1
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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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Prakasam R, Bonadiman A, Andreotti R, Zuccaro E, Dalfovo D, Marchioretti C, Tripathy D, Petris G, Anderson EN, Migazzi A, Tosatto L, Cereseto A, Battaglioli E, Sorarù G, Lim WF, Rinaldi C, Sambataro F, Pourshafie N, Grunseich C, Romanel A, Pandey UB, Contestabile A, Ronzitti G, Basso M, Pennuto M. LSD1/PRMT6-targeting gene therapy to attenuate androgen receptor toxic gain-of-function ameliorates spinobulbar muscular atrophy phenotypes in flies and mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:603. [PMID: 36746939 PMCID: PMC9902531 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36186-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinobulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is caused by CAG expansions in the androgen receptor gene. Androgen binding to polyQ-expanded androgen receptor triggers SBMA through a combination of toxic gain-of-function and loss-of-function mechanisms. Leveraging cell lines, mice, and patient-derived specimens, we show that androgen receptor co-regulators lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) and protein arginine methyltransferase 6 (PRMT6) are overexpressed in an androgen-dependent manner specifically in the skeletal muscle of SBMA patients and mice. LSD1 and PRMT6 cooperatively and synergistically transactivate androgen receptor, and their effect is enhanced by expanded polyQ. Pharmacological and genetic silencing of LSD1 and PRMT6 attenuates polyQ-expanded androgen receptor transactivation in SBMA cells and suppresses toxicity in SBMA flies, and a preclinical approach based on miRNA-mediated silencing of LSD1 and PRMT6 attenuates disease manifestations in SBMA mice. These observations suggest that targeting overexpressed co-regulators can attenuate androgen receptor toxic gain-of-function without exacerbating loss-of-function, highlighting a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with SBMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramachandran Prakasam
- Dulbecco Telethon Institute at the Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Angela Bonadiman
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Roberta Andreotti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, Padova, Italy
| | - Emanuela Zuccaro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, Padova, Italy
| | - Davide Dalfovo
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Caterina Marchioretti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, Padova, Italy
| | - Debasmita Tripathy
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Gianluca Petris
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Saffron Walden, UK
| | - Eric N Anderson
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Alice Migazzi
- Dulbecco Telethon Institute at the Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Laura Tosatto
- Dulbecco Telethon Institute at the Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Anna Cereseto
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Elena Battaglioli
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianni Sorarù
- Padova Neuroscience Center, Padova, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Wooi Fang Lim
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Carlo Rinaldi
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Fabio Sambataro
- Padova Neuroscience Center, Padova, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Naemeh Pourshafie
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christopher Grunseich
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alessandro Romanel
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Udai Bhan Pandey
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Giuseppe Ronzitti
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Evry, France
- Genethon, 91000, Evry, France
| | - Manuela Basso
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
| | - Maria Pennuto
- Dulbecco Telethon Institute at the Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy.
- Padova Neuroscience Center, Padova, Italy.
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3
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Gogia N, Ni L, Olmos V, Haidery F, Luttik K, Lim J. Exploring the Role of Posttranslational Modifications in Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:931301. [PMID: 35726299 PMCID: PMC9206542 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.931301] [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: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (SBMA) is an X-linked adult-onset progressive neuromuscular disease that affects the spinal and bulbar motor neurons and skeletal muscles. SBMA is caused by expansion of polymorphic CAG trinucleotide repeats in the Androgen Receptor (AR) gene, resulting in expanded glutamine tract in the AR protein. Polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion renders the mutant AR protein toxic, resulting in the formation of mutant protein aggregates and cell death. This classifies SBMA as one of the nine known polyQ diseases. Like other polyQ disorders, the expansion of the polyQ tract in the AR protein is the main genetic cause of the disease; however, multiple other mechanisms besides the polyQ tract expansion also contribute to the SBMA disease pathophysiology. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs), including phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, ubiquitination, and SUMOylation are a category of mechanisms by which the functionality of AR has been found to be significantly modulated and can alter the neurotoxicity of SBMA. This review summarizes the different PTMs and their effects in regulating the AR function and discusses their pathogenic or protective roles in context of SBMA. This review also includes the therapeutic approaches that target the PTMs of AR in an effort to reduce the mutant AR-mediated toxicity in SBMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Gogia
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Luhan Ni
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Victor Olmos
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Fatema Haidery
- Yale College, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Kimberly Luttik
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Janghoo Lim
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States,Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States,Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
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4
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Groover SE, Beasley M, Ramamurthy V, Legleiter J. Phosphomimetic Mutations Impact Huntingtin Aggregation in the Presence of a Variety of Lipid Systems. Biochemistry 2020; 59:4681-4693. [PMID: 33256402 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the abnormal expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the first exon of the htt protein (htt). PolyQ expansion triggers the aggregation of htt into a variety of structures, including oligomers and fibrils. This aggregation is impacted by the first 17 N-terminal amino acids (Nt17) of htt that directly precedes the polyQ domain. Beyond impacting aggregation, Nt17 associates with lipid membranes by forming an amphipathic α-helix. Post-translational modifications within Nt17 are known to modify HD pathology, and in particular, phosphorylation at T3, S13, and/or S16 retards fibrillization and ameliorates the phenotype in HD models. Due to Nt17's propensity to interact with lipid membranes, the impact of introducing phosphomimetic mutations (T3D, S13D, and S16D) into htt-exon1 on aggregation in the presence of a variety of model lipid membranes (total brain lipid extract, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine, and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-1'-rac-glycerol) was investigated. Phosphomimetic mutations altered htt's interaction with and aggregation in the presence of lipids; however, this was dependent on the lipid system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon E Groover
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Maryssa Beasley
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Visvanathan Ramamurthy
- Department of Ophthalmology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,Rockefeller Neurosciences Institutes, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Drive, P.O. Box 9303, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, United States
| | - Justin Legleiter
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,Rockefeller Neurosciences Institutes, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Drive, P.O. Box 9303, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Drive, P.O. Box 9303, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, United States
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5
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Chatterjee M, Steffan JS, Lukacsovich T, Marsh JL, Agrawal N. Serine residues 13 and 16 are key modulators of mutant huntingtin induced toxicity in Drosophila. Exp Neurol 2020; 338:113463. [PMID: 32941796 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Poly-glutamine expansion near the N-terminus of the huntingtin protein (HTT) is the prime determinant of Huntington's disease (HD) pathology; however, post-translational modifications and protein context are also reported to influence poly-glutamine induced HD toxicity. The impact of phosphorylating serine 13/16 of mutant HTT (mHTT) on HD has been documented in cell culture and murine models. However, endogenous processing of the human protein in mammalian systems complicates the interpretations. Therefore, to study the impact of S13/16 phosphorylation on the subcellular behavior of HTT under a controlled genetic background with minimal proteolytic processing of the human protein, we employed Drosophila as the model system. We ectopically expressed full-length (FL) and exon1 fragment of human HTT with phosphomimetic and resistant mutations at serines 13 and 16 in different neuronal populations. Phosphomimetic mHTT aggravates and the phosphoresistant mutation ameliorates mHTT-induced toxicity in the context of both FL- and exon1- mHTT in Drosophila although in all cases FL appears less toxic than exon1. Our observations strongly indicate that the phosphorylation status of S13/16 can affect HD pathology in Drosophila and these residues can be potential targets for affecting HD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha Chatterjee
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Joan S Steffan
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-1705, USA
| | - Tamas Lukacsovich
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - J Lawrence Marsh
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2300, USA
| | - Namita Agrawal
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India.
