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Tenchov R, Sasso JM, Zhou QA. Polyglutamine (PolyQ) Diseases: Navigating the Landscape of Neurodegeneration. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:2665-2694. [PMID: 38996083 PMCID: PMC11311141 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are a group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders caused by expanded cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats encoding proteins with abnormally expanded polyglutamine tract. A total of nine polyQ disorders have been identified, including Huntington's disease, six spinocerebellar ataxias, dentatorubral pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA), and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA). The diseases of this class are each considered rare, yet polyQ diseases constitute the largest group of monogenic neurodegenerative disorders. While each subtype of polyQ diseases has its own causative gene, certain pathologic molecular attributes have been implicated in virtually all of the polyQ diseases, including protein aggregation, proteolytic cleavage, neuronal dysfunction, transcription dysregulation, autophagy impairment, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Although animal models of polyQ disease are available helping to understand their pathogenesis and access disease-modifying therapies, there is neither a cure nor prevention for these diseases, with only symptomatic treatments available. In this paper, we analyze data from the CAS Content Collection to summarize the research progress in the class of polyQ diseases. We examine the publication landscape in the area in effort to provide insights into current knowledge advances and developments. We review the most discussed concepts and assess the strategies to combat these diseases. Finally, we inspect clinical applications of products against polyQ diseases with their development pipelines. The objective of this review is to provide a broad overview of the evolving landscape of current knowledge regarding the class of polyQ diseases, to outline challenges, and evaluate growth opportunities to further efforts in combating the diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rumiana Tenchov
- CAS, a division of the American
Chemical Society, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Janet M. Sasso
- CAS, a division of the American
Chemical Society, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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2
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Tong H, Yang T, Xu S, Li X, Liu L, Zhou G, Yang S, Yin S, Li XJ, Li S. Huntington's Disease: Complex Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Strategies. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3845. [PMID: 38612657 PMCID: PMC11011923 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) arises from the abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (HTT), resulting in the production of the mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) with a polyglutamine stretch in its N-terminus. The pathogenic mechanisms underlying HD are complex and not yet fully elucidated. However, mHTT forms aggregates and accumulates abnormally in neuronal nuclei and processes, leading to disruptions in multiple cellular functions. Although there is currently no effective curative treatment for HD, significant progress has been made in developing various therapeutic strategies to treat HD. In addition to drugs targeting the neuronal toxicity of mHTT, gene therapy approaches that aim to reduce the expression of the mutant HTT gene hold great promise for effective HD therapy. This review provides an overview of current HD treatments, discusses different therapeutic strategies, and aims to facilitate future therapeutic advancements in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (H.T.); (T.Y.); (S.X.); (X.L.); (L.L.); (G.Z.); (S.Y.); (S.Y.)
| | - Shihua Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (H.T.); (T.Y.); (S.X.); (X.L.); (L.L.); (G.Z.); (S.Y.); (S.Y.)
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3
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El-Ansary A, Al-Ayadhi L. Effects of Walnut and Pumpkin on Selective Neurophenotypes of Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Case Study. Nutrients 2023; 15:4564. [PMID: 37960217 PMCID: PMC10647375 DOI: 10.3390/nu15214564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Special diets or nutritional supplements are regularly given to treat children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The increased consumption of particular foods has been demonstrated in numerous trials to lessen autism-related symptoms and comorbidities. A case study on a boy with moderate autism who significantly improved after three years of following a healthy diet consisting of pumpkin and walnuts was examined in this review in connection to a few different neurophenotypes of ASD. We are able to suggest that a diet high in pumpkin and walnuts was useful in improving the clinical presentation of the ASD case evaluated by reducing oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, glutamate excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and altered gut microbiota, all of which are etiological variables. Using illustrated figures, a full description of the ways by which a diet high in pumpkin and nuts could assist the included case is offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afaf El-Ansary
- Autism Center, Lotus Holistic Alternative Medical Center, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 110281, United Arab Emirates
- Autism Research and Treatment Center, P.O. Box 2925, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Laila Al-Ayadhi
- Autism Research and Treatment Center, P.O. Box 2925, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia;
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2925, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
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4
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Groborz KM, Kalinka M, Grzymska J, Kołt S, Snipas SJ, Poręba M. Selective chemical reagents to investigate the role of caspase 6 in apoptosis in acute leukemia T cells. Chem Sci 2023; 14:2289-2302. [PMID: 36873853 PMCID: PMC9977399 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc05827h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Activated effector caspases 3, 6 and 7 are responsible for cleaving a number of target substrates, leading to the ultimate destruction of cells via apoptosis. The functions of caspases 3 and 7 in apoptosis execution have been widely studied over the years with multiple chemical probes for both of these enzymes. In contrast, caspase 6 seems to be largely neglected when compared to the heavily studied caspases 3 and 7. Therefore, the development of new small-molecule reagents for the selective detection and visualization of caspase 6 activity can improve our understanding of molecular circuits of apoptosis and shed new light on how they intertwine with other types of programmed cell death. In this study, we profiled caspase 6 substrate specificity at the P5 position and discovered that, similar to caspase 2, caspase 6 prefers pentapeptide substrates over tetrapeptides. Based on these data, we developed a set of chemical reagents for caspase 6 investigation, including coumarin-based fluorescent substrates, irreversible inhibitors and selective aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens). We showed that AIEgens are able to distinguish between caspase 3 and caspase 6 in vitro. Finally, we validated the efficiency and selectivity of the synthesized reagents by monitoring lamin A and PARP cleavage via mass cytometry and western blot analysis. We propose that our reagents may provide new research prospects for single-cell monitoring of caspase 6 activity to reveal its function in programmed cell death pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna M Groborz
- Department of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology Wyb. Wyspiańskiego 27 50-370 Wroclaw Poland
- Genetech Inc. 1 DNA Way South San Francisco CA 94080 USA
| | - Małgorzata Kalinka
- Department of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology Wyb. Wyspiańskiego 27 50-370 Wroclaw Poland
| | - Justyna Grzymska
- Department of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology Wyb. Wyspiańskiego 27 50-370 Wroclaw Poland
| | - Sonia Kołt
- Department of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology Wyb. Wyspiańskiego 27 50-370 Wroclaw Poland
| | - Scott J Snipas
- NCI Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute 10901 North Torrey Pines Road La Jolla CA 92037 USA
| | - Marcin Poręba
- Department of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology Wyb. Wyspiańskiego 27 50-370 Wroclaw Poland
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5
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Qi L, Wang L, Jin M, Jiang M, Li L, Li Y. Caspase-6 is a key regulator of cross-talk signal way in PANoptosis in cancer. Immunology 2023. [PMID: 36814103 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase (caspase)-6 belongs to the caspase family and plays a vital role in mediating cell death. Under certain conditions, three pathways of programmed cell death (PCD), including apoptosis, necroptosis and pyroptosis (PANoptosis), transform one way into another, with enormous therapeutic potential. Initially, scholars reported that caspase-6 is a caspase executor that mediates apoptosis. With the ceaseless exploration of the PCD types, studies have demonstrated that caspase-6 mediates pyroptosis by regulating gasdermin D and mediates necroptosis by regulating mixed lineage kinase domain-like. By regulating PANoptosis, caspase-6 plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis in humans and mediates anti-tumour immunity. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of caspase-6 function in cancer via PANoptosis is important for the prevention and therapy of tumours. This article summarized the function of caspase-6 in PANoptosis and its impact on cancer development, providing targets and strategies for tumour treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Qi
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.,Department of Medical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Mengru Jin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.,Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Mingxia Jiang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.,Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lisha Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.,Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yanjing Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
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6
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Role of Nrf2 in aging, Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. Ageing Res Rev 2022; 82:101756. [PMID: 36243357 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear Factor-Erythroid Factor 2 (Nrf2) is an important transcription factor that regulates the expression of large number of genes in healthy and disease states. Nrf2 is made up of 605 amino acids and contains 7 conserved regions known as Nrf2-ECH homology domains. Nrf2 regulates the expression of several key components of oxidative stress, mitochondrial biogenesis, mitophagy, autophagy and mitochondrial function in all organs of the human body, in the peripheral and central nervous systems. Mounting evidence also suggests that altered expression of Nrf2 is largely involved in aging, neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's diseases, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Stroke, Multiple sclerosis and others. The purpose of this article is to detail the essential role of Nrf2 in oxidative stress, antioxidative defense, detoxification, inflammatory responses, transcription factors, proteasomal and autophagic/mitophagic degradation, and metabolism in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. This article also highlights the Nrf2 structural and functional activities in healthy and disease states, and also discusses the current status of Nrf2 research and therapeutic strategies to treat aging and neurodegenerative diseases.
