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Grønbæk-Thygesen M, Voutsinos V, Johansson KE, Schulze TK, Cagiada M, Pedersen L, Clausen L, Nariya S, Powell RL, Stein A, Fowler DM, Lindorff-Larsen K, Hartmann-Petersen R. Deep mutational scanning reveals a correlation between degradation and toxicity of thousands of aspartoacylase variants. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4026. [PMID: 38740822 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48481-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Unstable proteins are prone to form non-native interactions with other proteins and thereby may become toxic. To mitigate this, destabilized proteins are targeted by the protein quality control network. Here we present systematic studies of the cytosolic aspartoacylase, ASPA, where variants are linked to Canavan disease, a lethal neurological disorder. We determine the abundance of 6152 of the 6260 ( ~ 98%) possible single amino acid substitutions and nonsense ASPA variants in human cells. Most low abundance variants are degraded through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and become toxic upon prolonged expression. The data correlates with predicted changes in thermodynamic stability, evolutionary conservation, and separate disease-linked variants from benign variants. Mapping of degradation signals (degrons) shows that these are often buried and the C-terminal region functions as a degron. The data can be used to interpret Canavan disease variants and provide insight into the relationship between protein stability, degradation and cell fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Grønbæk-Thygesen
- Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vasileios Voutsinos
- Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristoffer E Johansson
- Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thea K Schulze
- Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matteo Cagiada
- Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Line Pedersen
- Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lene Clausen
- Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Snehal Nariya
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rachel L Powell
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Amelie Stein
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Douglas M Fowler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Kresten Lindorff-Larsen
- Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen
- Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Grønbæk-Thygesen M, Hartmann-Petersen R. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of aspartoacylase and its role in Canavan disease. Cell Biosci 2024; 14:45. [PMID: 38582917 PMCID: PMC10998430 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-024-01224-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Canavan disease is an autosomal recessive and lethal neurological disorder, characterized by the spongy degeneration of the white matter in the brain. The disease is caused by a deficiency of the cytosolic aspartoacylase (ASPA) enzyme, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), an abundant brain metabolite, into aspartate and acetate. On the physiological level, the mechanism of pathogenicity remains somewhat obscure, with multiple, not mutually exclusive, suggested hypotheses. At the molecular level, recent studies have shown that most disease linked ASPA gene variants lead to a structural destabilization and subsequent proteasomal degradation of the ASPA protein variants, and accordingly Canavan disease should in general be considered a protein misfolding disorder. Here, we comprehensively summarize the molecular and cell biology of ASPA, with a particular focus on disease-linked gene variants and the pathophysiology of Canavan disease. We highlight the importance of high-throughput technologies and computational prediction tools for making genotype-phenotype predictions as we await the results of ongoing trials with gene therapy for Canavan disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Grønbæk-Thygesen
- The Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200N, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen
- The Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200N, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Wei H, Moffett JR, Amanat M, Fatemi A, Tsukamoto T, Namboodiri AM, Slusher BS. The pathogenesis of, and pharmacological treatment for, Canavan disease. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:2467-2483. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Pronin AV, Gogoleva IV, Torshin IY, Gromovа OA. [Neurotrophic effects of lithium stimulate the reduction of ischemic and neurodegenerative brain damage]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2018; 116:99-108. [PMID: 27166488 DOI: 10.17116/jnevro20161162199-108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
For over 60 years, high doses of lithium (hundreds of milligrams of elemental lithium) have being used to treat bipolar disorder. However, only during the past 20 years the relevant basic and clinical studies have shown that neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects of lithium are possible in much smaller doses ( hundreds of micrograms of elemental lithium). These data indicate a significant potential for the clinical applications of lithium-based drugs in modern neurology for the purposes of prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative and ischemic pathologies. Pharmacological and molecular biology studies indicated that the inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-syntentase-3 (GSK-3) and induction of brain-derived neurotrophic factors are the main mechanisms of neurotropic actions of lithium. Also, by inhibiting the NMDA receptors, lithium regulates the calcium homeostasis and inhibits the activation of calcium-dependent apotosis. These and other molecular mechanisms of lithium action protect neurons from ischemia and neurodegeneration thus contributing to a significant reduction of neurological deficit in various models of stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- A V Pronin
