntingtin-induced toxicity in experimental models of HD. METHODS A chemical screen was performed in a mouse Hdh(Q111/Q111) striatal cell model of HD. This screen identified a set of structurally related approved drugs (pizotifen, cyproheptadine, and loxapine) that rescued cell death in this model. Pizotifen was subsequently evaluated in the R6/2 HD mouse model. RESULTS We found that in striatal Hdh(Q111/Q111) cells, pizotifen treatment caused transient ERK activation and inhibition of ERK activation prevented rescue of cell death in this model. In the R6/2 HD mouse model, treatment with pizotifen activated ERK in the striatum, reduced neurodegeneration and significantly enhanced motor performance. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that pizotifen and related approved drugs may provide a basis for developing disease modifying therapeutic interventions for HD.
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32
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Chandrasekaran S, Bonchev D. Network analysis of human post-mortem microarrays reveals novel genes, microRNAs, and mechanistic scenarios of potential importance in fighting huntington's disease. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2016; 14:117-130. [PMID: 27924190 PMCID: PMC5128196 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Revised: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor disturbances, cognitive decline, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. In this study, we utilized network-based analysis in an attempt to explore and understand the underlying molecular mechanism and to identify critical molecular players of this disease condition. Using human post-mortem microarrays from three brain regions (cerebellum, frontal cortex and caudate nucleus) we selected in a four-step procedure a seed set of highly modulated genes. Several protein-protein interaction networks, as well as microRNA-mRNA networks were constructed for these gene sets with the Elsevier Pathway Studio software and its associated ResNet database. We applied a gene prioritizing procedure based on vital network topological measures, such as high node connectivity and centrality. Adding to these criteria the guilt-by-association rule and exploring their innate biomolecular functions, we propose 19 novel genes from the analyzed microarrays, from which CEBPA, CDK1, CX3CL1, EGR1, E2F1, ERBB2, LRP1, HSP90AA1 and ZNF148 might be of particular interest for experimental validation. A possibility is discussed for dual-level gene regulation by both transcription factors and microRNAs in Huntington's disease mechanism. We propose several possible scenarios for experimental studies initiated via the extra-cellular ligands TGFB1, FGF2 and TNF aiming at restoring the cellular homeostasis in Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreedevi Chandrasekaran
- Center for the Study of Biological Complexity, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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33
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Stroedicke M, Bounab Y, Strempel N, Klockmeier K, Yigit S, Friedrich RP, Chaurasia G, Li S, Hesse F, Riechers SP, Russ J, Nicoletti C, Boeddrich A, Wiglenda T, Haenig C, Schnoegl S, Fournier D, Graham RK, Hayden MR, Sigrist S, Bates GP, Priller J, Andrade-Navarro MA, Futschik ME, Wanker EE. Systematic interaction network filtering identifies CRMP1 as a novel suppressor of huntingtin misfolding and neurotoxicity. Genome Res 2016; 25:701-13. [PMID: 25908449 PMCID: PMC4417118 DOI: 10.1101/gr.182444.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Assemblies of huntingtin (HTT) fragments with expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts are a pathological hallmark of Huntington's disease (HD). The molecular mechanisms by which these structures are formed and cause neuronal dysfunction and toxicity are poorly understood. Here, we utilized available gene expression data sets of selected brain regions of HD patients and controls for systematic interaction network filtering in order to predict disease-relevant, brain region-specific HTT interaction partners. Starting from a large protein-protein interaction (PPI) data set, a step-by-step computational filtering strategy facilitated the generation of a focused PPI network that directly or indirectly connects 13 proteins potentially dysregulated in HD with the disease protein HTT. This network enabled the discovery of the neuron-specific protein CRMP1 that targets aggregation-prone, N-terminal HTT fragments and suppresses their spontaneous self-assembly into proteotoxic structures in various models of HD. Experimental validation indicates that our network filtering procedure provides a simple but powerful strategy to identify disease-relevant proteins that influence misfolding and aggregation of polyQ disease proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yacine Bounab
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nadine Strempel
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Sargon Yigit
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ralf P Friedrich
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gautam Chaurasia
- Institute of Theoretical Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Shuang Li
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Franziska Hesse
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Jenny Russ
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Cecilia Nicoletti
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Annett Boeddrich
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Wiglenda
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Haenig
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sigrid Schnoegl
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - David Fournier
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Rona K Graham
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Stephan Sigrist
- Institute of Biology/Genetics, Free University Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, United Kingdom
| | - Josef Priller
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Matthias E Futschik
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Centre for Molecular and Structural Biomedicine, Campus de Gambelas, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Erich E Wanker
- Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
