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Henriques C, Lopes MM, Silva AC, Lobo DD, Badin RA, Hantraye P, Pereira de Almeida L, Nobre RJ. Viral-based animal models in polyglutamine disorders. Brain 2024; 147:1166-1189. [PMID: 38284949 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine disorders are a complex group of incurable neurodegenerative disorders caused by an abnormal expansion in the trinucleotide cytosine-adenine-guanine tract of the affected gene. To better understand these disorders, our dependence on animal models persists, primarily relying on transgenic models. In an effort to complement and deepen our knowledge, researchers have also developed animal models of polyglutamine disorders employing viral vectors. Viral vectors have been extensively used to deliver genes to the brain, not only for therapeutic purposes but also for the development of animal models, given their remarkable flexibility. In a time- and cost-effective manner, it is possible to use different transgenes, at varying doses, in diverse targeted tissues, at different ages, and in different species, to recreate polyglutamine pathology. This paper aims to showcase the utility of viral vectors in disease modelling, share essential considerations for developing animal models with viral vectors, and provide a comprehensive review of existing viral-based animal models for polyglutamine disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Henriques
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel M Lopes
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana C Silva
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Diana D Lobo
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Romina Aron Badin
- CEA, DRF, Institute of Biology François Jacob, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- CNRS, CEA, Paris-Sud University, Université Paris-Saclay, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory (UMR9199), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Philippe Hantraye
- CEA, DRF, Institute of Biology François Jacob, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- CNRS, CEA, Paris-Sud University, Université Paris-Saclay, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory (UMR9199), 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rui Jorge Nobre
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Gene and Stem Cell Therapies for the Brain Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
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Potapenko A, Davidson JM, Lee A, Laird AS. The deubiquitinase function of ataxin-3 and its role in the pathogenesis of Machado-Joseph disease and other diseases. Biochem J 2024; 481:461-480. [PMID: 38497605 PMCID: PMC11088879 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20240017] [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: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is a devastating and incurable neurodegenerative disease characterised by progressive ataxia, difficulty speaking and swallowing. Consequently, affected individuals ultimately become wheelchair dependent, require constant care, and face a shortened life expectancy. The monogenic cause of MJD is expansion of a trinucleotide (CAG) repeat region within the ATXN3 gene, which results in polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion within the resultant ataxin-3 protein. While it is well established that the ataxin-3 protein functions as a deubiquitinating (DUB) enzyme and is therefore critically involved in proteostasis, several unanswered questions remain regarding the impact of polyQ expansion in ataxin-3 on its DUB function. Here we review the current literature surrounding ataxin-3's DUB function, its DUB targets, and what is known regarding the impact of polyQ expansion on ataxin-3's DUB function. We also consider the potential neuroprotective effects of ataxin-3's DUB function, and the intersection of ataxin-3's role as a DUB enzyme and regulator of gene transcription. Ataxin-3 is the principal pathogenic protein in MJD and also appears to be involved in cancer. As aberrant deubiquitination has been linked to both neurodegeneration and cancer, a comprehensive understanding of ataxin-3's DUB function is important for elucidating potential therapeutic targets in these complex conditions. In this review, we aim to consolidate knowledge of ataxin-3 as a DUB and unveil areas for future research to aid therapeutic targeting of ataxin-3's DUB function for the treatment of MJD and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiya Potapenko
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Jennilee M. Davidson
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Albert Lee
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Angela S. Laird
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
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Rizzo F, Bono S, Ruepp MD, Salani S, Ottoboni L, Abati E, Melzi V, Cordiglieri C, Pagliarani S, De Gioia R, Anastasia A, Taiana M, Garbellini M, Lodato S, Kunderfranco P, Cazzato D, Cartelli D, Lonati C, Bresolin N, Comi G, Nizzardo M, Corti S. Combined RNA interference and gene replacement therapy targeting MFN2 as proof of principle for the treatment of Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2A. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:373. [PMID: 38007410 PMCID: PMC10676309 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-05018-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Mitofusin-2 (MFN2) is an outer mitochondrial membrane protein essential for mitochondrial networking in most cells. Autosomal dominant mutations in the MFN2 gene cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2A disease (CMT2A), a severe and disabling sensory-motor neuropathy that impacts the entire nervous system. Here, we propose a novel therapeutic strategy tailored to correcting the root genetic defect of CMT2A. Though mutant and wild-type MFN2 mRNA are inhibited by RNA interference (RNAi), the wild-type protein is restored by overexpressing cDNA encoding functional MFN2 modified to be resistant to RNAi. We tested this strategy in CMT2A patient-specific human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-differentiated motor neurons (MNs), demonstrating the correct silencing of endogenous MFN2 and replacement with an exogenous copy of the functional wild-type gene. This approach significantly rescues the CMT2A MN phenotype in vitro, stabilizing the altered axonal mitochondrial distribution and correcting abnormal mitophagic processes. The MFN2 molecular correction was also properly confirmed in vivo in the MitoCharc1 CMT2A transgenic mouse model after cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) delivery of the constructs into newborn mice using adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9). Altogether, our data support the feasibility of a combined RNAi and gene therapy strategy for treating the broad spectrum of human diseases associated with MFN2 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Rizzo
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Bono
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Marc David Ruepp
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
| | - Sabrina Salani
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Linda Ottoboni
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Abati
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Melzi
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Cordiglieri
- Istituto Di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo Ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Serena Pagliarani
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta De Gioia
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Anastasia
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Taiana
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Simona Lodato
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, 20072, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, 20089, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Kunderfranco
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, 20072, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, 20089, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Cazzato
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Caterina Lonati
- Center for Preclinical Research, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Pace 9, 20100, Milan, Italy
| | - Nereo Bresolin
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo Comi
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Nizzardo
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Corti
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neuromuscular and Rare Diseases Unit, Milan, Italy.
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Rufino-Ramos D, Albuquerque PR, Leandro K, Carmona V, Martins IM, Fernandes R, Henriques C, Lobo D, Faro R, Perfeito R, Mendonça LS, Pereira D, Gomes CM, Nobre RJ, Pereira de Almeida L. Extracellular vesicle-based delivery of silencing sequences for the treatment of Machado-Joseph disease/spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. Mol Ther 2023; 31:1275-1292. [PMID: 37025062 PMCID: PMC10188911 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.04.001] [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: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Machado-Joseph disease (MJD)/spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is the most common autosomal dominantly inherited ataxia worldwide. It is caused by an over-repetition of the trinucleotide CAG within the ATXN3 gene, which confers toxic properties to ataxin-3 (ATXN3) species. RNA interference technology has shown promising therapeutic outcomes but still lacks a non-invasive delivery method to the brain. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) emerged as promising delivery vehicles due to their capacity to deliver small nucleic acids, such as microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs were found to be enriched into EVs due to specific signal motifs designated as ExoMotifs. In this study, we aimed at investigating whether ExoMotifs would promote the packaging of artificial miRNAs into EVs to be used as non-invasive therapeutic delivery vehicles to treat MJD/SCA3. We found that miRNA-based silencing sequences, associated with ExoMotif GGAG and ribonucleoprotein A2B1 (hnRNPA2B1), retained the capacity to silence mutant ATXN3 (mutATXN3) and were 3-fold enriched into EVs. Bioengineered EVs containing the neuronal targeting peptide RVG on the surface significantly decreased mutATXN3 mRNA in primary cerebellar neurons from MJD YAC 84.2 and in a novel dual-luciferase MJD mouse model upon daily intranasal administration. Altogether, these findings indicate that bioengineered EVs carrying miRNA-based silencing sequences are a promising delivery vehicle for brain therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Rufino-Ramos
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Patrícia R Albuquerque
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Kevin Leandro
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Vitor Carmona
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Inês M Martins
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rita Fernandes
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carina Henriques
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Diana Lobo
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rosário Faro
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rita Perfeito
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Liliana S Mendonça
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Dina Pereira
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Célia M Gomes
- CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rui Jorge Nobre
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
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Santos C, Malheiro S, Correia M, Damásio J. Gene Suppression Therapies in Hereditary Cerebellar Ataxias: A Systematic Review of Animal Studies. Cells 2023; 12:cells12071037. [PMID: 37048110 PMCID: PMC10093402 DOI: 10.3390/cells12071037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Hereditary cerebellar ataxias (HCAs) are a heterogenous group of neurodegenerative disorders associated with severe disability. Treatment options are limited and overall restricted to symptomatic approaches, leading to poor prognoses. In recent years, there has been extensive research on gene suppression therapies (GSTs) as a new hope for disease-modifying strategies. In this article, we aim to perform a review of in vivo studies investigating the efficacy and safety profile of GSTs in HCAs. Methods: A structured PubMed® search on GSTs in HCAs from January 1993 up to October 2020 was performed. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined, and the selection process was conducted accordingly. The screening process was independently carried out by two authors and was initially based on title and abstract, followed by full-text reading. The risk-of-bias assessment was performed with SYRCLE’s tool. A data extraction sheet was created to collect relevant information from each selected article. Results: The initial search yielded 262 papers, of which 239 were excluded. An additional article was obtained following reference scrutiny, resulting in a total of 24 articles for final analysis. Most studies were not clear on the tools used to assess bias. In SCA1, SCA2, MJD/SCA3 and SCA7, RNA interference (iRNA) and antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies proved to be well tolerated and effective in suppressing mutant proteins, improving neuropathological features and the motor phenotype. In SCA6, the phenotype was improved, but no investigation of adverse effects was performed. In FRDA, only the suppression efficacy of the electroporation of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats associated with Cas9 enzyme system (CRISPR-Cas9) system was tested and confirmed. Conclusion: The literature reviewed suggests that GSTs are well tolerated and effective in suppressing the targeted proteins, improving neuropathological features and the motor phenotype in vivo. Nonetheless, there is no guarantee that these results are free of bias. Moreover, further investigation is still needed to clarify the GST effect on HCAs such as FRDA, SCA6 and SCA2.
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Sousa e Silva R, Sousa AD, Vieira J, Vieira CP. The Josephin domain (JD) containing proteins are predicted to bind to the same interactors: Implications for spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) studies using Drosophila melanogaster mutants. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1140719. [PMID: 37008788 PMCID: PMC10050893 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1140719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, also known as Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/ MJD), is the most frequent polyglutamine (polyQ) neurodegenerative disorder. It is caused by a pathogenic expansion of the polyQ tract, located at the C-terminal region of the protein encoded by the ATXN3 gene. This gene codes for a deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) that belongs to a gene family, that in humans is composed by three more genes (ATXN3L, JOSD1, and JOSD2), that define two gene lineages (the ATXN3 and the Josephins). These proteins have in common the N-terminal catalytic domain (Josephin domain, JD), that in Josephins is the only domain present. In ATXN3 knock-out mouse and nematode models, the SCA3 neurodegeneration phenotype is not, however, reproduced, suggesting that in the genome of these species there are other genes that are able to compensate for the lack of ATXN3. Moreover, in mutant Drosophila melanogaster, where the only JD protein is coded by a Josephin-like gene, expression of the expanded human ATXN3 gene reproduces multiple aspects of the SCA3 phenotype, in contrast with the results of the expression of the wild type human form. In order to explain these findings, phylogenetic, as well as, protein–protein docking inferences are here performed. Here we show multiple losses of JD containing genes across the animal kingdom, suggesting partial functional redundancy of these genes. Accordingly, we predict that the JD is essential for binding with ataxin-3 and proteins of the Josephin lineages, and that D. melanogaster mutants are a good model of SCA3 despite the absence of a gene from the ATXN3 lineage. The molecular recognition regions of the ataxin-3 binding and those predicted for the Josephins are, however, different. We also report different binding regions between the two ataxin-3 forms (wild-type (wt) and expanded (exp)). The interactors that show an increase in the interaction strength with exp ataxin-3, are enriched in extrinsic components of mitochondrial outer membrane and endoplasmatic reticulum membrane. On the other hand, the group of interactors that show a decrease in the interaction strength with exp ataxin-3 is significantly enriched in extrinsic component of cytoplasm.
