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Baracaldo-Santamaría D, Corrales-Hernández MG, Ortiz-Vergara MC, Cormane-Alfaro V, Luque-Bernal RM, Calderon-Ospina CA, Cediel-Becerra JF. Connexins and Pannexins: Important Players in Neurodevelopment, Neurological Diseases, and Potential Therapeutics. Biomedicines 2022; 10:2237. [PMID: 36140338 PMCID: PMC9496069 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10092237] [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: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-to-cell communication is essential for proper embryonic development and its dysfunction may lead to disease. Recent research has drawn attention to a new group of molecules called connexins (Cxs) and pannexins (Panxs). Cxs have been described for more than forty years as pivotal regulators of embryogenesis; however, the exact mechanism by which they provide this regulation has not been clearly elucidated. Consequently, Cxs and Panxs have been linked to congenital neurodegenerative diseases such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and, more recently, chronic hemichannel opening has been associated with adult neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease). Cell-to-cell communication via gap junctions formed by hexameric assemblies of Cxs, known as connexons, is believed to be a crucial component in developmental regulation. As for Panxs, despite being topologically similar to Cxs, they predominantly seem to form channels connecting the cytoplasm to the extracellular space and, despite recent research into Panx1 (Pannexin 1) expression in different regions of the brain during the embryonic phase, it has been studied to a lesser degree. When it comes to the nervous system, Cxs and Panxs play an important role in early stages of neuronal development with a wide span of action ranging from cellular migration during early stages to neuronal differentiation and system circuitry formation. In this review, we describe the most recent available evidence regarding the molecular and structural aspects of Cx and Panx channels, their role in neurodevelopment, congenital and adult neurological diseases, and finally propose how pharmacological modulation of these channels could modify the pathogenesis of some diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Baracaldo-Santamaría
- Pharmacology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111221, Colombia
| | - María Gabriela Corrales-Hernández
- Pharmacology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111221, Colombia
| | - Maria Camila Ortiz-Vergara
- Pharmacology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111221, Colombia
| | - Valeria Cormane-Alfaro
- Pharmacology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111221, Colombia
| | - Ricardo-Miguel Luque-Bernal
- Anatomy and Embriology Units, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111221, Colombia
| | - Carlos-Alberto Calderon-Ospina
- Pharmacology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111221, Colombia
- GENIUROS Research Group, Center for Research in Genetics and Genomics (CIGGUR), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111221, Colombia
| | - Juan-Fernando Cediel-Becerra
- Histology and Embryology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 111221, Colombia
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Finsterer J. Before attributing encephalomyelitis to SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations thoroughly exclude differentials. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2021; 8:2222-2223. [PMID: 34783196 PMCID: PMC8607444 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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Tian D, Zhao Y, Zhu R, Li Q, Liu X. Systematic review of CMTX1 patients with episodic neurological dysfunction. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2020; 8:213-223. [PMID: 33314704 PMCID: PMC7818278 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1 (CMTX1) is an inherited peripheral neuropathy caused by mutations in the gap junction beta 1 (GJB1) gene, which encodes the connexin32 protein. A small number of patients with GJB1 mutations present with episodic neurological dysfunction and reversible white matter lesions, which has not been adequately reported. Here, we aim to enable clinicians to further understand this particular situation through systematically reviewing all published relevant cases. METHODS We conducted a comprehensive search of the PubMed electronic database for medical literature relevant to CMTX1 patients with episodic neurological dysfunction and then fully analyzed the general information, clinical manifestations, and characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, and nerve conduction study (NCS). RESULTS We identified 47 cases of CMTX1 associated with episodic central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction from 38 publications. CMTX1 patients experienced episodic CNS deficits at a young age, ranging from infancy to 26 years, and 45 (95.7%) of them were male. The CNS symptoms manifested as facial, lingual, or limb weakness in 44 (93.6%), dysarthria or dysphagia in 39 (83.0%), facial or limb numbness in 15 (31.9%), and ataxia in 10 (21.3%) patients. The duration of episodic symptoms ranged from 3 minutes to 6 months. Thirty (63.8%) CMTX1 cases have reported obvious predisposing factors, among which the most common factors were infection or fever (27.7%), travel to high altitude (12.8%), and intensive exercise (8.5%). As for brain MRI, most abnormal signals were found in bilateral deep white matter (88.9%) and corpus callosum (80.0%). In addition, most of the NCS results were abnormal, including prolonged latency, reduced amplitude, and slowed conduction velocity. The motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) of median nerve was the most detectable and valuable, ranging from 25 to 45 m/s. INTERPRETATION We have reported the most comprehensive summary of the demographic and clinical profile from 47 CMTX1 patients with episodic CNS deficits and provided new insight into the phenotype spectrum of CMTX1. We hope that our study can help clinicians make early diagnosis and implement the best prevention and treatment strategies for CMTX1 patients with episodic CNS deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Tian