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7
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Riche K, Lenard NR. Quercetin's Effects on Glutamate Cytotoxicity. Molecules 2022; 27:7620. [PMID: 36364448 PMCID: PMC9657878 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27217620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The potentially therapeutic effects of the naturally abundant plant flavonoid quercetin have been extensively studied. An extensive body of literature suggests that quercetin's powerful antioxidant effects may relate to its ability to treat disease. Glutamate excitotoxicity occurs when a neuron is overstimulated by the neurotransmitter glutamate and causes dysregulation of intracellular calcium concentrations. Quercetin has been shown to be preventative against many forms of neuronal cell death resulting from glutamate excitotoxicity, such as oncosis, intrinsic apoptosis, mitochondrial permeability transition, ferroptosis, phagoptosis, lysosomal cell death, parthanatos, and death by reactive oxygen species (ROS)/reactive nitrogen species (RNS) generation. The clinical importance for the attenuation of glutamate excitotoxicity arises from the need to deter the continuous formation of tissue infarction caused by various neurological diseases, such as ischemic stroke, seizures, neurodegenerative diseases, and trauma. This review aims to summarize what is known concerning glutamate physiology and glutamate excitotoxic pathophysiology and provide further insight into quercetin's potential to hinder neuronal death caused by cell death pathways activated by glutamate excitotoxicity. Quercetin's bioavailability may limit its use clinically, however. Thus, future research into ways to increase its bioavailability are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalie R. Lenard
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, 5414 Brittany Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA
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8
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Donnelly KM, Coleman CM, Fuller ML, Reed VL, Smerina D, Tomlinson DS, Pearce MMP. Hunting for the cause: Evidence for prion-like mechanisms in Huntington’s disease. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:946822. [PMID: 36090278 PMCID: PMC9448931 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.946822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypothesis that pathogenic protein aggregates associated with neurodegenerative diseases spread from cell-to-cell in the brain in a manner akin to infectious prions has gained substantial momentum due to an explosion of research in the past 10–15 years. Here, we review current evidence supporting the existence of prion-like mechanisms in Huntington’s disease (HD), an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by expansion of a CAG repeat tract in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. We summarize information gained from human studies and in vivo and in vitro models of HD that strongly support prion-like features of the mutant HTT (mHTT) protein, including potential involvement of molecular features of mHTT seeds, synaptic structures and connectivity, endocytic and exocytic mechanisms, tunneling nanotubes, and nonneuronal cells in mHTT propagation in the brain. We discuss mechanisms by which mHTT aggregate spreading and neurotoxicity could be causally linked and the potential benefits of targeting prion-like mechanisms in the search for new disease-modifying therapies for HD and other fatal neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirby M. Donnelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Cevannah M. Coleman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Madison L. Fuller
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Victoria L. Reed
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Dayna Smerina
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - David S. Tomlinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Margaret M. Panning Pearce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Margaret M. Panning Pearce,
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9
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Barry J, Bui MTN, Levine MS, Cepeda C. Synaptic pathology in Huntington's disease: Beyond the corticostriatal pathway. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 162:105574. [PMID: 34848336 PMCID: PMC9328779 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a heritable, fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the Huntingtin gene. It is characterized by chorea, as well as cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. Histopathologically, there is a massive loss of striatal projection neurons and less but significant loss in other areas throughout the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical (CBGTC) loop. The mutant huntingtin protein has been implicated in numerous functions, including an important role in synaptic transmission. Most studies on anatomical and physiological alterations in HD have focused on striatum and cerebral cortex. However, based on recent CBGTC projectome evidence, the need to study other pathways has become increasingly clear. In this review, we examine the current status of our knowledge of morphological and electrophysiological alterations of those pathways in animal models of HD. Based on recent studies, there is accumulating evidence that synaptic disconnection, particularly along excitatory pathways, is pervasive and almost universal in HD, thus supporting a critical role of the huntingtin protein in synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Barry
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Minh T N Bui
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael S Levine
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlos Cepeda
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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10
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Huang S, Mei H, Lu L, Kuang Z, Heng Y, Xu L, Liang X, Qiu M, Pan X. Conformational transitions of caspase-6 in substrate-induced activation process explored by perturbation-response scanning combined with targeted molecular dynamics. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:4156-4164. [PMID: 34527189 PMCID: PMC8342898 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Caspase-6 participates in a series of neurodegenerative pathways, and has aroused widespread attentions as a promising molecular target for the treatment of neurodegeneration. Caspase-6 is a homodimer with 6 central-stranded β-sheets and 5 α-helices in each monomer. Previous crystallographic studies suggested that the 60′s, 90′s and 130′s helices of caspase-6 undergo a distinctive conformational transition upon substrate binding. Although the caspase-6 structures in apo and active states have been determined, the conformational transition process between the two states remains poorly understood. In this work, perturbation-response scanning (PRS) combined with targeted molecular dynamics (TMD) simulations was employed to unravel the atomistic mechanism of the dynamic conformational transitions underlying the substrate-induced activation process of caspase-6. The results showed that the conformational transition of caspase-6 from apo to active states is mainly characterized by structural rearrangements of the substrate-binding site as well as the conformational changes of 60′s and 130′s extended helices. The H-bond interactions between L1, 130′s helix and 90′s helix are proved to be key determinant factors for substrate-induced conformational transition. These findings provide valuable insights into the activation mechanism of caspase-6 as well as the molecular design of caspase-6 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuheng Huang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Hu Mei
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Laichun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Zuyin Kuang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Yu Heng
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Xiaoqi Liang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Minyao Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Xianchao Pan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
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11
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Ananbeh H, Vodicka P, Kupcova Skalnikova H. Emerging Roles of Exosomes in Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22084085. [PMID: 33920936 PMCID: PMC8071291 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a rare hereditary autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder, which is caused by expression of mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) with an abnormal number of glutamine repeats in its N terminus, and characterized by intracellular mHTT aggregates (inclusions) in the brain. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles that are secreted generally by all cell types and can be isolated from almost all body fluids such as blood, urine, saliva, and cerebrospinal fluid. Exosomes may participate in the spreading of toxic misfolded proteins across the central nervous system in neurodegenerative diseases. In HD, such propagation of mHTT was observed both in vitro and in vivo. On the other hand, exosomes might carry molecules with neuroprotective effects. In addition, due to their capability to cross blood-brain barrier, exosomes hold great potential as sources of biomarkers available from periphery or carriers of therapeutics into the central nervous system. In this review, we discuss the emerging roles of exosomes in HD pathogenesis, diagnosis, and therapy.