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6
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Vegeto E, Villa A, Della Torre S, Crippa V, Rusmini P, Cristofani R, Galbiati M, Maggi A, Poletti A. The Role of Sex and Sex Hormones in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Endocr Rev 2020; 41:5572525. [PMID: 31544208 PMCID: PMC7156855 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnz005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a wide class of disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) with unknown etiology. Several factors were hypothesized to be involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases, including genetic and environmental factors. Many of these diseases show a sex prevalence and sex steroids were shown to have a role in the progression of specific forms of neurodegeneration. Estrogens were reported to be neuroprotective through their action on cognate nuclear and membrane receptors, while adverse effects of male hormones have been described on neuronal cells, although some data also suggest neuroprotective activities. The response of the CNS to sex steroids is a complex and integrated process that depends on (i) the type and amount of the cognate steroid receptor and (ii) the target cell type-either neurons, glia, or microglia. Moreover, the levels of sex steroids in the CNS fluctuate due to gonadal activities and to local metabolism and synthesis. Importantly, biochemical processes involved in the pathogenesis of NDs are increasingly being recognized as different between the two sexes and as influenced by sex steroids. The aim of this review is to present current state-of-the-art understanding on the potential role of sex steroids and their receptors on the onset and progression of major neurodegenerative disorders, namely, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and the peculiar motoneuron disease spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, in which hormonal therapy is potentially useful as disease modifier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Vegeto
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Villa
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute (DiSS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Sara Della Torre
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Valeria Crippa
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Rusmini
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Riccardo Cristofani
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Mariarita Galbiati
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Adriana Maggi
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Angelo Poletti
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
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7
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Sap KA, Guler AT, Bezstarosti K, Bury AE, Juenemann K, Demmers JA, Reits EA. Global Proteome and Ubiquitinome Changes in the Soluble and Insoluble Fractions of Q175 Huntington Mice Brains. Mol Cell Proteomics 2019; 18:1705-1720. [PMID: 31138642 PMCID: PMC6731087 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra119.001486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is caused by a polyglutamine repeat expansion in the huntingtin protein which affects the function and folding of the protein, and results in intracellular protein aggregates. Here, we examined whether this mutation leads to altered ubiquitination of huntingtin and other proteins in both soluble and insoluble fractions of brain lysates of the Q175 knock-in Huntington's disease mouse model and the Q20 wild-type mouse model. Ubiquitination sites are detected by identification of Gly-Gly (diGly) remnant motifs that remain on modified lysine residues after digestion. We identified K6, K9, K132, K804, and K837 as endogenous ubiquitination sites of soluble huntingtin, with wild-type huntingtin being mainly ubiquitinated at K132, K804, and K837. Mutant huntingtin protein levels were strongly reduced in the soluble fraction whereas K6 and K9 were mainly ubiquitinated. In the insoluble fraction increased levels of huntingtin K6 and K9 diGly sites were observed for mutant huntingtin as compared with wild type. Besides huntingtin, proteins with various roles, including membrane organization, transport, mRNA processing, gene transcription, translation, catabolic processes and oxidative phosphorylation, were differently expressed or ubiquitinated in wild-type and mutant huntingtin brain tissues. Correlating protein and diGly site fold changes in the soluble fraction revealed that diGly site abundances of most of the proteins were not related to protein fold changes, indicating that these proteins were differentially ubiquitinated in the Q175 mice. In contrast, both the fold change of the protein level and diGly site level were increased for several proteins in the insoluble fraction, including ubiquitin, ubiquilin-2, sequestosome-1/p62 and myo5a. Our data sheds light on putative novel proteins involved in different cellular processes as well as their ubiquitination status in Huntington's disease, which forms the basis for further mechanistic studies to understand the role of differential ubiquitination of huntingtin and ubiquitin-regulated processes in Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Sap
- ‡Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arzu Tugce Guler
- ‡Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karel Bezstarosti
- §Department of Biochemistry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aleksandra E Bury
- ‡Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Katrin Juenemann
- ¶Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie im Forschungsverbund Berlin, Robert-Roessle-St. 10 13089 Berlin, Germany
| | - JeroenA A Demmers
- §Department of Biochemistry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eric A Reits
- ‡Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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da S. Hage-Melim LI, Ferreira JV, de Oliveira NK, Correia LC, Almeida MR, Poiani JG, Taft CA, de Paula da Silva CH. The Impact of Natural Compounds on the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases. CURR ORG CHEM 2019. [DOI: 10.2174/1385272823666190327100418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are characterized by a progressive deterioration of the motor and/or cognitive function, that are often accompanied by psychiatric disorders, caused by a selective loss of neurons in the central nervous system. Among the NDDs we can mention Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinocerebellar ataxia 3 (SCA3), spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). AD and HD are characterized mainly by massive neuronal loss. PD, ALS, SCA3 and SBMA are agerelated diseases which have characteristic motor symptoms. CJD is an NDD caused by prion proteins. With increasing life expectancy, elderly populations tend to have more health problems, such as chronic diseases related to age and disability. Therefore, the development of therapeutic strategies to treat or prevent multiple pathophysiological conditions in the elderly can improve the expectation and quality of life. The attention of researchers has been focused on bioactive natural compounds that represent important resources in the discovery and development of drug candidates against NDDs. In this review, we discuss the pathogenesis, symptoms, potential targets, treatment and natural compounds effective in the treatment of AD, PD, HD, ALS, SCA3, SBMA and CJD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorane I. da S. Hage-Melim
- Laboratorio de Quimica Farmaceutica e Medicinal (PharMedChem), Universidade Federal do Amapa, Macapa, Brazil
| | - Jaderson V. Ferreira
- Laboratorio de Quimica Farmaceutica e Medicinal (PharMedChem), Universidade Federal do Amapa, Macapa, Brazil
| | - Nayana K.S. de Oliveira
- Laboratorio de Quimica Farmaceutica e Medicinal (PharMedChem), Universidade Federal do Amapa, Macapa, Brazil
| | - Lenir C. Correia
- Laboratorio de Quimica Farmaceutica e Medicinal (PharMedChem), Universidade Federal do Amapa, Macapa, Brazil
| | - Marcos R.S. Almeida
- Laboratorio de Quimica Farmaceutica e Medicinal (PharMedChem), Universidade Federal do Amapa, Macapa, Brazil
| | - João G.C. Poiani
- Laboratorio Computacional de Química Farmaceutica, Departamento de Ciencias Farmaceuticas, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmaceuticas de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlton A. Taft
- Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carlos H.T. de Paula da Silva
- Laboratorio Computacional de Química Farmaceutica, Departamento de Ciencias Farmaceuticas, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmaceuticas de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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9
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Kurtishi A, Rosen B, Patil KS, Alves GW, Møller SG. Cellular Proteostasis in Neurodegeneration. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:3676-3689. [PMID: 30182337 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1334-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The term proteostasis reflects the fine-tuned balance of cellular protein levels, mediated through a vast network of biochemical pathways. This requires the regulated control of protein folding, post-translational modification, and protein degradation. Due to the complex interactions and intersection of proteostasis pathways, exposure to stress conditions may lead to a disruption of the entire network. Incorrect protein folding and/or modifications during protein synthesis results in inactive or toxic proteins, which may overload degradation mechanisms. Further, a disruption of autophagy and the endoplasmic reticulum degradation pathway may result in additional cellular stress which could ultimately lead to cell death. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis all share common risk factors such as oxidative stress, aging, environmental stress, and protein dysfunction; all of which alter cellular proteostasis. The differing pathologies observed in neurodegenerative diseases are determined by factors such as location-specific neuronal death, source of protein dysfunction, and the cell's ability to counter proteotoxicity. In this review, we discuss how the disruption in cellular proteostasis contributes to the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberim Kurtishi
- Department of Biological Sciences, St. John's University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, New York, 11439, USA
| | - Benjamin Rosen
- Department of Biological Sciences, St. John's University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, New York, 11439, USA
| | - Ketan S Patil
- Department of Biological Sciences, St. John's University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, New York, 11439, USA
| | - Guido W Alves
- Norwegian Center for Movement Disorders, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Simon G Møller
- Department of Biological Sciences, St. John's University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, New York, 11439, USA. .,Norwegian Center for Movement Disorders, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.
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10
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Pennuto M, Rinaldi C. From gene to therapy in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy: Are we there yet? Mol Cell Endocrinol 2018; 465:113-121. [PMID: 28688959 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal polyglutamine expansions in the androgen receptor (AR) cause a muscular condition, known as Kennedy's disease or spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA). The disease is transmitted in an X-linked fashion and is clinically characterized by weakness, atrophy and fasciculations of the limb and bulbar muscles as a result of a toxic gain-of-function of the mutant protein. Notably, affected males also show signs of androgen insensitivity, such as gynaecomastia and reduced fertility. The characterization of the natural history of the disease, the increasing understanding of the mechanism of pathogenesis and the elucidation of the functions of normal and mutant AR have offered a momentum for developing a rational therapeutic strategy for this disease. In this special issue on androgens and AR functions, we will review the molecular, biochemical, and cellular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of SBMA. We will discuss recent advances on therapeutic approaches and opportunities for this yet incurable disease, ranging from androgen deprivation, to gene silencing, to an expanding repertoire of peripheral targets, including muscle. With the advancement of these strategies into the clinic, it can be reasonably anticipated that the landscape of treatment options for SBMA and other neuromuscular conditions will change rapidly in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pennuto
- Dulbecco Telethon Institute, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy.
| | - Carlo Rinaldi
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, OX1 3QX Oxford, UK.