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Jansen-West K, Todd TW, Daughrity LM, Yue M, Tong J, Carlomagno Y, Del Rosso G, Kurti A, Jones CY, Dunmore JA, Castanedes-Casey M, Dickson DW, Wszolek ZK, Fryer JD, Petrucelli L, Prudencio M. Plasma PolyQ-ATXN3 Levels Associate With Cerebellar Degeneration and Behavioral Abnormalities in a New AAV-Based SCA3 Mouse Model. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:863089. [PMID: 35386195 PMCID: PMC8977414 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.863089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is a dominantly inherited cerebellar ataxia caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat in the gene encoding ATXN3. The polyQ expansion induces protein inclusion formation in the neurons of patients and results in neuronal degeneration in the cerebellum and other brain regions. We used adeno-associated virus (AAV) technology to develop a new mouse model of SCA3 that recapitulates several features of the human disease, including locomotor defects, cerebellar-specific neuronal loss, polyQ-expanded ATXN3 inclusions, and TDP-43 pathology. We also found that neurofilament light is elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the SCA3 animals, and the expanded polyQ-ATXN3 protein can be detected in the plasma. Interestingly, the levels of polyQ-ATXN3 in plasma correlated with measures of cerebellar degeneration and locomotor deficits in 6-month-old SCA3 mice, supporting the hypothesis that this factor could act as a biomarker for SCA3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Jansen-West
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Tiffany W. Todd
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, United States
| | | | - Mei Yue
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Jimei Tong
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Yari Carlomagno
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Giulia Del Rosso
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Aishe Kurti
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Caroline Y. Jones
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Judith A. Dunmore
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | | | - Dennis W. Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, United States
| | | | - John D. Fryer
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, United States
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Mercedes Prudencio
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
- Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, United States
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Borbolla-Jiménez FV, Del Prado-Audelo ML, Cisneros B, Caballero-Florán IH, Leyva-Gómez G, Magaña JJ. New Perspectives of Gene Therapy on Polyglutamine Spinocerebellar Ataxias: From Molecular Targets to Novel Nanovectors. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:1018. [PMID: 34371710 PMCID: PMC8309146 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13071018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Seven of the most frequent spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are caused by a pathological expansion of a cytosine, adenine and guanine (CAG) trinucleotide repeat located in exonic regions of unrelated genes, which in turn leads to the synthesis of polyglutamine (polyQ) proteins. PolyQ proteins are prone to aggregate and form intracellular inclusions, which alter diverse cellular pathways, including transcriptional regulation, protein clearance, calcium homeostasis and apoptosis, ultimately leading to neurodegeneration. At present, treatment for SCAs is limited to symptomatic intervention, and there is no therapeutic approach to prevent or reverse disease progression. This review provides a compilation of the experimental advances obtained in cell-based and animal models toward the development of gene therapy strategies against polyQ SCAs, providing a discussion of their potential application in clinical trials. In the second part, we describe the promising potential of nanotechnology developments to treat polyQ SCA diseases. We describe, in detail, how the design of nanoparticle (NP) systems with different physicochemical and functionalization characteristics has been approached, in order to determine their ability to evade the immune system response and to enhance brain delivery of molecular tools. In the final part of this review, the imminent application of NP-based strategies in clinical trials for the treatment of polyQ SCA diseases is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola V. Borbolla-Jiménez
- Laboratorio de Medicina Genómica, Departamento de Genética, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Ciudad de México 14389, Mexico;
- Programa de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - María Luisa Del Prado-Audelo
- Departamento de Bioingeniería, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Ciudad de México, Ciudad de México 14380, Mexico;
| | - Bulmaro Cisneros
- Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV), Ciudad de México 07360, Mexico;
| | - Isaac H. Caballero-Florán
- Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
- Departamento de Farmacia, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV), Ciudad de México 07360, Mexico
| | - Gerardo Leyva-Gómez
- Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
| | - Jonathan J. Magaña
- Laboratorio de Medicina Genómica, Departamento de Genética, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Ciudad de México 14389, Mexico;
- Departamento de Bioingeniería, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Ciudad de México, Ciudad de México 14380, Mexico;
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9
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Prudencio M, Garcia-Moreno H, Jansen-West KR, Al-Shaikh RH, Gendron TF, Heckman MG, Spiegel MR, Carlomagno Y, Daughrity LM, Song Y, Dunmore JA, Byron N, Oskarsson B, Nicholson KA, Staff NP, Gorcenco S, Puschmann A, Lemos J, Januário C, LeDoux MS, Friedman JH, Polke J, Labrum R, Shakkottai V, McLoughlin HS, Paulson HL, Konno T, Onodera O, Ikeuchi T, Tada M, Kakita A, Fryer JD, Karremo C, Gomes I, Caviness JN, Pittelkow MR, Aasly J, Pfeiffer RF, Veerappan V, Eggenberger ER, Freeman WD, Huang JF, Uitti RJ, Wierenga KJ, Marin Collazo IV, Tipton PW, van Gerpen JA, van Blitterswijk M, Bu G, Wszolek ZK, Giunti P, Petrucelli L. Toward allele-specific targeting therapy and pharmacodynamic marker for spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/566/eabb7086. [PMID: 33087504 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abb7086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the ataxin-3 gene (ATXN3), is characterized by neuronal polyglutamine (polyQ) ATXN3 protein aggregates. Although there is no cure for SCA3, gene-silencing approaches to reduce toxic polyQ ATXN3 showed promise in preclinical models. However, a major limitation in translating putative treatments for this rare disease to the clinic is the lack of pharmacodynamic markers for use in clinical trials. Here, we developed an immunoassay that readily detects polyQ ATXN3 proteins in human biological fluids and discriminates patients with SCA3 from healthy controls and individuals with other ataxias. We show that polyQ ATXN3 serves as a marker of target engagement in human fibroblasts, which may bode well for its use in clinical trials. Last, we identified a single-nucleotide polymorphism that strongly associates with the expanded allele, thus providing an exciting drug target to abrogate detrimental events initiated by mutant ATXN3. Gene-silencing strategies for several repeat diseases are well under way, and our results are expected to improve clinical trial preparedness for SCA3 therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Prudencio
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Hector Garcia-Moreno
- Ataxia Centre, Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,Ataxia Centre, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | | | | | - Tania F Gendron
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Michael G Heckman
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Matthew R Spiegel
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Yari Carlomagno
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | | | - Yuping Song
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Judith A Dunmore
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Natalie Byron
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Björn Oskarsson
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Katharine A Nicholson
- Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Nathan P Staff
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Sorina Gorcenco
- Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Neurology, Lund 22185, Sweden
| | - Andreas Puschmann
- Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Neurology, Lund 22185, Sweden
| | - João Lemos
- Coimbra University Hospital Centre, Coimbra University, Coimbra 3000-075, Portugal
| | - Cristina Januário
- Coimbra University Hospital Centre, Coimbra University, Coimbra 3000-075, Portugal
| | - Mark S LeDoux
- University of Memphis and Veracity Neuroscience LLC, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Joseph H Friedman
- Department of Neurology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - James Polke
- Ataxia Centre, Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,Ataxia Centre, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Robin Labrum
- Ataxia Centre, Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,Ataxia Centre, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Vikram Shakkottai
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Henry L Paulson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Takuya Konno
- Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Osamu Onodera
- Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ikeuchi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Mari Tada
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Kakita
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - John D Fryer
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA
| | - Christin Karremo
- Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Neurology, Lund 22185, Sweden
| | - Inês Gomes
- Coimbra University Hospital Centre, Coimbra University, Coimbra 3000-075, Portugal
| | - John N Caviness
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA
| | - Mark R Pittelkow
- Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA
| | - Jan Aasly
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7006 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ronald F Pfeiffer
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Venka Veerappan
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | | | | | | | - Ryan J Uitti
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Klaas J Wierenga
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | | | - Philip W Tipton
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | | | - Marka van Blitterswijk
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Guojun Bu
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | | | - Paola Giunti
- Ataxia Centre, Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK. .,Ataxia Centre, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA. .,Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
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10
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Current Status of Gene Therapy Research in Polyglutamine Spinocerebellar Ataxias. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22084249. [PMID: 33921915 PMCID: PMC8074016 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine spinocerebellar ataxias (PolyQ SCAs) are a group of 6 rare autosomal dominant diseases, which arise from an abnormal CAG repeat expansion in the coding region of their causative gene. These neurodegenerative ataxic disorders are characterized by progressive cerebellar degeneration, which translates into progressive ataxia, the main clinical feature, often accompanied by oculomotor deficits and dysarthria. Currently, PolyQ SCAs treatment is limited only to symptomatic mitigation, and no therapy is available to stop or delay the disease progression, which culminates with death. Over the last years, many promising gene therapy approaches were investigated in preclinical studies and could lead to a future treatment to stop or delay the disease development. Here, we summed up the most promising of these therapies, categorizing them in gene augmentation therapy, gene silencing strategies, and gene edition approaches. While several of the reviewed strategies are promising, there is still a gap from the preclinical results obtained and their translation to clinical studies. However, there is an increase in the number of approved gene therapies, as well as a constant development in their safety and efficacy profiles. Thus, it is expected that in a near future some of the promising strategies reviewed here could be tested in a clinical setting and if successful provide hope for SCAs patients.