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34
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Mikhaylova ER, Lazarev VF, Nikotina AD, Margulis BA, Guzhova IV. Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase augments the intercellular transmission and toxicity of polyglutamine aggregates in a cell model of Huntington disease. J Neurochem 2016; 136:1052-63. [PMID: 26662373 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The common feature of Huntington disease is the accumulation of oligomers or aggregates of mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT), which causes the death of a subset of striatal neuronal populations. The cytotoxic species can leave neurons and migrate to other groups of cells penetrating and damaging them in a prion-like manner. We hypothesized that the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), previously shown to elevate the aggregation of mHTT, is associated with an increased efficiency of intercellular propagation of mHTT. GAPDH, on its own or together with polyglutamine species, was shown to be released into the extracellular milieu mainly from dying cells as assessed by a novel enzyme immunoassay, western blotting, and ultrafiltration. The conditioned medium of cells with growing GAPDH-polyQ aggregates was toxic to naïve cells, whereas depletion of the aggregates from the medium lowered this cytotoxicity. The GAPDH component of the aggregates was found to increase their toxicity by two-fold in comparison with polyQ alone. Furthermore, GAPDH-polyQ complexes were shown to penetrate acceptor cells and to increase the capacity of polyQ to prionize its intracellular homolog containing a repeat of 25 glutamine residues. Finally, inhibitors of intracellular transport showed that polyQ-GAPDH complexes, as well as GAPDH itself, penetrated cells using clathrin-mediated endocytosis. This suggested a pivotal role of the enzyme in the intercellular transmission of Huntington disease pathogenicity. In conclusion, GAPDH occurring in complexes with polyglutamine strengthens the prion-like activity and toxicity of the migrating aggregates. Aggregating polygluatmine tracts were shown to release from the cells over-expressing mutant huntingtin in a complex with glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). The enzyme enhances the intracellular transport of aggregates to healthy cells, prionization of normal cellular proteins and finally cell death, thus demonstrating the pivotal role of GAPDH in the horizontal transmission of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena R Mikhaylova
- Laboratory of Cell Protection Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Vladimir F Lazarev
- Laboratory of Cell Protection Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alina D Nikotina
- Laboratory of Cell Protection Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Boris A Margulis
- Laboratory of Cell Protection Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Irina V Guzhova
- Laboratory of Cell Protection Mechanisms, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
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35
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Bowles KR, Brooks SP, Dunnett SB, Jones L. Huntingtin Subcellular Localisation Is Regulated by Kinase Signalling Activity in the StHdhQ111 Model of HD. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144864. [PMID: 26660732 PMCID: PMC4679340 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised primarily by motor abnormalities, and is caused by an expanded polyglutamine repeat in the huntingtin protein. Huntingtin dynamically shuttles between subcellular compartments, and the mutant huntingtin protein is mislocalised to cell nuclei, where it may interfere with nuclear functions, such as transcription. However, the mechanism by which mislocalisation of mutant huntingtin occurs is currently unknown. An immortalised embryonic striatal cell model of HD (StHdhQ111) was stimulated with epidermal growth factor in order to determine whether the subcellular localisation of huntingtin is dependent on kinase signalling pathway activation. Aberrant phosphorylation of AKT and MEK signalling pathways was identified in cells carrying mutant huntingtin. Activity within these pathways was found to contribute to the regulation of huntingtin and mutant huntingtin localisation, as well as to the expression of immediate-early genes. We propose that altered kinase signalling is a phenotype of Huntington's disease that occurs prior to cell death; specifically, that altered kinase signalling may influence huntingtin localisation, which in turn may impact upon nuclear processes such as transcriptional regulation. Aiming to restore the balance of activity between kinase signalling networks may therefore prove to be an effective approach to delaying Huntington's disease symptom development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R. Bowles
- Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Hadyn Ellis building, Maindy Road, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Simon P. Brooks
- The Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen B. Dunnett
- The Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Lesley Jones
- Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Hadyn Ellis building, Maindy Road, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, Wales, United Kingdom
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36
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Moruno Manchon JF, Uzor NE, Dabaghian Y, Furr-Stimming EE, Finkbeiner S, Tsvetkov AS. Cytoplasmic sphingosine-1-phosphate pathway modulates neuronal autophagy. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15213. [PMID: 26477494 PMCID: PMC4609990 DOI: 10.1038/srep15213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is an important homeostatic mechanism that eliminates long-lived proteins, protein aggregates and damaged organelles. Its dysregulation is involved in many neurodegenerative disorders. Autophagy is therefore a promising target for blunting neurodegeneration. We searched for novel autophagic pathways in primary neurons and identified the cytosolic sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) pathway as a regulator of neuronal autophagy. S1P, a bioactive lipid generated by sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1) in the cytoplasm, is implicated in cell survival. We found that SK1 enhances flux through autophagy and that S1P-metabolizing enzymes decrease this flux. When autophagy is stimulated, SK1 relocalizes to endosomes/autophagosomes in neurons. Expression of a dominant-negative form of SK1 inhibits autophagosome synthesis. In a neuron model of Huntington’s disease, pharmacologically inhibiting S1P-lyase protected neurons from mutant huntingtin-induced neurotoxicity. These results identify the S1P pathway as a novel regulator of neuronal autophagy and provide a new target for developing therapies for neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ndidi-Ese Uzor