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11
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Polyglutamine expansion diseases: More than simple repeats. J Struct Biol 2017; 201:139-154. [PMID: 28928079 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2017.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat-containing proteins are widespread in the human proteome but only nine of them are associated with highly incapacitating neurodegenerative disorders. The genetic expansion of the polyQ tract in disease-related proteins triggers a series of events resulting in neurodegeneration. The polyQ tract plays the leading role in the aggregation mechanism, but other elements modulate the aggregation propensity in the context of the full-length proteins, as implied by variations in the length of the polyQ tract required to trigger the onset of a given polyQ disease. Intrinsic features such as the presence of aggregation-prone regions (APRs) outside the polyQ segments and polyQ-flanking sequences, which synergistically participate in the aggregation process, are emerging for several disease-related proteins. The inherent polymorphic structure of polyQ stretches places the polyQ proteins in a central position in protein-protein interaction networks, where interacting partners may additionally shield APRs or reshape the aggregation course. Expansion of the polyQ tract perturbs the cellular homeostasis and contributes to neuronal failure by modulating protein-protein interactions and enhancing toxic oligomerization. Post-translational modifications further regulate self-assembly either by directly altering the intrinsic aggregation propensity of polyQ proteins, by modulating their interaction with different macromolecules or by modifying their withdrawal by the cell quality control machinery. Here we review the recent data on the multifaceted aggregation pathways of disease-related polyQ proteins, focusing on ataxin-3, the protein mutated in Machado-Joseph disease. Further mechanistic understanding of this network of events is crucial for the development of effective therapies for polyQ diseases.
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12
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Chaibva M, Jawahery S, Pilkington AW, Arndt JR, Sarver O, Valentine S, Matysiak S, Legleiter J. Acetylation within the First 17 Residues of Huntingtin Exon 1 Alters Aggregation and Lipid Binding. Biophys J 2017; 111:349-362. [PMID: 27463137 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2016.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) domain near the N-terminus of the huntingtin (htt) protein. Expanded polyQ leads to htt aggregation. The first 17 amino acids (Nt(17)) in htt comprise a lipid-binding domain that undergoes a number of posttranslational modifications that can modulate htt toxicity and subcellular localization. As there are three lysines within Nt(17), we evaluated the impact of lysine acetylation on htt aggregation in solution and on model lipid bilayers. Acetylation of htt-exon1(51Q) and synthetic truncated htt-exon 1 mimicking peptides (Nt(17)-Q35-P10-KK) was achieved using a selective covalent label, sulfo-N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHSA). With this treatment, all three lysine residues (K6, K9, and K15) in Nt(17) were significantly acetylated. N-terminal htt acetylation retarded fibril formation in solution and promoted the formation of larger globular aggregates. Acetylated htt also bound lipid membranes and disrupted the lipid bilayer morphology less aggressively compared with the wild-type. Computational studies provided mechanistic insights into how acetylation alters the interaction of Nt(17) with lipid membranes. Our results highlight that N-terminal acetylation influences the aggregation of htt and its interaction with lipid bilayers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxmore Chaibva
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Sudi Jawahery
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Albert W Pilkington
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - James R Arndt
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Olivia Sarver
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Stephen Valentine
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Silvina Matysiak
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland; Biophysics Program, Institute for Physical Chemistry and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.
| | - Justin Legleiter
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia; NanoSAFE, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia; Center for Neurosciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia.
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13
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Sin O, de Jong T, Mata-Cabana A, Kudron M, Zaini MA, Aprile FA, Seinstra RI, Stroo E, Prins RW, Martineau CN, Wang HH, Hogewerf W, Steinhof A, Wanker EE, Vendruscolo M, Calkhoven CF, Reinke V, Guryev V, Nollen EAA. Identification of an RNA Polymerase III Regulator Linked to Disease-Associated Protein Aggregation. Mol Cell 2017; 65:1096-1108.e6. [PMID: 28306505 PMCID: PMC5364375 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2017.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Protein aggregation is associated with age-related neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and polyglutamine diseases. As a causal relationship between protein aggregation and neurodegeneration remains elusive, understanding the cellular mechanisms regulating protein aggregation will help develop future treatments. To identify such mechanisms, we conducted a forward genetic screen in a C. elegans model of polyglutamine aggregation and identified the protein MOAG-2/LIR-3 as a driver of protein aggregation. In the absence of polyglutamine, MOAG-2/LIR-3 regulates the RNA polymerase III-associated transcription of small non-coding RNAs. This regulation is lost in the presence of polyglutamine, which mislocalizes MOAG-2/LIR-3 from the nucleus to the cytosol. We then show biochemically that MOAG-2/LIR-3 can also catalyze the aggregation of polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin. These results suggest that polyglutamine can induce an aggregation-promoting activity of MOAG-2/LIR-3 in the cytosol. The concept that certain aggregation-prone proteins can convert other endogenous proteins into drivers of aggregation and toxicity adds to the understanding of how cellular homeostasis can be deteriorated in protein misfolding diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Sin
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, 9700 AD Groningen, the Netherlands; Graduate Program in Areas of Basic and Applied Biology, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Tristan de Jong
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, 9700 AD Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Alejandro Mata-Cabana
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, 9700 AD Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Michelle Kudron
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Mohamad Amr Zaini
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, 9700 AD Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Renée I Seinstra
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, 9700 AD Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Esther Stroo
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, 9700 AD Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Roméo Willinge Prins
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, 9700 AD Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Céline N Martineau
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, 9700 AD Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Hai Hui Wang
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, 9700 AD Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Wytse Hogewerf
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, 9700 AD Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Anne Steinhof
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Erich E Wanker
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Cornelis F Calkhoven
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, 9700 AD Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Valerie Reinke
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Victor Guryev
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, 9700 AD Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Ellen A A Nollen
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, 9700 AD Groningen, the Netherlands.
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14
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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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15
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Diez-Ardanuy C, Greaves J, Munro KR, Tomkinson NCO, Chamberlain LH. A cluster of palmitoylated cysteines are essential for aggregation of cysteine-string protein mutants that cause neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10. [PMID: 28127059 PMCID: PMC5428344 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00036-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Autosomal-dominant adult-onset neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (ANCL) is caused by mutation of the DNAJC5 gene encoding cysteine string protein alpha (CSPα). The disease-causing mutations, which result in substitution of leucine-115 with an arginine (L115R) or deletion of the neighbouring leucine-116 (∆L116) in the cysteine-string domain cause CSPα to form high molecular weight SDS-resistant aggregates, which are also present in post-mortem brain tissue from patients. Formation and stability of these mutant aggregates is linked to palmitoylation of the cysteine-string domain, however the regions of the mutant proteins that drive aggregation have not been determined. The importance of specific residues in the cysteine-string domain was investigated, revealing that a central core of palmitoylated cysteines is essential for aggregation of ANCL CSPα mutants. Interestingly, palmitoylated monomers of ANCL CSPα mutants were shown to be short-lived compared with wild-type CSPα, suggesting that the mutants either have a faster rate of depalmitoylation or that they are consumed in a time-dependent manner into high molecular weight aggregates. These findings provide new insight into the features of CSPα that promote aggregation in the presence of L115R/∆L116 mutations and reveal a change in the lifetime of palmitoylated monomers of the mutant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinta Diez-Ardanuy
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
| | - Jennifer Greaves
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
| | - Kevin R Munro
- WestCHEM, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, 295 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G1 1XL, UK
| | - Nicholas C O Tomkinson
- WestCHEM, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, 295 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G1 1XL, UK
| | - Luke H Chamberlain
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK.