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11
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Park JY, Joo K, Woo SJ. Ophthalmic Manifestations and Genetics of the Polyglutamine Autosomal Dominant Spinocerebellar Ataxias: A Review. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:892. [PMID: 32973440 PMCID: PMC7472957 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) is a part of the cerebellar neurodegenerative disease group that is diverse in genetics and phenotypes. It usually shows autosomal dominant inheritance. SCAs, always together with the cerebellar degeneration, may exhibit clinical deficits in brainstem or eye, especially retina or optic nerve. Interestingly, autosomal dominant SCAs share a common genetic mechanism; the length of the glutamine chain is abnormally expanded due to the increase in the cytosine–adenine–guanine (CAG) repeats of the disease causing gene. Studies have suggested that the mutant ataxin induces alteration of protein conformation and abnormal aggregation resulting in nuclear inclusions, and causes cellular loss of photoreceptors through a toxic effect. As a result, these pathologic changes induce a downregulation of genes involved in the phototransduction, development, and differentiation of photoreceptors such as CRX, one of the photoreceptor transcription factors. However, the exact mechanism of neuronal degeneration by mutant ataxin restricted to only certain type of neuronal cell including cerebellar Purkinje neurons and photoreceptor is still unclear. The most common SCAs are types 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 17 which contain about 80% of autosomal dominant SCA cases. Various aspects of eye movement abnormalities are evident depending on the degree of cerebellar and brainstem degeneration in SCAs. In addition, certain types of SCAs such as SCA7 are characterized by both cerebellar ataxia and visual loss mainly due to retinal degeneration. The severity of the retinopathy can vary from occult macular photoreceptor disruption to extensive retinal atrophy and is correlated with the number of CAG repeats. The value of using optical coherence tomography in conjunction with electrodiagnostic and genetic testing is emphasized as the combination of these tests can provide critical information regarding the etiology, morphological evaluation, and functional significances. Therefore, ophthalmologists need to recognize and differentiate SCAs in order to properly diagnose and evaluate the disease. In this review, we have described and discussed SCAs showing ophthalmic abnormalities with particular attention to their ophthalmic features, neurodegenerative mechanisms, genetics, and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Young Park
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kwangsic Joo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Se Joon Woo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
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12
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Silva AC, Lobo DD, Martins IM, Lopes SM, Henriques C, Duarte SP, Dodart JC, Nobre RJ, Pereira de Almeida L. Antisense oligonucleotide therapeutics in neurodegenerative diseases: the case of polyglutamine disorders. Brain 2020; 143:407-429. [PMID: 31738395 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) disorders are a group of nine neurodegenerative diseases that share a common genetic cause, which is an expansion of CAG repeats in the coding region of the causative genes that are otherwise unrelated. The trinucleotide expansion encodes for an expanded polyQ tract in the respective proteins, resulting in toxic gain-of-function and eventually in neurodegeneration. Currently, no disease-modifying therapies are available for this group of disorders. Nevertheless, given their monogenic nature, polyQ disorders are ideal candidates for therapies that target specifically the gene transcripts. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) have been under intense investigation over recent years as gene silencing tools. ASOs are small synthetic single-stranded chains of nucleic acids that target specific RNA transcripts through several mechanisms. ASOs can reduce the levels of mutant proteins by breaking down the targeted transcript, inhibit mRNA translation or alter the maturation of the pre-mRNA via splicing correction. Over the years, chemical optimization of ASO molecules has allowed significant improvement of their pharmacological properties, which has in turn made this class of therapeutics a very promising strategy to treat a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, preclinical and clinical strategies have been developed in recent years for some polyQ disorders using ASO therapeutics. The success of ASOs in several animal models, as well as encouraging results in the clinic for Huntington's disease, points towards a promising future regarding the application of ASO-based therapies for polyQ disorders in humans, offering new opportunities to address unmet medical needs for this class of disorders. This review aims to present a brief overview of key chemical modifications, mechanisms of action and routes of administration that have been described for ASO-based therapies. Moreover, it presents a review of the most recent and relevant preclinical and clinical trials that have tested ASO therapeutics in polyQ disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Silva
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Diana D Lobo
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Inês M Martins
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sara M Lopes
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carina Henriques
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,ViraVector, Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sónia P Duarte
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - Rui Jorge Nobre
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,ViraVector, Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Luis Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,ViraVector, Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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13
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Chen YS, Hong ZX, Lin SZ, Harn HJ. Identifying Therapeutic Targets for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3/Machado-Joseph Disease through Integration of Pathological Biomarkers and Therapeutic Strategies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21093063. [PMID: 32357546 PMCID: PMC7246822 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD) is a progressive motor disease with no broadly effective treatment. However, most current therapies are based on symptoms rather than the underlying disease mechanisms. In this review, we describe potential therapeutic strategies based on known pathological biomarkers and related pathogenic processes. The three major conclusions from the current studies are summarized as follows: (i) for the drugs currently being tested in clinical trials; a weak connection was observed between drugs and SCA3/MJD biomarkers. The only two exceptions are the drugs suppressing glutamate-induced calcium influx and chemical chaperon. (ii) For most of the drugs that have been tested in animal studies, there is a direct association with pathological biomarkers. We further found that many drugs are associated with inducing autophagy, which is supported by the evidence of deficient autophagy biomarkers in SCA3/MJD, and that there may be more promising therapeutics. (iii) Some reported biomarkers lack relatively targeted drugs. Low glucose utilization, altered amino acid metabolism, and deficient insulin signaling are all implicated in SCA3/MJD, but there have been few studies on treatment strategies targeting these abnormalities. Therapeutic strategies targeting multiple pathological SCA3/MJD biomarkers may effectively block disease progression and preserve neurological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Shuan Chen
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (Y.-S.C.); (H.-J.H.); Tel.: +886-3-856-1825 (Y.-S.C. & H.-J.H.); Fax: +886-3-856-0977 (H.-J.H.)
| | - Zhen-Xiang Hong
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
| | - Shinn-Zong Lin
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
| | - Horng-Jyh Harn
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Tzu Chi University, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (Y.-S.C.); (H.-J.H.); Tel.: +886-3-856-1825 (Y.-S.C. & H.-J.H.); Fax: +886-3-856-0977 (H.-J.H.)
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14
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Protocol for the Characterization of the Cytosine-Adenine-Guanine Tract and Flanking Polymorphisms in Machado-Joseph Disease: Impact on Diagnosis and Development of Gene-Based Therapies. J Mol Diagn 2020; 22:782-793. [PMID: 32205289 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2020.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) constitute a group of autosomal dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders with considerable phenotypic overlap. Definitive diagnoses rely on the detection of a mutation in each associated locus, comprising the abnormal expansion of the trinucleotide cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) in coding exons. Assessment of single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with the CAG expansion in the context of SCAs is also relevant for improving molecular diagnosis and for generating novel therapeutic strategies. The current study is focused on Machado-Joseph disease/SCA type 3, with the aim of developing a protocol for the accurate determination of the CAG length in exon 10 of the human ATXN3 gene and to characterize flanking polymorphisms. A single pair of primers was designed and validated, and two complementary PCR-based methods were established. In method I, PCR amplicons were cloned and sequenced, allowing the assessment of three single nucleotide polymorphisms in the vicinity of the CAG repeat (C987GG/G987GG, TAA1118/TAC1118, and C1178/A1178), which can constitute potential targets for personalized gene-based therapies. Method II combines PCR, capillary electrophoresis, and a size correction formula, enabling a time and cost-effective determination of the number of CAGs. The established protocol paves the way to overcome technical difficulties related to the molecular characterization of the CAG motif and intragenic polymorphisms in the context of Machado-Joseph disease/SCA type 3 and may prove useful when applied to other polyglutamine SCAs.
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15
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Gonzalez-Alegre P. Recent advances in molecular therapies for neurological disease: triplet repeat disorders. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 28:R80-R87. [PMID: 31227833 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Triplet repeat diseases (TRDs) are caused by pathogenic expansions of trinucleotide sequence repeats within coding and non-coding regions of different genes. They are typically progressive, very disabling and frequently involve the nervous system. Currently available symptomatic therapies provide modest benefit at best. The development of interventions that interfere with the natural history of these diseases is a priority. A common pathogenic process shared by most TRDs is the presence of toxicity from the messenger RNA or protein encoded by the gene harboring the abnormal expansion. Strategies to interfere with the expression of these genes using different molecular approaches are being pursued and have reached the clinical stage. This review will summarize the significant progress made in this field in the last few years, focusing on three main areas: the discovery of biomarkers of disease progression and target engagement, advances in preclinical studies for the polyglutamine ataxias and the initial clinical application in myotonic dystrophy type 1 and Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Gonzalez-Alegre
- Department of Neurology, the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapy, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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16
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McLoughlin HS, Moore LR, Paulson HL. Pathogenesis of SCA3 and implications for other polyglutamine diseases. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 134:104635. [PMID: 31669734 PMCID: PMC6980715 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Tandem repeat diseases include the neurodegenerative disorders known as polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, caused by CAG repeat expansions in the coding regions of the respective disease genes. The nine known polyQ disease include Huntington's disease (HD), dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA), spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), and six spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA6, SCA7, and SCA17). The underlying disease mechanism in the polyQ diseases is thought principally to reflect dominant toxic properties of the disease proteins which, when harboring a polyQ expansion, differentially interact with protein partners and are prone to aggregate. Among the polyQ diseases, SCA3 is the most common SCA, and second to HD in prevalence worldwide. Here we summarize current understanding of SCA3 disease mechanisms within the broader context of the broader polyQ disease field. We emphasize properties of the disease protein, ATXN3, and new discoveries regarding three potential pathogenic mechanisms: 1) altered protein homeostasis; 2) DNA damage and dysfunctional DNA repair; and 3) nonneuronal contributions to disease. We conclude with an overview of the therapeutic implications of recent mechanistic insights.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lauren R Moore
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Henry L Paulson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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17
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Dantuma NP, Herzog LK. Machado-Joseph Disease: A Stress Combating Deubiquitylating Enzyme Changing Sides. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1233:237-260. [PMID: 32274760 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-38266-7_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), also known as Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), is an autosomal dominant inheritable neurodegenerative disorder. After a long pre-symptomatic period, this late-onset disease progressively disables patients and typically leads to premature death. Neuronal loss in specific regions of the cerebellum, brainstem and basal ganglia as well as the spinal cord explains the spectra of debilitating neurological symptoms, most strikingly progressive limb, and gait ataxia. The genetic cause of MJD is a polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat expansion in the gene that encodes ataxin-3. This polyQ-containing protein displays a well-defined catalytic activity as ataxin-3 is a deubiquitylating enzyme that removes and disassembles ubiquitin chains from specific substrates. While mutant ataxin-3 with an expanded polyQ repeat induces cellular stress due to its propensity to aggregate, the native functions of wild-type ataxin-3 are linked to the cellular countermeasures against the very same stress conditions inflicted by polyQ-containing and other aggregation-prone proteins. Hence, a mixture of gain-of-function and loss-of-function mechanisms are likely to contribute to the neuronal demise observed in MJD. In this review, we discuss the intimate link between ataxin-3 and cellular stress and its relevance for therapeutic intervention in MJD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico P Dantuma
