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Fernandes-Pires G, Azevedo MD, Lanzillo M, Roux-Petronelli C, Binz PA, Cudalbu C, Sandi C, Tenenbaum L, Braissant O. Rescue of myocytes and locomotion through AAV2/9-2YF intracisternal gene therapy in a rat model of creatine transporter deficiency. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2024; 32:101251. [PMID: 38745894 PMCID: PMC11091509 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2024.101251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Creatine deficiency syndromes (CDS), caused by mutations in GATM (AGAT), GAMT, and SLC6A8, mainly affect the central nervous system (CNS). CDS show brain creatine (Cr) deficiency, intellectual disability with severe speech delay, behavioral troubles, epilepsy, and motor dysfunction. AGAT/GAMT-deficient patients lack brain Cr synthesis but express the Cr transporter SLC6A8 at the blood-brain barrier and are thus treatable by oral supplementation of Cr. In contrast, no satisfactory treatment has been identified for Cr transporter deficiency (CTD), the most frequent of CDS. We used our Slc6a8Y389C CTD rat model to develop a new AAV2/9-2YF-driven gene therapy re-establishing the functional Slc6a8 transporter in rat CNS. We show, after intra-cisterna magna AAV2/9-2YF-Slc6a8-FLAG vector injection of postnatal day 11 pups, the transduction of Slc6a8-FLAG in cerebellum, medulla oblongata, and spinal cord as well as a partial recovery of Cr in these brain regions, together with full prevention of locomotion defaults and impairment of myocyte development observed in Slc6a8Y389 C/y male rats. While more work is needed to correct those CTD phenotypes more associated with forebrain structures, this study is the first demonstrating positive effects of an AAV-driven gene therapy on CTD and thus represents a very encouraging approach to treat the so-far untreatable CTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Fernandes-Pires
- Service of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marcelo Duarte Azevedo
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Clinical Neurosciences Department, University of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marc Lanzillo
- Service of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Clothilde Roux-Petronelli
- Service of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pierre-Alain Binz
- Service of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Cudalbu
- Centre d'Imagerie Biomedicale (CIBM), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Animal Imaging and Technology, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Liliane Tenenbaum
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Clinical Neurosciences Department, University of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Braissant
- Service of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
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2
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Broca-Brisson L, Disdier C, Harati R, Hamoudi R, Mabondzo A. Epigenetic alterations in creatine transporter deficiency: a new marker for dodecyl creatine ester therapeutic efficacy monitoring. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1362497. [PMID: 38694899 PMCID: PMC11062253 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1362497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Creatine transporter deficiency (CTD) is an X-linked disease caused by mutations in the Slc6a8 gene. The impaired creatine uptake in the brain leads to developmental delays with intellectual disability. We hypothesized that deficient creatine uptake in CTD cerebral cells impact methylation balance leading to alterations of genes and proteins expression by epigenetic mechanism. In this study, we determined the status of nucleic acid methylation in both Slc6a8 knockout mouse model and brain organoids derived from CTD patients' cells. We also investigated the effect of dodecyl creatine ester (DCE), a promising prodrug that increases brain creatine content in the mouse model of CTD. The level of nucleic acid methylation was significantly reduced compared to healthy controls in both in vivo and in vitro CTD models. This hypo-methylation tended to be regulated by DCE treatment in vivo. These results suggest that increased brain creatine after DCE treatment restores normal levels of DNA methylation, unveiling the potential of using DNA methylation as a marker to monitor the drug efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Broca-Brisson
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, CEA, INRAE, SPI, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Clémence Disdier
- Ceres Brain Therapeutics, ICM-Hôpital Pitié-Salpétrière, Paris, France
| | - Rania Harati
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Center of Excellence of Precision Medicine, Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirtes
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- ASPIRE Precision Medicine Research Institute Abu Dhabi, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Center of Excellence of Precision Medicine, Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- BIMAI-Lab, Biomedically Informed Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Aloïse Mabondzo
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé, CEA, INRAE, SPI, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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3
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Sugimoto C, Perna MK, Regan SL, Tepe EA, Liou R, Fritz AL, Williams MT, Vorhees CV, Skelton MR. A Gad2 specific Slc6a8 deletion recapitulates the contextual and cued freezing deficits seen in Slc6a8 -/y mice. Brain Res 2024; 1825:148690. [PMID: 38030104 PMCID: PMC10875619 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148690] [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: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The creatine (Cr)-phosphocreatine shuttle is essential for ATP homeostasis. In humans, the absence of brain Cr causes significant intellectual disability, epilepsy, and language delay. Mutations of the creatine transporter (SLC6A8) are the most common cause of Cr deficiency. In rodents, Slc6a8 deletion causes deficits in spatial learning, novel object recognition (NOR), as well as in contextual and cued freezing. The mechanisms that underlie these cognitive deficits are not known. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the brain, it is important to determine which systems are affected by a loss of Cr. In this study, we generated mice lacking Slc6a8 in GABAergic neurons by crossing Slc6a8FL mice with Gad2-Cre mice. These Gad2-specific Slc6a8 knockout (cKO) mice, along with the ubiquitous Slc6a8 KO (Slc6a8-/y), Gad2-Cre+, and wild-type (WT) mice were tested in the Morris water maze, NOR, conditioned freezing, and the radial water maze. Similar to the Slc6a8-/y mice, cKO mice had reduced contextual and cued freezing compared with WT mice. The cKO mice had a mild spatial learning deficit during the reversal phase of the MWM, however they were not as pronounced as in Slc6a8-/y mice. In NOR, the Gad2-Cre mice spent less time with the novel object, similar to the reduced novel time in the cKO mice. There were no changes in radial water maze performance. Slc6a8 deletion in GABAergic neurons is sufficient to recapitulate the conditioned freezing deficits seen in Slc6a8-/y mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiho Sugimoto