- Ivanovo State Medical Academy, Ivanovo, Russian Satellite Center, Trace Elements Institute for UNESCO, Moscow
| | - I V Gogoleva
- Ivanovo State Medical Academy, Ivanovo, Russian Satellite Center, Trace Elements Institute for UNESCO, Moscow
| | - I Yu Torshin
- Ivanovo State Medical Academy, Ivanovo, Russian Satellite Center, Trace Elements Institute for UNESCO, Moscow
| | - O A Gromovа
- Ivanovo State Medical Academy, Ivanovo, Russian Satellite Center, Trace Elements Institute for UNESCO, Moscow
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5
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Roscoe RB, Elliott C, Zarros A, Baillie GS. Non-genetic therapeutic approaches to Canavan disease. J Neurol Sci 2016; 366:116-124. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2016.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Revised: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Nishitani A, Tanaka M, Shimizu S, Kunisawa N, Yokoe M, Yoshida Y, Suzuki T, Sakuma T, Yamamoto T, Kuwamura M, Takenaka S, Ohno Y, Kuramoto T. Involvement of aspartoacylase in tremor expression in rats. Exp Anim 2016; 65:293-301. [PMID: 27026062 PMCID: PMC4976243 DOI: 10.1538/expanim.16-0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Essential tremor (ET) is a common movement disorder with a poorly understood etiology.
The TRM/Kyo mutant rat, showing spontaneous tremor, is an animal model of ET. Recently, we
demonstrated that tremors in these rats emerge when two mutant loci, a missense mutation
in the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated potassium channel 1
(Hcn1) and the tremor (tm) deletion, are present
simultaneously. However, we did not identify which gene within the tm
deletion causes tremor expression in TRM/Kyo rats. A strong candidate among the 13 genes
within the tm deletion is aspartoacylase (Aspa), because
some Aspa-knockout mouse strains show tremor. Here, we generated
Aspa-knockout rats using transcription activator-like effector nuclease
technology and produced Aspa/Hcn1 double-mutant rats by
crossing Aspa-knockout rats with Hcn1-mutant rats. The
Aspa-knockout rats carried nonsense mutations in exon 4; and ASPA
proteins were not detectable in their brain extracts. They showed elevated levels of
N-acetyl-L-aspartate (NAA) in urine and spongy vacuolation
and abnormal myelination in the central nervous system, but no tremor. By contrast,
Aspa/Hcn1 double-mutant rats spontaneously showed
tremors resembling those in TRM/Kyo rats, and the tremor was suppressed by drugs
therapeutic for ET but not for parkinsonian tremor. These findings indicated that the lack
of the Aspa gene caused tremor expression in TRM/Kyo rats. Our animal
model suggested that the interaction of NAA accumulation due to ASPA deficiency with an
unstable neuronal membrane potential caused by HCN1 deficiency was involved in tremor
development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai Nishitani
- Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida-konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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Khadilkar S, Jaggi S, Patel B, Yadav R, Hanagandi P, Faria do Amaral LL. A practical approach to diseases affecting dentate nuclei. Clin Radiol 2015; 71:107-19. [PMID: 26577296 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2015.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Revised: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
A wide variety of diseases affect the dentate nuclei. When faced with the radiological demonstration of signal changes in the dentate nuclei, radiologists and clinical neurologists have to sieve through the many possibilities, which they do not encounter on a regular basis. This task can be challenging, and therefore, developing a clinical, radiological, and laboratory approach is important. Information on the topic is scattered and the subject has not yet been reviewed. In this review, a combined clinicoradiological approach is presented. The signal changes in T1, T2, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), diffusion, susceptibility weighted, and gadolinium-enhanced images can give specific or highly suggestive patterns, which are illustrated. The role of computed tomography (CT) in the diagnostic process is discussed. Specific radiological patterns do not exist in a significant proportion of patients where the clinical and laboratory analysis becomes important. In this review, we group the clinical constellations to narrow down the differential diagnosis and highlight the diagnostic clinical signs, such as tendon xanthomas and Kayser-Fleischer rings. As will be seen, a number of these conditions are potentially reversible, and hence, their early diagnosis is desirable. Finally, key diagnostic tests and available therapies are outlined. The practical approach thus begins with the radiologist and winds its way through the clinician, towards carefully selected diagnostic tests defining the therapy options.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Khadilkar
- Department of Neurology, Grant Medical College and Sir J. J. Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, India.