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Laura K Herzog
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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18
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Ashraf NS, Sutton JR, Yang Y, Ranxhi B, Libohova K, Shaw ED, Barget AJ, Todi SV, Paulson HL, Costa MDC. Druggable genome screen identifies new regulators of the abundance and toxicity of ATXN3, the Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 3 disease protein. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 137:104697. [PMID: 31783119 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 3 (SCA3, also known as Machado-Joseph disease) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion encoding an abnormally long polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the disease protein, ataxin-3 (ATXN3). No preventive treatment is yet available for SCA3. Because SCA3 is likely caused by a toxic gain of ATXN3 function, a rational therapeutic strategy is to reduce mutant ATXN3 levels by targeting pathways that control its production or stability. Here, we sought to identify genes that modulate ATXN3 levels as potential therapeutic targets in this fatal disorder. We screened a collection of siRNAs targeting 2742 druggable human genes using a cell-based assay based on luminescence readout of polyQ-expanded ATXN3. From 317 candidate genes identified in the primary screen, 100 genes were selected for validation. Among the 33 genes confirmed in secondary assays, 15 were validated in an independent cell model as modulators of pathogenic ATXN3 protein levels. Ten of these genes were then assessed in a Drosophila model of SCA3, and one was confirmed as a key modulator of physiological ATXN3 abundance in SCA3 neuronal progenitor cells. Among the 15 genes shown to modulate ATXN3 in mammalian cells, orthologs of CHD4, FBXL3, HR and MC3R regulate mutant ATXN3-mediated toxicity in fly eyes. Further mechanistic studies of one of these genes, FBXL3, encoding a F-box protein that is a component of the SKP1-Cullin-F-box (SCF) ubiquitin ligase complex, showed that it reduces levels of normal and pathogenic ATXN3 in SCA3 neuronal progenitor cells, primarily via a SCF complex-dependent manner. Bioinformatic analysis of the 15 genes revealed a potential molecular network with connections to tumor necrosis factor-α/nuclear factor-kappa B (TNF/NF-kB) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) pathways. Overall, we identified 15 druggable genes with diverse functions to be suppressors or enhancers of pathogenic ATXN3 abundance. Among identified pathways highlighted by this screen, the FBXL3/SCF axis represents a novel molecular pathway that regulates physiological levels of ATXN3 protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naila S Ashraf
- Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Joanna R Sutton
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Yemen Yang
- Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Bedri Ranxhi
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Kozeta Libohova
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Emily D Shaw
- Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Anna J Barget
- Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sokol V Todi
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA; Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Henry L Paulson
- Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Maria do Carmo Costa
- Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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19
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Nóbrega C, Mendonça L, Marcelo A, Lamazière A, Tomé S, Despres G, Matos CA, Mechmet F, Langui D, den Dunnen W, de Almeida LP, Cartier N, Alves S. Restoring brain cholesterol turnover improves autophagy and has therapeutic potential in mouse models of spinocerebellar ataxia. Acta Neuropathol 2019; 138:837-858. [PMID: 31197505 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-02019-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are devastating neurodegenerative disorders for which no curative or preventive therapies are available. Deregulation of brain cholesterol metabolism and impaired brain cholesterol turnover have been associated with several neurodegenerative diseases. SCA3 or Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is the most prevalent ataxia worldwide. We show that cholesterol 24-hydroxylase (CYP46A1), the key enzyme allowing efflux of brain cholesterol and activating brain cholesterol turnover, is decreased in cerebellar extracts from SCA3 patients and SCA3 mice. We investigated whether reinstating CYP46A1 expression would improve the disease phenotype of SCA3 mouse models. We show that administration of adeno-associated viral vectors encoding CYP46A1 to a lentiviral-based SCA3 mouse model reduces mutant ataxin-3 accumulation, which is a hallmark of SCA3, and preserves neuronal markers. In a transgenic SCA3 model with a severe motor phenotype we confirm that cerebellar delivery of AAVrh10-CYP46A1 is strongly neuroprotective in adult mice with established pathology. CYP46A1 significantly decreases ataxin-3 protein aggregation, alleviates motor impairments and improves SCA3-associated neuropathology. In particular, improvement in Purkinje cell number and reduction of cerebellar atrophy are observed in AAVrh10-CYP46A1-treated mice. Conversely, we show that knocking-down CYP46A1 in normal mouse brain impairs cholesterol metabolism, induces motor deficits and produces strong neurodegeneration with impairment of the endosomal-lysosomal pathway, a phenotype closely resembling that of SCA3. Remarkably, we demonstrate for the first time both in vitro, in a SCA3 cellular model, and in vivo, in mouse brain, that CYP46A1 activates autophagy, which is impaired in SCA3, leading to decreased mutant ataxin-3 deposition. More broadly, we show that the beneficial effect of CYP46A1 is also observed with mutant ataxin-2 aggregates. Altogether, our results confirm a pivotal role for CYP46A1 and brain cholesterol metabolism in neuronal function, pointing to a key contribution of the neuronal cholesterol pathway in mechanisms mediating clearance of aggregate-prone proteins. This study identifies CYP46A1 as a relevant therapeutic target not only for SCA3 but also for other SCAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clévio Nóbrega
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Liliana Mendonça
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Adriana Marcelo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Antonin Lamazière
- INSERM, Saint-Antoine Research Center, Sorbonne Université, Faculté de Médecine, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint Antoine, Département PM2, Paris, France
| | - Sandra Tomé
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Gaetan Despres
- INSERM, Saint-Antoine Research Center, Sorbonne Université, Faculté de Médecine, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint Antoine, Département PM2, Paris, France
| | - Carlos A Matos
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Fatich Mechmet
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Dominique Langui
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Université, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bd de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Wilfred den Dunnen
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Luis Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Nathalie Cartier
- INSERM U1169 92265 Fontenay aux Roses and Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France.
- INSERM U1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bd de l'hôpital, 75013, Paris, France.
| | - Sandro Alves
- Brainvectis, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 boulevard de l'Hôpital Paris, 75646, Paris, CEDEX 13, France.
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20
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Martier R, Sogorb-Gonzalez M, Stricker-Shaver J, Hübener-Schmid J, Keskin S, Klima J, Toonen LJ, Juhas S, Juhasova J, Ellederova Z, Motlik J, Haas E, van Deventer S, Konstantinova P, Nguyen HP, Evers MM. Development of an AAV-Based MicroRNA Gene Therapy to Treat Machado-Joseph Disease. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2019; 15:343-358. [PMID: 31828177 PMCID: PMC6889651 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2019.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), or Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG expansion in the ATXN3 gene. The expanded CAG repeat is translated into a prolonged polyglutamine repeat in the ataxin-3 protein and accumulates within inclusions, acquiring toxic properties, which results in degeneration of the cerebellum and brain stem. In the current study, a non-allele-specific ATXN3 silencing approach was investigated using artificial microRNAs engineered to target various regions of the ATXN3 gene (miATXN3). The miATXN3 candidates were screened in vitro based on their silencing efficacy on a luciferase (Luc) reporter co-expressing ATXN3. The three best miATXN3 candidates were further tested for target engagement and potential off-target activity in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) differentiated into frontal brain-like neurons and in a SCA3 knockin mouse model. Besides a strong reduction of ATXN3 mRNA and protein, small RNA sequencing revealed efficient guide strand processing without passenger strands being produced. We used different methods to predict alteration of off-target genes upon AAV5-miATXN3 treatment and found no evidence for unwanted effects. Furthermore, we demonstrated in a large animal model, the minipig, that intrathecal delivery of AAV5 can transduce the main areas affected in SCA3 patients. These results proved a strong basis to move forward to investigate distribution, efficacy, and safety of AAV5-miATXN3 in large animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raygene Martier
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marina Sogorb-Gonzalez
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Janice Stricker-Shaver
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | | | - Sonay Keskin
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jiri Klima
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Lodewijk J Toonen
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Stefan Juhas
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Juhasova
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenka Ellederova
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Motlik
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Haas
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Sander van Deventer
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Pavlina Konstantinova
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Huu Phuc Nguyen
- Department of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Melvin M Evers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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21
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Da Silva JD, Teixeira-Castro A, Maciel P. From Pathogenesis to Novel Therapeutics for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3: Evading Potholes on the Way to Translation. Neurotherapeutics 2019; 16:1009-1031. [PMID: 31691128 PMCID: PMC6985322 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-019-00798-1] [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] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), also known as Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the ATXN3 gene. In spite of the identification of a clear monogenic cause 25 years ago, the pathological process still puzzles researchers, impairing prospects for an effective therapy. Here, we propose the disruption of protein homeostasis as the hub of SCA3 pathogenesis, being the molecular mechanisms and cellular pathways that are deregulated in SCA3 downstream consequences of the misfolding and aggregation of ATXN3. Moreover, we attempt to provide a realistic perspective on how the translational/clinical research in SCA3 should evolve. This was based on molecular findings, clinical and epidemiological characteristics, studies of proposed treatments in other conditions, and how that information is essential for their (re-)application in SCA3. This review thus aims i) to critically evaluate the current state of research on SCA3, from fundamental to translational and clinical perspectives; ii) to bring up the current key questions that remain unanswered in this disorder; and iii) to provide a frame on how those answers should be pursued.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Diogo Da Silva
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Andreia Teixeira-Castro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Maciel
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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22
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Abstract
The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) comprise more than 40 autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorders that present principally with progressive ataxia. Within the past few years, studies of pathogenic mechanisms in the SCAs have led to the development of promising therapeutic strategies, especially for SCAs caused by polyglutamine-coding CAG repeats. Nucleotide-based gene-silencing approaches that target the first steps in the pathogenic cascade are one promising approach not only for polyglutamine SCAs but also for the many other SCAs caused by toxic mutant proteins or RNA. For these and other emerging therapeutic strategies, well-coordinated preparation is needed for fruitful clinical trials. To accomplish this goal, investigators from the United States and Europe are now collaborating to share data from their respective SCA cohorts. Increased knowledge of the natural history of SCAs, including of the premanifest and early symptomatic stages of disease, will improve the prospects for success in clinical trials of disease-modifying drugs. In addition, investigators are seeking validated clinical outcome measures that demonstrate responsiveness to changes in SCA populations. Findings suggest that MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy biomarkers will provide objective biological readouts of disease activity and progression, but more work is needed to establish disease-specific biomarkers that track target engagement in therapeutic trials. Together, these efforts suggest that the development of successful therapies for one or more SCAs is not far away.
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23
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Szpisjak L, Zadori D, Klivenyi P, Vecsei L. Clinical Characteristics and Possible Drug Targets in Autosomal Dominant Spinocerebellar Ataxias. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS-DRUG TARGETS 2019; 18:279-293. [DOI: 10.2174/1871527318666190311155846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Background & Objective:
The autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) belong
to a large and expanding group of neurodegenerative disorders. SCAs comprise more than 40 subtypes
characterized by progressive ataxia as a common feature. The most prevalent diseases among SCAs
are caused by CAG repeat expansions in the coding-region of the causative gene resulting in polyglutamine
(polyQ) tract formation in the encoded protein. Unfortunately, there is no approved therapy to
treat cerebellar motor dysfunction in SCA patients. In recent years, several studies have been conducted
to recognize the clinical and pathophysiological aspects of the polyQ SCAs more accurately.
This scientific progress has provided new opportunities to develop promising gene therapies, including
RNA interference and antisense oligonucleotides.