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16
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Alves-Cruzeiro JMDC, Mendonça L, Pereira de Almeida L, Nóbrega C. Motor Dysfunctions and Neuropathology in Mouse Models of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2: A Comprehensive Review. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:572. [PMID: 28018166 PMCID: PMC5156697 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00572] [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: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal dominant ataxia caused by an expansion of CAG repeats in the exon 1 of the gene ATXN2, conferring a gain of toxic function that triggers the appearance of the disease phenotype. SCA2 is characterized by several symptoms including progressive gait ataxia and dysarthria, slow saccadic eye movements, sleep disturbances, cognitive impairments, and psychological dysfunctions such as insomnia and depression, among others. The available treatments rely on palliative care, which mitigate some of the major symptoms but ultimately fail to block the disease progression. This persistent lack of effective therapies led to the development of several models in yeast, C. elegans, D. melanogaster, and mice to serve as platforms for testing new therapeutic strategies and to accelerate the research on the complex disease mechanisms. In this work, we review 4 transgenic and 1 knock-in mouse that exhibit a SCA2-related phenotype and discuss their usefulness in addressing different scientific problems. The knock-in mice are extremely faithful to the human disease, with late onset of symptoms and physiological levels of mutant ataxin-2, while the other transgenic possess robust and well-characterized motor impairments and neuropathological features. Furthermore, a new BAC model of SCA2 shows promise to study the recently explored role of non-coding RNAs as a major pathogenic mechanism in this devastating disorder. Focusing on specific aspects of the behavior and neuropathology, as well as technical aspects, we provide a highly practical description and comparison of all the models with the purpose of creating a useful resource for SCA2 researchers worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Liliana Mendonça
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of CoimbraCoimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of CoimbraCoimbra, Portugal
| | - Clévio Nóbrega
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine and Center for Biomedical Research, University of Algarve Faro, Portugal
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17
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Liu J, Chan KKJ, Chan W. Identification of Protein Thiazolidination as a Novel Molecular Signature for Oxidative Stress and Formaldehyde Exposure. Chem Res Toxicol 2016; 29:1865-1871. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.6b00271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Liu
- Environmental Science Programs and ‡Department of
Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear
Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - K. K. Jason Chan
- Environmental Science Programs and ‡Department of
Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear
Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Wan Chan
- Environmental Science Programs and ‡Department of
Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear
Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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18
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Suman S, Mishra S, Shukla Y. Toxicoproteomics in human health and disease: an update. Expert Rev Proteomics 2016; 13:1073-1089. [DOI: 10.1080/14789450.2016.1252676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shankar Suman
- Proteomics and Environmental Carcinogenesis Laboratory, Food, Drug and Chemical Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Lucknow, India
| | - Sanjay Mishra
- Proteomics and Environmental Carcinogenesis Laboratory, Food, Drug and Chemical Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Lucknow, India
| | - Yogeshwer Shukla
- Proteomics and Environmental Carcinogenesis Laboratory, Food, Drug and Chemical Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Lucknow, India
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19
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Kratter IH, Zahed H, Lau A, Tsvetkov AS, Daub AC, Weiberth KF, Gu X, Saudou F, Humbert S, Yang XW, Osmand A, Steffan JS, Masliah E, Finkbeiner S. Serine 421 regulates mutant huntingtin toxicity and clearance in mice. J Clin Invest 2016; 126:3585-97. [PMID: 27525439 PMCID: PMC5004962 DOI: 10.1172/jci80339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive, adult-onset neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the N-terminal region of the protein huntingtin (HTT). There are no cures or disease-modifying therapies for HD. HTT has a highly conserved Akt phosphorylation site at serine 421, and prior work in HD models found that phosphorylation at S421 (S421-P) diminishes the toxicity of mutant HTT (mHTT) fragments in neuronal cultures. However, whether S421-P affects the toxicity of mHTT in vivo remains unknown. In this work, we used murine models to investigate the role of S421-P in HTT-induced neurodegeneration. Specifically, we mutated the human mHTT gene within a BAC to express either an aspartic acid or an alanine at position 421, mimicking tonic phosphorylation (mHTT-S421D mice) or preventing phosphorylation (mHTT-S421A mice), respectively. Mimicking HTT phosphorylation strongly ameliorated mHTT-induced behavioral dysfunction and striatal neurodegeneration, whereas neuronal dysfunction persisted when S421 phosphorylation was blocked. We found that S421 phosphorylation mitigates neurodegeneration by increasing proteasome-dependent turnover of mHTT and reducing the presence of a toxic mHTT conformer. These data indicate that S421 is a potent modifier of mHTT toxicity and offer in vivo validation for S421 as a therapeutic target in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian H. Kratter
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease and the Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, San Francisco, California, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program and
- Medical Scientist Training Program, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Hengameh Zahed
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease and the Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, San Francisco, California, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program and
- Medical Scientist Training Program, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Alice Lau
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Andrey S. Tsvetkov
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Aaron C. Daub
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease and the Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, San Francisco, California, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kurt F. Weiberth
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease and the Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, San Francisco, California, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program and
| | - Xiaofeng Gu
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, Grenoble, France
- Inserm, U1216, Grenoble, France
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - Sandrine Humbert
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, Grenoble, France
- Inserm, U1216, Grenoble, France
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - X. William Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alex Osmand
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Joan S. Steffan
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Departments of Neurosciences and Pathology, UCSD, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Steven Finkbeiner
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease and the Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, San Francisco, California, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program and
- Departments of Neurology and Physiology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
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20
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Matos CA, Nóbrega C, Louros SR, Almeida B, Ferreiro E, Valero J, Pereira de Almeida L, Macedo-Ribeiro S, Carvalho AL. Ataxin-3 phosphorylation decreases neuronal defects in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 models. J Cell Biol 2016; 212:465-80. [PMID: 26880203 PMCID: PMC4754714 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201506025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ataxin-3, the protein involved in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 or Machado-Joseph disease, causes dendritic and synapse loss in cultured neurons when expanded, and mutation of phosphorylation site S12 reduces aggregation, neuronal loss, and synapse loss. Different neurodegenerative diseases are caused by aberrant elongation of repeated glutamine sequences normally found in particular human proteins. Although the proteins involved are ubiquitously distributed in human tissues, toxicity targets only defined neuronal populations. Changes caused by an expanded polyglutamine protein are possibly influenced by endogenous cellular mechanisms, which may be harnessed to produce neuroprotection. Here, we show that ataxin-3, the protein involved in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, also known as Machado-Joseph disease, causes dendritic and synapse loss in cultured neurons when expanded. We report that S12 of ataxin-3 is phosphorylated in neurons and that mutating this residue so as to mimic a constitutive phosphorylated state counters the neuromorphologic defects observed. In rats stereotaxically injected with expanded ataxin-3–encoding lentiviral vectors, mutation of serine 12 reduces aggregation, neuronal loss, and synapse loss. Our results suggest that S12 plays a role in the pathogenic pathways mediated by polyglutamine-expanded ataxin-3 and that phosphorylation of this residue protects against toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Matos
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Clévio Nóbrega
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Susana R Louros
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Bruno Almeida
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular and Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Elisabete Ferreiro
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jorge Valero
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal Ikerbasque Basque Foundation for Science and Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, E-48170 Zamudio, Spain
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sandra Macedo-Ribeiro
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular and Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Luísa Carvalho
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
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Ochaba J, Monteys AM, O'Rourke JG, Reidling JC, Steffan JS, Davidson BL, Thompson LM. PIAS1 Regulates Mutant Huntingtin Accumulation and Huntington's Disease-Associated Phenotypes In Vivo. Neuron 2016; 90:507-20. [PMID: 27146268 PMCID: PMC4942306 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The disruption of protein quality control networks is central to pathology in Huntington's disease (HD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. The aberrant accumulation of insoluble high-molecular-weight protein complexes containing the Huntingtin (HTT) protein and SUMOylated protein corresponds to disease manifestation. We previously identified an HTT-selective E3 SUMO ligase, PIAS1, that regulates HTT accumulation and SUMO modification in cells. Here we investigated whether PIAS1 modulation in neurons alters HD-associated phenotypes in vivo. Instrastriatal injection of a PIAS1-directed miRNA significantly improved behavioral phenotypes in rapidly progressing mutant HTT (mHTT) fragment R6/2 mice. PIAS1 reduction prevented the accumulation of mHTT and SUMO- and ubiquitin-modified proteins, increased synaptophysin levels, and normalized key inflammatory markers. In contrast, PIAS1 overexpression exacerbated mHTT-associated phenotypes and aberrant protein accumulation. These results confirm the association between aberrant accumulation of expanded polyglutamine-dependent insoluble protein species and pathogenesis, and they link phenotypic benefit to reduction of these species through PIAS1 modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Ochaba
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Alex Mas Monteys
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jacqueline G O'Rourke
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Jack C Reidling
- Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Joan S Steffan
- Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Beverly L Davidson
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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22
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Arndt JR, Chaibva M, Legleiter J. The emerging role of the first 17 amino acids of huntingtin in Huntington's disease. Biomol Concepts 2016; 6:33-46. [PMID: 25741791 DOI: 10.1515/bmc-2015-0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ) domain that is expanded beyond a critical threshold near the N-terminus of the huntingtin (htt) protein, directly leading to htt aggregation. While full-length htt is a large (on the order of ∼350 kDa) protein, it is proteolyzed into a variety of N-terminal fragments that accumulate in oligomers, fibrils, and larger aggregates. It is clear that polyQ length is a key determinant of htt aggregation and toxicity. However, the flanking sequences around the polyQ domain, such as the first 17 amino acids on the N terminus (Nt17), influence aggregation, aggregate stability, influence other important biochemical properties of the protein and ultimately its role in pathogenesis. Here, we review the impact of Nt17 on htt aggregation mechanisms and kinetics, structural properties of Nt17 in both monomeric and aggregate forms, the potential role of posttranslational modifications (PTMs) that occur in Nt17 in HD, and the function of Nt17 as a membrane targeting domain.