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12
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Brandi V, Polticelli F. In Silico Analysis of Huntingtin Homologs in Lower Eukaryotes. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:3214. [PMID: 33809947 PMCID: PMC8004120 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22063214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a rare neurodegenerative and autosomal dominant disorder. HD is caused by a mutation in the gene coding for huntingtin (Htt). The result is the production of a mutant Htt with an abnormally long polyglutamine repeat that leads to pathological Htt aggregates. Although the structure of human Htt has been determined, albeit at low resolution, its functions and how they are performed are largely unknown. Moreover, there is little information on the structure and function of Htt in other organisms. The comparison of Htt homologs can help to understand if there is a functional conservation of domains in the evolution of Htt in eukaryotes. In this work, through a computational approach, Htt homologs from lower eukaryotes have been analysed, identifying ordered domains and modelling their structure. Based on the structural models, a putative function for most of the domains has been predicted. A putative C. elegans Htt-like protein has also been analysed following the same approach. The results obtained support the notion that this protein is a orthologue of human Htt.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabio Polticelli
- Department of Sciences, Roma Tre University, 00146 Rome, Italy;
- National Institute of Nuclear Physics, Roma Tre Section, 00146 Rome, Italy
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13
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Bozzi M, Sciandra F. Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Muscle Wasting in Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21218314. [PMID: 33167595 PMCID: PMC7664236 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by pathogenic expansions of the triplet cytosine-adenosine-guanosine (CAG) within the Huntingtin gene. These expansions lead to a prolongation of the poly-glutamine stretch at the N-terminus of Huntingtin causing protein misfolding and aggregation. Huntingtin and its pathological variants are widely expressed, but the central nervous system is mainly affected, as proved by the wide spectrum of neurological symptoms, including behavioral anomalies, cognitive decline and motor disorders. Other hallmarks of HD are loss of body weight and muscle atrophy. This review highlights some key elements that likely provide a major contribution to muscle atrophy, namely, alteration of the transcriptional processes, mitochondrial dysfunction, which is strictly correlated to loss of energy homeostasis, inflammation, apoptosis and defects in the processes responsible for the protein quality control. The improvement of muscular symptoms has proven to slow the disease progression and extend the life span of animal models of HD, underlining the importance of a deep comprehension of the molecular mechanisms driving deterioration of muscular tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Bozzi
- Dipartimento Universitario di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Sezione di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Roma, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Roma, Italy
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”– SCITEC Sede di Roma, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Roma, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Francesca Sciandra
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”– SCITEC Sede di Roma, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Roma, Italy;
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14
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Belov Kirdajova D, Kriska J, Tureckova J, Anderova M. Ischemia-Triggered Glutamate Excitotoxicity From the Perspective of Glial Cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:51. [PMID: 32265656 PMCID: PMC7098326 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A plethora of neurological disorders shares a final common deadly pathway known as excitotoxicity. Among these disorders, ischemic injury is a prominent cause of death and disability worldwide. Brain ischemia stems from cardiac arrest or stroke, both responsible for insufficient blood supply to the brain parenchyma. Glucose and oxygen deficiency disrupts oxidative phosphorylation, which results in energy depletion and ionic imbalance, followed by cell membrane depolarization, calcium (Ca2+) overload, and extracellular accumulation of excitatory amino acid glutamate. If tight physiological regulation fails to clear the surplus of this neurotransmitter, subsequent prolonged activation of glutamate receptors forms a vicious circle between elevated concentrations of intracellular Ca2+ ions and aberrant glutamate release, aggravating the effect of this ischemic pathway. The activation of downstream Ca2+-dependent enzymes has a catastrophic impact on nervous tissue leading to cell death, accompanied by the formation of free radicals, edema, and inflammation. After decades of “neuron-centric” approaches, recent research has also finally shed some light on the role of glial cells in neurological diseases. It is becoming more and more evident that neurons and glia depend on each other. Neuronal cells, astrocytes, microglia, NG2 glia, and oligodendrocytes all have their roles in what is known as glutamate excitotoxicity. However, who is the main contributor to the ischemic pathway, and who is the unsuspecting victim? In this review article, we summarize the so-far-revealed roles of cells in the central nervous system, with particular attention to glial cells in ischemia-induced glutamate excitotoxicity, its origins, and consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denisa Belov Kirdajova
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR), Prague, Czechia.,Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jan Kriska
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR), Prague, Czechia.,Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jana Tureckova
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR), Prague, Czechia
| | - Miroslava Anderova
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR), Prague, Czechia.,Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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15
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Moldovean SN, Chiş V. Molecular Dynamics Simulations Applied to Structural and Dynamical Transitions of the Huntingtin Protein: A Review. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:105-120. [PMID: 31841621 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the recent years, Huntington's disease (HD) has become widely discussed in the scientific literature especially because at the mutant level there are several contradictions regarding the aggregation mechanism. The specific role of the physiological huntingtin protein remains unknown, due to the lack of characterization of its entire crystallographic structure, making the experimental and theoretical research even harder when taking into consideration its involvement in multiple biological functions and its high affinity for different interacting partners. Different types of models, containing fewer (not more than 35 Qs) polyglutamine residues for the WT structure and above 35 Qs for the mutants, were subjected to classical or advanced MD simulations to establish the proteins' structural stability by evaluating their conformational changes. Outside the polyQ tract, there are two other regions of interest (the N17 domain and the polyP rich domain) considered to be essential for the aggregation kinetics at the mutant level. The polymerization process is considered to be dependent on the polyQ length. As the polyQ tract's dimension increases, the structures present more β-sheet conformations. Contrarily, it is also considered that the aggregation stability is not necessarily dependent on the number of Qs, while the initial stage of the aggregation seed might play the decisive role. A general assumption regarding the polyP domain is that it might preserve the polyQ structures soluble by acting as an antagonist for β-sheet formation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vasile Chiş
- Babeş-Bolyai University, Faculty of Physics, Kogălniceanu 1, RO-400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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16
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Activation of Caspase-6 Is Promoted by a Mutant Huntingtin Fragment and Blocked by an Allosteric Inhibitor Compound. Cell Chem Biol 2019; 26:1295-1305.e6. [PMID: 31353319 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant activation of caspase-6 (C6) in the absence of other hallmarks of apoptosis has been demonstrated in cells and tissues from patients with Huntington disease (HD) and animal models. C6 activity correlates with disease progression in patients with HD and the cleavage of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein is thought to strongly contribute to disease pathogenesis. Here we show that the mHTT1-586 fragment generated by C6 cleavage interacts with the zymogen form of the enzyme, stabilizing a conformation that contains an active site and is prone to full activation. This shift toward enhanced activity can be prevented by a small-molecule inhibitor that blocks the interaction between C6 and mHTT1-586. Molecular docking studies suggest that the inhibitor binds an allosteric site in the C6 zymogen. The interaction of mHTT1-586 with C6 may therefore promote a self-reinforcing, feedforward cycle of C6 zymogen activation and mHTT cleavage driving HD pathogenesis.
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17
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Tellone E, Galtieri A, Ficarra S. Reviewing Biochemical Implications of Normal and Mutated Huntingtin in Huntington's Disease. Curr Med Chem 2019; 27:5137-5158. [PMID: 31223078 DOI: 10.2174/0929867326666190621101909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Huntingtin (Htt) is a multi-function protein of the brain. Normal Htt shows a common alpha-helical structure but conformational changes in the form with beta strands are the principal cause of Huntington's disease. Huntington's disease is a genetic neurological disorder caused by a repeated expansion of the CAG trinucleotide, causing instability in the N-terminal of the gene coding for the Huntingtin protein. The mutation leads to the abnormal expansion of the production of the polyglutamine tract (polyQ) resulting in the form of an unstable Huntingtin protein commonly referred to as mutant Huntingtin. Mutant Huntingtin is the cause of the complex neurological metabolic alteration of Huntington's disease, resulting in both the loss of all the functions of normal Huntingtin and the genesis of abnormal interactions due to the presence of this mutation. One of the problems arising from the misfolded Huntingtin is the increase in oxidative stress, which is common in many neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. In the last few years, the use of antioxidants had a strong incentive to find valid therapies for defence against neurodegenerations. Although further studies are needed, the use of antioxidant mixtures to counteract neuronal damages seems promising.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Tellone
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, V.le Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Antonio Galtieri
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, V.le Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Silvana Ficarra
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, V.le Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
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18
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Olfactory bulb atrophy and caspase activation observed in the BACHD rat models of Huntington disease. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 125:219-231. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
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19
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Yan A, Ren C, Chen T, Huo D, Jiang X, Sun H, Hu C. A novel caspase-6 from sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota: Molecular characterization, expression analysis and apoptosis detection. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2018; 80:232-240. [PMID: 29890217 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2018.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a novel caspase-6 named HLcaspase-6 was identified from sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota. The full-length cDNA of HLcaspase-6 is 2195 bp in size, containing a 126 bp 5'-untranslated region (UTR), a 1043 bp 3'-UTR and a 1026 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a protein of 341 amino acids with a deduced molecular weight of 38.57 kDa. HLcaspase-6 contains the common signatures of the caspase family, including the conserved pentapeptide motif QACRG, as well as the P20 and P10 domains. In addition, HLcaspase-6 contains a short pro-domain. HLcaspase-6 mRNA is ubiquitously expressed in all tissues examined, with the highest transcript level in the intestine, followed by coelomocytes. In in vitro experiments, the expression of HLcaspase-6 mRNA in coelomocytes was significantly up-regulated by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid [poly (I:C)] challenge, suggesting that HLcaspase-6 might play important roles in the innate immune defense of sea cucumber against bacterial and viral infections. Moreover, we further confirmed that overexpression of HLcaspase-6 could induce apoptosis and activate the p53 signal pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aifen Yan
- School of Stomatology and Medicine, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China.
| | - Chunhua Ren
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology (LMB); Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology (LAMB), South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China; South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, China.
| | - Ting Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology (LMB); Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology (LAMB), South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China; South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, China.
| | - Da Huo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology (LMB); Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology (LAMB), South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China.
| | - Xiao Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology (LMB); Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology (LAMB), South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China.
| | - Hongyan Sun
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Chaoqun Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology (LMB); Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology (LAMB), South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China; South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, China.