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States
| | - Marla K Perna
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
| | - Samantha L Regan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
| | - Erin A Tepe
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States
| | - Rosalyn Liou
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
| | - Adam L Fritz
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States
| | - Michael T Williams
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
| | - Charles V Vorhees
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
| | - Matthew R Skelton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
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Bian X, Zhu J, Jia X, Liang W, Yu S, Li Z, Zhang W, Rao Y. Suggestion of creatine as a new neurotransmitter by approaches ranging from chemical analysis and biochemistry to electrophysiology. eLife 2023; 12:RP89317. [PMID: 38126335 PMCID: PMC10735228 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89317] [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] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery of a new neurotransmitter, especially one in the central nervous system, is both important and difficult. We have been searching for new neurotransmitters for 12 y. We detected creatine (Cr) in synaptic vesicles (SVs) at a level lower than glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid but higher than acetylcholine and 5-hydroxytryptamine. SV Cr was reduced in mice lacking either arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (a Cr synthetase) or SLC6A8, a Cr transporter with mutations among the most common causes of intellectual disability in men. Calcium-dependent release of Cr was detected after stimulation in brain slices. Cr release was reduced in Slc6a8 and Agat mutants. Cr inhibited neocortical pyramidal neurons. SLC6A8 was necessary for Cr uptake into synaptosomes. Cr was found by us to be taken up into SVs in an ATP-dependent manner. Our biochemical, chemical, genetic, and electrophysiological results are consistent with the possibility of Cr as a neurotransmitter, though not yet reaching the level of proof for the now classic transmitters. Our novel approach to discover neurotransmitters is to begin with analysis of contents in SVs before defining their function and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiling Bian
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR)BeijingChina
| | - Jiemin Zhu
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR)BeijingChina
| | - Xiaobo Jia
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR)BeijingChina
| | - Wenjun Liang
- Chinese Institutes of Medical Research, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
- Changping Laboratory, Yard 28, Science Park Road, Changping DistrictBeijingChina
| | - Sihan Yu
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Changping Laboratory, Yard 28, Science Park Road, Changping DistrictBeijingChina
| | - Zhiqiang Li
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Wenxia Zhang
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes of Medical Research, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay LaboratoryShenzhenChina
| | - Yi Rao
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR)BeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes of Medical Research, Capital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
- Changping Laboratory, Yard 28, Science Park Road, Changping DistrictBeijingChina
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay LaboratoryShenzhenChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
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5
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Ghirardini E, Sagona G, Marquez-Galera A, Calugi F, Navarron CM, Cacciante F, Chen S, Di Vetta F, Dadà L, Mazziotti R, Lupori L, Putignano E, Baldi P, Lopez-Atalaya JP, Pizzorusso T, Baroncelli L. Cell-specific vulnerability to metabolic failure: the crucial role of parvalbumin expressing neurons in creatine transporter deficiency. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:34. [PMID: 36882863 PMCID: PMC9990224 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01533-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the solute carrier family 6-member 8 (Slc6a8) gene, encoding the protein responsible for cellular creatine (Cr) uptake, cause Creatine Transporter Deficiency (CTD), an X-linked neurometabolic disorder presenting with intellectual disability, autistic-like features, and epilepsy. The pathological determinants of CTD are still poorly understood, hindering the development of therapies. In this study, we generated an extensive transcriptomic profile of CTD showing that Cr deficiency causes perturbations of gene expression in excitatory neurons, inhibitory cells, and oligodendrocytes which result in remodeling of circuit excitability and synaptic wiring. We also identified specific alterations of parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) interneurons, exhibiting a reduction in cellular and synaptic density, and a hypofunctional electrophysiological phenotype. Mice lacking Slc6a8 only in PV+ interneurons recapitulated numerous CTD features, including cognitive deterioration, impaired cortical processing and hyperexcitability of brain circuits, demonstrating that Cr deficit in PV+ interneurons is sufficient to determine the neurological phenotype of CTD. Moreover, a pharmacological treatment targeted to restore the efficiency of PV+ synapses significantly improved cortical activity in Slc6a8 knock-out animals. Altogether, these data demonstrate that Slc6a8 is critical for the normal function of PV+ interneurons and that impairment of these cells is central in the disease pathogenesis, suggesting a novel therapeutic venue for CTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Ghirardini