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical School, Houston, TX 77030.,The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Yuri Dabaghian
- The Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030.,Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005
| | | | - Steven Finkbeiner
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease and the Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, San Francisco, CA 94158.,Departments of Neurology and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Andrey S Tsvetkov
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical School, Houston, TX 77030.,The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030
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37
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Smalley JL, Breda C, Mason RP, Kooner G, Luthi-Carter R, Gant TW, Giorgini F. Connectivity mapping uncovers small molecules that modulate neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease models. J Mol Med (Berl) 2015; 94:235-45. [PMID: 26428929 PMCID: PMC4762922 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-015-1344-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic disease caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion encoding a polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin (HTT) protein, ultimately leading to neuronal loss and consequent cognitive decline and death. As no treatments for HD currently exist, several chemical screens have been performed using cell-based models of mutant HTT toxicity. These screens measured single disease-related endpoints, such as cell death, but had low 'hit rates' and limited dimensionality for therapeutic detection. Here, we have employed gene expression microarray analysis of HD samples--a snapshot of the expression of 25,000 genes--to define a gene expression signature for HD from publically available data. We used this information to mine a database for chemicals positively and negatively correlated to the HD gene expression signature using the Connectivity Map, a tool for comparing large sets of gene expression patterns. Chemicals with negatively correlated expression profiles were highly enriched for protective characteristics against mutant HTT fragment toxicity in in vitro and in vivo models. This study demonstrates the potential of using gene expression to mine chemical activity, guide chemical screening, and detect potential novel therapeutic compounds. KEY MESSAGES Single-endpoint chemical screens have low therapeutic discovery hit-rates. In the context of HD, we guided a chemical screen using gene expression data. The resulting chemicals were highly enriched for suppressors of mutant HTT fragment toxicity. This study provides a proof of concept for wider usage in all chemical screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua L Smalley
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK.,MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7HB, UK
| | - Carlo Breda
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Robert P Mason
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Gurdeep Kooner
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Ruth Luthi-Carter
- Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Timothy W Gant
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7HB, UK.,Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Flaviano Giorgini
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK.
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38
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Bates GP, Dorsey R, Gusella JF, Hayden MR, Kay C, Leavitt BR, Nance M, Ross CA, Scahill RI, Wetzel R, Wild EJ, Tabrizi SJ. Huntington disease. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2015; 1:15005. [PMID: 27188817 DOI: 10.1038/nrdp.2015.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 901] [Impact Index Per Article: 100.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Huntington disease is devastating to patients and their families - with autosomal dominant inheritance, onset typically in the prime of adult life, progressive course, and a combination of motor, cognitive and behavioural features. The disease is caused by an expanded CAG trinucleotide repeat (of variable length) in HTT, the gene that encodes the protein huntingtin. In mutation carriers, huntingtin is produced with abnormally long polyglutamine sequences that confer toxic gains of function and predispose the protein to fragmentation, resulting in neuronal dysfunction and death. In this Primer, we review the epidemiology of Huntington disease, noting that prevalence is higher than previously thought, geographically variable and increasing. We describe the relationship between CAG repeat length and clinical phenotype, as well as the concept of genetic modifiers of the disease. We discuss normal huntingtin protein function, evidence for differential toxicity of mutant huntingtin variants, theories of huntingtin aggregation and the many different mechanisms of Huntington disease pathogenesis. We describe the genetic and clinical diagnosis of the condition, its clinical assessment and the multidisciplinary management of symptoms, given the absence of effective disease-modifying therapies. We review past and present clinical trials and therapeutic strategies under investigation, including impending trials of targeted huntingtin-lowering drugs and the progress in development of biomarkers that will support the next generation of trials. For an illustrated summary of this Primer, visit: http://go.nature.com/hPMENh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian P Bates
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ray Dorsey
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - James F Gusella