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20
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Noël A, Zhou L, Foveau B, Sjöström PJ, LeBlanc AC. Differential susceptibility of striatal, hippocampal and cortical neurons to Caspase-6. Cell Death Differ 2018; 25:1319-1335. [PMID: 29352267 PMCID: PMC6030053 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-017-0043-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Active cysteinyl protease Caspase-6 is associated with early Alzheimer and Huntington diseases. Higher entorhinal cortex and hippocampal Caspase-6 levels correlate with lower cognitive performance in aged humans. Caspase-6 induces axonal degeneration in human primary neuron cultures and causes inflammation and neurodegeneration in mouse hippocampus, and age-dependent memory impairment. To assess whether Caspase-6 causes damage to another neuronal system, a transgenic knock-in mouse overexpressing a self-activated form of Caspase-6 five-fold in the striatum, the area affected in Huntington disease, and 2.5-fold in the hippocampus and cortex, was generated. Detection of Tubulin cleaved by Caspase-6 confirmed Caspase-6 activity. The Caspase-6 expressing mice and control littermates were subjected to behavioral tests to assess Huntington disease-relevant psychiatric, motor, and cognitive deficits. Depression was excluded with the forced swim and sucrose consumption tests. Motor deficits were absent in the nesting, clasping, rotarod, vertical pole, gait, and open field analyzes. However, Caspase-6 mice developed age-dependent episodic and spatial memory deficits identified by novel object recognition, Barnes maze and Morris water maze assays. Neuron numbers were maintained in the striatum, hippocampus, and cortex. Microglia and astrocytes were increased in the hippocampal stratum lacunosum molecular and in the cortex, but not in the striatum. Synaptic mRNA profiling identified two differentially expressed genes in transgenic hippocampus, but none in striatum. Caspase-6 impaired synaptic transmission and induced neurodegeneration in hippocampal CA1 neurons, but not in striatal medium spiny neurons. These data revealed that active Caspase-6 in the striatal medium spiny neurons failed to induce inflammation, neurodegeneration or behavioral abnormalities, whereas active Caspase-6 in the cortex and hippocampus impaired episodic and spatial memories, and induced inflammation, neuronal dysfunction, and neurodegeneration. The results indicate age and neuronal subtype-dependent Caspase-6 toxicity and highlight the importance of targeting the correct neuronal subtype to identify underlying molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Noël
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Chemin Côte Ste Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3755 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Libin Zhou
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Chemin Côte Ste Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3755 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 3755 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Bénédicte Foveau
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Chemin Côte Ste Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3755 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - P Jesper Sjöström
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3755 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, The BRAIN Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montréal, QC, H3G 1A4, Canada
| | - Andréa C LeBlanc
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Chemin Côte Ste Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3755 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 3755 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
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21
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Kopeina GS, Prokhorova EA, Lavrik IN, Zhivotovsky B. Alterations in the nucleocytoplasmic transport in apoptosis: Caspases lead the way. Cell Prolif 2018; 51:e12467. [PMID: 29947118 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.12467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis is a mode of regulated cell death that is indispensable for the morphogenesis, development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms. Caspases are cysteine-dependent aspartate-specific proteases, which function as initiators and executors of apoptosis. Caspases are cytosolic proteins that can cleave substrates located in different intracellular compartments during apoptosis. Many years ago, the involvement of caspases in the regulation of nuclear changes, a hallmark of apoptosis, was documented. Accumulated data suggest that apoptosis-associated alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport are also linked to caspase activity. Here, we aim to discuss the current state of knowledge regarding this process. Particular attention will be focused on caspase nuclear entry and their functions in the demolition of the nucleus upon apoptotic stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gelina S Kopeina
- Faculty of Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Inna N Lavrik
- Faculty of Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Translational Inflammation Research, Medical Faculty, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Boris Zhivotovsky
- Faculty of Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Division of Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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22
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Tang BL. Unconventional Secretion and Intercellular Transfer of Mutant Huntingtin. Cells 2018; 7:cells7060059. [PMID: 29904030 PMCID: PMC6025013 DOI: 10.3390/cells7060059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanism of intercellular transmission of pathological agents in neurodegenerative diseases has received much recent attention. Huntington’s disease (HD) is caused by a monogenic mutation in the gene encoding Huntingtin (HTT). Mutant HTT (mHTT) harbors a CAG repeat extension which encodes an abnormally long polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat at HTT’s N-terminus. Neuronal pathology in HD is largely due to the toxic gain-of-function by mHTT and its proteolytic products, which forms both nuclear and cytoplasmic aggregates that perturb nuclear gene transcription, RNA splicing and transport as well cellular membrane dynamics. The neuropathological effects of mHTT have been conventionally thought to be cell-autonomous in nature. Recent findings have, however, indicated that mHTT could be secreted by neurons, or transmitted from one neuronal cell to another via different modes of unconventional secretion, as well as via tunneling nanotubes (TNTs). These modes of transmission allow the intercellular spread of mHTT and its aggregates, thus plausibly promoting neuropathology within proximal neuronal populations and between neurons that are connected within neural circuits. Here, the various possible modes for mHTT’s neuronal cell exit and intercellular transmission are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bor Luen Tang
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, 117597 Singapore, Singapore.
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, 117456 Singapore, Singapore.
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23
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Caterino M, Squillaro T, Montesarchio D, Giordano A, Giancola C, Melone MAB. Huntingtin protein: A new option for fixing the Huntington's disease countdown clock. Neuropharmacology 2018. [PMID: 29526547 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a dreadful, incurable disorder. It springs from the autosomal dominant mutation in the first exon of the HTT gene, which encodes for the huntingtin protein (HTT) and results in progressive neurodegeneration. Thus far, all the attempted approaches to tackle the mutant HTT-induced toxicity causing this disease have failed. The mutant protein comes with the aberrantly expanded poly-glutamine tract. It is primarily to blame for the build-up of β-amyloid-like HTT aggregates, deleterious once broadened beyond the critical ∼35-37 repeats threshold. Recent experimental findings have provided valuable information on the molecular basis underlying this HTT-driven neurodegeneration. These findings indicate that the poly-glutamine siding regions and many post-translation modifications either abet or counter the poly-glutamine tract. This review provides an overall, up-to-date insight into HTT biophysics and structural biology, particularly discussing novel pharmacological options to specifically target the mutated protein and thus inhibit its functions and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Caterino
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131, Napoli, Italy
| | - Tiziana Squillaro
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic Sciences, and Aging, 2nd Division of Neurology, Center for Rare Diseases, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy; InterUniversity Center for Research in Neurosciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy
| | - Daniela Montesarchio
- InterUniversity Center for Research in Neurosciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy; Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia 21, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Antonio Giordano
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biology, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Concetta Giancola
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131, Napoli, Italy; InterUniversity Center for Research in Neurosciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy.
| | - Mariarosa A B Melone
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic Sciences, and Aging, 2nd Division of Neurology, Center for Rare Diseases, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy; InterUniversity Center for Research in Neurosciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy; Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biology, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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24
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Ehrnhoefer DE, Martin DDO, Schmidt ME, Qiu X, Ladha S, Caron NS, Skotte NH, Nguyen YTN, Vaid K, Southwell AL, Engemann S, Franciosi S, Hayden MR. Preventing mutant huntingtin proteolysis and intermittent fasting promote autophagy in models of Huntington disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2018; 6:16. [PMID: 29510748 PMCID: PMC5839066 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-018-0518-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is caused by the expression of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) bearing a polyglutamine expansion. In HD, mHTT accumulation is accompanied by a dysfunction in basal autophagy, which manifests as specific defects in cargo loading during selective autophagy. Here we show that the expression of mHTT resistant to proteolysis at the caspase cleavage site D586 (C6R mHTT) increases autophagy, which may be due to its increased binding to the autophagy adapter p62. This is accompanied by faster degradation of C6R mHTT in vitro and a lack of mHTT accumulation the C6R mouse model with age. These findings may explain the previously observed neuroprotective properties of C6R mHTT. As the C6R mutation cannot be easily translated into a therapeutic approach, we show that a scheduled feeding paradigm is sufficient to lower mHTT levels in YAC128 mice expressing cleavable mHTT. This is consistent with a previous model, where the presence of cleavable mHTT impairs basal autophagy, while fasting-induced autophagy remains functional. In HD, mHTT clearance and autophagy may become increasingly impaired as a function of age and disease stage, because of gradually increased activity of mHTT-processing enzymes. Our findings imply that mHTT clearance could be enhanced by a regulated dietary schedule that promotes autophagy.