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno 331, 56128, Calambrone (PI), Italy. .,Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Giulia Sagona
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Angel Marquez-Galera
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avenida Santiago Ramon Y Cajal, S/N, 03550, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - Francesco Calugi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Via Di San Salvi 12, 50135, Florence, Italy.,BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore Di Pisa, Piazza Dei Cavalieri 7, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Carmen M Navarron
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avenida Santiago Ramon Y Cajal, S/N, 03550, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - Francesco Cacciante
- BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore Di Pisa, Piazza Dei Cavalieri 7, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Siwei Chen
- Department of Computer Science and Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697-3435, USA
| | - Federica Di Vetta
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Dadà
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Raffaele Mazziotti
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Via Di San Salvi 12, 50135, Florence, Italy
| | - Leonardo Lupori
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno 331, 56128, Calambrone (PI), Italy
| | - Elena Putignano
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pierre Baldi
- Department of Computer Science and Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697-3435, USA
| | - Jose P Lopez-Atalaya
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avenida Santiago Ramon Y Cajal, S/N, 03550, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - Tommaso Pizzorusso
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy.,BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore Di Pisa, Piazza Dei Cavalieri 7, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Baroncelli
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno 331, 56128, Calambrone (PI), Italy.,Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
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6
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Duran‐Trio L, Fernandes‐Pires G, Grosse J, Soro‐Arnaiz I, Roux‐Petronelli C, Binz P, De Bock K, Cudalbu C, Sandi C, Braissant O. Creatine transporter-deficient rat model shows motor dysfunction, cerebellar alterations, and muscle creatine deficiency without muscle atrophy. J Inherit Metab Dis 2022; 45:278-291. [PMID: 34936099 PMCID: PMC9302977 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Creatine (Cr) is a nitrogenous organic acid and plays roles such as fast phosphate energy buffer to replenish ATP, osmolyte, antioxidant, neuromodulator, and as a compound with anabolic and ergogenic properties in muscle. Cr is taken from the diet or endogenously synthetized by the enzymes arginine:glycine amidinotransferase and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase, and specifically taken up by the transporter SLC6A8. Loss-of-function mutations in the genes encoding for the enzymes or the transporter cause creatine deficiency syndromes (CDS). CDS are characterized by brain Cr deficiency, intellectual disability with severe speech delay, behavioral troubles, epilepsy, and motor dysfunction. Among CDS, the X-linked Cr transporter deficiency (CTD) is the most prevalent with no efficient treatment so far. Different animal models of CTD show reduced brain Cr levels, cognitive deficiencies, and together they cover other traits similar to those of patients. However, motor function was poorly explored in CTD models, and some controversies in the phenotype exist in comparison with CTD patients. Our recently described Slc6a8Y389C knock-in rat model of CTD showed mild impaired motor function, morphological alterations in cerebellum, reduced muscular mass, Cr deficiency, and increased guanidinoacetate content in muscle, although no consistent signs of muscle atrophy. Our results indicate that such motor dysfunction co-occurred with both nervous and muscle dysfunctions, suggesting that muscle strength and performance as well as neuronal connectivity might be affected by this Cr deficiency in muscle and brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Duran‐Trio
- Service of Clinical ChemistryUniversity of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Gabriella Fernandes‐Pires
- Service of Clinical ChemistryUniversity of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Jocelyn Grosse
- Brain Mind InstituteEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Ines Soro‐Arnaiz
- Department of Health Sciences and TechnologySwiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Clothilde Roux‐Petronelli
- Service of Clinical ChemistryUniversity of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Pierre‐Alain Binz
- Service of Clinical ChemistryUniversity of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Katrien De Bock
- Department of Health Sciences and TechnologySwiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Cristina Cudalbu
- Centre d'Imagerie Biomedicale (CIBM), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind InstituteEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Olivier Braissant
- Service of Clinical ChemistryUniversity of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
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7
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Ghirardini E, Calugi F, Sagona G, Di Vetta F, Palma M, Battini R, Cioni G, Pizzorusso T, Baroncelli L. The Role of Preclinical Models in Creatine Transporter Deficiency: Neurobiological Mechanisms, Biomarkers and Therapeutic Development. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12081123. [PMID: 34440297 PMCID: PMC8392480 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Creatine (Cr) Transporter Deficiency (CTD) is an X-linked metabolic disorder, mostly caused by missense mutations in the SLC6A8 gene and presenting with intellectual disability, autistic behavior, and epilepsy. There is no effective treatment for CTD and patients need lifelong assistance. Thus, the research of novel intervention strategies is a major scientific challenge. Animal models are an excellent tool to dissect the disease pathogenetic mechanisms and drive the preclinical development of therapeutics. This review illustrates the current knowledge about Cr metabolism and CTD clinical aspects, with a focus on mainstay diagnostic and therapeutic options. Then, we discuss the rodent models of CTD characterized in the last decade, comparing the phenotypes expressed within clinically relevant domains and the timeline of symptom development. This analysis highlights that animals with the ubiquitous deletion/mutation of SLC6A8 genes well recapitulate the early onset and the complex pathological phenotype of the human condition. Thus, they should represent the preferred model for preclinical efficacy studies. On the other hand, brain- and cell-specific conditional mutants are ideal for understanding the basis of CTD at a cellular and molecular level. Finally, we explain how CTD models might provide novel insight about the pathogenesis of other disorders, including cancer.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Biomarkers/metabolism