Conclusion:
The aim of the current work is to give a brief summary of the clinical features of SCAs
and to review the cardinal points of pathomechanisms of the most common polyQ SCAs. In addition,
we review the last few year’s promising gene suppression therapies of the most frequent polyQ SCAs
in animal models, on the basis of which human trials may be initiated in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laszlo Szpisjak
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Denes Zadori
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Peter Klivenyi
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Laszlo Vecsei
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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24
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Gómez-Ruiz M, Rodríguez-Cueto C, Luna-Piñel E, Hernández-Gálvez M, Fernández-Ruiz J. Endocannabinoid System in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type-3 and Other Autosomal-Dominant Cerebellar Ataxias: Potential Role in Pathogenesis and Expected Relevance as Neuroprotective Targets. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:94. [PMID: 31068788 PMCID: PMC6491810 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of hereditary and progressive neurological disorders characterized by a loss of balance and motor coordination typically associated with cerebellar atrophy. The most prevalent SCA types are all polyQ disorders like Huntington’s disease, sharing the most relevant events in pathogenesis with this basal ganglia disorder, but with most of the damage concentrated in cerebellar neurons, and in their afferent and efferent connections (e.g., brainstem nuclei). SCAs have no cure and effective symptom-alleviating and disease-modifying therapies are not currently available. However, based on results obtained in studies conducted in murine models and information derived from analyses in post-mortem tissue samples from patients, which show notably higher levels of CB1 receptors found in different cerebellar neuronal subpopulations, the blockade of these receptors has been proposed for acutely modulating motor incoordination in cerebellar ataxias, whereas their chronic activation has been proposed for preserving specific neuronal losses. Additional studies in post-mortem tissues from SCA patients have also demonstrated elevated levels of CB2 receptors in Purkinje neurons as well as in glial elements in the granular layer and in the cerebellar white matter, with a similar profile found for endocannabinoid hydrolyzing enzymes, then suggesting that activating CB2 receptors and/or inhibiting these enzymes may also serve to develop cannabinoid-based neuroprotective therapies. The present review will address both aspects. On one hand, the endocannabinoid system becomes dysregulated in the cerebellum and also in other CNS structures (e.g., brainstem, basal ganglia) in SCAs, which may contribute to the progression of pathogenic events in these diseases. On the other hand, these endocannabinoid alterations may be pharmacologically corrected or enhanced, and this may have therapeutic consequences, either alleviating specific symptoms or eliciting neuroprotective effects, an objective presently under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Gómez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Rodríguez-Cueto
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Luna-Piñel
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mariluz Hernández-Gálvez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Fernández-Ruiz
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
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25
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Abstract
Nucleotide repeat disorders encompass more than 30 diseases, most of which show dominant inheritance, such as Huntington's disease, spinocerebellar ataxias, and myotonic dystrophies. Yet others, including Friedreich's ataxia, are recessively inherited. A common feature is the presence of a DNA tandem repeat in the disease-associated gene and the propensity of the repeats to expand in germ and in somatic cells, with ensuing neurological and frequently also neuromuscular defects. Repeat expansion is the most frequent event in these diseases; however, sequence contractions, deletions, and mutations have also been reported. Nucleotide repeat sequences are predisposed to adopt non-B-DNA conformations, such as hairpins, cruciform, and intramolecular triple-helix structures (triplexes), also known as H-DNA. For gain-of-function disorders, oligonucleotides can be used to target either transcripts or duplex DNA and in diseases with recessive inheritance oligonucleotides may be used to alter repressive DNA or RNA conformations. Most current treatment strategies are aimed at altering transcript levels, but therapies directed against DNA are also emerging, and novel strategies targeting DNA, instead of RNA, are described. Different mechanisms using modified oligonucleotides are discussed along with the structural aspects of repeat sequences, which can influence binding modes and efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rula Zain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Centre for Advanced Therapies, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-141 86, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Centre for Rare Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - C I Edvard Smith
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Centre for Advanced Therapies, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-141 86, Stockholm, Sweden
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26
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Krauss S, Nalavade R, Weber S, Carter K, Evert BO. Upregulation of miR-25 and miR-181 Family Members Correlates with Reduced Expression of ATXN3 in Lymphocytes from SCA3 Patients. Microrna 2019; 8:76-85. [PMID: 30147021 DOI: 10.2174/2211536607666180821162403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), the most common spinocerebellar ataxia, is caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the protein ataxin-3 (ATXN3). Silencing the expression of polyQ-expanded ATXN3 rescues the cellular disease phenotype. OBJECTIVE This study investigated the differential expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), small noncoding RNAs targeting gene expression, in lymphoblastoid cells (LCs) from SCA3 patients and the capability of identified deregulated miRNAs to target and alter ATXN3 expression. METHODS MiRNA profiling was performed by microarray hybridization of total RNA from control and SCA3-LCs. The capability of the identified miRNAs and their target sites to suppress ATXN3 expression was analyzed using mutagenesis, reverse transcription PCR, immunoblotting, luciferase reporter assays, mimics and precursors of the identified miRNAs. RESULTS SCA3-LCs showed significantly decreased expression levels of ATXN3 and a significant upregulation of the ATXN3-3'UTR targeting miRNAs, miR-32 and miR-181c and closely related members of the miR-25 and miR-181 family, respectively. MiR-32 and miR-181c effectively targeted the 3'UTR of ATXN3 and suppressed the expression of ATXN3. CONCLUSIONS The simultaneous upregulation of closely related miRNAs targeting the 3'UTR of ATXN3 and the significantly reduced ATXN3 expression levels in SCA3-LCs suggests that miR-25 and miR-181 family members cooperatively bind to the 3'UTR to suppress the expression of ATXN3. The findings further suggest that the upregulation of miR-25 and miR-181 family members in SCA3- LCs reflects a cell type-specific, protective mechanism to diminish polyQ-mediated cytotoxic effects. Thus, miRNA mimics of miR-25 and miR-181 family members may prove useful for the treatment of SCA3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sybille Krauss
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Sigmund-Freud-Street 27, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Rohit Nalavade
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Sigmund-Freud-Street 27, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Stephanie Weber
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Sigmund-Freud-Street 27, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Katlynn Carter
- Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Street 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Bernd O Evert
- Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Street 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
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Krauss S, Evert BO. The Role of MicroRNAs in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:1729-1742. [PMID: 30664869 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
More than 90% of the human genome are transcribed as non-coding RNAs. While it is still under debate if all these non-coding transcripts are functional, there is emerging evidence that RNA has several important functions in addition to coding for proteins. For example, microRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulatory RNAs that control gene expression in various biological processes and human diseases. In spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), a devastating neurodegenerative disease, miRNAs are involved in the disease process at different levels, including the deregulation of components of the general miRNA biogenesis machinery, as well as in the cell type-specific control of the expression of the SCA3 disease protein and other SCA3 disease-relevant proteins. However, it remains difficult to predict whether these changes are a cause or a consequence of the neurodegenerative process in SCA3. Further studies using standardized procedures for the analysis of miRNA expression and larger sample numbers are required to enhance our understanding of the miRNA-mediated processes involved in SCA3 disease and may enable the development of miRNA-based therapeutics. In this review, we summarize the findings of independent studies highlighting both the disease-related and cytoprotective roles of miRNAs that have been implicated so far in the disease process of SCA3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sybille Krauss
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Sigmund-Freud-Street 27, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Bernd O Evert
- Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Street 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
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28
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Matos CA, de Almeida LP, Nóbrega C. Machado-Joseph disease/spinocerebellar ataxia type 3: lessons from disease pathogenesis and clues into therapy. J Neurochem 2018; 148:8-28. [PMID: 29959858 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), also known as spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), is an incurable disorder, widely regarded as the most common form of spinocerebellar ataxia in the world. MJD/SCA3 arises from mutation of the ATXN3 gene, but this simple monogenic cause contrasts with the complexity of the pathogenic mechanisms that are currently admitted to underlie neuronal dysfunction and death. The aberrantly expanded protein product - ataxin-3 - is known to aggregate and generate toxic species that disrupt several cell systems, including autophagy, proteostasis, transcription, mitochondrial function and signalling. Over the years, research into putative therapeutic approaches has often been devoted to the development of strategies that counteract disease at different stages of cellular pathogenesis. Silencing the pathogenic protein, blocking aggregation, inhibiting toxic proteolytic processing and counteracting dysfunctions of the cellular systems affected have yielded promising ameliorating results in studies with cellular and animal models. The current review analyses the available studies dedicated to the investigation of MJD/SCA3 pathogenesis and the exploration of possible therapeutic strategies, focusing primarily on gene therapy and pharmacological approaches rooted on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Matos
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Clévio Nóbrega
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, University of Algarve, Coimbra, Portugal.,Centre for Biomedical Research (CBMR), University of Algarve, Coimbra, Portugal.,Algarve Biomedical Center (ABC), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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29
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Ashraf NS, Duarte-Silva S, Shaw ED, Maciel P, Paulson HL, Teixeira-Castro A, Costa MDC. Citalopram Reduces Aggregation of ATXN3 in a YAC Transgenic Mouse Model of Machado-Joseph Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:3690-3701. [PMID: 30187384 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1331-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Machado-Joseph disease, also known as spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, is a fatal polyglutamine disease with no disease-modifying treatment. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram was shown in nematode and mouse models to be a compelling repurposing candidate for Machado-Joseph disease therapeutics. We sought to confirm the efficacy of citalopram to decrease ATXN3 aggregation in an unrelated mouse model of Machado-Joseph disease. Four-week-old YACMJD84.2 mice and non-transgenic littermates were given citalopram 8 mg/kg in drinking water or water for 10 weeks. At the end of treatment, brains were collected for biochemical and pathological analyses. Brains of citalopram-treated YACMJD84.2 mice showed an approximate 50% decrease in the percentage of cells containing ATXN3-positive inclusions in the substantia nigra and three examined brainstem nuclei compared to controls. No differences in ATXN3 inclusion load were observed in deep cerebellar nuclei of mice. Citalopram effect on ATXN3 aggregate burden was corroborated by immunoblotting analysis. While lysates from the brainstem and cervical spinal cord of citalopram-treated mice showed a decrease in all soluble forms of ATXN3 and a trend toward reduction of insoluble ATXN3, no differences in ATXN3 levels were found between cerebella of citalopram-treated and vehicle-treated mice. Citalopram treatment altered levels of select components of the cellular protein homeostatic machinery that may be expected to enhance the capacity to refold and/or degrade mutant ATXN3. The results here obtained in a second independent mouse model of Machado-Joseph disease further support citalopram as a potential drug to be repurposed for this fatal disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naila S Ashraf
- Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Sciences Research Building, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2200, USA
| | - Sara Duarte-Silva
- School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Emily D Shaw
- Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Sciences Research Building, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2200, USA
| | - Patrícia Maciel
- School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Henry L Paulson
- Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Sciences Research Building, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2200, USA
| | - Andreia Teixeira-Castro
- School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), Braga, Portugal. .,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal. .,Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
| | - Maria do Carmo Costa
- Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Sciences Research Building, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2200, USA.