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25
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Griffioen K, Mattson MP, Okun E. Deficiency of Toll-like receptors 2, 3 or 4 extends life expectancy in Huntington's disease mice. Heliyon 2018; 4:e00508. [PMID: 29560427 PMCID: PMC5857515 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e00508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD), an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive striatal and cortical atrophy, has been strongly linked with neuroinflammation. Toll-like receptors, a family of innate immune receptors, are a major pathway for neuroinflammation with pleiotropic effects on neuronal plasticity and neurodevelopment. We assessed whether deficiency for TLRs 2, 3 or 4 affects life expectancy in the N171-82Q mouse model of HD. Our data indicate that homozygous TLRs 2 and 3 as well as heterozygous TLR4 deficiency significantly extends the life expectancy of HD mice. Our data suggest that multiple TLR pathways may be involved in the neuroinflammatory and degenerative processes during HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Griffioen
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, 24515, USA
| | - Mark P Mattson
- Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Eitan Okun
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.,The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.,The Paul Feder Laboratory on Alzheimer's Disease Research, Israel
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26
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Carmo C, Naia L, Lopes C, Rego AC. Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Huntington’s Disease. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1049:59-83. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-71779-1_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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27
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Sirtuins as Modifiers of Huntington's Disease (HD) Pathology. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2018; 154:105-145. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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28
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The CAG-polyglutamine repeat diseases: a clinical, molecular, genetic, and pathophysiologic nosology. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2018; 147:143-170. [PMID: 29325609 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63233-3.00011-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Throughout the genome, unstable tandem nucleotide repeats can expand to cause a variety of neurologic disorders. Expansion of a CAG triplet repeat within a coding exon gives rise to an elongated polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the resultant protein product, and accounts for a unique category of neurodegenerative disorders, known as the CAG-polyglutamine repeat diseases. The nine members of the CAG-polyglutamine disease family include spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), Huntington disease, dentatorubral pallidoluysian atrophy, and six spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 17). All CAG-polyglutamine diseases are dominantly inherited, with the exception of SBMA, which is X-linked, and many CAG-polyglutamine diseases display anticipation, which is defined as increasing disease severity in successive generations of an affected kindred. Despite widespread expression of the different polyQ-expanded disease proteins throughout the body, each CAG-polyglutamine disease strikes a particular subset of neurons, although the mechanism for this cell-type selectivity remains poorly understood. While the different genes implicated in these disorders display amino acid homology only in the repeat tract domain, certain pathologic molecular processes have been implicated in almost all of the CAG-polyglutamine repeat diseases, including protein aggregation, proteolytic cleavage, transcription dysregulation, autophagy impairment, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Here we highlight the clinical and molecular genetic features of each distinct disorder, and then discuss common themes in CAG-polyglutamine disease pathogenesis, closing with emerging advances in therapy development.
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29
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Girling KD, Demers MJ, Laine J, Zhang S, Wang YT, Graham RK. Activation of caspase-6 and cleavage of caspase-6 substrates is an early event in NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity. J Neurosci Res 2017; 96:391-406. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly D. Girling
- University of British Columbia, Brain Research Centre & Department of Medicine; Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Marie-Josee Demers
- Research Centre on Aging, Department Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; University of Sherbrooke; Sherbrooke Quebec Canada
| | - Jean Laine
- Research Centre on Aging, Department Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; University of Sherbrooke; Sherbrooke Quebec Canada
| | - Shu Zhang
- University of British Columbia, Brain Research Centre & Department of Medicine; Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Yu Tian Wang
- University of British Columbia, Brain Research Centre & Department of Medicine; Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Rona K. Graham
- Research Centre on Aging, Department Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; University of Sherbrooke; Sherbrooke Quebec Canada
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Brandi V, Di Lella V, Marino M, Ascenzi P, Polticelli F. A comprehensive in silico analysis of huntingtin and its interactome. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2017; 36:3155-3171. [PMID: 28920551 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2017.1381646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
A polyglutamine expansion of the N-terminal region of huntingtin (Htt) causes Huntington's disease, a severe neurodegenerative disorder. Htt huge multidomain structure, the presence of disordered regions, and the lack of sequence homologs of known structure, so far prevented structural studies of Htt, making the study of its structure-function relationships very difficult. In this work, the presence and location of five Htt ordered domains (named from Hunt1 to Hunt5) has been detected and the structure of these domains has been predicted for the first time using a combined threading/ab initio modeling approach. This work has led to the identification of a previously undetected HEAT repeats region in the Hunt3 domain. Furthermore, a putative function has been assigned to four out of the five domains. Hunt1 and Hunt5, displaying structural similarity with the regulatory subunit A of protein phosphatase 2A, are predicted to play a role in regulating the phosphorylation status of cellular proteins. Hunt2 and Hunt3 are predicted to be homologs of two yeast importins and to mediate vescicles transport and protein trafficking. Finally, a comprehensive analysis of the Htt interactome has been carried out and is discussed to provide a global picture of the Htt's structure-function relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Brandi
- a Department of Sciences , Roma Tre University, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446 , Roma I-00146 , Italy
| | - Valentina Di Lella
- a Department of Sciences , Roma Tre University, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446 , Roma I-00146 , Italy
| | - Maria Marino
- a Department of Sciences , Roma Tre University, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446 , Roma I-00146 , Italy
| | - Paolo Ascenzi
- a Department of Sciences , Roma Tre University, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446 , Roma I-00146 , Italy.,b Interdepartmental Laboratory for Electron Microscopy , Roma Tre University , Roma I-00146 , Italy
| | - Fabio Polticelli
- a Department of Sciences , Roma Tre University, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446 , Roma I-00146 , Italy.,c National Institute of Nuclear Physics , Roma Tre University, Roma Tre Section , Roma I-00146 , Italy
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31
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Arbez N, Ratovitski T, Roby E, Chighladze E, Stewart JC, Ren M, Wang X, Lavery DJ, Ross CA. Post-translational modifications clustering within proteolytic domains decrease mutant huntingtin toxicity. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:19238-19249. [PMID: 28972180 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.782300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused in large part by a polyglutamine expansion within the huntingtin (Htt) protein. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) control and regulate many protein functions and cellular pathways, and PTMs of mutant Htt are likely important modulators of HD pathogenesis. Alterations of selected numbers of PTMs of Htt fragments have been shown to modulate Htt cellular localization and toxicity. In this study, we systematically introduced site-directed alterations in individual phosphorylation and acetylation sites in full-length Htt constructs. The effects of each of these PTM alteration constructs were tested on cell toxicity using our nuclear condensation assay and on mitochondrial viability by measuring mitochondrial potential and size. Using these functional assays in primary neurons, we identified several PTMs whose alteration can block neuronal toxicity and prevent potential loss and swelling of the mitochondria caused by mutant Htt. These PTMs included previously described sites such as serine 116 and newly found sites such as serine 2652 throughout the protein. We found that these functionally relevant sites are clustered in protease-sensitive domains throughout full-length Htt. These findings advance our understanding of the Htt PTM code and its role in HD pathogenesis. Because PTMs are catalyzed by enzymes, the toxicity-modulating Htt PTMs identified here may be promising therapeutic targets for managing HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Arbez
- From the Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
| | - Tamara Ratovitski
- From the Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Elaine Roby
- From the Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Ekaterine Chighladze
- From the Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Jacqueline C Stewart
- From the Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Mark Ren
- the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, and
| | - Xiaofang Wang
- From the Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Daniel J Lavery
- the CHDI Foundation/CHDI Management Inc., Princeton, New Jersey 08540
| | - Christopher A Ross
- From the Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, .,the Department of Neurology and Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and.,the Departments of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287
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32