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chris Kay
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Martha Nance
- Struthers Parkinson's Center, Golden Valley, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; and Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Christopher A Ross
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Departments of Neurology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rachael I Scahill
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Ronald Wetzel
- Department of Structural Biology and Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Edward J Wild
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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Wityak J, McGee KF, Conlon MP, Song RH, Duffy BC, Clayton B, Lynch M, Wang G, Freeman E, Haber J, Kitchen DB, Manning DD, Ismail J, Khmelnitsky Y, Michels P, Webster J, Irigoyen M, Luche M, Hultman M, Bai M, Kuok ID, Newell R, Lamers M, Leonard P, Yates D, Matthews K, Ongeri L, Clifton S, Mead T, Deupree S, Wheelan P, Lyons K, Wilson C, Kiselyov A, Toledo-Sherman L, Beconi M, Muñoz-Sanjuan I, Bard J, Dominguez C. Lead optimization toward proof-of-concept tools for Huntington's disease within a 4-(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyrimidine class of pan-JNK inhibitors. J Med Chem 2015; 58:2967-87. [PMID: 25760409 DOI: 10.1021/jm5013598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Through medicinal chemistry lead optimization studies focused on calculated properties and guided by X-ray crystallography and computational modeling, potent pan-JNK inhibitors were identified that showed submicromolar activity in a cellular assay. Using in vitro ADME profiling data, 9t was identified as possessing favorable permeability and a low potential for efflux, but it was rapidly cleared in liver microsomal incubations. In a mouse pharmacokinetics study, compound 9t was brain-penetrant after oral dosing, but exposure was limited by high plasma clearance. Brain exposure at a level expected to support modulation of a pharmacodynamic marker in mouse was achieved when the compound was coadministered with the pan-cytochrome P450 inhibitor 1-aminobenzotriazole.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Wityak
- †CHDI Foundation, Inc., 6080 Center Drive, Suite 100, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Kevin F McGee
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Michael P Conlon
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Ren Hua Song
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Bryan C Duffy
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Brent Clayton
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Michael Lynch
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Gwen Wang
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Emily Freeman
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - James Haber
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Douglas B Kitchen
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - David D Manning
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Jiffry Ismail
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Yuri Khmelnitsky
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Peter Michels
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Jeff Webster
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Macarena Irigoyen
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Michele Luche
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Monica Hultman
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Mei Bai
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - IokTeng D Kuok
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Ryan Newell
- ‡Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), 26 Corporate Circle, Albany, New York 12212-5098, United States
| | - Marieke Lamers
- §BioFocus Discovery Services, Charles River Laboratories, Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford, CB10 1XL, United Kingdom
| | - Philip Leonard
- §BioFocus Discovery Services, Charles River Laboratories, Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford, CB10 1XL, United Kingdom
| | - Dawn Yates
- §BioFocus Discovery Services, Charles River Laboratories, Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford, CB10 1XL, United Kingdom
| | - Kim Matthews
- §BioFocus Discovery Services, Charles River Laboratories, Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford, CB10 1XL, United Kingdom
| | - Lynette Ongeri
- §BioFocus Discovery Services, Charles River Laboratories, Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford, CB10 1XL, United Kingdom
| | - Steve Clifton
- §BioFocus Discovery Services, Charles River Laboratories, Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford, CB10 1XL, United Kingdom
| | - Tania Mead
- §BioFocus Discovery Services, Charles River Laboratories, Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford, CB10 1XL, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Deupree
- ∥Tandem Laboratories, 2202 Ellis Road, Durham, North Carolina 27703, United States
| | - Pat Wheelan
- ∥Tandem Laboratories, 2202 Ellis Road, Durham, North Carolina 27703, United States
| | - Kathy Lyons
- ⊥Pharmacokinetics Consultant to CHDI, P.O. Box 64, Holland, New York 14080, United States
| | - Claire Wilson
- #Evotec, 114 Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4SA, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Kiselyov
- †CHDI Foundation, Inc., 6080 Center Drive, Suite 100, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Leticia Toledo-Sherman
- †CHDI Foundation, Inc., 6080 Center Drive, Suite 100, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Maria Beconi
- †CHDI Foundation, Inc., 6080 Center Drive, Suite 100, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Ignacio Muñoz-Sanjuan
- †CHDI Foundation, Inc., 6080 Center Drive, Suite 100, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Jonathan Bard
- †CHDI Foundation, Inc., 6080 Center Drive, Suite 100, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Celia Dominguez
- †CHDI Foundation, Inc., 6080 Center Drive, Suite 100, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
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40