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Abstract
Polyglutamine diseases are hereditary degenerative disorders of the nervous system that have remained, to this date, untreatable. Promisingly, investigation into their molecular etiology and the development of increasingly perfected tools have contributed to the design of novel strategies with therapeutic potential. Encouraging studies have explored gene therapy as a means to counteract cell demise and loss in this context. The current chapter addresses the two main focuses of research in the area: the characteristics of the systems used to deliver nucleic acids to cells and the molecular and cellular actions of the therapeutic agents. Vectors used in gene therapy have to satisfyingly reach the tissues and cell types of interest, while eliciting the lowest toxicity possible. Both viral and non-viral systems have been developed for the delivery of nucleic acids to the central nervous system, each with its respective advantages and shortcomings. Since each polyglutamine disease is caused by mutation of a single gene, many gene therapy strategies have tried to halt degeneration by silencing the corresponding protein products, usually recurring to RNA interference. The potential of small interfering RNAs, short hairpin RNAs and microRNAs has been investigated. Overexpression of protective genes has also been evaluated as a means of decreasing mutant protein toxicity and operate beneficial alterations. Recent gene editing tools promise yet other ways of interfering with the disease-causing genes, at the most upstream points possible. Results obtained in both cell and animal models encourage further delving into this type of therapeutic strategies and support the future use of gene therapy in the treatment of polyglutamine diseases.
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Ramani B, Panwar B, Moore LR, Wang B, Huang R, Guan Y, Paulson HL. Comparison of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 mouse models identifies early gain-of-function, cell-autonomous transcriptional changes in oligodendrocytes. Hum Mol Genet 2018; 26:3362-3374. [PMID: 28854700 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a polyglutamine-encoding CAG repeat expansion in the ATXN3 gene. This expansion leads to misfolding and aggregation of mutant ataxin-3 (ATXN3) and degeneration of select brain regions. A key unanswered question in SCA3 and other polyglutamine diseases is the extent to which neurodegeneration is mediated through gain-of-function versus loss-of-function. To address this question in SCA3, we performed transcriptional profiling on the brainstem, a highly vulnerable brain region in SCA3, in a series of mouse models with varying degrees of ATXN3 expression and aggregation. We include two SCA3 knock-in mouse models: our previously published model that erroneously harbors a tandem duplicate of the CAG repeat-containing exon, and a corrected model, introduced here. Both models exhibit dose-dependent neuronal accumulation and aggregation of mutant ATXN3, but do not exhibit a behavioral phenotype. We identified a molecular signature that correlates with ATXN3 neuronal aggregation yet is primarily linked to oligodendrocytes, highlighting early white matter dysfunction in SCA3. Two robustly elevated oligodendrocyte transcripts, Acy3 and Tnfrsf13c, were confirmed as elevated at the protein level in SCA3 human disease brainstem. To determine if mutant ATXN3 acts on oligodendrocytes cell-autonomously, we manipulated the repeat expansion in the variant SCA3 knock-in mouse by cell-type specific Cre/LoxP recombination. Changes in oligodendrocyte transcripts are driven cell-autonomously and occur independent of neuronal ATXN3 aggregation. Our findings support a primary toxic gain of function mechanism and highlight a previously unrecognized role for oligodendrocyte dysfunction in SCA3 disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bharat Panwar
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | | | | | - Yuanfang Guan
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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32
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Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a genetically diverse group of dominantly inherited disorders that share clinical features that result from dysfunction and degeneration of the cerebellum and its associated pathways. Although nearly 40 genes are currently recognized to result in SCA, shared mechanisms for disease pathogenesis exist among subsets of the SCAs. The most common SCAs result from a glutamine-encoding CAG repeat in the respective disease genes. This chapter discusses the varied genetic etiology of SCA and attempts to categorize these disorders based on shared mechanisms of disease. We also summarize evaluation and management for the SCAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Mundwiler
- Department of Neurosciences, Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids, MI, United States; College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
| | - Vikram G Shakkottai
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
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The CAG-polyglutamine repeat diseases: a clinical, molecular, genetic, and pathophysiologic nosology. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2018; 147:143-170. [PMID: 29325609 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63233-3.00011-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Throughout the genome, unstable tandem nucleotide repeats can expand to cause a variety of neurologic disorders. Expansion of a CAG triplet repeat within a coding exon gives rise to an elongated polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the resultant protein product, and accounts for a unique category of neurodegenerative disorders, known as the CAG-polyglutamine repeat diseases. The nine members of the CAG-polyglutamine disease family include spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), Huntington disease, dentatorubral pallidoluysian atrophy, and six spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 17). All CAG-polyglutamine diseases are dominantly inherited, with the exception of SBMA, which is X-linked, and many CAG-polyglutamine diseases display anticipation, which is defined as increasing disease severity in successive generations of an affected kindred. Despite widespread expression of the different polyQ-expanded disease proteins throughout the body, each CAG-polyglutamine disease strikes a particular subset of neurons, although the mechanism for this cell-type selectivity remains poorly understood. While the different genes implicated in these disorders display amino acid homology only in the repeat tract domain, certain pathologic molecular processes have been implicated in almost all of the CAG-polyglutamine repeat diseases, including protein aggregation, proteolytic cleavage, transcription dysregulation, autophagy impairment, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Here we highlight the clinical and molecular genetic features of each distinct disorder, and then discuss common themes in CAG-polyglutamine disease pathogenesis, closing with emerging advances in therapy development.
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34
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Wang Z. Experimental and Clinical Strategies for Treating Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3. Neuroscience 2017; 371:138-154. [PMID: 29229556 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.11.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), or Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the ataxin-3 protein. To date, there is no effective therapy available to prevent progression of this disease. However, clinical strategies for alleviating various symptoms are imperative to promote a better quality of life for SCA3/MJD patients. Furthermore, experimental therapeutic strategies, including gene silencing or mutant protein clearance, mutant polyQ protein modification, stabilizing the native protein conformation, rescue of cellular dysfunction and neuromodulation to slow the progression of SCA3/MJD, have been developed. In this study, based on the current knowledge, I detail the clinical and experimental therapeutic strategies for treating SCA3/MJD, paying particular attention to drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijian Wang
- Genetic Engineering Laboratory, College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710065, China.
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35
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Curtis HJ, Seow Y, Wood MJA, Varela MA. Knockdown and replacement therapy mediated by artificial mirtrons in spinocerebellar ataxia 7. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:7870-7885. [PMID: 28575281 PMCID: PMC5569705 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We evaluate a knockdown-replacement strategy mediated by mirtrons as an alternative to allele-specific silencing using spinocerebellar ataxia 7 (SCA7) as a model. Mirtrons are introns that form pre-microRNA hairpins after splicing, producing RNAi effectors not processed by Drosha. Mirtron mimics may therefore avoid saturation of the canonical processing pathway. This method combines gene silencing mediated by an artificial mirtron with delivery of a functional copy of the gene such that both elements of the therapy are always expressed concurrently, minimizing the potential for undesirable effects and preserving wild-type function. This mutation- and single nucleotide polymorphism-independent method could be crucial in dominant diseases that feature both gain- and loss-of-function pathologies or have a heterogeneous genetic background. Here we develop mirtrons against ataxin 7 with silencing efficacy comparable to shRNAs, and introduce silent mutations into an ataxin 7 transgene such that it is resistant to their effect. We successfully express the transgene and one mirtron together from a single construct. Hence, we show that this method can be used to silence the endogenous allele of ataxin 7 and replace it with an exogenous copy of the gene, highlighting the efficacy and transferability across patient genotypes of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen J Curtis
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK.,Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Yiqi Seow
- Molecular Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institutes, A*STAR, Singapore
| | - Matthew J A Wood
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Miguel A Varela
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
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36
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Jiang HB, Du AL, Luo HY, Yang J, Luo XQ, Ma RQ, Shi CH, Xu YM. Arginine vasopressin relates with spatial learning and memory in a mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. Neuropeptides 2017; 65:83-89. [PMID: 28619276 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2017.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that the most prevalent type is type 3 (SCA3). Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is released within the lateral septum for controlling the learning and memory. This communication studied the effect of AVP on the spatial learning and memory of SCA3 mice. The spatial learning and memory were analyzed by Morris water maze test (MWM), and AVP concentration was measured by radioimmunoassay. The results showed that (Alves et al., 2010) the swimming velocity, distance traveled and latency to the platform of MWM in SCA3 mice were reduced slower than those in WT mice over 4 training days (p<0.05, 0.01 or 0.001); (Antunes and Zimmerman, 1978) SCA3 mice showed a lower performance of spatial learning and memory of MWM during the fifth day (test day) compared to WT mice; (Bao et al., 2014) SCA3 mice had a decrease of AVP concentration in cerebral cortex (6.3±0.6pg/mg vs. 11.4±1.0pg/mg, p<0.01), hypothalamus (6.1±1.3ng/mg vs. 10.3±2.1ng/mg, p<0.05), hippocampus (3.2±0.5pg/mg vs. 5.2±1.0pg/mg, p<0.01) and cerebellum (4.7±0.9pg/mg vs. 8.3±1.1pg/mg, p<0.01), not in spinal cord, pituitary and serum; and (Barberies and Tribollet, 1996) intraventricular AVP could significantly quicken swimming velocity, cut down distance traveled and reduce latency to the platform of MWM in a dose-dependent manner, but intraventricular AVP receptor antagonist weakened the spatial learning and memory of MWM in SCA3 mice during the fifth day. The data suggested that AVP in the brain, not spinal cord and peripheral system of SCA3 mice related with the change of the spatial learning and memory of MWM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Bo Jiang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China; The Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Ai-Lin Du
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China; Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Research, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Hai-Yang Luo
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Jun Yang
- Xinxiang Institute for New Medicine, Xinxiang, Henan, China.
| | - Xiao-Qiu Luo
- Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Research, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Rui-Qing Ma
- Xinxiang Institute for New Medicine, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Chang-He Shi
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| | - Yu-Ming Xu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
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37
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Calpain Inhibition Is Protective in Machado-Joseph Disease Zebrafish Due to Induction of Autophagy. J Neurosci 2017; 37:7782-7794. [PMID: 28687604 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1142-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Revised: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurodegenerative disease Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), also known as spinocerebellar ataxin-3, affects neurons of the brain and spinal cord, disrupting control of the movement of muscles. We have successfully established the first transgenic zebrafish (Danio rerio) model of MJD by expressing human ataxin-3 protein containing either 23 glutamines (23Q, wild-type) or 84Q (MJD-causing) within neurons. Phenotypic characterization of the zebrafish (male and female) revealed that the ataxin-3-84Q zebrafish have decreased survival compared with ataxin-3-23Q and develop ataxin-3 neuropathology, ataxin-3 cleavage fragments and motor impairment. Ataxin-3-84Q zebrafish swim shorter distances than ataxin-3-23Q zebrafish as early as 6 days old, even if expression of the human ataxin-3 protein is limited to motor neurons. This swimming phenotype provides a valuable readout for drug treatment studies. Treating the EGFP-ataxin-3-84Q zebrafish with the calpain inhibitor compound calpeptin decreased levels of ataxin-3 cleavage fragments, but also removed all human ataxin-3 protein (confirmed by ELISA) and prevented the early MJD zebrafish motor phenotype. We identified that this clearance of ataxin-3 protein by calpeptin treatment resulted from an increase in autophagic flux (indicated by decreased p62 levels and increased LC3II). Cotreatment with the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine blocked the decrease in human ataxin-3 levels and the improved movement produced by calpeptin treatment. This study demonstrates that this first transgenic zebrafish model of MJD is a valuable tool for testing potential treatments for MJD. Calpeptin treatment is protective in this model of MJD and removal of human ataxin-3 through macro-autophagy plays an important role in this beneficial effect.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We have established the first transgenic zebrafish model of the neurodegenerative disease MJD, and identified relevant disease phenotypes, including impaired movement from an early age, which can be used in rapid drug testing studies. We have found that treating the MJD zebrafish with the calpain inhibitor compound calpeptin produces complete removal of human ataxin-3 protein, due to induction of the autophagy quality control pathway. This improves the movement of the MJD zebrafish. Artificially blocking the autophagy pathway prevents the removal of human ataxin-3 and improved movement produced by calpeptin treatment. These findings indicate that induction of autophagy, and removal of ataxin-3 protein, plays an important role in the protective effects of calpain inhibition for the treatment of MJD.