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Ratovitski T, O’Meally RN, Jiang M, Chaerkady R, Chighladze E, Stewart JC, Wang X, Arbez N, Roby E, Alexandris A, Duan W, Vijayvargia R, Seong IS, Lavery DJ, Cole RN, Ross CA. Post-Translational Modifications (PTMs), Identified on Endogenous Huntingtin, Cluster within Proteolytic Domains between HEAT Repeats. J Proteome Res 2017; 16:2692-2708. [PMID: 28653853 PMCID: PMC5560079 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins regulate various cellular processes. PTMs of polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin (Htt) protein, which causes Huntington's disease (HD), are likely modulators of HD pathogenesis. Previous studies have identified and characterized several PTMs on exogenously expressed Htt fragments, but none of them were designed to systematically characterize PTMs on the endogenous full-length Htt protein. We found that full-length endogenous Htt, which was immunoprecipitated from HD knock-in mouse and human post-mortem brain, is suitable for detection of PTMs by mass spectrometry. Using label-free and mass tag labeling-based approaches, we identified near 40 PTMs, of which half are novel (data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD005753). Most PTMs were located in clusters within predicted unstructured domains rather than within the predicted α-helical structured HEAT repeats. Using quantitative mass spectrometry, we detected significant differences in the stoichiometry of several PTMs between HD and WT mouse brain. The mass-spectrometry identification and quantitation were verified using phospho-specific antibodies for selected PTMs. To further validate our findings, we introduced individual PTM alterations within full-length Htt and identified several PTMs that can modulate its subcellular localization in striatal cells. These findings will be instrumental in further assembling the Htt PTM framework and highlight several PTMs as potential therapeutic targets for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Ratovitski
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Robert N. O’Meally
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 North Broadway Street, Suite 371 BRB, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Mali Jiang
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Raghothama Chaerkady
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 North Broadway Street, Suite 371 BRB, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Ekaterine Chighladze
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Jacqueline C. Stewart
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Xiaofang Wang
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Nicolas Arbez
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Elaine Roby
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Athanasios Alexandris
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Wenzhen Duan
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
- Department of Neurology and Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
- Departments of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Ravi Vijayvargia
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Ihn Sik Seong
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Daniel J. Lavery
- CHDI Foundation/CHDI Management, Inc., Princeton, New Jersey 08540, United States
| | - Robert N. Cole
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 North Broadway Street, Suite 371 BRB, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Christopher A. Ross
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-121, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
- Department of Neurology and Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
- Departments of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
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Ceramide phosphoethanolamine synthase SMSr is a target of caspase-6 during apoptotic cell death. Biosci Rep 2017; 37:BSR20170867. [PMID: 28659495 PMCID: PMC5567093 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20170867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 06/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Ceramides are essential precursors of sphingolipids with a dual role as mediators of apoptotic cell death. Previous work revealed that the ER-resident ceramide phosphoethanolamine (CPE) synthase SMSr/SAMD8 is a suppressor of ceramide-mediated apoptosis in cultured cells. Anti-apoptotic activity of SMSr requires a catalytically active enzyme but also relies on the enzyme’s N-terminal sterile α-motif or SAM domain. Here, we demonstrate that SMSr itself is a target of the apoptotic machinery. Treatment of cells with staurosporine or the death receptor ligand FasL triggers caspase-mediated cleavage of SMSr at a conserved aspartate located downstream of the enzyme’s SAM domain and upstream of its first membrane span. Taking advantage of reconstitution experiments with SMSr produced in a cell-free expression system, specific caspase-inhibitors and gene silencing approaches, we show that SMSr is a novel and specific substrate of caspase-6, a non-conventional effector caspase implicated in Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Our findings underscore a role of SMSr as negative regulator of ceramide-induced cell death and, in view of a prominent expression of the enzyme in brain, raise questions regarding its potential involvement in neurodegenerative disorders.
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34
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Mukherjee A, Williams DW. More alive than dead: non-apoptotic roles for caspases in neuronal development, plasticity and disease. Cell Death Differ 2017. [PMID: 28644437 PMCID: PMC5520460 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2017.64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nervous systems are arguably the most fascinating and complex structures in the known universe. How they are built, changed by experience and then degenerate are some of the biggest questions in biology. Regressive phenomena, such as neuron pruning and programmed cell death, have a key role in the building and maintenance of the nervous systems. Both of these cellular mechanisms deploy the caspase family of protease enzymes. In this review, we highlight the non-apoptotic function of caspases during nervous system development, plasticity and disease, particularly focussing on their role in structural remodelling. We have classified pruning as either macropruning, where complete branches are removed, or micropruning, where individual synapses or dendritic spines are eliminated. Finally we discuss open questions and possible future directions within the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrita Mukherjee
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Darren W Williams
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, UK
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35
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Jobin PG, Butler GS, Overall CM. New intracellular activities of matrix metalloproteinases shine in the moonlight. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2017; 1864:2043-2055. [PMID: 28526562 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2017.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Adaption of a single protein to perform multiple independent functions facilitates functional plasticity of the proteome allowing a limited number of protein-coding genes to perform a multitude of cellular processes. Multifunctionality is achievable by post-translational modifications and by modulating subcellular localization. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), classically viewed as degraders of the extracellular matrix (ECM) responsible for matrix protein turnover, are more recently recognized as regulators of a range of extracellular bioactive molecules including chemokines, cytokines, and their binders. However, growing evidence has convincingly identified select MMPs in intracellular compartments with unexpected physiological and pathological roles. Intracellular MMPs have both proteolytic and non-proteolytic functions, including signal transduction and transcription factor activity thereby challenging their traditional designation as extracellular proteases. This review highlights current knowledge of subcellular location and activity of these "moonlighting" MMPs. Intracellular roles herald a new era of MMP research, rejuvenating interest in targeting these proteases in therapeutic strategies. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Matrix Metalloproteinases edited by Rafael Fridman.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker G Jobin
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Centre for Blood Research, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Georgina S Butler
- Centre for Blood Research, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Oral Biological & Medical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christopher M Overall
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Centre for Blood Research, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Oral Biological & Medical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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36
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Skotte NH, Sanders SS, Singaraja RR, Ehrnhoefer DE, Vaid K, Qiu X, Kannan S, Verma C, Hayden MR. Palmitoylation of caspase-6 by HIP14 regulates its activation. Cell Death Differ 2017; 24:433-444. [PMID: 27911442 PMCID: PMC5344205 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2016.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Caspase-6 (CASP6) has an important role in axonal degeneration during neuronal apoptosis and in the neurodegenerative diseases Alzheimer and Huntington disease. Decreasing CASP6 activity may help to restore neuronal function in these and other diseases such as stroke and ischemia, where increased CASP6 activity has been implicated. The key to finding approaches to decrease CASP6 activity is a deeper understanding of the mechanisms regulating CASP6 activation. We show that CASP6 is posttranslationally palmitoylated by the palmitoyl acyltransferase HIP14 and that the palmitoylation of CASP6 inhibits its activation. Palmitoylation of CASP6 is decreased both in Hip14-/- mice, where HIP14 is absent, and in YAC128 mice, a model of Huntington disease, where HIP14 is dysfunctional and where CASP6 activity is increased. Molecular modeling suggests that palmitoylation of CASP6 may inhibit its activation via steric blockage of the substrate-binding groove and inhibition of CASP6 dimerization, both essential for CASP6 function. Our studies identify palmitoylation as a novel CASP6 modification and as a key regulator of CASP6 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels H Skotte
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Shaun S Sanders
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Roshni R Singaraja
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Translational Laboratories in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Dagmar E Ehrnhoefer
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kuljeet Vaid
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Xiaofan Qiu
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Srinivasaragavan Kannan