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23
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Bowles KR, Brooks SP, Dunnett SB, Jones L. Huntingtin Subcellular Localisation Is Regulated by Kinase Signalling Activity in the StHdhQ111 Model of HD. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144864. [PMID: 26660732 PMCID: PMC4679340 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised primarily by motor abnormalities, and is caused by an expanded polyglutamine repeat in the huntingtin protein. Huntingtin dynamically shuttles between subcellular compartments, and the mutant huntingtin protein is mislocalised to cell nuclei, where it may interfere with nuclear functions, such as transcription. However, the mechanism by which mislocalisation of mutant huntingtin occurs is currently unknown. An immortalised embryonic striatal cell model of HD (StHdhQ111) was stimulated with epidermal growth factor in order to determine whether the subcellular localisation of huntingtin is dependent on kinase signalling pathway activation. Aberrant phosphorylation of AKT and MEK signalling pathways was identified in cells carrying mutant huntingtin. Activity within these pathways was found to contribute to the regulation of huntingtin and mutant huntingtin localisation, as well as to the expression of immediate-early genes. We propose that altered kinase signalling is a phenotype of Huntington's disease that occurs prior to cell death; specifically, that altered kinase signalling may influence huntingtin localisation, which in turn may impact upon nuclear processes such as transcriptional regulation. Aiming to restore the balance of activity between kinase signalling networks may therefore prove to be an effective approach to delaying Huntington's disease symptom development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R. Bowles
- Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Hadyn Ellis building, Maindy Road, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Simon P. Brooks
- The Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen B. Dunnett
- The Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Lesley Jones
- Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Hadyn Ellis building, Maindy Road, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, Wales, United Kingdom
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Berger TR, Montie HL, Jain P, Legleiter J, Merry DE. Identification of novel polyglutamine-expanded aggregation species in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Brain Res 2015; 1628:254-264. [PMID: 26453288 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Revised: 09/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Polyglutamine-repeat disorders are part of a larger family of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by protein misfolding and aggregation. In spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), polyglutamine expansion within the androgen receptor (AR) causes progressive debilitating muscular atrophy and lower motor neuron loss in males. Although soluble polyglutamine-expanded aggregation species are considered toxic intermediates in the aggregation process, relatively little is known about the spectrum of structures that are formed. Here we identify novel polyglutamine-expanded AR aggregates that are SDS-soluble and bind the toxicity-predicting antibody 3B5H10. Soluble, 3B5H10-reactive aggregation species exist in low-density conformations and are larger by atomic force microscopy, suggesting that they may be less compact than later-stage, insoluble aggregates. We demonstrate disease-relevance in vivo and draw correlations with toxicity in vitro. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Neuroprotection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar R Berger
- Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Heather L Montie
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Pranav Jain
- West Virginia University, Department of Chemistry, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Justin Legleiter
- West Virginia University, Department of Chemistry, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Diane E Merry
- Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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25
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Basso M, Pennuto M. Serine phosphorylation and arginine methylation at the crossroads to neurodegeneration. Exp Neurol 2015; 271:77-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Almeida B, Abreu IA, Matos CA, Fraga JS, Fernandes S, Macedo MG, Gutiérrez-Gallego R, Pereira PJB, Carvalho AL, Macedo-Ribeiro S. SUMOylation of the brain-predominant Ataxin-3 isoform modulates its interaction with p97. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2015; 1852:1950-9. [PMID: 26073430 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2015.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Revised: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Machado-Joseph Disease (MJD), a form of dominantly inherited ataxia belonging to the group of polyQ expansion neurodegenerative disorders, occurs when a threshold value for the number of glutamines in Ataxin-3 (Atx3) polyglutamine region is exceeded. As a result of its modular multidomain architecture, Atx3 is known to engage in multiple macromolecular interactions, which might be unbalanced when the polyQ tract is expanded, culminating in the aggregation and formation of intracellular inclusions, a unifying fingerprint of this group of neurodegenerative disorders. Since aggregation is specific to certain brain regions, localization-dependent posttranslational modifications that differentially affect Atx3 might also contribute for MJD. METHODS We combined in vitro and cellular approaches to address SUMOylation in the brain-predominant Atx3 isoform and assessed the impact of this posttranslational modification on Atx3 self-assembly and interaction with its native partner, p97. RESULTS We demonstrate that Atx3 is SUMOylated at K356 both in vitro and in cells, which contributes for decreased formation of amyloid fibrils and for increased affinity towards p97. CONCLUSIONS AND GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE These findings highlight the role of SUMOylation as a regulator of Atx3 function, with implications on Atx3 protein interaction network and self-assembly, with potential impact for further understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying MJD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Almeida
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Isabel A Abreu
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Carlos A Matos
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Joana S Fraga
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Sara Fernandes
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria G Macedo
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Gutiérrez-Gallego
- Bioanalysis Group, Neurosciences Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM)-Parque de Salud Mar, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro José Barbosa Pereira
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Luísa Carvalho
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sandra Macedo-Ribeiro
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
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27
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Scaramuzzino C, Casci I, Parodi S, Lievens PMJ, Polanco MJ, Milioto C, Chivet M, Monaghan J, Mishra A, Badders N, Aggarwal T, Grunseich C, Sambataro F, Basso M, Fackelmayer FO, Taylor JP, Pandey UB, Pennuto M. Protein arginine methyltransferase 6 enhances polyglutamine-expanded androgen receptor function and toxicity in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Neuron 2015; 85:88-100. [PMID: 25569348 PMCID: PMC4305189 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Polyglutamine expansion in androgen receptor (AR) is responsible for spinobulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) that leads to selective loss of lower motor neurons. Using SBMA as a model, we explored the relationship between protein structure/function and neurodegeneration in polyglutamine diseases. We show here that protein arginine methyltransferase 6 (PRMT6) is a specific co-activator of normal and mutant AR and that the interaction of PRMT6 with AR is significantly enhanced in the AR mutant. AR and PRMT6 interaction occurs through the PRMT6 steroid receptor interaction motif, LXXLL, and the AR activating function 2 surface. AR transactivation requires PRMT6 catalytic activity and involves methylation of arginine residues at Akt consensus site motifs, which is mutually exclusive with serine phosphorylation by Akt. The enhanced interaction of PRMT6 and mutant AR leads to neurodegeneration in cell and fly models of SBMA. These findings demonstrate a direct role of arginine methylation in polyglutamine disease pathogenesis. PRMT6 is a coactivator of AR whose function is enhanced by polyglutamine expansion PRMT6 methylates the AR at the two Akt consensus site motifs RXRXXS AR arginine methylation by PRMT6 and phosphorylation by Akt are mutually exclusive PRMT6 enhances mutant AR toxicity in spinobulbar muscular atrophy cells and flies
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Scaramuzzino
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Ian Casci
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sara Parodi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genoa, Italy; Neurogenetics Branch, NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Patricia M J Lievens
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genoa, Italy; Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Maria J Polanco
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genoa, Italy; Dulbecco Telethon Institute Lab of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Carmelo Milioto
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genoa, Italy; Dulbecco Telethon Institute Lab of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Mathilde Chivet
- Dulbecco Telethon Institute Lab of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - John Monaghan
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Ashutosh Mishra
- St. Jude Proteomics Facility, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Nisha Badders
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Tanya Aggarwal
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Sambataro
- Brain Center for Motor and Social Cognition, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia@UniPR, 43100 Parma, Italy
| | - Manuela Basso
- Laboratory of Transcriptional Neurobiology, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Frank O Fackelmayer
- Laboratory of Epigenetics and Chromosome Biology, Department of Biomedical Research, Institute for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - J Paul Taylor
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Udai Bhan Pandey
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Maria Pennuto
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genoa, Italy; Dulbecco Telethon Institute Lab of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy.
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28
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Abstract
AbstractRecent research has identified ER stress as a major mechanism implicated in cytotoxicity in many neurodegenerative diseases, among them Huntington’s disease. This genetic disorder is of late-onset, progressive and fatal, affecting cognition and movement. There is presently no cure nor any effective therapy for the disease. This review focuses on recent findings that shed light on the mechanisms of the advent and development of ER stress in Huntington’s disease and on its implications, highlighting possible therapeutic avenues that are being or could be explored.