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38
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Toonen LJA, Rigo F, van Attikum H, van Roon-Mom WMC. Antisense Oligonucleotide-Mediated Removal of the Polyglutamine Repeat in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 Mice. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2017; 8:232-242. [PMID: 28918024 PMCID: PMC5504086 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2017.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is a currently incurable neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG triplet expansion in exon 10 of the ATXN3 gene. The resultant expanded polyglutamine stretch in the mutant ataxin-3 protein causes a gain of toxic function, which eventually leads to neurodegeneration. One important function of ataxin-3 is its involvement in the proteasomal protein degradation pathway, and long-term downregulation of the protein may therefore not be desirable. In the current study, we made use of antisense oligonucleotides to mask predicted exonic splicing signals, resulting in exon 10 skipping from ATXN3 pre-mRNA. This led to formation of a truncated ataxin-3 protein lacking the toxic polyglutamine expansion, but retaining its ubiquitin binding and cleavage function. Repeated intracerebroventricular injections of the antisense oligonucleotides in a SCA3 mouse model led to exon skipping and formation of the modified ataxin-3 protein throughout the mouse brain. Exon skipping was long lasting, with the modified protein being detectable for at least 2.5 months after antisense oligonucleotide injection. A reduction in insoluble ataxin-3 and nuclear accumulation was observed following antisense oligonucleotide treatment, indicating a beneficial effect on pathogenicity. Together, these data suggest that exon 10 skipping is a promising therapeutic approach for SCA3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lodewijk J A Toonen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Frank Rigo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Haico van Attikum
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Willeke M C van Roon-Mom
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333ZA Leiden, the Netherlands.
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39
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Sutton JR, Blount JR, Libohova K, Tsou WL, Joshi GS, Paulson HL, Costa MDC, Scaglione KM, Todi SV. Interaction of the polyglutamine protein ataxin-3 with Rad23 regulates toxicity in Drosophila models of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:1419-1431. [PMID: 28158474 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat expansion in the deubiquitinase ataxin-3 causes neurodegeneration in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3), one of nine inherited, incurable diseases caused by similar mutations. Ataxin-3's degradation is inhibited by its binding to the proteasome shuttle Rad23 through ubiquitin-binding site 2 (UbS2). Disrupting this interaction decreases levels of ataxin-3. Since reducing levels of polyQ proteins can decrease their toxicity, we tested whether genetically modulating the ataxin-3-Rad23 interaction regulates its toxicity in Drosophila. We found that exogenous Rad23 increases the toxicity of pathogenic ataxin-3, coincident with increased levels of the disease protein. Conversely, reducing Rad23 levels alleviates toxicity in this SCA3 model. Unexpectedly, pathogenic ataxin-3 with a mutated Rad23-binding site at UbS2, despite being present at markedly lower levels, proved to be more pathogenic than a disease-causing counterpart with intact UbS2. Additional studies established that the increased toxicity upon mutating UbS2 stems from disrupting the autoprotective role that pathogenic ataxin-3 has against itself, which depends on the co-chaperone, DnaJ-1. Our data reveal a previously unrecognized balance between pathogenic and potentially therapeutic properties of the ataxin-3-Rad23 interaction; they highlight this interaction as critical for the toxicity of the SCA3 protein, and emphasize the importance of considering protein context when pursuing suppressive avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna R Sutton
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
| | - Jessica R Blount
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
| | - Kozeta Libohova
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
| | - Wei-Ling Tsou
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
| | - Gnanada S Joshi
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
| | - Henry L Paulson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, USA
| | | | - K Matthew Scaglione
- Department of Biochemistry and the Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee WI, USA
| | - Sokol V Todi
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA.,Department of Neurology, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
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Expanded and Wild-type Ataxin-3 Modify the Redox Status of SH-SY5Y Cells Overexpressing α-Synuclein. Neurochem Res 2017; 42:1430-1437. [PMID: 28236214 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-017-2199-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2016] [Revised: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are considered to be distinct clinical entities, although they share the formation of proteinaceous aggregates and several neuropathological mechanisms. Increasing evidence suggest a possible interaction between proteins that have been classically associated to distinct neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, common molecular and cellular pathways might explain similarities between disease phenotypes. Interestingly, the characteristic Parkinson's disease (PD) phenotype linked to bradykinesia is also a clinical presentation of other neurodegenerative diseases. An example is Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), with some patients presenting parkinsonism and a positive response to levodopa (L-DOPA). Protein aggregates positive for α-synuclein (α-Syn), a protein associated with PD, in the substantia nigra of MJD models made us hypothesize a putative additive biological effect induced by expression of α-Syn and ataxin-3 (Atx3), the protein affected in MJD. Hence, in this study we analysed the influence of these two proteins (α-Syn and wild-type or mutant Atx3) on modified redox signaling, a pathological process potentially linked to both diseases, and also the impact of exposure to iron and rotenone in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Our results show that both α-Syn and mutant Atx3 overexpression per se increased oxidation of dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCFH2), and co-expression of these proteins exhibited additive effect on intracellular oxidation, with no correlation with apoptotic features. Mutant Atx3 and α-Syn also potentiated altered redox status induced by iron and rotenone, a hint to how these proteins might influence neuronal dysfunction under pro-oxidant conditions. We further show that overexpression of wild-type Atx3 decreased intracellular DCFH2 oxidation, possibly exerting a neuroprotective role.
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Escalona-Rayo O, Fuentes-Vázquez P, Leyva-Gómez G, Cisneros B, Villalobos R, Magaña JJ, Quintanar-Guerrero D. Nanoparticulate strategies for the treatment of polyglutamine diseases by halting the protein aggregation process. Drug Dev Ind Pharm 2017; 43:871-888. [PMID: 28142290 DOI: 10.1080/03639045.2017.1281949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are a class of neurodegenerative disorders that cause cellular dysfunction and, eventually, neuronal death in specific regions of the brain. Neurodegeneration is linked to the misfolding and aggregation of expanded polyQ-containing proteins, and their inhibition is one of major therapeutic strategies used commonly. However, successful treatment has been limited to date because of the intrinsic properties of therapeutic agents (poor water solubility, low bioavailability, poor pharmacokinetic properties), and difficulty in crossing physiological barriers, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In order to solve these problems, nanoparticulate systems with dimensions of 1-1000 nm able to incorporate small and macromolecules with therapeutic value, to protect and deliver them directly to the brain, have recently been developed, but their use for targeting polyQ disease-mediated protein misfolding and aggregation remains scarce. This review provides an update of the polyQ protein aggregation process and the development of therapeutic strategies for halting it. The main features that a nanoparticulate system should possess in order to enhance brain delivery are discussed, as well as the different types of materials utilized to produce them. The final part of this review focuses on the potential application of nanoparticulate system strategies to improve the specific and efficient delivery of therapeutic agents to the brain for the treatment of polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Escalona-Rayo
- a Laboratorio de Investigación y Posgrado en Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Cuautitlán Izcalli , Mexico
| | - Paulina Fuentes-Vázquez
- a Laboratorio de Investigación y Posgrado en Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Cuautitlán Izcalli , Mexico
| | - Gerardo Leyva-Gómez
- b Laboratory of Connective Tissue , CENIAQ, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra , Mexico City , Mexico
| | - Bulmaro Cisneros
- c Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology , CINVESTAV-IPN , Mexico City , Mexico
| | - Rafael Villalobos
- d División de Estudios de Posgrado (Tecnología Farmacéutica), Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Cuautitlán Izcalli , Mexico
| | - Jonathan J Magaña
- e Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, Department of Genetics , Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra , Mexico City , Mexico
| | - David Quintanar-Guerrero
- a Laboratorio de Investigación y Posgrado en Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Cuautitlán Izcalli , Mexico
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Rodríguez-Cueto C, Hernández-Gálvez M, Hillard CJ, Maciel P, García-García L, Valdeolivas S, Pozo MA, Ramos JA, Gómez-Ruiz M, Fernández-Ruiz J. Dysregulation of the endocannabinoid signaling system in the cerebellum and brainstem in a transgenic mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type-3. Neuroscience 2016; 339:191-209. [PMID: 27717809 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.09.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type-3 (SCA-3) is a rare disease but it is the most frequent type within the autosomal dominant inherited ataxias. The disease lacks an effective treatment to alleviate major symptoms and to modify disease progression. Our recent findings that endocannabinoid receptors and enzymes are significantly altered in the post-mortem cerebellum of patients affected by autosomal-dominant hereditary ataxias suggest that targeting the endocannabinoid signaling system may be a promising therapeutic option. Our goal was to investigate the status of the endocannabinoid signaling system in a transgenic mouse model of SCA-3, in the two CNS structures most affected in this disease - cerebellum and brainstem. These animals exhibited progressive motor incoordination, imbalance, abnormal gait, muscle weakness, and dystonia, in parallel to reduced in vivo brain glucose metabolism, deterioration of specific neuron subsets located in the dentate nucleus and pontine nuclei, small changes in microglial morphology, and reduction in glial glutamate transporters. Concerning the endocannabinoid signaling, our data indicated no changes in CB2 receptors. By contrast, CB1 receptors increased in the Purkinje cell layer, in particular in terminals of basket cells, but they were reduced in the dentate nucleus. We also measured the levels of endocannabinoid lipids and found reductions in anandamide and oleoylethanolamide in the brainstem. These changes correlated with an increase in the FAAH enzyme in the brainstem, which also occurred in some cerebellar areas, whereas other endocannabinoid-related enzymes were not altered. Collectively, our results in SCA-3 mutant mice confirm a possible dysregulation in the endocannabinoid system in the most important brain structures affected in this type of ataxia, suggesting that a pharmacological manipulation addressed to correct these changes could be a promising option in SCA-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Rodríguez-Cueto
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mariluz Hernández-Gálvez
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cecilia J Hillard
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Patricia Maciel
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimaraes, Portugal
| | - Luis García-García
- Unidad de Cartografía Cerebral, Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Valdeolivas
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel A Pozo
- Unidad de Cartografía Cerebral, Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - José A Ramos
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Gómez-Ruiz
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Javier Fernández-Ruiz
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain.