| | - S Jaggi
- Department of Radiology, Bombay Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - B Patel
- Neurology Department, Grant Medical College and Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, India
| | - R Yadav
- Neurology Department, Grant Medical College and Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, India
| | - P Hanagandi
- Department of Medical Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Canada
| | - L L Faria do Amaral
- Department of Neuroradiology - Medimagem, Hospital da Beneficencia Portuguesa de Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Ahmed SS, Gao G. Making the White Matter Matters: Progress in Understanding Canavan's Disease and Therapeutic Interventions Through Eight Decades. JIMD Rep 2015; 19:11-22. [PMID: 25604619 DOI: 10.1007/8904_2014_356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Revised: 08/05/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Canavan's disease (CD) is a fatal autosomal recessive pediatric leukodystrophy in which patients show severe neurodegeneration and typically die by the age of 10, though life expectancy in patients can be highly variable. Currently, there is no effective treatment for CD; however, gene therapy seems to be a feasible approach to combat the disease. Being a monogenic defect, the disease provides an excellent model system to develop gene therapy approaches that can be extended to other monogenic leukodystrophies and neurodegenerative diseases. CD results from mutations in a single gene aspartoacylase which hydrolyses N-acetyl aspartic acid (NAA) which accumulates in its absences. Since CD is one of the few diseases that show high NAA levels, it can also be used to study the enigmatic biological role of NAA. The disease was first described in 1931, and this review traces the progress made in the past 8 decades to understand the disease by enumerating current hypotheses and ongoing palliative measures to alleviate patient symptoms in the context of the latest advances in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seemin S Ahmed
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, ASC6, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
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Francis JS, Markov V, Leone P. Dietary triheptanoin rescues oligodendrocyte loss, dysmyelination and motor function in the nur7 mouse model of Canavan disease. J Inherit Metab Dis 2014; 37:369-81. [PMID: 24288037 DOI: 10.1007/s10545-013-9663-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2013] [Revised: 10/24/2013] [Accepted: 11/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The inherited pediatric leukodystrophy Canavan disease is characterized by dysmyelination and severe spongiform degeneration, and is currently refractory to treatment. A definitive understanding of core disease mechanisms is lacking, but pathology is believed to result at least in part compromised fatty acid synthesis during myelination. Recent evidence generated in an animal model suggests that the breakdown of N-acetylaspartate metabolism in CD results in a heightened coupling of fatty acid synthesis to oligodendrocyte oxidative metabolism during the early stages of myelination, thereby causing acute oxidative stress. We present here the results of a dietary intervention designed to support oxidative integrity during developmental myelination in the nur7 mouse model of Canavan disease. Provision of the odd carbon triglyceride triheptanoin to neonatal nur7 mice reduced oxidative stress, promoted long-term oligodendrocyte survival, and increased myelin in the brain. Improvements in oligodendrocyte survival and myelination were associated with a highly significant reduction in spongiform degeneration and improved motor function in triheptanoin treated mice. Initiation of triheptanoin treatment in older animals resulted in markedly more modest effects on these same pathological indices, indicating a window of therapeutic intervention that corresponds with developmental myelination. These results support the targeting of oxidative integrity at early stages of Canavan disease, and provide a foundation for the clinical development of a non-invasive dietary triheptanoin treatment regimen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S Francis
- Cell and Gene Therapy Center, Department of Cell Biology, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, 40 East Laurel Rd, Stratford, NJ, USA,