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29
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Feligioni M, Marcelli S, Knock E, Nadeem U, Arancio O, E. Fraser P. SUMO modulation of protein aggregation and degradation. AIMS MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.3934/molsci.2015.4.382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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Kim M. Pathogenic polyglutamine expansion length correlates with polarity of the flanking sequences. Mol Neurodegener 2014; 9:45. [PMID: 25377768 PMCID: PMC4237751 DOI: 10.1186/1750-1326-9-45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat expansion within coding sequence of a soluble protein is responsible for eight autosomal-dominant genetic neurodegenerative disorders. These disorders affect cerebellum, striatum, basal ganglia and other brain regions. The pathogenic polyQ-expansion threshold in these proteins varies from 32Q to 54Q. Understanding the reasons for variability in pathogenic polyQ threshold may provide insights into pathogenic mechanisms responsible for development of these disorders. Findings Here we established a quantitative correlation between the polarity of the flanking sequences and pathogenic polyQ-expansion threshold in this protein family. We introduced an “edge polarity index” (EPI) to quantify polarity effects of the flanking regions and established a strong correlation between EPI index and critical polyQ expansion length in this protein family. Based on this analysis we subdivided polyQ-expanded proteins into 2 groups – with strong and weak dependence of polyQ threshold on EPI index. The main difference between members of the first and the second group is a polarity profile of these proteins outside of polyQ and flanking regions. PolyQ proteins are known substrates for proteasome and most likely mechanistic explanation for the observed correlation is that proteasome may have an impaired ability to process continuous non-polar regions of proteins. Conclusions The proposed hypothesis provides a quantitative explanation for variability in pathogenic threshold among polyQ-expansion disorders, which we established to correlate with polarity of flanking regions. To explain these results we propose that proteasome is not efficient in processing continuous non-polar regions of proteins, resulting in release of undigested and partially digested fragments. If supported experimentally, our hypothesis may have wide implications for further understanding the pathogensis of polyglutamine expansion disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meewhi Kim
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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31
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Hoffner G, Djian P. Polyglutamine Aggregation in Huntington Disease: Does Structure Determine Toxicity? Mol Neurobiol 2014; 52:1297-1314. [PMID: 25336039 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-8932-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Huntington disease is a dominantly inherited disease of the central nervous system. The mutational expansion of polyglutamine beyond a critical length produces a toxic gain of function in huntingtin and results in neuronal death. In the course of the disease, expanded huntingtin is proteolyzed, becomes abnormally folded, and accumulates in oligomers, fibrils, and microscopic inclusions. The aggregated forms of the expanded protein are structurally diverse. Structural heterogeneity may explain why polyglutamine-containing aggregates could paradoxically be either toxic or neuroprotective. When defined, the toxic structures could then specifically be targeted by prophylactic or therapeutic drugs aimed at inhibiting polyglutamine aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guylaine Hoffner
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Cérébrale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Saints Pères, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Djian
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Cérébrale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Saints Pères, 75006, Paris, France.
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32
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Katsuno M, Watanabe H, Yamamoto M, Sobue G. Potential therapeutic targets in polyglutamine-mediated diseases. Expert Rev Neurother 2014; 14:1215-28. [PMID: 25190502 DOI: 10.1586/14737175.2014.956727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Polyglutamine diseases are a group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders that are caused by an abnormal expansion of a trinucleotide CAG repeat, which encodes a polyglutamine tract in the protein-coding region of the respective disease genes. To date, nine polyglutamine diseases are known, including Huntington's disease, spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy and six forms of spinocerebellar ataxia. These diseases share a salient molecular pathophysiology including the aggregation of the mutant protein followed by the disruption of cellular functions such as transcriptional regulation and axonal transport. The intraneuronal accumulation of mutant protein and resulting cellular dysfunction are the essential targets for the development of disease-modifying therapies, some of which have shown beneficial effects in animal models. In this review, the current status of and perspectives on therapy development for polyglutamine diseases will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
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33
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Fiszer A, Krzyzosiak WJ. Oligonucleotide-based strategies to combat polyglutamine diseases. Nucleic Acids Res 2014; 42:6787-810. [PMID: 24848018 PMCID: PMC4066792 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Considerable advances have been recently made in understanding the molecular aspects of pathogenesis and in developing therapeutic approaches for polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases. Studies on pathogenic mechanisms have extended our knowledge of mutant protein toxicity, confirmed the toxicity of mutant transcript and identified other toxic RNA and protein entities. One very promising therapeutic strategy is targeting the causative gene expression with oligonucleotide (ON) based tools. This straightforward approach aimed at halting the early steps in the cascade of pathogenic events has been widely tested for Huntington's disease and spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. In this review, we gather information on the use of antisense oligonucleotides and RNA interference triggers for the experimental treatment of polyQ diseases in cellular and animal models. We present studies testing non-allele-selective and allele-selective gene silencing strategies. The latter include targeting SNP variants associated with mutations or targeting the pathologically expanded CAG repeat directly. We compare gene silencing effectors of various types in a number of aspects, including their design, efficiency in cell culture experiments and pre-clinical testing. We discuss advantages, current limitations and perspectives of various ON-based strategies used to treat polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Fiszer
- Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Wlodzimierz J Krzyzosiak
- Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
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34
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Huang Q, Chang J, Cheung MK, Nong W, Li L, Lee MT, Kwan HS. Human proteins with target sites of multiple post-translational modification types are more prone to be involved in disease. J Proteome Res 2014; 13:2735-48. [PMID: 24754740 DOI: 10.1021/pr401019d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Many proteins can be modified by multiple types of post-translational modifications (Mtp-proteins). Although some post-translational modifications (PTMs) have recently been found to be associated with life-threatening diseases like cancers and neurodegenerative disorders, the underlying mechanisms remain enigmatic to date. In this study, we examined the relationship of human Mtp-proteins and disease and systematically characterized features of these proteins. Our results indicated that Mtp-proteins are significantly more inclined to participate in disease than proteins carrying no known PTM sites. Mtp-proteins were found significantly enriched in protein complexes, having more protein partners and preferred to act as hubs/superhubs in protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. They possess a distinct functional focus, such as chromatin assembly or disassembly, and reside in biased, multiple subcellular localizations. Moreover, most Mtp-proteins harbor more intrinsically disordered regions than the others. Mtp-proteins carrying PTM types biased toward locating in the ordered regions were mainly related to protein-DNA complex assembly. Examination of the energetic effects of PTMs on the stability of PPI revealed that only a small fraction of single PTM events influence the binding energy of >2 kcal/mol, whereas the binding energy can change dramatically by combinations of multiple PTM types. Our work not only expands the understanding of Mtp-proteins but also discloses the potential ability of Mtp-proteins to act as key elements in disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianli Huang
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong , Shatin, Hong Kong SAR 852000, China
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35
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Beyond the glutamine expansion: influence of posttranslational modifications of ataxin-1 in the pathogenesis of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. Mol Neurobiol 2014; 50:866-874. [PMID: 24752589 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-8703-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications are crucial mechanisms that modulate various cellular signaling pathways, and their dysregulation is associated with many human diseases. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive ataxia, mild cognitive impairments, difficulty with speaking and swallowing, and respiratory failure. It is caused by the expansion of an unstable CAG trinucleotide repeat encoding a glutamine tract in Ataxin-1 (ATXN1). Although the expansion of the polyglutamine tract is the key determinant of the disease, protein domains outside of the polyglutamine tract and posttranslational modifications of ATXN1 significantly alter the neurotoxicity of SCA1. ATXN1 undergoes several posttranslational modifications, including phosphorylation, ubiquitination, sumoylation, and transglutamination. Such modifications can alter the stability of ATXN1 or its activity in the regulation of target gene expression and therefore contribute to SCA1 toxicity. This review outlines different types of posttranslational modifications in ATXN1 and discusses their potential regulatory mechanisms and effects on SCA1 pathogenesis. Finally, the manipulation of posttranslational modifications as a potential therapeutic approach will be discussed.
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Singh MD, Raj K, Sarkar S. Drosophila Myc, a novel modifier suppresses the poly(Q) toxicity by modulating the level of CREB binding protein and histone acetylation. Neurobiol Dis 2013; 63:48-61. [PMID: 24291519 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2013.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2013] [Revised: 11/06/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine or poly(Q) disorders are dominantly inherited neurodegenerative diseases characterised by progressive loss of neurons in cerebellum, basal ganglia and cortex in adult human brain. Overexpression of human form of mutant SCA3 protein with 78 poly(Q) repeats leads to the formation of inclusion bodies and increases the cellular toxicity in Drosophila eye. The present study was directed to identify a genetic modifier of poly(Q) diseases that could be utilised as a potential drug target. The initial screening process was influenced by the fact of lower prevalence of cancer among patients suffering with poly(Q) disorders which appears to be related to the intrinsic biological factors. We investigated if Drosophila Myc (a homologue of human cMyc proto-oncogene) harbours intrinsic property of suppressing cellular toxicity induced by an abnormally long stretch of poly(Q). We show for the first time that targeted overexpression of Drosophila Myc (dMyc) mitigates the poly(Q) toxicity in eye and nervous systems. Upregulation of dMyc results in a significant reduction in accumulation of inclusion bodies with residual poly(Q) aggregates localising into cytoplasm. We demonstrate that dMyc mediated suppression of poly(Q) toxicity is achieved by alleviating the cellular level of CBP and improved histone acetylation, resulting restoration of transcriptional machinery which are otherwise abbreviated due to poly(Q) disease conditions. Moreover, our study also provides a rational justification of the enigma of poly(Q) patients showing resistance to the predisposition of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Dhruba Singh
- Department of Genetics, University of Delhi, South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, New Delhi 110 021, India
| | - Kritika Raj
- Department of Genetics, University of Delhi, South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, New Delhi 110 021, India
| | - Surajit Sarkar
- Department of Genetics, University of Delhi, South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, New Delhi 110 021, India.