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671, Singapore
| | - Chandra Verma
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Translational Laboratories in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
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37
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Adegbuyiro A, Sedighi F, Pilkington AW, Groover S, Legleiter J. Proteins Containing Expanded Polyglutamine Tracts and Neurodegenerative Disease. Biochemistry 2017; 56:1199-1217. [PMID: 28170216 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Several hereditary neurological and neuromuscular diseases are caused by an abnormal expansion of trinucleotide repeats. To date, there have been 10 of these trinucleotide repeat disorders associated with an expansion of the codon CAG encoding glutamine (Q). For these polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, there is a critical threshold length of the CAG repeat required for disease, and further expansion beyond this threshold is correlated with age of onset and symptom severity. PolyQ expansion in the translated proteins promotes their self-assembly into a variety of oligomeric and fibrillar aggregate species that accumulate into the hallmark proteinaceous inclusion bodies associated with each disease. Here, we review aggregation mechanisms of proteins with expanded polyQ-tracts, structural consequences of expanded polyQ ranging from monomers to fibrillar aggregates, the impact of protein context and post-translational modifications on aggregation, and a potential role for lipid membranes in aggregation. As the pathogenic mechanisms that underlie these disorders are often classified as either a gain of toxic function or loss of normal protein function, some toxic mechanisms associated with mutant polyQ tracts will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adewale Adegbuyiro
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Faezeh Sedighi
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Albert W Pilkington
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Sharon Groover
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Justin Legleiter
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, 217 Clark Hall, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 9304, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,NanoSAFE, P.O. Box 6223, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
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38
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Dagbay KB, Bolik-Coulon N, Savinov SN, Hardy JA. Caspase-6 Undergoes a Distinct Helix-Strand Interconversion upon Substrate Binding. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:4885-4897. [PMID: 28154009 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.773499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Revised: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Caspases are cysteine aspartate proteases that are major players in key cellular processes, including apoptosis and inflammation. Specifically, caspase-6 has also been implicated in playing a unique and critical role in neurodegeneration; however, structural similarities between caspase-6 and other caspase active sites have hampered precise targeting of caspase-6. All caspases can exist in a canonical conformation, in which the substrate binds atop a β-strand platform in the 130's region. This caspase-6 region can also adopt a helical conformation that has not been seen in any other caspases. Understanding the dynamics and interconversion between the helical and strand conformations in caspase-6 is critical to fully assess its unique function and regulation. Here, hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry indicated that caspase-6 is inherently and dramatically more conformationally dynamic than closely related caspase-7. In contrast to caspase-7, which rests constitutively in the strand conformation before and after substrate binding, the hydrogen/deuterium exchange data in the L2' and 130's regions suggested that before substrate binding, caspase-6 exists in a dynamic equilibrium between the helix and strand conformations. Caspase-6 transitions exclusively to the canonical strand conformation only upon substrate binding. Glu-135, which showed noticeably different calculated pK a values in the helix and strand conformations, appears to play a key role in the interconversion between the helix and strand conformations. Because caspase-6 has roles in several neurodegenerative diseases, exploiting the unique structural features and conformational changes identified here may provide new avenues for regulating specific caspase-6 functions for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sergey N Savinov
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
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39
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Laquinimod decreases Bax expression and reduces caspase-6 activation in neurons. Exp Neurol 2016; 283:121-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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40
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An Intrabody Drug (rAAV6-INT41) Reduces the Binding of N-Terminal Huntingtin Fragment(s) to DNA to Basal Levels in PC12 Cells and Delays Cognitive Loss in the R6/2 Animal Model. JOURNAL OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES 2016; 2016:7120753. [PMID: 27595037 PMCID: PMC4995342 DOI: 10.1155/2016/7120753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal progressive disease linked to expansion of glutamine repeats in the huntingtin protein and characterized by the progressive loss of cognitive and motor function. We show that expression of a mutant human huntingtin exon-1-GFP fusion construct results in nonspecific gene dysregulation that is significantly reduced by 50% due to coexpression of INT41, an intrabody specific for the proline-rich region of the huntingtin protein. Using stable PC12 cell lines expressing either inducible human mutant huntingtin (mHtt, Q73) or normal huntingtin (nHtt, Q23), we investigated the effect of rAAV6-INT41, an adeno-associated virus vector with the INT41 coding sequence, on the subcellular distribution of Htt. Compartmental fractionation 8 days after induction of Htt showed a 6-fold increased association of a dominate N-terminal mHtt fragment with DNA compared to N-terminal nHtt. Transduction with rAAV6-INT41 reduced DNA binding of N-terminal mHtt 6.5-fold in the nucleus and reduced nuclear translocation of the detected fragments. Subsequently, when rAAV6-INT41 is delivered to the striatum in the R6/2 mouse model, treated female mice exhibited executive function statistically indistinguishable from wild type, accompanied by reductions in Htt aggregates in the striatum, suggesting that rAAV6-INT41 is promising as a gene therapy for Huntington's disease.
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41
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Eftekharzadeh B, Hyman BT, Wegmann S. Structural studies on the mechanism of protein aggregation in age related neurodegenerative diseases. Mech Ageing Dev 2016; 156:1-13. [PMID: 27005270 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2016.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Revised: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The progression of many neurodegenerative diseases is assumed to be caused by misfolding of specific characteristic diseases related proteins, resulting in aggregation and fibril formation of these proteins. Protein misfolding associated age related diseases, although different in disease manifestations, share striking similarities. In all cases, one disease protein aggregates and loses its function or additionally shows a toxic gain of function. However, the clear link between these individual amyloid-like protein aggregates and cellular toxicity is often still uncertain. The similar features of protein misfolding and aggregation in this group of proteins, all involved in age related neurodegenerative diseases, results in high interest in characterization of their structural properties. We review here recent findings on structural properties of some age related disease proteins, in the context of their biological importance in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahareh Eftekharzadeh
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Susanne Wegmann
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
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Marelli C, Maschat F. The P42 peptide and Peptide-based therapies for Huntington's disease. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2016; 11:24. [PMID: 26984770 PMCID: PMC4794846 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-016-0405-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative hereditary disease clinically characterised by the presence of involuntary movements, behavioural problems and cognitive decline. The disease-onset is usually between 30 and 50 years of age. HD is a rare disorder affecting approximately 1.3 in 10,000 people in the European Union. It is caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the first exon of the Huntingtin (HTT) gene, leading to an abnormal form of the Huntingtin protein (Htt) (polyQHtt), containing N-terminus, enlarged polyglutamine strands of variable length that stick together to form aggregates and nuclear inclusions in the damaged brain cells. Treatments currently used for Huntington's disease are symptomatic and aimed at temporally relieving the symptoms of the disease; although some promising therapies are on study, there is no drug capable of stopping disease progression either in the form of delaying onset or slowing disability progression. The utilization of peptides interacting with polyQ stretches or with Htt protein to prevent misfolding and aggregation of the expanded polyQ protein is a fascinating idea, because of low potential toxicity and ability to target very initial steps in the pathophysiological cascade of the disease, such as aggregation or cleavage process. Indeed, several therapeutic peptides have been developed and were found to significantly slow down the progression of symptoms in experimental models of Huntington's disease. This review is essentially focusing on the latest development concerning peptide strategy. In particular, we focused on a 23aa peptide P42, which is a part of the Htt protein. It is expected to work principally by preventing the abnormal Htt protein from sticking together, thereby preventing pathological consequences of aggregation and improving the symptoms of the disease. In the meantime, as P42 is part of the Htt protein, some therapeutic properties might be linked to the physiological actions of the peptide itself, considered as a functional domain of the Htt protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Marelli
- Université de Montpellier, Montpellier F-34095, France; Inserm U1198 MMDN, Montpellier F-34095, France; EPHE, Paris F-75014, France, Montpellier, France.,Department of Neurology, Gui de Chauliac University Hospital, Montpellier, France
| | - Florence Maschat
- Université de Montpellier, Montpellier F-34095, France; Inserm U1198 MMDN, Montpellier F-34095, France; EPHE, Paris F-75014, France, Montpellier, France.