- Brain Diseases, Metabolic, Inborn/metabolism
- Brain Diseases, Metabolic, Inborn/pathology
- Brain Diseases, Metabolic, Inborn/therapy
- Central Nervous System/pathology
- Creatine/deficiency
- Creatine/metabolism
- Disease Models, Animal
- Humans
- Mental Retardation, X-Linked/metabolism
- Mental Retardation, X-Linked/pathology
- Mental Retardation, X-Linked/therapy
- Mice
- Plasma Membrane Neurotransmitter Transport Proteins/deficiency
- Plasma Membrane Neurotransmitter Transport Proteins/metabolism
- Rats
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Ghirardini
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, I-56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.G.); (G.S.); (R.B.); (G.C.)
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), I-56124 Pisa, Italy; (F.C.); (F.D.V.); (M.P.); (T.P.)
| | - Francesco Calugi
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), I-56124 Pisa, Italy; (F.C.); (F.D.V.); (M.P.); (T.P.)
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, I-50135 Florence, Italy
| | - Giulia Sagona
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, I-56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.G.); (G.S.); (R.B.); (G.C.)
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, I-50135 Florence, Italy
| | - Federica Di Vetta
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), I-56124 Pisa, Italy; (F.C.); (F.D.V.); (M.P.); (T.P.)
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Martina Palma
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), I-56124 Pisa, Italy; (F.C.); (F.D.V.); (M.P.); (T.P.)
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, I-50135 Florence, Italy
| | - Roberta Battini
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, I-56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.G.); (G.S.); (R.B.); (G.C.)
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, I-56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.G.); (G.S.); (R.B.); (G.C.)
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Tommaso Pizzorusso
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), I-56124 Pisa, Italy; (F.C.); (F.D.V.); (M.P.); (T.P.)
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, I-50135 Florence, Italy
| | - Laura Baroncelli
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, I-56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.G.); (G.S.); (R.B.); (G.C.)
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), I-56124 Pisa, Italy; (F.C.); (F.D.V.); (M.P.); (T.P.)
- Correspondence:
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8
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Wawro AM, Gajera CR, Baker SA, Nirschl JJ, Vogel H, Montine TJ. Creatine transport and pathological changes in creatine transporter deficient mice. J Inherit Metab Dis 2021; 44:939-948. [PMID: 33389772 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The severe impact on brain function and lack of effective therapy for patients with creatine (Cr) transporter deficiency motivated the generation of three ubiquitous Slc6a8 deficient mice (-/y). While each mouse knock-out line has similar behavioral effects at 2 to 3 months of age, other features critical to the efficient use of these mice in drug discovery are unclear or lacking: the concentration of Cr in brain and heart differ widely between mouse lines, there are limited data on histopathologic changes, and no data on Cr uptake. Here, we determined survival, measured endogenous Cr and uptake of its deuterium-labeled analogue Cr-d3 using a liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry assay, and performed comprehensive histopathologic examination on the Slc6a8-/y mouse developed by Skelton et al. Our results show that Slc6a8-/y mice have widely varying organ-specific uptake of Cr-d3, significantly diminished growth with the exception of brain, progressive vacuolar myopathy, and markedly shortened lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Wawro
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | | | - Steven A Baker
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Nirschl
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Hannes Vogel
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Thomas J Montine
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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9
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Do MHT, Cavagnaro J, Butt M, Terse PS, McKew JC. Use of an animal model of disease for toxicology enables identification of a juvenile no observed adverse effect level for cyclocreatine in creatine transporter deficiency. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2021; 123:104939. [PMID: 33961952 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2021.104939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
In standard general toxicology studies in two species to support clinical development, cyclocreatine, a creatine analog for the treatment of creatine transporter deficiency, caused deaths, convulsions, and/or multi-organ pathology. The potential translatability of these findings to patients was evaluated by comparing toxicity of cyclocreatine in wild-type mice to creatine transporter-deficient mice, a model of the human disease. A biodistribution study indicated greater accumulation of cyclocreatine in the brains of wild-type mice, consistent with its ability to be transported by the creatine transporter. Subsequent toxicology studies confirmed greater sensitivity of wild-type mice to cyclocreatine-induced toxicity. Exposure at the no observed adverse effect level in creatine transporter-deficient (554 μg*hr/ml) mice exceeded exposure at the maximum tolerated dose in wild-type (248 μg*hr/ml) mice. When dosed at 300 mg/kg/day for 3 months, cyclocreatine-related mortality, convulsions, and multi-organ pathology were observed in wild-type mice whereas there were no adverse findings in creatine transporter-deficient mice. Brain vacuolation was common to both strains. Although transporter-deficient mice appeared to be more sensitive, the finding had no functional correlates in this strain. The results highlight the importance of considering models of disease for toxicology in cases where they may be relevant to assessing safety in the intended patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minh-Ha Thi Do