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yating Zhao
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Ruixia Zhu
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Qu Li
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Xu Liu
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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Michaelidou K, Tsiverdis I, Erimaki S, Papadimitriou D, Amoiridis G, Papadimitriou A, Mitsias P, Zaganas I. Whole exome sequencing establishes diagnosis of Charcot-Marie-Tooth 4J, 1C, and X1 subtypes. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2020; 8:e1141. [PMID: 32022442 PMCID: PMC7196464 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Revised: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) hereditary polyneuropathies pose a diagnostic challenge. Our aim here is to describe CMT patients diagnosed by whole exome sequencing (WES) following years of fruitless testing. METHODS/RESULTS Three patients with polyneuropathy suspected to be genetic in origin, but not harboring PMP22 gene deletion/duplication, were offered WES. The first patient, a 66-year-old man, had been suffering from progressive weakness and atrophies in the lower and upper extremities for 20 years. Due to ambiguous electrophysiological findings, immune therapies were administered to no avail. Twelve years after PMP22 deletion/duplication testing, WES revealed two pathogenic variants in the FIG4 gene (p.Ile41Thr and p.Phe598fs, respectively), as a cause of CMT 4J. The second patient, a 19-year-old man, had been suffering from hearing and gait impairment since at least his infancy, and recently presented with weakness and dystonia of the lower extremities. In this patient, WES identified the p.Leu122Val LITAF gene variant in heterozygous state, suggesting the diagnosis of CMT 1C, several years after initial genetic analyses. The third patient, a 44-year-old man, presented with progressive weakness and atrophies of the lower and upper extremities since the age of 17 years old. In this patient, WES identified the hemizygous p.Arg164Gln pathogenic variant in the GJB1 gene, establishing the diagnosis of CMT X1, 8 years after testing for PMP22 deletion/duplication. CONCLUSION Novel diagnostic techniques, such as WES, offer the possibility to decipher the cause of CMT subtypes, ending the diagnostic Odyssey of the patients and sparing them from unnecessary and potentially harmful treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kleita Michaelidou
- Neurogenetics LaboratoryMedical SchoolUniversity of CreteHeraklion, CreteGreece
| | - Ioannis Tsiverdis
- Neurology DepartmentUniversity Hospital of CreteHeraklion, CreteGreece
| | - Sophia Erimaki
- Neurophysiology UnitUniversity Hospital of CreteHeraklion, CreteGreece
| | | | | | | | - Panayiotis Mitsias
- Neurogenetics LaboratoryMedical SchoolUniversity of CreteHeraklion, CreteGreece
- Neurology DepartmentUniversity Hospital of CreteHeraklion, CreteGreece
- Neurophysiology UnitUniversity Hospital of CreteHeraklion, CreteGreece
- Department of NeurologyHenry Ford Hospital/Wayne State UniversityDetroitMIUSA
| | - Ioannis Zaganas
- Neurogenetics LaboratoryMedical SchoolUniversity of CreteHeraklion, CreteGreece
- Neurology DepartmentUniversity Hospital of CreteHeraklion, CreteGreece
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Liang Y, Liu J, Cheng D, Wu Y, Mo L, Huang W. Recurrent episodes of reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy in three Chinese families with GJB1 mutations in X-linked Charcot-Marie-tooth type 1 disease: cases report. BMC Neurol 2019; 19:325. [PMID: 31842800 PMCID: PMC6912941 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-019-1563-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The X-linked form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1 (CMTX1) is an inherited peripheral neuropathy that arises in patients with mutations in the gap-junction beta-1 gene (GJB1). CASE PRESENTATION Three young male patients from Southern China with pes cavus experienced multiple episodes of transient central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction. Three patients all had reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy as detected by brain diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI-DWI). Nerve conduction velocity (NCV) showed sensorimotor polyneuropathy with mixed demyelinating and axonal features. Genetic testing indicated a c.425G > A (p.Arg142Glu) or c.563 C > T (p.Thr188Ile) or c.103G > C (p.Val35Leu) mutation in GJB1. The unique feature of this report is the identification of two novel mutations: c.563 C > T and sc.103G > C of the GJB1 gene detected in two families respectively. Another unique feature is that peripheral neuropathy symptoms in the three patients were insidious and found at the onset of CNS symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Posterior leukoencephalopathy is involved in CMTX1 patients. The white matter changes in MRI of CMTX1 patients are reversible and recover later than CNS symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youlong Liang