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Giampieri F, Forbes-Hernandez TY, Gasparrini M, Alvarez-Suarez JM, Afrin S, Bompadre S, Quiles JL, Mezzetti B, Battino M. Strawberry as a health promoter: an evidence based review. Food Funct 2015; 6:1386-98. [DOI: 10.1039/c5fo00147a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 205] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The health effects of strawberry bioactive compounds depend on the activation and modulation of several genetic and molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Giampieri
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie
- Alimentari e Ambientali
- Università Politecnica delle Marche
- Ancona
- Italy
| | - Tamara Y. Forbes-Hernandez
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Specialistiche ed Odontostomatologiche (DISCO)-Sez. Biochimica
- Facoltà di Medicina
- Università Politecnica delle Marche
- Ancona
- Italy
| | - Massimiliano Gasparrini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Specialistiche ed Odontostomatologiche (DISCO)-Sez. Biochimica
- Facoltà di Medicina
- Università Politecnica delle Marche
- Ancona
- Italy
| | | | - Sadia Afrin
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Specialistiche ed Odontostomatologiche (DISCO)-Sez. Biochimica
- Facoltà di Medicina
- Università Politecnica delle Marche
- Ancona
- Italy
| | - Stefano Bompadre
- Dipartimento Scienze Biomediche e Sanità Pubblica
- Facoltà di Medicina
- Università Politecnica delle Marche
- Ancona
- Italy
| | - Josè L. Quiles
- Department of Physiology
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology ‘‘José Mataix”
- Biomedical Research Centre
- University of Granada
- Spain
| | - Bruno Mezzetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie
- Alimentari e Ambientali
- Università Politecnica delle Marche
- Ancona
- Italy
| | - Maurizio Battino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Specialistiche ed Odontostomatologiche (DISCO)-Sez. Biochimica
- Facoltà di Medicina
- Università Politecnica delle Marche
- Ancona
- Italy
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41
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Tidball AM, Bryan MR, Uhouse MA, Kumar KK, Aboud AA, Feist JE, Ess KC, Neely MD, Aschner M, Bowman AB. A novel manganese-dependent ATM-p53 signaling pathway is selectively impaired in patient-based neuroprogenitor and murine striatal models of Huntington's disease. Hum Mol Genet 2014; 24:1929-44. [PMID: 25489053 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddu609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The essential micronutrient manganese is enriched in brain, especially in the basal ganglia. We sought to identify neuronal signaling pathways responsive to neurologically relevant manganese levels, as previous data suggested that alterations in striatal manganese handling occur in Huntington's disease (HD) models. We found that p53 phosphorylation at serine 15 is the most responsive cell signaling event to manganese exposure (of 18 tested) in human neuroprogenitors and a mouse striatal cell line. Manganese-dependent activation of p53 was severely diminished in HD cells. Inhibitors of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase decreased manganese-dependent phosphorylation of p53. Likewise, analysis of ATM autophosphorylation and additional ATM kinase targets, H2AX and CHK2, support a role for ATM in the activation of p53 by manganese and that a defect in this process occurs in HD. Furthermore, the deficit in Mn-dependent activation of ATM kinase in HD neuroprogenitors was highly selective, as DNA damage and oxidative injury, canonical activators of ATM, did not show similar deficits. We assessed cellular manganese handling to test for correlations with the ATM-p53 pathway, and we observed reduced Mn accumulation in HD human neuroprogenitors and HD mouse striatal cells at manganese exposures associated with altered p53 activation. To determine if this phenotype contributes to the deficit in manganese-dependent ATM activation, we used pharmacological manipulation to equalize manganese levels between HD and control mouse striatal cells and rescued the ATM-p53 signaling deficit. Collectively, our data demonstrate selective alterations in manganese biology in cellular models of HD manifest in ATM-p53 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Asad A Aboud
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt Brain Institute
| | | | - Kevin C Ess
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt Center for Stem Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - M Diana Neely
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt Center in Molecular Toxicology
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Aaron B Bowman
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt Center in Molecular Toxicology, Vanderbilt Center for Stem Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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42
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Kannike K, Sepp M, Zuccato C, Cattaneo E, Timmusk T. Forkhead transcription factor FOXO3a levels are increased in Huntington disease because of overactivated positive autofeedback loop. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:32845-57. [PMID: 25271153 PMCID: PMC4239633 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.612424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by an increased number of CAG repeats in the HTT gene coding for huntingtin. Decreased neurotrophic support and increased mitochondrial and excitotoxic stress have been reported in HD striatal and cortical neurons. The members of the class O forkhead (FOXO) transcription factor family, including FOXO3a, act as sensor proteins that are activated upon decreased survival signals and/or increased cellular stress. Using immunocytochemical screening in mouse striatal Hdh7/7 (wild type), Hdh7/109 (heterozygous for HD mutation), and Hdh109/109 (homozygous for HD mutation) cells, we identified FOXO3a as a differentially regulated transcription factor in HD. We report increased nuclear FOXO3a levels in mutant Hdh cells. Additionally, we show that treatment with mitochondrial toxin 3-nitropropionic acid results in enhanced nuclear localization of FOXO3a in wild type Hdh7/7 cells and in rat primary cortical neurons. Furthermore, mRNA levels of Foxo3a are increased in mutant Hdh cells compared with wild type cells and in 3-nitropropionic acid-treated primary neurons compared with untreated neurons. A similar increase was observed in the cortex of R6/2 mice and HD patient post-mortem caudate tissue compared with controls. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation and reporter assays, we demonstrate that FOXO3a regulates its own transcription by binding to the conserved response element in Foxo3a promoter. Altogether, the findings of this study suggest that FOXO3a levels are increased in HD cells as a result of overactive positive feedback loop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja Kannike