- Lumos Pharma, 4200 Marathon Blvd Suite 200, Austin, TX, 78756, USA
| | | | - Mark Butt
- Tox Path Specialists, 8420 Gas House Pike Suite G, Frederick, MD, 21701, USA
| | - Pramod S Terse
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - John C McKew
- Lumos Pharma, 4200 Marathon Blvd Suite 200, Austin, TX, 78756, USA.
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10
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Duran-Trio L, Fernandes-Pires G, Simicic D, Grosse J, Roux-Petronelli C, Bruce SJ, Binz PA, Sandi C, Cudalbu C, Braissant O. A new rat model of creatine transporter deficiency reveals behavioral disorder and altered brain metabolism. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1636. [PMID: 33452333 PMCID: PMC7810893 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80824-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Creatine is an organic compound used as fast phosphate energy buffer to recycle ATP, important in tissues with high energy demand such as muscle or brain. Creatine is taken from the diet or endogenously synthetized by the enzymes AGAT and GAMT, and specifically taken up by the transporter SLC6A8. Deficit in the endogenous synthesis or in the transport leads to Cerebral Creatine Deficiency Syndromes (CCDS). CCDS are characterized by brain creatine deficiency, intellectual disability with severe speech delay, behavioral troubles such as attention deficits and/or autistic features, and epilepsy. Among CCDS, the X-linked creatine transporter deficiency (CTD) is the most prevalent with no efficient treatment so far. Different mouse models of CTD were generated by doing long deletions in the Slc6a8 gene showing reduced brain creatine and cognitive deficiencies or impaired motor function. We present a new knock-in (KI) rat model of CTD holding an identical point mutation found in patients with reported lack of transporter activity. KI males showed brain creatine deficiency, increased urinary creatine/creatinine ratio, cognitive deficits and autistic-like traits. The Slc6a8Y389C KI rat fairly enriches the spectrum of CTD models and provides new data about the pathology, being the first animal model of CTD carrying a point mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Duran-Trio
- Service of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lausanne and University Hospital of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 46, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gabriella Fernandes-Pires
- Service of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lausanne and University Hospital of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 46, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dunja Simicic
- Centre d'Imagerie Biomedicale (CIBM), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jocelyn Grosse
- Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Clothilde Roux-Petronelli
- Service of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lausanne and University Hospital of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 46, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stephen J Bruce
- Service of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lausanne and University Hospital of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 46, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pierre-Alain Binz
- Service of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lausanne and University Hospital of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 46, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Cudalbu
- Centre d'Imagerie Biomedicale (CIBM), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Braissant
- Service of Clinical Chemistry, University of Lausanne and University Hospital of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 46, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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11
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Cacciante F, Gennaro M, Sagona G, Mazziotti R, Lupori L, Cerri E, Putignano E, Butt M, Do MHT, McKew JC, Alessandrì MG, Battini R, Cioni G, Pizzorusso T, Baroncelli L. Cyclocreatine treatment ameliorates the cognitive, autistic and epileptic phenotype in a mouse model of Creatine Transporter Deficiency. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18361. [PMID: 33110151 PMCID: PMC7591530 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75436-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Creatine Transporter Deficiency (CTD) is an inborn error of metabolism presenting with intellectual disability, behavioral disturbances and epilepsy. There is currently no cure for this disorder. Here, we employed novel biomarkers for monitoring brain function, together with well-established behavioral readouts for CTD mice, to longitudinally study the therapeutic efficacy of cyclocreatine (cCr) at the preclinical level. Our results show that cCr treatment is able to partially correct hemodynamic responses and EEG abnormalities, improve cognitive deficits, revert autistic-like behaviors and protect against seizures. This study provides encouraging data to support the potential therapeutic benefit of cyclocreatine or other chemically modified lipophilic analogs of Cr.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Cacciante
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy.,BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, 56125, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mariangela Gennaro
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giulia Sagona
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, 50135, Florence, Italy.,Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128, Pisa, Italy
| | - Raffaele Mazziotti
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Leonardo Lupori
- BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, 56125, Pisa, Italy
| | - Elisa Cerri
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Elena Putignano
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mark Butt
- Tox Path Specialists, Frederick, MD, 21701, USA
| | | | | | | | - Roberta Battini
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Tommaso Pizzorusso
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, 50135, Florence, Italy
| | - Laura Baroncelli
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy. .,Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128, Pisa, Italy.