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Meffre D, Grenier J, Bernard S, Courtin F, Dudev T, Shackleford G, Jafarian-Tehrani M, Massaad C. Wnt and lithium: a common destiny in the therapy of nervous system pathologies? Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:1123-48. [PMID: 23749084 PMCID: PMC11113114 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1378-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Revised: 04/26/2013] [Accepted: 05/16/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Wnt signaling is required for neurogenesis, the fate of neural progenitors, the formation of neuronal circuits during development, neuron positioning and polarization, axon and dendrite development and finally for synaptogenesis. This signaling pathway is also implicated in the generation and differentiation of glial cells. In this review, we describe the mechanisms of action of Wnt signaling pathways and their implication in the development and correct functioning of the nervous system. We also illustrate how a dysregulated Wnt pathway could lead to psychiatric, neurodegenerative and demyelinating pathologies. Lithium, used for the treatment of bipolar disease, inhibits GSK3β, a central enzyme of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Thus, lithium could, to some extent, mimic Wnt pathway. We highlight the possible dialogue between lithium therapy and modulation of Wnt pathway in the treatment of the diseases of the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine Meffre
- UMR 8194 CNRS, University Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75270 Paris Cedex 6, France
| | - Julien Grenier
- UMR 8194 CNRS, University Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75270 Paris Cedex 6, France
| | - Sophie Bernard
- UMR 8194 CNRS, University Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75270 Paris Cedex 6, France
| | - Françoise Courtin
- UMR 8194 CNRS, University Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75270 Paris Cedex 6, France
| | - Todor Dudev
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, 11529 Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sofia, 1 James Bourchier Avenue, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | | | | | - Charbel Massaad
- UMR 8194 CNRS, University Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75270 Paris Cedex 6, France
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Clarner T, Wieczorek N, Krauspe B, Jansen K, Beyer C, Kipp M. Astroglial redistribution of aquaporin 4 during spongy degeneration in a Canavan disease mouse model. J Mol Neurosci 2013; 53:22-30. [PMID: 24272958 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-013-0184-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2013] [Accepted: 11/13/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Canavan disease is a spongiform leukodystrophy caused by an autosomal recessive mutation in the aspartoacylase gene. Deficiency of oligodendroglial aspartoacylase activity and a subsequent increase of its substrate N-acetylaspartate are the etiologic factors for the disease. N-acetylaspartate acts as a molecular water pump. Therefore, an osmotic-hydrostatic mechanism is thought to be involved in the development of the Canavan disease phenotype. Astrocytes express water transporters and are critically involved in regulating and maintaining water homeostasis in the brain. We used the ASPA(Nur7/Nur7) mouse model of Canavan disease to investigate whether a disturbance of water homeostasis might be involved in the disease's progression. Animals showed an age-dependent impairment of motor performance and spongy degeneration in various brain regions, among the basal ganglia, brain stem, and cerebellar white matter. Astrocyte activation was prominent in regions which displayed less tissue damage, such as the corpus callosum, cortex, mesencephalon, and stratum Purkinje of cerebellar lobe IV. Immunohistochemistry revealed alterations in the cellular distribution of the water channel aquaporin 4 in astrocytes of ASPA(Nur7/Nur7) mice. In control animals, aquaporin 4 was located exclusively in the astrocytic end feet. In contrast, in ASPA(Nur7/Nur7) mice, aquaporin 4 was located throughout the cytoplasm. These results indicate that astroglial regulation of water homeostasis might be involved in the partial prevention of spongy degeneration. These observations highlight aquaporin 4 as a potential therapeutic target for Canavan disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Clarner
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, RWTH Aachen University, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany,
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Baslow M, Guilfoyle D. Canavan disease, a rare early-onset human spongiform leukodystrophy: Insights into its genesis and possible clinical interventions. Biochimie 2013; 95:946-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2012.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2012] [Accepted: 10/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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