- From the Department of Gene Technology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn 12618, Estonia and
| | - Mari Sepp
- From the Department of Gene Technology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn 12618, Estonia and
| | - Chiara Zuccato
- the Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Center for Stem Cell Research, University of Milan, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Elena Cattaneo
- the Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Center for Stem Cell Research, University of Milan, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Tõnis Timmusk
- From the Department of Gene Technology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn 12618, Estonia and
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43
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Wild EJ, Tabrizi SJ. Targets for future clinical trials in Huntington's disease: what's in the pipeline? Mov Disord 2014; 29:1434-45. [PMID: 25155142 PMCID: PMC4265300 DOI: 10.1002/mds.26007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The known genetic cause of Huntington's disease (HD) has fueled considerable progress in understanding its pathobiology and the development of therapeutic approaches aimed at correcting specific changes linked to the causative mutation. Among the most promising is reducing expression of mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) with RNA interference or antisense oligonucleotides; human trials are now being planned. Zinc-finger transcriptional repression is another innovative method to reduce mHTT expression. Modulation of mHTT phosphorylation, chaperone upregulation, and autophagy enhancement represent attempts to alter cellular homeostasis to favor removal of mHTT. Inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) remains of interest; recent work affirms HDAC4 as a target but questions the assumed centrality of its catalytic activity in HD. Phosphodiesterase inhibition, aimed at restoring synaptic function, has progressed rapidly to human trials. Deranged cellular signaling provides several tractable targets, but specificity and complexity are challenges. Restoring neurotrophic support in HD remains a key potential therapeutic approach. with several approaches being pursued, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mimesis through tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB) agonism and monoclonal antibodies. An increasing understanding of the role of glial cells in HD has led to several new therapeutic avenues, including kynurenine monooxygenase inhibition, immunomodulation by laquinimod, CB2 agonism, and others. The complex metabolic derangements in HD remain under study, but no clear therapeutic strategy has yet emerged. We conclude that many exciting therapeutics are progressing through the development pipeline, and combining a better understanding of HD biology in human patients, with concerted medicinal chemistry efforts, will be crucial for bringing about an era of effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward J Wild
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology & NeurosurgeryQueen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology & NeurosurgeryQueen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
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44
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Ribeiro M, Rosenstock TR, Oliveira AM, Oliveira CR, Rego AC. Insulin and IGF-1 improve mitochondrial function in a PI-3K/Akt-dependent manner and reduce mitochondrial generation of reactive oxygen species in Huntington's disease knock-in striatal cells. Free Radic Biol Med 2014; 74:129-44. [PMID: 24992836 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2014.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2013] [Revised: 06/01/2014] [Accepted: 06/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction have been described in Huntington's disease, a disorder caused by expression of mutant huntingtin (mHtt). IGF-1 was previously shown to protect HD cells, whereas insulin prevented neuronal oxidative stress. In this work we analyzed the role of insulin and IGF-1 in striatal cells derived from HD knock-in mice on mitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and related antioxidant and signaling pathways influencing mitochondrial function. Insulin and IGF-1 decreased mitochondrial ROS induced by mHtt and normalized mitochondrial SOD activity, without affecting intracellular glutathione levels. IGF-1 and insulin promoted Akt phosphorylation without changing the nuclear levels of phosphorylated Nrf2 or Nrf2/ARE activity. Insulin and IGF-1 treatment also decreased mitochondrial Drp1 phosphorylation, suggesting reduced mitochondrial fragmentation, and ameliorated mitochondrial function in HD cells in a PI-3K/Akt-dependent manner. This was accompanied by increased total and phosphorylated Akt, Tfam, and mitochondrial-encoded cytochrome c oxidase II, as well as Tom20 and Tom40 in mitochondria of insulin- and IGF-1-treated mutant striatal cells. Concomitantly, insulin/IGF-1-treated mutant cells showed reduced apoptotic features. Hence, insulin and IGF-1 improve mitochondrial function and reduce mitochondrial ROS caused by mHtt by activating the PI-3K/Akt signaling pathway, in a process independent of Nrf2 transcriptional activity, but involving enhanced mitochondrial levels of Akt and mitochondrial-encoded complex IV subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márcio Ribeiro
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Tatiana R Rosenstock
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana M Oliveira
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Catarina R Oliveira
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - A Cristina Rego
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal.