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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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Alves S, Marais T, Biferi MG, Furling D, Marinello M, El Hachimi K, Cartier N, Ruberg M, Stevanin G, Brice A, Barkats M, Sittler A. Lentiviral vector-mediated overexpression of mutant ataxin-7 recapitulates SCA7 pathology and promotes accumulation of the FUS/TLS and MBNL1 RNA-binding proteins. Mol Neurodegener 2016; 11:58. [PMID: 27465358 PMCID: PMC4964261 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-016-0123-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We used lentiviral vectors (LVs) to generate a new SCA7 animal model overexpressing a truncated mutant ataxin-7 (MUT ATXN7) fragment in the mouse cerebellum, in order to characterize the specific neuropathological and behavioral consequences of the genetic defect in this brain structure. Results LV-mediated overexpression of MUT ATXN7 into the cerebellum of C57/BL6 adult mice induced neuropathological features similar to that observed in patients, such as intranuclear aggregates in Purkinje cells (PC), loss of synaptic markers, neuroinflammation, and neuronal death. No neuropathological changes were observed when truncated wild-type ataxin-7 (WT ATXN7) was injected. Interestingly, the local delivery of LV-expressing mutant ataxin-7 (LV-MUT-ATXN7) into the cerebellum of wild-type mice also mediated the development of an ataxic phenotype at 8 to 12 weeks post-injection. Importantly, our data revealed abnormal levels of the FUS/TLS, MBNL1, and TDP-43 RNA-binding proteins in the cerebellum of the LV-MUT-ATXN7 injected mice. MUT ATXN7 overexpression induced an increase in the levels of the pathological phosphorylated TDP-43, and a decrease in the levels of soluble FUS/TLS, with both proteins accumulating within ATXN7-positive intranuclear inclusions. MBNL1 also co-aggregated with MUT ATXN7 in most PC nuclear inclusions. Interestingly, no MBNL2 aggregation was observed in cerebellar MUT ATXN7 aggregates. Immunohistochemical studies in postmortem tissue from SCA7 patients and SCA7 knock-in mice confirmed SCA7-induced nuclear accumulation of FUS/TLS and MBNL1, strongly suggesting that these proteins play a physiopathological role in SCA7. Conclusions This study validates a novel SCA7 mouse model based on lentiviral vectors, in which strong and sustained expression of MUT ATXN7 in the cerebellum was found sufficient to generate motor defects. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13024-016-0123-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandro Alves
- INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités UPMC, Univ Paris 06 UMR_S 1127, ICM (Brain and Spine Institute) Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 75013, Paris, France.
| | - Thibaut Marais
- CNRS FRE3617, Center for Research in Myology, Sorbonne Universités UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM UMRS974, Institut de Myologie, G-H Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Maria-Grazia Biferi
- CNRS FRE3617, Center for Research in Myology, Sorbonne Universités UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM UMRS974, Institut de Myologie, G-H Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Denis Furling
- CNRS FRE3617, Center for Research in Myology, Sorbonne Universités UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM UMRS974, Institut de Myologie, G-H Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Martina Marinello
- INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités UPMC, Univ Paris 06 UMR_S 1127, ICM (Brain and Spine Institute) Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 75013, Paris, France.,EPHE Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Laboratoire de Neurogénétique, PSL Universités, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Khalid El Hachimi
- INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités UPMC, Univ Paris 06 UMR_S 1127, ICM (Brain and Spine Institute) Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 75013, Paris, France.,EPHE Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Laboratoire de Neurogénétique, PSL Universités, 75013, Paris, France
| | | | - Merle Ruberg
- INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités UPMC, Univ Paris 06 UMR_S 1127, ICM (Brain and Spine Institute) Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Giovanni Stevanin
- INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités UPMC, Univ Paris 06 UMR_S 1127, ICM (Brain and Spine Institute) Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 75013, Paris, France.,EPHE Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Laboratoire de Neurogénétique, PSL Universités, 75013, Paris, France.,Département de Génétique et Cytogénétique, AP-HP, G-H Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 Bd de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Alexis Brice
- INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités UPMC, Univ Paris 06 UMR_S 1127, ICM (Brain and Spine Institute) Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 75013, Paris, France.,Département de Génétique et Cytogénétique, AP-HP, G-H Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 Bd de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Martine Barkats
- CNRS FRE3617, Center for Research in Myology, Sorbonne Universités UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM UMRS974, Institut de Myologie, G-H Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Annie Sittler
- INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités UPMC, Univ Paris 06 UMR_S 1127, ICM (Brain and Spine Institute) Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 75013, Paris, France.
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Keiser MS, Kordasiewicz HB, McBride JL. Gene suppression strategies for dominantly inherited neurodegenerative diseases: lessons from Huntington's disease and spinocerebellar ataxia. Hum Mol Genet 2016; 25:R53-64. [PMID: 26503961 PMCID: PMC4802374 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-targeting approaches are emerging as viable therapeutics that offer an alternative method to modulate traditionally 'undrugable' targets. In the case of dominantly inherited neurodegenerative diseases, gene suppression strategies can target the underlying cause of these intractable disorders. Polyglutamine diseases are caused by CAG expansions in discrete genes, making them ideal candidates for gene suppression therapies. Here, we discuss the current state of gene suppression approaches for Huntington's disease and the spinocerebellar ataxias, including the use of antisense oligonucleotides, short-interfering RNAs, as well as viral vector-mediated delivery of short hairpin RNAs and artificial microRNAs. We focus on lessons learned from preclinical studies investigating gene suppression therapies for these disorders, particularly in rodent models of disease and in non-human primates. In animal models, recent advances in gene suppression technologies have not only prevented disease progression in a number of cases, but have also reversed existing disease, providing evidence that reducing the expression of disease-causing genes may be of benefit in symptomatic patients. Both allele- and non-allele-specific approaches to gene suppression have made great strides over the past decade, showing efficacy and safety in both small and large animal models. Advances in delivery techniques allow for broad and durable suppression of target genes, have been validated in non-human primates and in some cases, are currently being evaluated in human patients. Finally, we discuss the challenges of developing and delivering gene suppression constructs into the CNS and recent advances of potential therapeutics into the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan S Keiser
- Raymond G. Perlman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Jodi L McBride
- Department of Neurology, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA and Deparment of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
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Conceição M, Mendonça L, Nóbrega C, Gomes C, Costa P, Hirai H, Moreira JN, Lima MC, Manjunath N, Pereira de Almeida L. Intravenous administration of brain-targeted stable nucleic acid lipid particles alleviates Machado-Joseph disease neurological phenotype. Biomaterials 2016; 82:124-37. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Revised: 12/13/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Nóbrega C, Carmo-Silva S, Albuquerque D, Vasconcelos-Ferreira A, Vijayakumar UG, Mendonça L, Hirai H, de Almeida LP. Re-establishing ataxin-2 downregulates translation of mutant ataxin-3 and alleviates Machado-Joseph disease. Brain 2015; 138:3537-54. [PMID: 26490332 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awv298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Machado-Joseph disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with the polyQ-expanded ataxin-3 (encoded by ATXN3), for which no therapy is available. With the aim of clarifying the mechanism of neurodegeneration, we hypothesized that the abnormally long polyQ tract would interact aberrantly with ataxin-2 (encoded by ATXN2), another polyQ protein whose function has recently been linked to translational regulation. Using patient's samples and cellular and animal's models we found that in Machado-Joseph disease: (i) ataxin-2 levels are reduced; and (ii) its subcellular localization is changed towards the nucleus. Restoring ataxin-2 levels by lentiviral-mediated overexpression: (i) reduced mutant ataxin-3 levels; and (ii) rescued behaviour defects and neuropathology in a transgenic mouse model of Machado-Joseph disease. Conversely (i) mutating the ataxin-2 motif that enables binding to its natural interactor and translation activator poly(A)-binding protein; or (ii) overexpressing poly(A)-binding protein, had opposite effects, increasing mutant ataxin-3 translation and aggregation. This work suggests that in Machado-Joseph disease, mutant ataxin-3 drives an abnormal reduction of ataxin-2 levels, which overactivates poly(A)-binding protein, increases translation of mutant ataxin-3 and other proteins and aggravates Machado-Joseph disease. Re-establishment of ataxin-2 levels reduces mutant ataxin-3 and alleviates Machado-Joseph disease pathogenesis opening a new avenue for therapeutic intervention in this and potentially other polyQ disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clévio Nóbrega
- 1 CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, FMUC, 3004- 504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sara Carmo-Silva
- 1 CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, FMUC, 3004- 504 Coimbra, Portugal 2 Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - David Albuquerque
- 3 Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3004- 517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana Vasconcelos-Ferreira
- 1 CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, FMUC, 3004- 504 Coimbra, Portugal 2 Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Udaya-Geetha Vijayakumar
- 1 CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, FMUC, 3004- 504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Liliana Mendonça
- 1 CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, FMUC, 3004- 504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Hirokazu Hirai
- 4 Department of Neurophysiology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- 1 CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, FMUC, 3004- 504 Coimbra, Portugal 2 Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
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48
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Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are heritable dominant neurological disorders, caused by abnormal CAG tri-nucleotide expansion in the coding sequence of affected genes. Extension of CAG repeats results in the production of aberrant gene products that are deleterious to neurons, such as transcripts with a CAG stem-loop secondary structure, and proteins containing a long stretch of polyQ residues. Thus, determining methods for the prevention or elimination of these mutant gene products from neuronal cells and translating this knowledge to clinical application are currently important goals in the fields of neurology and neurogenetics. Recently, several studies have revealed intriguing findings related to the allele-selective regulation of CAG-expanded genes, and have proposed novel designs to selectively diminish the mutant polyQ proteins. In this review, we focus on the genes, genetically engineered proteins, and oligonucleotides that show potential to modulate the expression of mutant genes. We also discuss their respective molecular functions at the levels of transcription, translation, and post-translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Rung Liu
- a Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Yang-Ming University , Taipei , Taiwan , Republic of China
| | - Tzu-Hao Cheng
- a Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Yang-Ming University , Taipei , Taiwan , Republic of China.,b Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University , Taipei , Taiwan , Republic of China
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Duarte-Neves J, Gonçalves N, Cunha-Santos J, Simões AT, den Dunnen WF, Hirai H, Kügler S, Cavadas C, Pereira de Almeida L. Neuropeptide Y mitigates neuropathology and motor deficits in mouse models of Machado–Joseph disease. Hum Mol Genet 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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O'Connor DM, Boulis NM. Gene therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. Trends Mol Med 2015; 21:504-12. [PMID: 26122838 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2015.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Gene therapy is, potentially, a powerful tool for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal muscular atrophy, Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). To date, clinical trials have failed to show any improvement in outcome beyond the placebo effect. Efforts to improve outcomes are focusing on three main areas: vector design and the identification of new vector serotypes, mode of delivery of gene therapies, and identification of new therapeutic targets. These advances are being tested both individually and together to improve efficacy. These improvements may finally make gene therapy successful for these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deirdre M O'Connor
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University, 101 Woodruff Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Nicholas M Boulis
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University, 101 Woodruff Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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