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Polyglutamine disease toxicity is regulated by Nemo-like kinase in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. J Neurosci 2013; 33:9328-36. [PMID: 23719801 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3465-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine diseases are dominantly inherited neurodegenerative diseases caused by an expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat encoding a glutamine tract in the respective disease-causing proteins. Extensive studies have been performed to unravel disease pathogenesis and to develop therapeutics. Here, we report on several lines of evidence demonstrating that Nemo-like kinase (NLK) is a key molecule modulating disease toxicity in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), a disease caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the protein ATAXIN1 (ATXN1). Specifically, we show that NLK, a serine/threonine kinase that interacts with ATXN1, modulates disease phenotypes of polyglutamine-expanded ATXN1 in a Drosophila model of SCA1. Importantly, the effect of NLK on SCA1 pathology is dependent upon NLK's enzymatic activity. Consistent with this, reduced Nlk expression suppresses the behavioral and neuropathological phenotypes in SCA1 knock-in mice. These data clearly indicate that either reducing NLK enzymatic activity or decreasing NLK expression levels can have beneficial effects against the toxicity induced by polyglutamine-expanded ATXN1.
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O’Rourke JG, Gareau JR, Ochaba J, Song W, Raskó T, Reverter D, Lee J, Monteys AM, Pallos J, Mee L, Vashishtha M, Apostol BL, Nicholson TP, Illes K, Zhu YZ, Dasso M, Bates GP, Difiglia M, Davidson B, Wanker EE, Marsh JL, Lima CD, Steffan JS, Thompson LM. SUMO-2 and PIAS1 modulate insoluble mutant huntingtin protein accumulation. Cell Rep 2013; 4:362-75. [PMID: 23871671 PMCID: PMC3931302 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2013] [Revised: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 06/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A key feature in Huntington disease (HD) is the accumulation of mutant Huntingtin (HTT) protein, which may be regulated by posttranslational modifications. Here, we define the primary sites of SUMO modification in the amino-terminal domain of HTT, show modification downstream of this domain, and demonstrate that HTT is modified by the stress-inducible SUMO-2. A systematic study of E3 SUMO ligases demonstrates that PIAS1 is an E3 SUMO ligase for both HTT SUMO-1 and SUMO-2 modification and that reduction of dPIAS in a mutant HTT Drosophila model is protective. SUMO-2 modification regulates accumulation of insoluble HTT in HeLa cells in a manner that mimics proteasome inhibition and can be modulated by overexpression and acute knockdown of PIAS1. Finally, the accumulation of SUMO-2-modified proteins in the insoluble fraction of HD postmortem striata implicates SUMO-2 modification in the age-related pathogenic accumulation of mutant HTT and other cellular proteins that occurs during HD progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Gire O’Rourke
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Jaclyn R. Gareau
- Structural Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Joseph Ochaba
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Wan Song
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Tamás Raskó
- Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - David Reverter
- Structural Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - John Lee
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Neurology, and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Alex Mas Monteys
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Neurology, and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Judit Pallos
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Lisa Mee
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Malini Vashishtha
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Barbara L. Apostol
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | | | - Katalin Illes
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Ya-Zhen Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Mary Dasso
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Development, National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gillian P. Bates
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London School of Medicine, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Marian Difiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Beverly Davidson
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Neurology, and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Erich E. Wanker
- Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - J. Lawrence Marsh
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Christopher D. Lima
- Structural Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Joan S. Steffan
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Leslie M. Thompson
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Correspondence:
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Rusmini P, Crippa V, Giorgetti E, Boncoraglio A, Cristofani R, Carra S, Poletti A. Clearance of the mutant androgen receptor in motoneuronal models of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Neurobiol Aging 2013; 34:2585-603. [PMID: 23810450 PMCID: PMC3748343 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Revised: 04/23/2013] [Accepted: 05/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is an X-linked motoneuron disease caused by an abnormal expansion of a tandem CAG repeat in exon 1 of the androgen receptor (AR) gene that results in an abnormally long polyglutamine tract (polyQ) in the AR protein. As a result, the mutant AR (ARpolyQ) misfolds, forming cytoplasmic and nuclear aggregates in the affected neurons. Neurotoxicity only appears to be associated with the formation of nuclear aggregates. Thus, improved ARpolyQ cytoplasmic clearance, which indirectly decreases ARpolyQ nuclear accumulation, has beneficial effects on affected motoneurons. In addition, increased ARpolyQ clearance contributes to maintenance of motoneuron proteostasis and viability, preventing the blockage of the proteasome and autophagy pathways that might play a role in the neuropathy in SBMA. The expression of heat shock protein B8 (HspB8), a member of the small heat shock protein family, is highly induced in surviving motoneurons of patients affected by motoneuron diseases, where it seems to participate in the stress response aimed at cell protection. We report here that HspB8 facilitates the autophagic removal of misfolded aggregating species of ARpolyQ. In addition, though HspB8 does not influence p62 and LC3 (two key autophagic molecules) expression, it does prevent p62 bodies formation, and restores the normal autophagic flux in these cells. Interestingly, trehalose, a well-known autophagy stimulator, induces HspB8 expression, suggesting that HspB8 might act as one of the molecular mediators of the proautophagic activity of trehalose. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that treatments aimed at restoring a normal autophagic flux that result in the more efficient clearance of mutant ARpolyQ might produce beneficial effects in SBMA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Rusmini
- Sezione di Biomedicina e Endocrinologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Centro di Eccellenza sulle Malattie Neurodegenerative, Universita' degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Fiszer A, Krzyzosiak WJ. RNA toxicity in polyglutamine disorders: concepts, models, and progress of research. J Mol Med (Berl) 2013; 91:683-91. [PMID: 23512265 PMCID: PMC3659269 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-013-1016-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Revised: 02/19/2013] [Accepted: 02/25/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In Huntington's disease and other polyglutamine (polyQ) disorders, mutant proteins containing a long polyQ stretch are well documented as the trigger of numerous aberrant cellular processes that primarily lead to degeneration and, ultimately, the death of neuronal cells. However, mutant transcripts containing expanded CAG repeats may also be toxic and contribute to cellular dysfunction. The exact nature and importance of RNA toxicity in polyQ diseases are only beginning to be recognized, and the first insights have mainly resulted from studies using simple model systems. In this review, we briefly present the basic mechanisms of protein toxicity in polyQ disorders and RNA toxicity in myotonic dystrophy type 1 and discuss recent results suggesting that the pathogenesis of polyQ diseases may also be mediated by mutant transcripts. This review is focused on the experimental systems used thus far to demonstrate RNA toxicity in polyQ disorders and the design of new systems that will be more relevant to the human disease situation and capable of separating RNA toxicity from protein toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Fiszer
- Laboratory of Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Wlodzimierz J. Krzyzosiak
- Laboratory of Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
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Zhou YF, Liao SS, Luo YY, Tang JG, Wang JL, Lei LF, Chi JW, Du J, Jiang H, Xia K, Tang BS, Shen L. SUMO-1 modification on K166 of polyQ-expanded ataxin-3 strengthens its stability and increases its cytotoxicity. PLoS One 2013; 8:e54214. [PMID: 23382880 PMCID: PMC3561348 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2012] [Accepted: 12/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-translational modification by SUMO was proposed to modulate the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by polyQ-expanded ataxin-3. We have previously shown that ataxin-3 was a new target of SUMOylation in vitro and in vivo. Here we identified that the major SUMO-1 binding site was located on lysine 166. SUMOylation did not influence the subcellular localization, ubiquitination or aggregates formation of mutant-type ataxin-3, but partially increased its stability and the cell apoptosis. Our findings revealed the role of ataxin-3 SUMOylation in SCA3/MJD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Fang Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shu-Sheng Liao
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ying-Ying Luo
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jian-Guang Tang
- Department of Neurology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jun-Ling Wang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Li-Fang Lei
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jing-Wei Chi
- National Laboratory of Medical Genetics of China, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Juan Du
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- National Laboratory of Medical Genetics of China, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Kun Xia
- National Laboratory of Medical Genetics of China, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Bei-Sha Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- National Laboratory of Medical Genetics of China, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Center, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lu Shen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Center, Central South University, Changsha, China
- * E-mail:
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An in vitro perspective on the molecular mechanisms underlying mutant huntingtin protein toxicity. Cell Death Dis 2012; 3:e382. [PMID: 22932724 PMCID: PMC3434668 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2012.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder whose main hallmark is brain atrophy. However, several peripheral organs are considerably affected and their symptoms may, in fact, manifest before those resulting from brain pathology. HD is of genetic origin and caused by a mutation in the huntingtin gene. The mutated protein has detrimental effects on cell survival, but whether the mutation leads to a gain of toxic function or a loss of function of the altered protein is still highly controversial. Most currently used in vitro models have been designed, to a large extent, to investigate the effects of the aggregation process in neuronal-like cells. However, as the pathology involves several other organs, new in vitro models are critically needed to take into account the deleterious effects of mutant huntingtin in peripheral tissues, and thus to identify new targets that could lead to more effective clinical interventions in the early course of the disease. This review aims to present current in vitro models of HD pathology and to discuss the knowledge that has been gained from these studies as well as the new in vitro tools that have been developed, which should reflect the more global view that we now have of the disease.