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12
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Farr CV, El-Kasaby A, Freissmuth M, Sucic S. The Creatine Transporter Unfolded: A Knotty Premise in the Cerebral Creatine Deficiency Syndrome. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2020; 12:588954. [PMID: 33192443 PMCID: PMC7644880 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2020.588954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Creatine provides cells with high-energy phosphates for the rapid reconstitution of hydrolyzed adenosine triphosphate. The eponymous creatine transporter (CRT1/SLC6A8) belongs to a family of solute carrier 6 (SLC6) proteins. The key role of CRT1 is to translocate creatine across tissue barriers and into target cells, such as neurons and myocytes. Individuals harboring mutations in the coding sequence of the human CRT1 gene develop creatine transporter deficiency (CTD), one of the pivotal underlying causes of cerebral creatine deficiency syndrome. CTD encompasses an array of clinical manifestations, including severe intellectual disability, epilepsy, autism, development delay, and motor dysfunction. CTD is characterized by the absence of cerebral creatine, which implies an indispensable role for CRT1 in supplying the brain cells with creatine. CTD-associated variants dramatically reduce or abolish creatine transport activity by CRT1. Many of these are point mutations that are known to trigger folding defects, leading to the retention of encoded CRT1 proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum and precluding their delivery to the cell surface. Misfolding of several related SLC6 transporters also gives rise to detrimental pathologic conditions in people; e.g., mutations in the dopamine transporter induce infantile parkinsonism/dystonia, while mutations in the GABA transporter 1 cause treatment-resistant epilepsy. In some cases, folding defects are amenable to rescue by small molecules, known as pharmacological and chemical chaperones, which restore the cell surface expression and transport activity of the previously non-functional proteins. Insights from the recent molecular, animal and human case studies of CTD add toward our understanding of this complex disorder and reveal the wide-ranging effects elicited upon CRT1 dysfunction. This grants novel therapeutic prospects for the treatment of patients afflicted with CTD, e.g., modifying the creatine molecule to facilitate CRT1-independent entry into brain cells, or correcting folding-deficient and loss-of-function CTD variants using pharmacochaperones and/or allosteric modulators. The latter justifies a search for additional compounds with a capacity to correct mutation-specific defects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sonja Sucic
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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13
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Mazziotti R, Cacciante F, Sagona G, Lupori L, Gennaro M, Putignano E, Alessandrì MG, Ferrari A, Battini R, Cioni G, Pizzorusso T, Baroncelli L. Novel translational phenotypes and biomarkers for creatine transporter deficiency. Brain Commun 2020; 2:fcaa089. [PMID: 32954336 PMCID: PMC7472907 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Creatine transporter deficiency is a metabolic disorder characterized by intellectual disability, autistic-like behaviour and epilepsy. There is currently no cure for creatine transporter deficiency, and reliable biomarkers of translational value for monitoring disease progression and response to therapeutics are sorely lacking. Here, we found that mice lacking functional creatine transporter display a significant alteration of neural oscillations in the EEG and a severe epileptic phenotype that are recapitulated in patients with creatine transporter deficiency. In-depth examination of knockout mice for creatine transporter also revealed that a decrease in EEG theta power is predictive of the manifestation of spontaneous seizures, a frequency that is similarly affected in patients compared to healthy controls. In addition, knockout mice have a highly specific increase in haemodynamic responses in the cerebral cortex following sensory stimuli. Principal component and Random Forest analyses highlighted that these functional variables exhibit a high performance in discriminating between pathological and healthy phenotype. Overall, our findings identify novel, translational and non-invasive biomarkers for the analysis of brain function in creatine transporter deficiency, providing a very reliable protocol to longitudinally monitor the efficacy of potential therapeutic strategies in preclinical, and possibly clinical, studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Mazziotti
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Florence I-50135, Italy.,Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa I-56124, Italy
| | | | - Giulia Sagona
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Florence I-50135, Italy.,Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa I-56128, Italy
| | - Leonardo Lupori
- BIO@SNS Lab, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa I-56125, Italy
| | - Mariangela Gennaro
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa I-56124, Italy
| | - Elena Putignano
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa I-56124, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Alessandrì
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa I-56128, Italy
| | - Annarita Ferrari
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa I-56128, Italy
| | - Roberta Battini
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa I-56128, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa I-56126, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa I-56128, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa I-56126, Italy
| | - Tommaso Pizzorusso
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Florence I-50135, Italy.,Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa I-56124, Italy
| | - Laura Baroncelli
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa I-56124, Italy.,Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa I-56128, Italy
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14