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Riechers SP, Butland S, Deng Y, Skotte N, Ehrnhoefer DE, Russ J, Laine J, Laroche M, Pouladi MA, Wanker EE, Hayden MR, Graham RK. Interactome network analysis identifies multiple caspase-6 interactors involved in the pathogenesis of HD. Hum Mol Genet 2016; 25:1600-18. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Waldron-Roby E, Hoerauf J, Arbez N, Zhu S, Kulcsar K, Ross CA. Sox11 Reduces Caspase-6 Cleavage and Activity. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141439. [PMID: 26505998 PMCID: PMC4624725 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The apoptotic cascade is an orchestrated event, whose final stages are mediated by effector caspases. Regulatory binding proteins have been identified for caspases such as caspase-3, -7, -8, and -9. Many of these proteins belong to the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family. By contrast, caspase-6 is not believed to be influenced by IAPs, and little is known about its regulation. We therefore performed a yeast-two-hybrid screen using a constitutively inactive form of caspase-6 for bait in order to identify novel regulators of caspase-6 activity. Sox11 was identified as a potential caspase-6 interacting protein. Sox11 was capable of dramatically reducing caspase-6 activity, as well as preventing caspase-6 self- cleavage. Several regions, including amino acids 117-214 and 362-395 within sox11 as well as a nuclear localization signal (NLS) all contributed to the reduction in caspase-6 activity. Furthermore, sox11 was also capable of decreasing other effector caspase activity but not initiator caspases -8 and -9. The ability of sox11 to reduce effector caspase activity was also reflected in its capacity to reduce cell death following toxic insult. Interestingly, other sox proteins also had the ability to reduce caspase-6 activity but to a lesser extent than sox11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Waldron-Roby
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
| | - Janine Hoerauf
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
| | - Nicolas Arbez
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
| | - Shanshan Zhu
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
| | - Kirsten Kulcsar
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
| | - Christopher A. Ross
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Rubinsztein DC, Bento CF, Deretic V. Therapeutic targeting of autophagy in neurodegenerative and infectious diseases. J Exp Med 2015; 212:979-90. [PMID: 26101267 PMCID: PMC4493419 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20150956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a conserved process that uses double-membrane vesicles to deliver cytoplasmic contents to lysosomes for degradation. Although autophagy may impact many facets of human biology and disease, in this review we focus on the ability of autophagy to protect against certain neurodegenerative and infectious diseases. Autophagy enhances the clearance of toxic, cytoplasmic, aggregate-prone proteins and infectious agents. The beneficial roles of autophagy can now be extended to supporting cell survival and regulating inflammation. Autophagic control of inflammation is one area where autophagy may have similar benefits for both infectious and neurodegenerative diseases beyond direct removal of the pathogenic agents. Preclinical data supporting the potential therapeutic utility of autophagy modulation in such conditions is accumulating.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Rubinsztein
- Department of Medical Genetics, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge CB2 OSP, England, UK
| | - Carla F Bento
- Department of Medical Genetics, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge CB2 OSP, England, UK
| | - Vojo Deretic
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and Department of Neurology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131 Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and Department of Neurology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131
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O'Brien R, DeGiacomo F, Holcomb J, Bonner A, Ring KL, Zhang N, Zafar K, Weiss A, Lager B, Schilling B, Gibson BW, Chen S, Kwak S, Ellerby LM. Integration-independent Transgenic Huntington Disease Fragment Mouse Models Reveal Distinct Phenotypes and Life Span in Vivo. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:19287-306. [PMID: 26025364 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.623561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The cascade of events that lead to cognitive decline, motor deficits, and psychiatric symptoms in patients with Huntington disease (HD) is triggered by a polyglutamine expansion in the N-terminal region of the huntingtin (HTT) protein. A significant mechanism in HD is the generation of mutant HTT fragments, which are generally more toxic than the full-length HTT. The protein fragments observed in human HD tissue and mouse models of HD are formed by proteolysis or aberrant splicing of HTT. To systematically investigate the relative contribution of the various HTT protein proteolysis events observed in vivo, we generated transgenic mouse models of HD representing five distinct proteolysis fragments ending at amino acids 171, 463, 536, 552, and 586 with a polyglutamine length of 148. All lines contain a single integration at the ROSA26 locus, with expression of the fragments driven by the chicken β-actin promoter at nearly identical levels. The transgenic mice N171-Q148 and N552-Q148 display significantly accelerated phenotypes and a shortened life span when compared with N463-Q148, N536-Q148, and N586-Q148 transgenic mice. We hypothesized that the accelerated phenotype was due to altered HTT protein interactions/complexes that accumulate with age. We found evidence for altered HTT complexes in caspase-2 fragment transgenic mice (N552-Q148) and a stronger interaction with the endogenous HTT protein. These findings correlate with an altered HTT molecular complex and distinct proteins in the HTT interactome set identified by mass spectrometry. In particular, we identified HSP90AA1 (HSP86) as a potential modulator of the distinct neurotoxicity of the caspase-2 fragment mice (N552-Q148) when compared with the caspase-6 transgenic mice (N586-Q148).
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert O'Brien
- From the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California 94945
| | | | - Jennifer Holcomb
- From the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California 94945
| | - Akilah Bonner
- From the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California 94945
| | - Karen L Ring
- From the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California 94945
| | - Ningzhe Zhang
- From the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California 94945
| | - Khan Zafar
- From the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California 94945
| | - Andreas Weiss
- Evotec AG, Manfred Eigen Campus, Essener Bogen 7, 22419 Hamburg, Germany, and
| | - Brenda Lager
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, New Jersey 08540
| | - Birgit Schilling
- From the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California 94945
| | - Bradford W Gibson
- From the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California 94945
| | - Sylvia Chen
- From the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California 94945
| | - Seung Kwak
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, New Jersey 08540
| | - Lisa M Ellerby
- From the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California 94945,
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Scalable production in human cells and biochemical characterization of full-length normal and mutant huntingtin. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121055. [PMID: 25799558 PMCID: PMC4370734 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntingtin (Htt) is a 350 kD intracellular protein, ubiquitously expressed and mainly localized in the cytoplasm. Huntington’s disease (HD) is caused by a CAG triplet amplification in exon 1 of the corresponding gene resulting in a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion at the N-terminus of Htt. Production of full-length Htt has been difficult in the past and so far a scalable system or process has not been established for recombinant production of Htt in human cells. The ability to produce Htt in milligram quantities would be a prerequisite for many biochemical and biophysical studies aiming in a better understanding of Htt function under physiological conditions and in case of mutation and disease. For scalable production of full-length normal (17Q) and mutant (46Q and 128Q) Htt we have established two different systems, the first based on doxycycline-inducible Htt expression in stable cell lines, the second on “gutless” adenovirus mediated gene transfer. Purified material has then been used for biochemical characterization of full-length Htt. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) were determined and several new phosphorylation sites were identified. Nearly all PTMs in full-length Htt localized to areas outside of predicted alpha-solenoid protein regions. In all detected N-terminal peptides methionine as the first amino acid was missing and the second, alanine, was found to be acetylated. Differences in secondary structure between normal and mutant Htt, a helix-rich protein, were not observed in our study. Purified Htt tends to form dimers and higher order oligomers, thus resembling the situation observed with N-terminal fragments, although the mechanism of oligomer formation may be different.
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Aharony I, Ehrnhoefer DE, Shruster A, Qiu X, Franciosi S, Hayden MR, Offen D. A Huntingtin-based peptide inhibitor of caspase-6 provides protection from mutant Huntingtin-induced motor and behavioral deficits. Hum Mol Genet 2015; 24:2604-14. [PMID: 25616965 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, increasing evidence has implied a significant connection between caspase-6 activity and the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD). Consequently, inhibiting caspase-6 activity was suggested as a promising therapeutic strategy to reduce mutant Huntingtin toxicity, and to provide protection from mutant Huntingtin-induced motor and behavioral deficits. Here, we describe a novel caspase-6 inhibitor peptide based on the huntingtin caspase-6 cleavage site, fused with a cell-penetrating sequence. The peptide reduces mutant Huntingtin proteolysis by caspase-6, and protects cells from mutant Huntingtin toxicity. Continuous subcutaneous administration of the peptide protected pre-symptomatic BACHD mice from motor deficits and behavioral abnormalities. Moreover, administration of the peptide in an advanced disease state resulted in the partial recovery of motor performance, and an alleviation of depression-related behavior and cognitive deficits. Our findings reveal the potential of substrate-based caspase inhibition as a therapeutic strategy, and present a promising agent for the treatment of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Aharony
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel and
| | - Dagmar E Ehrnhoefer
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Adi Shruster
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel and
| | - Xiaofan Qiu
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sonia Franciosi
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Daniel Offen
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel and
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Wong BKY, Ehrnhoefer DE, Graham RK, Martin DDO, Ladha S, Uribe V, Stanek LM, Franciosi S, Qiu X, Deng Y, Kovalik V, Zhang W, Pouladi MA, Shihabuddin LS, Hayden MR. Partial rescue of some features of Huntington Disease in the genetic absence of caspase-6 in YAC128 mice. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 76:24-36. [PMID: 25583186 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2014.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Revised: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 12/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington Disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by an elongated CAG repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene that encodes a polyglutamine tract in the HTT protein. Proteolysis of the mutant HTT protein (mHTT) has been detected in human and murine HD brains and is implicated in the pathogenesis of HD. Of particular importance is the site at amino acid (aa) 586 that contains a caspase-6 (Casp6) recognition motif. Activation of Casp6 occurs presymptomatically in human HD patients and the inhibition of mHTT proteolysis at aa586 in the YAC128 mouse model results in the full rescue of HD-like phenotypes. Surprisingly, Casp6 ablation in two different HD mouse models did not completely prevent the generation of this fragment, and therapeutic benefits were limited, questioning the role of Casp6 in the disease. We have evaluated the impact of the loss of Casp6 in the YAC128 mouse model of HD. Levels of the mHTT-586 fragment are reduced but not absent in the absence of Casp6 and we identify caspase 8 as an alternate enzyme that can generate this fragment. In vivo, the ablation of Casp6 results in a partial rescue of body weight gain, normalized IGF-1 levels, a reversal of the depression-like phenotype and decreased HTT levels. In the YAC128/Casp6-/- striatum there is a concomitant reduction in p62 levels, a marker of autophagic activity, suggesting increased autophagic clearance. These results implicate the HTT-586 fragment as a key contributor to certain features of HD, irrespective of the enzyme involved in its generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibiana K Y Wong
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Dagmar E Ehrnhoefer
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Rona K Graham
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada; Research Center on Aging, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Dale D O Martin
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Safia Ladha
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Valeria Uribe
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Lisa M Stanek
- Genzyme, a Sanofi Company, Framingham, MA 01701, USA
| | - Sonia Franciosi
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Xiaofan Qiu
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Yu Deng
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Vlad Kovalik
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Weining Zhang
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Mahmoud A Pouladi
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada; Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138648, Singapore; Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | | | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.
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