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, #6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China, 530021
| | - Jingli Liu
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, #6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China, 530021
| | - Daobin Cheng
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, #6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China, 530021
| | - Yu Wu
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, #6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China, 530021
| | - Liuhong Mo
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, #6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China, 530021
| | - Wen Huang
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, #6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China, 530021.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Pediatric central nervous system demyelinating diseases include multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). As diagnostic criteria become more inclusive, the risk of misdiagnosis of atypical demyelinating diseases of rheumatologic, infectious, and autoimmune etiology increases. RECENT FINDINGS We review mimics of multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, including rheumatologic diseases: systemic lupus erythematosus and neuro-Behçet disease; infectious diseases: human immunodeficiency virus, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, and subacute sclerosis panencephalitis; and autoimmune diseases including X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids (CLIPPERS) and autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) encephalopathy. Atypical demyelinating disease may mimic classic neuroinflammatory diseases of the central nervous system. Imaging may meet criteria for a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, or patients may present with optic neuritis and transverse myelitis consistent with neuromyelitis optica spectrum or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody disorders. Through careful history-taking and review of atypical MRI findings, we may avoid misdiagnosis and mistreatment.
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Cole J, Evans E, Mwangi M, Mar S. Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis in Children: An Updated Review Based on Current Diagnostic Criteria. Pediatr Neurol 2019; 100:26-34. [PMID: 31371120 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2019.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is an inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system. Uniform diagnostic criteria for acute disseminated encephalomyelitis did not exist until publication of expert-defined consensus definitions by the International Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Society Group in 2007, with updates in 2013. In the expanding field of pediatric neuroimmunology, consistent diagnostic criteria are essential to correctly categorize patients as increasing information regarding prognosis and management becomes available. Scientific literature is relatively lacking in review articles on International Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Society Group-defined acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. This review focuses primarily on references applying the International Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Society Group criteria for acute disseminated encephalomyelitis presenting specific, up-to-date, and translatable information regarding the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, management, and prognosis of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in the pediatric population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Cole
- Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Demyelinating Diseases Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri.
| | - Emily Evans
- Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Demyelinating Diseases Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Martin Mwangi
- Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Demyelinating Diseases Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Soe Mar
- Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Demyelinating Diseases Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
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Charcot-Marie-Tooth: From Molecules to Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20143419. [PMID: 31336816 PMCID: PMC6679156 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20143419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) is the most prevalent category of inherited neuropathy. The most common inheritance pattern is autosomal dominant, though there also are X-linked and autosomal recessive subtypes. In addition to a variety of inheritance patterns, there are a myriad of genes associated with CMT, reflecting the heterogeneity of this disorder. Next generation sequencing (NGS) has expanded and simplified the diagnostic yield of genes/molecules underlying and/or associated with CMT, which is of paramount importance in providing a substrate for current and future targeted disease-modifying treatment options. Considerable research attention for disease-modifying therapy has been geared towards the most commonly encountered genetic mutations (PMP22, GJB1, MPZ, and MFN2). In this review, we highlight the clinical background, molecular understanding, and therapeutic investigations of these CMT subtypes, while also discussing therapeutic research pertinent to the remaining less common CMT subtypes.
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