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45
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Activation of IGF-1 and Insulin Signaling Pathways Ameliorate Mitochondrial Function and Energy Metabolism in Huntington’s Disease Human Lymphoblasts. Mol Neurobiol 2014; 51:331-48. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-8735-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Valor LM. Transcription, epigenetics and ameliorative strategies in Huntington's Disease: a genome-wide perspective. Mol Neurobiol 2014; 51:406-23. [PMID: 24788684 PMCID: PMC4309905 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-8715-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional dysregulation in Huntington’s disease (HD) is an early event that shapes the brain transcriptome by both the depletion and ectopic activation of gene products that eventually affect survival and neuronal functions. Disruption in the activity of gene expression regulators, such as transcription factors, chromatin-remodeling proteins, and noncoding RNAs, accounts for the expression changes observed in multiple animal and cellular models of HD and in samples from patients. Here, I review the recent advances in the study of HD transcriptional dysregulation and its causes to finally discuss the possible implications in ameliorative strategies from a genome-wide perspective. To date, the use of genome-wide approaches, predominantly based on microarray platforms, has been successful in providing an extensive catalog of differentially regulated genes, including biomarkers aimed at monitoring the progress of the pathology. Although still incipient, the introduction of combined next-generation sequencing techniques is enhancing our comprehension of the mechanisms underlying altered transcriptional dysregulation in HD by providing the first genomic landscapes associated with epigenetics and the occupancy of transcription factors. In addition, the use of genome-wide approaches is becoming more and more necessary to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ameliorative strategies and to identify novel mechanisms of amelioration that may help in the improvement of current preclinical therapeutics. Finally, the major conclusions obtained from HD transcriptomics studies have the potential to be extrapolated to other neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M Valor
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550, Alicante, Spain,
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Ethyl pyruvate ameliorates 3-nitropropionic acid-induced striatal toxicity through anti-neuronal cell death and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Brain Behav Immun 2014; 38:151-65. [PMID: 24576481 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2014.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Revised: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential neuroprotective value of ethyl pyruvate (EP) for the treatment of the striatal toxicity is largely unknown. We investigated whether EP promotes the survival of striatal neurons in a 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP)-induced mouse model of Huntington's disease (HD). EP (5, 10, 20, and 40mg/kg/day, i.p.) was daily injected from 30min before 3-NP intoxication (pretreatment) and from onset/progression/peak point of neurological impairment by 3-NP intoxication. EP produced a neuroprotective effect in dose- and time-dependant manners. EP pretreatment of 40mg/kg/day produced the best neuroprotective effect among other conditions. Pretreatment of EP significantly attenuated neurological impairment and lethality and prevented formation of lesion area and neuronal loss in the striatum after 3-NP intoxication. This neuroprotection afforded by EP was associated with the suppression of succinate dehydrogenase activity, apoptosis, and microglial activation. The suppressive effect of EP corresponded to the down-regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signal pathways, and mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators including tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 in the striatum after 3-NP intoxication. Interestingly, the intrathecal introduction of inhibitors MAPKs and NF-κB into control mice decreased the lethality after 3-NP intoxication. Our findings indicate that EP may effectively alleviate 3-NP-induced striatal toxicity by inhibition of the MAPKs and NF-κB pathways in the striatum, and that EP has a wide therapeutic window, suggesting that EP may have therapeutic value in the treatment of aspects of HD's disease related to inflammation.