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Abdulla ZI, Pennington JL, Gutierrez A, Skelton MR. Creatine transporter knockout mice (Slc6a8) show increases in serotonin-related proteins and are resilient to learned helplessness. Behav Brain Res 2019; 377:112254. [PMID: 31542396 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112254] [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: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Approximately 20% of adults in the U.S. will experience an affective disorder during their life. While it is well established that serotonin (5-HT) is a crucial factor in mood, impaired cellular bioenergetics are also implicated. Creatine (Cr), through the Cr/Phospho-Cr (PCr) shuttle, maintains high ATP concentrations in the neuron. This system may be implicated in the etiology of affective disorders, as reduced Cr, PCr, and ATP are often seen in the brains of affected patients. To address this issue, Cr transporter (Crt) deficient male mice (Slc6a8-/y) and female mice heterozygous for Crt expression (Slc6a8+/-) were used to evaluate how a Cr deficient system would alter affective-like behaviors. Slc6a8-/y and Slc6a8+/- mice had faster escape latencies in learned helplessness, indicating a potential resilience to behavioral despair. Slc6a8-/y had decrease latency to immobility in the tail-suspension test and Slc6a8+/- had increased open entries in elevated zero maze, but all other variables matched those of wildtype mice, however. Slc6a8-/y mice have increased 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid content in the hippocampus and striatum and increased monoamine oxidase protein and tryptophan hydroxylase-2 protein content in the hippocampus, while 5-HT levels are unchanged. This indicates an alteration to the 5-HTergic system in Cr deficient mice. Our results indicate that Cr plays a complex role in affective disorders and 5-HT, warranting further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuhair I Abdulla
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, USA; Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jordan L Pennington
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Arnold Gutierrez
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, USA; Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Matthew R Skelton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, USA; Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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15
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Deletion of the Creatine Transporter (Slc6a8) in Dopaminergic Neurons Leads to Hyperactivity in Mice. J Mol Neurosci 2019; 70:102-111. [PMID: 31520365 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-019-01405-w] [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: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The lack of cerebral creatine (Cr) causes intellectual disability and epilepsy. In addition, a significant portion of individuals with Cr transporter (Crt) deficiency (CTD), the leading cause of cerebral Cr deficiency syndromes (CCDS), are diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. While the neurological effects of CTD are clear, the mechanisms that underlie these deficits are unknown. Part of this is due to the heterogenous nature of the brain and the unique metabolic demands of specific neuronal systems. Of particular interest related to Cr physiology are dopaminergic neurons, as many CCDS patients have ADHD and Cr has been implicated in dopamine-associated neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a loss of the Slc6a8 (Crt) gene in dopamine transporter (Slc6a3; DAT) expressing cells on locomotor activity and motor function as the mice age. Floxed Slc6a8 (Slc6a8flox) mice were mated to DATIREScre expressing mice to generate DAT-specific Slc6a8 knockouts (dCrt-/y). Locomotor activity, spontaneous activity, and performance in the challenging beam test were evaluated monthly in dCrt-/y and control (Slc6a8flox) mice from 3 to 12 months of age. dCrt-/y mice were hyperactive compared with controls throughout testing. In addition, dCrt-/y mice showed increased rearing and hindlimb steps in the spontaneous activity test. Latency to cross the narrow bridge was increased in dCrt-/y mice while foot slips were unchanged. Taken together, these data suggest that the lack of Cr in dopaminergic neurons causes hyperactivity while sparing motor function.
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16
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Udobi KC, Delcimmuto N, Kokenge AN, Abdulla ZI, Perna MK, Skelton MR. Deletion of the creatine transporter gene in neonatal, but not adult, mice leads to cognitive deficits. J Inherit Metab Dis 2019; 42:966-974. [PMID: 31209903 PMCID: PMC6739135 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Creatine (Cr) is a guanidino compound that provides readily available phosphate pools for the regeneration of spent adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The lack of brain Cr causes moderate to severe intellectual disability, language impairment, and epilepsy. The most prevalent cause of Cr deficiency are mutations in the X-linked SLC6A8 (Creatine transporter; CrT) gene, known as CrT deficiency (CTD). One of the most critical areas that need to be addressed is whether Cr is necessary for brain development. To address this concern, the Slc6a8 gene was knocked out in either neonatal (postnatal day (P)5) or adult (P60) mice using a tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase driven by the human ubiquitin C (UBC) promoter. Mice were tested in the Morris water maze, novel, object recognition, and conditioned fear 60 days after Slc6a8 deletion. In addition, overnight locomotor activity was analyzed. Mice that had the gene deleted on P5 showed deficits in the Morris water maze and novel object recognition, while there were no deficits in P60 knockout mice. Interestingly, the P5 knockout mice showed hyperactivity during the dark phase; however, when examining control mice, the effect was due to the administration of tamoxifen from P5 to 10. Taken together, the results of this study show that Cr is necessary during periods of brain development involved in spatial and object learning. This study also highlights the continued importance of using proper control groups for behavioral testing.