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Targeting mutant huntingtin for the development of disease-modifying therapy. Drug Discov Today 2012; 17:1217-23. [PMID: 22772050 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2012.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2012] [Revised: 06/09/2012] [Accepted: 06/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease, and the most common inherited CAG repeat disorder. A polyglutamine expansion in the N-terminus of the huntingtin protein (HTT) leads to protein misfolding and downstream pathogenic processes culminating in widespread functional impairment and neurodegeneration in the striatum, cortex and other brain areas. To date, only symptomatic treatments are available that address motor, psychiatric and cognitive deficits. Here we review recent strategies for developing disease-modifying therapies designed to limit or abolish the pathogenic activities of the primary molecular target in HD, the mutant HTT protein itself.
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Sambataro F, Pennuto M. Cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous toxicity in polyglutamine diseases. Prog Neurobiol 2012; 97:152-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2011.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2011] [Revised: 10/21/2011] [Accepted: 10/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Schaefer MH, Wanker EE, Andrade-Navarro MA. Evolution and function of CAG/polyglutamine repeats in protein-protein interaction networks. Nucleic Acids Res 2012; 40:4273-87. [PMID: 22287626 PMCID: PMC3378862 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gks011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Expanded runs of consecutive trinucleotide CAG repeats encoding polyglutamine (polyQ) stretches are observed in the genes of a large number of patients with different genetic diseases such as Huntington's and several Ataxias. Protein aggregation, which is a key feature of most of these diseases, is thought to be triggered by these expanded polyQ sequences in disease-related proteins. However, polyQ tracts are a normal feature of many human proteins, suggesting that they have an important cellular function. To clarify the potential function of polyQ repeats in biological systems, we systematically analyzed available information stored in sequence and protein interaction databases. By integrating genomic, phylogenetic, protein interaction network and functional information, we obtained evidence that polyQ tracts in proteins stabilize protein interactions. This happens most likely through structural changes whereby the polyQ sequence extends a neighboring coiled-coil region to facilitate its interaction with a coiled-coil region in another protein. Alteration of this important biological function due to polyQ expansion results in gain of abnormal interactions, leading to pathological effects like protein aggregation. Our analyses suggest that research on polyQ proteins should shift focus from expanded polyQ proteins into the characterization of the influence of the wild-type polyQ on protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin H. Schaefer
- Computational Biology and Data Mining and Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Erich E. Wanker
- Computational Biology and Data Mining and Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Miguel A. Andrade-Navarro
- Computational Biology and Data Mining and Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
- *To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +49 30 9406 4250; Fax: +49 30 9406 4240;
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Bendotti C, Marino M, Cheroni C, Fontana E, Crippa V, Poletti A, De Biasi S. Dysfunction of constitutive and inducible ubiquitin-proteasome system in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: implication for protein aggregation and immune response. Prog Neurobiol 2011; 97:101-26. [PMID: 22033150 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2011.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2011] [Revised: 09/29/2011] [Accepted: 10/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is the major intracellular proteolytic mechanism controlling the degradation of misfolded/abnormal proteins. A common hallmark in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and in other neurodegenerative disorders is the accumulation of misfolded/abnormal proteins into the damaged neurons, leading to the formation of cellular inclusions that are mostly ubiquitin-positive. Although proteolysis is a complex mechanism requiring the participation of different pathways, the abundant accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins strongly suggests an important contribution of UPS to these neuropathological features. The use of cellular and animal models of ALS, particularly those expressing mutant SOD1, the gene mutation most represented in familiar ALS, has provided significant evidence for a role of UPS in protein inclusions formation and motor neuron death. This review will specifically discuss this piece of evidence and provide suggestions of potential strategies for therapeutic intervention. We will also discuss the finding that, unlike the constitutive proteasome subunits, the inducible subunits are overexpressed early during disease progression in SOD1 mice models of ALS. These subunits form the immunoproteasome and generate peptides for the major histocompatibility complex class I molecules, suggesting a role of this system in the immune responses associated with the pathological features of ALS. Since recent discoveries indicate that innate and adaptive immunity may influence the disease process, in this review we will also provide evidence of a possible connection between immune-inflammatory reactions and UPS function, in the attempt to better understand the etiopathology of ALS and to identify appropriate targets for novel treatment strategies of this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Bendotti
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Via La Masa, 19, 20156 Milano, Italy.
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Parodi S, Pennuto M. Neurotoxic effects of androgens in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Front Neuroendocrinol 2011; 32:416-25. [PMID: 21745497 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2011.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2011] [Revised: 05/23/2011] [Accepted: 06/16/2011] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Expansion of polyglutamine tracts in nine different genes causes selective neuronal degeneration through unknown mechanisms. Expansion of polyglutamine in the androgen receptor is responsible for spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), a neuromuscular disorder characterized by the loss of lower motor neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord. A unique feature of SBMA in the family of polyglutamine diseases is sex specificity. SBMA fully manifests only in males. SBMA is a disease triggered by the binding of polyglutamine androgen receptor to its natural ligand testosterone. Recent evidence has emerged showing that the expanded polyglutamine tract itself is not the only determinant of disease pathogenesis. There is evidence that both the native structure and function of the disease protein strongly influence the pathogenicity of mutant protein. Here, we review recent progress in the understanding of disease pathogenesis and advancements towards development of potential therapeutic strategies for SBMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Parodi
- Laboratorio di Genetica Molecolare, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova 16148, Italy
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Alteration of protein folding and degradation in motor neuron diseases: Implications and protective functions of small heat shock proteins. Prog Neurobiol 2011; 97:83-100. [PMID: 21971574 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2011.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2011] [Revised: 09/16/2011] [Accepted: 09/20/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are neurodegenerative disorders that specifically affect the survival and function of upper and/or lower motor neurons. Since motor neurons are responsible for the control of voluntary muscular movement, MNDs are characterized by muscle spasticity, weakness and atrophy. Different susceptibility genes associated with an increased risk to develop MNDs have been reported and several mutated genes have been linked to hereditary forms of MNDs. However, most cases of MNDs occur in sporadic forms and very little is known on their causes. Interestingly, several molecular mechanisms seem to participate in the progression of both the inherited and sporadic forms of MNDs. These include cytoskeleton organization, mitochondrial functions, DNA repair and RNA synthesis/processing, vesicle trafficking, endolysosomal trafficking and fusion, as well as protein folding and protein degradation. In particular, accumulation of aggregate-prone proteins is a hallmark of MNDs, suggesting that the protein quality control system (molecular chaperones and the degradative systems: ubiquitin-proteasome-system and autophagy) are saturated or not sufficient to allow the clearance of these altered proteins. In this review we mainly focus on the MNDs associated with disturbances in protein folding and protein degradation and on the potential implication of a specific class of molecular chaperones, the small heat shock proteins (sHSPs/HSPBs), in motor neuron function and survival. How boosting of specific HSPBs may be a potential useful therapeutic approach in MNDs and how mutations in specific HSPBs can directly cause motor neuron degeneration is discussed.
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Matos CA, de Macedo-Ribeiro S, Carvalho AL. Polyglutamine diseases: The special case of ataxin-3 and Machado–Joseph disease. Prog Neurobiol 2011; 95:26-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2011.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2011] [Revised: 06/06/2011] [Accepted: 06/07/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Abstract
MNDs (motorneuron diseases) are neurodegenerative disorders in which motorneurons located in the motor cortex, in the brainstem and in the spinal cord are affected. These diseases in their inherited or sporadic forms are mainly characterized by motor dysfunctions, occasionally associated with cognitive and behavioural alterations. Although these diseases show high variability in onset, progression and clinical symptoms, they share common pathological features, and motorneuronal loss invariably leads to muscle weakness and atrophy. One of the most relevant aspect of these disorders is the occurrence of defects in axonal transport, which have been postulated to be either a direct cause, or a consequence, of motorneuron degeneration. In fact, due to their peculiar morphology and high energetic metabolism, motorneurons deeply rely on efficient axonal transport processes. Dysfunction of axonal transport is known to adversely affect motorneuronal metabolism, inducing progressive degeneration and cell death. In this regard, the understanding of the fine mechanisms at the basis of the axonal transport process and of their possible alterations may help shed light on MND pathological processes. In the present review, we will summarize what is currently known about the alterations of axonal transport found to be either causative or a consequence of MNDs.
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