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Hoss AG, Kartha VK, Dong X, Latourelle JC, Dumitriu A, Hadzi TC, MacDonald ME, Gusella JF, Akbarian S, Chen JF, Weng Z, Myers RH. MicroRNAs located in the Hox gene clusters are implicated in huntington's disease pathogenesis. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004188. [PMID: 24586208 PMCID: PMC3937267 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 01/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional dysregulation has long been recognized as central to the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a major system of post-transcriptional regulation, by either preventing translational initiation or by targeting transcripts for storage or for degradation. Using next-generation miRNA sequencing in prefrontal cortex (Brodmann Area 9) of twelve HD and nine controls, we identified five miRNAs (miR-10b-5p, miR-196a-5p, miR-196b-5p, miR-615-3p and miR-1247-5p) up-regulated in HD at genome-wide significance (FDR q-value<0.05). Three of these, miR-196a-5p, miR-196b-5p and miR-615-3p, were expressed at near zero levels in control brains. Expression was verified for all five miRNAs using reverse transcription quantitative PCR and all but miR-1247-5p were replicated in an independent sample (8HD/8C). Ectopic miR-10b-5p expression in PC12 HTT-Q73 cells increased survival by MTT assay and cell viability staining suggesting increased expression may be a protective response. All of the miRNAs but miR-1247-5p are located in intergenic regions of Hox clusters. Total mRNA sequencing in the same samples identified fifteen of 55 genes within the Hox cluster gene regions as differentially expressed in HD, and the Hox genes immediately adjacent to the four Hox cluster miRNAs as up-regulated. Pathway analysis of mRNA targets of these miRNAs implicated functions for neuronal differentiation, neurite outgrowth, cell death and survival. In regression models among the HD brains, huntingtin CAG repeat size, onset age and age at death were independently found to be inversely related to miR-10b-5p levels. CAG repeat size and onset age were independently inversely related to miR-196a-5p, onset age was inversely related to miR-196b-5p and age at death was inversely related to miR-615-3p expression. These results suggest these Hox-related miRNAs may be involved in neuroprotective response in HD. Recently, miRNAs have shown promise as biomarkers for human diseases and given their relationship to disease expression, these miRNAs are biomarker candidates in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G. Hoss
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Genomics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Vinay K. Kartha
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Xianjun Dong
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jeanne C. Latourelle
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Alexandra Dumitriu
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Tiffany C. Hadzi
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Marcy E. MacDonald
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - James F. Gusella
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Friedman Brain Institute, Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Jiang-Fan Chen
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Richard H. Myers
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Genome Science Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Di Pardo A, Amico E, Favellato M, Castrataro R, Fucile S, Squitieri F, Maglione V. FTY720 (fingolimod) is a neuroprotective and disease-modifying agent in cellular and mouse models of Huntington disease. Hum Mol Genet 2013; 23:2251-65. [PMID: 24301680 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder for which there is currently no cure and no way to stop or even slow the brain changes it causes. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether FTY720, the first approved oral therapy for multiple sclerosis, may be effective in HD models and eventually constitute an alternative therapeutic approach for the treatment of the disease. Here, we utilized preclinical target validation paradigms and examined the in vivo efficacy of chronic administration of FTY720 in R6/2 HD mouse model. Our findings indicate that FTY720 improved motor function, prolonged survival and reduced brain atrophy in R6/2 mice. The beneficial effect of FTY720 administration was associated with a significant strengthening of neuronal activity and connectivity and, with reduction of mutant huntingtin aggregates, and it was also paralleled by increased phosphorylation of mutant huntingtin at serine 13/16 residues that are predicted to attenuate protein toxicity.
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Bard J, Wall MD, Lazari O, Arjomand J, Munoz-Sanjuan I. Advances in huntington disease drug discovery: novel approaches to model disease phenotypes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 19:191-204. [PMID: 24196395 DOI: 10.1177/1087057113510320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Huntington disease is a monogenic, autosomal dominant, progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by a trinucleotide CAG repeat expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene; age of onset of clinical symptoms inversely correlates with expanded CAG repeat length. HD leads to extensive degeneration of the basal ganglia, hypothalamic nuclei, and selected cortical areas, and a wide range of molecular mechanisms have been implicated in disease pathology in animal or cellular models expressing mutated HTT (mHTT) proteins, either full-length or amino-terminal fragments. However, HD cellular models that recapitulate the slow progression of the disease have not been available due to the toxicity of overexpressed exogenous mHTT or to limitations with using primary cells for long-term studies. Most investigations of the effects of mHTT relied on cytotoxicity or aggregation end points in heterologous systems or in primary embryonic neuroglial cultures derived from HD mouse models. More innovative approaches are currently under active investigation, including screening using electrophysiological endpoints, as well as the recent use of primary blood mononuclear cells and of human embryonic stem cells derived from a variety of HD research participants. Here we describe how these cellular systems are being used to investigate HD biology as well as to identify mechanisms with therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Bard
- 1CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, and Los Angeles, CA, USA
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