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17
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Ullio-Gamboa G, Udobi KC, Dezard S, Perna MK, Miles KN, Costa N, Taran F, Pruvost A, Benoit JP, Skelton MR, Lonlay PD, Mabondzo A. Dodecyl creatine ester-loaded nanoemulsion as a promising therapy for creatine transporter deficiency. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2019; 14:1579-1593. [PMID: 31038003 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2019-0059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Creatine transporter (CrT) deficiency is an X-linked intellectual disability caused by mutations of CrT. Aim: This work focus on the preclinical development of a new therapeutic approach based on a microemulsion (ME) as drug delivery system for dodecyl creatine ester (DCE). Materials & methods: DCE-ME was prepared by titration method. Novel object recognition (NOR) tests were performed before and after DCE-ME treatment on Slc6a8-/y mice. Results: Intranasal administration with DCE-ME improved NOR performance in Slc6a8-/y mice. Slc6a8-/y mice treated with DCE-ME had increased striatal ATP levels mainly in the striatum compared with vehicle-treated Slc6a8-/y mice which was associated with increased expression of synaptic markers. Conclusion: These results highlight the potential value of DCE-ME as promising therapy for creatine transporter deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Ullio-Gamboa
- Service de Pharmacologie et d'Immunoanalyse, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Kenea C Udobi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine & Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Sophie Dezard
- Service de Chimie Bio Organique et de Marquage CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marla K Perna
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine & Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Keila N Miles
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine & Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Narciso Costa
- Service de Pharmacologie et d'Immunoanalyse, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Frédéric Taran
- Service de Chimie Bio Organique et de Marquage CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Alain Pruvost
- Service de Pharmacologie et d'Immunoanalyse (SPI), Plateforme Smart-MS, CEA, INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Benoit
- LUNAM Université-Micro et Nanomédecines Biomimétiques, F-49933 Angers, France, INSERM U1066, IBS-CHU, 4 rue Larrey, F-49933 Angers Cedex 9, France
| | - Matthew R Skelton
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine & Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Pascale de Lonlay
- Centre de Référence des Maladies Héréditaires du Métabolisme de l'Enfant et de l'Adulte, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, APHP, Université Paris Descartes, Imagine, INEM, Filière G2M, metabERN, Paris, France
| | - Aloïse Mabondzo
- Service de Pharmacologie et d'Immunoanalyse, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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18
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Molinaro A, Alessandrì MG, Putignano E, Leuzzi V, Cioni G, Baroncelli L, Pizzorusso T. A Nervous System-Specific Model of Creatine Transporter Deficiency Recapitulates the Cognitive Endophenotype of the Disease: a Longitudinal Study. Sci Rep 2019; 9:62. [PMID: 30635645 PMCID: PMC6329805 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37303-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in creatine (Cr) transporter (CrT) gene lead to cerebral creatine deficiency syndrome-1 (CTD), an orphan neurodevelopmental disorder presenting with brain Cr deficiency, intellectual disability, seizures, movement and autistic-like behavioral disturbances, language and speech impairment. We have recently generated a murine model of CTD obtained by ubiquitous deletion of 5-7 exons in the CrT gene. These mice showed a marked Cr depletion, associated to early and progressive cognitive impairment, and autistic-like defects, thus resembling the key features of human CTD. Given the importance of extraneural dysfunctions in neurodevelopmental disorders, here we analyzed the specific role of neural Cr in the CTD phenotype. We induced the conditional deletion of Slc6a8 gene in neuronal and glial cells by crossing CrT floxed mice with the Nestin::Cre recombinase Tg (Nes-cre) 1Kln mouse. We report that nervous system-specific Cr depletion leads to a progressive cognitive regression starting in the adult age. No autistic-like features, including repetitive and stereotyped movements, routines and rituals, are present in this model. These results indicate that Cr depletion in the nervous system is a pivotal cause of the CTD pathological phenotype, in particular with regard to the cognitive domain, but extraneural actors also play a role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Molinaro
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), I-56124, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, I-50135, Florence, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Alessandrì
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, I-56128, Pisa, Italy
| | - Elena Putignano
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), I-56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Leuzzi
- Department of Paediatrics, Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, I-00184, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, I-56128, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Baroncelli
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), I-56124, Pisa, Italy. .,Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, I-56128, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Tommaso Pizzorusso
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), I-56124, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, I-50135, Florence, Italy
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